Douglas A. DeBerry

Primary Succession in a Created Freshwater Wetland

Abstract Plant cover, density, and standing crop biomass were measured and compared in a created wetland and an adjacent freshwater marsh (reference wetland) in Charles City County, Virginia. No significant difference was observed between monthly standing crop in the created wetland and the reference wetland. Species composition differed between sites (mean SI < 0.50) with no significant relationship between species composition and distance from adjacent seed source. Dominant species in the created wetland (Eleocharis obtusa, Juncus acuminatus) were dissimilar to those of the reference wetland (Dichanthelium dichotomum var. dichotomum, Scirpus cyperinus). Results suggest that if both standing crop and composition are going to be used to establish short-term goals for a created wetland, these two measures should not be considered interdependent. Further, the high relative importance of perennials within the created wetland does not fit primary succession predictions, indicating that certain wetland perennials utilize “annual” strategies when substrates are available. Management alternatives should accommodate establishment of these species, which are important in early successional development of created wetland sites.

Using a Floristic Quality Assessment Technique to Evaluate Plant Community Integrity of Forested Wetlands in Southeastern Virginia

Abstract Given the continuing degradation of freshwater wetland ecosystems throughout the Southeast, there has been significant interest in developing methods and indices to evaluate and monitor wetland biological integrity. The purpose of this study was to adapt and test the ability of a vegetation-based assessment technique known as Floristic Quality Assessment to detect the level of human impact in hardwood flat wetlands of Southeastern Virginia. We measured plant species diversity and composition within each vertical stratum [herbaceous, woody understory (shrub and sapling), and canopy] of 11 wetlands. We calculated a Floristic Quality Index (FQI) for each layer, and tested for relationship to land use disturbance patterns within defined site buffer and watershed areas. We found floristic quality of the herbaceous layer and the sapling portion of the woody understory layer to be negatively correlated with level of land use disturbance at both buffer and watershed scales, suggesting that FQI scores within these strata reflect current anthropogenic stress. While FQI of the canopy layer and the shrub portion of the woody understory layer were not reliable indicators of current land use disturbance, we found that a comparison of sapling and canopy layer FQIs gave insights into historic vs. recent floristic integrity of sites. Overall, our findings support the use of floristic quality assessments in evaluating wetland biological integrity when sampling and index calculation methodology are carefully adapted to local flora and community types.

A Drawdown Flora in Virginia

Abstract Species composition and relative dominance (cover) were documented in an emergent macrophyte community on recently exposed sediment during an artificial drawdown of a large reservoir in the Coastal Plain of Virginia. Observations included nine county records (New Kent County), four of which were records for the Lower Peninsula of Virginia and are considered state rare species. Dominance calculations by distance class (five-meter increments from the original shoreline to the existing waterline) showed that certain species were locally dominant near the original shoreline (e.g., Fimbristylis autumnalis), whereas others, particularly the state rare species, were more prevalent near the drawdown waterline (e.g., Lipocarpha micrantha). These results suggest that the timing and magnitude of drawdown events may influence recruitment of the species observed in this study. These species appear to form seedbanks in the substrate of the reservoir for long periods of time, and are capable of rapid germination and regeneration (seed set) during short-lived, unpredictable drawdown conditions. Small seed size and other environmental factors accommodate a predisposition to this “temporal” niche. Based on this research and the work of others, we suggest that such species are part of a regional “drawdown flora.”

Virginia: An Account of Schoenoplectus mucronatus (L.) Palla in Virginia with Comments on Species Introductions in Wetland Mitigation Sites

Schoenoplectus mucronatus (L.) Palla (CYPERACEAE)—King William County: Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund (TNC) wetland restoration site, approximately 8 km west of Aylett on West River Road (Route 600). Approximately 50 plants were found growing in a seasonally ponded area along the southeast perimeter of the site among the following mixture of species: Persicaria maculosa Gray, Andropogon virginicus L., Rumex crispus L., Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult., Portulaca oleracea L., Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Schreb. ex Muhl., and Bidens aristosa (Michx.) Britton, 14 July 2009, N. McGoff and N. Zinn. Voucher specimen deposited at the Massey Herbarium at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia (VPI 105248). Significance. This is the first account of bog bulrush [Schoenoplectus mucronatus (L.) Palla] in Virginia and, to the best of our knowledge, the first record of this species within the South Atlantic states (Smith 2002, Virginia Botanical Associates 2009, United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service [USDA-NRCS] 2009). Bog bulrush is native to Africa and Eurasia and is listed as a problematic weed in 43 countries, presumably owing to its prolific colonization of rice fields and resistance to herbicide treatment (Smith 2002, Washington Noxious Weed Control Board 2010). The distribution of this species in the United States is localized in a few Pacific, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic/ Northeast states (USDA-NRCS 2009, Biota of North America Program 2010), likely following points of introduction from importation of biogenic goods. Populations represented by early records of this species from New Brunswick and New Jersey (prior to 1900) have presumably been extirpated; records from other Atlantic states (e.g., Pennsylvania, New York) are of doubtful persistence (Smith 2002). This finding represents one more in a series of species introductions observed in association with wetland mitigation in Virginia (Perry et al. 1998, DeBerry 2006, DeBerry and Perry 2007). In the case of created or restored wetlands, ‘‘introduction’’ may be viewed in an additional context beyond the ostensible native or non-native status of a species. What has come of interest to researchers and wetland managers is the mode of introduction, i.e., whether such species are ‘‘getting in’’ via natural dispersal vectors, or by anthropogenic means related to the construction and/or planting of the site. This question was first raised by Perry et al. (1998) for similar records in Virginia mitigation sites, but the topic has been covered extensively in other areas of the country (see review in Spieles 2005). From research on seed dispersal and seedbank dynamics in wetlands, it is clear that species such as bog bulrush are capable of colonizing wetland mitigation sites via natural dispersal vectors such as migra*email address: ddeberry@vhb.com Received March 8, 2010; Accepted April 26, 2010. CASTANEA 75(4): 503–505. DECEMBER 2010

Qualitative Indicators for Perennial Stream Determinations in Virginia

Abstract The Qualitative Indicators for Perennial Stream Determinations is a system of flow regime indicators originally intended for interpretation of Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act jurisdiction in Virginia, with potential application to other regulatory programs. The late 1990s/early 2000s timeframe of its development was a dynamic period for stream protection in Virginia, motivating regulatory agencies to seek out scientifically valid alternatives for flow regime assessment. The Qualitative Indicators were developed for use by professionals with some training in stream geomorphology, hydrodynamics, and ecology. The approach combines seven foundational aspects of stream condition affected by flow regime that can be qualitatively assessed in the field: (1) streamflow, (2) channel geometry, (3) streambed soils, (4) instream vegetation, (5) macroinvertebrates, (6) vertebrates, and (7) offsite resources.

An Account of Triadica sebifera (L.) Small in Virginia with Comments on Invasiveness and Range Expansion

Triadica sebifera (L.) Small (EUPHORBIACEAE)—King and Queen County: Virginia Seasonally inundated Nyssa biflora Walt. swamp in backwater zone of a man-made pond near the York River shoreline, approximately 8 km southeast of the Town of West Point (lat: 37.476529; lon: 76.727332). Eight individual saplings were found growing on hummocks among the following associates: N. biflora, Liquidambar styraciflua L., Morella cerifera (L.) Small, Eubotrys racemosus (L.) Nutt., Ilex opaca Aiton var. opaca, Juncus effusus L., Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (L.) C. Presl var. cinnamomeum, Acer rubrum L., Woodwardia areolata (L.) T. Moore, Dulichium arundinaceum (L.) Britton var. arundinaceum, and Cephalanthus occidentalis L. All specimens were relatively young saplings (estimated at 3–5 years), and all were found within an area circumscribed by an approximate 50 m radius; no flowering or fruiting was observed on the collection date (15 July 2016) or on a subsequent site visit (17 September 2016). 15 July 2016, D.A. DeBerry 892. Voucher specimen deposited at the College of William & Mary Herbarium, Williamsburg, Virginia (WILLI 82064). Significance. This is the first account of Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) in Virginia and, to the best of our knowledge, the northernmost record of this species in the Atlantic states (University of North Carolina Herbarium [NCU] 2017, USDA, NRCS 2017). Chinese tallow tree was introduced to the USA from China in the late 18th century for the economic potential of the fruits in the soap-making industry (DeWalt et al. 2011). Based on correspondence from the time, it is believed that the original populations of this species were introduced by Ben Franklin via shipments of seeds from London to associates in Georgia in the late 1700s (Bell 1966). Although it was held by some that the ‘‘Franklin trees’’ were the source for the genotype that would eventually become a problematic invader in the Gulf Coast states (see discussion under Invasiveness below), recent work has implicated early-1900s US Department of Agriculture (USDA) introductions in Texas as the invasive genotype (DeWalt et al. 2011). The latter trees were being tested as potential oilseed crops, and the planting program was expanded to other Gulf states in the mid-1900s. The original Franklin trees are relegated to a few thousand square miles in northeast Georgia and adjacent South Carolina. As of summer 2016, the US distribution for all genotypes was understood to include 10 states ranging from North Carolina, south to Florida, and west to central Texas, with disjunct occurrences in northern California (USDA, NRCS 2017). Seeds of Chinese tallow tree are most frequently dispersed via water (Bruce et al. 1997, *email address: ddeberry@vhb.com Received April 10, 2018; Accepted August 21, 2018. Published: October 17, 2018. DOI: 10.2179/18-168 1 Of note, Comley (2008) reported an individual tree at a home site in Kentucky but did not ascertain its origin. If the Kentucky tree was of cultivated origin, then the current account is the northernmost record of this species naturalized in the eastern USA.