6
Davey Resource Group
September 2015
MANAGEMENT
OBJECTIVES
In order to gauge the current site conditions and
distribution of vegetation communities at CLNP,
Davey Resource Group biologists Todd Crandall
and Jeff Pettit conducted a field-based survey
of the property's current vegetative cover on
April 9, 2015. The open habitats were intensively
surveyed, and non-native, invasive vegetation
was identified and mapped with a GeoXH™
Trimble
®
GeoExplorer
®
6000. The approximate
percent cover of these species was also noted for
each population. These data were compiled and
used to develop vegetation and treatment maps
for Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.
Woodland areas were not included as part of the
mapping survey, but will instead be added as part
of the management plan in the future, once the
high-priority open habitats are managed for non-
native vegetation and enter a maintenance stage.
In total, 49.95 total acres of the preserve were
found to have some level of infestation of non-
native, invasive vegetation. The primary species
found were Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort),
Conium maculatum (poison hemlock), Phalaris
arundinacea (reed canarygrass) , and Phragmites
australis (common reed). Additional species
were noted in smaller, scattered populations
throughout the peninsula, including Dipsacus
fullonum (common teasel), Melilotus alba (white
sweet clover), and Securigera varia (crown vetch),
which occur mainly within the wildflower area,
and Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), which was
primarily noted in the understory of woodland
habitats.
The most prevalent species was common reed,
with 36.58 acres of dense populations along
the existing trails and open canopy areas in the
forested areas. Species density ranges from
75% to 100% cover.
The Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve is
comprised of three main habitat types: open
fields and trail rights-of-way, successional
woodlands, and a man-made wildflower prairie.
There are also a few areas within the preserve
that are seasonally wet and able to support more
hydric species such as Phalaris arundinacea (reed
canarygrass). Each of these habitat areas has a
different management objective and requires
individually tailored management techniques.
The objectives for each habitat type are outlined
below.
SITE MAPPING
AND
METHODOLOGY
SPECIES COMMON NAME TOTAL ACRES % COVER RANGE
Phragmites australis common reed 36.58 75-100%
Phalaris arundinacea reed canarygrass 3.90 50-75%
Artemisia vulgaris mugwort 4.71 75-90%
Conium maculatum poison hemlock 4.76 50-75%
TOTAL 49.95
TABLE 2
Non-Native, Invasive Vegetation
Species by Percent Cover Range
and Acreage of Project Area
WILDFLOWER PRARIE
The wildflower prairie habitat is located at the
center of the preserve. This 5-acre, warm-season
grass prairie was established in 2013 using 4
native warm-season perennial grass species, 2
cool-season grass species, and 12 herbaceous
forb species (Table 3).
