This Is Why I Love Being A Scientist

I thought I would share with you the post I have written for a soon-to-be-posted entry on the Freshkills Park blog. Part of my internship function is to conduct an independent research project. Because of my love of plants, biodiversity, and ecosystems I have decided to look into the problem of aggressive (invasive) plant species that have become established and taken over large sections of habitat within the park. Of course, Freshkills Park is not the only place to face such a challenge. We have been dealing with this for a long time, and it happens all over the world. We often don't realize that some of our native species are considered extremely invasive in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Anyway, here is the draft version of my blog entry. I will link the final version once it goes live. Enjoy!

Long Term Planning with Planting

One hundred years ago, forested swamps and tidal wetlands characterized the site that is now becoming Freshkills Park. In 1947, Robert Moses changed all that by designating the spot to be used as a landfill. The original plan of three years of garbage tipping followed by urban development turned into something far more complex, resulting in Fresh Kills gaining the infamous title of world’s largest landfill. All the disturbance associated with pit construction, tipping, and capping altered the landscape and its ecosystems in radical ways. Since the closure of the landfill and the gradual conversion of the site into a park, nature has tried a way to find a sense of normalcy.

The problem is what is normal now is not what was normal 100 years ago. The tidal wetlands and forested swamplands have been greatly fragmented and grass-covered mounds rise more than a hundred feet above the water. New ecosystems – the grassy mounds – have been introduced and the old ones, while still there, are a shadow of their former selves. To complicate matters, a few plants from exotic regions of the world have made Freshkills their home and have aggressively asserted their dominance in this altered landscape. The issue we face as the park moves forward is how to create a long-term plan that addresses the base factor of each ecosystem – plants.

I attempted to explore this issue by visiting the Greenbelt Native Plant Center which is adjacent to the northern end of Freshkills Park and seeks to provide the park with a great range of native plants. As a division of the Parks Department, the goal of the plant center is to be a repository of the biodiversity inherent in New York City’s plant landscape. The center’s director, Ed Toth, discussed the philosophy and process by which they operate. It turns out their goal is to not just collect and grow seeds from populations of native plants collected in the metropolitan region, but to preserve the range of genetic diversity that each species has. He used the example of a shrub that has 10,000 berries on it. Some collectors, he said, might be happy to just sit at that one shrub all day and collect the berries and call it good. However, that does not capture the range of genetic diversity contained within the entire species that may help it to survive existing – as well as new – stress factors that species faces during its struggle for survival. The mantra at the GNPC is to cast a wide net – collect a large amount of seeds from a large amount of individuals.

This science-based approach may help New York City’s native flora deal with encroaching competitors as well as the effects of climate change. Mr. Toth argues that while the success of dealing with aggressive neighbors, habitat fragmentation/degradation, and climate change will occur on a species-by-species case, if there is enough genetic diversity left within our native flora they will be able to adapt and flourish. He points to the fact that native plants have survived within both our worked and natural landscapes despite the heat-island effect which has occurred ever since the city became a conglomeration of pavement, highly-massed buildings, and infrastructure.

It is important to remember that landscapes within the city, like at Freshkills Park, are not the same now as they were 100 years ago. We have irreversibly altered most landscapes, and to think we can return them to those exact same conditions is to not understand the problem. We can improve plant ecosystems to a healthier, more diverse state, but many of what are termed “invasive” species are here to stay. According to Mr. Toth, if we want to change the landscape we must work the landscape slowly over time. Planting native species, monitoring their establishment, and educated maintenance regiments will help to inform and guide what should be an adaptive management plan for the range of species of flora in Freshkills Park. By observing and working with the plants we want to conserve on a regular basis, we should be able to get a sense of how the plants are reacting to certain environmental stressors. Such long term planning is likely to provide Freshkills with a healthy and genetically diverse ecosystems despite everything that nature and humans throw at it.

There Is Beauty In The Muck

Yesterday I was reminded of the uniqueness of New York City's varied ecological landscapes. I took part in an ongoing wetland monitoring project that the city Parks Department is carrying out to assess the state of our region's wetlands. Venturing out into a tidal salt marsh on Staten Island, I battled knee-high, putrid mud, boggy water traps lying hidden between the hummocks of salt marsh grasses, and dense Phragmites stands that rose 10+ feet high over my head. Despite the great deal of energy it took to extract myself from the mud when I occasionally became mired in it, as well as the strategy of jumping from one hummock to another, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to catalog the biodiversity in this particular salt marsh.

Between measurements of vegetative life, and during periods of much needed rest, I also observed the wildlife that existed right here in the middle of this urban environment. Fiddler crabs (hundreds of these creatures), many different species of dragon flies, and a great deal of marine birds provided a testament to the importance of salt marshes in terms of sustaining wildlife and providing a unique habitat. The ultimate goal of the monitoring project is to prioritize the restoration and management strategies of New York City's wetland regions. It is hoped that this will improve the general health of these habitats, as well as improving the ecological services these systems provide to the city.

Why are salt marshes important? Let me count the ways. While most of us may never venture onto one, they are far more than a place where water levels rise and fall a couple of times a day. They are not the barren places our predecessors thought they were - land that was wasted and needed reclaiming. For coastal regions that must face the constant onslaught of the seas, salt marshes are the padding that reduce the destructive nature of wave action and tidal extremes caused by storms. Not only do they protect humans as well as the land from these physical forces, they also work to create a seamless zone between dry land and sea for biological life to exist. The plants which have evolved to tolerate high salt contents and the shellfish that live at their water-logged base, help to filter the water and alter the chemical compounds within the water so that a diverse range of plants and animals can inhabit the area. In addition, far from being a place where mosquitoes and other biting insects thrive, a healthy salt marsh contains predators which help to control the pest populations.

I for one am very glad that there has been an attitude adjustment about salt marshes and wetlands in general. This is an example where politicians, planners, and the general public have to a large degree paid attention to studies of scientists to inform and alter their views of a particular issue. This change in mindset also comes at a critical time. As climate change continues, and sea levels continue to rise, tidal marshes are fast becoming a threatened ecosystem. Urban development often comes right up to a salt marsh, which will prevent it from naturally retreating to higher ground and thus preserving the ecosystem as sea levels rise. Increased frequency of droughts and changes to the sedimentation regime (brought on by rivers silting up or being dredged) also pose a high risk to the health and stability of these ecosystems. I encourage political leaders and city planners to pursue restoration of our salt marshes and in some cases creating man-made marshes which will not only protect their urban centers from flood damage but will preserve these truly amazing pockets of life.

Biodiversity Preserved

I am a huge advocate for biodiversity. I believe our planet's greatest strength can be found in the range of life that is found on its surface or below the waters. Healthy biodiversity increases the chance that biological life would continue after a significant natural cataclysm. We value diversity in our own DNA supply chain because it reduces the risk of succumbing to a deadly disease, birth defects, etc. The number of different species on this planet (bacteria, protists, fungi, plants, animals, and even viruses) can and should be considered a barometer of the health of the planet's DNA supply chain.

There have been five times in the Earth's history that a huge portion of species went extinct, with the first great extinction event wiping out 96% of life. Scientific evidence is mounting that we are in the throes of a sixth extinction event, this one largely driven by us (more on that in a later post). Despite the stresses we have placed on plant and animal species, we have taken action to preserve many species that are recognized as endangered. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act in the United States and similar programs around the world, plants and animals on the brink of vanishing are given a metaphorical lifeline that helps to reduce the stress on them and allows the species to recover to healthier populations. I would like to provide links that highlight some of the successes here.

White Rhinoceros

Golden Lion Tamarin

Gray Wolf

Eggert's Sunflower

Tennessee Coneflower

There are many more species that are recovering thanks to programs/management plans designed to protect species and help them propagate. The success stories are proof that humans can do good things for the environment. Biodiversity is a thing of beauty that we should work hard to protect.