Research Projects

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  Conservation Study of Threatened Birds on Agricultural Grasslands
  

  Partner: Rutgers University
  Study of the relationship between state-listed endangered/threatened species of grassland birds and agricultural practices with the goal of identifying ways to lessen the impact of farming on species that rely on grassland habitat.

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  Invasive Plant Species Removal Methodology
  

  Partner: Ecological Solutions
  Adaptive plant management to identify best practices for removing invasive plant species from woodland understories as well as maintenance methods. Also referred to as exotic, non-native, or noxious, invasive plants impact native plant and animal communities by displacing native vegetation and disrupting habitats as they become established and spread over time.

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  Eastern Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring Project

  Duke Farms
  Monitoring nesting and breeding success for 54 bluebird nest boxes on the property. Duke Farms also participates in a Rutgers University study of Eastern Bluebird population trends.

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  Grassland Restoration Best Practices
  

  Partners: Duke Farms in conjunction with the Raritan Piedmont Wildlife Habitat Partnership, New Jersey Audubon, Rutgers University
  Formulation of replicable best practices in grassland restoration. Grasslands are characterized by the low growth of grasses, forbs, weeds, sedges and/or rushes. Urban sprawl has greatly reduced New Jersey’s grasslands and the species that rely on them.

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  Carbon Sequestration in New Jersey Forests
  

  Partner: Rutgers University
  Study to assess the quantity of carbon stored by New Jersey forests and annual sequestration – the amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, that is removed from the atmosphere by plants and its long-term storage in soils.

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  Pollination Biology of Native Restored Wildflower Populations
  

  Partners: Center for Urban Restoration Ecology - Rutgers University and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
  Study of the process of pollination during early phases of ecosystem recovery with a goal of identifying potential ways to accelerate the process.