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The Flat Laurel Spruce CollaborativePutting SASRI partners and products together to restore flying squirrel habitat
Chris Kelly, Mountain Wildlife Diversity Biologist, NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Process and tools used to identify a candidate site and to design a suitable prescription.
Logistics and extras –community involvement, education and research
GOAL: Restore the conifer component to improve habitat for Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel by planting Red Spruce in an area altered by historic logging and wildfires.
2017 Spruce Restoration Project
Northern Flying Squirrel Habitat
Spruce/Fir-Northern Hardwood Forests• Truffles
• Den sites and nest material
Old growth characteristics
Streams, seeps
>4000 feet elevation in NC
Mature conifers are important to Northern flying squirrels
Best available science: Northern flying squirrel
Problem and need:Northern flying squirrel
Most of their habitat was logged. Some burned.The composition of the forest changed after logging and fires to a more hardwood-dominated mix.
Our high elevation forests became dominated by hardwood species.
Desired Future Condition:mixed conifer-hardwood stands
Smoky Mountains as a reference condition
Southern Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative
• Restore red spruce forests in ecologically appropriate locations throughout the Southern Blue Ridge ecoregion.
• Build a network of organizations and agencies dedicated to achieving our spruce restoration goal.
• Increase the capacity for growing spruce seedlings for planting, in order to meet the restoration goals.
www.restoreredspruce.org
SASRI products
• Map of current spruce
• Restoration Plan & criteria
• Fact sheet• Draft charter• Unicois planting• Nov 2017
workshop
So… how do we actually restore spruce?
•Release existing•Plant new
Release Treatments – Current Science• Rentch et al. 2016 Natural Areas Journal 36(1):29-37
• Release of red spruce seedling/saplings with DBH > 1 inch, LCR > 60%.
• Released by chemically girdling trees overtopping spruce that intersected with a projected cylinder.
• Benefits of release last for the 6 years of study (DBH & Height Growth & Light)
• Recommend removal of trees within 10 – 13 feet of cylinder (take 50%)
Release
Flying squirrel dens in canopy hardwoods
Propagating Red Spruce from seed at The Southern
Highlands Reserve
2013 Bumper Cone Crop: collected cones in 5 sky islands.
Plant
Flat Laurel Collaborative Spruce Restoration Project
Site history
• Logged 1905-1925
• Logging camps
• 1925 fire• 1942 fire• Plantations
1938+
Current Spruce overstory density
Flying squirrel habitat restoration
Increase spruce component
Connect habitat for CNFS
Squirrel surveys
Flying squirrel and bird surveys
Curr
ent S
pruc
e U
nits
Priority areas based on overstory, elevation, aspect, and history.No info about the understory.
Do we need to plant?
SASR
I Pla
n pr
iorit
izatio
n
War
ren
Wils
on C
olle
ge st
udy 50 1/10 ac plots to assess understory and overstory
Decision process for treatments• If acceptable level of advanced regeneration and
overstory spruce >25%, then no action.• If advanced regeneration is at acceptable level but
spruce basal area is <25%, then release suppressed spruce trees.
• If advanced regeneration is low/absent, then plant seedlings.
Treatments• Planting (in areas with low advanced regeneration):
• Existing openings – release from herbaceous competition?• Low density overstory hardwoods – future release potential• Closed canopy hardwoods – with release
• Release (planted spruce or existing volunteers): • Mechanical only (cut or girdle)• Chemical only• Chemical/mechanical
• Thinning Plantation Spruce (create structure)
Monitoring Growth and Survival
Carolina Vegetation Survey: Level 1 Height Diameter
05
101520253035404550
BigJ Hoop Huck milept Sant Whig
Heig
ht in
cm
Spruce seedling height during 5 sampling sessions
Spg 14Fall 14Spg 15Fall 15Fall 16Fall 17
Opportunities for class or individual investigation:1. Monitor seedling growth and survival and canopy openness2. Age a sample of trees using increment borers
3. Test soil pH4. Map future release work needs
* Around planted seedlings* Around best candidates already growing there
5. Map existing canopy gaps6. Groundtruth the Current Spruce Unit map using an app7. Assess health of the plantation trees (fungi, insect pests)
8. Survey for birds in the restoration area and plantation9. Survey more 1/10ac plots to assess understory conditions of future restoration sites10. Help clean seeds or repot spruce seedlings at Southern Highlands Reserve
Thank you!• U.S Forest Service• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service• Southern Highlands Reserve• The Pisgah Conservancy• Carolina Mountain Club• Backcountry Horsemen of Pisgah• Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards• Daughters of the American Revolution• The Climate Times of Boone• NCWRC Mills River crew
• [email protected] 828-230-1320