ENDANGERED MASSACHUSETTS ECOSYSTEMS

The ecology of endangered ecosystems of the Massachusetts coastal plain

Two unique ecosystems of the coastal plain, sandplain grasslands and coastal plain ponds, support a disproportionate share of the rare and threatened fauna of the northeastern United States. I investigate the ecosystem processes that influence and maintain these ecosystems and work with land managers and conservation groups to apply that understanding to conservation management.

Sandplain grasslands and shrublands reach their greatest extent on the sandy soils of the coastal outwash plain. These ecosystems are maintained by periodic disturbances, particularly fire, which was widespread before European settlement and during the late 19th century decline of agriculture in New England, but which has been largely eliminated in recent decades.I investigate how combinations of prescribed burning, mechanical land clearing, mowing and seeding with native sandplain plants can maintain sandplain ecosystems and promote the conservation and restoration of native plants. In partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), we designed and maintain several long-term research manipulations on Martha’s Vineyard. In 2007 this TNC-MBL partnership embarked on a new experiment to restore sandplain grassland to old agricultural fields on Martha’s Vineyard.

Coastal plain ponds occur in kettle-hole depressions and reach their greatest abundance on Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts. Fluctuating water levels along pond shorelines maintain a diverse plant flora that contains more than 20 species found only in these ecosystems. Coastal plain ponds are threatened by municipal groundwater withdrawals, water level stabilization and nutrient loading from surrounding watersheds. I investigate how water level fluctuations influence plant distributions and how changes to water levels caused by water withdrawals will affect the distribution and persistence of shoreline plants.