Management of Herbaceous Seeps and Wet Savannas for Threatened and Endangered Species

Wetland communities such as herbaceous seeps and wet savannas occur on military installations throughout the southeastern United States, usually as pockets of wet habitat within a matrix of drier longleaf pine woodlands. This larger community supports multiple uses, including the Department of Defense training and testing mission; threatened, endangered, and sensitive species (TES) conservation; and forest commodities production. The overall objectives of this research were to compile known information, identify gaps in knowledge, and stimulate research efforts on the potential positive and negative effects of human activities on the plant communities that serve as high-quality habitat for TES in the southeast. The objectives of this work unit were to reduce duplication of effort in TES plant conservation by providing information that can be used to improve the ecological and economic effectiveness of TES habitat management. This report provides ecological descriptions of these wetland communities, discusses land use practices and activities, and offers management recommendations.