Swamp Stomp

Volume 14, Issue 38

The amount of Chlidonias niger, commonly known as the black tern, found in New York has rapidly decreased since the 1960’s. The levels have lowered by such a significant degree that New York now considers the bird endangered within its state. The black tern has yet to reach this level of scarcity on a global basis, however, the species is being closely monitored as its global population also continues to decrease.

The black tern nests in shallow freshwater wetlands; the combination of open water and emergent vegetation provide ideal feeding and breeding grounds for the swallow-like bird. The marshes in New York, among other northern states, however, have become overrun with vegetation and, subsequently, are now unsuitable habitats for the black tern.

The 1960’s saw a number of dams constructed on the St. Lawrence River. These dams generate hydropower, maintain the water levels for commercial shipping on Lake Ontario, and prevent shoreline real estate from flooding. However, the dams also limit the annual water fluctuations within the marshes, allowing for dense vegetation to establish itself.

Records indicate that nesting sites in New York decreased by 57% between 1989 and 2004. Furthermore, the New York State Breeding Bird Atlas displayed 40% fewer black tern breeding areas in 2000-2005 than there were in 1980-1985. The largest explanation for such declines is the degradation of suitable breeding locations.

Seneca Meadows, Inc. owns the largest active landfill in New York, and in 2007 created a 600 acre wetland preserve to replace the 70 acres of wetlands that it destroyed in an expansion project. The current state standard for mitigation in New York is 3:1, however, Seneca Meadows opted for a much larger project given the potential impact the project could have due to its proximity with the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.

Applied Ecological Services (AES) were placed in charge of the project and restored 24 acres of grasslands, 157 acres of wooded wetlands by using invasive species management, and 419 acres of wetlands by altering hydrology and plantings. The once farm fields were transformed into robust wetlands and meadows.

Since the completion of the project, black terns have been spotted in the wetlands during surveying. It is expected that their appearance is a result of the proximity to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, an area within the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. The restored wetlands provide great opportunity for the black tern to forage, feed, and reproduce.

The wetland preserve is also home to several grassland species that have showed significant signs of decline due to many grasslands in New York being converted to agriculture or reverted to forests. A few of these animals include bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows, and savannah sparrows.

Furthermore, it is not only animals that are benefiting from the wetland preserve. There are also a variety of plants that are now flourishing within the wetlands. Sedges, rushes, arrowheads, and pickerelweed are all growing healthily within the preserve. The seeds of these plants have been harvested and used to restore similar habitats in the neighboring Montezuma Wetlands Complex.

The restoration of the wetland habitat in New York, therefore, is actively contributing to the preservation of both animal and plant species that are native to the land.