Biodiversity of Westchester County, New York

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Westchester County, New York is located in southern New York, sharing its southern boundary with New York City and its northern border with Putnam County. It is bordered on the west side by the Hudson River and on the east side by the Long Island Sound and Fairfield County, Connecticut. The county has a total area of 500 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 430 square miles (1,100 km2) is land and 69 square miles (180 km2) (14%) is water. It is an area rich in biodiversity with many parks and preserves. Literary environmental writer Alex Shoumatoff hailed Westchester County as the "most richly diversified deciduous forest in the world" in a 1978 The New Yorker profile, at the time estimating that it contained 4,200 species of plants. [1]

Contents

There are many natural areas that attract wildlife including Marshlands Conservancy and the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, a 179-acre sanctuary along Long Island Sound migratory flyway. In winter months, the 85-acre lake hosts more than 5,000 ducks and was recognized by Audubon New York. [2]

Plants

There are 1,168 species of vascular plants in Westchester County, according to the Parks Department. [3]

Endangered plants: [4]

Threatened plants: [4]

Special concern plants: [4]

Invasive plants: Invasive species pose a threat to biodiversity in Westchester County. [5] In order to protect hundreds of species and wildlife, Westchester County has participated in gathering data about invasive plants through the Lower Hudson Partnership for Invasive Species Management (LHPRISM). [6] [7] The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester is a resource for learning more about how to identify and map many of the species listed below. [8]

Birds

There are 311 species of birds in Westchester County, as documented by the Parks Department. [3] The local Audubon Society chapter records 368 bird species. [9]

Endangered birds: [4]

Threatened birds: [4]

Special Concern birds: [4]

Mammals

There are 33 species of mammals in Westchester County. [3]

Special concern mammals: [4]

Reptiles

There are 19 species of reptiles in Westchester County. [3]

Endangered reptiles: [4]

Threatened reptiles: [4]

Special concern reptiles: [4]

Insects

Butterflies

Endangered butterflies: [4]

Threatened butterflies: [4]

Special concern butterflies: [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henslow's sparrow</span> Species of bird

Henslow's sparrow is a passerine bird in the family Passerellidae. It was named by John James Audubon in honor of John Stevens Henslow. It was originally classified in the genus Emberiza and called Henslow's bunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baird's sparrow</span> Species of bird

Baird's sparrow is a species of North American birds in the family Passerellidae of order Passeriformes. It is a migratory bird native to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piney Woods</span> Temperate coniferous forests ecoregion of the United States

The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering 54,400 square miles (141,000 km2) of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. These coniferous forests are dominated by several species of pine as well as hardwoods including hickory and oak. Historically the most dense part of this forest region was the Big Thicket though the lumber industry dramatically reduced the forest concentration in this area and throughout the Piney Woods during the 19th and 20th centuries. The World Wide Fund for Nature considers the Piney Woods to be one of the critically endangered ecoregions of the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines most of this ecoregion as the South Central Plains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-throated gray warbler</span> Species of bird

The black-throated gray warbler or black-throated grey warbler is a passerine bird of the New World warbler family Parulidae. It is 13 cm (5.1 in) long and has gray and white plumage with black markings. The male has the bold black throat of its name, and black stripes on its head, as well as black streaks on its flanks; the female is a paler version of the male, with a white throat and less distinct black markings on the flanks and wings. It breeds in western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico, and winters in Mexico and the southwestern United States. The habitats it prefers are coniferous and mixed forests and scrubland, especially those with pinyon pines, junipers, sagebrush, and oaks. Its nest is an open cup of plant fibers lined with feathers, built a few metres from the ground in the branches of a tree or shrub. Three to five eggs are laid, and young are fed by both parents. Common in its breeding range, it does not seem to be seriously threatened by human activities, unlike many migratory warblers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted turtle</span> Species of turtle

The spotted turtle, the only species of the genus Clemmys, is a small, semi-aquatic turtle that reaches a carapace length of 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) upon adulthood. Their broad, smooth, low dark-colored upper shell, or carapace, ranges in its exact colour from black to a bluish black with a number of tiny yellow round spots. The spotting patterning extends from the head, to the neck and out onto the limbs. Sexually mature males have a concave plastron and a long, thick tail. By contrast, sexually mature females possess a flat plastron and have a tail notable shorter and thinner than mature males. Mature males also have a dark iris and face; females typically have a yellow or orange iris and a similarly coloured face that is distinctly lighter than males. Juveniles appear female-like in this regard and at maturity males begin to develop darker features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-cheeked warbler</span> Species of bird

The golden-cheeked warbler is an endangered species of bird that breeds in Central Texas, from Palo Pinto County southwestward along the eastern and southern edge of the Edwards Plateau to Kinney County. The golden-cheeked warbler is the only bird species with a breeding range endemic to Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecology of Bermuda</span>

The flora and fauna of Bermuda form part of a unique ecosystem due to Bermuda's isolation from the mainland of North America. The wide range of endemic species and the islands form a distinct ecoregion, the Bermuda subtropical conifer forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Meadow, Cricklade</span>

North Meadow, Cricklade is a hay meadow near the town of Cricklade, in Wiltshire, England. It is 24.6 hectares in size. It is a traditionally managed lowland hay-meadow, or lammas land, and is grazed in common between 12 August and 12 February each year, and cut for hay no earlier than 1 July. This pattern of land use and management has existed for many centuries and has resulted in the species rich grassland flora and fauna present on the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge</span>

The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a 9,125-acre (37 km2) National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along 50 miles (80 km) of Maine's southern coast. Created in 1966, it is named for environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring raised public awareness of the effects of DDT on migratory songbirds, and of other environmental issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrtle's silverspot</span> Subspecies of butterfly

Myrtle's silverspot is a medium-sized butterfly in the brush foot family (Nymphalidae), an endangered subspecies of the zerene fritillary. It is endemic to California, where it is known from only about four locations just north of the San Francisco Bay Area, including two at Point Reyes National Seashore. Its wingspan is approximately 2.2 inches (56 mm). The upper surfaces of the wings are golden brown with numerous black spots and lines. The undersides are brown, orange and tan with black lines and silver and black spots. Larvae are dark colored with many sharp branching spines on their backs. Myrtle's silverspot is larger and paler than the closely related Behrens' silverspot, which is now limited to the vicinity of Point Arena in Mendocino County. Myrtle's silverspot is also closely related to the Oregon silverspot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boggs Lake Ecological Reserve</span> Nature reserve in Lake County, California

The Boggs Lake Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve in Lake County, California. The land area is about one quarter of a square mile and contains a large vernal pool as well as endangered plants such as the Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Cyprus</span>


The wildlife of Cyprus includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Cyprus has a rich flora and a diverse fauna albeit with relatively few mammals. Like most modern countries, the natural habitats in Cyprus have been steadily disappearing, currently retaining only 20% of its original habitat due to rapid urbanization, usage of forests for commercial purposes, tourism and various other reasons. One of the unique features of Cyprus' habitats is the wild and sharp differences in elevations and habitats in different parts of the island as well as different climate conditions, all of which supply a diverse habitat for a unique array of fauna and flora. Terra Cypria was established as a trust in 1992 to conserve the Cypriot environment and its biodiversity.

<i>Euphyes dukesi</i> Species of butterfly

Euphyes dukesi, or Dukes' skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It lives in the eastern United States and in a small portion of southern Ontario, Canada, in three distinct populations. Preferred habitats are shaded wetlands, with various species of sedge plants it uses as host plants for its larvae.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida grasshopper sparrow</span> Subspecies of bird

The Florida grasshopper sparrow is an endangered subspecies of grasshopper sparrow native to the dry prairies of south-central Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Missouri</span> Flora and fauna of the US state of Missouri

Missouri is home to a diversity of both flora and fauna. There is a large amount of fresh water present due to the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and Lake of the Ozarks, with numerous smaller tributary rivers, streams, and lakes. North of the Missouri River, the state is primarily rolling hills of the Great Plains, whereas south of the Missouri River, the state is dominated by the Oak-Hickory Central U.S. hardwood forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kankakee Sands</span> Restored prairie in Illinois and Indiana

Kankakee Sands is a 10,000-acre (4,000 ha) restored tallgrass prairie in Kankakee County, Illinois and Newton County, Indiana. It is managed by The Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers. The Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands is 8,400 acres (3,400 ha) of prairies and wetlands connecting Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area, Beaver Lake Nature Preserve, Conrad Savanna Nature Preserve and Conrad Station Savanna. This creates over 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) of dry, mesic and wet sand prairies, sand blows, sedge meadows, wetlands, and black oak savannas.

References

  1. Shoumatoff, Alex (1978-11-13). "Profiles: Westchester County". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  2. "Nature Preserves". Visit Westchester. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Biodiversity Research Program List". Westchestergov.com. Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation. 2003. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Westchester County Endangered Species List" (PDF). Westchestergov.com. Westchestergov.com. March 23, 2005. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  5. "Department of Parks Conservation efforts". Westchester County. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  6. Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (2016). "Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  7. "New York State Prohibited and Regulated Invasive Plants" (PDF). September 20, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  8. "Invasive Plants". Cornell Cooperative Extension Westchester. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  9. "A guide to the Birds of Westchester County". Hudson River Audubon Society of Westchester. 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2014.