Park Resources

Natural Resources

  1. Wildlife

    Black skimmers Owing to its diverse habitats and location on a major migration route, Fire Island is home and resting spot to a wide variety of wildlife species.

     

  2. Plants
    More than 420 species of plants have been recorded on Fire Island. The Conservation Management Institute has prepared a vegetation mapping report for Fire Island for December 1999 - May 2000. Click on the following link to access the report: Conservation Management Institute Report. There are several images here, so please give your browser a minute or so to upload.

  3. Resource Management

      Some of the major natural resource management issues include the following:

      Fire Island's deer population

      Deer and People at Fire Island National Seashore.

      Endangered species habitat

      Mosquito Action Plan 2002

      Mosquito Surveillance and Management Protocol 2002

      Help Preserve the Dunes
      The dunes are one of the most vital features of Fire Island. Primary dunes protect everything behind them from the force of the wind and waves. However, nature builds primary dunes very slowly. Winds deposit the sand, then beach grass takes root. The root system of living beach grass holds the sand in place. Layers of sand and beach grass slowly mound higher and higher. A fungus in the roots helps bind the sand to the plant. A large dune takes years to form, yet it can easily and quickly be destroyed if people walk on it. Please respect these fragile areas and walk only on beaches or boardwalks.

      Building on the Dunes
      The National Park Service encourages homebuilders to avoid building on the fragile dunes. As the paragraph above mentions, the dunes are critical features of the stability of Fire Island National Seashore. Therefore, when building a home damages the dunes, they can no longer act as a barrier to the extreme winds and waves of the ocean. This can place the house and the houses behind it in jeopardy during future storms.

      Ticks
      Ticks are generally found in wooded, brushy or grassy areas. They can attach themselves to animals (or people) as the animal brushes up against the tick. White-tailed deer are common carriers of deer ticks. The ticks attach themselves to the deer, crawl to an area of the body where they attach themselves and remain until they are fully engorged. At this stage, they look much like a blueberry with tiny legs and mouthparts.
      Lyme disease is an infection which is spread to people through the bite of an infected tick. The tick must be attached for at least 24 to 48 hours in order to transmit Lyme disease. For more information and a brochure on Lyme disease, contact the park headquarters.

      Driving on the Beach
      Many species of wildlife use the beach in some way. The piping plover, a small shorebird which lays its eggs right on the sand, is an endangered species . The "nest" is extremely vulnerable to predators, people, and vehicles. Please observe all signs in piping plover areas and help protect these endangered birds.

      Mosquitoes
      Mosquitoes thrive in almost any wetland in the world and Fire Island is no exception. Although mosquitoes can be bothersome to people, they play an important role in the ecological relationships of wildlife within the national seashore. Mosquito larvae are eaten by frogs, fish, and waterfowl. The adult mosquitoes are a food source for insect-eating birds such as swallows, fly-catchers, and nighthawks. Bats can also consume up to 500 mosquitoes per hour.

      If mosquitoes are bothersome to you, be aware of the following:
      1. Mosquitoes tend to be most active when there is little wind, i.e. early morning and around sunset. Breezy and windy days will have fewer mosquitoes than still days.
      2. Open spaces, such as the beaches, will have fewer mosquitoes than the wooded areas.
      3. Cover exposed skin and consider using mosquito repellant when necessary.

      The National Park Service has developed a brochure, "Mosquitoes and You" that explains these insects and their important part of the natural environment and it will help minimize your concerns about them. The brochure also discusses current concerns with Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Please contact the park headquarters for a copy of the brochure.