(reprinted with permission fro the Press Republican)

Biodiversity on the Boquet

This Adirondack watershed supports an amazing variety of plant and animal life

By KIM SMITH DEDAM

Contributing Writer

LEWIS — A cadre of scientists descended on a short stretch of the Boquet River recently to explore biodiversity in the watershed habitat.

They counted as many plants, birds, insects, fish, mammals and other critters as they could find in 48 hours along a one-mile stretch of river.

Biodiversity, they explained, is critical to keeping ecosystems healthy.

The Boquet River Association organized the two-day BioBlitz research project. Director Robin Ulmer said the findings would help establish a benchmark for that section of river, which would, in turn, help scientists keep track of how the habitat changes.

"It's nice to know how diverse an area is in terms of species," Ulmer said. "It gives an idea of how ecologically well an area functions."

HUNTING FOR BUGS

Tim Mihuc, director of the Lake Champlain Research Institute, spent one morning turning over rocks and collecting strange-looking invertebrates. He and his wife, Janet, a professor of biology at Paul Smith's College, worked in tandem.

Tim, who is also professor of environmental sciences at Plattsburgh State, examined creatures under a microscope, identified and set the specimens in neat rows of glass jars.

The work was familiar. Under Tim's direction, the Lake Champlain Research Institute has received more than $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation and other organizations for research on Adirondack watersheds and Lake Champlain.

Janet focused on finding terrestrial insects. She walked through waist-high grass catching hundreds of bugs in one sweep of a net.

At observation stations, the Mihucs taught children at the BioBlitz how to observe and collect species. The young scientists jockeyed for position around jars of critters.

"You can see how different invertebrates move in the water," Tim said, pointing with an eyedropper. "We found 20-plus species this morning. There are probably double that in the river."

In the field insect tent, Janet emptied nets full of bugs into a collection jar.

"It is important to help raise awareness of all species that can be found in a small area," she said of the task. "Each one is important, and how many different kinds there are tells a lot about the relative health of a habitat."

WINGED CREATURES

Scientists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted electrofishing procedures in one day of research. The procedure essentially shocked a small section of water and stunned the fish.

Scientists counted common shiners, black-nosed dace, crayfish, cut-lipped minnows and Atlantic salmon.

On land, biologists identified plants in the watershed habitat. And others fanned out to count birds.

Peter and Polly White of Willsboro spent both days identifying birds, with help from Joan Collins of the High Peaks Audubon Society.

Coming back to headquarters in the last hour, Peter figured he had covered more than five miles walking up and down the river.

"I stayed the longest because I walk the slowest," he laughed.

"Here's evidence," he said, holding up the tail feather of a wild turkey. "Does this count?"

Ulmer told him it did.

BIODIVERSITY

The numbers of identified species grew to 112 plants, 78 aquatic and terrestrial insects, 48 bird species and five mammals by the end of the second afternoon. There are others that were not seen, Ulmer said.

Tim looked at the tally board and observed how the numbers presented a picture of the environment.

The balance, he said, is found in the ratio among them.

He noted an ascending relationship between species and what they eat.

Plants represent the largest number since they sustain much of the rest of the habitat.

The Boquet River Association plans to revisit the site in subsequent years and keep track of how the counts rise or fall. Changes will reveal much about how the habitat works, at least during the midsummer season.

Association Lab Director Dennis Kalma anticipated their findings with a question.

"The biodiversity of our world is awe-inspiring," he wrote. "I've often wondered if we were to be visited by ecotourists from another planet, would our biodiversity be as astounding to them as it is to some of us?"