Botanical Surveys

WATER QUALITY & BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Bryan Connolly, Associate Professor of Botany at Eastern Connecticut State University, conducted surveys of vascular plants in Nod Brook Wildlife Management Area (NBWMA) located in both Avon and Simsbury and also in Simsbury Wildlife Management Area (SWMA) and in Simsbury’s Tariffville Park. The surveys documented native species, including rare plants and invasive species on the land and in the river itself. The purpose of the work was to define “next steps” to prioritize protecting rare native species and to suggest practical strategies for managing the invasive plants.

In terms of species diversity, NBWMA had 103 species of which 21 were invasive. In SWMA, Connolly found 140 species including 22 invasives. Tariffville Park showed the most diversity, having 209 species including 25 invasives. In NBWMA, one previously undocumented rare species was found and was reported to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to be added to the state’s Biological Diversity Data Base. In Tariffville Park, Connolly found some “interesting and unusual plants” including Cardinal Flower, Wild Rice and White Turtlehead. Aquatic vegetation was sparse in all three areas, with several invasive species in each location including milfoil and curly pond weed.

The survey results from each of the three sites inform ideas on good management practices for various invasive species and also indicate when an infestation is so extensive or dispersed that management efforts are unlikely to be effective. Recommendations for “next steps” were focused on priority spots within the three sites where invasive control could be achieved and where appropriate management could protect a rare plant or, in one case, improve habitat for an endangered animal at risk of disappearing from the landscape.