Plant Communities of New Jersey

Noted local naturalist Karl Anderson presents an old-fashioned lecture about the origins of New Jersey’s high botanical diversity, an introduction to the native plant communities, the origins of non-native plants and their effect on native plant communities, and some thoughts on gardening with native species.

Karl worked for New Jersey Audubon Society for many years, managing and developing the Audubon nature center at Rancocas State Park where he led field trips for bird, botany and general nature study. He has led or co-led over sixty tours across North America and beyond. After retiring from New Jersey Audubon, he worked part-time as a botanist for the State of New Jersey while continuing to do botanical inventories and lead local field trips. His favorite New Jersey haunts are the Pine Barrens, the Delaware Water Gap NRA, and any overgrown vacant lot.

Karl is also the author of Observations by a Field Naturalist of Southern New Jersey, a compilation of 100 newspaper columns he wrote between 2009 and 2022. With few exceptions, they deal with plants and animals that we see, or could see, in southern New Jersey every year if we were in the right place at the right time. Copies are available for purchase at GCNC meetings, through the club’s website (https://gcnatureclub.square.site/prod...) and at selected retail locations.

This presentation was recorded live at the March 14, 2024 meeting of the Gloucester County Nature Club held in Wenonah, New Jersey.

Photo credit: Pine barren gentian, New Jersey DEP Office of Natural Lands Management

00:00 Introduction
04:46 What grows where?
07:41 Climate
15:43 Topography
22:25 Soils
24:08 How communities are formed
28:17 Native plants
34:14 Non-native plants
38:57 What makes a plant native?
41:49 Q&A 1
42:57 Invasive species
45:29 Q&A 2