Tag: alley pond park

Bioblitz: Alley Pond Park and Amphibians

In the south side of Alley Pond Park, my group and I were searching for amphibians under logs and surrounding a small pond covered in algae. My twitter post includes pictures of the some of the critters we found.

One of the species shown is a spotted salamander, or Ambystoma maculate. We were warned not to hold the salamander by its tail as it can easily fall off. Additionally, salamanders do not have lungs. Instead, they breathe through pores on their skin so they should not be held for too long, as that can dry out their skin by preventing air form entering their lungs. Another salamander we found is the red-back salamander, or Plethodon cinerius. This salamander was slightly larger than the spotted salamander. These salamanders were found under logs. They “hide” from the sun in order to cool off. They lay their eggs in freshwater sources like ponds.

Towards the end of our walk through the woods, we saw an American toad, or Anaxyrus americanus, jumping around. The glands on the head of the toad, if pressed, can release poison.

One interesting question that was raised during our trip was whether or not the logs that the amphibians were found under should be considered a biotic or an abiotic factor. Certainly for the amphibian, the log acts as an abiotic factor, a habitat it lives off of. On the other hand, the log came off of a tree which is a biotic factor. This is the opinion that I believe to be true since the origin of the “factor” determines its status as living or nonliving.

Shrubbery at BioBlitz

This weekend, Macaulay Honors sophomores took park in a BioBlitz, cataloging flora and fauna at Alley Pond Park.  With the help of biologists, we were able to identify plants and animals in the park and engage with nature in a way many do not get to.  I was assigned to the plant group and was tasked with identifying shrubs.  Shrubs are plants with multiple woody stems coming from the same place and have leaves.  Some shrubs have flowers, while others have fruits, both, or other reproductive mechanisms.

My favorite shrub that we found was the Viburnum setigerum shown above.  Its a shrub that both flowers and produces fruit.  Its fruit comes around the fall, so these berries are quite premature and need a bit more ripening.  It reminded me of the bushes that produce round, red berries that were poisonous outside of my elementary school.  However, these berries, according to one of the assistants are edible.  Also, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden, the leaves can be made into tea.

Upon further research into this plant from Missouri Botanical Garden, I found out that Viburnum setigerum is not native to New York, but Central and Western China.  Assuredly, NYC Parks put a lot of thought into what they were going to plant in Alley Pond Park so it should be assumed that this plant, although not originally from here, can live healthily in the ecosystem of Alley Pond Park and contribute to the biodiversity of the park without damaging the ecosystem it inhabits.