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We investigated a unique source of forest disturbance: gamma radiation. While the temporal patterns of ecological succession are well understood for the forests of eastern North America, this is not the case for massively irradiated forests. Our objective was to compare vascular plant community change after irradiation at the five vegetation zones described in 1962 by Woodwell at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Long Island, New York. No follow-up studies have been done since the gamma radiation experiments were terminated in 1978. Ecological successional theory (e.g., Bormann and Likens, 1994, Likens and Bormann, 1995) does not explain long-term forest recovery after radiation damage. Our null hypothesis was that 47 yr after initial gamma ray exposure, the sites would have recovered such that floristic composition would be the same as the pine-oak forest control. This hypothesis was rejected statistically. In 2007/2008, the five concentric zones of vegetation centered about the gamma source retained their floristic heterogeneity as measured by Jaccard coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates nonnative invasive woody vascular plant species at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (JBWR) in Long Island, New York and determines which of them are most aggressive and problematic. It reveals several alien species including tree of heaven, oriental bittersweet, multiflora rose, and porcelain berry. It states that the tree of heaven, oriental bittersweet, and porcelain berry are the most aggressive species.

The article discusses a study that sampled the arborescent vegetation located at three sites within Inwood Park in Manhattan, New York, by the quadrant method in October 2004 and May 2005. The vegetation was compared with the trees present in the same quadrants on a map of trees at Inwood Park, prepared by the federal Works Program Administration in 1935. It cites the dominant trees at each site in 1935 and 2005, as well as the increased mean tree diameter over the past 70 years.