Old Field Unity

Old field Unity College, tour of woody and herbaceous plant species.

Tour Information
Tour Map
Tour Stops
Comments

Old Field Unity

Unity, Maine 04988, United States

Created By: Unity College

Tour Information

Welcome to this old field study site for a sunny plant walk! It is located in Unity, Maine, and is part of the Unity College grounds. Part of the Hills to Sea Trail follows this path. It is a plant community of many species in the Asteraceae family and other opportunistic primarily herbaceous plants that commonly occur is disturbed landscapes such as this one. This land has been cleared and farmed historically but is no longer being worked. Sections of the field are mowed periodically, but some shrubs have started to come in and start the succession towards the forest.

Come learn some recognizable plants, and enjoy some trail snacks in the wild edibles. Bring some water, and sun protection as this is a field and there are no shady breaks from the sunshine. Most of these species thrive in full sun but we do not have that in common! Protect yourself from the sunshine and be prepared with a windbreaker as there are no natural windbreaks in the field. As this is part of the Hills to Sea trail, walk into the town of Unity and enjoy some other habitats along the way!


Tour Map

Loading Tour

 

What You'll See on the Tour

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Key identifying factors: Short leaves stalked and oval; Pods with a warty surface; Flowers fragrant; Horns curved; Opposite leaf arrangement Milkweed is commonly found in fields and along roadsides (Newco... Read more
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) Key identifying factors: 5 toothly course leaflets; Small whitish/greenish flowers that grow in clusters; Tendrils without disks; bluish/blackberry Virginia creeper is a North American vine fro... Read more
Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota)    Key identifying factors: Flowers-dense flat-topped umbels; purple flower in the center; leaves have a hairy underside-matte/ fern like- smells like parsley, stems are short with white hairs; the root... Read more
Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)   Key identifying factors: Smooth white bark with curls and peels; leaves are alternate and double toothed; leave stems 1” and green The paper birch is a very common tree. Most times, when seen, it represe... Read more
Wild madder Bedstraw (Galium mollugo) Key characteristics:  Main stem in whorls; 7-8 leaves near the base of the stem; numerous in loose clusters; small clinging hooks on stem; tiny flowers are white or greenish with four petals   Wild ma... Read more
A prominent wildlife species in the old field habitat is the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). There are several plant species found in the old field that meadow voles are highly dependent on. In the spring and summer months, voles eat... Read more
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)  This large native shrub can be found on either side of the gravel path which is part of the Hills to Sea Trail that goes through this site. It is common to find this species in disturbed, sandy, areas such... Read more
​​​​​Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) This plant is found throughout the old field, especially along the gravel path. It commonly occurs in disturbed locations in full sun, preferring well-draining soils such as those alon... Read more
Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) You will spot this plant throughout the field- and watch out if you're walking off-path through the vegetation! This is a very prickly invasive herbaceous plant. Is commonly found in disturbed environments s... Read more
American Cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus var. americanum L. Ait) There are several cranberry bushes throughout the walk. One of them is found in this area and another midway up the mowed path on the streamside of the trail. It is one of the ... Read more
Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb.)  This species can be found on the roadside of the field closer to the stream floodplain. It is another species commonly found in disturbed areas. It is highly invasive and used as an ornamental. I... Read more
Throughout the study of the old field, there are many herbaceous species when it comes to the different types of plants. Herbaceous plants are vascular plants with no persistent woody stems above ground, including many perennials and nearly... Read more
It is a very common, widespread plant, especially in disturbed areas, such as by a roadside or an old field. Distinguishable by its many golden flowers in a unique half-moon shape, it can be differentiated between the other golden rod (Cana... Read more
This plant is very common to any disturbed area where it has enough light. Even limited in the old field to the edges where competition is mowed away or cannot grow near the walking path. Is a very hardy plant with limited conditions in whi... Read more
Very common bush in disturbed areas. Part of the Rosaceae family, it occurs randomly throughout but mostly towards the edges of this area. Prefers moist areas but can grow in a variety of conditions. An edge species, it requires a lot of li... Read more
This species is from the Caprifoliaceae family, or the Honeysuckle family. It is distinctive because of its berry clusters at the end of its stems, the venation in its leaves is similar to that of dogwoods, but goes more directly to the ape... Read more
This species is related to the other Goldenrod species earlier in this tour, and is just as prominent. Also from the Asteraceae, this species has a much smoother stem, and the leaves are much more narrow, with sharper teeth. This plant exis... Read more
18
The topography difference from one end of the field to another creates microenvironments. It would be expected that water table would be deeper in the more upland region of the old field, and much closer to the surface as it gets closer to... Read more
Our study area of the Old field at Unity has many environmental factors that influence the vegetation. The ones that stand out are water, sunlight, and nutrients from the soil. Sunlight is necessary for plants to grow, and light intensity a... Read more
The nutrient availability will vary throughout the study area slightly with the changing slope and the way that the water moves through those soils. The flatter areas of the habitat would expect to have higher nutrient retention and consist... Read more

 

Leave a Comment

 

 

Download the App

Download the PocketSights Tour Guide mobile app to take this self-guided tour on your GPS-enabled mobile device.

iOS Tour Guide Android Tour Guide

 

 

Updates and Corrections

Please send change requests to changerequest@pocketsights.com.