Editing Eastern Prickly Pear (section)

=== Metacomet Colony (Plainville) ===

The Metacomet Colony is a relatively small colony of ''Opuntia humifusa'' that can be found on traprock ridge in Plainville, Connecticut near Pinnacle Hill.  The colony derives its name from its close proximity to the Metacomet Trail, which runs within ten feet of the cacti.

==== Background Information ====

The general location of a colony of ''O. humifusa'' living in Connecticut was documented in an online article by Stephen Wood (creator of the website [http://www.ctmuseumquest.com Connecticut Museum Quest]) on October 6, 2007<ref name="ctmqpricklypear">Wood, Stephen. "Section 8: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly." Connecticut Museum Quest. N.p., 6 Oct 2007. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. <http://www.ctmuseumquest.com/?page_id=1055>.</ref>.  Wood reported finding these cacti along the Metacomet Trail in Plainville, Connecticut, however he did not supply a precise location.  The article was accompanied by photographic evidence.  Further research seems to suggest that this colony was known to at least a few individuals as early as 2005.

==== Exploration ====

===== April 15, 2012 =====

On April 15, 2012, I conducted a field exploration along a section of the Metacomet Trail in Plainville that followed the same route taken by Wood during his 2007 hike.  Within approximately 1/4-mile of hiking, I discovered a sandy, sun-baked ledge adjacent to the trail upon which there were several ''O. humifusa''.  In all likelihood, this colony is the same one that Wood documented five years earlier, owing to the apparent health of these cacti.

During that same field exploration, I carefully explored several other ledges (over the course of approximately 1.25 miles) which seemed to present a habitat similar to that of the ledge with the confirmed cactus colony.  I was unable to document any further colonies of ''O. humifusa'' along the Metacomet Trail.

==== Status ====

[[File:Prickly-pear-plainville.jpg|thumb|Member of the '''Metacomet Colony''', found on a ledge along the Metacomet Trail in Plainville, CT]]My field exploration has identified a single ledge along the Plainville-section of the Metacomet Trail upon which a colony of ''O. humifusa'' currently lives.  This colony is known to have existed for at least five years and seemed, upon examination, to be relatively healthy.  Although many ledges with a similar habitat can be found along nearby stretches of the Metacomet Trail, my explorations have led me to conclude that there are no further colonies in the area.

==== Concerns About Preservation ====

The colony of ''O. humifusa'' identified along the Metacomet Trail is apparently healthy, but it is relatively small and confined to a single ledge that is easily accessible.  Thus, the colony (and the very existence of ''O. humifusa'' in the area) is potentially subject to severe impact by natural or human disturbance such as wildfires, extreme weather conditions, incidental tree fall, foot traffic by hikers and unlawful specimen collection.  Any one of these factors, or any combination of them, could weaken, deplete or destroy the cactus colony.

==== Colony Location and Statistics ====

The Metacomet Colony is located in Plainville, Connecticut at 41.672165° , -72.831497°.

<ul>
<li>To view this location in Google Maps, [http://maps.google.com/?q=41.672165,%20-72.831497 click here].</li>
<li>To download the GPS tracklog of this exploration (KML  format), [[Media:Metacomet-Trail-Pinnacle-Rock-Area-(Prickly-Pear-Cactus).kml|click here]].</li>
</ul>

Pertinent statistics concerning the location include:

<ul>
<li>'''Elevation of Colony:''' ~399 feet above sea level</li>
<li>'''Surficial Geology:''' Basalt</li>
<li>'''Habitat Type:''' Inland Cliffs/Mountain Peaks <ref name="habitat-types">Habitat type is categorized using the Habitats Classification Scheme (Version 3.0) defined by the ''International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources''. <http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes/habitats-classification-scheme-ver3>.</ref>
</li>
</ul>