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Central Park Flora Project
Summary• Project Conception
• Principals
• Project Origins
• Site Description
• Materials and Methods
• Project Findings
• Outreach and Outcomes
Daniel Atha
• Daniel Atha has collected
over 15,000 specimens
from all 50 states, Central
and South America, Europe,
the former Soviet Union and
Vietnam.
Regina Alvarez
• Regina is the former
Director of Horticulture and
Woodland Management for
the Central Park
Conservancy. She is an
Honorary Research
Associate at the New York
Botanical Garden and is
currently teaching botany,
ecology and general
biology at Queensborough
Community College.
Project Origins
• We led the Plant team for the 2013 Central Park
BioBlitz
• Discussed updates to 2007 DeCandido Flora
• Flora should be done every 10 years
• Continued going into the field every week since
the BioBlitz
Summary• Project Conception
• Site Description
• Overview of Park
• Habitats
• Periods of Decline and Restoration
• Current Management
• Materials and Methods
• Project Findings
• Outreach and Outcomes
Overview of the Park
• Designed by• Fredrick Law Olmsted
• Calvert Vaux
• 843 Acres
• Mixed-use park
• Fifth largest park in
NYC
Periods of Decline and Restoration
Photo: Central Park Conservancy
Habitats (Natural)Waterbodies, WetlandsWoodlands, Meadows Rock outcrops
Habitats (Urban)Transverse roads, walls Fences, curbs, cobblestones
Current Management
Soil restorationInvasive plant removal
Current Management
Native plants Habitats
Summary• Project Conception
• Site Description
• Materials and Methods
• Review historical records
• Improvements to published record
• Sampling method
• Archiving specimens
• Botanical Collaborations
• Project Findings
• Outreach and Outcomes
• Project Findings
Review & Build Upon Historical
Records
Daniel pressing plants
Sampling Methods
Regina photographing plants
Archiving SpecimensWilliam and Lynda Steere Herbarium
Archiving Specimens
Cook’s First Expedition Central Park Specimen
Archiving Specimens
This will be the first Flora of Central Park done
that will have a complete set of herbarium
specimens archived in perpetuity!
Collaborating with CPC staff
Botanical Collaborations
Summary• Project Conception
• Site Description
• Materials and Methods
• Project Findings
• Overview
• Species and Methods of Introduction
• Outreach and Outcomes
Project Findings Overview(Aug 2013 to Dec 2015)
(Preliminary figures)
1148 specimens
115 families
*554 species
54 new or historical species
21 restoration species regenerating
(2007 project reported 362 species)
*These are not all spontaneous. Further data analysis required. Not all specimens have been
processed yet.
2015 2007
Poaceae 54 species 25 species
Cyparaceae 21 species 5 species
Project Findings Overview(Aug 2013 to Dec 2015)
(Preliminary figures)
Species and Methods of Introduction
• Non-native
– Common species
– Emerging species
• Native
– Common species
– New records
– Restoration species
• Waifs
• Wildlife
• Wind
• Horticulture
• The public
– Deliberate
– Accidental
• Spontaneous – free living, dispersed on their
own, native or not native
– Spreading locally – from a cultivated plant.
Difficult to categorized (Mertensia virginica)
– Waif – occasional, free living, not persistent
(Sorghum bicolor)
– Naturalized – autonomous, spontaneous and
persistent populations (Eurybia divaricata)
Categories
• Cultivated – intentionally planted by humans
– Cultivated – not spreading in any way (Pinus
nigra)
– Persistent from cultivation – spreading
vegetatively, origin may be obscure (Galanthus
nivalis)
– Spreading locally – spreading very locally
(Mertensia virginica)
Categories
Non-native plants
Potamogeton crispusCurly Pondweed
Pistia stratioitesWater Lettuce
Fatoua villosaMulberry Weed
Persicaria lapathifolia and P. extremiorientalisPale smartweed and Far Eastern smartweed
Potentilla argenteaSilver cinquefoil
Lunaria annuaHonesty, Money plant, Silver dollar
Rumex patientiaPatience dock
Waifs
Allium cepaOnion
Sorghum bicolorSorghum, Milo
Curcurmis meloCantaloupe
Curcurbita ficifoliaFig-leaf gourd
Erigenia bulbosaHarbinger of spring
Native plants
Erythronium americanumTrout Lily
Potamogeton foliosusLeafy Pondweed
Amelanchier sanguineaRoundleaved Shadbush
Vitis aestivalisSummer grape
Vitis labruscaFox grape
Restoration plants
Pontedaria cordataPickerel weed
Saururus cernuusLizard’s tail
Asarum canadenseAmerican ginger
Carex flaccospermaBlue wood sedge
Carex plantagineaSeersucker sedge
Parthenocissus insertaGrape woodbine
Summary• Project Conception
• Site Description
• Materials and Methods
• Project Findings
• Outreach and Outcomes
• Publications
• Website & Blog
• Futurist Conceptions
• Training/Knowledge transfer
Publications• New findings
• Full flora
Recognition
LIVE on #Periscope : Part I: Flora Project
Central Park h t t p s : / / w w w .periscope.tv/w/aJICYTIwNzk5 N 3 w 1 N D M 4 N D M w N j z j h T C yg W m O N d V z 5 l t F m r G a d C d q P kC H U I Z F O g n 8 F 2 xF …
New York Times
Project Website
• Access to virtual
herbarium
• Online checklist
• Species map
Project Blog
• http://regina-alvarez.com
• Regular updates
• Responsive design
• Mobile ready
Project Checklist
• Access to virtual
herbarium
• Online checklist
• Species map
Project Map
• Interactive web map
created via
EasyMapMaker
• Easy conversion
from spreadsheet to
map
• Display selected
information in a
pop-up window
• Supports
overlapping points
• Feature filter –
genus, zone
• Search box
• Demo
Training and knowledge sharing
• Park staff, volunteers,
donors
• Teachers
• Students
What’s Next
• Continue field visits for missing species
• Analyze data
• Add images to herbarium specimens
• Publish full flora
• Continue outreach to students, teachers,
park workers and the public
Acknowledgements
Doug Blonsky
Neil Calvanese
Ella Baron
Brie Berry
Shanna Blanchard
Andrea Buteau
Terri Carta
John Paul Catusco
Ken Chaya
Christina Colon
Terri Coppersmith
Russell Fredericks
Andrea Gaskin
Maria Hernandez
Bill Kearny
Vanthon Keo
Jason Leggett
Richard Lieberman
Melanie Macchio
Betsy Marzahn-
Ramos
Taylan Morcol
Tina Nelson
Participants of the
2013 Central Park
BioBlitz
Bonnie Ralston
Julie Rankin
Betsy Rogers
Meryl Rubin
John Seirup
Nicole Sexton
Jay Wen
Wallace Wentink
Eric Whitaker
Marie Winn
Allan Wong
Richard Abbott
Dan Feeser
We are grateful for the financial support and cooperation of the Central
Park Conservancy and the New York Botanical Garden, as well as the
support of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
The following individuals have generously shared their knowledge, good humor
and labor:
A special thank you to Yibing Han for his outstanding work on the Central Park Flora
Map and to Hubert E. Urruttia for generously sharing his technical expertise
Questions
The Flora of Central Park
