1. Using outside sources, research and find studies of biodiversity in or near your hometown. Briefly describe the study, its purpose and problems that are being found in relation to H.I.P.P.O.

Scientists examine biodiversity of Passaic River Parkway in Union County’s annual Bio-Blitsz (Link: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/union_county_hosts_annual_bio-.html)

Union County, New Jersey is home to many concerned citizens as well as a county owned stretch of  the Passaic River. Over the course of 24 hours in 2011, scientists and biologists were to experiment with the river. The experiment’s main goal was to release the true facts about what lives in the river. The plan is that over the course of these 24 hours, the scientists will shock the water with electricity in order to temporarily stun the fish and let them float to the top of the water. By doing this the scientists and community citizens will get to truly see what has moved into their area which will give them a better idea of how to maintain the waterways. The concern is that various foreign species have made their way into the area by local ports accepting imports and unknowingly bringing their own species into the area. Scientists claim it is truly sad the unknowing impact that these importers have and that it truly effects their ecosystem.

Pinelands Biodiversity Study (Link: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/publications/pinelands-final.pdf)

The Pinelands in New Jersey is home to the Northeast’s largest pinelands with almost 1500 square miles. The plan of this study was to analyze the impacts of the forest management services. The would be one area that was strictly designated as a control zone that has never had any forest management as well as a test zone with history of forest management that would serve to prove whether or not the forest management did or did not impact the overall biodiversity of the area. The study areas were vegetation surveys and avian surveys, or also referred to as bird and plant studies, respectively. The overall findings of these studies were that the forest management and human interaction in these areas did, indeed have an impact. The forest management zone had impacts of life lengths of plants as well as the increased number of non-native species due to the interaction of the humans in a place they simply do not belong.

2. Using the Pinelands study, create a diagram that shows the threats to biodiversity in the New Jersey Pinelands.