NJ Natural Heritage Program, NJDEP Division of Parks and Forestry, Office of Natural Lands Management, 22 S. Clinton Ave, Plaza Bldg 4, Fl. 4, PO Box 404 Trenton, NJ, 08625-0404
N. of intersection of Duck Pond Road and Dove Island Road, off of Duck Pond Rd. (now a handicap path for Swartswood SP). Transect located between large Sycamore hollow at base on W shore to double ash on E shore.
GPS readings for other 3 plot corners: 1-NW) 41.06598, -74.82133; 2-SW) 41.06597, -74.82131; 3-SE) 41.066, -74.82127
Shape
Rectangular
Area
10
m²
Permanence
permanent plot
Layout Narrative
Plot is 2 x 5 m, 30-32 m on the N side of the transect.
Environment Fields:
Elevation
150
m
Slope Aspect
(n/a, flat)
º
Slope Gradient
1
º
Topographic Position
Basin floor
Landscape Narrative
General Landscape Description: The area is best characterized as a karst terrain with ridges and valleys that are forested and scattered sinkhole depressions amongst the ridges. Some of the sinkholes are large enough to have several topographic levels - terraced, the lowest in the ponds, middle terrrace supporting floodplain forest, and the upper slopes with calcareous forest (mature and successional).
Soil Texture: Mineral - silty clay
Hydrological Influence: groundwater
Known Land Use History: farming (stone wall across pond)
Overall Taxon Cover Values are Automatically Calculated?
no
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(1) occurrence plot: sufficient for determining type occurrence
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Dominant Stratum
Herb
Growthform1 Type
Herbs
Growthform1 Cover
95
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Community Type: calcareous sinkhole pond
Community Description: Lower zone of sinkhole pondshore dominated by Cyperus strigosus, on marl. Grades into Boltonia-Mentha-Aster-Cyperus upslope, and Chara and Potamogeton downslope.
Evidence of Community Processes: Water marks, matted vegetation, marl formation.
Leech and snails are present.
