About the project
About the project
Pipeline/Trestles Trail Study Area
Click on map above to see detailed PDF.
Study area summary
The Pipeline/Trestles Trail study area includes approximately 3.96 acres of park land and was divided into three smaller management units. The lead organization for the baseline study of this park section was the James River Association. The task force field team in this study area identified a total of 20 invasive plant species across all management units, including:
- 10 species ranked with high invasiveness;
- 7 species ranked with medium invasiveness; and,
- 3 species ranked with low invasiveness.
This study area is small in size and consists mainly of edge communities located along a portion of highly developed land along the north bank of the James River. Invasive tree species were dominant in Management Unit 1 and 3, due mainly to a prevalence of mimosa. White mulberry was also found in Management Unit 1 with a percent cover of greater than 50 percent (Cover Class 4). Management Unit 2 had the lowest abundance of invasive plants within the study area, but due to a dominant population of hydrilla within submerged area, was categorized with 20 to 50 percent cover (Cover Class 3). Management 3 had the worst invasive plant infestations, due to dominant tree-of-heaven, mimosa, crownvetch (Securigera varia), cinnamon vine, and Japanese hop.
Observations of the native plant community were limited during the 2015 baseline study, but native trees in this portion of the James River usually include species American sycamore, river birch, green ash, cottonwood, and red maple, among others. The task force did note an abundance of the native herbaceous plant, common water-willow (Justicia americana), which was prevalent among the dynamic river rock complexes and bench communities in this section of the river’s fall line zone.
» Phase One Baseline Study Data Summary (PDF)
Updates from the study area
None at this time.
