The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ...
The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ...
The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ...
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Appendix 1<br />
Linda Kunze’s Unpublished Botanical Survey Notes <strong>of</strong> Wetlands<br />
in <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>, 1989<br />
(Note: State listed plant information is eliminated from these notes)<br />
Linda Kunze’s Survey <strong>of</strong> Ahlstrom’s Prairie<br />
“81 acre ‘prairie’. Rolling topography, ridges, and troughs oriented basically north-south. Ground<br />
is uneven with microtopographic variation-mosaic <strong>of</strong> swales and wet depressions within generally higher<br />
ground. Three drainages: Eastern and westernmost are short, wet but with conifers. Larger coastal drainage<br />
is wet and has few conifers--seems to not have an outflow. Central drainage is dominated by sedges<br />
and has living sphagnum. Seasonally flooded. Rest <strong>of</strong> site appears to be seral stage, recovering from fire.<br />
Small conifers are abundant. Understory is dominated by Ledum, Pteridium Aquilinum, Kalmia occidentalis,<br />
Sphagnum, Gaultheria in places and has lots <strong>of</strong> Calamagrostis nutkensis. <strong>The</strong> small depresions are vegetationally<br />
like the drainages. Soils in the drainages have peat development. <strong>The</strong> higher ground (ridges) <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
have virtually no soil development=mineral soil <strong>of</strong> glacial till. <strong>The</strong> area was burned recently--probably<br />
by Ahlstrom to create pasture for sheep. <strong>The</strong> drier areas appear to be evolving towards a THPL-TSHE/<br />
GASH-VAOV [Thuja plicata-Tsuga heterophylla/Gaultheria shallon-Vaccinium ovatum] coastal forest. <strong>The</strong><br />
drainages and depressions may continue to be fairly open, or may progress towards a wetter THPL-TSHE<br />
community. It is possible that the area was kept clear in presettlement times by natural fires and/or fires<br />
set by the native people. <strong>Park</strong> staff have no plans currently to burn the prairie.”<br />
Plants that Linda Kunze recorded on Ahlstrom’s Prairie that are useful to the Makah include:<br />
Blechnum spicant, Carex obnupta, Cornus canadensis, Empetrum nigrum, Eriophorum chamissonis, Gaultheria<br />
shallon, Ledum groenlandicum, Lycopodium clavatum, Maianthenum dilatatum, Pteridium aquilinum, Pyrus<br />
fusca, Vaccinum ovatum, and Vaccinium oxycoccos.<br />
Linda Kunze’s Survey <strong>of</strong> Roose’s Prairie<br />
“74 acres ‘prairie’ northeast <strong>of</strong> Ahlstrom’s Prairie. It is located partially in the <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>National</strong><br />
<strong>Park</strong> and partially in the <strong>Ozette</strong> Indian Reservation. Roose’s buildings are in a clearing on a ridge S.W. <strong>of</strong><br />
the prairie. Roose pastured sheep in the area and probably burned portions <strong>of</strong> the prairie to create/maintain<br />
open areas for them. <strong>The</strong> prairie is composed <strong>of</strong> 1) 48 acres/ uneven topography that is relatively dry,<br />
was burned and is currently vegetated with low growing sphagnum bog species, GASH [Gaultheria shallon],<br />
VAOV [Vaccinium ovatum] and small/young conifers; 2) 2 acres/ a draw that is perennially wet and<br />
has dense sphagnum and is dominated by sedges and herbs; and 3) 24 acres/ a large flat area <strong>of</strong> sphag-<br />
73