A study of the Wild Plants that may be found on selected grounds of Queens: Queens College, Kissena Park, Alley Pond Park, and the Queens Botanical Gardens
Walking around Queens College over the past year and a half, I have identified 105 wild plant species that occur on campus (these do not include garden plants). Of these 105 plant species, I have also seen 100 of the same plants at Kissena Park, Alley Pond Park and/or the Queens Botanical Gardens! I have seen only five species of plants on Queens College that I have not seen at the other parks. Of the total of 105 plants found on campus, I have tabulated that, 67% are non-native (from Europe, Africa or Asia). Of the total of 27 trees I have found on campus, 36% are non-native. Many of these species were purposely introduced or came from seeds carried on the bottom of a shoe, or in the plant material of trade cargo. The Excel file listed below contains not only the Latin name and common name of each species, but also the native origin, the edibility and usage of each species, and the associated ecosystem in which each plant is found.
The positive or negative value of non-native plants to an ecosystem is widely debated. Considering that most of the plants found on the Queens College campus are non-native, there can be no debate about how important they are. Non-native plants are sometimes considered bad because they reduce the biodiversity and function of native species; however, on our campus these non-native plants make up most of the biodiversity. Queens is similar to urban areas of Europe, an environment where these plants have been evolving for thousands of years, and thus they are in a sense at home here. In the plant list above, many of the European originated species belong to the habitat known as waste places. Waste places include the side of the road, between buildings, and in unmaintained lawns. Thus they come from the old world and fill a niche of our Queens urban environment that native species have not yet been able to adapt to or dominate.
Additionally, non-native plants need to be distinguished from invasive plants; these include Porcelain berry from Asia (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), Japanese Knotweed from Japan (Polygonum cupsidatum), Common Mugwort from the old world (Artemisia vulgaris), and Garlic Mustard from the old world (Alliaria petiolata). In Kissena Park there are extensive monocultures of Japanese Knotweed, Mugwort and Common Reed (Phragmites), and these invasive species may harm biodiversity by preventing other species from co-existing with them. However, many of these invasive species often perform important ecosystem functions such as providing nectar resources or cover and habitat for many types of animals. For example, the phragmites and mugwort at Kissena Park provide valuable habitat for the Ring-Necked Pheasant (Picture below). Most of the Queens College plants are prevented from growing extensively, and thus the invasive species do not form extensive monocultures. The biggest monoculture on campus is the grass lawns, although we also find on them a few other species such as dandelion (Taraxacum officianale), knotweed (Polygonum species), English plantain (Plantago lanceolata), and Common plantain (Plantago major).
Ring Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
This fall I have come across dozens of plants that I have never seen before (and many of them I still have not identified). I usually bring home two bags of specimens to identify. The main reason I study plants is to develop knowledge for their conservation and also to share them with other people; thus I am careful only to collect samples of species with robust populations or just a single leaf or flower of a plant species that I find growing alone.
Every monday and Wednesday from 3:00-4:00, I will be holding a nature walk on campus, meeting at the fountain by the library. This next week (Monday the 26th and Wednesday the 28th) I will be focusing on fruiting plants and their ecologies —what feeds who, who spreads what?
David Jakim
