 The NH Natural Heritage Bureau finds, tracks, and facilitates the protection of New Hampshire's rare plants and exemplary natural communities (types of forests, wetlands, grasslands, etc.). As a bureau within
the Division of Forests & Lands, we are fundamentally a service to New Hampshire landowners and land managers. We are not a regulatory agency; instead, we work with landowners and land managers to help them protect the State's natural heritage while meeting their land-use needs.
Our mission, as mandated by the Native Plant Protection Act of 1987 (RSA 217-A), is to determine protective measures and requirements necessary for the survival of native plant species in the state, to investigate the condition and degree of rarity of plant species, and to distribute information regarding the condition and protection of these species and their habitats. We also maintain information on rare wildlife in cooperation with the NH Fish & Game Department's Nongame & Endangered Wildlife Program, which has legal jurisdiction over New Hampshire wildlife.
The NH Natural Heritage Bureau is a public - private partnership between the State of NH and the New Hampshire Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Visit our About Us page for more information about our organizational structure.
What's Rare in New Hampshire?
Rare Plants -- Rare and Tracked Wildlife -- Rare Plants, Wildlife, and Natural Communities by Town
What's New...
 List of Rare Plant Species by Habitat Type - A list of NH's rare plants, grouped by major habitat type.
 New Natural Community Descriptions - A list (created July 2008) of natural community descriptions developed since the publication of the Natural Communities of New Hampshire technical manual in 2004.
New Natural Community System Descriptions - A list (created July 2008) of natural community system descriptions developed since the publication of the New Hampshire Natural Community Systems classification in 2005.
Several guides, site profiles, and image pages have been updated in our Visiting NH's Biodiversity series.
"What's New" Archive
Popular Features
DataCheck Tool - now available online! This web site, developed jointly with the NH Department of Environmental Services and the NH Fish & Game Department, can be used to check for rare species to satisfy a permit or regulatory requirement.
Natural Communities of New Hampshire - Classification and detailed descriptions of natural communities in NH. Hardcopies are also available by mail for $20.00 each.
Natural Community Systems of New Hampshire - Companion book to Natural Communities of New Hampshire. Hardcopies are also available by mail for $15.00 each.
Visit New Hampshire's Biodiversity - Guides and profiles of sites with exemplary natural communities & systems.
Summer 2008 - Maritime Meadows
The Isles of Shoals, an archipelago comprising nine islands and numerous smaller rocky ledges, lies in the Gulf of Maine ca. six miles east from the nearest point on the mainland at Rye, New Hampshire. Of the 14 natural communities that have been documented by NH Natural Heritage on these islands, none are more dynamic during the summer months than the maritime meadow.
This community, characterized by forbs and graminoids and invariably linked to seabird nesting colonies, dominates upland habitats landward of the immediate shoreline on most of the smaller islands (i.e., Duck, Malaga, Seaveys, and White) and considerable areas of Appledore and Smuttynose where sizable nesting colonies occur. Guano deposition from gulls and cormorants plays a significant role in maintaining species composition and structure in this community. Gulls and cormorants also pull and trample vegetation in nesting areas. Shrub cover is markedly reduced or absent.
One biologist recently noted “the influence of larger birds on Duck Island, where hardly a sprig of a living woody form can be found, and where the air reeks of guano, is the extreme example.” Collecting data in a maritime meadow while gulls are raising their young can be quite an adventure. Required “equipment” includes a four foot long stick, not to be used to injure the gulls with but rather to hold above your head for your own protection. Adult gulls constantly swoop down on intruders, occasionally hitting the highest point on or near your body, in this case, the top of the stick and not your head.
 
"Seasonal" Archive (topics of seasonal interest)
Quick Links
Biodiversity in NH - Natural Communities - Rarity and Ranking - Rare Plants - Reports
About Us - Staff Directory
|
