Invasive Species Summit_11062015_Afternoon Session Strategic Invasive Species Management and Restoration Practice

Moderated by: Helen Forgione is the Natural Areas Conservancy’s Senior Project Manager for Ecological Assessment. Helen has over 25 years of experience working in ecology in the NYC metropolitan region for NYC DEP and NYC Parks Department’s Natural Resources Group. She has an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Rutgers University. And Jessica A. Schuler, Director of the Thain Family Forest at The New York Botanical Garden. Jessica is responsible for the management of the 50 acre urban old-growth Forest including ecological restoration and the development of education and research programs. Jessica is an advocate for native plant conservation and ecological restoration through her work on the Steering Committee at the Native Plant Center and the board of the Bronx River Alliance. 

The Lower Hudson PRISM supports and optimizes regional conservation through strategic invasive species management and promoting restoration practice. Data driven management and restoring ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed are a part of the toolkit for successful invasive species management. This session will consist of short-talks on topics related to strategic invasive species management and restoration practice in the Lower Hudson Region followed by a panel discussion. Selected short talks were: 

1. “Urban Forest Assessment: Providing a Framework for Regional Prioritization”, Helen Forgione, Natural Areas Conservancy

2. “Restoring a 50 acre, Urban Old growth Forest”, Jessica A. Schuler, The New York Botanical Garden

3. “Restoring maritime forest for songbirds in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,” Lauren Alleman, The Nature Conservancy

4. “Strategic management of plant invasions for ecosystem impacts: insights from a Microstegium vimineum invasion along a logged chronosequence”, Noah Sokol, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. 

5. “Collaborative mile-a-minute management: stories from the northern frontier”, Nate Nardi-Cyrus, Scenic Hudson.

In conclusion, strategic invasive species management requires baseline data to assist land managers in establishing priorities and determining management and/or restoration success. The potential collection of data is endless and should consider a whole ecosystem approach including both flora and fauna such as birds, pollinators, plants, soil invertebrates, soil carbon and nitrogen. Invasions are associated with other landscape disturbances and there is a need for a better understanding of the impacts of invaders changing through time while interacting with other disturbances. There is the possibility that invasions can be prevented or minimized by managing disturbances. There is a tremendous demand for additional information particularly on best management practices for specific species, inventory techniques, and volunteer/staff time management.