Stewardship and Ecological Threats: Red Maple Seepage Swamp 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
Ecobit: Is Your Property Watershed-Friendly?
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Current and potential ecological threats for the Red Maple Seepage Swamp in Rock Creek Park include the following:
- Disturbance of groundwater processes (including paving over too much land surface): reduction in groundwater availability Ecobit: Rain, Rain, Go Away—But Where?
- Prolonged or repeated drought: reduction in groundwater availability
- Flash flooding: damage from high velocity and frequency of floodwaters; polluted urban and agricultural stormwater runoff
- Asian long-horned beetle (potential): damage to red maple
- Emerald ash borer (potential): damage to green ash
- Viburnum leaf beetle (potential): damage to blackhaw and southern arrow-wood
- Non-native invasive plants: competition with natives for soil nutrients, sunlight, and pollinators; degradation of animal habitat
Non-Native Invasive Plants
Non-native invasive plants that gain a foothold in the Red Maple Seepage Swamp must be able to tolerate saturated soils. (* indicates non-native)
- crabapple* (tree)
- English ivy* (vine)
- garlic mustard* (low plant)
- Japanese barberry* (shrub)
- Japanese honeysuckle* (vine)
- Japanese snowball* (shrub)
- mile-a-minute weed* (vine)
- porcelain-berry* (vine)
- privets* (shrub)
- winter creeper* (vine)
Stewardship
Here are a few ways Park staff are managing some of the ecological threats to the Red Maple Seepage Swamp:
- Disturbance of groundwater processes: strategies to decrease stormwater runoff and increase groundwater recharge such as the cattail-filled wetland swales in the Fort Circle Parks area (northeast of the core unit of Rock Creek Park), which capture stormwater and allow it soak slowly into the ground
- Flash flooding: stormwater runoff reduction efforts
- Potential arrival of diseases and invasive insects: Vigilance of Park staff and visitors
Ecobit: An Extra Set of Eyes
