152 Stalter et al.: Control of Nonnative Invasive Woody Plant Species Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 2009. 35(3): 152–156 Control of Nonnative Invasive Woody Plant Species at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, New York City Richard Stalter, Dwight Kincaid, and Michael Byer Abstract. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (JBWR) is situated within Jamaica Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean at the western end of Long Island, New York, U.S. (40o 35' N latitude, 72o 52' W longitude) within Brooklyn and Queens, boroughs of New York City. The vouchered vascular flora of the refuge consists of 456 species within 270 genera and 90 families of which 222 spe- cies, 49% of the flora, are nonnative. The most aggressive woody alien species are tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), Ori- ental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), autumn ol- ive (E. umbellata), buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), and porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata). Ailanthus altissima, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, and Celastrus orbiculatus are the most aggressive of the aforementioned aliens. These and additional woody nonnative vascular species can be removed from small areas of a few square meters by cutting, herbicide treatment or hand-pulling. It may be impossible to control, much less eradicate these alien invasives from Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. This article presents guidelines for a scientific and experimental approach to this problem. Key Words. Ailanthus altissima; Ampelopsis brevipedunculata; Celastrus orbiculatus; Elaeagnus spp.; Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge; Lonicera japonica; New York City; Nonnative Vascular Plants; Rhamnus frangula; Rosa multiflora. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (JBWR) is situated within Jamaica Bay, at 40o 35' N Latitude, 72o 52' W Longitude. Jamaica Bay is an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean at the west end of Long Island, New York, U.S. (Stalter and Lamont 2002). JBWR contains 1,905 hec- tares of upland habitat including freshwater ponds, surrounded by 3,105 hectares of Jamaica Bay. Few changes in the islands and water of Jamaica Bay occurred during the two centuries fol- lowing the arrival of the first European settlers in 1651. In the twentieth century, the topography of Jamaica Bay was signifi- cantly altered by dredging channels and filling marshes in the bay and along its periphery. Almost all of the land that today comprises JBWR was originally salt marsh. Much of this marsh was covered with sediments dredged from the bottom of the bay to create upland habitat (Black 1981). Thus the terrain of the entire upland landform is largely the result of human activities. In 1972, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge was transferred to the newly created Gateway National Recreation Area, the United States’ first urban national park, under the auspices of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Families of a high percentage of nonnative plants are the Caryophyllaceae, Brassi- caceae, and Polygonaceae (Stalter and Lamont 2002). The vascular flora of JBWR consists of 456 species within 270 genera and 90 families (Table 1). Two hundred twenty-two species, 49% of the flora are not native to the region (Gleason and Cronquist 1991) or the refuge. Nonnative species are numerous in the flora of Jamaica Bay and occur primarily at disturbed sites and along the edges of trails and roadsides. Families with the greatest number of nonnative species occur in Poaceae (20 species) and Asteraceae (27 species). Seven plant communities at JBWR included: 1. Salt Marsh. Salt marshes at Jamaica Bay are dominated by grasses and succulent dicotyledons. These plants can toler- ©2009 International Society of Arboriculture ate water and soil salinity and tidal flooding. No nonnative taxa were found here. 2. Maritime Beach and Poorly Developed Dune. The vascu- lar plant species within this community can tolerate high concentrations of salt spray. Only one nonnative, Russian thistle (Salsola kali), was identified in this community. 3. Thickets and Successional Shrubland. This community contains the largest number of woody plant species. Several nonnative woody taxa occur here and are discussed later. 4. Early Successional Woodland. Stalter and Lamont (2002) describe this community as “poorly developed” at JBWR. Few trees here exceed fifty-years-old. 5. Successional Fields. This contains the largest number of forbs and grasses at JBWR. Though shrubs have invaded the successional fields, including a number of nonnative taxa, they are present in low frequency and are uncommon. 6. Freshwater Wetlands and Moist to Wet Meadows. The arti- ficially created freshwater wetlands, including West Pond, St. John’s Pond, and moist to wet meadows are character- ized by a flora found nowhere else at JBWR. Species di- versity at these sites is high due to the migrating moisture gradients from periods of high rainfall and drought. 7. Ruderal. This community includes disturbed sites around buildings, gardens, lawns, paths, and roadside rights-of- way. Nonnative vascular plant species dominate this com- munity. Wildlife enthusiasts treasure the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge because they can observe unusually large numbers of both migratory and resident bird species. The layout of
May 2009
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