Stewardship and Ecological Threats: Coastal Plain Oak Forest in Rock Creek Park
The composition or abundance of species in a natural community can be threatened by a variety of factors, such as invasion by non-native invasive plants or insects. Good stewardship strategies can help mitigate the damage. For stewardship information specific to this natural community, scroll to the bottom of the page.
Here’s how you can help protect natural communities:
Ecobit: Stewardship at Home and While Visiting Rock Creek Park
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Current and potential ecological threats for the Coastal Plain Oak Forest in Rock Creek Park include the following:
- Excessive deer browse: decimation of oak seedlings and shrubs
- Gypsy moth: damage to oaks
- Sudden oak death (potential): damage to oaks
- Viburnum leaf beetle (potential): non-native invasive viburnums could harbor this pest which also attacks native viburnums in nearby communities
- Asian long-horned beetle (potential): damage to red maple and elms
- Dogwood anthracnose: decline of flowering dogwood
- Non-native invasive plants: competition with natives for soil nutrients, sunlight, and pollinators; degradation of animal habitat
Non-native Invasive Plants
The understory of the Coastal Plain Oak Forest in Rock Creek Park is full of non-native bushes and vines. (* indicates non-native)
- bush honeysuckles*
- cherry species* (trees)
- Chinese wisteria* (vine)
- chocolate vine* (vine)
- common periwinkle*
- English ivy* (vine)
- garlic mustard* (low plant)
- Japanese honeysuckle* (vine)
- mulitflora rose* (bush)
- Norway maple*(tree)
- viburnums* (bushes)
Stewardship
Here are a few ways Park staff are managing some of the ecological threats to the Coastal Plain Oak Forest:
- Excessive deer browse: deer management plan in place since 2012 using lethal and non-lethal means1
- Gypsy moth: bacterial and viral insecticides, naturalized fungus, release of parasitic wasps
- Removal of non-native, invasive plant species: NPS staff, in collaboration with NPS partners and volunteers actively remove non-native invasive plants from previously selected areas, utilizing a variety of methods of removal.
- Potential arrival of diseases and invasive insects: Vigilance of Park staff and visitors
Ecobit: An Extra Set of Eyes
