By Bill Jacobs
The LIISMA team (Bill Jacobs, Abby Bezrutczyk, Melody Penny, and Kassidy Robinson) is happy to report that our 2023 field season is underway. We have a variety of priority conservation areas to protect and early detection species to find and have managed.
The team surveyed Penny Pond at Hubbard County Park in Flanders, following up on a report of invasive phragmites (Phragmites australis). Penny Pond is a 13-acre kettle hole pond featuring a grove of Atlantic white cedar. The team was unable to confirm phragmites at the pond, which is good because if there is phragmites, it is likely to be a small enough infestation that can be manually controlled. The team will check the pond again, and is asking visitors to report infestations using iNaturalist or iMapInvasives or by contacting LIISMA at invasive@liisma.org.
Abby and Melody returned to Millers Pond County Park in Smithtown to further delineate an infestation of Juliana’s barberry (Berberis julianae). LIISMA ranks Juliana’s barberry as a Tier 2 high-impact invasive species with low abundance in the region and a management goal of eradication. An inventory of ten mature adult plants ranging around 6 to 7 feet tall were observed at the two iMapInvasive points recorded last year, as well as four emerging smaller plants. The mature, dense stands consisted of large, suckering shrubs composed of 10 or more stems measuring 3 to 4 inches in diameter, with spines up to 1 inch long. Based on the size of these shrubs, the infestation may be about 10 years old, as the shrubs are robust and established in growth, likely growing at a rate of about 12 to 18 inches per year. Juliana’s barberry has the potential to provide prime habitat for ticks, as does its cousin, common or Thunberg’s barberry (Berberis thunbergii), posing a health risk for visitors. LIISMA is recommending manual/mechanical control, potentially combined with chemical control as needed, before the infestation spreads throughout the park.
The LIISMA team enjoyed a sunny spring day at the Mount Loretto Unique Area on Staten Island with Tim Wenskus, Regional Forester for NYSDEC Region 2. Tim showed us the Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) and other infestations he has been working on to preserve this wonderful resource. Following the visit with Tim, the team stopped by nearby Wolfe’s Pond, home to a sizable infestation of Ludwigia peploides. LIISMA is working with New York City Parks to assess and manage this infestation. Next, the team confirmed an infestation of orange candleflower (Arum italicum) at the Wolfe’s Pond Bluebelt, owned by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. LIISMA ranks orange candleflower as a Tier 3 highly invasive species with medium abundance in the region and a management goal of containment. LIISMA is recommending manual control for this species before it spreads throughout the Bluebelt and to other sites.
The LIISMA team met with staff of the Peconic Land Trust to survey the Trust’s 16-acre Nissequogue Preserve along the Nissequogue River in Smithtown. The preserve features overlapping communities of oak-tulip tree forest and coastal oak-hickory forest. Native trees observed include scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), red oak (Q. rubra), white oak (Q. alba), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), black birch (Betula lenta), hickories (Carya spp.), and red maple (Acer rubrum). Small trees and shrubs observed include spicebush (Lindera benzoin), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), and lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium spp.). Invasive species observed include linden viburnum (Viburnum dilatatum), abundant in parts of the mid-story and especially in depressions, Thunberg’s barberry (Berberis thunbergii), box-leaved holly (Ilex crenata), wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius), and round-leaved bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus). These are relatively common invasive species on Long Island. Considering the river-front location and high level of development in the area, this is important open space land for preservation. The preserve is contiguous to land owned by the Town of Smithtown (35 acres) and Suffolk County PDR (purchase of development rights) lands (20 acres).
The LIISMA team surveyed several other sites, including a survey for slender leafy spurge (Euphorbia virgata) at Crab Meadow Beach in Fort Salonga, owned by the Town of Huntington. LIISMA ranks slender leafy spurge as a highly invasive Tier 2 species with the management goal of eradication. Unfortunately, this and other infestations of slender leafy spurge have been spreading rapidly, and are likely to be underreported. Slender leafy spurge displaces native vegetation in grassland habitats by usurping available water and nutrients and through exuding plant toxins that prevent the growth of other plants. The plant exudes a milky sap that is toxic to humans and animals. The slender leafy spurge at Crab Meadow Beach is thriving alongside eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) and beach grass (Calamagrostis breviligulata), raising the concern that this species is a threat to coastal sand dunes and other sandy maritime areas. LIISMA recommends regular surveys of coastal and maritime communities to quickly identify and control new infestations before they become established.
