FLORA OF RENSSELAER COUNTY, NEW YORK

Description: A surprising variety habitats is found in Rensselaer County along an elevational gradient that extends from the tidewater shore of the Hudson River to the summit of Berlin Mountain at 2,800 ft. About 84% of the county had been cleared for field crops or grazing by the 1880s, but now 64% of the area qualifies as forest land. To understand the impact of these land-use changes, an inventory of the plant resources of the county was carried out using botanical collections in the State Museum. The resulting database allows rapid assessments of plant species occurrence and abundance in Rensselaer County. This retrospective analysis is being combined with field surveys of areas in the county that are environmentally sensitive, thereby revealing the present status of the county's plant resources. The information obtained will be used by planners and others concerned with the protection of desirable natural features that make the county an attractive place to live.

Principal Investigator: N. G. Miller

Collaborators:
· Warren F. Broderick
· Karen Deitz
· Robert Ingalls
· Stuart McDaniel (Duke University)
· Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy
· Pamela Weatherbee

Project Year: 1994-ongoing

Project Products:
Miller, N. G. Natural History of Rensselaer County [New York], pp. 5-24. In: Schmitt, C. K. Natural Areas of Rensselaer County, New York. Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy, Inc.; and Environmental Clearing House of Schenectady, Inc. 174 pp. 1994.
Miller, N. G., C. Flood, W. F. Broderick, & J. E. Mattox. The Rensselaer County, New York, Flora Resources Survey. (Abstr.) Program and Abstracts New York Natural History Conference IV, pp. 21, 22. 1996.
Broderick, W. F., & R. Ingalls. Botanical resources inventory of the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center. Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy, Inc. Troy, New York. 1 (1-12) [+ 145] pp. 1998.
McDaniel, S. Botanical resources inventory of the Butternut Hill Preserve. Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy, Inc. Troy, New York. 17 pp. 1998.
Weatherbee, P. B., & K. Deitz. Botanical resources inventory of the Grafton Lakes State Park. Rensselaer-Taconic Land Conservancy, Inc. Troy, New York. 1-10 [+ 128] pp. 1998.

Geographic Extent: Rensselaer County, New York

Categories: Rensselaer County, Grafton Lakes State Park, Butternut Hill Preserve, Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center, vascular plants, bryophytes