Biodiversity Conservation webinar slides 11-20-2019 · The NYS program is administered by the NYS...

Biodiversity Conservation

Webinar 20 November 2019

Gretchen Stevens, Hudsonia Ltd.

Learning objectives

1. What is biodiversity and why does it matter?

2. Biodiversity resources of conservation concern 3. Principles and measures for biodiversity conservation 4. Regulations that can help protect biodiversity 5. How a CAC can influence local biodiversity conservation


What is biodiversity?

Laura T Heady © 2014

Chris Graham

Chris Graham © 2014

Kristen B Travis

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham Chris Graham


Laura T Heady © 2014

Chris Graham

Chris Graham © 2014

Kristen B Travis

Chris Graham The variety of life in all its forms,

and

the interactions between living organisms and their environment.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham Chris Graham

The term biodiversity encompasses diversity at all scales,

from landscapes and ecosystems, to biological communities, to species of plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and viruses, and to the genes that distinguish one species from another

Chris Graham


oxygen production

soil formation

water & air purification

climate moderation

carbon sequestration

pollination

Biodiversity is fundamental to the ecosystems that sustain life on earth and are responsible for many basic services that make our world habitable:

Why is biodiversity important?

Chris Graham

food resources

other harvestable resources (wood, fiber, medicines)

control of diseases for humans, livestock, and plants

the scenic beauty of our landscapes

…and for secondary ecological services such as:

…and countless other benefits that cannot be replicated or replaced by human engineering and technology.

Chris Graham

Why is native biodiversity important?

Ecosystems with their full complement of native species and processes are best able to withstand both “normal” environmental stresses and catastrophic events, such as diseases, droughts, floods, fires, and climate change.

Protecting native biodiversity is a means of preserving the resilience of ecosystems.

Chris Graham

Why is native biodiversity important?

“Native biodiversity:” — the organisms and communities

that have developed here together over thousands of years.


Chris Graham

Biodiversity resources of conservation concern

Chris Graham

Kristen B Travis

water resources

Laura T Heady

biological resources


Chris Graham

“Habitats” are useful surrogates for biodiversity.


The place where a plant or animal or biological community occurs.

What is a habitat?

Habitats are defined by biological and non-biological features, such as:

vegetation

bedrock

soils

water depth, velocity, chemistry

exposure to sun, wind, waves

human land uses


“Ecologically significant habitats” are of greatest importance for

supporting our ecosystems. Hereafter in this webinar, the term “habitat” refers to “ecologically significant habitat.”

Examples of common habitats: deciduous forest conifer forest shrubland meadow marsh stream


They include high quality examples of common habitats, such as those mentioned in the last slide…

What are “ecologically significant habitats”?

Chris Graham Laura T Heady

Laura T Heady

calcareous ledge

rocky barren

cool ravine

kettle shrub pool

circumneutral bog lake

fen

acidic bog

For habitat descriptions, see: Biodiversity Assessment Manual for the Hudson River Estuary Corridor Hudsonia’s Habitat Fact Sheets, and NYNHP’s Ecological Communities of New York State .

…and they also include uncommon and rare habitats such as:

Erik Kiviat

Erik Kiviat

Chris Graham

What are “ecologically significant habitats”?

See the Habitats of the Hudson Valley webinar* for more information about habitats and conservation.

*Introduction to Habitats of the Hudson Valley webinar https://meetny.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/meetny/recording/play/c9c255a36bd74f41a4220df2c602a5bc


https://meetny.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/meetny/recording/play/c9c255a36bd74f41a4220df2c602a5bc

Both common and rare native species

of plants and animals are important to

intact ecosystems, but rare species

and rare habitats are often in the

greatest danger of disappearing from

our landscapes.

Kathleen A. Schmidt © 2001 wood turtle northern copperhead

US Geological Survey

Karner blue


eastern spadefoot toad

timber rattlesnake

Nava Tabak

northern metalmark

Loss of rare species often indicates a

degraded environment, and can alert us

to needs for protection and restoration.

Rare species and rare communities

deserve special attention when setting

priorities for conservation.


Ingrid B Haeckel

Principles and measures for biodiversity conservation

Clean and abundant groundwater

and surface water are important for

supporting high quality aquatic,

wetland, and upland habitats.


Infiltration of water to the soils is essential to maintaining quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water.


Impervious surfaces (roads,

driveways, roofs) promote

rapid runoff of rainwater and

snowmelt, and prevent water

from seeping into the soils.


Hurunui District Council, NZ

Impervious surfaces (roads,

driveways, roofs) promote

rapid runoff of rainwater and

snowmelt, and prevent water

from seeping into the soils.


Land development often leads to depletion and degradation of groundwater, streams, and ponds.


Above: Dry hickory-oak forest.

Below: Young hardwood forest with heavy Japanese barberry invasion.

C. Graham © 2018

C. Graham © 2018

Undisturbed vegetation and

soils facilitate infiltration of

precipitation to the soils.

Chris Graham


Forests help to maintain stream

flow volumes, temperatures,

water quality, bank stability, and

habitat quality, and maintain

quality and quantity of

groundwater supplies.

Chris Graham


Jonathan Kays, Univ. of Maryland Cooperative Extension


buffer zone

Buffer Zones


Pesticides, fertilizers, and road salt can harm waterways and

groundwater.

Minimizing or avoiding their

use altogether will help to

protect people, pets, plants,

and wildlife.

Road salt washes off roads , parking lots, and driveways, and

contaminates soils, groundwater, streams, and ponds.


Salt is highly toxic to plants and

animals (including humans),

and does not flush out of a

system. It remains in the soil,

groundwater, and sediments

of ponds and lakes.

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families


Broad connectivity of habitats

allows safe movement between

habitat areas for plants and animals.


Kristen B Travis

Wildlife need to move across the landscape to fulfill their needs for shelter, resting, foraging, rehydrating, breeding, overwintering, and dispersal. Roads, parking lots, driveways, walls, and yards pose significant hazards and barriers to safe migrations.

The spotted turtle uses many kinds of wetlands to meet its needs for

summer and winter habitats.

The turtles are exposed to great hazards

as they move between habitats in a

developed landscape.

Chris Graham


spotted turtle

woodland pool (foraging, basking)

upland meadow (nesting, travel)

hardwood swamp (resting, basking, foraging, overwintering)

upland hardwood forest (resting, foraging, travel)

Preserving intact, unfragmented habitat complexes helps to protect local populations of vulnerable wildlife.

Chris Graham


spotted turtle

Roads, driveways, walls, vertical-sided curbs, fences, pitfalls

(deep, steep-sided holes such as soil test-pits, window wells,

and swimming pools) create hazards and barriers to wildlife

movement.

Cori M Rose © 2014 G Guerrero-Murphy © 2012


Broad zones of undisturbed soils and vegetation

around sensitive natural areas help to buffer those areas

from effects of human activities,

provide additional habitat,

and allow important natural

processes to continue.

ForestWander


Habitat patches in large, broad configurations are preferable to small,

narrow, or isolated patches.

Large, broad habitat patches serve

area-sensitive wildlife, and those

that require the special conditions

found in deep habitat interiors.


fisher

large & broad habitat patch

contiguous habitat developed area

Aerial view of a deciduous forest, with a road, driveways, and houses along the western edge of the image.


large & broad habitat patch

contiguous habitat developed area

Aerial view of a deciduous forest, with a road, driveways, and houses along the western edge of the image.


scarlet tanager black-throated blue warbler

Aerial view of a deciduous forest (and a meadow), with a road, driveways, lawns, and houses .


small and narrow habitat patches

houses, yards, & driveways

small, narrow habitat patches

contiguous habitat

Protect habitat areas in large and broad patches instead of small and narrow patches


Aerial view of residential development in deciduous forest

Avoid or minimize habitat fragmentation

Sprawling driveways and houses reaching into the forest interior disrupt the forest habitat for area-sensitive and edge-sensitive wildlife.




Aerial view of driveway and residence in former agricultural field.



Aerial view of driveway and residence in former agricultural field.

Fragmentation of large meadows can similarly disrupt the meadow habitats for area-sensitive and edge-sensitive wildlife.

grasshopper sparrow

bobolink


Instead, locating new houses near roads and other development helps to minimize fragmentation of large habitat areas.


Another kind of habitat fragmentation: Narrow and suspended

culverts act as barriers to

upstream and downstream

movement of stream

organisms.

This is a wide-spread form of

stream habitat fragmentation.


Instead, the culvert should be

wider than the stream bed,

and the culvert bottom

should be buried in the

stream substrate, or use an

open-arch culvert, as shown.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/49066.html


Minimize impervious surfaces (e.g., pavement, roofs).

Prevent rapid runoff of surface water from developed areas.

Promote onsite infiltration of rainwater and snowmelt.

Establish and maintain broad buffer zones along streams and around wetlands, lakes, and ponds.

Restore and maintain forest cover wherever possible in floodplains and throughout the watersheds of streams and ponds.

Maintain buffer zones around sensitive areas.

Minimize applications of pesticides and fertilizers.


Maintain broad connectivity between habitats across the landscape.

Preserve intact habitat complexes wherever possible.

Preserve habitat patches in broad configurations.

Avoid or minimize habitat fragmentation.

Maintain and restore broad buffer zones of undisturbed soils and vegetation around sensitive upland and wetland habitats.

Minimize hazards and barriers to wildlife movements


Ingrid B Haeckel

Regulations that Help to Protect Biodiversity


Federal Clean Water Act

Federal Endangered Species Act

New York State Environmental Conservation Law

Local legislation

The FEDERAL CLEAN WATER ACT regulates activities in:

wetlands of all sizes that are connected to perennial streams

or large water bodies perennial streams and certain intermittent streams with

regular seasonal flow

The federal program is administered by the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), in consultation with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as needed. Where jurisdiction over a particular wetland or stream is unclear, the ACOE makes the jurisdictional determination on a case-by-case basis. The federal wetland regulatory program is in flux in 2019, so the extent of federal jurisdiction

of streams may change.


The NEW YORK STATE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW regulates activities in:

all tidal wetlands on the Tidal Wetlands Inventory Map

wetlands of 12.4 acres and larger on the Freshwater Wetlands map

a few smaller wetlands “of unusual local importance” on the Freshwater Wetlands map

a 100-ft “adjacent area” around jurisdictional wetlands

In addition, under Article 15 of the ECL the DEC classifies selected streams, lakes, and ponds according to their “best usage.” Disturbing the bed or banks of a classified stream requires a state permit. The NYS program is administered by the NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation.


Municipalities may adopt local legislation to protect small streams and

small, isolated wetlands that do not fall under state or federal jurisdiction.


The FEDERAL ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT* provides some protection to plants and animals that are formally listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as “Endangered” or “Threatened.” Only a few of these species occur in New York State. Some examples are the bog turtle, Indiana bat, shortnose and Atlantic sturgeons, piping plover, Karner blue (butterfly), and northern monkshood.

* Code of Federal Regulations 50 CFR 17

Regulations that Help to Protect Biodiversity Regulations that Help to Protect Biodiversity

US Geological Survey

Karner blue

** ECL Part 193.3 and section 9-1503.

The NYS ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW (ECL):

prohibits killing, harassing, transporting, possessing, or selling any animal species listed in the ECL as “endangered” or “threatened”* prohibits picking, removing, or damaging listed “Protected Native Plants” without the consent of the owner.**


* ECL Title 5, Section 11-0535.

Federally-listed “endangered” and “threatened” animals receive significant regulatory protections from the federal government, but listed plants are protected only if they are involved in federal projects or those needing federal approvals, or in interstate or international trade.

NYS-listed “endangered” and “threatened” animals and their habitat areas receive significant regulatory protection from New York State;

NYS-listed “Protected Native Plants” receive some regulatory protection only if the landowner wishes to protect them.


Rare Species & Other Species of Conservation Concern

NYS Endangered

NYS Threatened

NYS Species of Special Concern

NYS Species of Greatest Conservation Need

NY Natural Heritage Program S1, S2, and S3 species

Hudson River Valley Priority Bird List (Audubon)

Regional lists of rare & vulnerable species

Only these animals receive some legal protection from the state.

Rare Species & Other Species of Conservation Concern

NYS Endangered

NYS Threatened

NYS Species of Special Concern

NYS Species of Greatest Conservation Need

NY Natural Heritage Program S1, S2, and S3 species

Hudson River Valley Priority Bird List (Audubon)

Regional lists of rare & vulnerable species

Only these animals receive some legal protection from the state.

But all of these animals are of conservation concern

Do rare species occur on this site?

Andy Reinmann

How to find out…


Step 1: NYNHP Inquiry

Submit an inquiry to the New York Natural Heritage

Program (inquiry instructions are on the NYNHP website).

Their letter response will list any known

occurrences of state-listed or NYNHP-listed rare species in their database.

BUT…

…most sites have never been surveyed for rare species, so the absence of records in the NYNHP database does not indicate the absence of rare species on the site.

A Four-Step Process

Step 2: Habitat Assessment

Request that a habitat assessment be conducted by one or

more qualified biologists knowledgeable about the habitat requirements of species of conservation concern.

If no suitable habitats are present on or near the site, then you may conclude that rare species are unlikely to occur on the site.

If one or more suitable habitats is present for species of concern , then proceed to Step 3.


Step 3: Habitat Conservation

If suitable habitats are present for plants or animals of conservation concern,

then the applicant may choose to:

assume that rare or sensitive species are present or may be present in the future, and design new land uses in ways that accommodate the species of concern;

OR

conduct a rare species survey to try to determine if the

species of concern are present. Rare species surveys can be expensive and time-consuming, and are often inconclusive.


Step 4: Rare Species Survey

Rare species surveys must be conducted by biologists who

specialize in the particular species (or groups of species) of concern.

Rare species surveys must be conducted in the season(s), time(s) of day, and weather conditions that will optimize

the chances for detecting and identifying the target species, and must use survey methods appropriate to the species and the environmental conditions.


Municipalities can adopt local legislation and non-regulatory measures to help protect species, habitats, and landscapes of conservation concern that are inadequately protected by other governmental entities.


Andy Reinmann

Examples of local measures Regulatory Adopt a municipal stormwater management ordinance with more

rigorous standards than those of the state.

Adopt a municipal wetland and watercourse ordinance that protects small and isolated wetlands and small streams.

Adopt subdivision regulations establishing basic standards for conservation designs, open space protection, set-backs from sensitive habitats, and other conservation measures.

Adopt review standards requiring that the needs of NYS Species of Greatest Conservation Need be considered for all land development projects requiring municipal approval.

Establish a Conservation Overlay Zone or a Critical Environmental Area for areas of special importance or sensitivity.


Examples of local measures (cont.)

Procedural

Request that land use applicants follow Habitat Assessment Guidelines before designing their project.

Require that municipal planning board and/or CAC members visit each site prior to planning board decisions on land development projects.

Require that municipal environmental reviews of land development projects consider onsite and offsite landscape connectivity.

Require that land use applicants refer to the local or county Natural Resource Inventory or Open Space Plan, if one exists, and design the project with consideration of important resources.


How can a CAC influence biodiversity conservation?

Chris Graham

Obtain training in biodiversity assessment and conservation.

Gather information about local biodiversity from publicly available sources, and provide information as needed to other town agencies.

Assist town agencies and committees with townwide planning efforts (such as Comprehensive Plan, Open Space Plan, farmland protection plan, etc.) by contributing concepts, information, and recommenda-tions related to natural resource conservation.

Develop a Natural Resources Inventory for your municipality.

(continued)

How can a Conservation Advisory Council influence biodiversity conservation?

Identify features of greatest conservation concern in your municipality, and educate other municipal agencies, land use applicants, and the public.

Assist the planning board with review of proposed land development projects.

Ask questions during environmental reviews, such as these:

Has a habitat assessment been conducted and, if so, are suitable habitats for rare plants or animals present?

Has the development been designed to maintain broad connectivity between onsite and offsite habitat areas?

Has the proposed stormwater management been reviewed by an independent engineer, and does it maintain pre-construction volumes and patterns of surface water runoff?

(continued)

How can a CAC influence biodiversity conservation? (cont.)

How can a CAC influence biodiversity conservation? (cont.)

Conduct research on conservation legislation and environmental review procedures1 that could be adopted by the municipality, and make recommendations to town agencies.

Propose establishment of Critical Environmental Areas,2 or a Conservation Overlay Zone;3 identify, describe, and prepare preliminary documentation.

Conduct literature research on topics of concern to the community, and disseminate findings to town agencies and the public.

1 A sample checklist for environmental reviews is at: https://hudsonia.org/resources/ 2 Critical Environmental Areas are explained at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6184.html 3 Conservation Overlay Zones are explained at: https://www.dos.ny.gov/lg/publications/Creating_the_Community_You_Want.pdf

https://hudsonia.org/resources/

https://hudsonia.org/resources/

https://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6184.html

https://www.dos.ny.gov/lg/publications/Creating_the_Community_You_Want.pdf


QUESTIONS?

Biodiversity Conservation LINKS

Conservation and Land Use Webinar Series: https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5094.html Conservation Advisory Councils and Boards Habitats of the Hudson Valley Biodiversity Conservation Rarity Lists New York State Rare Animals: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7494.html New York State Rare Plants: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/29396.html NYS Species of Greatest Conservation Need: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9406.html NY Natural Heritage Program rarity ranks, animals & plants: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/rareanimal2017.pdf https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/2019rareplantlists.pdf

Habitat Assessment Guidelines https://hudsonia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Habitat_Assessment_Guidelines_2013.pdf

Buffer zones around sensitive areas Conservation Thresholds for Land Use Planners: https://www.eli.org/research-report/conservation-thresholds-land-use-planners Planners Guide to Wetland Buffers: https://www.eli.org/research-report/planners-guide-wetland-buffers-local-governments

https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5094.html

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7494.html


https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/29396.html

https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/29396.html




http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/rareanimal2017.pdf



https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/2019rareplantlists.pdf

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/2019rareplantlists.pdf

https://hudsonia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Habitat_Assessment_Guidelines_2013.pdf





https://www.eli.org/research-report/conservation-thresholds-land-use-planners













https://www.eli.org/research-report/planners-guide-wetland-buffers-local-governments
















Webinar 20 November 2019

Gretchen Stevens, Hudsonia Ltd.

Biodiversity Conservation webinar slides 11-20-2019 · The NYS program is administered by the NYS...

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