Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Date of this Version
2014
Document Type
Technical Report
Citation
Groenewold, Mike. 2014. Smith Falls State Park Forest Enhancement Project for Aspen. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. 16pp.
Abstract
A 76-mile stretch of the middle Niobrara River, which includes Smith Falls State Park, is designated as a National Scenic River. This reach of the river is referred to as the biological crossroads of the Midwest as the river’s deeply incised valley is the intersection of a diverse mix of plant communities including several forest and prairie types. The mix of forests supports a rich diversity of species including rare plants such as glacial relict aspen and paper birch.
In recent decades eastern red cedar and ponderosa pine densities have increased substantially in the middle Niobrara River due to fire suppression. The high conifer densities have caused several ecological problems. The conifers shade out native plant species including seedlings of native hardwood trees, thus limiting future establishment and survival of the hardwoods. The dense accumulation of needles under the conifers also limits growth of ground layer plants. The dense cedars and pines have changed the structure of the forest and degraded habitat for native wildlife that require more open forests. If intensive management is not initiated soon these forests will convert to dense stands of cedars and pines in just a few decades.
The project’s primary objectives included: (1) enhancing the native woodlands at Smith Falls State Park by controlling invasive cedars and excess ponderosa pine through thinning; (2) conserving rare plant species found in the Smith Falls State Park woodlands, specifically remnant hybrid aspen; (3) providing a demonstration site for sound forest management that can be viewed by park visitors; (4) maintaining aesthetically pleasing recreational opportunities for Smith Falls State Park visitors; and (5) preventing catastrophic wildfire at the park.
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