Kampoosa Stewardship Committee

CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE BOG

In the spring of 1996 a science subcommittee of the Kampoosa Stewardship Committee identified the five critical attributes or characteristics of the Kampoosa Bog ecosystem:

1. rare natural communities
2. rare species
3. large contiguous landscape mosaic
4. hydrologic system
5. historic and archaeological resources

In assembling basic ecological information for the site, the committee determined and summarized the major biological and ecological processes operating within Kampoosa Bog.

Critical Attribute #1 Rare Natural Communities

Kampoosa Bog, one of the best occurrences of a lake basin graminoid (grass-like) fen in New England, is the primary location for the high concentrations of rare species located within the ACEC. Five rare communities in the fen support these plant and animal species considered rare in Massachusetts. The five rare communities are:

1. open alkaline pond
2. open fen
3. shrub fen
4. calcareous seepage swamp
5. rich mesic forest

Each of these communities has its own particular characteristics and the mosaic of the five communities functions as a single entity which is presumed to be dependent on the maintenance of all of the five rare communities.

Critical Attribute #2 Rare Species

Kampoosa Bog supports a very high number of state-listed rare species, most of which are associated with the rare natural communities. The Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program states that "five of the 19 (sic) rare plant species found in Kampoosa bog are listed as 'endangered,' seven are listed as 'threatened' and six are 'species of special concern' pursuant to the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. The threatened fen cuckoo flower and pink pyrola, endangered, are generally found in the calcareous seepage swamp. Hemlock parsley is of special concern and found on the edges of the seepage swamp. The calcareous swamp or forested fen forms the outer edge of Kampoosa Bog." Swamp birch, a delicate rare shrub, grows at the border of the open sedge mats and forms the dominant species of the shrub fen. The open fen is comprised of floating mats of water sedge and slender woolly-fruited sedge, with cattail scattered throughout. A rare bird, the American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) needs the large expanse of undisturbed sedge mat for nesting.

Critical Attribute #3 Hydrologic System

Water flows through Kampoosa Bog from the north to the south, eventually exiting the system as Kampoosa Brook and flowing southerly to join the Housatonic River. As it moves from falling rain to rushing rivulets to moving masses of groundwater to the swollen surface of the sedgemat and on to the outlet stream, the water of Kampoosa Bog is its lifeblood. How it moves, and how its chemistry changes as it moves, are critical factors determining the location of plants, animals and their natural communities or habitats. Water enters the bowl, which is Kampoosa Bog, in several ways. First, it falls into it as rain and snow. Second, two streams feed the bog. Marsh Brook flows in from the northwest, crossing under the Massachusetts Turnpike and diffusing out across the sedge mat to join the central pond. From the southeast end of the central pond the stream exits and then joins another stream that flows in from across Route 7 from the northeast, thereby forming Kampoosa Brook. Kampoosa Brook flows southeasterly through a culvert under Route 7 and continues down gradient to the Housatonic. Finally, and least well understood, water comes into and leaves the wetland as groundwater. In all probability, groundwater builds up in the glacial sediments to the south and forces its way up to the surface all along the southern edge of the wetland. Farther north, the picture is more complex, with groundwater known to be rising up in places, but also sinking down out of the fen in other places. Depending on the balance of these flows, which is not known at this time, the wetland complex as a whole could be either a discharge zone for groundwater (which then exits the system as surface water in Kampoosa Brook) or a recharge zone for groundwater. It could also be both a discharge zone and a recharge zone depending on the time of yearly precipitation, in which rain water and surface water from the brooks move down to become part of the groundwater system underlying the Housatonic Valley. The types of water flowing into and out of the wetland complex each have their own water chemistries. Groundwater tends to have relatively high pH from its long contact with the marble bedrock of the region. Rain water is much more acidic. Surface waters are often intermediate in this characteristic. Water flowing off the major roads in the drainage basin may bring foreign constituents or pollutants into the bog that were not commonly found here prior to European settlement. Moreover, the volumes of different water flows change over time. Beavers can easily plug the one brook exiting the bog through the culvert under Route 7, raising water levels in the wetland complex as a whole. This may cause more water to leave as groundwater due to the higher pressure or head of the high water levels. Changes in water levels and water chemistry can shift the balance between different plant communities. The floating sedge mat can be drowned by too much water, enriched with nutrients to the point where more species common in other habitats that grow more rapidly (but require higher nutrient levels) can thrive and exclude the unique vegetation that we know as a sedge mat. Most obviously, perhaps, beaver flooding can kill off trees and other well rooted vegetation quickly, as can be seen along Route 7. The surface water level is being monitored near the Route 7 culvert. The high water mark in 1997 was 146 cm. Ecological impacts to vegetation in the bog and the sedge mat can be observed when the water level reaches 114 cm. Abutters notice effects on their property and notify the Stockbridge town officials as the water level approaches 70 cm. Static 'normal' flows are observed in the range of 35-50 cm.

Critical Attribute #4 Large Contiguous Landscape Mosaic

A large contiguous landscape mosaic that can be expressed in terms of the interdependence of the rare natural communities characterizes the area. Kampoosa Bog and its special natural communities appear to be self-contained but are dependent upon forces outside of the immediate bog for their viability. Their apparent stability over thousands of years is dependent upon highly complex and vulnerable hydrological conditions. The plant communities that comprise the landscape of Kampoosa Bog exist in a dynamic equilibrium-- an equilibrium that includes human actions. One of the purposes of this management plan is to better understand both natural dynamics and human actions so as to help manage and preserve this dynamic equilibrium. Kampoosa Bog comprises a large contiguous wetland, with good connection to both developed and undeveloped upland areas. Collectively, the bog and its watershed form a landscape mosaic, in which the "tiles" of the mosaic are the five rare communities, a number of more common communities, and many cultural features. Over time, the tiles change. For example, areas of a wetland plant community may change to a different community or shift location due to succession, beaver activity, fire, or hydrologic changes. Some of these changes may be accelerated, amplified, or even initiated by human activities. Critical to the continued viability of the bog is a recognition that its apparent stability over thousands of years is dependent upon highly complex environmental interactions. Of critical importance is that the contiguity of the mosaic, which allows the tiles to change, is maintained, and that human impacts be managed to allow the natural dynamics of the system to prevail as the dominant forces shaping the bog.

Critical Attribute #5 Historic and Archaeological Resources

Archaeological evidence suggests that native peoples first occupied the vicinity of Kampoosa Bog at least 7,000 years ago. The site was regularly occupied from 2,600 BC, when it was used for hunting, gathering and animal and plant processing. Important pre-European settlement archaeological sites exist on the property. The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has determined that several sites investigated at Kampoosa Bog in an environmental impact report for a TENNECO right-of-way expansion are highly significant. The findings of this study were published by the University of Massachusetts Archaeological Services in a report by Eric S. Johnson, "Discovering the Ancient Past at Kampoosa Bog". Dr. Mitchell Mulholland, Director of Archaeological Services at UMASS, described one of these sites as one of the best sites in the state. Artifacts were found in several layers, showing that this site was occupied for thousands of years. Core samples taken at the site indicate one of the earliest examples of broadcast burning of the forest and fen. Dr. Mulholland suggests that the area around Kampoosa Bog looks very promising as a source of additional sites due to the undisturbed quality of the soil and environment. Edward L. Bell, Archaeologist and Preservation Planner at the MHC, wrote that "The investigation provides significant new information concerning the early human occupation and environmental history of this portion of Massachusetts". An architectural inventory conducted by Margaret Heppler for the MHC in 1997 proposed that Prospect Hill Road, part of the westerly boundary of the ACEC, be designated as a National Register Historic District. Two properties located within the ACEC boundaries and fronting on Prospect Hill Road, Bonnie Brae and Windemere, could be eligible for individual inclusion on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. The original site of the mission to the Stockbridge/Mohican Indians is also located within the ACEC boundaries and could provide significant historical and archaeological information. Remains of historic mill sites, not yet inventoried, can be found within the ACEC boundaries.