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PARK NEWS!
Witherell Woods (Palmer Park / City of Detroit)
Ecological Management PlanWitherell Woods, located within Palmer Park, is 70-acres of mesic (moist)- and dry-mesic forest, emergent marsh, vernal pools, and southern swamp. Most of the forest is dominated by an amazing canopy of oaks, hickory, and beech, reflecting the persistence of this site in a similar state going back hundreds of years. The understory and ground layer suggest a less-pristinerecent past; one in which deer and invasive plant species have reduced the diversity of herbaceous and shrub species compared with what the trees likely previously sheltered.
The extensive trail network leads park users through the mixture of habitats, providing easy access throughout the site for passive recreation activities that include jogging, walking, biking, birding and plant identification. Adjacent golf and disc golf courses, and tennis and handball courts bring active users to and (in the case of the disc golf course) within the forest. Plant surveys were conducted in May, June, and August 2023 in an effort to identify as many species as possible. During the visits, we noted 158 total species, of which 109 were native. All plants were entered into a database system developed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) called the Floristic Quality Index (FQI). This Floristic Quality Assessment process assigns a “coefficient of conservatism” to each native species reflecting that plant’s probability of occurring in a relatively unaltered setting. Species occurring in a wide array of settings receive low coefficients of conservatism, while those that are restricted to few habitats that are minimally disturbed receive high values. Based on the values of all plants on that site, an FQI is established. PlantWise / David Mindell (Ann Arbor, MI / December 2023)
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