Tifft Nature Preserve Management Plan - Buffalo Museum of Science
Tifft Nature Preserve Management Plan - Buffalo Museum of Science
Tifft Nature Preserve Management Plan - Buffalo Museum of Science
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samples in the marsh were found to have elevated levels <strong>of</strong> lead likely as a result <strong>of</strong><br />
atmospheric deposition from surrounding industry.<br />
Contaminates – The industrial history <strong>of</strong> the preserve and the surrounding area<br />
has left a legacy <strong>of</strong> chemical contamination. As mentioned above, the soils are a mix <strong>of</strong><br />
natural and man-made elements with varying soil chemistry and levels <strong>of</strong> contaminates<br />
such as heavy metals. The preserve is a designated Superfund site in the category<br />
Inactive Hazardous Waste Site. There are also several other similar Superfund sites<br />
surrounding the preserve, and the <strong>Buffalo</strong> River to the north is listed as an Area <strong>of</strong><br />
Concern (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement due to toxic<br />
contamination. In the spring <strong>of</strong> 1983 barrels <strong>of</strong> industrial waste were discovered on the<br />
preserve. A total <strong>of</strong> 116 barrels, which contained a mix <strong>of</strong> industrial byproducts<br />
including naphthalene, a polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) known to cause<br />
cancer, were removed from the site that summer. Following analysis <strong>of</strong> environmental<br />
samples, the preserve was deemed safe and re-opened in the fall <strong>of</strong> 1983.<br />
Biotic Resources<br />
Flora – With the exception <strong>of</strong> the cattail marsh, the original vegetation on the site<br />
was lost or heavily disturbed. The vegetation in the upland areas on the preserve is<br />
dominated by non-native species such as Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard, and<br />
fescue grasses, as well as early successional and hardy natives such as willow and<br />
cottonwood trees and Canada goldenrod. Deer browse and beaver activity heavily<br />
impact the woody species <strong>of</strong> trees and shrubs on the preserve. The 75-acre (30-<br />
hectare) cattail marsh is dominated by native freshwater wetland plants with the<br />
exception <strong>of</strong> common reed (Phragmites australis) occurring in dense stands along the<br />
edges and in small pockets in the interior <strong>of</strong> the marsh. Klips, Sweeney, and Gall<br />
(1993) identified 278 species growing naturally on site, with an additional 35 species<br />
introduced for ornamental and wildlife enhancement.<br />
Fauna – The greatest wildlife asset on the preserve is its diverse bird community.<br />
There have been 264 bird species observed, with 62 native bird species confirmed to<br />
breed on site (NYS Breeding Bird Atlas 2007), including the New York State Threatened<br />
Least Bittern and Pied-billed Grebe. <strong>Tifft</strong> <strong>Nature</strong> <strong>Preserve</strong> is designated as an<br />
Important Bird Area (IBA) by Audubon (Burger and Liner 2005) and over sixty species<br />
listed as Species <strong>of</strong> Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in the New York State’s<br />
Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (NYS DEC 2006) have been<br />
documented on site.<br />
In addition to the rich bird diversity, there are many other vertebrate species<br />
including: 20 or more mammal species, at least 23 species <strong>of</strong> fish, 10 reptile and 9<br />
amphibian species. Species worthy <strong>of</strong> mention include the blue-spotted/Jefferson<br />
salamander species complex and a disjunct population <strong>of</strong> the short-headed garter<br />
snake both <strong>of</strong> which are SGCN’s. A complete list <strong>of</strong> invertebrate species does not exist,<br />
but surveys for aquatic invertebrates, moths and butterflies have occurred, including 32<br />
species <strong>of</strong> dragonflies and damselflies (Andrle and Bogacki 2004). Also, there are<br />
<strong>Tifft</strong> <strong>Nature</strong> <strong>Preserve</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> 9