Northeast Natural History Conference 2011: Selected Papers
2012 Northeastern Naturalist 19(Special Issue 6):1–2
Preface and Acknowledgments
The 2011 Northeast Natural History Conference (NENHC) in Albany, NY from April
6–9, marked the successful resurrection of a grand tradition. The Conference had its
origins back in 1990 and occurred on a biennial basis for the next two decades, steadily
growing in size as it gained a reputation as a premier venue for the presentation of natural
history research in the region and as an important event for catching up with colleagues,
networking with new potential research contacts and partners, and initiating collaborative
ventures. However, the onset of the financial crisis threatened to put an end to the
Conference as NY State funding to subsidize its production dried up. The cancellation
of what was to be the 11th NENHC in 2010 was mourned by many, and as co-sponsors
of past Conferences, we took the plunge to organize the 11th NENHC in 2011. In large
part due to ample assistance received from many others, including those who had been
instrumental in organizing previous Conferences, the 2011 NENHC was a big success,
featuring more presentations and greater participation than ever before, and proving once
again the value it holds for the Northeast natural history community.
One hundred ninety oral presentations organized into 47 sessions, along with 116
poster presentations, reflected the wide diversity of research interests being pursued in
the region. From baseline faunal and botanical life-history, biology, ecology, and survey
work to the applied science of the impacts of invasives and human endeavors to innovative
approaches utilizing new models or engaging the public in citizien science, NENHC
2011 had much to interest most every one of the over 600 participants.
Following the Conference, a call was made for papers based on the presentations to
be published. Of those submissions received, a number were accepted and are presented
in this volume. While only a small subset of what was offered at the Conference, the
manuscripts which follow do span a wide range of natural history research and, as such,
capture the flavor of the Conference. We start chronologically with Feldman et al.’s description
of the deep geologic history of the Shawangunk Ridge and Mohonk region as
it is written in the rocks, followed by Hamilton’s insightful scientific detective work in
using insects that specialize on grassland species to shed light on the history behind the
puzzling current distribution of prairie vegetation. From there, this volume continues the
focus on insects with a survey of the incredible diversity of ants found on Nantucket,
MA by Ellison and a study of the spiketail dragonflies of Nelson Swamp by Hager et al.
Next the focus gets even finer, with Tessier’s examination of the belowground movement
strategies employed by a single species of lily. Stepping back to regain a broader perspective,
but sticking to vegetation, Norris looks at the implication of increasing woody
plant cover on soil carbon dynamics in western NY, and Bried et al. attempt to develop
a practical floristic quality index for use in New York and New England through the
assignment of appropriate coefficients of conservatism. Continuing with the modelling
approach, Robinson examines the biodiversity distributions of Natural Heritage Program
communities and their potential application as surrogates for rare species in New York.
Dipping our feet into the aquatic realm, Rachlin and Warkentine evaluate the fish assemblages
found in Saw Mill River, NY. Then Nagy et al. explore the effectiveness as well as
the benefits and potential drawbacks of utilizing a citizen-science approach to gathering
site-occupancy data for Eastern Screech Owls. Boulanger et al. keep us on the track of
citizen-interactive approaches with an examination of the effectiveness and limitations of
using an "Earn-a-Buck" hunting program to manage local overabundances of deer. This
special issue is concluded with two papers focusing on the hot topic of invasive species.
2 Northeastern Naturalist Vol. 19, Special Issue 6
First, Warkentine and Rachlin report on a follow-up survey of an invasive shrimp species
in New York waters to gain a sense of its changing status in the area. Lastly, Lombard et
al. present lessons learned from 7 years of management efforts aimed at controlling the
invasive Common Reed.
The NENHC 2011 Program Guide outlining the organization of the presentations
into the various sessions, as well as the complete NENHC 2011 poster presentation
abstracts and oral presentation abstracts, are all available online (http://www.eaglehill.
us/NENHC_2012/archives/conference-archives.shtml) for those wishing to see the full
breadth of exciting research presented at the conference.
As alluded to earlier, NENHC 2011’s success was due to a collaborative effort of
numerous individuals and organizations. First and foremost, thanks are owed to Robert
Daniels of the New York State Museum for sharing his extensive experience in organizing
previous Conferences, responding amiably to our numerous questions and inquiries with
sage advice, and for helping coordinate the Museum’s presence at the Conference. We
also greatly appreciate help received from Ron Gill, who did much of the legwork in organizing
recent previous Northeast Natural History Conferences. We thank Robert Lichvar
and John Kartesz for providing an excellent and engaging Plenary talk. Aaron Ellison,
Jessica Arcate Schuler, Michael Batcher, Charles Boylen, Alvin Breisch, James Danoff-
Burg, John Davis, Jennifer Dean, Mary Egan, Susan Elbin, Caroline Girard, Paul B. Hai,
David Halliwell, Lee Harper, Christopher Hawver, Carl Herzog, Jeremy Hurst, Jennifer
Karberg, John Kartesz, Roland Kays, Jeremy Kirchman, Erik Kiviat, Gary Kleppel, Mary
Beth Kolozsvary, Robert Lichvar, Michael Mallon, Hugh McGuinness, Tim Mihuc, Rob
Naczi, Paul Novak, Glenn Johnson, Nishi Rajakaruna, George Robinson, Guy Robinson,
Matt Schlesinger, Karen Schneller-McDonald, Jessica Schuler, Chad Seewagen, Nancy
Slack, David Strayer, Troy Weldy, Chip Weseloh, Jay Westerveld, and Erin White all
helped organize and/or moderate sessions, for which we very appreciative. Special thanks
are also due to those who arranged for the field trips, workshops, and other special events
which contributed to making the conference even more enjoyable. We greatly appreciate
all the Conference co-sponsors who assisted significantly with the logistics and/or
financing of NENHC 2011: Eagle Hill Institute, Northeastern Naturalist,
Association of Northeastern Biologists, Torrey Botanical Society, New York State Museum,
and New York Flora Association. Other participating organizations that helped make
the conference all the more worthwhile were the New York Natural Heritage Progam and
the New York Natural History Council. Last, but not least, we thank each and every one
of the attendees for bringing their interest and enthusiasm, without which the conference
would not have been the energizing event it was.
On behalf of the NENHC staff, we look forward to seeing you at NENHC 2012.
Keith Goldfarb
February 28, 2012