A Natural Resource Inventory Study at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, New Hampshire

Cronan, Christopher; Davis, Mark; Desmeules, Marc; Litton, James; Nothnagle, Philip; Parnell, Roderic

The outline of the report is as follows: I. Introduction; II. Vegetation Resources (Vegetation Patterns, Botanical Resources, Vegetation History); III. Pond and Stream Resources (Pond History, Pond and Wetland Mapping, Pond and Stream Chemistry, Pond and Wetland Biomass, Stream Hydrology); IV. Fauna of Saint-Gaudens N.H.S. (Mammal Fauna, Bird Community); V. Geology, Geomorphology, and Soils; VI. Executive Summary (Vegetation Resources, Pond and Stream Resources, Faunal Resources, Geology and Soils); VII. Management Recommendations; VIII. References; IX. Appendices. The following excerpts (from the Executive Summary) give a brief overview of the results. Vegetation Resources: The landscape at SAGA exhibits a refreshing mixture of vegetation contrasts and diverse topographic features. A large portion of the overall site is covered by mixed hardwood forest containing the following tree species: eastern hemlock, white pine, red maple, sugar maple, red oak, black birch, American beech, and paper birch. Based upon species composition, the forest cover can be divided into eight types of stands. The flora of Saint-Gaudens NHS and Natural Area is relatively diverse, and includes 32 tree species and 100 plus species of herbaceous and shrubby plants. Pond and Stream Resources: The aquatic and wetland resources are a very important and valuable component of the landscape at Saint-Gaudens NHS and Natural Area. Throughout the last century, there has been considerable recreational and commercial activity along the sections of Blow-Me-Up and Blow-Me-Down Brooks. Today, Blow-Me-Down Pond is a relatively quiet 2-hectare pond that averages 3.8 ft. in depth, and exhibits many of the characteristic features of an oligotrophic aquatic system. Chemical, physical, and biological features are described in detail, and stream hydrology is briefly described. Faunal Resources: 13 or more mammals inhabit the site, including white-tailed deer, racoon, brown bat, beaver, voles, mice, chipmunk, squirrel, muskrat, and woodchuck. There are 9 or more species of reptiles and amphibians. The bird diversity is remarkable for such a comparatively small site. The Saint-Gaudens NHS and Natural Area serve as the breeding grounds, migratory habitat, or wintering grounds for over 100 species of birds. Geology and Soils: The soils are classified as Entisols or Inceptisols, the youngest soil classes in the USDA soil taxonomy system. Soil types range from well-drained loamy soils on the uplands to poorly-drained silty soils in the floodplains. Geologically, the site is quite varied. Although the bedrock is primarily a dark gray slate or phyllite, the surficial geology contains a variety of glacial and post-glacial features, including lacustrine sediments from the Lake Hitchcock period, aeolian deposits, and glacial outwash deposits.

A Natural Resource Inventory Study at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, New Hampshire

Collections