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Natural Resource Managementat BrookhavenWelcome to BNL’s Natural Resources web site! Within this web site you will find interesting information concerning the Natural Resources program (what we are doing and plan to do), plant and animal species found onsite, great photos of our habitat and wildlife, management issues we are dealing with, and links to other sites of interest. IntroductionThe Laboratory is located in a section of the Oak/Chestnut forest region of the coastal Plain of Long Island, New York. Forest types are typically oak-pine or pine-oak. BNL property constitutes roughly five percent of the 404.7 sq-km (100,000 acre) Pine Barrens on Long Island. Because of the general topography and porous soil, there is little surface runoff or open water. Upland soils tend to be very well drained, while depressions form ephemeral coastal plain ponds. Hence, a mosaic of wet and dry areas on site are correlated with variations in topography and depth to the water table. Without fires or other disturbances, vegetation would follow the normal moisture gradient closely. In actuality, vegetation onsite is in various stages of succession, reflecting the history of disturbances to the area, the most important of which are land clearing, fire, local flooding, and draining. Over 230 plant species have been identified onsite. Fifteen
mammal species endemic to the site include those species common
to mixed hardwood forest and open grassland habitats. The
white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) density is
approximately 55 per square mile according to a BNL deer
population surveys. 85 species of birds have been observed
nesting at BNL. Over 200 transitory species have been documented
at BNL, a result of its location within the Atlantic Flyway, and
the scrub/shrub habitats that offer food and rest to migratory
songbirds. Thirteen amphibian and twelve reptile species have
been identified. Permanently flooded retention basins and others
watercourses support amphibians and aquatic reptiles. Recent
ecological studies at the BNL site have confirmed seventeen
breeding sites for the NYS-endangered eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma
tigrinum) in BNL’s ponds and recharge basins. Ten species of
fish have also been identified as endemic to the site. For
example the banded sunfish (Eanneacanthus obesus), a NYS
threatened species, has been confirmed as inhabiting the Peconic
River onsite (Scheibel, 1990; Corin, 1990) and the swamp darter
(Etheostoma fusiforme) has been confirmed in a large wetland
within the Peconic River drainage. Interesting sites related to Long Island Wildlife: Disclaimer Last Modified: February 1, 2008 |