Ecology and management of a forested landscape: fifty years on the Savannah River Site

John Kilgo, John I. Blake, H. Ronald Pulliam1597260118, 9781597260114, 159726010X, 9781597260107

Can land degraded by centuries of agriculture be restored to something approaching its original productivity and diversity? This book tells the story of fifty years of restoration and management of the forested landscape of the Savannah River Site, a 310-square-mile tract of land in the coastal plain of South Carolina that has been closed to the public for more than five decades.

Ecology and Management of a Forested Landscape presents for the first time a complete synthesis and summary of information on the Savannah River Site, providing a detailed portrait of the plant and animal populations and communities on the site and the effects on them of fifty years of management practices. Contributors offer thirty-two chapters that describe the site’s history, land management, physical environment, plant and animal communities, endangered species, and game species. Extensively illustrated with photos, maps, charts, and tables, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the forest management practices that can support long-term forest recovery and restoration of native habitats. It represents for natural resource managers a detailed case study in long-term land management, and provides scientists with an in-depth analysis of the natural history and physical and biological characteristics of a southeastern forested landscape.

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Table of contents :
About Island Press……Page 3
Title Page……Page 6
Copyrights Page……Page 7
Table of Contents……Page 8
List of Figures and Tables……Page 10
Foreword……Page 18
Preface……Page 21
Acknowledgments……Page 23
Ch. 1: The Savannah River Site, Past and Present……Page 24
Land-Use History……Page 25
Industrial Operations and Current Land Use……Page 35
Ch. 2: The Physical Environment……Page 42
Climate and Air Quality……Page 43
Soils and Geology……Page 53
Water Resources……Page 64
Ch. 3: SRS Forest Management……Page 80
Silviculture and Harvesting Activities……Page 82
Prescribed Fire Management……Page 98
Ecological Restoration……Page 107
Ch. 4: Biotic Communities……Page 126
Plant Communities……Page 129
Aquatic Invertebrates……Page 184
Butterflies……Page 198
Fishes……Page 207
Amphibians and Reptiles……Page 226
Nongame Birds……Page 254
Nongame Mammals……Page 284
Ch. 5: Threatened and Endangered Species……Page 295
Smooth Purple Coneflower……Page 297
Sensitive Plants……Page 306
Shortnose Sturgeon……Page 313
American Alligator……Page 316
Wood Stork……Page 320
Bald Eagle……Page 326
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker……Page 332
Sensitive Animals……Page 343
Ch. 6: Harvestable Natural Resources……Page 354
Minerals……Page 356
Commercial Forest Products……Page 359
Fishery of the Savannah River……Page 369
Small Game……Page 372
Waterfowl……Page 378
Wild Turkey……Page 390
Furbearers……Page 397
Wild Hog……Page 405
White-Tailed Deer……Page 411
Conclusion……Page 421
Appendix: Habitat Preference Matrix for Savannah River Site Plants……Page 432
LIterature Cited……Page 467
List of Reviewers……Page 497
About the Authors……Page 498
Index……Page 500
Island Press Board of Directors……Page 512