Melissa Thomas-Van Gundy

Effects of development of a natural gas well and associated pipeline on the natural and scientific resources of the Fernow Experimental Forest

Development of a natural gas well and pipeline on the Fernow Experimental Forest, WV, raised concerns about the effects on the natural and scientifi c resources of the Fernow, set aside in 1934 for long-term research. A case study approach was used to evaluate effects of the development. This report includes results of monitoring projects as well as observations related to unexpected impacts on the resources of the Fernow. Two points are obvious: that some effects can be predicted and mitigated through cooperation between landowner and energy developer, and that unexpected impacts will occur. These unexpected impacts may be most problematic.

Rule-based mapping of fire-adapted vegetation and fire regimes for the Monongahela National Forest

A rule-based approach was employed in GIS to map fire-adapted vegetation and fire regimes within the proclamation boundary of the Monongahela National Forest. Spatial analyses and maps were generated using ArcMap 9.1. The resulting fireadaptation scores were then categorized into standard fire regime groups. Fire regime group V (200+ yrs) was the most common, assigned to more than 510,000 ha, primarily in the Allegheny Mountains Section. Fire regime group I (low & mixed severity, 0-35 years) and fire regime group III (low & mixed severity, 35-200 yrs) were assigned to almost 198,000 ha, primarily in the Ridge and Valley Section and one subsection of the Allegheny Mountains Section. These systems will likely require active silviculture using fire and/or fire surrogates for their maintenance or restoration. The transparent rule-based procedure can be easily modified and, as such, possesses the flexibility for universal application to other ecosystems with similar spatial databases.

Establishment of native species on a natural gas pipeline: the importance of seeding rate, aspect, and species selection

With the increase in natural gas production in the United States, land managers need solutions and best practices to mitigate potential negative impacts of forest and soil disturbance and meet landowner objectives and desired conditions. Mitigation often includes the use of native seed mixes for maintaining plant diversity, controlling nonnative invasive species, and erosion control. The area disturbed by installing a buried pipeline to transport natural gas from a gas well near Parsons, WV was used to test the performance of a native seed mix. The seed mix was applied at the recommended seeding rate (56 kg ha-1; 50 lb ac-1) and triple the recommended rate (168 kg ha-1; 150 lb ac-1) to evaluate whether a higher seeding rate would produce greater native establishment and affect tree, weed, and invasive plant colonization. Sowed native grasses and blackberry (Rubus spp.), the latter of which was not part of the seed mix, dominated the pipeline right-of-way (ROW) 3 years after seeding. Mean coverage of these species was more than 68 percent on all the pipeline study plots. Deer-tongue (Dichanthelium clandestinum [L.] Gould) was by far the most successful species in the seed mix (overall mean cover of 33 percent), and it showed much better establishment on the drier southeast-facing hillside (mean cover of 49 percent). Autumn bentgrass (Agrostis perennans [Walter] Tuck.) fared better on the wetter northwest aspect (mean cover of 24 percent). Specific site characteristics or regeneration needs may explain the absence or limited onsite presence of some native species from the seed mix 3 years after sowing. Our results add support to the argument that a ROW project may require a variety of seed mixtures, especially when growing conditions and soil series vary across the project area.