All About Serpentine
Serpentine is an intriguing and complex subject, of interest from the casual observer to the research scientist. With the goal of offering accurate and up-to-date information on the subject of Soldiers Delight and its serpentine barrens, look here for content on this fascinating subject.
These articles are meant to inform all readers. Each discusses its subject matter in detail, for the benefit of practicing conservationists, students, teachers, journalists and anyone seeking an in-depth analysis of what make serpentine so intriguing to study. Additional information can be found in publications listed in the references cited in each article.
Please be forewarned that, more often than not, Google searches will result in out-of-date studies and erroneous information. Unfortunately, this leads to perpetuation of misconceptions about serpentine. The articles we present here offer a wealth of accurate information, yet the reader is encouraged to explore even further. Biosis Previews and Georef databases are especially important to finding up-to-date, firsthand results of peer-reviewed research publications. These databases and others are available online from major universities and libraries.
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Origin and Geology of Soldiers Delight
Soldiers Delight probably originated from the upper mantle of the Earth, during convergence of an ancient oceanic plate with the continental plate which preceded North America, called Laurentia. It is part of a large fragment of an oceanic plate which was thrust upon the edge of Laurentia during the collision, becoming part of the continent. This fragment of the oceanic plate, termed ophiolite (“snake stone”), consists of crust and underlying upper mantle. Based on current science, Soldiers Delight is from the upper mantle part of the ophiolite. This ophiolite, named the Baltimore Mafic Complex, formed during development of the Appalachian Mountains more than 450 million years ago, about 200 million years before the Age of Dinosaurs.
Landscape History of the Serpentine Barrens
Prior to settlement, beginning about 1750, the serpentine barrens covered expansive areas in Baltimore, Harford, and Carroll Counties of Maryland, and in adjacent York and Lancaster Counties of Pennsylvania. Access to the barrens was provided by a system of Amerindian "highways," with a main artery called the Old Indian Road.
Fire and the Serpentine Ecosystem
The most important role of fire in savannas and grasslands is the regulation of microclimate; i.e., the climate near the ground in which plants and animals grow, reproduce, and evolve. Dead plant stems and leaves which accumulate between growing seasons have a number of adverse effects on growing conditions. By removing this dead material, fire improves microclimatic conditions for plant growth immediately.
Plant Growth on Serpentine Soil
Calcium is the most important nutritional element for the development of self-sustaining plant populations. It is critical to cell division and cell elongation; i.e., plant growth. And large healthy plants are needed to produce large numbers of seed (or other reproductive structures) to establish and maintain populations. Magnesium is only needed by plants in very small quantities, but it can contribute to very poor growth if in large amounts when calcium levels are low.
Serpentine Vegetation: Past and Present
The serpentine ecosystem was classified as "barren" by English surveyors during the 1700s as barren was their term for landscapes without ("bare of") timber. Tree species were present, mainly oaks, but they were open-grown and not the tall, long-trunk trees found in the fireless forests of today.
Soils and Vegetation at Soldiers Delight
Vegetation types at Soldiers Delight occur on different types of serpentine soil. The transition from one soil type to another is very narrow, resulting in distinct sharp boundaries between vegetation types.
