According to Brittanica, a biome, also called major life zone, the largest geographic biotic unit, is a major community of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions. It includes various communities and is named for the dominant type of vegetation, such as grassland or coniferous forest. Several similar biomes constitute a biome type—for example, the temperate deciduous forest biome type includes the deciduous forest biomes of Asia, Europe, and North America. Montclair, New Jersey is in the temperate deciduous forest.
Natural Vegetation
There is little, if any, natural vegetation remaining on our property. This neighborhood was developed more than 100 years ago, subdivided into small parcels, many, including ours, landscaped with ornamental, non-native plants. In 2022 the Township of Montclair passed ordinance 42-1 which requires at least 70% of newly procured plants (shrubs, groundcovers, and flowers) in each category as well as 70% of trees used in public places be native. The ordinance also bans invasive species. Native is defined as occurring in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States before Euro-American settlement.
Invasive Species
In the front yard we have identified Japanese barberry and English ivy. There are also plenty of non-native species of ornamental flowers and shrubs we plan to replace with native. We have the good fortune of a wonderful local resource, the New Jersey Native Plant Society, that provides education and resources for building back the native species.
Weed Indicators
Weeds including ivy, chickweed, and grasses grow among the shrubs, decorative garden beds, and in the pollinator garden. On the back yard lawn occasionally there is dead man’s foot fungi.
Wildlife Indicators
The wild animals that pass through our yard include squirrels, chipmunks, deer, ground hogs, and many species of birds.
The only domesticated animals are neighbor’s cats that wander up the driveway to sun themselves and hunt.
There is a large number of bird species that come to our feeders and trees and fly overhead. Luckily, one family member is an avid birder and keeps a list!
American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Robin
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
Brown Creeper
Brown-headed Cowbird
Canada Goose
Carolina Wren
Common Grackle
Common Yellowthroat
Dark-eyed Junco
Downy Woodpecker
European Starling
Fish Crow
Gray Catbird
Great Blue Heron
Hairy Woodpecker
House Finch
House Sparrow
Killdeer
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Mockingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-tailed Hawk
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Scarlet Tanager
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Song Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Turkey Vulture
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-throated Sparrow
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Birds spotted from 9 Graham, August 2021 – October 2022.