Geology and Vegetation of the Long Island Pine Barrens

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Geology and Vegetation ofthe Long Island Pine
Barrens
CEN 514Geology of Long Island
Glenn Richard
Photo by Sandy Richard
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What are the Pine Barrens?
Dry uplands with sandy soil
Wetlands
David A. Sarnoff Pine Barrens Preserve, Flanders
The Nature Conservancy This region is a diverse
mosaic of pitch pine woodlands, pitch pine-oak
forests, coastal plain ponds, swamps, marshes,
bogs and streams.
Pine Barrens Commission A rich concoction of
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, surface and
ground waters, recreational niches, historic
locales, farmlands, and residential areas, this
region is the largest remnant of a forest thought
to have once encompassed over a quarter million
acres. The Central Pine Barrens overlies a
portion of Long Island's federally designated
sole source drinking water aquifer. .
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Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)
Westhampton, NY
- The dominant tree in most parts of the Long
Island Pine Barrens - Three thick waxy needles
per cluster Cones mature in two years
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Where are the Long Island Pine Barrens?
StonyBrook
From http//www.pb.state.ny.us/
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What was the original extent of the Long Island
Pine Barrens?
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Long Islands Geological Features
Pine Barrens have formed on material deposited by
glacial ice and meltwaters, and wind.
Harbor Hill Moraine
Roanoke Point Moraine
Kame Deltas
Terryville Outwash Plain
Ronkonkoma Moraine
Hempstead Outwash Plain
Barrier Beach
From http//pbisotope.ess.sunysb.edu/lig/Conferen
ces/abstracts-03/bennington/index.html
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Central Long Island Geology
Roanoke Point Moraine
Harbor Hill Moraine
Ronkonkoma Moraine
Carmans River
Hempstead Outwash Plain
Barrier Beach
From http//pbisotope.ess.sunysb.edu/lig/Conferen
ces/abstracts-03/bennington/index.html
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Glacial Material in Coastal Bluff on Shelter
Island
Soil
Loess (windblown silt) with bank swallow burrows
Glacial Till (carried or pushed by ice) and
Outwash (deposited by meltwater)
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Dry Sandy and Pebbly Soil
Plymouth-Carver Sand in Dwarf Pine Plains,
modified by runoff
Ventifact(Wind-faceted stone)
Soil in Pine Barrens uplands is high in sand and
pebbles and low in silt, enabling water to
percolate rapidly, which leaves the surface dry.
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Some Pine Barrens Soils
Drier, More Acid
Carver Plymouthsands
Riverheadsandy loam
Plymouthloamy sand
From HISTORICAL CHANGES IN THE PINE BARRENS OF
CENTRAL SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK - Frank E.
Kurczewski, Hugh F. Boyle (2000). Northeastern
Naturalist Volume 7, Issue 2
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Central Suffolk - Major Soil Associations
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SBU
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2
1
1
3
Erroron Map!
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4
3
2
1
moisture
From HISTORICAL CHANGES IN THE PINE BARRENS OF
CENTRAL SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK - Frank E.
Kurczewski, Hugh F. Boyle (2000). Northeastern
Naturalist Volume 7, Issue 2
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Suffolk County Population Growth
Lake Panamoka
2004
1930
Year Population 1900
77,582 1910 96,138 1920 110,246 1930
161,055 1940 197,355 1950 276,129 1960
666,784 1970 1,124,950 1980 1,284,231 1990 1,
321,864 2000 1,334,544
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Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act, 1993

• Established a five member Central Pine Barrens
  Joint Planning Policy Commission to oversee the
  development and implementations of a
  Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP)
• Delineated two major regions within the 100,000
  acre area
• 53,000 acre Core Preservation Area where no new
  development is permitted (55,000 with the
  addition of the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
  in 1998)
• 47,000 acre Compatible Growth Area where limited,
  environmentally compatible development is
  allowed.
• Recommends that 75 of the core preservation area
  be preserved through public acquisition.

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Land Classification Regions
COR
COR Core Preservation AreaCGA Compatible
Growth Area
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Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)

• Conventional approaches to preservation
• Public purchase of the threatened property
• Zoning restrictions on development
• TDR programs offer a market-driven approach by
  allowing the owner of the threatened property to
  sell the development rights to another property
  owner.

In the Long Island Pine Barrens, TDRs have been
implemented to transfer development from the Core
Area to the Compatible Growth Area

• Sending Areas Defined by statute and Central
  Pine Barrens Plan (Plan)
• Receiving Areas Defined in regional Plan by
  Towns
• Allocation Rules, Transfer Rules Defined in
  regional Plan

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Pine Barrens Credits 1
From http//www.pb.state.ny.us/pbc/pbc_overview.p
df
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Pine Barrens Credits 2
From http//www.pb.state.ny.us/pbc/pbc_overview.p
df
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But
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go
awry from Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
adapted from a poem To a Mouse, by Robert Burns
Central Pine Barrens Comprehensive Plan Map
Ray Corwin, The Man with the Plan who is working
hard to protect the Pine BarrensHomo sapiens
White-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopus
From Google Images
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The Tragedy of the CommonsGarrett Hardin (1968)

• Many types of actions made by individuals result
  in both a benefit and a loss.
• Example Illegal cutting of firewood in a
  publicly-owned forest
• When the benefits accrue primarily to the
  individual while the loss is spread out among the
  general population, a self-interested individual
  may decide to engage in that action.
• Firewood example The individual gets
  essentially free fuel, while everyone winds up
  with a slightly diminished woodland.
• When many self-interested individuals in a
  society commit such decisions, the cumulative
  effect is severely degraded commons.
• A great deal of game theory and economic,
  evolutionary, and ecological modeling has
  addressed this principle.

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The Tragedy of the CommonsGarrett Hardin (1968)
Initial example posed by Hardin pasture open to
all herdsmen
Each herdsman seeks to maximize his
gain. Question What is the utility to me of
adding one more animal to my herd?
Positive component - a function of the increment
of one animal. Since the herdsman receives all
the proceeds from the sale of the additional
animal, the positive utility is nearly 1.
Negative component - a function of the additional
overgrazing created by one more animal. Since,
however, the effects of overgrazing are shared by
all the herdsmen, the negative utility for any
particular decisionmaking herdsman is only a
fraction of - 1.
Conclusion the only sensible course for him to
pursue is to add another animal to his herd. And
another.... Same conclusion is reached by each
and every rational herdsman sharing a commons.
Result Cumulative acts of individuals ?
destruction of the commons.
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Rickman
April 16, 2004
For the town official - Expected positive
component 16,000 - Expected negative component
Some inappropriately approved building
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Dumping
Parking Area, State Land along Whiskey Road,
Rocky Point
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Illegal ATV Use
Photos from Newsday January, 2007
Newsday January 23, 2007 Environmentalists
say ATV noise frightens wildlife and knobby tires
tear up sandy forest soil.
From Hiking Long Island If you observe illegal
ATV use in the Pine Barrens Do not take any
direct action, but insteadCall the 24 hour
hotline immediately at1-877-BARRENS
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Preservation of Pine BarrensNon-Governmental
Organizations

• Long Island Pine Barrens Society Emphasis
  Advocacy
• Founded in 1977, the Long Island Pine Barrens
  Society is a non-partisan, not-for-profit
  organization dedicated to the study, appreciation
  and protection of the Long Island Pine Barrens.
• Projects
• Works with government at all levels to continue
  Long Islands commitment to land preservation
• Hosts seasonal trail maintenance hikes in the
  Pine Barrens

• The Nature Conservancy Emphasis Land
  Stewardship
• The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to
  preserve the plants, animals and natural
  communities that represent the diversity of life
  on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they
  need to survive.
• Projects
• Management of Calverton Ponds with Suffolk
  County Parks
• Dwarf Pine Plains restoration
• Fire Management in the Sarnoff Preserve

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Long Island Pine Barrens Vegetation Map
Pitch Pine
Scrub Oaks
Tree Oaks
GIS grid map derived from aerial photos and
ground data
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Bear or Scrub Oak (Quercus ilicifolia)
Shrub, typically up to 6 feet tall
Forms an understory among Pitch Pine
Leaves have pointed tips on their lobes
Acorns mature in two years and are eaten by
mammals such as white-footed mice.
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Tree Oaks
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Tree oaks are mixed with the pines in many parts
of the Pine Barrens.
Photos by Sandy Richard
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Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
Triangular leaves Deep rootstock provides
drought and fire resistance.
Photos by Sandy Richard
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Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
Black Huckleberry, like many other plants in the
heath family, thrives on acidic soils.
Photo bySandy Richard
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Bearberry with Fruit(Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Photo bySandy Richard
Bearberry, a member of the heath family, forms a
ground cover. Its waxy leaves provide drought
resistance.
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Hayscented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)
Hayscented fern often grows where oaks are mixed
with the pines.
Photo by Sandy Richard
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Box Turtle(Terrapene carolina carolina)
Ridge, NY August 2, 2006
Ridge, NY August 2, 2006Photo by Sandy Richard
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Pine Barrens A Fire Climax Community
1)
Fires occur in the Pine Barrens Fauna and flora
are fire adapted
Pitch Pine 1) thick bark, 2) epicormic shoots,
and 3) coppice growth
2)
3)
Photos by Sandy Richard
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Sunrise Fire, 1995
Sunrise Highwayin Westhampton
In 1995, two large fires, one in Rocky Point, and
the other in Westhampton, burned thousands of
acres.
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After the Fire
Dwarf Pine Plains, Westhampton
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Life fromthe Ashes
Smooth Green Snake
Scrub Oak
Several weeks after the Sunrise Fire
Pitch Pine
Black Oak
Box Turtle
Blueberry
Scrub Oak
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Dwarf Pine Plains of Westhampton
Very dry soil frequent fires Pitch Pines are
short in stature (5 or 6 feet tall).
Photo by Sandy Richard
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Serotinous Cones of Pitch Pine
Most Pitch Pine cones in the Dwarf Pine Plains do
not open until they are heated by fire.
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Dwarf Pitch Pines Genetic Influence?
Ledig and Little (1979) cite transplantation
experiments that indicate genetic influence on
serotiny and short stature for Pitch Pines from
the Pine Plains of New Jersey. Trees from Pine
Barrens and Pine Plains were transplanted to Pine
Barrens locations and growth and cone production
were observed. Populations from Pine Plains had
slower average growth rate and earlier average
year of cone production.
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) Ecology,
Physiology, and Genetics)
Are there trees with both serotinous and
non-serotinous cones? Ledig and Little (1979) say
no, but also that there is a range of required
temperatures among different serotinous trees
required for opening cones.(Averages of 47oC to
75oC among the trees studied)
Is there a genetic influence in the Long Island
Dwarf Pine Plains?
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Reindeer Lichenand Bearberry
Abundant ground cover in the Dwarf Pine Plains
Photo by Sandy Richard
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British Soldiers LichenandHair Cap Moss
Abundant ground cover in the Dwarf Pine Plains
Photo by Sandy Richard
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FireManagement
The Nature Conservancy and other groups perform
controlled burns that compensate for fire
suppression in order to maintain habitat
diversity and protect humans.
Photos by Sandy Richard
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Long Islands Aquifer System
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Peconic River
The Peconic is the largest river in the Long
Island Pine Barrens. The water is tinted brown
due to tannins from some of the plants.
Peconic River near Connecticut Avenue.
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Carmans River
Much of the Carmans River is protected by
surrounding parkland more so than the Peconic.
The Carmans in Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
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Red Maple(Acer rubrum)
Young leaves, seeds, and stems are red, as is
much of its fall foliage.
This photo by Sandy Richard
Occurs mostly in wet areas in the Pine Barrens.
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Tupelo or Black Gum(Nyssa sylvatica)
Tupelo grows in wetlands, and can be recognized
in winter by its right-angled twig junctions.
Photos by Sandy Richard
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Cinnamon Fern(Osmunda cinnamomea)
Cinnamon Fern grows in wet places and is named
for the color of its spore-bearing leaves.
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Calverton Ponds
Thread-leaved Sundew
Examples of coastal plain ponds.
Map from TNC
Big Sandy Pond
The Nature Conservancy Calverton Ponds and the
headwaters of the Peconic River contain one of
the highest concentrations of rare and endangered
species in New York State, with more than 30 rare
plants, including three that are globally
threatened.
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Calverton Ponds
Swan Pond
Linus Pond
Sandy Pond
Fox Pond
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Characteristics of Coastal Plain Ponds
Small, groundwater-fed ponds with gently sloping
shorelines that occur on the Atlantic Coastal
Plain. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Characterized by Periodic rise and fall of the
water table.
Long Island Example Calverton Ponds
New England Bluet
Map from http//training.fws.gov/library/pubs5/we
b_link/images/fig16b.jpg
Photo from http//www.acris.nynhp.org/guide.php?i
d8327
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Vegetation Zones in Coastal Plain Ponds
Sandy Pond
1) Upper Wetland Shrub Thicket 2) Upper, Low
Herbaceous Fringe 3) Sandy Exposed Pond Bottom 4)
Organic Exposed Pond Bottom 5) Permanently
Flooded Zone with Emergent and Floating Species
These plants cannot tolerate prolonged flooding
Rare plants
Elevation
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Spatulate-Leaved Sundew(Drosera intermedia)
Sundews have sticky hairs on their leaves for
capturing insects.
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ATV Damage to Coastal Plain Pond
Former Pondshore Community
Tarkill Ponds, Brookhaven State Park - December
4, 2004
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Coastal Plain Ponds on Long Island
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Bogs
Photo by Sandy Richard
Leatherleaf (Chamadaphne calyculata)provides a
structural basis for a floating mat of vegetation
in bogs.
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Sphagnum Moss
Sphagnum moss contains a large amount of water,
and is an important component of the bog mat. In
takes in metallic ions in exchange for hydrogen
ions.
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Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea)
Pitcher Plant, growing on a bog mat at Cranberry
Bog County Park, has hollow leaves with
downward-pointing hairs for capturing and
digesting insects.
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Atlantic White Cedar Swamps
Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides)
swamp at Cranberry Bog County Park. These trees
were cut for shingles and are now rare on Long
Island.
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Other VegetationSheep Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
The shrub, Sheep Laurel, blooms in June and
occurs in both wet and dry areas.
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Sweet Fern (Comptonia peregrina)
The fragrant Sweet Fern is a flowering plant
rather than a true fern.
Photo by Sandy Richard
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Squawroot (Conopholis americana )
Photo bySandy Richard
Although it is a flowering plant, Squaw Root
lacks chlorophyll and parasitizes the roots of
other plants, especially oaks.
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Mushrooms in the Pine Barrens
Photos by Sandy Richard
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Huge Colony ofAllegheny Mound Ants
Large anthills are abundant in Rocky Point.
Photos by Sandy Richard
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Other Major Pine Barrens Areas
From http//www.pb.state.ny.us/general/chart_map_
ne.htm
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New JerseyPine Barrens

• On Atlantic Coastal Plain Sediments
• Miocene Cohansey Sand
• Lakewood and other soils

Protected Areas
Mullica River
Photo from Wikipedia
Map from NJ Pinelands Commission
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Thickness of Cohansey Sand (Miocene 18 MYA)
New JerseyPine Barrens
Most of the New Jersey Pine Barrens has developed
atop the Cohansey Sand (stream, deltaic,
lagoonal, and beach sediment)
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Pine Barrensof Cape Cod
Pine Barrens on glacial deposits adjacent to salt
marsh on Cape Cod
Photos by Sandy Richard
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Albany Pine Bush
The Albany Pine Bush, once 25000 acres in extent,
but now down to 6000 acres, grow on sandy glacial
outwash.
From http//www.albanypinebush.org
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Clintonville Pine Barrens
Map from The Nature Conservancy
State-rare Prairie Redroot (Ceanothus herbaceus)
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)
The Clintonville Pine Barrens are on sandy
glacial outwash in the Adirondacks.
Clintonville Pine Barrens on sandy glacial outwash
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Rome (NY, USA) Sand Plains
The Rome Sand Plains environment consists of high
Pleistocene sand dunes and low peat bogs, along
with pine barrens and hardwood forests, meadows
and wetlands.
Blue Lupine
From http//www.dec.state.ny.us/website/reg6/dlf/
romesand.html
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Books about the Pine Barrens
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End