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VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING
AT
UPPER DELAWARE SCENIC
AND
RECREATIONAL RIVER
Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR—2008/133
Stephanie J. Perles1,2, Gregory S. Podniesinski1,3, Mary Ann Furedi1, Bradley A. Eichelberger1, Aissa Feldmann4,
Greg Edinger4, Elizabeth Eastman 5, and Lesley A. Sneddon6
1 Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
208 Airport Drive
Middletown, PA 17057
2 current address:
National Park Service
403 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802
3 current address:
DCNR-Office of Conservation Services
9th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building
Harrisburg, PA 17101
4 New York Natural Heritage Program
625 Broadway Ave., 5th floor
Albany, NY 12233-4757
5 Center for Earth Observation
North Carolina State University
5112 Jordan Hall, Box 7106
Raleigh, NC 27695
6 NatureServe
11 Avenue de Lafayette, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02111
December 2008
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Northeast Region
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
__________________________________
Executive Summary
Vegetation classification and mapping was conducted at Upper Delaware Scenic and
Recreational River, creating a current digital geospatial vegetation database for the park. Fifty
vegetation associations and 14 Anderson Level II land use categories that occur within the park
were identified and described in detail. Two communities found within the park, Sparsely
Vegetated Cliff and Southern New England Bog, could not be mapped but are included in thedescriptions. Many of the vegetation types are strongly influenced by the varied environmental
settings and land use history of the park. A map showing the locations of 48 vegetation
associations in the park was created following the USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program
protocols (TNC and ESRI 1994a, b, and c). All 50 vegetation associations were crosswalked to
the National Vegetation Classification System in order to provide a regional and global context
for the park’s vegetation. A dichotomous field key was also developed for the 50 vegetation
associations to assist with field recognition and classification. This project documents the
vegetation associations and Anderson Level II land classifications of the Upper Delaware Scenic
and Recreational River based on 2004 aerial photography and 2005–2007 field sampling, and
completes one of 12 basic inventory data sets for the park.
The most abundant association in Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River is Hemlock -
Beech - Oak Forest, covering approximately one-fifth (19.70%, 4,385.2 ha [10,836 ac]) of the
park area. Several oak-dominated types a0.re in high abundance, such as Northeastern Dry Oak -
Hickory Forest (12.5%), Lower New England Slope Chestnut Oak Forest (12.2%), and Dry, Rich
Oak - Hickory Forest (4.6%), which collectively cover nearly a third of the park (29.2%, 6,507.7
ha [16,080.8 ac]). Another major class of forested vegetation types in the park contains several
associations dominated by northern hardwoods, in whole or in part, including Central
Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest (5.1%), Hemlock - Northern Hardwood Forest (5.1%),
and Semi-rich Northern Hardwood Forest (4.2%), which collectively cover about 14.4% (3,200.3
ha [7,908.1 ac]) of the park.
Several successional forest types also occur in the park, including Northeastern Modified
Successional Forest, Northeastern Oak - Red Maple Successional Forest, and Red Maple - Sweet
Birch Hardwood Forest, which collectively account for about 6.0 % (1,330.4 ha [3287.5 ac]) of
the mapped park area. In addition, two conifer plantation associations, Larch Plantation and
Mixed Pine Conifer Plantation, occur within the park, accounting for 0.4% (83.4 ha [206.1 ac])
of the park area.
The vegetation mapping includes another seven terrestrial forest and woodland types that have
few occurrences and/or limited total area, including Hickory - Eastern Redcedar Rocky
Woodland, Inland Pitch Pine - Oak Forest, Pitch Pine Rocky Summit, Red Oak - Heath
Woodland / Rocky Summit, Ridgetop Scrub Oak Barrens, Sugar Maple - Ash - Basswood
Northern Rich Mesic Forest, and White Pine - Oak Forest. These seven associations collectively
account for 2.9% (639.3 ha [1579.7 ac]) of the park. An additional community found within the
park, Sparsely Vegetated Cliff, could not be mapped because it is located on vertical cliff faces
and therefore is not distinguishable on aerial photography.
The park contains three successional non-forested associations. Northeastern Old Field and
Northeastern Successional Shrubland account for 0.8% (168.8 ha [417.1 ac]) of the area mapped
within the park, and are associated with former agricultural land and represent relatively recent
abandonment. The third successional type, Little Bluestem Old Field, occurrs in areas with
evidence of past disturbance (non-agricultural).
The park also includes two non-forested vegetation types, Central Appalachian Blueberry
Shrubland and Little Bluestem - Poverty Grass Low- to Mid-Elevation Outcrop Opening,
associated with dry ridgetops and outcrops. These two associations tend to occur in patches less
than 1 ha (2.47 ac) in size.
The vegetation mapping includes nine non-riparian wetland associations, three forested, three
shrubland, and three herbaceous, with a collective area of only 80.5 ha (198.9 ac [0.4% of park])
within the park boundary. One forested wetland type (Swamp Forest - Bog Complex (Spruce
Type)) and one herbaceous wetland type (Eastern Reed Marsh) each have a single occurrence
within the mapped project area, but outside of the park boundary. The two forested wetland types within the park boundary are Hemlock - Hardwood Swamp and Southern New England
Red Maple Seepage Swamp. The three non-riparian shrubland wetland types include Highbush
Blueberry Bog Thicket, Speckled Alder Swamp, and Steeplebush / Reed Canarygrass
Successional Wet Meadow. The two non-riparian herbaceous wetland types within the park
boundary are Eastern Cattail Marsh and Mixed Forb Marsh. Another non-riparian wetland type
found within the park is Southern New England Bog. This association is found as inclusions
smaller than the minimum mapping unit within Highbush Blueberry Bog Thickets, and could not be mapped.
There are 14 riparian vegetation associations, five forested, two shrubland, and seven
herbaceous, in the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River collectively covering
approximately 2.9% (642.05 ha [1,586.5 ac]) of the park. The five forested riparian associations
include: Sugar Maple Floodplain Forest, Bitternut Hickory Lowland Forest, Silver Maple
Floodplain Forest, Sycamore - Mixed Hardwood Floodplain Forest, and River Birch Low
Floodplain Forest.
The two shrubland riparian vegetation types are Birch - Willow Riverbank Shrubland and
Willow River-Bar Shrubland. The seven herbaceous riparian vegetation associations include
Water-willow Rocky Bar and Shore, Northeastern Temperate Cobble Scour Rivershore, Hairyfruit
Sedge Wetland, Reed Canarygrass Eastern Marsh, Riverside Prairie Grassland, Northern
Riverside Rock Outcrop, and Japanese Knotweed Gravelbar. The remaining riparian herbaceous
vegetation type is Japanese Knotweed Gravelbar, which was mapped on 61.3 ha (151.5 ac
[0.3%]) within the park.
Fourteen Anderson Level II categories were assigned to polygons that represented nonvegetation
associations within the park, such as roads and agricultural areas. In total, Anderson
Level II categories account for 5,026.92 ha (12,421.7 ac) mapped within the park.
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