Purchase College - State University of New York
OP-10: Biodiversity

Blind Brook waterway surrounding the college feeds directly into the Long Island Sound which is a major watershed protected by Westchester County.

In 2018 an upper level Environmental Studies course, Conservation Biology, identified the major threats to biodiversity on our college campus as well as the areas that would have the most impact. They used research methods and additional field work observations.

Habitat destruction Our campus is home to 90-100 year old secondary growth forest habitat. Development of new infrastructure (such as Wayback and the Senior Living Center) both removes some of this habitat and increases the amount of paved surfaces. These surfaces do not allow water to pass through and contributes to concerns about flooding and runoff into nearby brooks. Other factors negatively impacted by destruction include the destabilization of wildlife (bird, deer, rabbit) habitat. Invasive plants Invasive plants create a hostile environment for native wildlife, which is best adapted to local conditions. Invasives deplete resources for local plants and animals, which decreases biodiversity. Over time, without intervention, the invasive plants will take over the landscape to the detriment of established wildlife. Habitat fragmentation Fragmentation from paths and roads creates isolated habitat that leaves animals disconnected from resources. This can cause local decline of native species and overall biodiversity of the campus. Habitats opened and subject to consistent disturbance, or edge habitats, decrease the stability of ecosystems by giving invasive plants an opportunity to disperse and establish. This also allows more wind into forest areas, driving up tree mortality, erosion, and potential for flooding. Local pollution Car leaks and other local runoff reduce water quality of our campus streams, which has harmful effects on aquatic wildlife and contributes to downstream pollution. Litter is also a danger because it can be ingested by animals and cause them harm. Litter and construction debris takes away the value of our natural areas, including areas which are currently used for natural labs, subjects for Visual Arts students, and other education purposes. By reducing local pollution, we can drastically improve the health of our local ecosystems. Regional and global pollution Residential runoff, such as fertilizers, is a concern on the regional scale contributing to a dangerous increase of nutrients in the Long Island Sound. This increase in nutrients can result in harmful algae blooms. These blooms release a neurotoxin that can moves up the food chain and can affect our food and drinking water. These blooms also rid the water body of oxygen and light – affecting plants and fish. Carbon emissions are a concern on the global scale. Carbon being released into the atmosphere contributes to global climate change. On campus, we contribute to global carbon emissions primarily through using electricity, heat, and air conditioning and from driving cars. This greenhouse gas results in rising temperatures, collapse of marine ecosystems and affects overall biodiversity. On the local scale, these effects can be felt in extreme weather events, such as flooding and forest fires.

The Sustainability Office and Facilities Management hope to work with a student as a research project to create a Land Management and Conservation plan to address the protection of the sensitive areas on campus, especially when it comes to future development.