Environmental Facts

Significance of the Preserve and Concerns about its Status
The 1105 acres of contiguous woodlands make Governor Dick the largest body of woods in southeastern Pennsylvania. Many organisms depend upon large areas of natural areas in order to survive. If animal habitats are broken into small components, their food sources are less reliable and they are more vulnerable to predators, particularly for certain species of birds. A closed core of forest habitat is most beneficial for many neo-tropical migrating birds, such as the wood thrush, scarlet tanager, and many species of warblers. For the amphibians and wildflowers, the closed canopy which provides shade and maintains a high humidity, is a necessity. It is most beneficial for migrating birds that nest at Governor Dick and the herbaceous layer of the forest if the Governor Dick forest develops into an old growth un-fragmented core forest. This can occur in decades to come through thoughtful and careful stewardship.

The trees that make up the forest are approaching a century of age so they are not yet an old-growth forest, but left alone they will develop into a forest much like what the pioneers found in this area. Unfortunately, the chestnut blight wiped out the native chestnut trees in the 1920's and various other diseases are attacking different species. Another pressure on the existing forest is the overpopulation of deer in the woods. The deer are eating the young tree seedlings so that reproduction is not occurring as it should. Without control of the deer, there will be no new trees to replace the mature trees when they die.

Several invasive species of plants are also altering the makeup of the forest. Ailanthus, known as the Tree-of-Heaven, is rapidly spreading in the area. Vines such as Asian bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, and mile-a-minute weed are appearing in the woods and they can grow up over the vegetation smothering it out. Other invasives, like garlic mustard and stiltgrass can also crowd out native species of wildflowers.

Steps are being taken to bring the deer and the invasive plant species under control and to plant tree seedlings in disturbed areas. Volunteer help would be appreciated. Contact 964-3808 to obtain more information about volunteering help.

Geology
The rock face along the eastern side of the ridge of Governor Dick and large boulders are formed from Triassic Diabase. The diabase resulted from an extrusion of molten rock up through the existing shales and sandstone that make up most of the rock in the area. The diabase is extremely resistant to erosion. The rock that formed the Devil's Den, Little and Big Round Top battle sites at Gettysburg National Military Park is of the same diabase.

Vegetation
The present day forest is a second growth forest that developed after the logging of the trees for charcoal production and other uses in the latter portion of the 19th and the early part of the 20th centuries. The re-growth occurred from both seedlings and from stump sprouts. The presence of multiple stems of trees originating from the base is an indication of the previous logging.

The forest is primarily a deciduous forest with a few scattered pines and hemlocks. The predominant trees in the forest are a variety of oaks, tulip poplar, and black (sweet) birch with some hickories, beech, and white ash. Understory trees include dogwood, redbud, hop hornbean, and blue beech. Shrubs include witch hazel, spice bush, paw-paw, and various viburnums.

Numerous wildflowers populate the forest floor. Some of the more common ones are a variety of violets, jack-in-the-pulpit, bloodroot, early saxifrage, may-apple, solomon's seal, false solomon's seal, sweet cicely, rue anemone, hepatica, bellwort, agrimony, partridge berry, Virginia creeper, tickseed, and wild comfrey.

Ferns present include sensitive fern, Christmas fern, polyploidy, rattlesnake, and ebony spleenwort.

Numerous mosses carpet the forest floor and various fungi are found throughout the woods including the edible morel.

Animal Life
Birds of various species occupy the woods. Hawks, owls, and turkey vultures are the predominate carnivores. Numerous songbirds are found throughout, including wood thrush, nuthatch, tufted titmouse, catbirds, goldfinches, indigo bunting, scarlet tanager, ovenbirds (warbler), Carolina wren, Baltimore oriole, common yellowthroat (warbler), worm-eating warbler, black and white warblers, rufous-sided towhees, and veery (thrush).

Several woodpeckers are present, including the pileated woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, red-bellied and yellow-shafted flicker.

Mammal include deer, raccoon, groundhog, opossum, fox, and woodrat. Various salamanders may be found under logs and rocks. Toads, Garter snakes, black snake, and hog-nosed snake are present, but reclusive. Copperheads are likely in the rocky areas.