Virginia Coastal Program: 2002 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2002 Task 12.06
Grantee:
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation - Division of Natural Heritage
Project Title:
Virginia Seaside Heritage Program: Aerial Mapping of Phragmites on the Eastern Shore Seaside of Virginial
Project Description as Proposed:
Nationwide, invasive
species have been identified as the Number Two threat to biological
diversity, second only to loss of species and habitat from development
and urban sprawl. The invasive wetland grass known as common reed
(Phragmites australis), hereafter called “Phragmites”,
is one of our most serious and problematic invasive plant species.
Phragmites is found in every U.S. state and is well-established
and increasing in coastal habitats of Virginia. This fast-spreading
plant grows up to 4 meters tall and forms dense monotypic stands,
crowding out other native marsh plants. Phragmites is long-lived
and spreads rapidly due to its ability to reproduce both by seed
and dispersed rhizome fragments, establishing readily in disturbed
areas. As a result, marsh plant species diversity and habitat quality
is drastically reduced for many kinds of marsh-dependant wildlife.
Phragmites is now known to exist in North America, including Virginia,
in two genotypic forms. One form is native to the U.S. and appears
to have been a non-dominant component of diverse eastern seaboard
marsh communities for millennia. Recent DNA studies provide strong
evidence that a distinct, non-native Phragmites genotype is also
present in the U.S., supporting the existing theory that an introduced
variety of Phragmites has been aggressively invading and dominating
coastal marshes and other wetland communities, in part due to a
lack of natural biological control mechanisms. The presence of an
invasive, non-native form of Phragmites largely explains how and
why the plant has rapidly spread and become dominant over thousands
of acres of wetland communities during the last two decades in the
Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions.
Scope of Work - general
Use aerial methods to conduct GPS mapping of the current Phragmites
invasion on a significant portion of the Eastern Shore Seaside
Scope of Work - detailed
Conduct new Phragmites mapping using helicopter-based GPS method.
Conduct airborne (helicopter) and ground surveys with GPS position
documentation to provide updated and accurate estimates of Phragmites
distribution on the Eastern Shore Seaside, including re-mapping
of Phragmites in areas of Accomack County that have either never
been mapped or that have not been mapped since the mid 1990’s.
Estimated cost = $12,090
The Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay as well as the extensive
estuarine and island wetlands of the Eastern Shore Seaside are currently
thought to be experiencing rapid invasion by non-native Phragmites.
While general agreement is widespread that Phragmites abundance
is increasing, information on the rate of the invasion is mostly
subjective based as much on impression as on established fact. In
order to lend precision and accuracy to the current estimates of
Phragmites abundance, it is desirable to use a newly-developed technique
employing the use of low elevation helicopter surveys coupled with
highly precise GPS units to map the current extent of the Phragmites
invasion on the Eastern Shore. Such reliable measurements of Phragmites
abundance will allow natural resource managers and localities on
the Shore to make realistic plans for taking action to control the
spread of this problematic invasive species.
The work proposed here will document a significant portion of the
current Phragmites invasion on the Seaside of the Virginia Eastern
Shore. A contracted helicopter and pilot will provide the work platform
for a DCR Biologist trained in Phragmites mapping to use Trimble
GeoIII and/or Trimble GeoPro GPS receivers to map current occurrences
of Phragmites. Patches less than 0.5 acres in size will be mapped
as points, while larger patches will be mapped as polygons with
the aircraft following the patch margins to allow streamed GPS position
collections. Data will be used to produce maps displaying the current
true extent of the Phragmites invasion on the Eastern Shore Seaside.
Federal Funding:
$12,090
Project Contact:
Richard K Myers, (804) 371-6204, rkmyers@dcr.state.va.us
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
The
objective of this project component was to complete a comprehensive
aerial census of Phragmites patch occurrences on the Seaside of
the Virginia Eastern Shore. Extended FY 02 funding provided through
NOAA Grant # NA17OZ2355-01 was combined with funding from FY 03
Grant # NA03NOS4190104 (Task 12.08) to cover all costs of a contracted
helicopter and pilot, plus DCR staff costs (salary and travel) for
conducting the aerial GPS census.
The census was started in July and completed in September 2004.
All patches of Phragmites on the mainland interface, lagoon system,
and barrier islands of the Seaside were located, measured for extent
(area coverage), given a cover class designation, and mapped using
GPS methods. A total of 2,024 acres of Phragmites currently exists
on the Seaside in 1,404 patches. The average patch size is 1.4 acres,
with the largest patch covering 186 acres.
Information from this census was used to produce an 8-page map atlas
displaying all locations of Phragmites on the Seaside as of 2004.
This information will be useful for a variety of purposes, including
planning treatment programs and leveraging funds to support control
treatments. An important application will be to overlay patches
with known occurrences of sensitive resources such as rare species
habitats and communities, in order to prioritize future Phragmites
control programs.
Three copies of the final report ("Mapping and Monitoring of
Phragmites on the Seaside of Virginia's Eastern Shore") and
appended map atlas have been provided to the Virginia Coastal Program
(VCP) by DCR-DNH as final products for FY 2003 Task 12.08. Shapefiles
have been provided to VCP as well, so that maps can be posted to
the DEQ-VCP website.
Form C end
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
