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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<strong>Management</strong> Challenges<br />
Invasive <strong>Plan</strong>t Species<br />
Invasive plants, animals and diseases have the potential to dramatically change<br />
natural environments and negatively affect wildlife habitat and outdoor recreational<br />
activities. Invasive species are usually non-native species that were intentionally or<br />
accidentally released. They create problems by becoming extremely abundant,<br />
spreading to new areas, out competing native species and altering ecosystem<br />
processes. Examples <strong>of</strong> well known invasive species include: chestnut blight, zebra<br />
mussels, gypsy moths, and kudzu vine. As the world becomes more connected through<br />
global commerce and travel the potential for new invasive species continues to grow.<br />
The negative effects <strong>of</strong> invasive species are well known and efforts to control<br />
these species are increasing. Invasive species can affect all types <strong>of</strong> ecosystems and<br />
are the second leading cause for species extinction and endangerment in the US<br />
(Pimentel 2002). The price <strong>of</strong> invasive species is not only in natural resources, but also<br />
financial with an estimated cost for non-native species in the US at over $120 billion<br />
annually (Pimentel et al 2005). Invasive species are being addressed across the<br />
country by federal agencies like the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Parks<br />
Service, as well as by nearly all state agencies and conservation organizations such as<br />
The <strong>Nature</strong> Conservancy. In New York the Department <strong>of</strong> Environmental Conservation<br />
has an Invasive Species Task Force and recently created an Office <strong>of</strong> Invasive Species.<br />
Another recent effort to address invasive species in New York is the creation <strong>of</strong> regional<br />
PRISM’s (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species <strong>Management</strong>). The western New<br />
York PRISM is still in the developmental stage, but should become active in the coming<br />
years.<br />
Due to the past industrial land use and dumping at <strong>Tifft</strong> <strong>Nature</strong> <strong>Preserve</strong> and the<br />
subsequent hands-<strong>of</strong>f management approach for the past 30 years, invasive species<br />
are abundant on the preserve. Invasive species on the preserve include: insects like<br />
the Myrmica rubra ant, plants such as Japanese knotweed and garlic mustard, and<br />
aquatic species like the round gobi fish and zebra mussel. Eradication <strong>of</strong> all invasive<br />
species at <strong>Tifft</strong> <strong>Nature</strong> <strong>Preserve</strong> is not a realistic goal and even reasonable control will<br />
be a difficult and ongoing job. However, invasive plants pose one <strong>of</strong> the biggest threats<br />
to the natural resources and recreational opportunities at the preserve so control efforts<br />
need to be a top priority for land management.<br />
Common Reed (Phragmites australis)<br />
Common reed, or Phragmites as it is <strong>of</strong>ten called, is a tall perennial grass that<br />
invades coastal and inland marshes and wetlands (Kiviat 2006). Phragmites australis<br />
has a cosmopolitan distribution and is native to North America, but the plants that<br />
become invasive are non-native genetic variants (haplotypes). Phragmites haplotype<br />
M, which is closely related to European and Asian haplotypes, has become widespread<br />
across North America and native haplotypes are uncommon in wild populations<br />
<strong>Tifft</strong> <strong>Nature</strong> <strong>Preserve</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> 21