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In the fall of 2014 the Highland Park Regional Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey took a field trip to Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park.Towards the end of the walk Park Ranger Maria Rossi invited us into one of two seven year old deer exclosures where we began a search for native plants. We discovered quite a few and decided to return in the spring to conduct plant surveys of both exclosures.
On May 10, 2015 between 2pm and 4pm, the chapter surveyed the West deer exclosure and recorded about 40 plant species. The list below contains more native species than introduced ones. Black cherry (Prunus serotina) and hickory (Carya) were the most common tree saplings seen. There were some dogwood (Cornus), elm (Ulmus) and oak (Quercus) saplings. We saw dense clumps of Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), Canada mayflower(Maianthemum canadense) and spring beauties (Claytonia virginica). The West exclosure measures approximately 100' x 80'.
One can see how effective the deer exclosure is when comparing the inside of the exclosure to the outside. There is a lack of understory in those parts of the woods where deer consume most of the native shrubs and tree saplings growing outside the exclosure.
Participants braving the bugs.
We will survey the East exclosure this summer. If you are interested in participating contact Mary and Belinda at highlandpark@npsnj.org
The enclosure was divided into 5 sections and labeled A to E. An estimate was made of the amount in each section.
| scientific name | common name | N/I | A | B | C | D | E | comments | links to photo page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trees and Shrubs | |||||||||
| Acer rubrum | Red maple | N | S | ||||||
| Acer sp. | maple | Saplings � Norway? | |||||||
| Amelanchier arborea | shadbush | N | S | S | photos | ||||
| Carya sp | hickory | N | C | C | C | C | |||
| Clethra alnifolia | sweet pepperbush | N | S | S | |||||
| Cornus florida | flowering dogwood | N | S | S | S | S | S | photos | |
| Cornus racemosa | gray dogwood | N | S | ||||||
| Corylus americana | hazelnut? | N | planted? | ||||||
| Crataegus sp. | Hawthorn | S | S | ||||||
| Elaeagnus umbellata | autumn olive | I | S | ||||||
| Fraxinus sp. | Ash | N | S | S | S | ||||
| Ilex opaca | American holly | N | S | S | S | photos | |||
| Ilex verticillata | winterberry holly | N | S | S | S | ||||
| Ligustrum vulgare | privet | I | S | ||||||
| Lindera benzoin | spicebush | N | S | S | photos | ||||
| Lonicera sp. | bush honeysuckle | I | S | ||||||
| Picea sp. | spruce | S | |||||||
| Prunus serotina | black cherry | N | C | C | C | C | C | ||
| Quercus palustris | pin oak | N | S | ||||||
| Quercus rubra | northern red oak | N | S | S | S | S | S | ||
| Rosa multiflora | multiflora rose | I | S | S | S | S | S | ||
| Rubus sp. | blackberry | In some sections | |||||||
| Sambucus canadensis | elderberry | N | S | S | |||||
| Ulmus sp. | elm | N | S | S | S | S | S | ||
| Viburnum dentatum | arrowwood viburnum | N | S | S | S | ||||
| Viburnum lentago | nannyberry | N | Planted | ||||||
| Vines | |||||||||
| Celastrus orbiculatus | Chinese bittersweet | I | S | S | |||||
| Lonicera japonica | Japanese honeysuckle | I | S | S | |||||
| Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Virginia creeper | N | C | C | C | C | C | ||
| Smilax rotundifolia | greenbrier/catbrier | N | In most areas | ||||||
| Toxicodendron radicans | poison ivy | N | S | S | S | photos | |||
| Vitis sp. | Wild grape | N | S | ||||||
| Herbaceous | |||||||||
| Allium vineale | field garlic | I | C | C | |||||
| Arisaema triphyllum | Jack-in-the-pulpit | N | C | C | C | photos | |||
| Cardamine impatiens | narrowleaf bittercress | I | S | ||||||
| Claytonia virginica | spring beauty | N | C | C | C | C | C | photos | |
| Hieracium caespitosum (Hieracium pratense) | field hawkweed | I | S | ||||||
| Impatiens capensis | jewelweed | N | C | C | C | C | C | ||
| Maianthemum canadense | Canada mayflower | N | C | C | C | C | C | ||
| Packera aurea (Senecio aureus) | golden ragwort | N | S | ||||||
| Ranunculus sp. | S | ||||||||
| Taraxacum officinale | dandelion | I | S | ||||||
| Viola sororia | common violet | N | S | S | |||||
| Ferns | |||||||||
| Dryopteris sp. | wood fern | N | In some sections | ||||||
| Onoclea sensibilis | sensitive fern | N | C | C | |||||
| Monocots | |||||||||
| Carex sp. | sedge | S | |||||||
| Microstegium vimineum | Japanese stiltgrass | I | D | D | D | D | D |
