Sandplain Grassland Network Proposal and Interest Survey

Project Goal

Create a network of sandplain grassland and heathland managers and researchers in order to:

-     Share and summarize existing knowledge of sandplain grassland and heathland management and        

      research into guidelines for creating and managing these sites.

   

-     Identify existing research needs for sandplain grasslands and heathlands to facilitate collaborative

      research.

Why Now?

·     Many of our sandplain grasslands are becoming heathlands and shrublands or pinelands indicating that  

      our current management needs to be reassessed and potentially changed.

·     The first generation of sandplain managers will retire in the next 5-10 years.

·     No central location houses current and historic research and knowledge about sandplain grassland and

      heathland resources.

·     No current summary or management guidance exists for sandplain grasslands and heathlands.

·     There is currently little interaction among managers and researchers across these globally rare sandplain

      grassland and heathland ecosystems.

Scope

·     Sandplain grassland managers and researchers from Maine to Long Island, NY

·     2 years

Deliverables

·     Survey of current managers and researchers to assess interest and resources.

·     Establishment of network through 1-2 day meeting and at least 2 field trips to sandplain sites.

·     Web location identified and populated with sandplain resources.

·     Report summarizing the historical as well as current state of management knowledge both for creating and

      managing sandplain grasslands and identifying research/monitoring needs.

·     Review paper of sandplain research and management submitted to journal.

Current Project Management Team:

·     Dr. Jennifer Karberg, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, jkarberg@nantucketconservation.org,

      508-228-2884

·     Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois, Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Nantucket, stbois@llnf.org, 508-325-0873

·     Karen Lombard, The Nature Conservancy, klombard@tnc.org, 617-532-8356