STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING THE FOREST
AT
MORRISTOWN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR--2006/040

S. Shaw and W. A. Patterson III
Department of Natural Resource Conservation
University of Massachusetts
Amherst Amherst, MA

May 2006

U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Northeast Region Boston, Massachusetts

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Introduction

Morristown National Historical Park is located in New Jersey’s Morris and Somerset Counties, in the townships of Morris, Mendham, Bernards, and Harding. It was established in 1933 for the purpose of preserving the lands and features associated with the winter encampments of General George Washington’s Continental Army during the winter of 1779-80.

The forest management strategies are intended to evaluate options for restoring and maintaining the MNHP vegetation to its condition at the time of arrival of George Washington's army and to articulate the need for goals and objectives of sustainable forest management in the context of historic preservation and rehabilitation.

While it is impossible to reverse the effects of 225 years of land use on the forest, any attempt at rehabilitation benefits from understanding the effects of past natural and anthropogenic disturbances on the land. The historic vegetation at the time of the encampment in 1779/80 has been pieced together from anecdotal accounts and inference. Although we have no quantitative data from which to determine presettlement forest condition, historical accounts and ecological research (Thayer 1975, Ehrenfeld 1982, et al.) are more extensive for MNHP than for many other areas. These indicate that the MNHP forest at the time of Washington's arrival was mature hardwood dominated by oak species (Quercus spp.), American chestnut (Castanea dentata), and hickory (Carya spp.). Prior Native American influence on the forest, though not well understood, is assumed from historical evidence of established Native American communities in the area. However, it is impossible to ascertain the age-class structure of the late eighteenth century forest without dendrochronological analysis (of timbers in colonial period houses if they exist), which is beyond the scope of this work.

Ehrenfeld's (1977 and 1982) research from early colonists' records and land deeds identified the species of boundary trees that characterized forest stands within the park at the time of colonization. These varied between an oak-hickory association on the higher slopes and an oak-chestnut association on the lower slopes around Primrose Brook. This analysis agrees with Braun (1950) and Raup (1938) on the historical distribution of these types of associations in the region. Seventeenth and 18th century travelers cited in Ehrenfeld (1982) described a dominance of oak and chestnut, along with yellow poplar, black walnut, and sassafras. Others mentioned the presence of poplar, beech, ash, linden (basswood), gum trees, hickory, hazel, mulberries, fruit trees, and blackberry bushes. Locust, maple, pine, and cedar were also noted, as well as an abundance of wild grapevine in the forests. A farm approximately 5 km south of Jockey Hollow, settled in 1730, was described as having abundant oak forest free from underbrush but with abundant grapevines.

Ehrenfeld's (1982) thorough witness (boundary) tree research for Jockey Hollow and Russell's (1981) study of pre-settlement vegetation in northern New Jersey confirm the anecdotal evidence given above. The dominant species of the area were oaks, hickory, and chestnut. Frequent mention of chestnut and white oak saplings implies that at the time of settlement the dominant species of the forests were reproducing (Ehrenfeld 1982). This is consistent with little mention of shade-tolerant witness trees like sugar maple and beech.

Important goals of modern park management are to preserve existing mature forests with the character of forests present at the time Washington’s army arrived at the site and to restore “successional” stands to a mature forest condition (2004 General Management Plan for the Park). Perceived impediments to maintenance and restoration of modern hardwood stands are, among other influences, overbrowsing of young stems by the large resident deer population and competition from a variety of woody and non-woody invasive species. Concern by park personnel that they may not be able to prevent stands from becoming dominated by exotic species has spurred the need to develop forest management strategies which will identify options for management and evaluate their usefulness with respect to vegetation management objectives.

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