Press

EAST GREENBUSH, NY - Scientists and researchers identified 416 different species during the recent Capital Region BioBlitz held at Papscanee Island, New York State Museum officials have announced.

The roughly 40 participants were undeterred by cold, rainy conditions as they fanned out over the 192-acre preserve during the event, which was held over a 24-hour period from May 19-20.

"The bad weather and low temperatures probably reduced the activity of amphibians and reptiles and, more significantly, insects," said Karen Frolich, a research specialist with the Museum's Biodiversity Research Institute. "We could potentially have found five times the number of species if the weather had been different. There were still, however, several interesting finds."

Highlights of the event included the sighting of an exceptionally broad range of bird species and the discovery that a high number of plant species, roughly one-third, were non-native, possibly because the preserve is surrounded by farmland.

"Although overall biological diversity was low, there were still some things of interest," BRI specialist Ron Gill said. "For example, there were 72 species of birds observed, which is pretty good considering we only had a few birders out there."

Ken Dufty, who oversees the Papscanee Island preserve for the Rensselaer County Environmental Management Council, was pleased with the BioBlitz. He characterized it as a "wonderful gift" presented to the preserve by the Museum since the park had never before been inventoried.

"The BioBlitz has given us a better understanding of what's on the preserve and how much of it there is," Dufty said. "This information will enable us to manage the preserve in a way that will be more sensitive to the ecosystem."

"The BioBlitz highlights the complexity of ecosystems," Museum Director Cliff Siegfried said. "At first glance, Papscanee Island might appear to be a site where there would not be a great variety of species. In excess of 400 were documented during the BioBlitz, however, and each of them interacts with the others in complex ways that are vital to the ecosystem."

The New York State Museum plans to hold another BioBlitz on Iona Island in Rockland County on September 15-16.

More details about BioBlitz 2000 can be found at www.nysm.nysed.gov/bioblitz.html.

Species Group Number of Species Counted Annelids 4 Arachnids 14 Birds 72 Bryophytes 21 Crustaceans 8 Fish 19 Fungi 24 Insects 84 Lichens 7 Mammals 12 Mollusks 17 Reptiles and Amphibians 2 Vascular Plants 134 Total 416