20081539 Ver 1_Year 4 Monitoring Report_20080527

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08-1539
Hargett Buffer Mitigation Site
Annual Vegetation Monitoring Report
2007 Growing Season
Year 4 Monitoring Report

Prepared by:
Environmental Banc & Exchange, LLC
909 Capability Drive, Suite 3100
Raleigh, NC 27606
Monitoring Field Work by:
Ecosystem & Land Trust Monitoring
115 Attwood Street, Suite 408
Sparta, NC 28675
November 2007
MAY g 7 2008
DENR-WATERQUALITY
WETLANDS AND STGRMWATER BRANCH
DECEIVED
NOV 3 0 ?007
NC ECOSYSTEM
ENHANCEMENTPROGRAM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Summary ............................................................................................. ................. 3
2.0 Introduction ........................................................................................ ................. 3
3.0 Vegetation Monitoring ...................................................................... ................. 4
3.1 Success Criteria
........................................................................ 4
.................
3.2 Description of Species and Monitoring Protocol ................. ................ 4
3.3 Results of Vegetation Monitoring ........................................... ................ 4
3.4 Vegetation Observations .......................................................... ................ 5
3.5 Conclusions ................................................................................ ................ 6
Appendix A Site Photos
08-1539
Hargett Mitigation Site
Annual Monitoring Report for 2007 (Year 4)
1.0 SUMMARY
The Hargett / Tucker Farm is a 155-acre cattle operation located at the border of Lenoir and
Jones Counties, North Carolina. The Hargett Buffer Mitigation Site involved the restoration of
16 acres of riparian buffer at the 155-acre tract. The Hargett Mitigation Site is located along a
tributary to the Trent River, which is one of the major tributaries to the Neuse River.
Construction was completed in March 2004, and monitoring of the site has taken place during
the four growing seasons subsequent to construction completion. This Annual Report
summarizes the vegetative monitoring activities performed at the site during 2007.
The monitoring results for 2007 documented an average of 427 surviving stems per acre, with a
range of 310 to 550 stems per acre. The site continues to be on tract to achieve the vegetative
success criteria of 260 stems per acre at the end of Year 5.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
Approximately 16 acres of buffer were restored on the Hargett Mitigation Site. The primary
objectives of the buffer restoration, as specified in the Restoration Plan was follows:
"permanently remove beef cattle from direct access to the riparian areas in question and to re-
vegetate the riparian buffer with woody vegetation." The Restoration Plan called for buffering
3,680 linear feet along Tuckahoe Swamp and providing a buffer on both sides of 1,000 linear
feet of a farm ditch that drains to Tuckahoe Swamp; buffer widths were to be between 50 and
200 feet.
The target natural community type for the restored buffer is a "coastal plain small stream
swamp" (Schafale and Weakley, 1990). Coastal plain small stream swamp communities exist as
the floodplain of small blackwater streams. The design at the Hargett buffer site was to restore a
small stream swamp community adjacent to the Tuckahoe Swamp and the farm ditch that bisects
the property. The species composition planted on site was selected based on the vegetation
description for the "coastal plain small stream swamp (blackwater subtype)". In addition to
planting the buffer area, permanent fencing was installed to keep the cattle out of the buffer area.
To monitor the vegetation on the Hargett buffer site, approximately 2% or 0.3 acres of the site is
being sampled over five growing seasons. Three vegetation-monitoring plots that are 1/10`h of
an acre in size have been established on the site. The plots are randomly located to represent the
range of conditions that exist on the site.
After construction of the Hargett mitigation site in March 2004, the following tree species were
planted. The species were selected based on the natural communities types discussed above.
Table 1. Tree Species Planted in 2004
ID Scientific Name Common Name FAC Status
1 Platanus occidentalis Sycamore FACW-
2 Nyssa biflora Swamp Tupelo OBL
3 Nyssa aquatica Water Tupelo OBL
4 Quercus laurifolia Laurel Oak FACW
5 Quercus lyrata Overcup Oak OBL
6 Quercus michauxii Swamp Chestnut Oak FACW-
7 Quercus nigra Water Oak FAC
8 Quercus pagoda Cherrybark Oak FAC+
9 Quercus phellos Coastal Willow Oak FACW-
10 Quercus alba White Oak FACU
11 Taxodium distichum Bald Cypress OBL
3.0 VEGETATION MONITORING
3.1 Success Criteria
The interim measure of vegetative success for the Hargett Buffer Plan was survival of at least
320 3-year old planted trees per acre at the end of Year 3 of the monitoring period. The interim
success criteria was achieved in 2006. The final vegetative success criteria will be the survival
of 260 5-year old planted trees per acre at the end of Year 5 of the monitoring period.
Up to 20% of the site species composition may be comprised of invaders. Remedial action may
be required should these (i.e. loblolly pine, red maple, sweetgum, etc.) present a problem and
exceed 20% composition.
3.2 Description of Species and Monitoring Protocol
All of the planted stems inside the plot were flagged with orange flagging to mark them as the
planted stems (vs. any colonizers) and to help in locating them during the five year monitoring
period. Each stem was then tagged with a permanent numbered aluminum tag.
3.3 Results of Vegetation Monitoring
The following tables present stem counts for each of the monitoring plots. Each planted tree
species is identified across the top row, and each plot is identified down the left column. The
numbers on the top row correlate to the ID column of the previous table. Trees are flagged in the
field on a quarterly basis before the flags degrade. Flags are utilized because they will not
interfere with the growth of the tree. Volunteers are also flagged during this process.
Table 2. 2007 Vegetation Monitoring Plot Species Composition
Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 S 9 10 11 Total Stem/ac
H1 8 1 0 1 0 12 1 0 8 7 4 42 420
H2 0 0 5 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 24 31 310
H3 0 46 0 0 6 1 0 0 0 0 2 55 550
Average Stems/Acre: 427
Range of Stems/Acre: 310-550
Volunteer species will also be monitored throughout the five-year monitoring period. Below is a
table of the most commonly found woody volunteer species.
Table 3: Volunteers in the Buffer Area
ID Species Common Name FAC Status
A Liquidambar styraciflua Sweetgum FAC+
B Acer rubrum Red Maple FAC
C Diospyros virginiana Persimmon FAC
Volunteer woody species were observed in most all of the vegetation plots, but are not exceeding
20% of the total composition. The most were observed in Plot 3, maintenance thinning of the
volunteers may be required in the vicinity of Plot 3. Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is the most
common volunteer, though sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) was also observed.
3.4 Vegetation Observations
The planted stems were planted in what used to be cattle pasture. Existing vegetation was being
grazed before cattle exclusion, so some pasture grasses could still exist on-site. Hydrophytic
herbaceous vegetation, including rush (Juncus effusus), spike-rush (Eleocharis obtusa),
tearthumb (Polygonum sagittatum), climbing hempweed (Mikania scandens), and sedge (Carex
sp.), are frequently observed across the site, particularly in areas of inundation. The presence of
these herbaceous wetland plants helps to confirm the presence of wetland hydrology on the site.
There is little notable change in the zones of kudzu occurring along the perimeter of the site.
The kudzu does not seem to be posing any problems. There are some climbing hempweed
(Mikania scandens) vines that are growing amongst the planted stems that sometimes contort the
smaller trees, bending them around, but it seems to have little effect on the survivability of the
four year old trees. No other weedy species seem to be posing any problems for the woody or
herbaceous hydrophytic vegetation. The majority of the weedy species are annuals and seems to
pose very little threat to survivability on site. Commonly seen weedy vegetation includes
ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), and morning glory
(Ipomoea sp.). Any threatening weedy vegetation found in the future will be documented.
3.5 Conclusions
The 2007 vegetation monitoring (Year 4) documented an average tree density of 427 stems per
acre, with a range of 310 to 550 stems per acre. This site is on trajectory to meet the final
success criteria of 260 trees per acre by the end of Year 5.
Plot 3 is the only area of concern in that it has a large population of Maple and Sweet-gum
seedlings, and maintenance thinning in this area in 2008 should be considered.
Appendix A. Site Photos
Irks
Hargett Vegetation Plot 1

a

Hargett Vegetation Plot 2

Hargett Vegetation Plot 3