What is Native Wildlife?
New Jersey is home to over 1000 different species of animal wildlife. Its many different ecosystems of coastal marine areas, pine forests, upland hardwood forests, fresh and salt water marshes, as well as 1000’s of lakes and rivers provide ample habitat. Almost 90 different species of mammals, over 400 different species of birds, at least 36 species of frogs and 43 species of reptiles and over 300 marine fish species and over 100 freshwater fish call New Jersey home. The NJ Fish and Wildlife’s mission is to protect and manage a diverse range of game and nongame wildlife species and their habitats. Information on how to report wildlife sightings can be found here.
Native wildlife including pollinator species that farmers, gardeners and all rely on need conservation and care. Providing habitat and food sources is important and can be done on the local level. The NJ State Wildlife Action Plan was revised in 2018 as a strategic and cost-effective strategy for preserving the states wildlife resources for the future. The plan identifies species of greatest conservation need as well as 107 focal species that are of the highest conservation priority. The complete plan can be downloaded here.
What is Native Vegetation?
Native plants are species that grow in a region without human introduction. Only plants found in New Jersey before European settlement are considered to be native here. Native plants have established complex relationships with other native plants, insects and animals, some of which are dependent on one another to thrive. Over 2,000 different native plants have been identified in New Jersey.
Native plants, trees and shrubs help conserve and filter water, provide habitat for native wildlife, protect soil resources, and reduce the costs and environmental impacts associated with fertilizers and pesticides. Native vegetation is needed to support the ecosystem and helps keep invasives at bay. Replacing or adding native vegetation whenever possible is something Environmental Commissions can be advocating for in their communities. The Native Plant Society of NJ and Jersey Friendly Yards have many resources available about native plants. A brochure about Native Plants can be found here
Non-native plants are species that have been introduced due to human activities, either intentionally or accidentally but have not existed naturally in one area. While non-native plants might not necessarily be a threat to natives, they are incapable of supporting ecosystem health in the same way.
Invasive plants (add link to Invasive subtopic page here) are non-native species that harm native plants and the local ecosystem, both environmentally and economically. They disrupt natives’ growth and can root and spread quickly to become established in previously undisturbed natural communities.
Municipalities can require the use of native plants in landscape design for development applications, see Eatontown for their ordinance.