Oakwood cemetery, founded in 1850, contains some disjunct populations of more western or southern species that are generally not found in this part of the state, or plants found at the eastern or northern limits of their natural range.  Twelve state-listed rare, threatened or endangered native plants have been found at Oakwood.  In addition, in the century and a half since ornamentals were first planted in the landscaped rural cemetery, a number of unusual garden escapes have become naturalized in both lawns and wild areas.  In the 331.5 acres that comprise Oakwood Cemetery, one specimen of every different vascular plant taxon encountered was collected as part of this project.  These 628 specimens were pressed by collectors and some were mounted at the New York State Museum, where the specimens were accessioned into the Museum's Herbarium.  Information on each specimen has been maintained in database format.  Locations of collections were noted and mapped using a Geographic Information System (GIS). In addition, seven plant distribution maps were compiled, and 33 ecological communities were identified and mapped utilizing the GIS.  Detailed plot and individual plant maps were created to document the extremely state-rare grass, Panicum leibergii (Leiberg's panic grass) and Heuchera villosa (maple-leaf alum root.)

Relatively little alteration of the landscape was necessary to create the desired effect of a Romantic setting for a rural cemetery.  The cemetery proper (the developed sections) made use of a largely-intact old growth Appalachian oak/hickory forest when the initial land was acquired in the Village of Lansingburgh in 1849.  This type of land use impacted the existing ecological communities of the area far less than would have the traditional residential or commercial development of the era.  Thus an area of considerable botanical and ecological significance has been preserved.  The cemetery was designed by prominent civil engineer/landscape architect J.C. Sidney of Philadelphia and the cemetery was laid out more or less following Sidney's original plan. 

 

Botanical and Ecological Resources of Oakwood Cemetery, written and compiled by historian and naturalist, Warren F. Broderick, is a work of 150 pages, containing a natural history of the historic Cemetery, along with information on rare native and uncommon exotic plants, plant distribution studies, complete modern and historical plant lists, and is illustrated with fill color photographs and computer-generated maps.  This study should serve as a prototype for botanical and ecological studies to come for significant natural areas.  It is published in a quality comb-bound limited edition of 100 numbered copies.  The cost is only $20 ($15 to dealers, libraries and other institutions,) plus postage and sales tax where applicable.  See Terms of Business on our web site for ordering information.