Orchid (Orchidaceae) decline in the
Catoctin Mountains, Frederick County, Maryland as documented by a long-term
dataset
For
the past few years Dick Wiegand and I have been writing up a
paper detailing the decline of the Orchids of the Catoctin Mountains
of Frederick County Maryland. I am honored that this paper has
been published through the international conservation journal
Biodiversity and Conservation.
This 41-year study (1968–2008) of the orchids of the Catoctin Mountains,
Frederick County, Maryland reveals that 19 of 21 species have experienced
precipitous declines. Four of these species are currently considered Threatened
or Endangered by the State of Maryland and another two are considered Rare.
Annual census data at 167 sites from throughout the Catoctin Mountains on
protected and unprotected lands (private and public) show a loss of three
species from the study area, a decline of greater than 90 % (ranging from
99 to 91 %) in seven species, and a decline of less than 90 %
(ranging from 51 to 87 %) for nine species. Each species was analyzed
using Ordinary Least Squares Analysis to show trends and document corresponding
R2 and p values. We tested the
hypothesis that this decline is due to intensified herbivory by white-tailed
deer. The overall orchid census data is significantly inversely-correlated
(R = −0.93) to the white-tailed deer harvest data of Frederick County
(a surrogate for population size), which includes the entirety of the study
area. Platanthera ciliaris showed a huge expansion at a single
site explicitly managed for this species otherwise this orchid showed a decline
similar to the other species. Proper management is critical for the
continuation of the orchid species in this study, be it control of the
white-tailed deer herd or combating woody plant succession in the case of P. ciliaris.
A link to a
free PDF of the paper is below. This is an Open Access paper so anyone can
download, read, and reproduce it. This paper documents a trend many have
witnessed in adjacent State and regions.
Orchid (Orchidaceae) decline in the
Catoctin Mountains, Frederick County, Maryland as documented by a long-term
dataset
For the past few years Dick Wiegand and I have been writing up a paper detailing the decline of the Orchids of the Catoctin Mountains of Frederick County Maryland. I am honored that this paper has been published through the international conservation journal Biodiversity and Conservation.
This 41-year study (1968–2008) of the orchids of the Catoctin Mountains,
Frederick County, Maryland reveals that 19 of 21 species have experienced
precipitous declines. Four of these species are currently considered Threatened
or Endangered by the State of Maryland and another two are considered Rare.
Annual census data at 167 sites from throughout the Catoctin Mountains on
protected and unprotected lands (private and public) show a loss of three
species from the study area, a decline of greater than 90 % (ranging from
99 to 91 %) in seven species, and a decline of less than 90 %
(ranging from 51 to 87 %) for nine species. Each species was analyzed
using Ordinary Least Squares Analysis to show trends and document corresponding
R2 and p values. We tested the
hypothesis that this decline is due to intensified herbivory by white-tailed
deer. The overall orchid census data is significantly inversely-correlated
(R = −0.93) to the white-tailed deer harvest data of Frederick County
(a surrogate for population size), which includes the entirety of the study
area. Platanthera ciliaris showed a huge expansion at a single
site explicitly managed for this species otherwise this orchid showed a decline
similar to the other species. Proper management is critical for the
continuation of the orchid species in this study, be it control of the
white-tailed deer herd or combating woody plant succession in the case of P. ciliaris.
A link to a
free PDF of the paper is below. This is an Open Access paper so anyone can
download, read, and reproduce it. This paper documents a trend many have
witnessed in adjacent State and regions.
