Scientific Study
Wildlife studies for use in mapping and monitoring habitat and developing habitat management plans are ongoing on EPI properties, particularly in the 74,000-acre East Branch Sanctuary. Summaries of these studies are provided below.
Ecological Inventory
In 2004-2008, Dr. Bart DeWolf and a team of field ecologists and student interns conducted an ecological survey of the sanctuary under the auspices of EPI. The goals of the survey were to (1) enable informed appreciation of the unique features of the property, (2) highlight the ecological significance of the land and its functioning within the surrounding landscape, and (3) provide baseline data for subsequent development of stewardship plans. The inventory, detailed in Dr. DeWolf's East of Katahdin: Ecological Survey of the East Branch Properties, recorded 308 plant species, 75 bird species, 18 mammal species, and over 25 natural communities, within which 3 rare plant species (purple clematis, fragrant woodfern and northern firmoss) and many uncommon plant species were observed, as well as 3 natural communities/ecosystems considered imperiled in Maine (spruce heath barren, blueberry lichen barren, and hardwood river terrace forest) and 6 rare communities (maple basswood ash forest, red pine woodland, three-toothed cinquefoil blueberry low summit bald, silver maple floodplain forest, hardwood seepage forest, and bluejoint meadow).
Canada Lynx and Pine Marten Habitat Management
During 2007, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife conducted a winter track survey in the East Branch Sanctuary, identifying the presence of the Canada lynx, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. At that time, EPI enrolled some 53,000 acres of EPI sanctuary lands in the Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP). Using aerial photography captured in 2010, EPI has since classified 13,000 acres of lynx habitat in the East Branch, Appalachian Trail and Benson-Sebec sanctuaries, delineating early successional spruce-fir forest stands favored by the snowshoe hare, the primary food for lynx. See lynx habitat map.
As the forest matures, it is expected that this habitat will gradually become less suitable, and in the absence of natural or silvicultural disturbance, lynx will eventually disappear. To ensure the quality and quantity of habitat necessary to sustain this species, EPI has developed a management plan with eight guidelines: (1) maintain connectivity of habitats and coordinate to be complementary with adjacent lands to facilitate lynx travel through contiguous areas; (2) reduce human-related disturbance in road, harvest, and recreational plans on managed habitat; (3) design timber harvest units to promote swift vegetative regeneration and snowshoe hare/lynx recolonization; (4) maintain quality snowshoe hare habitat located within lynx forage habitat, providing horizontal cover above average snow depth; (5) include riparian vegetation as forage habitat, such as willow thickets along wetlands; (6) ensure denning structure is available across landscape; (7) create denning habitat if no existing den site exists; and (8) prevent harvesting on difficult-to-regenerate ridges and saddles. EPI will monitor and evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the plan in cooperation with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The plan also sets forth goals for the pine marten, a second species identified for management. The marten, the range of which is greatly reduced from heavy fur harvest and large-scale deforestation, requires a different habitat from the lynx, namely more mature forests with a complex physical structure on the forest floor (snags, hollow limbs and slash piles) for hunting and denning sites. Management for and protection of each of these species' habitat, which are considered complementary, benefits other species with the same, similar or overlapping habitat requirements.
Atlantic Salmon Habitat Mapping
As a baseline for future studies, management and planning, EPI has recently mapped 37,740 acres of Atlantic salmon habitat in the East Branch Sanctuary. Restoration activities such as road decommissioning and the removal of failed bridges and other stream blockages are designed to improve water quality and allow the fish free passage to spawning and rearing habitat. See Atlantic salmon habitat map.
White-Tailed Deer Mapping
EPI has also mapped critical winter habitat for white-tailed deer in the East Branch, Appalachian Trail and Benson-Sebec sanctuaries. In northern Maine, the population of white-tailed deer has been impacted in recent years by severe winters, coyotes, changing forests, and the loss of traditional wintering areas, driving their northern range south. See East Branch Sanctuary deer wintering areas and Appalachian Trail and Big Benson-Sebec sanctuaries deer wintering areas
Reptile and Amphibian Study
Of the more than 25 species of reptiles and amphibians known to occur in Maine, 23 are found on EPI lands, several which are listed as either endangered (box turtle), threatened (spotted turtle) or of special concern (wood turtle, blue-spotted salamander, northern spring salamander, northern leopard frog, eastern-northern ribbon snake, and northern brown snake). In a study conducted in 2009, Professional Wetlands Scientist and ecologist Chet Bigelow assessed the anticipated benefits of EPI's road decommissioning project on these populations and on the quality of water and aquatic habitat. See Anticipated Benefits of Road Decommissioning on Amphibians, Reptiles and Water Quality on EPI Lands.
Roads, whether gravel or paved, can fragment habitat into smaller, scattered blocks, impeding pathways to breeding pools, wetland complexes, and other life-cyle critical habitats. Roads increase the mortality of reptiles and amphibians by increasing their exposure to predators, blocking their movement, and causing physical trauma. Contaminants from vehicle oils and grease and airborne particulates, and more importantly siltation and sedimentation of streams and wetlands from road erosion, all pose threats to these species.
Recovery from road decomissioning, currently under way on EPI lands, can reduce mortality and predation, reintegrate habitat, and reconnect species to breeding pools, re-establishing population connections that improve the genetics of particular species. This project is an important preliminary to future research on decommissioning as it relates to these specific populations, as very little has been done to date.