May 5, 2022

Re-Connecting Fragmented Ecosystems  

by S-FX.com

stream crossing

As humans continue to expand their range, the habitats of aquatic and terrestrial organisms are becoming increasingly lost or fragmented.  Habitat fragmentation is detrimental to an ecosystem, as it hinders the organism from accessing certain parts of its habitat. Fragmentation can cut off an animal’s access to resources, such as shelter, food, and water. Additionally, terrestrial animals are more vulnerable to deadly interactions with vehicles as they attempt to cross the road. 

Structures such as culverts and bridges allow organisms to safely move from one part of the ecosystem to another by going under roads rather than over them. However, these structures are not always well-maintained. Some culverts are old and clogged with debris, while others have caved in. Bridges and railroad crossings sometimes have structures that go down into the ground or stream, which could also inhibit the movement of the organisms.

Additionally, some of these structures can alter the function of the ecosystem. Culverts are often used to connect streams that cross roadway systems. If the culvert is too small compared to the width of the stream, it could slow water flow or cause erosion of the stream bed on the downstream side of the structure, which could ultimately impact the organisms living in the stream. What’s more, the structure may not be big enough for terrestrial animals, or may not even provide them with a passage to begin with.

IMG 1362 Scaled
One of the many culverts assessed by the field team.

There are thousands of these structures in New Jersey alone. How would we know which ones need to be restored? 

In 2021, the Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP), obtained a grant from the NJDEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) program. Under this grant, the BBP is assessing over 150 priority road-stream crossings, using the North Atlantic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) guidelines. NAACC is a group of state and federal agencies, colleges, and other environmental organizations that strive to improve the connectivity of ecosystems. Using NAACC guidelines, the BBP is completing assessments at sites located within known wildlife corridors that connect core habitats where populations can thrive. These assessments will help identify road-stream crossings within these corridors that need restoration. 

“We want to make sure that organisms small and large, terrestrial and aquatic, can still have a safe passage, regardless of human use of the area.”

Kayla Racanelli- BBP Field and Lab Technician
Image 2 1 768x1024 1
Field technicians Kayla Racanelli (left) and Sammie Adamczyk (right) assessing a crossing.

The BBP stream-road crossing assessment field team, led by field technician Sammie Adamczyk, analyze the passability of aquatic and terrestrial crossings within the Barnegat Bay watershed. The team takes several measurements at the site including the height, width, and length of the crossing structure, as well as the width and depth of the stream. They also note whether there are any barriers blocking the passage that could potentially inhibit the crossing of wildlife.

When asked why this project is important, Kayla Racanelli, a field technician on the team, felt strongly about the road crossing assessments: “We want to make sure that organisms small and large, terrestrial and aquatic, can still have a safe passage, regardless of human use of the area.” The data that the team collects will be integral in the restoration process of these wildlife crossings. 

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UNKNOWN

There is limited data available to quantify Wetland and Riparian Buffer Preservation, or updated data to quantify Wetland Acreage. The BBP has obtained funding and will begin assessment efforts for both targets, in the next few years.

 

 Hard Clam abundance has not been updated since 2012. Recovery of the stock will be guided by the Fishery Management Plan for Hard Clams, which is under development with the NJDEP, BBP, and other organizations. Reclam the Bay and other partners have continued to plant clams for restoration purposes. Continued plantings in strategic locations which maximize survival and reproduction is one strategy to pursue in the coming years. This work can use a model developed by Rutgers with BBP funding which identified areas where planted clams could have the greatest dispersal of their larvae and thus potentially maximally contribute to the recovery of the stock.

 Water Withdrawals were over the target in the 2021 report; USGS has not yet completed its latest update, so a definitive determination of status is not available. However, additional NJDEP data show that it is likely that we continue to not meet the target. Per capita water use has gone down, demonstrating the effectiveness of water-saving appliances and practices, but that decrease has been offset by population gains. 


IN PROGRESS

New maps quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation extent were developed, but poor image clarity resulted in a high degree of uncertainty in the total acreage. NJDEP and Rutgers are working to resolve the uncertainty of these maps, and improve the total acreage estimate. Funding has also been obtained for further research and restoration activities. Several groups are developing potential restoration actions.

The USGS has completed the first phase of its study to identify minimum ecological flows in select Barnegat Bay tributaries. USGS scientists compared streamflow statistics between historical and current time periods to better understand trends in watershed flow conditions. This work provides a foundation for developing ecological flow targets in the Barnegat Bay watershed.  Similar to SAV extent, funding (approximately $450K) has been obtained by the BBP to complete the remaining phases necessary for threshold determination.

 

TARGETS ACHIEVED

No targets can be considered “Achieved” at this time.

 

NOT ACHIEVING

Several Public Swimming Beaches exceeded their safe swimming standards more frequently than during their baseline time period (2016-2018).

While most beaches are routinely safe for swimming, several problematic areas such as Beachwood, Hancock, Windward, and several lake beaches need track-down studies and restoration to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

Acres of Approved Shellfish Waters decreased from the last report. While this decrease was small, it represents a loss of previously approved waters. Similar to public beaches, track-down studies and restoration work are needed to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

 

Re-Connecting Fragmented Ecosystems  

As humans continue to expand their range, the habitats of aquatic and terrestrial organisms are becoming increasingly lost or fragmented.  Habitat fragmentation is detrimental to an ecosystem, as it hinders the organism from accessing certain parts of its habitat. Fragmentation can cut off an animal’s access to resources, such as shelter, food, and water. Additionally, terrestrial animals are more vulnerable to deadly interactions with vehicles as they attempt to cross the road. 

Structures such as culverts and bridges allow organisms to safely move from one part of the ecosystem to another by going under roads rather than over them. However, these structures are not always well-maintained. Some culverts are old and clogged with debris, while others have caved in. Bridges and railroad crossings sometimes have structures that go down into the ground or stream, which could also inhibit the movement of the organisms.

Additionally, some of these structures can alter the function of the ecosystem. Culverts are often used to connect streams that cross roadway systems. If the culvert is too small compared to the width of the stream, it could slow water flow or cause erosion of the stream bed on the downstream side of the structure, which could ultimately impact the organisms living in the stream. What’s more, the structure may not be big enough for terrestrial animals, or may not even provide them with a passage to begin with.

IMG 1362 Scaled
One of the many culverts assessed by the field team.

There are thousands of these structures in New Jersey alone. How would we know which ones need to be restored? 

In 2021, the Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP), obtained a grant from the NJDEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) program. Under this grant, the BBP is assessing over 150 priority road-stream crossings, using the North Atlantic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) guidelines. NAACC is a group of state and federal agencies, colleges, and other environmental organizations that strive to improve the connectivity of ecosystems. Using NAACC guidelines, the BBP is completing assessments at sites located within known wildlife corridors that connect core habitats where populations can thrive. These assessments will help identify road-stream crossings within these corridors that need restoration. 

“We want to make sure that organisms small and large, terrestrial and aquatic, can still have a safe passage, regardless of human use of the area.”

Kayla Racanelli- BBP Field and Lab Technician

Image 2 1 768x1024 1
Field technicians Kayla Racanelli (left) and Sammie Adamczyk (right) assessing a crossing.

The BBP stream-road crossing assessment field team, led by field technician Sammie Adamczyk, analyze the passability of aquatic and terrestrial crossings within the Barnegat Bay watershed. The team takes several measurements at the site including the height, width, and length of the crossing structure, as well as the width and depth of the stream. They also note whether there are any barriers blocking the passage that could potentially inhibit the crossing of wildlife.

When asked why this project is important, Kayla Racanelli, a field technician on the team, felt strongly about the road crossing assessments: “We want to make sure that organisms small and large, terrestrial and aquatic, can still have a safe passage, regardless of human use of the area.” The data that the team collects will be integral in the restoration process of these wildlife crossings. 

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stream crossing