Long-Term Survivorship and Species Invasion Post-Restoration on Rocky Branch
Lauren Willhite
NC State University
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
Raleigh, NC
Rocky Branch is a restored urban stream completed in three phases on NC State’s campus, providing a unique opportunity to examine plant communities 21 (Phase I), 17 (Phase II), and 13 (Phase III) years post-restoration. For planted species, we assessed survivorship and well-performing species. For invasive species, we identified the highest-impact species. At every third 10-meter transect along the stream, we did stem counts, species classification (planted, native volunteer, non-native volunteer, or invasive), and cover class by invasive species and by strata. Planted species were noted in every transect. Planted species accounted for 23.7% (2343 stems) and invasives for 47.1% (4696 stems). In Phase I 62.35% species survived, in phase II 64.18% species survived, and in phase III 40.00% of species survived. The highest survival by planting list category for Phase I and II was ‘live stakes’ and in Phase III it was ‘gentle slope forest.’ The most common planted species by number of stems was Morella cerifera and the most common by the number of transects it was found in was Morella cerifera and Platanus occidentalis. Cover class data suggests that the highest impact invasive species are Helix hydra, Ligustrum lucidum, Microstegium vimineum, Pyrus calleryana, and Ligustrum sinense. These results allow us to better understand the success of frequently planted native species and which invasive species to target for control/removal, which can inform future investment decisions and planting lists for restoration projects in the southeastern US.
About Lauren Willhite
Lauren Willhite is a recent masters graduate in Natural Resources at North Carolina State University with a focus on Assessment and Analysis. Her research centers around long-term native and invasive species composition of a restored urban stream in Raleigh, NC. Her interests and past job experiences focus on invasive species, their management, and associated conservation impacts, particularly to rare species.