BOTANICAL EVALUATION OF THE GOAT ISLAND COMPLEX, NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK
P. M. Eckel
Buffalo Museum of Science
1020 Humboldt Pkwy
Buffalo, NY 14211 U.S.A.
www.buffalomuseumofscience.org

Return to Table of Contents

NUMERICAL DESCRIPTION OF DISTRIBUTION OF TAXA IN THE GOAT ISLAND COMPLEX
The following tabulation is only approximate to give some indication of the relative abundances of species in various groups of plant organisms at various localities in the Goat Island complex. Numbers represent different species present, zero represents species looked for and not found. Because they were not well represented, some plant groups were not examined in the field for certain areas: Green Island has not been examined for anything but vascular (flowering) plants, the flats were not examined for their lichen populations, and so forth.

Details of rare species are given for each locality as well. Ferns are identified as such below, and all are native and confined to areas with rare plants. Native rare plants are noted because they must be protected. Alien rare plants are of secondary importance and are included here to demonstrate the unusual character of the habitats in which they occur in addition to their correlation with the distribution of rare native plants in the complex. Most of the more "valuable" plants are confined to the island boundaries, as are areas of highest diversity.

Based on the following tabulations, the First and Second Sister Islands and the Base of Goat Island are the most speciose or species rich areas in the Reservation.

Note: the total number of flowering plant species for Goat Island is given in another section of this report: the numbers for each of the designated areas on Goat Island given below represent duplicate counts of the same species, and adding them together would seriously distort by inflating the number of species present. The numbers for Goat Island only indicate the relative species diversity in the different areas.

Distribution of taxa in the Goat Island complex:

GOAT ISLAND

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Central Woods

Total vascular plant species: 49

alien 8; native 41

(Note: rarities listed for the central woods are here by convenience - except for Narcissus and Viburnum they actually occur somewhat beyond the woods margins in several compass directions.)

Veronica peregrina ssp. xalapensis, NATIVE, rare in New York State [Heritage].

Diplotaxis muralis, alien, rare in New York State; rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Lycopersicon esculentum, alien, rare in New York State; rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Narcissus pseudo-narcissus, alien, rare in New York State; rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Polygonum achoreum, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Viburnum lantana, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Bryophytes: 2

(Additional species were observed but not collected: the bryophyte flora here is sparse.]

Thuidium pygmaeum rare in New York State [Heritage].

Weissia hedwigii rare in New York State: second collection known for the State.

SPECIES 51

 

North Slope

Total vascular plant species: 62

alien 29; native 33

Poa nemoralis, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Viburnum lantana, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Lichens: 12

Arthonia lapadicola new to New York State.

Fungi: 11

Bryophytes: 15

Orthotrichum pusillum rare in New York State [Heritage]

SPECIES 100

 

Crest

Total vascular plant species: 59

alien 25; native 34

Rosa virginiana rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

SPECIES 59

 

Base

Total vascular plant species: 83

alien 32; 51 native

Diplotaxis tenuifolia, alien, rare in New York State; rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Fungi: 2

Lichens: 3

Bryophytes: 21

Didymodon tophaceus rare in New York State [Heritage]

Hyophila involuta rare in New York State [Heritage]

Trichostomum crispulum rare in New York State and the northeastern United States.

SPECIES 109

 

Terrapin Point

Total vascular plant species: 32

alien 7; native 25

Gentiana procera rare in New York State [Heritage]

Epilobium glandulosum rare in New York State [Heritage]

Butomus umbellatus, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Viburnum lantana, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Lichens: 2

Bryophytes: 7

SPECIES 41

 

South Slope

Total vascular plant species: 62

alien 26; native 36

Bromus erectus, alien, rare in New York State; rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Bryophytes: 4

SPECIES 66

 

Flats

Total vascular plant species: 45

alien 13; native 32

Carex aquatilis, NATIVE, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Butomus umbellatus, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Veronica anagallis-aquatica, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Bryophytes: 10

Philonotis muhlenbergia rare in New York State [Heritage]

SPECIES 55

 

Meadow

This area is so heavily maintained that its flora was considered to be of no relevance for these tabulations.

 

 

Ballast

Total vascular plant species: 45

alien 31: native 14

Bryophytes: 7

Didymodon tophaceus rare in New York State [Heritage]

SPECIES 52

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

GREEN ISLAND

Total vascular plant species: 48

alien 27; native 21

SPECIES 48

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

LUNA ISLAND

Total vascular plant species: 45

alien 25; native 20

Lichens: 9

Pyrenocollema strontianensis, genus and species new to New York State.

Bryophytes: 10

SPECIES 64

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

FIRST SISTER ISLAND

Total vascular plant species: 148

alien 36; native 112

Lichens: 19

Bryophytes: 26 SPECIES 193

-------------------------------------WEST END

Total vascular plant species: 104

alien 19; native 85

Asplenium trichomanes, fern, protected by New York State law

Cystopteris bulbifera, fern, protected by New York State law

Physocarpus opulifolius var. intermedius, NATIVE, rare in New York State [Heritage].

Carex oligocarpa, NATIVE, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Selaginella apoda, NATIVE, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Butomus umbellatus, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Poa chapmaniana, alien, second collection in the Niagara Frontier Region, rare in New York State.

Veronica anagallis-aquatica, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Viburnum lantana, alien, second report for western New York State, rare in New York State.

Lichens: 13

Leptogium juniperinum new to new York State

Bacidia epixanthoides new to new york state

Bryophytes: 26

Hepatics: 3 SPECIES 143

 

--------------------------------EAST END

Total vascular plant species: 90

alien 28; native 62

Carex garberi, NATIVE, rare in New York State [Heritage]

Carex mollesta, NATIVE, rare in New York State [Heritage]

Draba verna, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Lycopus europaeus, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region, rare in New York State.

Sagina procumbens alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Tripsacum dactyloides, alien, first collection in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Viburnum lantana, alien, second report for the Niagara Frontier Region; rare in New York State.

Lichens: 13

Caloplaca cirrochroa new to New York State

Bryophytes: 3

SPECIES 106

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

SECOND SISTER ISLAND

Total vascular plant species: 310

alien 54; native 256

Fungi: 7

Lichens: 24

Bryophytes: 28 SPECIES 369

 

 

--------------------------------------WEST END

Total vascular plant species: 114

alien 31; native 83

Onoclea sensibilis, fern, protected by New York State law

Thelypteris palustris, fern, protected by New York State law

Chelone glabra var. dilatata, NATIVE, rare in New York State [Heritage]

Physocarpus opulifolius var. intermedius, NATIVE, rare in New York State [Heritage]

Hieracium florentinum, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Viburnum lantana, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region.

Fungi: 6

Lichens: 19

Bryophytes: 21

Hepatics, 2

Didymodon tophaceus, rare in New York State [Heritage]

Philonotis muhlenbergii, rare in New York State [Heritage]

SPECIES 160

---------------------------------EAST END

Total vascular plant species: 106

alien 38; native 68

Lysimachia quadriflora, NATIVE, rare in New York State [Heritage].

Butonmus umbellatus, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Cerastium semidecandrum, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region; rare in New York State.

Geranium pusillum, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Poa nemoralis, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Sagina procumbens, alien, rare in the Niagara Frontier Region

Fungi:1

Lichens: 13

Lecania perproxima new to New York State

Bryophytes: 11

SPECIES 131

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

THIRD SISTER ISLAND

Total vascular plant species: 37

alien 12; native 25

Lichens: 11

Lecanora umbrosa new to New York State

Bryophytes: 8

Didymodon rigidulus rare in New York State [Heritage]

SPECIES 56

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\