HomeMy WebLinkAboutWoodlands Evaluation Report
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Existina Conditions:
The woods located within the subject property are generally classified as scrub
and young with a small percentage of mature woodlands. The classifications as taken
from the Carmel/Clay Zoning Ordinance are as follows:
Mature Woodlands: "An area of plant material covering % acre, or more, and
consisting of thirty (30) percent or more canopy trees having a sixteen (16) inch or
greater caliper, or any grove consisting of 7 or more trees having eighteen (18) inch or
greater caliper."
Young Woodlands: "An area of plant material covering % acre, or more, and
consisting of thirty (30) percent or more canopy trees having a eight (8) inch or greater
caliper, or any grove consisting of 7 or more trees having ten (10) inch or greater
caliper. "
Scrub Woodlands: "An area of plant material covering % acre, or more, and
consisting of seventy (70) percent or more canopy trees having a two and one-half (2
%) inch or greater caliper, or any grove consisting of 15 or more trees having four (4)
inch or greater caliper."
The areas of each classification on this 35.77 acre site are as follows:
Mature Woodlands: 0.5 acres (1.40/0 of total site)
Young Woodlands: 5.5 acres (15.40/0 of total site)
Scrub Woodlands: 12.9 acres (36.10/0 of total site)
***Balance of site is 11.76 acres water (32.9 % of total site) leaving 15.20/0 of total site
in bare, undeveloped areas.
The woodlands as a whole contains a relatively small variety of species. Sugar
maple is by far the dominate species but most trees are small in caliper. Mulberry,
Hedge Apple, Wild Cherry, Cottonwood and Hackberry make up the balance of the
woods with some Ash growing in the hedgerows along the interstate. There is a small
grove of Walnut near the Northwest corner of the pond that is in serious decline due to
the heavy trafficking of 4-wheel drive vehicles and other invasive practices in the area.
The overall health of the woodlands is marginal to average. There are a large number
of dead and dying trees standing and laying in the wooded area and several more that
have been removed by various trespassers and users of the site for fires and the like.
The entire understory is comprised of more than ninety (90) percent invasive
exotics such as Honeysuckle both bush and vine forms and Multi-flora Rose with some
native raspberry brambles included. Any disturbed areas appear to have been invaded
by these exotics and they have taken over the balance of the understory.