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I captured this image at 6:02 p.m. on January 5th, 2017. In this mid-quality photo, there are many things that lie hidden beneath the water or woven into the shadows of the treeline. The species residing here include everything from green anoles to venus flytraps. In the water it starts with producers like algae and rooted plants that provide the building blocks for first level consumers like various species of freshwater fish, spotted turtles, and a wide range of amphibian life. Second level consumers may include anything from snapping turtles to stray house cats. Last but not least there are decomposers residing at the bottom of the body of water giving it that lovely "Low tide" smell.
This picture was taken on February 14, 2018 in forest C located on the UNCW campus. The species shown is an example of a rare fungus known by many names, but commonly referred to as Devil’s Fingers (Clathrus archeri). It gets this name for its unique appearance of strands of red tissue resembling a devil’s hand and its repulsive smell. The red tissue generally makes up anywhere from four to eight “arms” each coated with a sticky dark tissue on the inside which gives of the odor said to mimic that of rotten meat. This smell is then used to attract fly’s and other insects to the fungus. While no harm comes the insects, the fungus contaminates them with its sticky spores and then uses to them as a means of dispersal. This species is also indigenous to New Zeleand and Australia although it has also spread throughout Europe and can be found in certain areas throughout the United States. It has been hypothesized that this spread is due to the increased effects of global warming and will likely continue to spread.
Sources:
This tree has even rows of holes surrounding it. These holes are likely caused by a bird known as a sapsucker (Sphrapicus varius). The bird pecks holes in trees that produce sap so when the holes fill up with sap it comes back to eat it. Many people think that this harms the tree, but the damage is mostly superficial. The tree will probably recover quickly if it is healthy. This kind of damage does ruin the value of commercial wood, the lumber industry calls it "bird pecking". The damage can be good though. The sap provides a food source for other animals, including hummingbirds and even squirrels.
I took this picture while I was at work at the UNCW Aquaculture Facility on Harbor Island. The fish in this picture are black sea bass, their scientific name is Centropristis striata. These fish are currently being put on a photoperiodism. Photoperiodism allows aquaculture facilities to create different day lengths by controlling the lights inside the tanks. Fish use day lengths to prepare for different developmental components of their life. The black sea bass in these tanks are our current brood stock and are being prepared to breed. By artificially creating longer day lengths in the tank the fish will begin to create eggs and sperm for mating. One of the definitions in ecology we learned was, the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. Aquaculture shows us how fish can react to different physical surroundings. Since these fish are being exposed to more light, their bodies believe breeding season is about to begin.
The granular poison frog (Oophaga granulifera) is native to Costa Rica where I took this picture during my 2017 spring break. I believe that this is a granular poison frog from from the Dendrobatidae family because its natural habitat is the tropical humid lowland forests and this picture was taken at night in a humid lowland forest at beautiful Drake Bay, Costa Rica. Its skin is granulated with a bright red head, body and upper arms and bluish-green underparts, legs and lower arms. The granular poison frogs are toxic to predators and possess aposematism coloration like the bold red colors that may serve as a warning to would-be predators. Species that evolve a wide range of characteristics to avoid being selected and captured by predators are known to have adapted predator defenses such as aposematism. Dendrobatids produce some of the most toxic alkaloid poisons known. Scientists are unsure of the source of the poison dart frog’s toxicity but it is possible they absorb plant poisons that are carried by their prey, including ants, termites and beetles.
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/group/poiso...
Here is one of my many terrariums. I have a grow shelf in which I use two T5 bulbs that provide the entire electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) to my precious plants--sort of. Plants mostly utilize the visible light portion of the EMS which is 400 to 700 nanometers (with the exception of UV rays). This utilization is called "Photosynthetically Active Radiation" or PAR. The plants that I cultivate typically prefer a cooler light (~500nm). These wavelengths allow the plants to vegetate and expand their root systems. In the picture above you can see some bryophytes as well as Senecio rowleyanus (Common name: string of pearls) and Sedum rubrotinctum (Common name: sedum 'pork and beans'). I use the bryophytes (which collect water) to keep the other plants hydrated as needed. They also make great ground cover for spotty areas in an arrangement!
Formally known as the Hyalophora Columbia caterpillar, this vibrantly colored creature resides in poorly drained woodland areas and suburban gardens. It hatches in less than two weeks before it blossoms into a beautiful butterfly. I found this caterpillar crawling up a picnic basket in my girlfriend's garden. I had to capture an image of it because I'd never seen anything like it. The Glover Silkmoth is considered a solitary feeder and feed on Shepherdia argentea, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Salix species, etc. Since this species of caterpillar is a solitary feeder, it feeding habits exhibit scramble competition because when there are too many caterpillars competing very few are then able to "pulpit" which results in a distinct population crash. Subsequently, many of the offspring of the Glover Silkmoth caterpillars aren't competing intraspecifically so the population grows rapidly before crashing again.
This picture of manatees gather together in a Florida hot spring was taken over the MLK holiday. It represents nature's way of coping with extremes in weather cycles such as the unusually cold waters in Florida at the moment.
uncw ecology bio366 #uncwteal Sp2018 image1
This is a picture I took outside of my dorm, as I wanted to focus on the bird nest especially. I think it either belongs to one of these 3 birds: Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), American Robin (Turdus migratorius), or a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), however I have yet to see the bird actually fly in or out of the nest. It really sticks out to me that 1) It's a pretty decent size nest and 2) how close it built its nest to human development. It really shows me that birds have become accustomed to humans and they possibly see that as a benefit, as they can easily get dropped food for their babies. Each of the aforementioned birds are pretty common along coastal North Carolina, and I've also seen them flying around campus almost everyday. The ecological value that I'm trying to show is that, everything has a niche, in this case, the bird relies on the tree to provide a place to settle and lay eggs. Not only that but the bird also relies on sticks and stray provided by other trees. I love how not only can you see ecology on the ground, but also in the trees.
This photo, taken outside of UNCW’s Building 4 of the Seahawk Village, features a flowering American holly (Ilex opaca). These phototrophic organisms produce a berry that is poisonous to humans, but less hazardous for various birds. While the initial focus of this photograph may be drawn to the berries, there is a noticeably damaged leaf that raises suspicion. The cause of the holes and discoloration in this leaf could be due to the susceptibility as a resource for prey like Leafminers and Spider mites. Another possible cause for said imperfections could be due to ecological conditions such as highly increased temperatures and prolonged exposure to harsh sunlight radiation.
Carolina Beach, at 25 degrees Fahrenheit, with 13.9 mph winds. We were walking on the pier and as being my third year here at UNCW I wondered if this was the normal for Wilmington this time of the year due to not remembering it ever being this cold. After some research, I looked back at weather last year on the same day at the same location and the average was 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, I looked at the prediction for next year and it also said that the average is predicted to be 34 degrees Fahrenheit as well. I found it very interesting that the temperature can rise from 25◦F to 64◦F in only 5 days. I concluded like stated in class that this was not out of the norm for Wilmington. Here is the link for where this came from information, www.accuweather.com/en/us/wilmington-nc/28401/january-wea....
#UNCW #ecology #bio366 #uncwteal #semesterenrolled-SP2018 #image1
I believe these organisms are a male and female Yellow Margined Leaf Beetle (YMLB). I spotted them crossing a hiking path in Ogden Park. This photo was taken around April 10th. They appeared to be mating which caught my eye. The male is slightly smaller than the female. Not very much is known about the biology or ecology of YMLB. These beetles are a regular pest to gardeners and farmers alike. In favorable conditions, they can complete their life cycle in around a month. Adults mate within 6 days of emergence and females lay eggs in just 3 to 6 days. This very short life cycle and fecundity could be what makes YMLB such good predators of common vegetables (crucifers). Their host suffer foliage feeding from both adult and larvae beetles. This makes the plants unsightly for sale. Understanding the life cycle, fecundity and plant preference of Yellow Margined Lead Beetles would make ecological control a better possibility.
Located just a few miles from Wilmington, Boiling Spring Lakes is a wetland complex that offers an interesting glimpse into the lower Cape Fear's natural communities. Most of the area is made up of Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) savannas, evergreen shrub bogs (known as "pocosins") and is dappled with a series of disjointed lakes. More than 6,000 acres of this land is enclosed in a nature preserve (Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve).
In this area, much of the plant community is dependent on cycles of natural wildfires. Fire is essential for Longleaf Pine regeneration and for many other fire adapted plants to produce seed. Over time and as the area has undergone man-made developments, wildfires have been suppressed, resulting in an alarming encroachment of invasive plant species (eg;. Kudzu- Pueraria montana).
In recent years there has been many undertakings in the large project of restoring the disappearing ecosystem of Longleaf Pine Savannas. Efforts include controlled burns in the longleaf pine and pocosin areas, and the replanting of pine saplings. The lakes themselves have not been forgotten amongst the battle against invaders. Hydro-raking has also been implemented in the fight against invasive water plant species (eg; Alligator Weed- Alternanthera philoxeroides).
Read more about conservation efforts in Boiling Springs Lakes and restoration of Longleaf Pine savannas here:
(Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve)-
www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/united...
(Restoring Longleaf Pine Savanna)-
www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi152.pdf
(Hydro-raking)-
www.starnewsonline.com/news/20170526/floating-rig-battles...
(Invasive Species in Coastal NC)-
nc-ipc.weebly.com/coastal-plain-invasive-plants.html
This photo was taken on February 19th at Old River Farms. Pictured is a Red Angus Cattle (Bos taurus), a common beef breed. Cows, like the one pictured, are a precocial species, meaning they are more independent in a short period after birth. Cows can even walk just minutes after birth. This cow in particular is named Maggie. She lives among cows that will later be sold as beef. Maggie is a natural herbivore, and grazes on grass throughout the day. She gets to stay on the farm as a pet because she was born a twin, an uncommon occurrence in most cows. Many times, when cows have twins one of the offspring is rejected. Maggie was rejected and then bottle fed, which explains her attachment to the farmer and friendliness towards humans. The rejection of one twin is an interesting ecological process. Many mammals abandon a twin in order to ensure that one of their offspring will survive and have enough care from the mother. From a survival standpoint, rejecting a twin makes sense.
Another ecological process involved in the picture is the life history strategy of cattle. Cattle are K-strategists. This means they are typically larger in size, have a low number of offspring, have more parental care, and more. Cattle fit this description well.
With the help of Dr. Borrett and Dr. Penneys, my best educated guess for identifying this bryophyte is that it is polytrichum (nicknamed hair cap moss). In this photo, the polytrichum is growing on a turkey oak tree that I found on campus near the water tower. After talking to Dr. Penneys, I believe the relationship between the two is commensalism (+,0) because the polytrichum is using the bark of the turkey oak as an anchor to grow and survive without harming the tree. The ecological concept we learned called commensalism is the relationship between two organisms in which one benefits from the other but the latter of the two is not harmed nor benefited.
The average lifespan of this moss is about 5 years. Polytrichum is very persistent and can live in low or high light environments given it has enough water. This moss can be found all around the world in the wild or as decorative ground coverings. In some parts of the world, people even use it in tea and is believed to help dissolve kidney and gallbladder stones.
This photo was taken in the parking lot of my local Target store. The poor birch tree in the photo has been compromised by a form of "gall". Gall is caused by various parasites (insects, bacteria, mites, fungi, etc.). These parasites usually lay eggs onto plants and the larvae feed on the plant cells. A large structure forms from the disruption of cellular division caused by the parasite and it creates a protective barrier for the parasite and its larvae. These large structures are usually concentrated with starches and nutrients that the parasites can feed on. These parasites can have both endo- and ectoparasitic tendencies which is displayed in their choice to lay eggs on the outside of the plant or feed and live inside the gall formation.
Very fun find in the Bluethenthal Wildflower preserve last week. This is Aseroë rubra (Starfish Fungus) and it produces a very foul odor. Many fungi thrive on decomposing plant matter on the O horizon (organic layer) of the soil column. These organisms assist in recycling the chemical nutrients (like nitrogen and carbon). These nutrients are then re-inserted back into the soil--providing a rich habitat for many bacteria, fungi, and plants to flourish.
I took this picture of the bearded fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) at the center for marine science. The bearded fireworm is under the Annelida phylum. They typically live in tropical waters and reside in corals, rocks, mud or sand. It uses its parapodia to move around and it is slow. It feeds mostly on plants, but if touched it can release a powerful toxin that can penetrate human skin which will cause the skin to burn and become irritated.
Sciurus carolinensis (animaldiversity.org) lives in a tree of the genus Quercus (web.archive.org). It's unclear whether the interaction between the two organisms is commensal or mutualistic, as the tree is not being harmed but it is unclear whether it's obtaining any measurable gain from the squirrel's residence; the squirrel, however, gets shelter and possibly food from the tree. There is also a coating lichen covering almost the entirety of the tree. Lichen is not an organism in and of itself, but rather a reaction between moss and bacteria. Therefore, it was impossible to identify the name every organism in the sample taxonomically or colloquially. Many lichens are known to secrete an acidic byproduct that may harm the tree; however, without a proper identification its impossible to tell. Pandion haliaetus (animaldiversity.org) has been known to eat small rodents such as squirrels. As such, the tree, in which I've seen ospreys roosting, helps support both the squirrel and osprey populations in Wilmington.
Found on the floor of the pine forests located on the campus of UNC-Wilmington, this little guy is an embryo who's well on its way to developing into a mature conifer tree. With its green tendrils extending out and hoping to take root, this little sprout exhibits a gymnosperm in action.
"Gymnosperm" comes from the composition of the Greek words "gymnos" meaning "naked" and "sperma", meaning "seed". But don't let the name fool you, these "naked seeds" are far from vulnerable.
Thanks to evolution, gymnosperms were perhaps the first type of plants to produce seeds, rather than spores and utilized hard coatings to protect their seeds to ensure their reproductive success. Additionally, gymnosperms broadcast their male gametes in the form of pollen, using wind, instead of only water as a means to "sow their oats". This adaption really favored the success of gymnosperms- in fact, fossil records indicate that relatives of gymnosperms emerged around 380 million years ago, and true gymnosperms (which produced seeds, such as this) appeared about 365 million years ago- and if you take a look around, you'll see that they've been doing pretty well for themselves ever since.
Of the 4 gymnosperm phyla, conifers, like our little buddy here (most likely Pinus palustris) have become the most one of the abundant, hardy and diverse types of plants on the planet.
The adaptations and good biological design of these plants have made them extremely successful over millions of years, and if a little long-leaf pine spout like this can take hold, it may have the potential to shoot upwards to heights of 120 feet, and live up 400-500 years, which in the history of gymnosperms is just a blink of an eye.
Read more about plant evolution:
www.biologyreference.com/Ep-Fl/Evolution-of-Plants.html
Gymnosperm overview:
www.theplantlist.org/browse/G/
Read more about adaptations of the Long Leaf Pine:
Yesterday in the forest behind the Village housing apartments here at UNCW, I found an ecosystem on a dead and decaying Oak tree that had been knocked down most likely due to the control burn a few years ago. Growing on it is Laetiporus sulphureus, also know as Chicken of the Woods Mushroom. It’s distinctives physical feature are its bright yellow and orange colors, and how it grows, overlapping itself. The species is found in the eastern part of North America and is prevalent with forest filled hard-wood trees.
Three seagulls enjoying a warm January afternoon at Wrightsville Beach, NC
I’m not positive, but I think these birds are Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), based on information that I found. Herring gulls do reach the North Carolina coast and have white spots on the tips of their wings. A preferred food of Herring Gulls is marine fish, so they’re certainly in the right location, and they tend to be rather social, which is a perfect adjective for these three I observed. There were also five much smaller birds that appeared to be the younger generation walking around on the beach near these three.
Since ecology is all about how organisms interact with their environments, we can consider how these birds are waddling in the tide, the sea oats that are just out of the picture, and maybe the small critters hiding out in the sand. Perhaps if I had stuck around longer, I would’ve been able to see the predation of fish in the water. (Fun fact: Herring Gulls—assuming these are it—actually also eat other birds.) They seem to be enjoying themselves in the intertidal zone, but, despite the temperature being in the 60s when I took this photo, I’m not sure how warm that water could be! I’m interested in the geographic distribution of these organisms and how well they manage to get enough to eat in the winter without so many generous beachgoers.
Source on types of gulls: www.spwickstrom.com/seagull/
These dolphin, or Tursiops truncatus, were swimming close to shore. They can be found in groups from 2 to 15 individuals. A large pod can provide protection to each individual against predators, means more individuals able to catch prey, and allows multiple dolphins to look after young so the mom can have a break. About halfway through the video it looks like one dolphin drags a large fish (maybe) out of the water. Maybe the dolphins moved closer to shore because it's easier to catch fish and there is a larger variety. Also, I noticed a lot of birds flying above. This could be an example of interspecific competition because the birds and dolphins could be competing for the same resource (fish). However, the dolphin may try to catch larger fish and the birds try to catch smaller fish, so there is no competition.
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/dolphins/bottlenose-...
This photo was taken in the Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve here on UNCW's campus on January 22nd. In the picture we see the remains of a fallen tree, with patches of bright green moss growing on the top of the tree stump. While difficult to exactly determine, I believe the species is (Anomodon rostratus) a member of the bryophytes, which all provide many benefits to this forests' ecology. There are multiple different ecological concepts at play here, but the one I want to talk about is distribution. While the species of moss itself is ubiquitous, the area in which it can grow, both within the preserve and around this tree truck, is specific to factors including pH, humidity, temperature, soil make-up, competition and more. Distribution helps to explain why this species of moss has found specific parts of this trunk suitable for growth, while specifically leaving out other areas. It's important to note while the moss may look like a single plant, it's actually made up of many unitary gametophytes, all growing and reproducing individually. In terms of ecology, the growth of this moss helps to break down and recycle the carbon and nutrients still stored in the tree, regulate the relative humidity of the area, and provide indicators towards the soil and forests health.
Here a link to the source I used to help ID the moss (bryophyteportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxauthid=1&...)
Here is a cool photo that I took at the Fort Fisher Aquarium earlier this semester! This ocellaris clown fish (Amphiprioninar) has a mutual symbiotic relationship with this sea anemone (Actiniaria)! Both the clown fish and the sea anemone benefit from each others company! The clown fish receives protection from bigger fish through the anemone and the anemone receives protection from other predatory fish that are chased away by the extremely territorial clown fish. As a member of the phylum Cnidaria, this sea anemone possess nematocysts that sting prey; not including the clown fish. It is thought that this is due to the mucus coating, that overtime and contact with anemones, produces antigens. I find it extremely interesting that the clown fish has been able to adapt to the stings of the anemone in order to thrive in its aquatic environment! #UNCW #uncwteal #ecology #FishAreCool
This is a cactus (a type of prickly pear). These cacti may be hazardous to people passing by, but they have an important part of the ecology right here in Wilmington. They lay just beyond the first dunes from the beach and cover a good portion of dune. These Cacti have deep roots, important for keeping the sand (and the beach) in place helping with erosion and beach displacement. These along with the other grasses, vines and wild flowers are key to keeping the beach right where it is.
This photo was taken on private property that is leased to a hunting club in Grantsboro, NC on January 27, 2018. The print in the mud was identified to be a Coyote (Canis latrens). I determined that the print didn’t belong to a domesticated dog because of scat, other animal tracks such as deer, and a lack of human presence in the area.
Although often labeled as a “predator” coyotes are opportunistic. They feed on a variety of foods such as berries and fruits, deer, snakes, birds, rabbits, frogs, insects and rodents. Coyotes eat what is most readily available which can also include garbage and roadkill. Coincidently, on the same property the coyote paw print was found, I have also spotted a bobcat. This is important to note because both species rely on similar food sources. Although, bobcats (Lynx rufus) are a more active predator. According to an article in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, a population response is suggested by exploitation competition between the two species.
Sources: www.ncpedia.org/wildlife/coyote
icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/Coyotes.asp
www.ncpedia.org/wildlife/bobcat
ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Mammals/Bobcat
www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/z89-170?journalC...
Thunnus albacares, or yellow finned tuna is what you consume when you eat a can of Starkist tuna like this jar. In the small corner sits a seal with a cute dolphin and the words “Dolphin Safe”. Dr. Pabst, of the UNCW biology team, lectured about the meaning of this label and the effects that it had on both the economy and ecological community in which tuna thrives. The “Dolphin Safe” label signifies that the tuna in the can was caught while not setting on dolphins. Dolphin and sexually mature yellow finned tuna are often found in association with one another; this relationship is hypothesized to be as a way to decrease predation of both species. USA fishermen in the past targeted dolphin pods, knowing it was likely that sexually mature yellow finned tuna would be found in the deeper water underneath. During this process, many dolphins died which was a direct violation of the US’s Marine Mammal Protection Act. As a result, other modes of catching tuna developed such as log and school setting. With each of these, there main tuna catch is sexually immature yellow finned tuna along with many other by-catch organisms. The big picture would be that for those that eat canned tuna, you are eating sexually immature Thunnus albacares. Because the target fish are sexually immature yellow finned tuna in log and school setting methods, the ecosystem is suffering. When a population undergoes a change in which sexually immature members are targeted, it hurts the growth rate of that population. This is because the species’ sexually mature individuals are taken out of the population, it is up to the mature individuals to reproduce. There are less organisms to reproduce, therefore, population growth will be hindered. As we are learning about community dynamics, we can keep in mind that because the yellow finned tuna interacts with organisms of different species meaning that the decrease in its population may affect other populations as well. #IMAGE3 #UNCWteal
This photo was taken on January 23rd in a lab at UNCW. Ocimum basilicum, also known as basil, is a commonly used and delicious herb. In this photo you can see photosynthesis at work; the sun is coming in through the window and the leaves are absorbing the light energy and converting it into chemical energy to make its own food. Another ecological process that can be seen in this photo is competition. Around six seeds were planted in this tea cup and a few have sprouted. Above ground competition for light and below ground competition for nutrients and water may explain why some basil plants in the tea cup are smaller than others.
I took this photo outside of my apartment this afternoon with an iPhone 6s. My Garden Answers app told me it was the European Fan Palm. This was planted here in Mayfaire because it is both aesthetically pleasing and it is able to tolerate the heat and humidity that the Wilmington summer will bring. They can adapt to well-drained soils and are from hot and dry places in the Mediterranean Sea Basin.
"Garden Answers - Plant Identification." Garden Answers. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2016.
Retrieved from: www.gardenanswers.com/
This photo was taken on January 21, 2018 on UNCW campus at the beginning of Chancellor’s Walk. It is a picture of a pond with a fountain in it. As on can see, there is much biodiversity in and around the pond area. Often with ponds or other bodies of stagnant water, a process of eutrophication can occur. This is when a lot of nutrients are somehow added to a body of water, which can cause a jump in growth of plant and animal life. Algae is one thing that can exponentially grow when this happens, sometimes covering whole bodies water. This can block sunlight from reaching the bottom of the pond and getting to other plants. Because the plants would not be getting light, they would eventually die and decompose. Bacteria helping with decomposition use oxygen in the water, which, if there is a lot of decomposition, a majority of the oxygen will be used, ultimately causing hypoxia in organisms. Hypoxia is when very little oxygen reaches the tissues of an organism. Luckily, this problem is avoided by the inclusion of the fountain in the pond! The fountain helps keep the water moving, preventing the buildup of algae on the surface and hypoxia in the organisms.
This picture was taken at Lake Sutton. Lake Sutton is a lake used by Duke Energy as a cooling system that cycles through the energy plant back into the lake. This is also similar to the water cycle. In the water cycle, water from the earth is heated and evaporated into the atmosphere and turns into condensation into the clouds. After this occurs, the water than falls back on to the surface of the earth, and this process is called precipitation. #image1 #bio366 #sp18 #UNCW #UNCWETEAL #ecology
This photo was taken on January 22, 2018 in Wilmington, NC. For the past months, this vine plant has been growing up and around these undisturbed bicycles. This plant may be a ipomoea triloba, also known as Littlebell, according to plant identification applications. In the warmer months, these vines were full with leaves and flowers. The recent cold air has left this vine as thin brown stems with interesting buds. This plant may have grown up the bikes in order to protect itself as well as block sunlight from its competitors below it (when blooming in the summer).
I found this dragonfly oddly hovering very slowly from bike to bike outside of my apartment patio, to the point to where I could easily grab it. I believe it's the Libellula lydia, or as it's more commonly known, the Common Whitetail Dragonfly. The Libellula lydia is prevalent throughout most of North America; however, it's particularly found near bodies of water such as, marshes and slow moving rivers. The dragonfly pictured above is an immature male, and this is noted by its thin brown body and single striped wings. A mature Libellula lydia male is distinguishable by having a thick white tail and single striped wings. Throughout my research I found that the males of this species are actually very territorial and can have anywhere from a 10 to 30 meter span of land they patrol. I can only wonder, considering it's odd hovering behavior, if this male was in fact protecting it's territory? Or perhaps, may have even been showing signs of another behavior like mating or even death? If anyone has an idea, or possible additional information about this behavior I'd love to know more.
This picture was taken outside of the Teaching Lab on UNCW campus on Thursday March 29th. Two ecological concepts you can see here are herbivory and nutrient decomposition. There is a tiny ant on the side of the apple that is eating what is the left before it decomposes. The parts of the apple that have brown discoloration have already begun decomposing. Decomposition is the breakdown of chemical bonds formed during the construction of plant and animal tissues and is a key process in recycling nutrients within an ecosystem.
The photo above was taken on January 22, 2018 in the city of Wilmington North Carolina. This picture displays a group of Long Leaf Pine trees. Long leaf pine trees play a crucial supporting role in many ecosystems. For instance, the Red Cockaded Woodpecker, a now endangered species, relies on the long leaf pines for shelter as they carve their nests into the softened heartwood rot areas of the trees. The long leaf pine trees also provide the Red Cockaded Woodpecker with protection from predators by producing sap which runs over the hole making the entrance harder to access. These trees also provide another source of protection for the woodpeckers from natural disasters like wildfires. While other tress cannot survive the fire, long leaf pines heavily rely on the fire to clear out competitors allowing them to prosper. In fact, long leaf pines adapted their long needles because of these fires. This happened because most wild fires will burn through quickly meaning that only the tops of the needles will be burned off leaving the bottom healthy and making the recovery process easy, compared to other less fortunate plant species.
1/19/2018 New Hanover County Landfill Composting operations. yard debris,food waste and other matter is ground up. Then stored. as the decomposition begins. The material breaks down with help of other organisms and bacteria. The final product is compost humus and is used as fertilizer.
This picture was taken this past Sunday, Easter, at crystal pier on Wrightsville beach. Coastal ecology and processes is something that I am passionate about and enjoy observing. This photo was taken at roughly 6:30 in the morning and as you can see there are already an abundance of people on the beach. With the abundance of individuals also came with an increased amount of trash which is very harmful to not only the terrestrial species but also the marine ones. It is also interesting to see how individuals interact with this aspect of the natural world and how it is able to attract so many people from a variety of different places.
The soil in Wilmington, NC is very dense so the water has a hard time draining properly. People have put drains throughout the premises in order for the water to drain properly. This photo can include the concept of disturbances in a way because the humans put the drain in to help drain the water from the ground so it does not cause any major problems.
On spring break, I went to Los Angeles, California and came across what I believe to be a juvenile Coast Range Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii) which is a native lizard to the area. This Coast Range Fence lizard is important in the food web in LA, California. This lizard is food to many predators including, but not limited to, birds, snakes, spiders and even other lizards. The lizard itself is a predator of small invertebrates such as spiders, crickets, ticks, scorpions and other various small creatures. Fun fact, it has developed a cool mechanism in which it produces a protein in its blood that kills the bacterium that causes Lyme disease allowing the lizard to withstand the attack and consumption of ticks.
It was awesome seeing LA and seeing how different the species of plants and animals were that inhabit the area, and how it is so different to that of Wilmington!
Sources:
www.burkemuseum.org/blog/western-fence-lizard
www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/s.o.bocourtii.html#...
This picture is of the white spotted bamboo sharks and epaulette sharks that are in the shark touch pool at North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. They are both benthic sharks but from different parts of the world. The epaulette shark is the spotted shark and has a native habitat of New Guinea and the northern coast of Australia. They have received their common name from the false eyes behind their spiracles which look like military epaulettes. They are fully grown at 3 feet and have paddle shaped fins. They are a nocturnal species which inhabit coral reefs and tidal pools. Instead of swimming, they wriggle their bodies and "walk" on their paired pectoral fins. This species feeds on a wide range of benthic invertebrates and bony fishes. They are of least concern due to only being wanted for the small aquarium trade. White spotted bamboo sharks are native to the IndoPacific. They can grow up to 3 feet and have long dorsal fins. Their dorsal fin can be altered due to where they choose to live and how they move. They are nocturnal and prey on small fish and invertebrates. Both of these species are oviparous which means they lay eggs. White spotted bamboo sharks are also popular in the small aquarium trade as well as used for human consumption in Taiwan and Madagascar. This picture is demonstrating coexisting because these species are not used to living near each other and now are living in harmony in their tank together.
I took this photo on Monday January 22nd 2018. The ecological concepts I identified with this picture are precipitation and climate being influenced by proximity to the coastline. Wilmington is right next to the ocean, which is why we experience more precipitation than cities and states that are farther inland. This is because when air masses move inland from the coast, the water vapor that is lost through precipitation is not recharged while over land as much as it is over the open waters of the ocean.
Present is a very deformed swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii). Interesting to note is the small sapling growing within the trees base. perhaps the larger older tree is providing a place for water to gather which allowed the sapling to grow so close. This is an example of intraspecific competition because the trees are directly competing for light and water. Along with shelter for plants the tree could also provide shelter for animals from rain. Or a reserve of drinking water after a long rain. Taken around 2pm at the wildflower preserve on UNCW campus.
This is my backyard in Scott's Hill. This has been my favorite place to live since I moved to Wilmington. I wake up the Quercus virginianas every morning that stay green year around. These southern live oaks always have leaves and are also always green because they are a breed of evergreen tree. Looking at the water it is in the process of switching from high tide to low tide it is moving out of the channel. This is due to the moons gravitational force. I also find it funny how my yard is both green and brown. I found that it is because the brown grass is Bermuda grass which turns dormant in the winter. The green grass is a breed of grass that does not go dormant in the winter.
Here we observe two networks. First, the people on the beach congregate into packs. Each pack is defined by the connection each person has, be it romantic, platonic, genetic, or a combination of the three. This network is based on the inter and intrapersonal connections the people within this photo share with one another. Second, the wave patterns are set by wind patterns as well as the moon's position. Imagine that! We go to the beach to walk and swim in those waves (or not, depending on the tides), and our ability to do so extends all the way to outer space. This particular network displays only one part of how complex and intricate the natural world is, that each moment we spend on this planet could be partly determined by the behavior of celestial bodies.
Taxodium distichum, the baldcypress, was one of the new organisms that I interacted with when moving down to North Carolina. This picture was snapped one sunny warm February day on White Lake, NC. The baldcypress’ seeds, that remarkably can still germinate up to one year after dropping from a mature tree, by both water and animals. In this picture one can see a bundle of lake debris around the base of the tree. That lake rubbish is caught in the root system of the cypress which shoots out of the water near the apex of the trunk. This anomaly has puzzled scientists for years; so much so that there are many hypotheses about them. The most common reasoning for these enigmas is, because knees are more often found to be on trees that are in shallow water areas or wet ground, they might be caused by the root growing in a poorly aerated soil. We learned in class that plants use both photosynthesis and respire. Oxygen for respiration in the plants must be taken in by all plant cells in order for those cells to break down carbohydrates and get the energy it needs to grow. We talked in class about the idea that organisms possess trade-offs; an organism can not perfectly adapt to its environment. The baldcypresses likely underwent a trade-off when its’ root system to form in knees; shunting its efforts to grow large roots instead of growing many leaves. This is a trade-off all plants must undergo and find balance to in order to survive. #image2 #UNCW #bio366
arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/2000-60-4-cyp...
www.growstone.com/2012/01/the-importance-of-aeration-to-s...
This is a common sea star (Asterias ruben). This species is native to the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. They can be found anywhere from the shoreline to depths of 650 feet below sea level. They typically live in sand, rocks, mud flats, and mussel beds. These areas are where they typically find their food. Like most starfish, they are carnivorous and feed on gastropods, bivalves, and crabs. They have five arms, which can regrow if they lose one or more, with a bunch of tube feet on them which help with respiration, locomotion, suction and predation. When feeding on other animals the tube feet aid in giving the sea stars a strong grip on their prey so they can't escape. After the prey is trapped the sea star extrudes its stomach from its mouth and it eats the prey. It has to wait until the prey is digested into a soft mass before it can pull its stomach back into its body. animaldiversity.org/accounts/Asterias_rubens/