An area that was formerly cultivated or grazed and where woody vegetation has begun to invade. If left undisturbed, it will eventually succeed into a forest. Many old fields occur at sites marginally suitable for crop production or pasturing. Old fields are highly variable in the Northeast, depending on soil, land use history, and management.
Pastures are areas maintained in grass for livestock grazing; meadows are areas grown for hay production. Meadows may occur naturally in tidal marshes and inland flooded river valleys or, more frequently, at upland sites, through clearing of vegetation and planting of grasses. Meadows will revert to old field and eventually forest if they are not mowed, grazed, or burned. Grasses are usually similar in managed meadows and pastures, but herbs are often different in pastures because of selective grazing.
Meadows located in moist low-lying areas, most often dominated by large colonies of reed canary grass. They are often created by collapsed beaver dams and exposed old pond bottoms. Salt-marsh meadows are subject to daily coastal tides.
A plant that has grown in the region since the last glaciation and occurred before European settlement.
Dry grasslands that have resisted succession due to fire, wind, grazing, mowing, and salt spray. They are characterized by thin, acidic, nutrient-poor soils over deep sand deposits. Sandplains occur primarily coastally and on the islands off of Massachusetts, as well as inland where sands have been deposited by glaciers and river sedimentation. Restoration - Involves taking a degraded grassland and re-establishing habitat for native plants and animals. Restoration usually involves the planting of native grasses and forbs, and may include shrub removal and prescribed burning.
A species not native to the place where it is found.
A flowering plant, excluding grasses, sedges, and rushes, that does not have a woody stem and dies back to the ground at the end of the growing season.
Native prairie grass that puts on the most growth during summer when cool-season grasses are dormant.
Introduced grass for crop and pastureland that grows in spring and fall and is dormant during hot summer months.