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Because of New Jersey's five different physiographic regions, the state has a great deal of biological diversity for such a small place. The state has 2,117 known native plant species, 90 mammal species, 79 reptile and amphibian species, over 400 fish species, and approximately 325 species of birds. (1)
New Jersey is also the nation's most densely populated state, and is under continual extreme development pressure. In New Jersey, sprawl - sprawl development patterns - is the primary threat to habitats and biodiversity. Sprawl development destroys habitats by destroying and fragmenting undisturbed natural areas that provide habitat for species. Furthermore, the rate of land consumption is greatly outpacing the rate of population growth. Although New Jersey's population has only increased 4.5% between 1986 and 1995, the number of acres consumed has increased 15.2% in the same period - 3.4 times faster. According to the State Division of Fish and Wildlife, New Jersey loses roughly 45 square miles of wildlife habitat to development every single year.
As this sprawl development penetrates into the state's different habitats, the plants and animals they support begin to disappear. Approximately 30 percent of the known plant species in the state are categorized by the DEP as species of "conservation concern," meaning that they are becoming increasingly rare in New Jersey.1 Furthermore, approximately one-third of the known vertebrate animal species are classified as either rare or endangered in New Jersey. Approximately 40% of the state's pine barrens and wetlands have been lost. And in the last three decades, we have lost 40% of the critical migratory bird stopover habitat on Cape May peninsula, and 50% of the state's bog turtle habitat. The number of threatened or endangered species in the state is one of the most important signs of the health of the state's habitats. New Jersey has 61 endangered or threatened animal species (21 of which are also listed as federally endangered species) - 17 endangered birds, 13 threatened birds, 7 endangered reptiles, 3 threatened reptiles, 5 endangered amphibians, 2 threatened amphibians, 9 endangered mammals, 4 endangered invertebrates, and 1 endangered fish.
As defined by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection:
New Jersey's Disappearing Water Birds
New Jersey's populations of Great Blue Herons, American Egrets and other water birds are declining. Water birds are at the top of the food chain, meaning that their well-being is an indicator of the general health of the habitat in which they live, wetlands and coastal areas. The population decline of these birds is largely due to over-development of their habitats.
Water birds are "plural indicator species," meaning that they react to many changes in the environment such as pollution and habitat loss. Thus, the health of the bird population is an indicator of the overall health of our environment.
There are numerous economic and environmental problems associated with the loss of these birds and their habitats. Loss of wetlands causes increased flooding, degradation of our water supply, and weakened fisheries.
From "Living With the Future in Mind, 1999 Sustainable State Report" by New Jersey Future.
Endangered Species are those whose prospects for survival in New Jersey are in immediate danger because of a loss or change in habitat, over-exploitation, predation, competition, disease or contamination. Assistance is needed to prevent future extinction in New Jersey.
Threatened Species are those who may become endangered if conditions surrounding them begin to or continue to deteriorate.
The state's biodiversity will continue to be stressed by our growth patterns until we learn to grow smart.
Biodiversity in Cities, Suburbs, Farms, and Open Spaces
New Jersey's State Plan offers a good basis for distinguishing between different types of communities, and what sort of role each could play in ecosystem preservation. The State Plan Policy Map divides the state into five different planning areas: Metropolitan, Suburban, Fringe, Environmentally Sensitive, and Rural. Each type of community has its own role to play in preserving both local and regional biodiversity.
Metropolitan Planning Area
According to the State Plan, communities in this Planning Area include "a variety of communities that range from large urban centers such as Newark, to 19th century towns shaped by commuter rail and post-war suburbs, such as Englewood and Cherry Hill." Untouched open spaces are not the only places with biodiversity and habitats to preserve, and the preservation of these open spaces is not the only technique available to preserve and maintain biodiversity. Because densely populated areas are ecosystems of which people are a part, the role of densely-populated areas in habitat and ecosystem preservation is two-fold:
- Preservation of natural areas surrounding urban areas by developing the already-developed areas in smarter, more compact, more energy-efficient ways; and
- Preservation and maintenance of habitats (such as parks, greenways, gardens, lakes and rivers, etc.) within developed areas by encouraging energy-efficiency, minimizing air and water pollution, and maintaining and developing urban parks, community gardens, and greenways.
Suburban Planning Area
Generally located adjacent to Metropolitan Planning Areas, Suburban Planning Areas often have a lack of high-density development and an abundance of developable land where sprawl development is most likely to happen. According to the State Plan, these areas are characterized by "a more dispersed and fragmented pattern of predominantly low-density development." Suburban planning areas are unique because they include some densely populated areas as well as the majority of the open space and farmland that is at risk for sprawl development. In these areas, there are multiple opportunities for land preservation, compact development, and maintenance or enhancement of biodiversity in backyards and public spaces.
Fringe Planning Area
Rural Planning Area
Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area
These Planning Areas contain much of the state's undeveloped land that needs to be protected. As the keepers of the state's natural open spaces, communities in these Planning Areas have a unique responsibility to make sure they grow carefully.
| Planning Area | Description | Natural Resource conservation goals | Planning Techniques | Metropolitan |
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Suburban |
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| Rural |
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| Environmentally Sensitive |
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