尼克斯河长叶松林保护区修复与管理计划丨美国

项目陈述 Project Statement

该保护性总体规划由广泛的分析得出，旨在使Sandhills生态区1600英亩长叶松森林得到良好的生态恢复、适应性管理以及后续采伐管理。Sandhills地区位于美国东南部，拥有独特的物种和生态群落，但不幸的是，其中许多受到威胁或濒临灭绝。长叶松生态系统被列为东南地区第三大濒危生态系统。本项目所研究的场地包含了三至四个生态群落，其中长叶松林、Streamhead浅沼泽，以及黑水溪流域被确定为重点保护区域。由此产生的规划和方案建议正在指导这一稀有而重要的生态系统得到妥善的管理。

This project analyzed and created a conservation master plan for the restoration, adaptive management, and use of a 1600-acre patch of Longleaf Pine forest in the Sandhills ecoregion. The Sandhills are a physiographic region in the southeastern U.S. that support unique species and ecological communities, many of which are threatened or endangered. Longleaf Pine ecosystems are rated as the third most endangered ecosystem in the Southeast. The project site contains three (of four) ecological communities identified as regional conservation targets: Longleaf Pine Mosaic, Streamhead Pocosin/Seep, and Blackwater Stream. The resulting plan and programmatic recommendations are guiding the management of this rare and important ecosystem remnant.

▲场地背景：尼克斯溪长叶保护区位于北卡罗来纳州的Sandhills生态区内，占地1160英亩，由长叶松（Pinus palustris）森林组成Site Context: Nicks Creek Longleaf Reserve is a 1,160-acre site in the Sandhills Ecoregion of North Carolina defined by Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) forests © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

项目说明 Project Narrative

本项目展示了一种将土地从私人所有权集团转移到土地信托的高效方式，并保证了保护计划与土地信托的使命、价值观和目标保持一致。该总体规划包含了一系列针对高度优先的自然栖息地、濒危和受保护物种以及脆弱流域的专业性建议，后续将持续影响场地的生态恢复、规划和管理决策。

在当地拨款资助下，项目团队开创了一套全新的设计研究方法，将跨学科专家和利益相关者的建议进行了细致且系统地收集、整合与交流，旨在以最佳的设计规划方案，促进生态与当地社区的健康。分析的目标领域包括：自然栖息地的质量与独特性、生态系统服务、人口增长趋势，以及包括了交通、基础设施以及娱乐的社区发展模式。总体来说，本项目的进程与结果将对这片大型稀有长叶松森林的保护产生重要的影响。

优先生态栖息地保护策略：区域保护组织确定了一个物种以及四个生态群落为重点保护目标，其中所涵盖的生态物种将达到该地区多样性生态系统中的95%。长叶松生态系统被列为美国东南部第三大濒危生态系统，并被列为北卡罗来纳州野生动物资源委员会保护的重点，因为“幸存下来的例子很罕见，因此保护和扩展幸存的生态系统至关重要，……，因为这些系统很可能承受气候变化的压力，在不久的将来恢复更多的系统将产生更有弹性的自然景观。”

区域生态系统：长叶松（Pinus palustris）仅分布于美国东南部，曾经是沿海平原最丰富的植物群落，但由于侵占开发、栖息地破碎化，以及山火与灭火行动频发，导致了生态系统逐步退化，松林分布范围显著减少。长叶松在Sandhills生态地区尤为普遍，几乎覆盖了项目场地近67%的面积。在抗火森林中，速生灌木和乔木胜过长叶乔木，植物组成的变化也影响了依赖于长叶松生态系统开放景观的脊椎动物和无脊椎动物物种。

NC自然遗产计划自然区域-特殊等级：本项目位于NC自然遗产计划指定的注册自然区域内，具有最高的“特殊”等级。在北卡罗来纳州的2500个自然区域中，只有17%达到了这一最高评级。在北卡罗来纳州排名特别高的自然区域中，只有三分之一是向公众开放的。该项目优先考虑向公众开放，为公众提供一个独特的机会来体验和了解这些重要自然资源的管理。

程序性发展：该项目强有力的分析为创新，以及长叶松林的再生计划和管理实践创造了机会。此外，新保护区还成为了森林教育和研究的区域目的地，具体项目包括：举办消防培训课程与考级认证；作为林业、以及可持续松草耙示范点；展示公用事业地役权管理流程；作为娱乐和公共使用区域；与附近K-12学校进行课程协调、举办夏令营/课后活动；促进场地后续的设计者、研究者，以及检测管理者之间的伙伴关系。

▲生态群落和场地特征：在历史管理和当地条件下，诸多景观类型和栖息地需要得到保护与修复，Ecological Communities and Site Characteristics: Historical management and local conditions have created various landscape typologies and unique habitat conditions for preservation and restoration. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲场地特征：现场拍摄的照片描绘了这片长叶林的典型条件范围，Site Character: Photographs from the site characterize the range of conditions typical to this Longleaf forest. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲高级自然区域：该项目系北卡罗来纳州排名最高的自然区域之一，对生物多样性保护至关重要，High-Ranking Natural Area: The site resides within one of North Carolina’s highest ranked Natural Areas and is critical for biodiversity conservation. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲为动物迁徙提供支持：通过适当的管理和监测，本项目可以红冠啄木鸟的迁移提供支持，进而保护这个濒危物种，Opportunities for Translocation: With proper management and monitoring the site can support the translocation efforts of Red Cockaded Woodpeckers, which is an endangered species. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲尼克斯河和开普菲尔河的源头：先前提议并批准的开发项目将会降低尼克斯河的健康和下游的水质，Headwaters of Nicks Creek and the Cape Fear River: A previously proposed and permitted development would have degraded the health of Nicks Creek and downstream water quality. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲高质量的陆地栖息地：项目团队使用野生动物相机捕捉了该地区的野生动物模式，其中有1652个位置都拍摄到了独特的野生动物，High-Quality Terrestrial Habitat: The project team used wildlife cameras to capture wildlife patterns within the site, including 1,652 unique wildlife sightings. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲其他野生动物观察：现场数据收集记录了该地点的栖息地价值和生态完整性，Additional Wildlife Observations: Field data collection documented the site’s habitat value and ecological integrity. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲指标和等效性：通过生态系统服务、经济影响、改善公共卫生和避免基础设施成本，保护性策略创造出了投资回报，Metrics & Equivalencies: Conservation provides returns on investment through ecosystem services, economic impacts, improved public health, and avoided infrastructure costs. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲首选方案：管理示范点：通过研究和监测稀有物种，本项目为当地创造出了独特的机会，提高了管理策略的知识水平，Preferred Programmatic Alternative: Management Demonstration Site: The site provides unique opportunities to enhance knowledge of management strategies through research and monitoring of rare species. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲管理示范点：在本项目中，设计团队规划了30-50英亩的管理示范点，以提供生态干扰类型、干扰频率和干扰季节方面的参考数据，Management Demonstration Site: The plan developed management demonstration plots from 30-50 acres that reference disturbance type, disturbance frequency, and disturbance season. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲学习与以火灭火：消防认证培训，本项目回应了消防培训与认证的关键需求，要求手把手的培训过程，以及严格的消防控制管理，Learn & Burn: Training for Burn Certification: This site fills a critical need for burn training and certification, which requires in-person training and management of a supervised controlled burn. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab / The Nature Conservancy

▲研究与监测伙伴关系：该计划重点指出了定期检测与保护协议对长叶松林以及稀有物种可持续研究的重要性，Research & Monitoring Partnerships: The plan outlines monitoring opportunities and protocols that are critical to ongoing research of Longleaf forests and associated rare species.© Coastal Dynamics Design Lab / Sandhills Ecological Institute

▲公共通道与娱乐功能：该计划战略性地运用了已建成的小径、道路和入口，以增强项目的公共性，满足不同人群的需求，Public Access & Recreation: The plan strategically uses established trails, roads, and access points to promote public use across a diverse range of audiences. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

▲场地解读、教育与推广：场地中的公共展览能够为夏令营的课程和活动，K-12实地考察，以及由管理土地信托组织的自然主义者领导的活动提供支持，Site Interpretation, Education, and Outreach: Exhibits support curriculum and activities for summer camps, K-12 field trips, and naturalist-led events hosted by the managing land trust. © Coastal Dynamics Design Lab

Project Narrative

The outcomes of this project informed the fee-simple gift of the property from a private ownership group to a land trust, and aligned new conservation programs with the land trust’s mission, values, and goals. The master plan continues to shape decision-making for the site’s restoration, programming, and management, including specialized recommendations for high-priority natural habitats, endangered and protected species, and vulnerable watersheds.

The project team secured grant funding; designed research methodologies; gathered, synthesized, and communicated data across disciplines and stakeholders; and crafted planning scenarios that contribute to ecological and community health. Targeted areas of analysis included habitat quality and uniqueness, ecosystem services, and anthropogenic population trends and development patterns such as transportation, infrastructure, and recreation. In total, the processes and products generated through this project had a demonstrable effect on the conservation of this large and rare Longleaf Pine forest remnant.

High Priority Habitats: Regional conservation organizations have identified as conservation targets one species and four ecological communities that account for 95% of the region’s biodiversity. Longleaf Pine ecosystems are rated as the third most endangered ecosystem in the Southeast and are classified as a NC Wildlife Resources Commission conservation priority because “so few examples remain, protecting and expanding remaining examples is crucial. […] Because these systems are likely to withstand the stresses of changing climate well, restoring more of them in the near future would produce more resilient natural landscapes.”

Regional Ecosystems: Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) occurs only in the southeastern U.S. and was once the most abundant plant community in the Coastal Plain, but the range has been significantly reduced due to encroaching development, habitat fragmentation, and ecosystem degradation from fire suppression. Longleaf is especially prevalent in the Sandhills ecoregion. Longleaf covers nearly 67% of the project site’s acreage. In fire-suppressed forests, fast-growing shrubs and trees out-compete Longleaf. Changes in plant composition also affects vertebrate and invertebrate species that rely on the open landscape of the Longleaf Pine ecosystem.

NC Natural Heritage Program Natural Area – Exceptional Ranking: The project site resides within a Registered Natural Area designated by the NC Natural Heritage Program with a top ranking of ‘Exceptional’. Of the 2,500 Natural Areas in North Carolina, only 17% achieve this highest rating. Only one-third of North Carolina’s exceptionally ranked natural areas are accessible to the public. This project prioritized public access to provide a unique opportunity for the general public to experience and learn about the stewardship of these important natural resources.

Programmatic Development: This project’s robust analyses created opportunities for innovative and regenerative Longleaf programs and management practices. The new reserve is a regional destination for forest education and research. Specific programs include prescribed burn training and certification programs, forestry demonstration sites, sustainable pine straw raking, utility easement management, recreation and public use areas, curriculum alignment with nearby K-12 schools, summer camps/after school programs, site interpretation, and research and monitoring partnerships.