I spent the past year watching as beech leaf disease ravaged through some of my favorite forests in New Jersey. Seeing these majestic beech trees suddenly dying around me, has brought me sorrow in a way that I have never felt before about the natural world. I go to the woods to escape and heal. […]
The Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) course is offered annually via webinar by Rutgers Cooperative Extension to educate stakeholders of New Jersey’s marine fisheries on the science, management, and responsible stewardship of fishery resources so that they are better prepared to make progress on and get involved with issues impacting their industries. Most stakeholders […]
The Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS) bridge netting survey is the second longest ongoing study of its kind on the east coast with this year marking 35 years. It provides a valuable time series for studying fish biology and species’ shifts in response to climate change, which are useful for informing fisheries management. The […]
Round-leaved bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus, is an invasive vine that climbs, strangles, and smothers live trees.
Photo Credit: Jean Epiphan Have you heard about all the benefits leaves provide to our landscapes? There are also many downsides to removing leaves. The wide-spread practices of blowing and transporting leaves degrade our environment and quality of life. They pose serious threats to human health, soil health, plant health, insect and ecosystem health, as […]
A hot topic and important environmental issue is the increasing prevalence of microplastics in our marine environments. Microplastics, which are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in size (Figure 1), are often broken down from larger plastic debris that find their way into our marine environments. There are many pathways by which plastic […]
Privet, Ligustrum species, is an invasive, flowering, deciduous shrub. Various privet species are commonly used as hedges in residential and commercial landscapes. Some privet species have spread into understory forests and roadsides and are considered invasive plants in New Jersey.
BLD causes rapid decline and mortality of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and European beech (F. sylvatica); mortality can occur between 2 to 10 years depending on size. BLD is caused by an invasive nematode Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii, a microscopic roundworm that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Per- and polyflouroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been in the news recently due to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalizing regulations for public drinking water systems. Health impacts of PFAS are also being reported after years of in-depth research. But what are PFAS? PFAS refers to a broad class of thousands of manufactured chemicals […]
Jetbead, Rhodotypos scandens Jetbead is an invasive spring flowering, deciduous shrub. It is available as an ornamental and spreads into understory forests and roadsides. Its attractive white flower starts blooming in April making it easy to identify this time of year. Jetbead can grow in both full sun and shade. Due to its tolerance of […]
