The 10 acre Red Hill section of the Ash Brook Swamp Reservation is the last undisturbed area of the terminal moraine where the Wisconsin Glacier met the Atlantic Ocean. This microhabitat possesses a suite of sun loving grasses, wildflowers and low shrubs that is disjunct from any other similar habitat type for great distances. A number of rare flowers and grasses such as Eupatorium hyssopifolium, Eragrostis spectabilis and Leptoloma cognatum are species that are more common on the New Jersey Coastal Plain.
Surrounded by suburbia, the native White Pine and the ornamental Scotch Pine have migrated to the Red Hill section. Mature trees have created an overstory, shading the suite of rare species. Furthermore, Scotch Pine and White Pine saplings have spread throughout the microhabitat and are growing rapidly; increasing the likelihood that the successional habitat may conclude in a coniferous forest.
A habitat restoration plan is being devised by Joseph R. Arsenault that envisions the removal of the invasive conifers and other undesirable plants that are poised to colonize the Red Hill section. Once the report is ready, the Rahway River Association (RRA) will partner with Union County to implement the habitat restoration plan.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Biological Diversity: Ecosystem restoration- ecosystem-level management; Habitat- federal threatened/endangered species habitat protection
Total Project Cost: not finalized
In 2008, CRI granted the Rahway River Association $3,000 for this project through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.
Status of Project: Consultant modifying final report to reflect RRA Board of Trustees input
If you would like further information about this project, contact Conservation Resources Inc.
