Swamprises

This week my ecosystem was filled with the presence of homo sapiens.  The most noticeable change upon entering my ecosystem was the mowing that took place sometime this weekend.  It was hard to differentiate if it was hay that was laid along the trails or just dead vegetation from areas that achieved higher growth.  Many of the cup plants had fallen victim to the mower, missing much of their stalk or being felled completely.  While some it was clear will not be flowering again this season, others held on for dear life, now just at eye level with a frog or snake.  In the inner parts of the prairie, much remains the same.  Cup flowers still dominates and the prairie dock reaches high enough to look over the surrounding vegetation.   The bee balm is starting to show some wear in spots where the flowers are slowly shedding, petal by petal.

The disturbance of the trail seems to have brought a host of amphibians out from their more protected surroundings.  I felt that with nearly every step I was kicking up a frog or toad and once what appeared to be a salamander that swiftly disappeared upon recognizing my presence.  The cooler weather seems to have made some of the frogs more docile as a couple allowed me to snap pictures for more than a couple minutes.  Fewer birds were present around the swamp than the last couple of weeks, which I hypothesize could be due to the presence of Canadian Geese.

It was the company of the many frogs that lead me to this weeks creative piece, a short poem:
To the dark, to the dark
Past greener fields dove
To the dark, to the dark
Shelter, comfort, home

To the dark, to the dark
As it holds on for life
To the dark, to the dark
Natures constant fight

My ecosystem contains many apparent ecotones.  The first and foremost being the separation of the swamp vegetation and the prairie, further accentuated by the trail cutting between the two.  Additionally, you can see the transition between prairie and forest, along with between swamp and forest.  I would consider these ecotones to be convoluted in the sense that they are not straight lines, but kind of bend.  I would consider the later ecotones to be diffuse in that they have at least 3 months to the growing season and are slightly more heterogeneous.

Fowler's Toad

Bufo fowleri

Characteristics: Small native toad ranging from 2-3' with females larger than males.  They can be variable in color, brown, tan, grey, green/olive and sometimes reddish.  Fowler's toads look similar to American toads, but can be distinguished in a number of ways.  A pale stripe is typically found running down the middle of it's back.  Dark, large spots on back contain 3-4 warts.  Chest is typically pale white with a single dark spot.  Habitat includes wetlands and woodland boarders, favoring more sandy soils due to digging burrows in which they hide during the day.

Adaptations: Use of sandy soils allows this nocturnal toad to burrow during the day making it less noticeable to predators.  Like many other toads, is capable of secreting toxins that deter predators along with the ability to puff their bodies with air to seem larger.  Have adapted to eat a wide variety of insects, but will not eat earthworms like the American toad.

Sources: Fowler's Toad - North Carolina. (n.d.). Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolina - Davidson Herpetology Laboratory. Retrieved July 29, 2013, from http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/anurans/Buffow/Buf_fow.htm;  Fowler's Toad. (n.d.). Connecticut Wildlife. Retrieved July 29, 2013, from http://www.wildlifeofct.com/fowlers%20toad.html

 Silky Dogwood

Cornus amomum

Characteristics:  Native shrub that can grow to 10" tall in optimal growing conditions.  Leaves are opposite, oval or elliptical shaped with prominent veins.  Throughout the season, leaves turn from green to red and develop spots.  In mid-spring, flowers are white with flat tops and showy bracets.  Produces a blue-ish fruit that is a favorite of birds, squirrels and other woodland animals.  Twigs are often thin and can have a reddish tint to them, especially around the fruit.  Is capable of adapting to nearly any environment, but does best in moist to wet ecosystems.

Adaptations: Has adapted well to soils that are poorly drained, making it common place along the edges of swamps.  Also capable of surviving in pH ranging from 5.0-7.0.

Sources: Ohio Trees. (n.d.). Silky Dogwood. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from ohiodnr.com/forestry/trees/dogwood_slky/tabid/5363/Default.asp; ''Indigo' Silky Dogwood. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/MI/pmc/IndigoSilkyDogwood.pdf 

Northern Leopard Frog

Rana pipiens

Characteristics: Native frog ranging from 3-5' in size.  Green to brown in color with creamy white underside.  Dorsolateral folds present.  Has 2-3 rows of dark rounded spots with light boarders, spots occur from head to legs.  Snout slightly pointed.  Are opportunistic eaters that will go after anything that will fit in their mouths (ie. insects, smaller frogs, birds, etc.).  Typically found in wetland environments, however during summer season will venture into well covered grasslands or prairie.

Adaptations: Ability to eat nearly anything allows it to thrive in swamp like conditions.  Movement from water to meadows in warmer months allows for a wider variety of foods.  Series of zigzag hops make Northern Leopard Frogs difficult to capture.

Sources: Leopard Frog. (n.d.). Marshall University. Retrieved July 29, 2013, from http://muwww-new.marshall.edu/herp/toads_frogs/leopard_frog.htm; Northern Leopard Frogs, Northern Leopard Frog Pictures, Northern Leopard Frog Facts - National Geographic. (n.d.). Animals - Animal Pictures - Wild Animal Facts - Nat Geo Wild - National Geographic. Retrieved July 29, 2013, from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/northern-leopard-frog/ 

Red Maple

Acer rubrum

Characteristics:  Native deciduous tree that achieves medium sized growth, roughly 2-5" per year.  Opposite, toothed leaves with 3-5 lobes, whitened and hairless underneath.  Young tree bard is smooth and grey getting broken and darker as it ages.  Twigs appear reddish in color with small shiny lenticles.  Buds also appear reddish, sometimes green, are blunt and several scaled.  Produces the smallest seed of all native maples.  Flowers appear in short clusters and are typically red, rarely yellow.  In fall leaves turn fiery red and one of the earliest deciduous trees to change.  Common in a variety of habitats ranging from swamps to dry slopes.

Adaptations:  Highly adaptable to wet sites where black ash and cottonwood are established.  Tolerance of wetter soils makes this tree good for erosion control.  Also capable of surviving in wide range of pH.

Sources:  Plant Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Red Maple. Retrieved July 28, 2013, from plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_acru.pd;  Petrides, G. A. (1972). A field guide to trees and shrubs; field marks of all trees, shrubs, and woody vines that grow wild in the northeastern and north-central United States and in southeastern and south-central Canada, (2d ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Observations, Refelctions and Identified Species

It's amazing how much an ecosystem can change in just a weeks time under close observation.  The first and most welcomed observation of my ecosystem was how few deer flies there are in the morning vs. at night.  During my observation last week around 7pm I was surrounded by deer flies dive bombing my head.  However, when out at 9am this morning I only came across one, which soon met it's demise after trying to bite my arm.  The banks of the swamp were littered with new footprints.  Last week I only saw the tracks of a small deer and what looked like the imprint of a large frog which were cleared away by Friday's rain.  This week I found the tracks of our neighborhood Great Blue Heron along with what looked like similar, but smaller tracks, perhaps those of a green heron.  

The prairie on the South side of the swamp has also undergone more changes than I would have imagined.  The cup plants that were hardly blooming last week are now plentiful in the prairie and near impossible to over look.  More prairie dock appears to have sprouted and bloomed as well, although still no where near that of the cup plants.  The showy tick trefoil that was abundant and blooming last week has now lost most of it flowers and beetle friends.  Many of these trefoils have started to sprout their pods, as can be seen in the week 2 picture.  The rain clearly impacted a number of the wild flowers and grasses that are bent, but still holding onto life.  The swamp milkweed that was so easy to overlook last week, is now in full bloom as well.

Week 2 Observation: Showy Tick Trefoil

Week 1 Observation: Showy Tick Trefoil

For my creative piece I chose look at bark and the different stages of life they can incur, with some focus on the varieties of lichen occupying them:

My ecosystem appears to be in the stages of secondary succession as soil is present and moist.  It is mostly dominated by biennials, perennials, woody shrubs and early sucessional tree species such as cottonwood and sumac.  My ecosystem could be subject to a couple of different disturbances, changing the current succession.  Flooding could cause a disturbance which would leave most (if not all) of the tree species in this location dead along with much of the other vegetation that while it like moist soils, will not survive in standing water.   Due to the close proximity of the South Kesling Prairie, my ecosystem could also be subject to fire, which would only temporarily disturb the area as many of the biennial and perennial wildflowers would being to re-emerge and some of the tree species are well resistant to fire.  Future sucessional changes could cause the swamp to fill in completely as trees and other forms of plant life die and sink to the bottom of the swamp.  In turn, after a log period of time this area could potentially become a bog.

Small White Cabbage Butterfly

Pieris rapae

Characteristics: Non-native butterfly species, named because larval stage feeds on members of cabbage family.  Caterpillars are green with faint yellow striping.  As an adult, this butterfly has a black body and white wings with black tips on forewings.  Females have two black spots on wings while males have only one.  Underside of wings appear yellowish-green.  Wingspan of 30-50mm.  Feeds on nectar of many plant varieties such as asters, dandelion, mint, mustard and red clover.  Can be found in numerous habitats with open space including prairies, garden and cities. 

Adaptations: White to yellowish-green color helps to make this butterfly inconspicuous to predators.  In the caterpillar stage, green bodies prevent predators from easily spotting them.

Source: Butterflies and Moths of North America | collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera. Butterflies and Moths of North America | collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Pieris-rapae

Spearmint

Mentha spicata

Characteristics:  Non-native herbaceous perennial.  Rhizomatous plant that typically grows 1-2ft high.  Leaves are opposite, toothed and stalkless (or nearly so).  Flowers grow in slender, interrupted spikes color ranging from lavender to pink to white.  Stem is square like other members of mint family and can be hairless to nearly hairless.  Attracts butterflies and is easily hybridized. 

Adaptations: Capable of adapting to wide range of soils, with exception of very dry soils.  Strong spearmint scent and taste makes it resistant to deer and rabbits.

Source: Mentha spicata Kentucky Colonel. (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/a244/mentha-spicata-kentucky-colonel.aspx 

Black Walnut

Juglans nigra

Characteristics:   Native, large deciduous tree achieving height of 70-100ft (150ft).  Leaves are pinnately compound with 7-17 narrow, toothed leaflets that are slightly hairy on underside.  Typically missing end leaflet, which helps to distinguish black walnuts from butternuts.  Crushed leaves produce spicy scent.  Leaf scars are large and lacking hair fringe, scars bundle in three groups.  True end buds are present and buds are whitish woolly.  Bark is dark grey-black, deeply grooved forming diamond like pattern.  Flowers in spring (April-June) with female flowers giving way to edible fruits.  Fruits are large spherical nuts with green husk that blackens in autumn as the husk rots away.  Prefers moist, rich, well drained soils in full sun.

Adaptations: Well adapted to fire.  Thick bark and durable heartwood of mature trees make it relatively resistant to damage and decay following fire.

Sources: Petrides, G. A. (1972). A field guide to trees and shrubs; field marks of all trees, shrubs, and woody vines that grow wild in the northeastern and north-central United States and in southeastern and south-central Canada, (2d ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.; Juglans nigra. (n.d.). US Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people.. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/jugnig/all.html

Allegheny Monkey Flower

Mimulus ringens

Characteristics: Native, upright perennial which is rhizomatous.  Violet or pinkish flowers about 1in long, lower lip with three wide spreading lobes; snapdragon-like flower.  Grows 1-3ft high on square stem.  Leaves are opposite, toothed and stalkless.  Flower stalk is longer than calyx.   Can be found in swamps, wet meadows, pond/streambanks and low woods.

Adaptions: Due to the numerous species of monkey flower, localized adaptations are likely to occur.  Coastal varieties have shown to be tolerant of salt and copper accumulation.  While red and yellow variations attract different pollinators such as hummingbirds, this purple variety has adapted to butterfly and bee pollination.  Additional adaptations include compact architecture with short internodes.

Sources: Mimulus ringens. (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/z410/mimulus-ringens.asp; Common monkey-flower. (n.d.). Plant Rhizomes. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.plantrhizome.org/species/monkey.html; Mimulus ringens var. colophilus. (n.d.). Center for Plant Conservation. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from www.centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=2856

Prairie Dock

Silphium terbinthinaceum

Characteristics: Native perennial ranging from 4-10ft high.  Vase-like rosette of basal leaves.  Very large, egg-shaped leaves that are toothed or cleft.  Leaves with thick sand-papery texture, especially underside.  Appearance similar to rhubarb, but with more slender petioles.  Stalk is green or red, largely hairless.  Compound flowers about 2-3in across with 15-30 ray florets with rather pointed tips surrounding numerous disk florets.  Found in prairies and open woods, summer and fall.
Adaptations: Primarily attracts long tongued bees including honeybees, bumblebees and Miner bees.  Other visitors include Ruby-throated hummingbirds, bee flies and Halictine bees.  Prairie cicada (Okanagana balli) feed on large taproot and emerge mid-summer.  Both larva and adult
Silphium Beetle (Rynchites) feed on stem and flowerheads.  Larvae of Antistrophus rufus and Antistrophus minor (Gall Wasp spp.) feed on the flowering stem of Prairie Dock, forming invisible galls. Larvae of these species attract the hyperparasitic wasp (Eurytoma lutea) whose larvae feed on these gall-formers. The larvae of Tumbling Flower beetle (Mordellistena aethiops) also feed within the stem, while the adults feed on the flowerheads. Goldfinches eat the seeds, and may help to disperse them. Large mammalian herbivores, such as cattle and the American Bison, readily eat the foliage and stems of Prairie Dock; however, the coarse sandpapery leaves of mature plants are not attractive to the Cottontail Rabbit, which prefers vegetation that is shorter and more tender.
Source: Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum). (n.d.). Illinois Wildflowers. Retrieved July 16, 2013, from http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/pr_dockx.htm 

Gray-headed Coneflower

Ratibida pinnata

Characteristics:  Native herbaceous perennial, 3-5ft high.  Composite flower with long and narrow rays, strongly dropping.  Larger leaves pinnately divided into 3-7 lance-shaped, toothed leaflets.  Disk a grey or brown knob, anise-scented when bruised and longer than wide.  Found in prairies, thickets, and boarders of woods, summer and fall.  Grows best in sandy, loamy soils under medium moisture to dry conditions.

Adaptations: Like many prairie species, highly fire tolerant.  Seeds are most active after fire and soil conditions seem to accelerate germination.   Large rhizomous root system good at accumulating even minor amount of moisture making this species drought tolerant as well.  Small hairs and bumps on leaves help funnel dew and other moisture down to plant.  Propagation from seeds or rhizomes gives coneflower two reproductive options.  

Source: Grant, B. (n.d.). Grey-Headed Coneflower Adaptations | eHow. eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you.. Retrieved July 16, 2013, from http://www.ehow.com/info_7902536_greyheaded-coneflower-adaptations.html 

Chinquapin Oak

Quercus muhlenbergii 

Characteristics: Native deciduous tree of the Beech family.  Medium sized with leaves containing 8-13 pairs of sharp teeth.  Twigs, buds, and acorn cups resemble those of Chestnut Oak, however bark is light grey and flakey, not rigid.  Does best in moist, well drained, rich, alkaline soil.  Climax tree in dry soils.  Moderately shade tolerant when you, intolerant as adults. Leaves 4-9in.  Height 20-50ft (160ft).  Diameter 6-24in (4ft).

Adaptations: Sprouts readily after disturbances.  Fairly drought tolerant.

Source: Quercus muehlenbergii. (n.d.). US Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people.. Retrieved July 16, 2013, from http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/quemue/all.html

 American Bullfrog

Rana catesbeiana 

Characteristics:  Largest of all North American frogs, can grow up to 8in and weigh more than 1.5lbs (adult females typically larger than male counterparts).  Most wide ranging of N.A. amphibians with lifespan of 7-9yrs.  Typically green or grey-brown with brown spots.  Easily identifiable circular eardrums on either sides of head.  Nocturnal predators that will feed on insects, mice, fish, birds and snakes.  Group name army or colony.  Female can lay upwards of 20,000 eggs.

Adaptations: Green/brown color makes location difficult for predators to distinguish.  Hind legs can reach length of 7-10in making bullfrogs excellent jumpers and are capable of jumping 9x its body length.  This allows them greater escape from predators, while also enhancing their predation.  Teeth on roof of mouth and strong tongue assist in catching prey.  Well developed eyes can see in all directions.  Are able to distinguish color and have depth perception.  Able to breath through skin and excrete toxins through glands when threatened.

Sources: American Bullfrogs, American Bullfrog Pictures, American Bullfrog Facts - National Geographic. (n.d.). Animals - Animal Pictures - Wild Animal Facts - Nat Geo Wild - National Geographic. Retrieved July 16, 2013, from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/american-bullfrog; UWL Website. (n.d.). BioWeb Home. Retrieved July 16, 2013, from http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2010/schams_kell/adaptation.htm