Bioblitz or Bust: A Biolblitz Survey of Godwin Woods

Abstract

"A bioblitz is a rapid survey of the living species in a given area; therefore, the main purpose of a bioblitz study is to grasp the biodiversity of an ecosystem. Bioblitzes have become a reliable and effective tool used by government agencies, citizen science projects, and other private groups to collect biodiversity inventories in a short period of time. Even schools, colleges,and other institutions conduct these events as a means of stewardship and engagement. During fall 2023, we conducted a bioblitz of Godwin Woods, a privately owned property, in Morrisonville, New York which is bisected by Riley Brook. We predicted the forested microhabitat would have the highest species richness on the property because of the presence of the riparian area. In order to maximize diversity, we surveyed two different microhabitats, specifically a forest and meadow ecotone. At both sites, a variety of capture methods were used, specifically Sherman live traps for small mammals, minnow traps for fish, and two non-invasive survey methods Merlin smartphone app acoustic detection for birds songs and a game camera for large mammals among other taxa. The species richness was 22 species for the forest and 12 species for the meadow ecotone, indicating 47% similarity between communities. Species shared were white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), mice (Peromyscus sp.), gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), raccoon (Procyon lotor), coyote (Canis latrans), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), brown creeper (Certhia americana), and American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos). Certain species that were unique to the meadow ecotone were the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) in the forest. Largely differences in the community resulted from a rich diversity of birds within the forested microhabitat. Our findings will help inform the landowner of unique species found on his property and better inform his forest management plan to promote a healthier wildlife population and reduce the risk of nuisance species that might increase disease risk (e.g., Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses)."