The University of Rochester south campus harbors ~250 vascular plant taxa, the vast majority of which have now been identified to the species level. This biodiversity reflects the presence of multiple habitat types (beech-maple mesic forest, floodplain forest, maple-ash swamp, old fields, vernal pools, reedgrass marsh) as well as the old age of its woodland areas. Here we describe the plant communities known from the UR woodlands. A current version of the south campus plant species list can be found here.
MATURE FOREST. Approximately 15 acres of the south campus is comprised of mature woodlands. These areas were historically subjected to small-scale timber harvest by local farmers but were never converted to agricultural use. A similarly-sized mature woodland—locally known as the “Lynch Woods” in reference to the Lynch family farm—is located south of Crittenden Road on property now owned by the Town of Brighton. Both mature woodlands occur on shallow eskers that rise 5 to 10 feet above adjoining habitats and have numerous depressions that develop ephemeral ponds during the spring and early summer. The geological origin of these areas probably made them ill-suited to agriculture, since they had an uneven surface and would require frequent irrigation during the summer months. Since the 1950’s, the mature woodlands appear to have been relatively undisturbed by human activities.
Common canopy trees within mature woodland areas include red maple, sugar maple, red oak, American beech, black cherry, tuliptree, and sassafras. In the subcanopy, hop-hornbeam, witch-hazel and musclewood are abundant. Most tree species are represented by small, medium-sized and large individuals, and the forest floor is littered with fallen logs and woody debris. The forest understory is dominated by mayapple, white woodland aster, enchanter’s nightshade, sensitive fern, New York fern and several sedge species. Many other plant species are scattered through forest understory, however, including northern Jack-in-the-pulpit, clasping twisted stalk, white baneberry, white trillium, red trillium, tall meadowrue, Indian pipe, trout lily, rattlesnake root, Canada mayflower, cinnamon fern, royal fern and Christmas fern. Nonnative species are rare in mature woodland areas though some specimens of oriental bittersweet and common buckthorn can be found.
SECOND GROWTH FOREST. Unlike mature woodland areas—which had been set aside as woodlots in the 1800’s—many parts of the south campus were converted to agriculture use, including growing of annual crops, grazing of livestock and planting of apple orchards. These activities became economically nonviable between the 1940’s and 1960’s, and second growth forests thereafter developed in abandoned agricultural areas. While most of the plants occurring in mature woodland areas can be found in second growth forest, the most common trees are fast-growing, shade intolerant species like white ash, big-tooth aspen, and eastern cottonwood. There is less age-structure within second growth areas and fewer snags and fallen trees. Understory communities are locally variable, dominated by native plants in some areas (black chokeberry, Virginia knotweed, sensitive fern, New York fern) and nonnative plants in others (common buckthorn, garlic mustard, honeysuckle, oriental bittersweet). In some locations, oriental bittersweet comprises >50% of vegetation cover and is in urgent need of management.
MAPLE-ASH SWAMP. Low-lying areas north of the mature woodlands developed into a maple-ash swamp environment. While technically representing second growth forest, the area has distinct ecological features that deserve separate description. The tree community in the swamp is comprised primarily of flood tolerant species like silver maple, black ash and white ash. The forest canopy is relatively “open” in comparison to upland woodland areas, mature or otherwise. Areas of standing water harbor duckweed, water plantain, arrowhead, marsh marigold and other aquatic plants. Dryer microsites in shady areas have dense fern cover. In more open and sunny microsites, we commonly observe native wildflowers, including boneset, blue vervain and early goldenrod. While substantial in size, the maple-ash swamp is probably the least known portion of the UR woodlands, as would-be visitors are scared away by mosquitos, pools of standing water and an abundance of poison ivy.
MEADOWS. A grassland environment is maintained along the western edge of the UR south campus by periodic mowing and tree removal by the RG&E power utility. This area was originally used as a railroad bed and thereafter for high-voltage power lines—historical photographs suggest that these meadows have been maintained continuously for >80 years. Surprisingly, the meadows harbor a highly diverse assemblage of native plants. While sweet vernal and other exotic grasses are common, most of the meadow vegetation cover is comprised of goldenrods (lance-leafed, early, rough), silverrod, Indian tobacco, bracken fern, tick trefoils (showy, naked flowered, panicled), black-eyed susan and black snakeroot. Wet areas of the meadow also harbor boneset, blue vervain, spotted touch-me-not, purple-leafed willow herb and swamp milkweed. Another suite of native plants occurs primarily at the boundary between woodland areas and the meadow, including lowbush blueberry, dewberry and black raspberry. While the meadows comprise a relatively small part of the University of Rochester south campus, this habitat contributes disproportionately to its overall biological diversity. Special consideration thus needs to be made to its maintenance and preservation.
