Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Revised Final Report, Small Parks Inventory, August 1997

Hughes, Jeffrey; Cass, Wendy

The following report summarizes presence and distribution of vascular plant species in three areas of the Park: the Billing's Farm Museum, the landscaped grounds of the Rockefeller Mansion, and the western hills beyond the Mansion. Collectively, these areas total 643 acres. Prior to visiting the site, orthophoto (Appendix A), infrared aerial photo (Appendix B), topographic map (Appendix C), and forest stand (Appendix D) coverage of the property were used to delineate different habitat types. For sampling purposes the property was divided into fourteen sections (Appendix ' E) based on dominant vegetation (meadow, forest, cultivated) and, where applicable, forest type. Field sampling occurred from March 1996-February 1997. After the initial pilot survey in March 1996, the property was surveyed once a month from May through September 1996, and again in February 1997. Each survey involved 20 + hours of field work that concentrated on, but was not limited Ito, a particular component of the flora (e.g., trees, shrubs, graminoids, spring ephemerals, or late-flowering herbs). Each monthly site visit consisted of a walk-around survey of the fourteen sample areas with emphasis on places that were likely to contain interesting species. Our general technique was to traverse the more square sample areas with a large X pattern followed by a walk back through the center of the X. Longer narrower areas were covered in a zigzag pattern by walking from boundary to boundary while progressing in the direction of the long axis of the sample area. We identified 507 vascular plant species in the Park (Appendix F). Of these, 418 were found growing wild, 80 in cultivated gardens or fields, and 9 in semi-cultivated areas. Semi-cultivated species were those that had been planted but not actively maintained. Trees in planted forest stands were considered wild. The 427 wild and semi-cultivated species represented 92 vascular plant families and included 297 forks, 49 trees, 43 shrubs, 32 ferns, and 6 fern allies. A complete plant list was entered into the NPFlnra database program and may be accessed by calling the National Park Service in Boston. Throughout the survey we concentrated on the wild and semi-cultivated areas of the western hills and the Billings Farm Museum. The landscaped plantings, gardens, and orchards of the Rockefeller Mansion and Billings Farm Museum were not as tlwruuglily surveyed. Susan Cain-Mckee (Manager of Historical Gardens) and Phil Lewis (Head Gardener) are excellent resources for the contents of cultivated areas.