With summer flying by, the LIISMA team worked hard in August to survey for emerging invasive species and protect our conservation areas, on land and in the water.
We started the month with controlling small populations of swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum rossicum) at Otis Pike State Forest. By preventing these populations from going to seed, we’re protecting the pitch-pine forested and successional grassland habitat that make the area unique. Check out the before and after management differences below!
Later on, we followed up on reports of an emerging invasive grass, Ravenna grass (Tripidium ravennae). While one report turned out to be the commonly planted invasive maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) alongside the Setauket Greenway, there was a thriving population of Ravenna grass in another area in a utility right-of-way. We’re working with the landowners to control this species, as it is known to be highly invasive and there are no other reports of it in the region.
Next, we fled to the water– surveying priority waterbodies at Connetquot State Park with the State Parks Invasive Species Strike Team. After demonstrating how we sample submerged aquatic vegetation, we climbed into our kayaks and rowboats. Along the way, we worked together to find and control a population of water chestnut (Trapa natans). To complete the survey, we headed north to Lakeland County Park, looking for any potential invasive species at these headwaters. While we did find the occasional purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), phragmites (Phragmites australis), and dozens of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), we were happy to report that there were no aquatic invasive species there that posed a danger to the watershed.
Heading west to Queens, the team made an early detection survey visit to Alley Pond Park. There, invasive yam (Dioscorea polystachya) has a growing population, and we’re working to coordinate its management. We also made note of the invasive vine, wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei), growing on some trees in the forest.
To finish off the month, we visited Artist Lake with NYSDEC Region 1 Fisheries. There, Ludwigia peploides is the plant to control; there are only a few small populations of it on the lake, and hand-pulling it there prevents it from entering the headwaters of the Carmans River. We were pleased to see progress in the management we have performed there over three years. While a few individuals popped up and were controlled in new places, we found little to no individuals in the areas where control had been concentrated. Our consistency is paying off– protecting the lake’s rare species, recreational access, and nearby waters as a result.
