Press

ALBANY, NY -- The New York State Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) has awarded $547,255 in grant funds for biodiversity research, conservation and education efforts in New York State.
These grants support research projects that will improve basic understanding of the variety of plants and animals that inhabit New York State. With this support, scientists will examine how threats, such as habitat fragmentation, residential development, invasive species, and mercury deposition affect a variety of species and natural communities in the state. They will also gather important baseline data that can be used to assess effects of climate change on the biodiversity of the state. These results will be used to better direct conservation efforts, such as prioritizing state land acquisition to preserve biodiversity and improve connections among habitats. Funds will also be used for a variety of projects that aim to educate the public about the importance of biodiversity and enable active participation in conservation.
The Biodiversity Research Institute, based on the recommendations of leading researchers in the fields of environmental science and education, selected the following projects to support over the coming year:
1. Title: Audubon Enhancement of the New York Dragonfly and Damselfly Survey 2007/08
Principal Investigators: Pamela A. Musk (Audubon New York) and Larry J. Federman (Audubon New York)
Award: $28,890

2. Title: Climate Change and the Adirondack Alpine Zone: Establishing Baselines 
Principal Investigator: Timothy G. Howard, Ph.D. (New York Natural Heritage Program)
Award: $34,420

3. Title: An Inventory of Mayflies, Stoneflies and Caddisflies of the Adirondack Park 
Principal Investigators: Boris C. Kondratieff, Ph.D. (Colorado State University) and Luke Myers (Colorado State University)
Award: $12,792

4. Title: Vouchered Floras of Underreported Counties of New York State. Phase II: Fulton County
Principal Investigators: Donna W. Vogler, Ph.D., Adam K. Ryburn, Ph.D. (State University of New York College at Oneonta), and Laurie Freeman (Fulton-Montgomery Community College of SUNY)
Award: $14,306

5. Title: The Decline of Southern Leopard Frogs from Long Island: Investigating Causes and Conservation Strategies 
Principal Investigators: Jeremy A. Feinberg (Rutgers University) and Joanna Burger, Ph.D. (Nelson Biological Laboratories)
Award: $19,713

6. Title: Inventory and Analysis of Vegetation in Remnant Inland Salt Marshes of New York 
Principal Investigator: Donald J. Leopold, Ph.D. (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry)
Award: $39,467

7. Title: Effect of Habitat Fragmentation on Bryophyte Communities in Northern White Cedar Swamps in New York State
Principal Investigators: Robin W. Kimmerer, Ph.D. (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) and Keith C. Bowman (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry)
Award: $32,104

8. Title: "Invasional Meltdown" Mediated by Mutualism Between the Non-Native European Fire Ant and Japanese Knotweed
Principal Investigators: Joshua H. Ness, Ph.D. (Skidmore College) and Manuel A. Morales, Ph.D. (Williams College)
Award: $31,719

9. Title: Modeling Adirondack-Tug Hill Connectivity
Principal Investigator: Dirk A. Bryant (The Nature Conservancy)
Award: $26,506

10. Title: Mercury Accumulation and Food Web Magnification in Two Forest-Dwelling Songbirds of New York’s Upland Forests
Principal Investigators: Jason Townsend (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) and William M. Shields, Ph.D. (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry)
Award: $26,093

11. Title: Impacts to Wildlife from the Ecological Consequences of Exurban Development in the Adirondack Park
Principal Investigators: Michale J. Glennon, Ph.D. (Wildlife Conservation Society) and Heidi E. Kretser (Cornell University)
Award: $22,776

12. Title: Testing a Model to Predict the Effects of Residential Development on Breeding Bird Community Integrity 
Principal Investigator: Michale J. Glennon, Ph.D. (Wildlife Conservation Society) 
Award: $13,299

13. Title: Determining Acquisition Priority of Lands Adjacent to NY State Parks to Preserve Biodiversity and Connectivity 
Principal Investigator: Amanda J. Stein (New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation)
Award: $24,864

14. Title: Assessment of Residential Developmental Impact on the Integrity of Mammal Communities in New York 
Principal Investigator: William F. Porter, Ph.D. (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry)
Award: $28,279

15. Title: Is Mercury Deposition Having Impacts on New York’s Biological Diversity?
Principal Investigators: David C. Evers, Ph.D. (Biodiversity Research Institute), Michael S. Bank, Ph.D. (Harvard School of Public Health), and David P. Braun, Ph.D. (The Nature Conservancy)
Award: $27,200

16. Title: Stream Corridors of Columbia County: Sharing their Biodiversity Value and Encouraging their Conservation
Principal Investigators: Conrad R. Vispo, Ph.D. (Farmscape Ecology Program) and Claudia Knab-Vispo, Ph.D. (Farmscape Ecology Program)
Award: $27,970

17. Title: An Education Campaign to Increase Support for Beach-nesting Bird Conservation on Long Island 
Principal Investigator: Jillian M. Liner (Audubon New York)
Award: $26,712

18. Title: The Adirondack Biodiversity Challenge: K-12 Teachers Designing, Testing, and Publishing Curriculum Exploring Biodiversity 
Principal Investigators: Sandra Bureau (Indian Lake Central School) and Paul Hai (Roosevelt Wild Life Station at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry)
Award: $26,800

19. Title: Passage Through New York: A Listening Network Tracking Songbird Migration from Boreal to Austral Forests
Principal Investigators: Susan B. Elbin, Ph.D. (Wildlife Trust) and Jeffrey V. Wells, Ph.D. (Boreal Songbird Initiative)
Award: $20,500

20. Title: Adopt-A-Shoreline: Engaging Waterway Users in the Management of Invasive Aquatic Plants
Principal Investigator: Amy Samuels (Cornell Cooperative Extension-Onondaga County)
Award: $32,545

21. Title: Expanding and Enhancing a Web-based Flora for Tompkins County, New York
Principal Investigator: Kevin C. Nixon, Ph.D. (Cornell University)
Award: $30,300

The BRI serves as a comprehensive source of biological information, which is used to advise both public and private agencies on matters relating to the status of New York’s biological resources. The New York State Legislature created the Institute in 1993 to help meet the challenges associated with preserving the state’s biodiversity. The BRI is housed within the New York State Museum and is funded through the Environmental Protection Fund. The BRI is a collaboration between the State Museum, Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, State University of New York, New York Natural Heritage Program, American Museum of Natural History, Audubon New York, and The Nature Conservancy. Further information is available at: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/bri/ or by calling 518-474-6531.
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