Vegetation Classification and Mapping at Friendship Hill National Historic Site

Perles, Stephanie; Podniesinski, Gregory; Zimmerman, Ephraim; Millinor, William; Sneddon, Lesley

creating a current digital geospatial vegetation database for the park. Seven vegetation associations, Northern Red Oak – Mixed Hardwood Forest, Tuliptree – Beech – Maple Forest, Sycamore Floodplain Forest, Early Successional Forest, Conifer Plantation, Successional Old Field, and Mixed Forb Marsh, that occur within the park were identified and described in detail. The most abundant vegetation type in Friendship Hill National Historic Site is Tuliptree – Beech – Maple Forest. This vegetation type is similar to the natural vegetation of the region (Mixed Mesophytic Forest); however, the predominance of tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) reflects the relatively recent disturbances. Northern Red Oak – Mixed Hardwood Forest is relatively limited in extent in Friendship Hill National Historic Site. This type occurs only on steep slopes where harvesting the trees was difficult, and in pockets of forest in which the oaks were not timbered. The Sycamore Floodplain Forest is the prominent vegetation type on the floodplain terraces adjacent to the Monongahela River. The Conifer Plantation association is the least abundant association in the park. These small patches of conifers are remnants of the pine plantations that once covered the Friendship Hill estate. The Early Successional Forest and Successional Old Field associations occur in abandoned agricultural areas on which woody species have colonized. These associations illustrate the process of natural succession from open field to forest. The management of these former agricultural fields should be a priority for the park. The Successional Old Field association contains particularly high abundances of invasive plant species that threaten and impede the succession to a native forest type. The Mixed Forb Marsh association occurs in small patches along Ice Pond Run that drains from south to north through the center of the park. This variable vegetation type is heavily influenced by acid mine drainage and associated remediation efforts. The lack of current management in the Successional Old Fields is promoting the establishment and spread of invasive species such as multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), and autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata). The park should develop a management plan for old fields to address the control of invasive species, the development of desired target vegetation structure and composition, and management actions to achieve the desired target conditions. If the desired target condition is a native forest type, Northern Red Oak – Mixed Hardwood Forest or Tuliptree – Beech – Maple should be considered for selection. Since the time Albert Gallatin acquired the Friendship Hill estate over 200 years ago, the forest has been timbered and replanted numerous times, and the land has been mined for coal and cultivated for row crops, hay, orchards, tree nurseries, and Christmas trees (Roddy and Hammons 1986). The effects of these land uses can be seen on the land today, and their influences on the vegetation classification and the vegetation map are discussed throughout the report.

Vegetation Classification and Mapping at Friendship Hill National Historic Site

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