Non-native Invasive Plant Assessment for Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, NH

Musson, Bill; Machin, Ben; Bradley, Markus

The purpose of this project was to inventory and assess non-native invasive plant (NNIP) infestations at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire, including the recently acquired Blow-Me-Down Farm property, as well as to recommend treatments and estimate the potential labor involved in treatments. The assessment work was carried out by Bill Musson from Redstart Forestry, as well as Dustin Clark and James Lytton from the Student Conservation Association on August 22 and August 23, 2017. Data was collected by walking along parallel transects 200 feet apart and recording information about each infestation of NNIP. The crew deviated from transects to collect data where there were obvious areas of concern to accomplish a more complete inventory. Information recorded included percent cover of NNIP, species, relative abundance, level of infestation, water resources, cover type, canopy closure, terrain, and management recommendations. Waypoints were recorded during the assessment to aid in stand delineation. A map was created showing the property divided into four colors based on the level of infestation. The levels are ‘Minimal’, ’Light’, ‘Moderate’, and ‘Heavy’. Each area is then divided into separate stands based on major differences in cover type, water resources, or spatial location. For example, every stand labeled with a ‘1’ has a minimal infestation of invasive plants, but the separate stands are called ‘1A’, ‘1B’, ‘1C’, and so on. To estimate the time involved with treatment, several factors were considered, including size of stand, level of infestation, invasive plant species present, recommended methods of treatment, water resources, and terrain.

Non-native Invasive Plant Assessment for Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, NH

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