Lake Erie coastline vegetative study

[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

Lake Erie Coastline
Vegetative Study
Coastal Zone
Information
Center

COASTAL ZONE

INFORMATION CENTER

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VEGETATIVE STUDY REPORT

I. INTRO-DUCTION TO.THE LAKE ERIE COASTAL ZONE VEGETATIVE STUDY

II. HISTORY

Shoreline erosion and flooding

III. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA

Soils / Figure 1-(General Soil map of,__E-rie ---- County-)

Site locations / Figure 2-(U.S.D.A.,S.C.S., Erie Co. map,
scale approximately 1:17,100, site locations.)

General bluff make-up / Figure 3-(Illustration of lake bluff.)

IV. METHODOLOGY (Field Assessment)

Figure 4-(form - Vegetation Assessment Worksheet)

V. ANALYSIS OF FIELD DATA

Table 1 - Upper, Mid, Low Sections, Maximum, Minimum, Average
Values

Table 2 - Dominant Species on the Upper Section

Table 3 - Dominant Species.on the Mid Section

Table 4 - Dominant Species on the Low Section

Table 5 - Species in Addition to the Dominants on the
Upper Section

Table 6 - Species in Addition to the Dominants on the
Mid Section

Table 7 - Species in Addition to the Dominants on the
Low Section

Table 8 - Summation of Commonly Occurring Species (Other
Than Dominants)

Table 9 - Dominant Species Growing Under Extreme Slope
(.@@75 Degrees)

Table 107 Dominant Species Growing Under Extremely Low
Insolation (<4 on Micronta Meter)

Table Il.- Dominant Species Growing Under Low Moisture
Saturation (<3 on Micronta Meter)

Table 127 Dominant Species Growing Under Low pH (<5.4)

Table 13- Dominant Species Growing Under Extreme Canopy Cover

VI. SPECIES EVALUATION

VIl. DETERMINATION OF BEST SPECIE/PARTICULAR SITUATION

Table 14- Species to Plant on a Well-Drained to Moderately
Well-Drained Bluff

Table 15- Species to Plant on Moderately Well-Drained to
Somewhat Poorly-Drained Bluff

Table 16- Species to Plant on Somewhat Poorly-Drained to
Poorly-Drained Bluff

Table 17- Mixture for Well-Drained Soil (I-Acre Bluff)

Table 187 Mixture for "Typical" or Moderately Well-Drained
or Somewhat Poorly Drained Bluff (I-Acre Bluff)

Table 197 Mixture for Poorly to Poorly Drained Bluff (I-Acre
Bluff

VIII.CONCLUSION

IX. BIBLIOGRAPHY

X. FOOTNOTES

XI. COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF SPECIES ENCOUNTERED DURING BLUFF
STUDY

XII. FIGURES - 1, 2, 3, 4

VEGETATIVE STUDY REPORT

I INTRODUCTION TO THE LAKE ERIE COASTAL ZONE VEGETATION STUDY The
purpose of this study is to investigate the role of vegetation in
stabilizing the bluffs along Pennsylvania's Lake Erie shoreline and to
gather sufficient information to determine the vegetative species best
adaptive to the various bluff conditions existing in the Lake Erie
Coastal Zone. This information is also presented in a brochure titled
"Vegetation - Its Role Along Pennsylvania's Lake Shoreline" which is used
as a supplemental support document to the Site Analysis Report (SAR)
Service. The study provides the research and findings needed to backup
the data presented in the brochure. Also, the study will be used as the
primary reference source by the DCZM in formulating vegetative
recommendations during the development of individual proper.ty SAR
reports.

This study contains the following information:

- Soils of the Erie Coastal Zone bluff study area
- General bluff makeup
- Locations of the sampling sites
- Methodology of the field assessment
- Analysis of the collected field data
- Species evaluation
- Determination of best species/mix
- Study conclusions

The information in this study and resulting brochure will provide a
comprehensive approach to help the property owners understand and
properly use vegetation in addressing the affects of,bluff recession.

11 HISTORY

Bluff recession along the Great Lakes has occurred since the
glaciers scoured out the five basins as recently as 10,000 years ago.
Yet, it is only within the last 50 years that this common geologic
occurrence has become a major problem. This is due to the increasing
number of residential, recreational, commercial, and industrial
developments on or near the lake bluffs. Man's close proximity to this
active geologic area has made him aware of the extensive erosion
occurring and in many instances this erosion has been accelerated by his
presence.

Shoreline erosion and flooding

The Pennsylvania shoreline bordering Lake Erie is approximately 63
miles long, much of which is comprised of high lake bluffs. A previous
Coastal Zone Management study. "Shoreline Erosion and Flooding, Erie
County," June 1975, has documented that bluff recession along @he
Penn-sylvania Lake Erie shoreline ranges from 1/2 to 2 feet per' year.
This recession rate translates into 600,000 tons of sediment deposition
into the Lake's littoral system each year and a correspondingly large

number of requ-ests for assistance from shoreline property owners who are
in danger of losing property and/or dwellings.

Experience has taught all those involved with bluff disturbances
that there is usually no single or simple solution. However, time and a
great deal of research have proven that a good vegetative cover can
reduce soil erosion and provide greater stability for exposed bluff
areas. A good stand of vegetation is one providing nearly 100% soil
cover. Such a stand increases the soils' porosity allowing increased
infiltration rates during rainstorms and reduces runoff. Since it
is runoff that carries away soil particles, vegetation effectively
reduces erosion. Plant roots provide stability against soil movement as
they bind the soil particles together. Vegetation is not the whole
solution to preventing erosion of the bluffs, but it can be used to
address certain aspects of bluff recession.

This report is based upon an investigation to determine which types
of vegetation grow on the lake bluffs under various conditions. Soil
type, light, slope, pH, moisture, and specie frequency of occurrence were
all considered. The database has allowed the determination of a best
specie or species mix for various bluff conditions. Criteria for being
considered a best specie was not based entirely on the plant's ability to
thrive and grow on the bluff environment, but also on its ability to
control surface erosion via soil cover, rooting ability and root depth.

III DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA (Soils, Site locations, General bluff
make-up)

The area addressed by the study consisted of 48 miles of bluffs
along the 63 miles of Pennsylvania Lake Erie shoreline. This shoreline
extends from the Ohio State line to the New York State line on the
northem border of Erie County, Pennsylvania. The area is entirely
within the Lake Erie Coastal Zone. The shorelines of Presque Isle and
the City of Erie were deemed exempt from the bluff studies; Presque Isle
because of its lack of relief and the City of Erie because of the
sheltering effects of Presque Isle.

S o i 1 s

Bluffs, which are referred to as "escarpments" in the
Soil Survey of Erie County, are defined as "miscellaneous land
types" which "occur on steep slopes that have formed as a result of
stream cutting or lakeshore erosion. The degree of erosion varies. The
tops of the escarpments have a cover of soil; but at the bases of the
eroded slopes, there are outcrops of rocks * In some places, the soil
material is underlain by quicksand. On most of the escarpments, the soil
material resembles that of either the Berrien, Caneadea, Conotton,
Ottawa, Platea, Wallington, or Williamson and Collamer soils. Because of
the steep slopes and the effects of erosion, this mapping unit is in
capability unit VIle-2." 1

Ber"rien, Ottawa, Wallington and Williamson and Collamer soils are
all fine sandy loams. Wallington and Williamson and Collamer soils also
have a silt loam classification along with Can6adea and Platea. The
Conotton soil series has several soil listings including: coarse sandy

loam, gravelly loam and gravelly sandy loam.

"Class VII soils have very severe limitations that make them
unsuited to cultivation and that restricts their use largely to pasture,
woodland, or wildlife." 2 Specifically, Class VIIe-2 is a steep to
very steep, droughty, sandy soil; and, in the case of escarpments, is
limited to wildlife use only. The soil survey recommends woodland use
for escarpments,' but the regularity of slumps and recessions precludes
the propogation of anything other than some naturally occurring plants,
shrubs and small hydrophilic trees.

Figure j is a General Soil map of Erie County and can present an
overview of soil types found in the County and in the Study area.

Site locations

The site locations chosen (Figure 2) all displayed the heights,
slopes, and soils characteristic of.escarpments (bluffs) as defined
previously. The bluffs displayed heights ranging from 5 to 180
feet, and slopes varying from 30 to 60 degrees. The bluff face, in most
instances, exhibited 3 sections (upper, mid, lower) because of
changes in the soil composition.

General bluff make-up

For the purposes of this report the bluff face will be divided up
into the following sections:

The uRper section- This is the most active and unstable part of the
bluff. It begins immediately below the crest and extends downward
vertically or nearly vertically for distances ranging from 3 to
25 feet. The most porous soil of the bluff is found in this
section. In many instances the upper section undercuts the crest. A
line of groundwater flow can usually be seen exiting the bluff face
anywhere from the bottom of this section to halfway up. Generally,
because of its extreme angle, plants do not grow well on this section.
It will, however, support vegetation if seeds have a place to lodge and
germinate. The soil above the wetted horizon is usually very dry and
acidic.

The mid section- This section exhibits the gentlest slope of the
bluff, generally proceeding at an angle of 20 to 45 degrees.
The mid section appears as a bench along the bluff with a vertical
height which may vary dramatically. At one site it may be only 3
feet, at others 40 feet or more. The length of this section is also
variable. As a result of the groundwater exiting the bluff from the
higher strata and surface runoff, this section is usually quite moist.
The soils of the mid section are more permeable than the soils of the
lower section, and if plant cover is not extensive, rills and gullies Are
created from seeps and springs. Fortunately, this section usually
displays the most diversified and thickest plant growth. The pH factor
varies from slightly acidic to neutral.

The lowe'r section- This section begins below the.mid section
extending downward to the base of the bluff at a steep angle. The slope
of this section is usually 45 degrees or greater and may be 3
to 20 feet in height. The soil moisture can vary from very dry to
very wet, depending on the wave splash, section composition, and amount
of groundwater movement. The lower section may be composed of different
soil materials. It may consist of all soil (such as blue clay), all
shale, or soil on a shale base. The low section's pH ranges from neutral
to slightly alkaline.

An illustration of a lake bluff has been provided (Figure 3)
to show the 3 sections found to be typical throughout the study area.
Variations of height, length, and slope, however, did occur.

IV METHODOLOGY (Field Assessment)

Field studies were performed in order to establish a representative
sampling of the entire Pennsylvania Lake Erie shoreline. These bluffs
exhibited varying conditions of slope, soil type, soil pH, soil
saturation, and insolation.

Site locations were chosen randomly. Usually a survey was made
every 100 ft. (35 paces).

The first criteria was an overall bluff slope of 30 degrees or
greater. Each section of the bluff face (upper, mid, lower) was then
examiiied to determine: the slope of the section, soil type, soil pH,
soil saturation, insolation, canopy cover, dominant vegetative species,
stage of succession, and percentage of cover. Additional comments
concerning the bluff sections and plant growth were made, as well as an
estimation of overall bluff height.

A hand abney was used to establish the angle of the slopes. The
overall slope was taken from a standing position. The slope of each
section was measured by sitting or lying at the same angle as the
section being measured, or by placing the abney on the average slope of
the section.

Soil types were quantified based on the USDA Soil Conservation
Service's Unified Soil Classification System. This classification system
breaks soils down principally by texture (utilizing a few field
indentification tests).

Soil pH was determined using a Cornell Soil pH Test Kit. Soil
samples were stained with Chlor Phenol Red, and Bromthymol. Blue in a
white dish. The corresponding color change was compared to a color chart
and pH noted. The kit was able to measure soil pH's from 5.0 to 7.2.

Soil saturation and insolation were measured using a Micronta Soil
Moisture and Light Meter. Thi-s device measured both light and moisture.
A solor panel of sort measured the light intensity, and a probe that
could be inserted into the soil measured the saturation. Readout was 'on
a scale of 1 to 10: 1 - the darkest or dryest; 10 - the brightest or most
moist.

A 5

Canopy cover was estimated based upon the amount of foliar coverage
or bluff cover that blocked out the sun's rays during the course of an
average growing season day. Since all bluffs in the study area have
northern exposures, none could have a true 0% canopy cover (as the bluff
crest itself would block out light to certain sections); nonetheless, a
canopy cover of 0% has been used for certain bluffs in this study and
represents a very low-shade area.

Plant species were identified using the resources available
to the Erie County Conservation District including the USDA Soil
Coinservation Service and the Botany Department of The Butler County
Colmmuni'ty College.

i Comments concerning the bluff section dealt with geologic
processes, such as.the rate of recession, ie. active recession, man
ac!celerated recession, recency of slump, and whether the slope was
rilled or not. Comments concerning plant growth included: area and
plant growth on the slope, whether the growth was sparse or thick, etc..

What plant was dominant and the amount of cover it provided
was a judgment call. Often times 2 plants appeared to be growing and
covering the same area. One was chosen over the other based upon an
estimate that it provided 60% cover and the other plant only provided 40%
cover. It should 6e noted that percent cover is not the percent of cover
the dominant specie provides over that slope section, but the percent
of cover it provides in reference to the other vegetation growing. For
example, only 1 plant could be growing on a bluff section; it would be
rated as 100% cover even though it might only occupy 10% of the bluff.

A photograph of each bluff site was taken to document sites and
plant growth. Examining the pictures can best show the extent of growth
a 4type of vegetation is achieving. Photographs were also taken of
important plant and tree species for use in the brochure.

All data and information from each bluff site was recorded on a form
prepared by the.Erie County Conservation District-and shown in Figure 4.

Data from the forms was then transferred to a relational database
management computer program via Microrim's RBASE 4000 and the ECCD's
Tandy 2000 computer. The database for the Vegetative Study was designed
by Sean E. Gill of the Erie County Conservation District. Manipulation
of the database allowed the development of the sections that follow.

V ANALYSIS OF FIELD DATA '

Of the 100 bluff sites, only 4 did not have some sort of
vegetation growing on 1 of the 3 slope sections. This would seem
to indicate that plants will grow on the Lake Erie bluffs if given a
chance. The 4 sites that did not have any growth had just suffered
major recessions and enough time had not passed for plants to colonize
the slope.

Since the bluffs generally exhibited 3 sections, it will be
easier to examine the study results as they relate to these 3
individual sections. First of all, we will take a look at a general

overview of the bluff sites and the conditions present. Then the plant
species growing under various conditions will be examined. The photos
of bluff sites that accompanies this man-u-s-c-ript should be reviewed
to get an idea of just how vegetated the bluffs are. Important plant
species encountered are listed on the back of each photo. These
photos will be invaluable when reviewing the compfiter program that
contains the data for each site. Unfortunately, 2 of the site photos
did not develop properly and are unavailable for viewing. (Site #'s 16,
100)

Table I is a general overview of bluff site characteristics including
maxi_mu_m_,__minimum and average values.

TABLE 1

Maximum Value Minimum Value Average Value
(Typical Bluff)

UPPER SECTION
Slope: 90 degrees 26 degrees 68 degrees
Soil Saturation: 10 1 5
Soil pH: 7.2 5.0 6.386
Insolation: 10 2 8
Canopy Cover: 100% 0% 33%
Soil Type: CL-45 ML-11 SC-10 SL-1 SM-33

MID SECTION
Slope: 90 degrees 16 degrees 37 degrees
Soil Saturation: 10 1 8
Soil pH.: 7.2 5.0 6.745
Insolation: 10 3 9
Canopy Cover: 90% 0% 23%
Soil Type: CH-5 CL-43 MH-2 ML-6 *RS-6 SC-33 SL-5

LOWER SECTION
Slope: 90 degrees 21 degrees 57 degrees
Soil Saturation: 10 0 5
Soil pH:- 7.2 6.1 7.102
Insolation: 10 4 9
Canopy Cover: 100% 0% 16%
Soil Type: CH-57 CL-6 CO-1 MH-l *RS-35

*Wherever shale was encountered as the soil type, the symbol RS
was used; the pH was not taken as nothing will grow on shale; the
saturation was estimated.

As the photographs will indicate, *it may be true that vegetation is
growing on most of the bluffs; it is also true that it is not growing
over all sections of the bluffs. Study results indicate that 75 bluffs
contain I or more sections devoid of vegetation. The breakdown of
denuded sections is as follows, upper section - 45 bluffs with no
growth, mid section - 12 bluffs with no growth, lower section - 75
bluffs with no growth.

Forty-five (45) bluffs had upper sections with no growth. This is
due primarily to the activeness of this section. If the face is actively
receding, little plant life is going to be able to grow on it. Also,
these sections are extremely steep. Vegetation cannot get established on
75-90 degree angles. The soil will usually support vegetation, as many
steep slopes had plants and small trees growing on ledges only a few
inches wide by a foot long. Vegetation will rarely root on a vertical
s I o p e .

Of the bluffs with mid section showing no growth, 6 were composed
of shale and 4 others were bluffs with nothing growing at all. The 2
other non-vegetated slopes were victims of recent recessions. 88 bluffs
had mid sections displayihg vegetative growth, often lush and
diversified.

The reason for no growth on lower sections of bluffs can be
explained due to the steepness of the slope and the constant wave action.
Also, 35 lower sections were made of shale which will not support
vegetative growth under normal conditions. Wave action prevents
vegetation from getting established. Most lower sections that were not
shale were made of blueclay (CH on unified soil classification - 57 bluff
sections) which seemed to support little growth and eroded easily.

The following 3 tables list the vegetative species found during
this study under various bluff conditions. It should be emphasized that
the species listed here were the dominant species (those showing the
greatest percent cover). In many instances, other plants, shrubs or
trees were present, and will be discussed later because they were
probably dominant on other bluffs. A few species showed up over and over
again. These are the species that can be expected to vegetate Lake Erie
b I u f f s .

TABLE 2

DOMINANT 6PECIES ON THE UPPER SECTION

SPECIE of bluffs dominant on

Andropogbn 1
Black alder 2
Black locust 5
Canada bluegrass 1
Chicory 1
Coltsfoot 17
Crabgrass I
Crownvetch 2
Eastern cottonwood I
Elderberry 1
Flowering raspberry 3
Goldenrod 2
Horsetail 2
Jewelweed 2
Orchardgrass I

Prairie junegrass 1
Red clover 2
Redtop 2
Sassafras 1
Staghorn sumac 1
Sweet white clover 3
White snakeroot I
Yarrow 1
Yellow birch 1

TABLE 3

DOMINANT SPECIES ON THE MID SECTION

SPECIE of bluffs dominant on

Black alder 1
Black locust 1
Coltsfoot 26
Crownvetch 2
Eastern cottonwood 3
Flowering raspberry 1
Goldenrod *11
Horsetail 32
Jewelweed 2
Nightshade .1
Panicum 1
Perennial ryegrass 2
Plantain .2
Poplar 3
Red clover
Sweet white clover
White snakeroot

TABLE 4

DOMINANT SPECIES ON THE LOWER SECTION

SPECIE of-bluffs dominant on

Coltsfoot 9
Eastern cottonwood 1
Goldenrod 2
Horsetail 12
Yarrow I

A quick glance at the previous 3 tables leads one to believe
that horsetail and coltsfoot are the 2 most common dominant species
found on the Lake bluffs. This deduction is true. on virtually every
vegetated bluff e-xamined, either horsetail or coltsfoot, or both
were present, Thes-e species were not always the dominant plants, but they
were almost always present. Of the remaining dominants, goldenrod
appeared the most. It was dominant on 15 bluff sections out of 300

sections surveyed. (5%).

The 3 tables that follow list all vegetative species recorded
during the study (other than dominant) and the number of times they
occurred in each section. These species were found to be providing at
least 10% cover, as species providing less cover were not recorded.

TABLE 5

SPECIES IN ADDITION TO THE DOMINANTS ON THE UPPER SECTION (35)

SPECIE of occurrences

American hackberry 1
Basswood 3
Black locust 7
Black medic 4
Canada bluegrass 3
Coltsfoot 13
Common St. Johnswort 1
Eastern cottonwood 3
Flowering raspberry 3
Goldenrod 20
Hemlock 1
Horsetail 7
Jewelweed 3
,Kentucky bluegrass 1
Lambsquarte,r 1
Nightshade 1
Orchardgrass 4
Panicum 2
Phragmites I
Plantain 1
Pokeweed I
Prairie junegrass 1
Queen Anne's lace 2
Red oak 1
Redtop 3
Sassafras 1
Sheep sorrel 1
Silky dogwood 4
Silver maple 1
Staghorn sumac 7
Timothy I
White ash 2
willow 5
Yarrow 10

TABLE 6

SPECIES IN ADDITION TO THE DOMINANTS ON THE MID SECTION (49)

SPECIE of occurrences

Basswood 3
Black-alder 1-2
Black locust 5
Black-eyed Susan 3
Black medic 1
Bracken fern I
Brambles 3
Canada bluegrass 10
Chicory 1
Coltsfoot 50
Common St. Johnswort 3
Crownvetch 4
Curly dock 1
Eastern cottonwood 18
English ivy I
Flowering raspberry 23
Goldenrod 57
Horsetail 19
Jewelweed 5
Kentucky bluegrass 1
Nightshade 4
Nutsedge 9
Orchardgrass 12
Ox-eye daisy 6
Panicum 1
Perennial ryegrass 2
Plantain 2
Prairie junegrass 1
Queen Anne's lace 17
Red clover 2
Red oak 1
Redosierr dogwood 2
Redtop is
Reed canarygrass 5
Sassafras I
Sheep sorrel 2
Silky dogwood 4
Silver maple 2
Staghorn sumac 7
Strawberries 4
Sweet white clover 4
Tall fescue 3
Timothy 2
Virginia creeper I
White ash 7
White snakeroot 2
Wild grapes 2
willow 27
Yarrow 33

TABLE 7

SPECIES IN ADDITION TO DOMINANTS ON THE LOWER SECTION (22)

SPECIE of occurrences

Basswood 1
Black locust 2
Canada bluegrass I
Coltsfoot 18
Crownvetch I
Eastern cottonwood 4
Flowering raspberry 7
Gray dogwood 1
Goldenrod 7
Horsetail 9
Jewelweed 2
Kentucky bluegrass 1
Nightshade I
Perennial ryegrass 2
Queen Anne's lace 1
Redtop 1
Strawberry I
Sweet white clover I
White ash 1
willow 5
Yarrow 3

The preceeding tables indicate those few species that show up over
and over again. They include Col 'tsfoot, Horsetail, Goldenrods, Yarrow,
Flowering raspberry, Eastern cottonwood, and willows. These 7
species are definitely the most common plants growing on the Pennsylvania
Lake Erie bluffs.

Table 8 summarizes the res ults of Tables 5, 6, and 7 while deleting
all species that occurred on less than 5% of the sections surveyed. This
table displays species that grow with some degree of regularity. This
does not include dominant species, only species that occurred in addition
to them.

TABLE 8

SUMMATION OF COMMONLY OCCURRING SPECIES (OTHER THAN DOMINANT)

SPECIE of occurrences % (based-on-300 sec.-tions

Goldenrod 84 28
Coltsfoot 81 27
Yarrow 46 15
willow 37 12
Horsetail 35 12
Flowering raspberry 33 11
Eastern cottonwood 25 8
Queen Anne's lace 20 7
Redtop 19 6
Orchardgrass, 16 5

Note: Black alder, Black locust, Canada bluegrass and Staghorn sumac
occurred very near 5%.

Now that it is apparent which plant species grow on the bluffs,
let's examine which species can be expected to propogate under extreme
bluff conditions of slope, light, moisture, shade, and pH.

An extreme slope condition would be in the neighborhood of 75 - 90
degrees. Since the light meter used registered a 10 on most bluffs, it
was assumed that the limiting insolation value is the case where not
enough light is present. We will use a 4 to represent an extremely low
insol-ation setting. To examine excessive soil moisture conditions, we
will have to look at the dry end of the spectrum as any damp soil
registered a 10. (Also, moister soils always exhibited better growth
than dry ones as measured on the soil moisture probe.) A value of 3 or
less will be considered excessive. Most plants grow well on neutral
soils; therefore, an acid situation will be considered the limiting
condition where pH is concerned (pH of 5.4 or less will be used as
excessive.) Shade cover didn't seem to make a lot of difference, but
we'll examine both ends of the spectrum designating 10% or less as low
shade, 90% and greater as an extreme shade situation. Tables 9, 10,
11, 12 and 13 show the results.

TABLE 9

DOMINANT SPECIES GROWING UNDER EXTREME SLOPE (.@@75 degrees)

SPECIE of occurrences %(based on 95 sections)

Black locust 2 2
Coltsfoot 11 12
Eastern cottonwood 1 1
Goldenrod 1 1
Horsetail 1 1
Plantain 1 1
Prairie junegrass 1 1
Redtop 1 1
Sassafras 1 1
Sweet white clover 1 1
Yarrow 1 1

Ninety-five (95) sections had slopes equal to or greater than 75
degrees. Of these 95 sections, Coltsfoot was dominant on 11 (12%). Only
this specie shows a significant adabtability to steep slopes.

TABLE 10

DOMTNANT SPECIES GROWING UNDER EXTREMELY LOW INSOLATION (<4 ON MICRONTA
METER

SPECIE of occurrences %(based on 5 sections)

Coltsfoot 1 20
White snakeroot 1 20
Yellow birch 1 20

Only 5 bluff'sections had low light conditions and !3 different
species were found growing. Due to the low occurrence of this condition,
no real results can be assessed here.

TABLE 11

DOMINANT SPECIES GROWING UNDER LOW MOISTURE SATURATION 3 on MICTONTA
METER)

SPECIE of occurrences %(based on 38 sections)

Black locust 2 5
Chicory 1 3
Coltsfoot 6 16
Crownvetch 4 11
Flowering raspberry 1 3
Plantain 1 3
Prairie junegrass 1 3-
Redtop 1 3
Sweet white clover 1 3
Yarrow 2 '5

Thirty-eight (38) of 300 sections (13%) had low soil saturations.
The most commonly found plant was Coltsfoot. Crownvetch was not very far
behind,.but its figures are somewhat misleading. Crownvetch will only
grow well on dry soil and it was only found dominant on the 4 sections
illustrated by this table. It should also be noted that these 4 sections
represent 2 bluffs where the Crownvetch was dominant on both the upper
and mid sections.

TABLE 12

DOMINANT SPECIES GROWING UNDER LOW pH (<5.4)

SPECIE of occurrences %(based on 28 sections)

Andropogon 1 4-
Chicory 1 4
Coltsfoot 9 32
Crownvetch 2 7
Flowering raspberry 1 4
Horsetail 1 4
Nightshade 1 4
Prairie junegrass 1 4
Redtop 1 4
Yarrow 1 4

Only 9% of bluff sections contained excessively acidic slopes, but
coltsfoot proved once again to be the most common specie.

TABLE 13

DOMINANT SPECIES GROWING UNDER EXTREME CANOPY COVER

CANOPY <10% CANOPY >90% CANOPY <10% CANOPY >90%
SPECIE #of occurrences %(152 sections) %(19 sections)

Black alder 1 0 <1 0
Black locust 4 1 3 5
C h i c o r y 1 0 <1 0
Coltsfoot .15 4 10 21
Crabgrass 1 0 <1 0
Crownvetch 4 0 3 0
Eastern
cottonwood 2 0 1 0
Goldenrod 7 0 5 0
Horsetail 32 0 21 0
Jewelweed 0 2 0 11
Panicum 1 0 <1 0
Perennial
ryegrass 1 0 <1 0
Plantain 2 0 1 0
Red clover 3 0 2 0
Staghorn sumac. 1 0 <1 0
Sweet white
clover 3 0 2 0
White snakeroot 0 2 0 11
Yarrow 2 0 1 Cf
Yellow birch 0 1 0 5

Once again, Coltsfoot proves to be a very versatile specie. Only
horsetail is more .common on low canopy cover situations and Coltsfoot is
the most commonly occurring specie on shaded bluffs. Horsetail is one of
the most common dominant bluff species and the results of this table
indicate that it will do very well on bluffs with plen-ty of sunshine.
Jewelweed and White snakeroot seem to show some promise in shaded areas;
Goldenrod will fare well in direct sunlight.

Everything in the study up to this point has been documenting the
bluff conditions, such as insolation, soil composition, canopy cover,
soil pH and soil saturation and showing where each plant is growing. The
data shows, at this point, that most every species is found to grow under
all the conditions with the exception of soil saturation.

A quick look at Tables 9, 11, 12, and 13 bears out this fact. Even
a very low moisture saturation as shown in Table 11 will support species
that provide very good soil stabilization, such as locust, Crownvetch,
Flowering raspberry and Redtop. The bluffs where excessive moisture was
present usually exhibited active recession because the water movement out
through the face carried soil particles with it. In many cases excessive
moisture can be determined just by visual observation. Where doubt
exists on soil safturation, the Micronta Soil Moisture and Light Meter
should be used. (See Section VI Methodology)

A low pH should not be considered a limiting factor because of the
ease of adjusting pIf upward by the application of ground limestone as a
soil.amendment.

The presence of an extreme canopy cover always indicated a stable
bluff on the sections studied. The size and age of the trees that
created extreme canopy cover further proves a relatively long period of
time between slumps. The study shows over and over again that moisture
is the most significant limiting factor.

With this limiting factor in mind, the next section of this report
will deal with species evaluation and recommendations. You will find in
this section of the study that.the best species mix will be related to
the extent of soil saturation.

VI SPECIES EVALUATION

This section will attempt to analyze the most common bluff species
in terms of their compatability to the bluff environment, the erosion
control and soil stabalization they provide and the species availability
for planting.

The first prerequisite above appears somewhat redundant.
Obviously, if the species are common to the bluffs, they must be suitable
to the bluff environment. This is true, but additional plant species are
going to be evaluated here: species that have readily available seed
sources and have been used in the past for conservation plantings.

Erosion control and soil stabalization capabilities are determined:
by the species rooting system, the degree of soil coverage provided, and
the amount of time the specie takes to establish itself. Since bluff
recession occurs so frequently, it is important to have a speci@ that
establishes quickly.

Species availabil.ity is very important. One plant type could
flourish naturally on the Lake bluffs; but if there are no commercial
@;Ped sources, it would be relatively difficult to introduce this specie.
The following species will be examined based on the previously explained
c r i t e r i a

1. Black alder 15. Sweet white clover
2. Black locust 16. Flowering raspberry
3. Canada bluegrass 17. White snakeroot
4. Coltsfoot 18. Yarrow
5. Crownvetch 19. willow
6. Go.ldenrod 20. dogwoods (Silky,Redosier,
7. Horsetail Graystem)
8. Jewelweed 21. White ash
9. Nightshade 22. Queen Anne's lace
10. Orchardgrass 23. Nutsedge
11. Eastern cottonwoods 24. Reed canarygrass
12. Red clover 25. Timothy
13. Perennial ryegrass 26. Tall fescue
14. Staghorn sumac 27. Redtop
28. "Rem Red" Amur honeysuckle
29. "Arnot" bristly locust
30. Halls Japanese honeysuckle

These species are either very common and well adapted to the Lake
Erie bluffs, or are recommended species for bluff plantings. Note that a.
few plants that were found dominant will not be evaluated. This is so
(1) because either these species were only dominant once and were never
seen again on a bluff, or (2) because they were providing a very low
percent of cover.

1. European black alder - was found on 6% of the section sites and
3 times as a dominant. Black alder is a tree specie that can grow to
50 feet in height. On the bluffs, it did not exceed 15 feet, but grew
fairly well. Black alder will tolerate the following site conditions:
low fertility, acid, loamy and sandy soils, droughty areas, extreme .
sunlight and moderately well-drained.soils. It has poor shade tolerance
and will grow from a seedling to 12' - 151 in 4 to 6 years. As
with most trees, it has an excellent root system, but does not provide
good soil cover. Seeds and seedlings are available from most nurseries.
The specie does appear adapted to milder slopes (seen mostly on mid
sections) and may hold the soil well if planted in conjunction with some
herbaceous or ground cover providing plant.

2. Black locust - was found on 6.7% of the section sites and 6 times
as a dominant. It is also a tree specie that grew predominately and most
prevalently on bluff crests. Occasionally, it was found on the bluff
itself where it might germinate on any of the 3 sections. This
specie was often seen growing from small ledges on otherwise vertical
slopes. As with Black alder, Black locust's roots are extensive and hold
the soil well but provide no ground cox@er. Black locust will tolerate
loamy and sandy, dry to moderately well-drained soils that are slightly
acid. It is a rapidly growing deciduous tree that exhibits growth
characteristics similar to Black alder. This is a specie that has
potential when used with a plant that provides ground cover and is

commercially available at Musser Forest, Inc., Indiana, Pa. 15701. Most
nurseries should be able to provide this specie.

3. Canada bluegrass - is a grass specie very similar to Kentucky
bluegrass but smaller. It was found on 5% of section sites and once as
a dominant. It is capable of producing very dense stands (as it did on
some sites) and has a fair root system. This specie prefers gentler
slopes of 0-40 degrees and will grow on clayey, loamy or sandy soils
where the pH is slightly acid to neutral. 'It will withstand some shade,
but will perform better in sunlight. It prefers a moderately
well-draine IA soil. On bluffs with such conditions, it can be expected
to do very well.- Its best application would probably be in combination
with other'plants'. trees, or shrubs, and grasses. Seed and/or sod is
readily avadlable commercially.

4. Coltsf6ot - is a herbaceous plant that was the most dominant and grew
under the widest range of bluff conditions, i.e. slope, pH, soil type,
saturation, insolation and canopy cover. It was dominant on 52 sections
and present on 44.3% of bluff sections overall. This specie is most
adapted to the bluff environment based on the results of this study. it
is a pioneer plant specie with extremely rapid growth capable of
vegetating a bluff section in a few months (3-4 months). it provides
good soil cover (not as dense as grasses) but only has a single long
root that provides limited s-oil stabalization. Another drawback to this
specie is that there are no commercial sources.

5. Crownvetch - is a herbaceous legume that was found on 3% of section
sites and was dominant on 4 section slopes. Crownvetch will grow in
shallow, low fertility, acid soils of all denominations (clayey, loamy
and sandy)., It is an excellent drought tolerant, poor shade tolerant
specie that@ requires a well-drained soil. It will grow to 3 feet in
height, but will require 2 to 3 years to provide dense cover and is slow
to grow the' first year. The specie is excellent for stabalizing steep
slopes, but its adaptability to Lake bluffs is limited due to the wetness
of most of them. Seed is commercially available for this specie.

6. 6oldenrod - is a common perennial herbaceous plant tha-t will grow..
under most bluff conditions. It was the most common (other -than
dominant) plant specie recorded during the survey. It was found on 33%
of slope sections and was dominant 15 times. Goldenrod will grow in all
3 soil types under slightly acid conditions. It has poor shade
tolerance and will propogate in moderately well-drained to somewhat
poorly drained soil. It will grow to 5 feet high and provide a dense
cover with a well-developed root system. It dies off every year, but the
stalks remain standing until excess snowflall collapses them. This is
another excellent specie for vegetating Lake bluffs, but seed is not
commercially available.

7. Horsetail - is a primitive plant that was the most common dominant
specie encountered on the mid section during the site surveys. This
specie showed up 46 times as a dominant and 27% overall. Horsetail could
be found growing on average slopes (0-45 degrees) in all soil types
under slightly acid conditions. This pioneer specie did best in full
sunlight and under a soil saturation of somewhat poorly drained and
drier. This plant is capable of vegetating an entire slump area with

fairly dense cover in only a few months. It has poor shade tolerance and
only an average root system. Also, this naturally occurring plant has no
known commercial seed source.

8. (Spotted) Jewelweed) -- is a common her6aceous plant seen along shady
roadsides with orange flowers and its famous "touch-me-not? exploding
seed pods. This specie is very succulent and its juices are a proclaimed
remedy for poison ivy and insect bites. Not an extremely common plant,
during our surveys it showed up 4.7% of the time and 4 times as a
dominant. This specie does very well in somewhat poorly drained soils to
poorly drained soils of clayey loamy or sandy content. It is a very
shade-tolerant specie and will propogate in a slightly acid soil on a
milder slope-.-- --I i can produce a fairly dense stand within a few months
of up to 3 feet tall with a good root system. This specie could be
utilized on shady wet slopes; but, being a native plant, there is
no commercial seed source.

9. (Bitter) Nightshade) - is a viney plant specie bearing bright
red poisonous berries. This specie was dominant on 1 site section and
present on 2.3% of sections. This plant can produce a good cover with a
fair root system on average slopes (0 - 45 degrees) having dry to
moderately well-drained soils. It will grow in low fertility, clayey,
loamy, or sandy, acid soils where there is moderate shade to full
sunlight. It requires onlyta few months to reach maturity, but being
poisonous, it is not looked upon favorably by the commercial plant
industry; thus, there are no seeds available.

10. Orchardzrass - is a common perennial cool season grass that is often
used as hay forage. It was found on 5.7% of section sites and once as
a dominant. It is a tall growing bunch grass specie that forms dense
stands with an excellent root system. It was found on all slopes, but
Preferred 0-40 degree inclines. It grew in all soil types and under
all pH conditions, but made its best showing on pH's closer to neutral.
The specie propogated under all moisture conditions, but did best on
well-drained to somewhat poorly drained soils where there was low shade
situations. Orchardgrass definitely enjoys the sunshine. There is an
absolute plethora of seed sources for this grass type.

11. Eastern cottonwood)- is a very common tree specie that was
encountered on the bluffs as seedlings, saplings and young individuals.
It was dominant 5 times and occurred on 10% of site sections.
Everytime it was dominant, it was in seedling form where it frequently-
displayed 25 or more seedlings to the square foot. The trees could never
be expected to grow that dense, but it does emphasize the cottonwood's
ability to pioneer bluffs and when grown, its extensive root system holds
the soil well. The specie is hydrophilic and will grow on poorly drained
soils under all pH's, but showed a definite preference for neutral or
near neutral hydrogen ion concentrations. It fared well in all soil
types and displayed a liking for sunshine. When used in combination with
a ground cover crop, it could be just the ticket' for wet bluffs. The
specie is extremely common and readily available at all nurseries.

12. Red clover - is a short-lived perehnial legume that is frequently
used as a forage crop. It is easy to establish on all soil types and
will grow on acidic and wet soils up to somewhat poorly drained. Red

clover was found on 1.7% of site sections and was dominant on 3
sections. In each dominant case, it originated from the back yard-of a
landowner occupying the bluff crest. It created a dense cover, but had
only a fair root system. The specie is shade intolerant and grew well on
slopes from 0-60 degrees. Because it is easy to establish and quick
growing, this specie may work well on the steeper parts of bluffs.

13. Perennial ryegrass - is a perennial bunchgrass specie that is not
quite as winter hardy as orchardgrass. Ryegrass grows in medium
fertility, slightly acid, clayey and loamy soils. It has poor shade
tolerance, but will propogate in a somewhat poorly drained soil. It can
produce complete cover in a few months and has a shallow but fibrous root
system. It was found to grow on slopes up to 40 degrees and can be
purchased at any seed dealership. Ryegrass was found on 2% of slope
sections and twice as a dominant. Its best application may be as a
means of providing quick cover while other species are taking root.

14. Staghorn-sum-ac - is a large shrub that grows to a height of 10
to 15 feet. It was found on 5% of sections and once as a dominant.
It will grow on most slopes if given a chance. Sumac, like Black
locust, was often seen growing from ledges on otherwise verti.cal upper
sections. This shrub grows in medium fertility, slightly acid, loamy
soils. It will tolerate drought and moderately well-drained soil, but
not shade. One-year-old seedlings will mature in 4 to 6 years.
On bluffs that meet the above conditions, Staghorn sumac may provide some
benefits due to its root system when used in conjunction with a cover
c r o p .

15. Sweet white clover - is a biennial legume used primarily for soil
improvement and stabalization or as a nectar producing flower for honey
bees. It was found on 9 sections (3%) and of these, 4 times as a
dominant. This clover specie does best on milder slopes (0-35 degrees)
and when in direct sunlight. It will grow on loamy to sandy, slightly
acid, moist soils. This specie can produce a fairly dense stand up to
5 feet high and possesses a fair root system. The sites where this
specie was dominant appeared to have been planted by man. The Sweet
white clover. had grown into a good stand and was doing a good job of
slope stabalization. Seed is available from most dealers and nurseries.

16. Flowering raspberry - is a pioneering bramble type of plant that
produces pink fruit similar to red raspberries. It was fairly common on
bluffs showing up 12.3% of the time and 4 times as a dominant. The
specie preferred slopes in the range of 0 to 45 degrees, but was
sometimes found on steeper ones. It could be found on all soil types
(loamy preferred) under all pH's (slightly acid to neutral preferred) and
on up to somewhat poorly drained soils. It was under all canopy
situations, but appeared most under well lit conditions. The specie can
produce fair to good cover in a short time (few months) and has an
extensive root system. It appears to be well adapted to the bluff
environment, but the seeds or nursery stock cannot be purchased. It is
possible that any bramble type of plant may work as well (blackberries,
red raspberries, black raspberries, etc.), and these may be purchased
from most nurseries.

17. White snakeroot - is a herbaceous specie that only occurred on a few
sites, but is notable because it is shade tolerant and will grow well on
somewhat poorly drained soils. It was even noted growing on poorly
drained areas with some standing water and overland flow. This plant
occurred only on 1.3% of section sites and as a dominant twice. It grew
on clayey, loamy, and sandy soils that were near a neutral pH and in the
shade. The micronta light meter still registered a "10" in these areas,
but the heavy canopy created a shady setting. White snakeroot matures in
1 growing season and can provide good cover 2 to 3 feet high. it
has an excellent fibrous root system even when young, but being a wild
specie, is not available commercially.

18. Yarrow - is another herbaceous plant that occurred very often during
the survey and is noted by its somewhat parsley-like leaves and small
clustered white flowers. This specie was dominant on 2 slopes and seen
16% of the time. It was rarely seen growing thick enough to provide good
cover, but it does possess a respectable root system. It is common .
enough on the bluffs that it must be well adapted to life there, but seed
unavailability precludes trying to establish it. Yarrow was found on all
inclines from 0 degrees to 35 degrees with the majority on the lower end
of the scale. A sunlit area was preferred on a moist loamy to sandy
soil. It grew under all pH conditions, but appeared most often near
neutral.

19. willow - is a very common water-loving tree specie. It is an
excellent tree to plant on the bluffs due to its acceptability of that
environment and its well-developed root system. Willow seedlings,
sapling and trees appeared 12.3% of the time during the study. It Was
never a dominant, but appeared very often and would do well when planted
with a ground cover-providing plant specie. Willows were found on slopes
ranging from 0 to 40 degrees in medium fertility, slightly acid,
clayey, loamy and sandy soils. It has a poor drought tolerance, good,,
shade tolerance and grows well on poorly drained soils. Willows are
traditional trees for providing effective erosion control on wet areas
and along streams. They can be purchased at any nursery.

20. Redosier, Silky/Graystem dogwood - is a decidius fruitbearing
shrub that is beneficial for erosion protection and wildlife food and
habitat. Three different species were found during the bluff surveys
including: Silky (2.7%), Redosier (0.7%) and Graystem (0.3%). All 3
species grow in medium fertility, slightly acid, clayey, loamy and sandy
soils. They have fair shade and drought tolerance and prefer milder
slopes. Graystem requires a well drained soil; Silky and Redosier can
tolerate a poorly drained soil. Even though they were not common species
during the survey, they should offer good stabalization on slopes with
the above characteristics when used in conjunction with a cover crop.
Dogwoods grow 8-to 12 feet high, have an excellent root system,
and are readily available.

21. White ash - is a fairly common decidious tree that was seen on 3.3%
of section sites. This specie grows on gentler slopes (up to 40 degrees)
on clayey, loamy or sandy soils that may be slightly acidic. White as*h
has fair shade tolerance, but was found most often in the sunlight on
moist soils up to somewhat poorly drained. It offers promise for

vegetating bluffs due to its soil stabalizing root system, adaptability to
bluff environment, commercial availability and when used with a herbaceous
or grass specie, for cover.

22. Queen Anne's lace - is the common "wild carrot" seen virtually on
every hill and dale. It appeared on 6.7% of bluff sections wherever
gentle slopes and slightly acid loamy soils prevailed. It would tolerate
somewhat poorly drained soils but would not tolerate shade. This specie
grows up to 3 tall and can provide a good cover with adequate soil
stabalization due to its single carrot-like root. Being a wild plant
specie, it is not available commercially.

23. Nutsedge - is a common specie of sedge found on 3.3% of section
sites that had a distinct liking for poorly drained soils. Study results
indicate it prefers slightly acid to acid, loamy to sandy soils on mild
slopes in full sunlight. On some bluffs, it was found to be growing
very thick even in standing water. This specie is considered to be a
noxious weed and once established, it is very hard to get rid of. For this
reason, it is not offered by seed dealers. Nutsedge has a very good root
system and it would perform well if it was obtainable. Some sedges are
commmercially available and may be usable if they exhibit preferences and
characte-ristics similar to nutsedge.

24. Reed canarygrass - is a tall (4 foot) sod-forming perennial grass
that was found on only 1.7% of section sites. It is a common
conservation planting that excells on extremely poor drainage areas and
produces a dense stand with an excellent root system. It should work
very well on wet bluffs up to 45. degrees of loamy, slightly acid content.
It seems to enjoy sunlight, but was found under up to 60% canopy cover.
Since it is such a common conservation planting, it is available at just
about all seed dealers.

25. Timothv - is a common bunch grass with a relatively shallow but
fibrous root system. It is often used for hay forage and was found on
only 1% of section slopes. Timothy, like Reed canarygrass, is a common
planting with readily available seed sources. During the study, it was
found on average slopes (0-45-degrees) of loamy, acid soils that were
well drained to moderately well drained. It occurred under limited
canopy cover and in nearly full sunlight. Timothy grows to 3 feet
high and can form excellent cover. Under the proper conditions, it could
provide adequate stabalization.

26. Tall fescue - is a deep-rooted, long-lived, sod-forming grass that
spreads by seeds and short underground stems. It is -the most common
cons*ervation planting in the Northeast; and while found on only 1% of
slopes, it had bren introduced by man in each case. It has an excellent
root system and produces an effective cover in the establishment year.
Tall fescue grows in low-fertility, acid, clayey, loamy and sandy soils
and will tolerate somewhat poorly drained areas. It has fair shade
tolerance and good drought tolerance. Kentucky 31 is the most common
variety and can be found at any and all seed dealerships.

27. Redtop - is a fast-starting, sod-forming grass that achieves a
height of 18" at maturity. It provides effective cover the first year
and will grow on poorly drained soils. This specie was found on 7% of

section sites and twice as a dominant. It is a common component of
seeding mixtures for disturbed sito-; in the Nort.1-jeast, It will grow in
low feritility, very acid, clayey, loamy and sandy soils. It has poor
shade tolerance, fair drought tolerance and good cold tolerance. Redtop
is-readily available and should provide good results when used in
combination with other species.

28. "Rem Red",Amur honeysuckle - is a berry-bearing shrub that grows to
a height of 8 to 12 feet. It was not encountered during the
study, but is known to have been used during the past for bluff,
stabalization. This honeysuckle specie grows in med-ium fertility,
slightly acid, clayey, loamy and sandy soils. It has fair drought
tolerance, fair shade tolerance and wilJ tolerate somewhat poorly drained
soils. It can provide good cover and soil stabalization when used in
conjunction with cover crop species and is readily available at
nurseries.

29. "Arnot" bristly locust- is a perennial shrub that grows to heights
of 4 to 6 feet and forms a thicket by root suckers. This deciduous
shrub requires well-drained areas, and is drought tolerant. It has poor
.shade tolerance, but is excellent for slopes ranging from 0-75 degrees.
It grows in low-fertility, very acid, loamy and sandy soils. It is
commercially available.

30. Halls Japanese honeysuckle - is an agressive semi-evergreen vine
that is 12-15" high, with an excellent root system for covering large
areas. This honeysuckle will grow on low-fertility, acid clayey, loamy
and sandy soils. It has excellent shade tolerance, good drought
tolerance, and fair tolerance of poorly-drained areas. This specie may
help to secure slopes ranging from 0-60 degrees, and has been used
elsewhere as a conservation plant. It is commercially available.

VII DETERMINATION OF BEST SPECIE/PARTICULAR SITUATION

Determining a best specie to plant on the Lake bluffs is an
impossible task. Bluff conditions vary so greatly from site to site that
no single specie can be expected to perform admirably in all situations.
The best way to r:ecommend species to plant on a given bluff is to examine
the conditions of the bluff and then enter the database accummulated
during this study based on those condi 'tions. The program will yield
prospective plant specie candidates for success on that particular bluff.

The above procedure is recommended for individual bluffs. On a more
general basis, there are some species that can be recommended. A mix of
Coltsfoot and Goldenrod would be ideal. The 2 grew on the highest
percentage of bluffs examined. Add willow trees for deeper
soil stabalization and the problem of vegetating a slope is solved.

Coltsfoot and Goldenrod are the most adapted species to the bluff
environment. Yet seeds dannot be acquired commercially so the species
cannot be easily introduced. Any specie that does not have a readily
available source cannot be recommen-ded as a "best specie." of the
species evaluated in the preceeding section, 8 are not commercially
available and thus are not included in our list of recommended species.
It is unfortunate because the 8 species included some of the species

best adapted to the bluff environment.

Of the remaining 22, 8 are trees or shrubs which will do an
excellent job of deep soil stabalization, but cannot be recommended by
themselves as they. lack sufficient soil cove.r. Crownvetch has limited
application because bluffs are generally too wet. Red clover and Sweet
white clover grew well, but are too short lived.

This leaves a handful of grasses including: Canada bluegrass,
Orchardgrass, Perennial ryegrass, Reed canarygrass, Timothy, Tall fescue
and Redtop. It should be noted that during the study, the summation of
all of these grasses found on the bluff slopes totalled 22.7%. They
rarely appeared as dominants and where they did occur, they usually
occupied only a small area of the bluff, which leads us right back to
where we started. There is no single specie alone that will vegetate and
stabalize the bluffs.

However, mixtures of grasses,legumes, shrubs and trees can be
recommended that will probably do the job. The grasses just looked at
would be excellent as a seed mixture for the entire bluff. Plant some
honeysuckle or Black locust on the crest, some dogwood, Black alders and
willow on the slopes and the resultant should be a vegetated, fairly
stable bluff.

The following tables list possible mixes for bluffs based solely on
drainage. When all 3 drainage conditions exist on a single bluff, it may
be necessary to use a different mixture on each of the 3 sections of the
bluff. It would prove too difficult to explain in this study the
processes involved in identifying a specific soil type and how it relates
to drainage (ie. well-drained, somewhat pqorly-drained, etc.) to'the un-
qualified'observer. However, the Erie County Conservation District can
provide a brief instructional lesson in the field to the DCZM staff
specialist which would allow that person to make a qualified jud'9ment
of soil composition and drainage in the SAR report.

TABLE 14

SPECIES TO PLANT ON A WELL DRAINED TO MODERATELY WELL DRAINED BLUFF
(GRAVEL - SAND - SILT MIXTURES)

1. Tall fescue 8. Sweet white clover
2. Orchardgrass 9. Red clover
3. Canada bluegrass 10. Staghorn sumac
4. Perennial ryegrass 11. Graystem dogwood
5. Timothy 12. Black locust
6. Redtop 13. White ash
7. Crownvetch

TABLE 15

SPECIES TO PLANT ON MODERATE WELL DRAI-NED TO SOMEWHAT POORLY DRAINED
BLUFF (SILTY SANDS - SAND SILT MIXTURES)

1. Tall fescue 8. Reed canarygrass
2. Canada bluegrass 9. Eastern cottonwood
3. Orchardgrass 10. willow
4. Perennial ryegrass 11. "Rem Red" Amur honeysuckle
5. Redtop 12. Black alder
6. Red clover 13. Silky dogwood
7. Sweet white clover 14. Redosier dogwood

TABLE 16

SPECIES TO PLANT ON SOMEWHAT POORLY DRAINED TO POORLY DRAINED BLUFF
(SILT AND CLAY MIXTURES)

1. Reed canarygrass 5. willow
2. Redtop 6. Eastern cottonwood
3. Tall fescue 7. Silky dogwood
4. Perennial ryegrass 8. "Rem Red" Amur honeysuckle

The 3 previous tables are only meant to be a starting point
regarding what one should plant on a bluff with a given drainage
characteristic. The species listed should do well and not all listed
need be planted, but by planting all, you will eliminate any gaps that
might develop due to misjudging the drainage condition. For the grasses
and legumes planted by seed, the mixture should highlight the most
adapted species to that bluff and approximate 40 to 50 lbs. per acre.
For example, on a well drained soil one might mix the following for a
I-acre bluff:

TABLE 17

MIXTURE FOR WELL-DRAINED SOIL (I-ACRE BLUFF)

Perennial ryegrass 6 lbs.
Redtop 4 lbs.
Tall fescue 12 lbs.
Orchardgrass 6 lbs.
Canada bluegrass 6 lbs.
Crownvetch 6 lbs.
Sweet white clover 4 lbs.
Red clover 6 lbs.

50 lbs.

On a wetter soil, Reed canarygrass would be emphasized over Tall
fescue and Crownvetch swapped for a more water adapted specie. Plant
trees and shrubs according to the recommendations of the nursery at which

they were purchased.

It __ has been emphasized before that there is no 1 specie for every
situation; yet, there is that "typical lake bluff"* spoken of in the
first few sections and the following mixture is recommended as a general
bluff planting-. *See Table 1 Average Values

First, create a "greenbelt" along the crest by planting Black locust
and/or "Rem Red" Amur honeysuckle. Seed the upper, mid and lower
sections with the following mixture:

TABLE 18

MIXTURE FOR "TYPICAL" OR MODERATELY WELL-DRAINED OR SOMEWHAT POORLY
DRAINED BLUFF (1-ACRE BLUFF)

Tall fescue 10 lbs..
Reed canarygrass 15 lbs.
Perennial rye 15 lbs.
Redtop 4 lbs.
Orchardgrass 8 lbs.
Canada bluegrass 6 lbs.
Sweet white clover 4 lbs.

62 lbs./acre

TABLE 19

MIXTURE FOR SOMEWHAT POORLY TO POORLY-DRAINED BLUFF
(1-ACRE BLUFF)

Reed canarygrass 10 lbs.
Redtop 6 lbs.
Tall fescue 30 lbs.
Perennial ryegrass 10 lbs.

56 lbs./acre

It should be realized that if the upper section is much over 45
degrees, there will probably be little growth (hydroseeding is
recommended on steep slopes, i.e. over 45 degrees) and if there is much
wave attack on the lower section, there will be little establishment
there also.

Plant on every section (if possible) willow, Eastern cottonwood and
Bladk alders. Use, as a minimum, 1-year old seedlings and space them
every 4 feet in rows up the slope. However, if the upper section is
too steep, it may be advisable to reshape the section to a 30 degree
slope for vegetating. Although Black locust and Staghorn sumac will grow
on steep sections if they are planted on ledges. Also, if severe wave
attack is occurring, plant the trees above the bluff slope where the

waves are breaking. A shoreline protection structure (g i
groin,
revetment, seawall) may be necessary to get any growth on the lower
s e c t i b n .

Introduce Silky dogwood and "Rem Red" Amur honeysuckle to the wetter
sections of the bluff once the trees are established.

The above constitutes a best mix of species for most bluff
situations. Hopefully, the natural vegetation that is not available
commercially, but is found to be performing so well will grow in with the
established species further helping the bluff stabalization cause.

It is important to get some type of vegetative cover on a bluff
devoid of vegetation to prevent serious erosion. In almost every case,
an expert should be consulted before proceeding. It may be necessary or
advisable to reshape the bluff before revegetating it. After this has
been determined, the general process would be (1) to seed the entire
bluff with the recommended fast growing grasses and legumes to establish
a good vegetative cover (2) plant the recommended shrubs-vines after a
good cover is established, and (3) plant the larger growing trees.

Careful consideration should be given whether or not to plant large
trees. In many cases, large trees can cause problems to the bluff
because of the wind "rocking" the trees and causing movement of the soil
on the bluff. Also, many people do not want to block the view of the
lake.

VIII CONCLUSION

A variety of plants, grasses, shrubs and trees were found to be
growing on the bluffs: 58 different species in all. The most
frequently encountered species included (in order of decreasing
occurrence):

1. Coltsfoot (found on 44% of bluff sections)
2. Goldenrod (33%)
3. Horsetail (27%)
4. Yarrow (16%)
5. Flowering raspberry (12%)
6. willow (12%)
7. Eastern cottonwood (10%)
8. Queen Anne's lace 7%)
9. Black locust 7%)
10. Redtop 7%)
11. Orchardgrass 6%)
12. Black alder 6%)
13. Canada bluegrass 5%)
14. Staghorn sumac 5%)

Of these common species, Coltsfoot, Goldenrod, willow and
cottonwood provided the best cover and appeared to be doing the best job
of bluff stabalization They were also the first species (along with
Horsetail, Yarrow and Flowering raspberry) to colonize a recently slumped
bluff.

Unfortunately, the higher frequency species showing adaptation
to the bluff environment are native species that have no commercial seed
sources. Of the frequently encountered species, only the last 6 listed
along with willows and cottonwoods are available from nurseries. Species
Without commercial availability are more difficult to use for bluff
planting.

There are available species that were found on the bluffs. They
were not as common as some other species, but did a good job where they
were found. There are also some traditional conservation plantings that
should be well suited to the bluff environment. Recommended commercially
available species for planting on the bluff include:

GRASSES & LEGUMES:. Tall fescue
Canada bluegrass
Orchardgrass
Perennial ryegrass
Reed canarygrass
Redtop
Red clover
Sweet white clover
Crownvetch
Timothy

SHRUBS: Silky dogwood
Redosier dogwood
Graystem dogwood
Staghorn sumac
."Rem Red" Amur honeysuckle
"Arnot" bristly locust
Halls Japanese honeysuckle

TREES: Black alder
Black locust
Eastern cottonwood
willow
White ash

These listed species were evaluated under the bluff conditions of
slop,e, soil type, soil moisture, soil pH, insolation and canopy cover.
The importance of these conditions is as follows:

Slope - The results of the study indicate that as the steepness of the
slope increases, the existance of vegetation decreases. Slopes under 45
degrees usually support a good vegetative cover. Slopes over 45 degrees
declined in vegetation up to 75 degrees with slopes over this steep
angle exhibiting almost no growth at all. These steep slopes always
revealed active recession and, in almost all cas-es were caused by water,
ie. wave splash, excessive-surface water or ground water movement out
through the face. Because of this constant recession, vegetation never
has a change to get established.

Soil pH - The lowest pH recorded on the 300 sections of the-bluffs
was 5.0 and the highest was found to be 7.2. This range of pH does not

present a serious limiting factor. The study shows that good vegetative
cover was found at both extremes of this range.

Insolation - Since only 5 bluff sections out of 300 were found to
have low light conditions, we must draw the conclusion that insolation is
not a limiting factor on the Pennsylvania Lake Erie shoreline.

Canopy Cover We have stated before in this study that extreme
canopy cover indicates a stable bluff with mature trees growing in place
for many years (50 - 100 years). The presence of natural ground
covering vegetation, though sometimes sparse, does not indicate a
serious limitation. Several of the recommended species in this study
have fair to excellent shade t*olerance, ie. Tall fescue, Halls Japanese
honeysuckle.

Soil Type - With the exception of 2 soil types, shale (RS) and
blueclay (CH), all the other classes of soil were able to support a good
vegetative cover. These 2 soil types were always found in the lower
section. Shale is somewhat impervious and will not allow rooting of
vegetation. However, we must consider this a plus fa,ctor because the
presence of shale or bedrock usually provides a stable base of the bluff.
The 5 bluff sections where blueclay was found had very little vegetation.
Blueclay is very easily eroded and always demonstrated ground water
movement, wave splash, or surface water erosion.

Soil Saturation - The preceding 5 limiting factors demonstrated that
if excessive soil saturation is controlled, a good vegetative cover can
be established.on the bluffs. Even a very steep slope is no exception
because the cause of the steepness is water related. If the Penn-Lake
Erie shoreline is to be revegetated, the various causes of these water
related problems must be addressed. Because of the complex nature of
these problems, the casual observer or property owner should not attempt
cor-rective measures without consulting The Division of Coastal Zone
Management.

The goal of vegetating bluffs is to achieve a dense growth covering
the surface and to develop a patterned, deeper rooted growth of shrubs'
and trees. Grasses and legumes will hold the surface soil while shrubs
and trees will go deeper, possibly even penetrating the slippage zone
and preventing the sli-ppage of different soil layers.

In all cases, shoreline property owners should first contact The
Division of Coastal Zone Management, DER,.to request the SAR Service,
which when completed, will provide specific recommendations on vegetation
species by the Erie County Conservation District or the U.S.D.A. Soil
Conservation Service.

Vegetation is not the complete solution to bluff recession, but it
and some other common-sense land use practices can increase bluff
s t a b i I i t y .

IX BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Clemens, Robert H., The Role of Vegetation in Shoreline Management, A
(luide for Great Lakes Shoreline Property Owners, Great Lakes Basin
Commission.

2. Sharp, Curtis W., Conservation Plants for the Northeast, USDA Program
Aid No. 1154, USDA Soil Conservation Service 1977.

3. Soil- Survey of Erie County Pennsylvania, USDA Soil Conservation
Service, Decembe.r 1960.

4. The Great Lakes Research Institute, Shoreline Erosion and
Flooding-Erie County, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Resources, Division of Coastal Zone Management, 1975

5. The Penn State Agronomy Guide 1985-1986, The Pennsylvania State
University, College of Agriculture Extension Service, University
Park, Pa., 1985

X FOOTNOTES

1. Soi.1 Survey of Erie County Pennsylvania, USDA Soil Conservation
Service, December 1960, p.73,

2. et. al., p. 17.

COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC'NAMES OF SPECIES ENCOUNTERED DURING BLUFF STUDY

COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME

1. American hackberry Celtis occidentalis
n. Andropogon Andropogon spp.
ILI
3. Basswood Tilia americana
4. Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia-hirta
5. Black locust Robinia pseudoacacia
6. Bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum
7. Brambles Rubus spp *
8. Buckhorn plantai,n Plantago lanceolata
9. Canada bluegrass, Poa compressa
10. Chicory Cichorium intybus
11. Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara
12. Common St. Johnswort Hypericum perforatum
13. Crownvetch Coronilla varia
14. Curled dock Rumex crispus
15. Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides
16, Elderberry Sambucus canadensis
17. English ivy Glechoma hederacea
18. European black alder Alnus glutinosa
19. Flowering raspberry Rubus odoratus
20. Goldenrod Solidago nemoralis
21. Graystem dogwood Cornus racemosa
22. Hemlock Tsuga canadeusis
23@ Horsetail Equisetum. arvense
24. Jewelweed-spotted Impatiens capensis
25. Kentucky bluegraiss Poa pratensis
26. Lambsquarter Chenopodium album
27. Nightshade-bitter Solanum dulcamara
28. Nutsedge Carex spp.
29. Orchardgrass Dactylus glomerata
30. Ox-eye daisy Chrysanthemum leucanthemum
31. Panicum Panicum spp.
32. Perennial--ryegrass Lolium perenne
33. Phragmites Phragmites communis
34. Pokeweed Phytolacca americana
35. Prairie junegrass Koeleria cristata
36. Queen Anne's lace Daucus carota
37. Red clover Trifolium pratense
38. Red oak Quercus rubra
39. Redosier dogwood Co*rnus stolonifera
40. Redtop Agrostis alba
41. Reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinaceus
42. Sassafras Sassafras albidum.
43. Sheep sorrel Rumex acetosella
44. Silky dogwood Cornus amomum
45. Silver maple Acer saccharinum
46. Small crabgrass Digitaria ischaemum
47. Staghorn sumac Rhus typhina
Sweet white clover Melilotus alba
49. Tall fescue Festuca arundinacea
50. Timothy Phleum pratense

51. Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
52. White ash Fraxinus amer'icana
53. White snakeroot Eupatorium rugo_s-Rm-----
54. Wild grapes Vitis ri-paria
55. Wild strawberry Fragana vl'rginiana
56. Willow Salix spp.
57. Yarrow Achillea millefolium
58. Yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis

GENERAL Soil, MAP

ERIE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
LEGEND
1 Silty and clayey sails, chiefly on the lake plain
(Wallington- Birdsall-Williamson and Collamer).
Scale
2 Sandy soils of the lake plain (Rimer-Wauseon- 1 0 1 2 3 4 MILES
Berrien).

3 Gravelly and sandy soils of the beach ridges
(Conotton- Ottawa - Fredon).
4 Gravelly soils of the outwash terraces (Howard-
Phelps-Fredon-Halsey).
5 Deep, medium textured soils in moderately limy till of
the glaciated upland (Erie-Ellery and Alden-Langford).
6 Deep, medium-textured soils in slightly limy till of
the glaciated upland (Volusia-Mardin).
7 Deep, silty and clayey soils of the glaciated upland
flats (Trumbull-Mahoning-Miner).
8 Deep, silty and clayey soils of the gently or moderately
sloping glaciated upland ( Platea- Birdsall).
9 Shallow, medium-textured soils of the glaciated upland
and the lake plain (Allis-Ellery and Alden).
10 Silty and clayey soils of glacial lakebeds (Canadice-
Caneadea-Birdsall).

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FIGURE 3

1,AKI_ ERIE BLUFF VEGETATION j@SSEQISMENT V,'0P.KSHI_I-E'J'

Township Tax Assessment Number
ate

O@,@ lie r Address:

Bluff Height:

Plant #1 Stage:

Location: Picture
active recession
Comments: man accelerateO rec.
recency of slunin
native or intro@uced specie
e t c .

Bluff Slope:@ Soil Type:

Insolation: Soil Saturation:

Canopy: None Sparse Dense Soil PH:

Other:

Plant #2 Stage:

Location: Picture

Comments:

Bluff Slope: Soil Type:

Insolation: Soil Saturation:

Canopy: None Sparse Dense Soil T)H:

Other:

Plant #3 Stage:

Location: Picture

Comments:

Bluff Slope: Soil Type:

Insolation: Soil Saturation:

Canopy: None Sparse Dense Soil PH:

Othe r:

FTCUP": 4

3 6668 141011983