TNC & The Town of Edgartown Partner to Manage Sandplain Grasslands in Katama Plains

This winter, The Nature Conservancy partnered with The Town of Edgartown to manage for sandplain grassland habitat in Katama Plains on Martha’s Vineyard with support from the MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program. The $27,400 grant went toward funding forestry work to remove trees, brush cut, chip and remove materials from town-owned land (6 acres), Katama Airfield (190 acres), a hedgerow on the western edge of Bamford Preserve (1 acre), and an old tree line in the center of Bamford Preserve (10 trees).

There is a great need for these management activities because sandplain grasslands are a globally imperiled ecosystem threatened by natural succession. Open grassland habitat is declining regionally, and often harbor a high proportion of rare and uncommon species. These habitats have a history of agriculture and need constant management to maintain their structure and composition. This work set back succession to promote continuity among adjacent parcels that exhibit sandplain habitat.

This open habitat dominated by grasses, forbs and shrubs occurs near ocean within the influence of salt spray. Abutting to the west are additional protected lands that together with Katama Airfield form the “Katama Plains,” a more than 500-acre area that represents the largest remaining mosaic of grassland and heathland habitat on Martha’s Vineyard. Collectively these lands offer the best hope for maintaining the characteristic landscape, habitat, and species that depend on grasslands and low heathlands on Martha’s Vineyard.

This work is part of ongoing plans to improve the structure and composition of this rare ecosystem in Katama Plains. Last year, The Trustees worked with TNC to conduct similar habitat work on Katama Airfield and The Farm Institute. TNC is grateful to MassWildlife for providing support for these projects, which will undoubtedly improve the habitat in Katama Plains for years to come. See below for more information about the project.

Katama Airfield: This area is the exemplary example of sandplain grasslands. Here, we mowed small saplings that have grown too tall. TNC has managed the airfield in part with mowing saplings since 1987.

TNC’s Bamford Preserve at Herring Creek Farm: We removed a hedgerow that has become overgrown and now separates two grasslands. We also removed a row of trees in the center of the field that were planted during a time when it was used for agriculture. Over the years, TNC has partnered with leading scientists to study how to best restore agriculture to native sandplain grasslands at Herring Creek Farm. Since then, we have steadily planted native warm season grasses throughout the field from seed that was carefully harvested from healthy sandplain systems on island. The removal of trees brings us one step closer to restoring the field to open sandplain habitat. In this case, the removal of trees is necessary to promote sandplain grassland structure, on which native species specific to this habitat depend.

Town Land: This part of the work is in partnership with the Town of Edgartown. We removed trees in an area that was once grassland. This portion of the project will also increase the size of sandplain grassland.

Map of Completed Work

Objective A: Before and After

Objective B: Before and After

Objective C: Before and After

Objective D: Before and After