[Bristol-Birds] Cattle grazing Quarry Bog -- area fenced in April

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 14 May 2013 19:09:36 -0400


 The Tennessee Nature Conservancy has constructed a fence around Quarry Bog in 
 Shady Valley, TN in order to graze cattle on the large site in hopes that the 
invasive
 Canary Grass can be eliminated.
                                                                                
        
The main gate, which is reached
 by driving down the dirt lane
 from TN Hwy 133, is closed but
 birders may enter the area and
 bird at their own risk.  A spokesman
 for the Conservancy recommended
 that birders entering the area may
 carry a large stick to chase away
 any of the cattle that may become
 unfriendly. 

 The Conservancy has reached an
 agreement with the cattle owner
 to allow up to about 20 head of cattle to graze on the area at the will of the 
Conservancy to
 terminate the agreement as needed.  The cattle, limited to animals that do not 
exceed about
 a thousand pounds each and no bulls included, will be taken off Quarry Bog in 
the early
 winter so as not to have excessive disturbance of the soil during the winter.

 Since this is such a large area (about 60 acres or more), birders may be able 
to determine
 that the cattle are far away at the opposite end of the area and not close 
enough for concern.
 Just keep your eyes open and be safe.  Generally, such farm animals are of no 
concern and
 both harmless and not aggressive.  But, rarely, one will become aggressive and 
chase a person
 in a pasture.

Reed canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea is an invasive in parts of North 
America. Although 
considered native, it has become more widespread and more dominant in wetlands, 
suppressing 
other native vegetation. The causes for its spread have been linked to 
introduction for agricultural purposes, removal of native vegetation, altered 
hydrology and increased nutrient loads. Experiments were undertaken to assess 
if other native plants could establish in stands of P.arundinacea by 
temporarily reducing its biomass by burning or herbicide application. Fire has 
not controlled the plant
in Shady Valley.
   
Observations of bog turtle habitats throughout the species' range demonstrate 
that livestock grazing
has been an important factor in staving off successional processes and abating 
large-scale invasions by tall-growing, competitively dominant plants-many of 
which are exotic in origin. The demise of small-scale dairy farming over the 
past three decades has led to the pastoral abandonment of the majority of bog 
turtle habitats in the Northeast. As a consequence, habitats are being degraded 
by the growth of invasive flora, changes in hydrology, and loss of turtle 
microhabitats.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service has given approval for the grazing of Quarry Bog 
to manage for the
canary grass.

The fencing project was paid for by funds left to The Nature Conservancy by 
Bern Tryon, who studied
the bog turtles in Shady Valley for decades.  He left part of his estate to the 
management of the turtles
and the fenced construction was funded by interest earned earlier this year.  
Tryon died two years ago
this month.  He was a herpetologist with the Knoxville Zoo.  He was an advocate 
of grazing cattle on the 
bogs in order to manage the habitat for the species.

Quarry Bog is one of the premier birding sites in Northeast Tennessee.

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
[Bristol-Birds] Cattle grazing Quarry Bog -- area fenced in April

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