Flora of Ice Pond Conservation Area, Putnam County, New York

	Habitats The habitat classification used here is from the Ecological Communities of New York State (Reschke, 1990; Ediger, 2002) established by the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP). Of the seven broad systems (marine, estuarine, riverine, lacustrine, palustrine, terrestrial and subterranean), three are represented at Ice Pond (see below). Subsystems are classified by the structure of the vegetation, the substrate and the hydrologic regime. The communities within systems and subsystems are distinguished by the animal and plant species present, substrate, hydrology, disturbance and geological structure. The "Specimen List" following each habitat description lists only those specimens collected in that particular habitat and will not include every species which might occur there. Work is ongoing as of spring 2010 and some habitats are incompletely characterized.
	Oligotrophic dimictic lake Ice Pond covers approximately 46 acres and occurs in a valley formed by steep hills to the east and west. Numerous springs throughout the area provide year-round inflow. Outflow is northward through extensive and dense rich shrub fen, then into the Great Swamp, south of Patterson, New York. The bottom consists of rock and gravel and drops steeply to a maximum depth of XX meters in the center of the pond. Thermal mixing occurs in the spring and fall and is stratified during the summer and winter. Wave action caused by wind is minimal due to the sheltering hills. Until about 1950, Ice was harvested during the winter and shipped south on the adjacent railroad. During the three winters from 2007 to 2010 ice formation was minimal. Benthic macrophytes were not found. Large-leaved pondweed and Oakes' pondweed are the most abundant free-floating macrophytes in the palagic zone. Common coontail is also present, but is more common in adjacent marsh. Macrophytes of open water are all free-floating, mostly at or near the surface. Macrophyte diversity is highest in the littoral zones of the north and south shores adjacent to Rich shrub fen communities. Most species of the littoral zone are herbs, rooted in the bottom with floating leaves and emergent inflorescences. Characteristic species of the littoral zone include: yellow pond-lily (dominant) and white water-lily (co-dominant). In protected coves, pickerel weed may dominate. Specimen List
	Red maple-hardwood swamp Under Construction. Specimen List
	Beech-maple mesic forest Moist Forest occurs where the water table is high (but below the surface) and the pH. is neutral (5-6). Native tree, shrub and herb diversity is highest here. The dominant trees are tulip tree, beech, sweet and yellow birch, red and black oak, sugar maple, black cherry, American and slippery elm and hickory. Spicebush, mapleleaf viburnum and witchhazel are the dominant shrubs. Wildflowers in the herb layer include trillium, Canadian wild ginger, crinkleroot, Christmas fern, blue cohosh, Canada mayflower and bloodroot. Lianas include many fine specimens of summer grape and a small number of Oriental bittersweet. Terrain of the Moist Deciduous Forest is either steep and rocky (unsuitable for agriculture) or it is level or gently sloping and was heavily used for crops and grazing . The uneven ages and large diameter of the trees on the steep slopes suggests that these areas remained un-cut for a very long time. Specimen List
	Hemlock-northern hardwood forest The Mixed Forest is composed of both deciduous and evergreen trees. It is best developed on steep, north- and east-facing, rocky slopes where drainage is good and the soil pH tends toward acidic (< 5). The dominant trees are Eastern white pine, hemlock, mountain laurel and various deciduous trees found also in the adjacent Moist Forests. A relatively healthy stand of hemlocks can be found at the western edge of the Twin Hills Preserve on the east side of Ice Pond. Mixed forests are generally unsuitable for agriculture, but were heavily logged for timber. Specimen List
	Chestnut oak forest This forest type occurs on the upper slopes ringing the three hills within the Ice Pond Conservation Area, between 170 and 250m elevation. The related and intergrading Dwarf Chestnut Oak Forest occurs above it on the two higher summits (Twin Hills and Ice Pond Preserves). The dominant tree species of the Chestnut Oak Forest is chestnut oak. Lesser dominant trees include black oak, red oak, sweet birch, black cherry, red maple, sassafras and hickory. The shrub layer is dominated by witchhazel, mountain laurel and highbush blueberry. The herb layer is relatively depauperate, but includes moccasin flower and numerous sedges, including Pennsylvania sedge. Specimen List
	Chestnut oak forest (dwarf variant) Restricted to the summits of the two highest hills (240--265 m), the Dwarf Chestnut Oak Forest is one of the most interesting vegetation types at Ice Pond. The bedrock is near the surface and the thin soil is dry much of the summer and dries out quickly after rain, stunting trees and favoring shrubs and grasses. The sparse canopy admits high solar radiation in day (hot) and heat radiation at night (cold), producing relatively large daily temperature extremes. Snow cover in winter does not drain, promoting growth of bryophytes in winter and spring. Thin soil over igneus bedrock probably reduces soil pH. The vegetation is savanah-like with sparse tree cover and numerous open, grassy areas. It is dominated by chestnut oak as well as many of the same trees as are found in the surrounding deciduous and evergreen forests, but here they are short (< 20 feet high) and gnarled. This is the only place at Ice Pond where bear oak is found. Deerberry and huckleberry are abundant. The solid, underlying rock impedes drainage of the many springs, promoting growth of numerous moss species, especially white cushion moss. The normally bog dwelling, peat moss, may also be found here in particularly wet years Specimen List

	Rich shrub fen This is one of the most interesting habitats within the nearly 6000 acre, Great Swamp-- one of New York State's largest wetlands. It occupies most of the level ground between Ice Pond and the surrounding hills. The ground is flooded to a depth of about 3 feet throughout the year. Red maple (as a shrub), hazel alder, coastal sweetpepperbush, pussy willow and common buttonbush comprise the dominant woody flora. Interspersed among the shrubs are numerous sedges (esp. upright sedge and longhair sedge), cattail and common reed. Specimen List
	Floodplain forest This forest remains wet throughout the year. Dominant tree species are red maple, tulip tree and ash. The shrub layer is dominated by spicebush. The herb layer is dominated by skunk cabbage, yellow marsh marigold, marsh blue violet, sensitive fern, cinnamon fern, interrupted fern, broom-like sedge and sweet woodreed. Specimen List
	Deep emergent marsh Under Construction. Specimen List

	Trails Trails pass through or pass by all of the habitats. They create disturbed edges where native and exotic transients thrive. Most of the invasive species are concentrated along abandoned roads (young trails). These include Japanese barberry, Nepalese browntop, garlic mustard, multiflora rose, European privet and burning bush. The relatively narrow gap and mild disturbance along the lesser trails favors natives such as hawkweed, bedstraw, ticktrefoil and others. Specimen List
	Rights of Way The margins of roads, railroads, utility lines, etc... (rights-of-way) are continuously disturbed, year after year. Woody vegetation is purposely kept back by cutting and chemical treatment. Ample sunshine, high nutrient levels and continuous disturbance are factors promoting high species diversity, although most of the species are transient and exotic. Nevertheless, several of our native species dependent on blowdowns and fires find refuge here. These include blackberries, sumac and milkweed. Specimen List
	Habitation Strictly speaking, there are no "habitations" within the Ice Pond Conservation Area. However, US I-84 is about a mile away, Brewster Central Schools are just across Farm to Market Road and there are numerous home sites all around the periphery. Within the Conservation Area there is a fishing club on the site of the fomer ice house. Although it was not a residence, some species such as azalea, daffodil and Japanese pachysandra were undoubtedly planted. Other species such as autumn olive and Norway spruce were not planted, but thrive around habitations. Specimen List