Biotic Communities:
Gray Fox
North American Red Squirrel
Indian Pipe
Indian Pipe Distribution of Franklin County and Surrounding Area
North American Porcupine
North American Porcupine Distribution of Jefferson County and Surrounding Area
All Above Images referenced from https://www.inaturalist.org
When observing the species of Essex County, I came across the Urocyon cinereoargenteus (Gray Fox), and the Lepus americanus (Snowshoe Hare). The Gray Fox population has been growing and adapting better than its relative, the Red Fox, because of its unique climbing ability that makes it better able to deal with rising coyote populations in the county (Adirondack Forever Wild 2021). In Essex, the part of the Adirondack Mountains is located, particularly the Adirondack forest. This forest provides an excellent habitat for the Grey Fox as it is able to climb the maturing trees to evade predators as well as look for prey (Adirondack Forever Wild 2021). The most common places to find the Gray Fox is in deciduous forests, a mixed type of forest, or coniferous forests. They have been known to prefer thickets over open areas. The Snowshoe Hare is at the moment a stable population but is declining due to climate change within the area and across the entire state (Adirondack Forever Wild 2021). The Snowshoe Hare relies on snow pack to hide from predators, and due to the timing and changes in duration of the snow in Essex, these populations have started to decline as more and more are being killed with no protection (Adirondack Forever Wild 2021).
Franklin County is
home to a wide variety of species. A couple of species I found are the Tamiasciurus
hudsonicus (North American Red Squirrel), and the Monotropa uniflora (Indian
Pipe, or Ghost Pipe). The NA Red Squirrel prefers a dense, woody habitat to live
in. They are most commonly found in coniferous forests, due to them mainly
feeding on the seeds and cones of evergreen trees (National Wildlife Federation 2020). As commonly associated with
different species of squirrels, Red Squirrels benefit the surround forests they
live in when they bury the seeds and cones they enjoy saving for the winter.
They forget about some of these burials, and thus trees grow from where they
were buried. As for the Indian Pipe, it is an herbaceous perennial plant that
can be found across multiple continents, however it usually scarce wherever it
is found (USDA 2021). As with the Red Squirrel, it is found in forests on the ground, where
it is moist and shaded. They are white and translucent, and when they grow,
they point downward from their “bell”. This wildflower is not commonly
encountered as said earlier, so finding some is special, so the data associated
with their distribution can be limited (USDA 2021).
Fort Drum, located
within Jefferson County, has many of its own plant and animal species. The two
I took note of were the Cynanchum louiseae (Black Swallow-Wort), and the Erethizon
dorsatum (North American Porcupine). The Black Swallow-Wort is an invasive
species in the Fort Drum area. This species of plant was introduced into North
America in the 1900s as an ornamental and has since spread to different area taking
over the naturally occurring plants in the area (NYIS 2019). This plant has the ability to produce
up to 2,000 seed per square meter in full sun (NRCS 2007). They are can very easily take
over natural vegetation and become so dense it can halt army operations in
certain areas around Fort Drum (Natural Resource Management on Fort Drum 2009). The North American Porcupine however is not an
invasive species and be commonly found across the United States. In the Fort
Drum area, the porcupine is mostly found in the coniferous forests as well as
mixed forest types (Adirondacks Forever Wild 2021). They like to climb the trees within the forest to eat the
inner bark of the trees.
References
2009. Invasive Species Management 2008 – 2009. Natural
Resource Management on Fort Drum. https://www.sleloinvasives.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Fort-Drum-Invasive-Species-Mgmt-Fact-Sheet-2008-2009.pdf
2021. Adirondack Wildlife. Adirondacks Forever Wild. https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-wildlife.html
2021. Mammals of the Adirondacks: Gray Fox (Urocyon
cinereoargenteus). Adirondacks Forever Wild. https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-mammals-gray-fox-urocyon-cinereoargenteus.html
2021. Franklin County, US, NY. iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/places/franklin-county-ny-us
2021. Jefferson County, US, NY. iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/places/jefferson-county-ny-us
2020. North American Red Squirrel. The National Wildlife
Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Red-Squirrel#:~:text=American%20red%20squirrels%20can%20be,and%20cones%20of%20evergreen%20trees.
2021. Monotropa uniflora – Ghost Plant, Indian Pipe. U.S.
Forest Service, USDA. https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/mycotrophic/monotropa_uniflora.shtml
2007. Pest Management – Invasive Plant Control: Black Swallow-Wort.
NRCS. https://rhodeislandwoods.uri.edu/files/Black-SwallowWort.pdf
2021. Nature Serve Explorer. Nature Serve. https://www.natureserve.org
2019. Swallow-wort, Pale and Black. New York Invasive Species Information. Cornell University Cooperative Extension. http://nyis.info/invasive_species/swallow-wort/
Disturbance Regimes:
The disturbance
regimes affecting the counties of New York can be similar but at the same time
vary from location to location. Essex County has seen a change in climate for
one instance, warming temperatures have made it to where the Snowshoe Hare have
had declining populations due to natural cover being taken away from them (Adirondacks Forever Wild 2021).
These warmer temperatures will not only affect this one population alone, but
many, such as the predators that count on the snowshoe hare for food, like the
Fisher.
Disturbance
regimes affecting both the North American Red Squirrel and the Indian Pipe would
be human interaction with the natural forests, for example deforestation. Deforestation
would be taking away the natural habitat of both of these species, causing
irreversible trauma (USDA 2021). The Red Squirrel requires the mature trees and forests to
live and eat off of, and the Indian Pipe needs the shade from the mature trees
to keep it cool and moist on the forest floor.
As for Fort Drum and the Jefferson County area, the disturbance regime is one of the species I listed above. The Black Swallow-Wort kills the natural environment, taking away many herbivores’ food sources in order for it to spread out and grow (NRCS 2007). This plant has not biotic killer, so the used of herbicide is the best chance of beating it, however this comes at a cost as well (NYIS 2019). Herbicide comes into the environment, making the soil and surrounding water sources contaminated for other species that depend on them.
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