1. Ecological Restoration in Jamaica
Bay
www.appliedeco.com
William Young, PWS, CERP bill.young@appliedeco.com

2. Presentation Outline
• AES General Company
Information
• Projects in Jamaica Bay
• Restoration works!

5. Healy Ave. Norton Basin, Jamaica Bay
Healy Ave Marsh and
Dune
East side Jamaica Bay
1999-2001
NYS DEC
2.25 acres
$350,000

6. In 1995, with Jamaica
Bay damages account,
NYSDEC purchased 11
acres of maritime
shrubland and
grassland habitat with
fringing wetlands.
In 1999, the Dawson
Corp was hired to
remove fill off the
wetlands, place clean
sand and plant low and
high marsh 2.25 acres.
Healy Ave is rare in
that there was an
intact dune habitat
that was bolstered by
the planting of dune
grass (Ammoplila
breviligulata), Beach
plum, Bayberry,
Shadbush and Virginia
rose, in addition to
five native grasses.

7. Yellow rumped warbler at Healy Avenue
marsh
Yellow-rumped warbler
(Setophaga coromata)
at Healy Ave marsh

9. Four Sparrow Marsh
Brooklyn, NY. Right off
Flatbush Ave next to Belt
Parkway.
Restoration:
1. Get rid of all debris smothering the marsh
2. Excavate and remove fill mostly in
Phragmites
3. Plant and seed to low and high marsh
4. (change order); get rid of 6,000 batteries
discovered on site.

10. Four Sparrow Marsh
North side Jamaica Bay
2002-2004
NYC Parks
4.5 acres $800,000
>80,000 plugs, removal of huge pile of
batteries, and we removed piles of marine
debris which buried the marsh.

11. Four Sparrow Marsh,
acquired by NYC Parks
in 1997, supports 35
acres of low marsh, high
marsh and maritime
shrubland.
These native plant
communities were
degraded by invasive
species, primarily
Mugwort and Common
reed.
Four sparrows:
Seaside sparrow
(Ammodramus maritimus)
which nests exclusively in low
marsh,
Sharp-tailed sparrow (A.
caudacutus), which prefers
high marsh,
Swamp sparrow (Melospiza
georgiana), which inhabits the
wetland-shrub edge,
Song sparrow (M. melodia)
which is found in the upland.
Even Bill knows
Swamp
sparrows have
a rusty cap,
gray breast,
and white
throat.

12. Mostly grassland/savanna, with species
from all the coastal New York
ecosystems. No less than 11 native
plant communities were researched and
soils and species replicated on capped
landfill site.
Fountain and Penn
combined: 543 acres

13. Detailed study to Replicate Coastal NY Plant
Communities.
11/3/2017 13

14. Modeling Coastal Ecosystems
11/3/2017 14
Heather
Pine--oak
thicket

15. Design with Nature: Ian McHarg
Modified by Young and
Shay, 200611/3/2017 15

16. Planting tree islands in Sept 2008
The entire capped landfill has 18” of topsoil, as per RCRA regulations.
But 14 tree islands have three feet of topsoil. Grasslands on the 18
inch topsoil, trees and shrubs on the 36 inch topsoil islands.
11/3/2017 16
Great
southern
white on
Sea oxeye

17. Fountain Avenue four
years after
construction. Is this
restoration?
11/3/2017 17

18. What’s up with the Irrigation? I
thought these were native plants
11/3/2017 18
Native plants are
not bullet proof,
especially in such
an artificial
environmentas a
former landfill.
However, after
establishment they
are quite self-
sustaining.

20. In all, 19,000
trees and
shrubs.
Restoration?
Significant
replacement
of invasive
species with
natives.

24. Native Woody
Plants
Common Name
Plant Genus
Butterfly/moth species
supported
Oak Quercus 534
Black cherry Prunus 456
Willow Salix 455
Birch Betula 413
Poplar Populus 368
Crabapple Malus 311
Blueberry Vaccinium 288
Maple Acer 285
Elm Ulmus 213
Pine Pinus 203
Hickory Carya 200
Hawthorn Crataegus 159
Spruce Picea 156
Alder Alnus 156
Basswood Tilia 150
Ash Fraxinus 150
Rose Rosa 139
Filbert Corylus 131
Walnut Juglans 130
Beech Fagus 126
Chestnut Castanea 125

26. N.Y. / Region
New York Today: A ‘Maritime Forest’ Where
Sandy’s Waters Rose
New York Today
By ALEXANDRA S. LEVINE OCT. 27, 2017

27. Paerdergat- rare grassland habitat

28. Notfor nothin,but
thepeonydon’thelp
me none.
Norme!

31. Paerdegat- 23 acres grassland/scrub
shrub habitat

32. Species NY Natural
Heritage
Rank1
NYS Status Breeding Wintering
Northern Harrier S3 Threatened X X
Upland
Sandpiper
S3 Threatened X
Short-eared Owl S2 Endangered X X
Horned Lark Special Concern X X
Sedge Wren S3 Threatened X
Vesper Sparrow Special Concern X
Grasshopper
Sparrow
S4 Special Concern X
Henslow's
Sparrow
S4 Threatened X
Bobolink S5 not listed* X
Eastern
Meadowlark
S5 not listed* X
Savannah
Sparrow
S5 not listed* X
Footnote 1: Natural Heritage Program Status:
Early
successional
habitats—rare
in NY.

33. Food
Approximately 74% of the annual diet consists of
animal matter and includes mainly beetles,
grasshoppers, caterpillars, and occasionally flies,
wasps, and spiders (Beal 1926, cited by Gross 1958).
Crickets and grasshoppers comprise 26% of the annual
diet, and beetles make up 25% of the annual diet. The
remainder of the diet consists of vegetable matter,
mainly grain and weed seeds. Seeds of smartweed
(Polygonum spp.), ragweed (Ambrosia spp.), corn,
wheat, rye, and oats are eaten in the winter months
when insects are scarce (Gross 1958). Fruits, such
as wild cherries (Prunus spp.), strawberries
(Fragaria spp.), and blackberries (Rubus spp.),
may also constitute a small percentage of the diet.
During adverse winter weather, eastern meadow-
larks have been observed to feed on road kills
(Hubbard and Hubbard 1969).
Eastern
meadowlark

34. FOOD WEBS
FAT
PROTEIN
?
No doubt plants are the king. Only they can convert
sunlight to biomass,
Creating food out of abiotic resources. But insects are
the next level, transferring that energy to higher levels.

35. In terms of both number of species and number of individuals, insects are a
dominant form of life on Earth. There are somewhere between 800,000 and
1,000,000 insect species known–that’s more than all other animals combined!
What’s more, scientists estimate that with those insect species yet to be
discovered, there are between 80 and 100 million species of insects sharing the
planet with us.

36. Pollination by a bumblebee
Considered an Ecosystem service

37. Common Name
Plant Genus
Butterfly/moth
species supported
Goldenrod Solidago 115
Asters Aster 112
Sunflower Helianthus 73
Joe pye, Boneset Eupatorium 42
Morning glory Ipomoea 39
Sedges Carex 36
Honeysuckle Lonicera 36
Lupine Lupinus 33
Violets Viola 29
Geraniums Geranium 23
Black-eyed susan Rudbeckia 17
Iris Iris 17
Evening primrose Oenothera 16
Milkweed Asclepias 12
Verbena Verbena 11
Beardtongue Penstemon 8
Phlox Phlox 8
Bee balm Monarda 7
Veronica Veronica 6
Little bluestem Schizachyrium 6
Cardinal flower Lobelia 4

39. Asters & Fleabanes . Asters are clump forming perennial, bloom late August – October
. Fleabanes are annual and biennial, bloom in early June – September . Fleabanes
with small white flowers, Aster flowers range white to purple; both with central
yellow disks . Both plants tolerate wide range of soil, moisture, and sunlight
conditions . High value to pollinators, improve insect diversity and diversify grassland
habitat . Benefit ruffed grouse, wild turkey, songbirds, small mammals, eastern
cottontail and white-tailed deer

41. Data in the literature
• indicate that the best habitats are
in grasslands with few forbs and
that meadowlarks avoid areas
where forbs are predominant. It
is assumed that optimal
conditions will exist when greater
than 80% of the herbaceous
cover is grass, that suitability will
decrease as the relative percent
of grass decreases. and that the
habitat will not be suitable when
less than 20% of the herbaceous
cover is grass.
Meadowlark territories in Wisconsin varied in
size from 1.2 to 6.1 ha (3 to 15 acres) and were
commonly 2.8 to 3.2 ha (7 to 8 acres) (Lanyon
1956). The average size of 15 territories in
New York was 2.8 ha (7 acres) (Gross 1958) ..

42. Pollination
Long horned
bee pollinating
New York
ironweed
(Vernonia
noveboracensis)
Photo by Naturalist
Blaine Rothauser
on August 2, 2016

43. BUILDING STRONG®
Rulers Bar: 92,000 CY, 10 acres
(3 Oct 12)
Jamaica Bay-NY/NJ Harbor Multi-Project Initiative
Ambrose Channel Deepening:
Total 3.6 M CY
Capping NBCDF: 230,000 CY
(June 12)
Black Wall: 150,000 CY, 20 acres
(21 Sept 12)
Yellow Bar: 375,000 CY, 44 acres
(Aug 12)
Plumb Beach: 129,188 CY
(9 Nov 12)
Marsh Island Restoration in Jamaica Bay

44. Crisis: Jamaica Bay, largest Watershed in NYC: Islands
are sinking/degrading
1924
1999

45. BUILDING STRONG®
Yellow Bar Hassock
► Beneficial Use of dredged material (CAP 204)
► Approximately 40 acres at cost of $19,643,547
► Sand placement, grading and planting (Similar to Elders)
► Sand Contract Awarded to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock
► Marsh Builder Contract Awarded to Village Dock, Inc.
• Planting Sub-Contractor was Burke Environmental
Marsh Island Restoration in Jamaica Bay

46. BUILDING STRONG®
Skid-steer moving 3’ x 3’ x
2’ hummocks with a mini-
excavator digging holes,
and planting the
hummocks.
Marsh Island Restoration in Jamaica Bay
Burke changed up equipment to get more
production out of hummock planting. The
operators got REALLY GOOD at this. Mini
excavator superior to skid steer.

48. BUILDING STRONG®
Marsh Island Restoration in Jamaica Bay

49. Evidence that the Lordship Living Shoreline
expansion is working
Dec 2016 Sept 2017
Living Shoreline (Reef Balls) at Stratford Point,
Fairfield, CT

50. Using Hybrid Attenuation Approach, Living Shorelines can
be placed along almost any coastline. This is protect the
shoreline from erosion and loss.
With permission from Living Shoreline
Solutions, Inc. Dade City, FL

51. Whooo has
questions?
A system driven by science!!!

55. Estuarine Wetlands -Coastal NY/NJ
Salt Marshes
Young Environmental, LLC
IF YOU BUILD IT….

56. February 2009 All you have to do is ASC
Usually size of animal correlates
to home range and area needed.

57. Which animal is the most adaptable? Least?

58. Rulers Bar: 92,000 CY, 10 acres
(3 Oct 12)
Jamaica Bay-NY/NJ Harbor Multi-Project Initiative
Ambrose Channel Deepening:
Total 3.6 M CY Dredged material
finds beneficial use restoring
islands.
Capping NBCDF: 230,000 CY
(June 12)
Black Wall: 150,000 CY, 20 acres
(21 Sept 12)
Yellow Bar: 375,000 CY, 44 acres
(Aug 12)
Plumb Beach: 129,188 CY
(9 Nov 12)
Marsh Island Restoration in Jamaica Bay

60. SWS 2017 60
Bill Young, with volunteers at
supplemental planting at
Stratford Point Living
Shoreline, May 2015. Data is
being collected showing
significant accretion of sand and
sediment on the beach side of
the reef.

61. Jamaica Bay has Pilot Projects
50,000 OYSTERS BEING INSTALLED IN
JAMAICA BAY TO HELP IMPROVE WATER
QUALITY AND PROTECT WETLANDS
Significant marine engineering goes into
Reef Ball design.

62. Urban Wild Space Wildlife Land
Management
Albany Pine Bush Preserve,
Albany, NY
• surrounded by industrial
and high-density
residential development
• Globally rare ecosystem
(inland pine barrens)
• Federally-Endangered
Karner blue butterfly
(Lycaeides melissa
samuelis)
• Multiple other rare
species

63. Savanna Wetlands & Streams
Results
Dunes and Dry Prairies

64. Goals Measured by Faunal Metrics

66. Oxford Wetland Mitigation Bank
74 acre former sod farm
Designed and permitted: Environmental
Connection/Young Environmental
Construction: 2016-7 The Dawson Corporation

67. Lepidoptera tell a story

68. “Better stewardship of the land could have a
bigger role in fighting climate change than
previously thought,” the international team of
scientists said of findings published in the US
journal Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences.
The estimates for nature’s potential, led by
planting forests, were up to 30% higher than
those envisaged by a UN panel of climate
scientists in a 2014 report, it said.
The Guardian Oct 17,2017

69. Page | 71

70. Hydrology and wildlife return to formerly degraded site.

71. Mitigation Expertise
Seneca Meadows Wetland Preserve Video
NYSDEC independent study showed AES mitigation sites
have HIGHEST success rate in the state

72. Wild land and open space have great value.
NYC water—best in country
Resilience?

73. Physical/Hydrological Functions
Groundwater Recharge/Discharge

74. Biogeochemical Functions
Water Quality
Wetlands trap, retain and
process pollutants in flooded
soil - “kidneys of the
landscape”
Retention of pathogens and
nutrients(nitrates, phosphates)
pesticides, and metals.
Protect drinking water
suppliesWetlands are
natures’s kidneys

76. Environmental Connection, LLC
www.envconnection.net
Biogeochemical Functions
Sediment trapping

77. Biological Functions
Habitats/Biodiversity

78. Environmental Connection, LLC
www.envconnection.net
Biogeochemical Functions
Atmospheric Equilibrium

79. If you build it they WILL come
Ecology:
“Oikos”

80. Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) Method
Developed by Army Corps of Engineers
• Uses reference wetlands (e.g., natural in region of
interest)
• Evaluates set of wetland functions through field
assessment
• Functional capacity index (FCI) – 0-1, 1 equals
function at same level as reference wetland. FCI X
acres of habitat assessed = FCUs

81. Evaluation of Planned Wetlands (EPW)
Developed by Environmental Concern
• Similar to HGM but sleeker and easier to
use. Uses reference wetlands (e.g., natural in
region of interest) Evaluates limited set of
wetland functions through field assessment.
• Functional capacity index (FCI) – 0-1, 1
equals function at same level as reference
wetland. FCI X acres of habitat assessed =
FCUs

82. Evaluation of Planned Wetlands (EPW)
Here are the parameters for conducting the EPW:
• Shoreline Bank Erosion Control: Capacity to
provide erosion control and to dissipate erosive
forces at the shoreline bank
• Sediment Stabilization: Capacity to stabilize and
retain previously deposited sediments
• Water Quality: Capacity to retain and process
dissolved or particulate materials to the benefit of
downstream surface water quality

83. Evaluation of Planned Wetlands (EPW)
Wildlife: Degree to which a wetland functions
as habitat for wildlife as described by habitat
complexity.
Fish: The food/cover, reproductive, and water
quality requirements for fish.
Uniqueness/Heritage: Presence of
characteristics that distinguish a wetland as
unique, rare or valuable.

86. Project Status
•From degraded to:
•Diverse Dynamic Productive Stingy
Using functional analysis

87. Insects: A foundation of the food web

88. BUILDING STRONG®
Molt of HS Crab Found on
Yellow Bar Hassock, July 2012.
3,905 nests. Perhaps 200 eggs per nest. Accounting for
losses, say, 160,000 new crabs. Not too shabby!
Marsh Island Restoration in Jamaica Bay

89. 11/3/2017
Tidal Wetland
BEFORE
AFTER

90. 95

91. Salt marshes are unique and highly productive ecosystems
that provide a range of valuable services (MEA 2005; Barbier
et al. 2011). The importance of these intertidal grasslands to
fish and wildlife populations is well documented; in particular,
they serve as nursery and feeding areas for many economically
and ecologically important fishery species (Dionne et al.
1999; Deegan et al. 2000; Minello et al. 2003) and as critical
breeding, migration, or wintering habitat for variety of bird
species (Greenberg et al. 2006; Shriver and Greenberg 2012).
Marsh vegetation also filters sediments, nutrients, and other
pollutants from upland drainage and helps buffer shorelines
from erosion by waves and currents, and marsh sediments
have a high capacity for long-term carbon sequestration
(Mcleod et al. 2011).

92. Samanek
(invasives.org)
Number of herbivore species supported
Non-native plant species Homeland Novel
Years since
introduction
Phragmites austrlis 170 5 >300
Eucalptus stelloleta 48 1 100
Opuntia ficus-indica 16 0 250
Clematis vitalba 40 1 100
Melaleuca quinquenervia 406 8 120
D. Tallamy
Will evolution be the solution?

93. Regal Fritillary Butterfly
(Speyaria idalia)
• Endemic to tallgrass and mixed
grass prairies
– Larvae feed on only violets in spring
– Adults feed on prairie plants,
preferring nectar of milkweeds (and
thistles)

94. Lots of
insects in
the soil

95. UNDO

96. Carlina carline 0 0
Carthamus distaff thistle 0 1
Carum caroway 0 1
Catapodium 0 0
Caucalis burr parsley 0 0
Centaurium centaury 0 0
Centipeda centipeda 0 0
Ceratocephala
curveseed
butterwort 0 0
Chaenorhinum dwarf snapdragon 0 0
Chaiturus lion's tail 0 0
Chamaemelum dogfennel 0 0
Chelidonium celandine 0 0
Chondrilla chondrilla 0 0
Chorispora crossflower 0 1
Chrozophora chrozophora 0 0
Cicer chick pea 1 0
Cichorium endive, chickory 0 9
Citrullus watermelon 1 11
Cnicus cnicus 0 0
Coincya star-mustard 0 0
Coix Job's tears 0 0
Colchicum colchicum 0 0
Colocasia coco yam 0 2
Conium poison hemlock 0 2
Conringia hare's ear mustard 0 2
Consolida knight's spur 0 1
Convolvulus bindweed, morning
glory 2 7
Corchorus
jute, tridens
corchorus 1 0
Coriandrum coriander 0 0
Coronopus swinecress 0 0
Corrigiola corrigiola 0 0
Cortaderia pampas grass 0 0
Corynephorus clubawn grass 0 0
Crepis hawksbeard 0 2
Genus Common alien lep native lep
Dactylis
orchard grass 1 20
Dactyloctenium Egyptian grass,
crowfoot grass 0 1
Dahlia dahlia 2 13
Daphne daphne 0 0
Dasypyrum mosquitograss 0 0
Dianthus pinks, carnations 2 8
Dictamnus gas plant 0 2
Digera 0 0
Digitalis foxglove 0 3
Dinebra viper grass 0 0
Diplotaxis wallrocket 0 1
Dipsacus teasel 0 1
Disporum fairy bells, mandarin 1 0
Dittrichia dittrichia 0 0
Duchesnea duchesnea 0 0
Ecballium squirting cucumber 0 0
Echinops globethistle 0 0
Egeria egeria 0 0
Eichhornia water hyacinth 0 0
Eleusine indian goosegrass 0 0
Eleutherococcus ginseng 0 0
Elsholtzia elsholtzia 0 0
Emex threecornerjack 0 0
Epipactis helleborine 0 0
Eremopyrum False wheatgrass 0 0
Erica heath, heather 2 2
Erodium heron's bill, erodium,
stork's bill 0 3
Eruca* arugula, saladrocket,
rocketsalad 0 1
Erucastrum dogmustard 0 0
Euphrasia eyebright 0 0
Facelis trampweed 0 0
Fagopyrum buckwheat 0 8
Falcaria falcaria 0 0
Fatoua fatoua 0 0
Filago cottonrose 0 0
Foeniculum sweet fennel, fennell 0 1
Fumaria fumitory 0 0
Galanthus snowdrop 0 0
Guess what? The most “useful” exotic plants to insects are
the ones closely related. The insects at least can
recognize/utilize them. Asters, Willow, Solidagos, Juncus,
Quercus, Fagus, Asclepias, Bidens

97. Native species: 406 species of herbivores
Non-native species: 8 species of herbivores