View allAll Photos Tagged bio366,
This beautiful dragonfly appears to be an immature Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis). This individual was living in early May at Jones Lake State Park in North Carolina and was a fantastic model for the camera. During the photo session, we witnessed the animal hunting and eating a number of flying insects. This animal seems to prefer to perch on this stick as it waited to identify prey insects passing by.
Here are a few references:
www.migratorydragonflypartnership.org/index/identificatio...
I believe that these are Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra). These birds were observed in Denver Colorado.
This is a glimpse of the magnificent Masonboro Island. I am grateful for the opportunity to visit this refuge. Thank you to the organizations that worked to conserve this special space.
Though its not visible in this photo, it was during this trip that we played in the ocean during a magnificent squall and watched and listened to the raindrops bounce on the ocean surface.
This was a kayak trip with the family, Hugo, and Kateri.
With our friends visiting Wilmignton, we again went to visit one of our favorite places in town-- the Stanley Rehdar Carnivorous Plant Garden. There are so many types of animal eating plants. Here I captured a nice example of the Venus Flytrap.
This is a patch of Longleaf pine forest on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. This was taken in May 2016. The trees are fairly well spaced as you might in this kind of forest. Here the forest floor is carpeted with Braken Ferns.
D caught this frog on the way into summer camp. We had a good look (and photo) before we released it back into the garden. I love how both D and C have started to observe their environment more carefully -- spotting critters, interesting plants, watching behaviors.
This change in behavior -- becoming more observant -- is what motivated the EcoPhoto Project (people.uncw.edu/borretts/courses/bio366/ecophoto.pdf) I know assign as part of my Ecology courses. My hope is that we can use the camera lens, often embedded in the student's phones that of often distract their attention, to re-direct and focus their attention on the world around them.
This alligator was living in a stormwater detention pond near the Walmart at Monkey Junction. While I was taking photos, the waitress of a local restaurant came over to look and told me that the gator appears to be one that has living in the pond for some time, likely eating the goose goslings that used to live in the area. I was talking the photo from a distance and from behind a fence. However, the gator felt threatened and started deliberate charge towards me -- which is what is captured in this image.
This venus flytrap resides in the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden in Wilmington, North Carolina. Note the trigger hairs inside the pads that the plant uses to detect prey.
This alligator was sunning himself in a stormwater detention pond in Wilmington, NC in the Monkey Junction area. While I was photographing the animal, a local waitress told me that she had noticed the Canadian goslings disappearing in the last week. She suspected the alligator as the reason.
This small wetland is on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington between Friday Hall and Leutze Hall. While it is often dry, it periodically fills with rainwater that lets an aquatic community erupt. Thus, the very existence of this habitat type depends on the water cycle and vagaries of the Earth System. Apparently professor McCrary identified an endemic ferry shrimp from this pond turing her tenure at UNCW. The reflections of the Longleaf Pine trees adds to the mystery of this early mooring image.
This photo was taken at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, NC. It was taken on April 2, 2017. This photo depicts a Yellowbelly Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta). This turtle is native to a large portion of the southeastern US. In North Carolina they reside mostly in the Piedmont and Coastal areas. It tends to inhabit areas of slow moving rivers, ponds, lakes, floodplains, marshes, and swamps. They are omnivorous. As evident by the photo the Yellowbelly Slider is basking in the sun. Aquatic turtles are ectotherms, meaning they rely on other sources of heat, in this case the sun and the warmth of the rock, to maintain their body temperatures. Basking allows these turtles to absorb warmth and necessary UV rays. Basking also reduces algal growth on the shell, thus reducing the likelihood of bacterial and fungal infections. This is an ecological advantage, as these turtles no longer must expend energy to regulate their body temperature. This energy can then be used for other things, such as hunting and reproduction, that increase the overall fitness of the species instead. Also reducing the chance of fungal and bacterial infections increases the likelihood of organism's long term survival.
These fiddler crabs (Uca pugnax) were living in the salt marsh behind Masonboro Island, North Carolina. These were a few of hundreds I chased during a walk in the marsh. Males have one larger claw that they use mostly in intraspecific signaling. Perhaps this was an accidental grab in the panic to escape from me?
Galls are structures that leaves make when they are attached by a consumer or parasite. They are intended to isolate the invader and its impact. These leaves were observed at Hanging Rock State Park in North Carolina
Forested wetland along the Wacammaw River in North Carolina. The trees are mostly bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and overcup oak (Quercus lyrata). The plants in this forest must survive -- be adapted to -- the frequent inundation as the river rises and falls. The river guides said that the river had fallen about 10 inches in the seven days before our visit. I am sure our paddling trip would have been completely different had the water been higher.
As a wetland, parts of the water column are likely to become anoxic, which will lets anaerobic microbes make their living. This will slow the organic matter decomposition, but enable biogeochemical processes such as denitrification and DNRA.
This photo finds a true bug (insect) trying to hide in the crevice of a wooden structure at Boy Scout Camp Tuscarora in North Carolina. This looks like a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. If so, despite its beauty, this bug is an invasive species from Asia and it is an agricultural pest.
You can learn more about these insects at www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?ident... and ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/brown-marmorated-stink-bug and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug.
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.
Venus Flytraps (Dionaea muscipula) are one type of carnivores plant that is endemic to the Wilmington, North Carolina region.
The Teddybear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) was blooming in Joshua Tree National Park during our spring 2016 visit. This are is known as the Colorado Desert, though it is a section of the Sonoran Desert. Flowering is an essential step in the reproductive cycle of this plant. Apparently, bees are a common pollinator and likely mutualist of this species. Notice that this flower is not overly showy -- it was actually hard to see if visually in the bright sunlight. Given this, I wonder how it effectively attracts its pollinator -- is there a distinctive odor or perhaps some sort of pigment in the ultraviolet spectrum?
The spines provide protection against herbivory and likely also help the plant thermoregulate and thus conserve water.
On Friday March 17th I went with a friend to the carnivorous plant preserve behind Alderman Elementary and found many purple pitcher plants and some Venus flytraps there. The pitcher hoods of the pitcher plants have a pair of lateral ear-like wings on each side and are usually veined. The pitchers are filled with fluid that contains digestive enzymes produced by the plant to digest insects that get trapped in the pitcher after being lured by drops of nectar. The hairs pointed downward guide the insects down where they cannot easily crawl back up. Further down, the walls of the pitcher become very slick where the insects will lose their grip and fall into the water pool in the pitcher to drown. Mutualism is demonstrated between the pitcher plant and certain types of larvae and bacteria that live in it's water pool. The larvae and bacteria help accelerate digestion and break down of insects to sooner provide the nutrients to the plant while also having a good environment to live in.
www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5538.html
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/21/carnivorous-pitcher-pla...
www.researchgate.net/publication/272560483_Mutualism_betw...
The Ammophila procera or common thread waisted wasp is a parasitoid that paralyzes its prey with a sting then drags it into its lair. There the wasp will lay an egg on the paralyzed prey provideing a meal for the larvae.
This beautiful carnivores plant lies waiting for its next tasty meal. This is a well developed plant with few other plants competing for the space.
Ever wanted a houseplant that captures your friends attention and has a lot of personality? Even though it's not on social security or wrinkly, the Cephalocereus Senilis also referred to as the "old man" cactus, has white fluffy tufts around the exterior of its cactus body. The old man cactus is a species of cactus native to Guanajuato and Hidalgo in Eastern Mexico. I took this picture in my apartment at UNCW around 3 p.m. on January 27th when the lighting was optimum. I received the seeds of this cactus from my aunt about a year ago and I've been growing it ever since; and I've been making great progress so far. This species of cactus is one of the dominant elements of the "xerophile scrub" where it inhabits. The fruits and seeds of the old man cactus are eaten by the house finch during the months of June, July, and November. It is considered as an endangered species and is restricted to calcareous canyons within xerophile vegetation.
source: www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/old-...
This picture was taken on the side of a tree along the Cross-City Trail here in Wilmington. These are the sporophytes of a moss growing on the side of a tree. The sporophyte of a plant is the part of the plant that... produces the spores. In alternation of generations, a plant goes through two phases in its life history. The first is the diploid sporophyte phase when the sporophyte grows and produces spores. The second phase is when the spores divide to produce haploid gametes. When two gametes meet during fertilization it forms a diploid zygote, which divides to form a new sporophyte thus continuing the cycle. Alternation of generations, and how most plants reproduce shows, an r-strategy life history style. Mosses produce large numbers of offspring, have no parental care, and are dispersed very widely; all of these are characteristics or r-strategists. This is also a somewhat energetically costly way to reproduce because making thousands of spores takes a lot of energy. However, due to the vulnerability of the spores and their low likely hood of growing to adulthood, this is the most effective life history for mosses given the trade-offs involved.
The Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) is one of the most commonly sighted non-venomous snakes in the Eastern United States. They are diurnal, meaning that they are most active during the day, which, is part of why they are often seen by humans. They are also almost entirely terrestrial, and they spend most of their time on the ground, although they are capable of climbing trees. These snakes utilize their speed, forked tongues and their acute eyesight to actively hunt down their prey. Racers play an important role in the environment by regulating the populations of many reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals by consuming them. Conversely, the Black Racer is prey for many types of predatory birds, mammals and even other snakes such as Kingsnakes making them a mid-level secondary consumer.
Racers typically flee from danger if possible, but will assume a defensive position and stand their ground if they feel threatened as this one did. After releasing this snake, I noticed that it did not immediately try to escape, but continued to coil up. It also began to vibrate its tail, making a rustling sound as it struck the leaf litter. The sound immediately reminded me of a rattlesnake, which led me to believe that it was intentionally trying to imitate one. Although this could be considered a form of Batesian mimicry, after more research I discovered that it is still not 100% clear if this is an example of Batesian mimicry or if it is just a common trait shared among many species of snake to vibrate their tails as a way of saying 'back off'.
Sources:
animaldiversity.org/accounts/Coluber_constrictor/
www.herpsofarkansas.com/forum/topic/4627/nonvenomous-snak...
herpsofnc.org/racer/
Even though the picture quality is poor, this is an image of Southern House Spider (Kukulcania hibernalis). I found this spider on its web on the corner of my house in Graham, NC. I found this species interesting because the web was so hard to see. At first glance, it looked like the spider was floating. The more I thought about how hard it was to see the web, the closer I came to the realization that this was actually an advantage for the spider. The Southern House Spider could be classified as a passive predator, meaning the spider waits for insects to get caught in the web. This relates to a type 1 functional response curve, where the rate that the spider catches prey increases as the prey density increases. So, the spider consumes more insects as the insect population increases. This trade off allows the Southern House Spider to spend more time searching for food and less time chasing and killing their food.
Credit for the species’ name and more info on spiders found in NC:
This is an image of dew which has settled on my car. Dew is a great example of how temperature influences the water content of air. During the day when the temperature is relatively high water is present in the air in a gaseous state. At night when the temperature drops and the air cools, water converts from a gaseous state to a liquid state... leaving behind dew which is visible in the mornings. This is due to the fact that warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. As the temperature begins to rise again, the dew will evaporate and turn back to its gaseous state.
These guys are Boxelder bugs, or Boisea trivittatus. As I was walking to my next college class, they scurried quickly in front of me and I was able to get a photo before they completely disappeared. They primarily feed on low vegetation and seeds on the ground. They received their name by eating boxelder trees, and are known to also eat maple and ash trees. These bugs only have a life expectancy of a few days to a week, so they must reproduce quickly and often in order to keep up their species numbers.
Odds are that you have seen this bug in your house during colder weather, as they are attracted to warm areas. They have what is described best as a commensalistic relationship with our species. They overwinter inside our warm houses, and leave once it is warm outside again. They do not bite humans, cause no property damage, and are not known to eat common house plants. The only notable aspect of this species that negatively affects humans is that they release a fluid that stains whatever it touches when they are killed.
Fun fact: A "true bug" is an animal that sucks, literally! True bugs have specialized mouth parts to suck juices out of their food item. A true bug's proboscis does not retract as a honeybee's or butterfly's would. Next time you see someone mistakenly call the wrong insect a bug, feel free to share this cool fact with them!
Sources:
www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/boxelder-bugs/
Snow is rare in the Wilmington region. This event was accompanied by multiple days of unusually low temperatures (below freezing). These low temperatures will likely negatively impact many of the southern species that have migrating northward in response to higher average temperatures. Similarly, it may negatively impact some of the invasive species that have moved extreme differences and established in our region. The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a native tree that should be unharmed by this low temperature excursion.
This photo illustrates moss (bryophyta) growing on Coquina rocks at Kure Beach in New Hanover County, North Carolina. This picture was taken on May 29, 2016 when the current was fairly high due to an incoming tropical storm. For moss, finding an area with damp conditions helps with its survival and reproduction. To survive, the damp condtions allow it to absorb water and nutrients through its leaves and also aids the process of photosynthesis. Also, moss uses the damp conditons to aid with sexual reproduction. Apparently, coquina rocks are a sedimentary rock found near areas of high erosion and lacustrine environements. The association between moss and coquina rocks is commensal but there may be some parasitism in the long-run as moss inhabiting the area may cause deterioation to the rocks.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moss
geology.about.com/od/rocks/ig/sedrockindex/rocpiccoquina.htm
A longleaf pine still charred from a prescribed burn that happened April 1st of last year in Carolina Beach State Park. Longleaf pine savannas need a low intensity ground fire roughly every three to five years to kill the species that grow faster than the longleaf pine and end up blocking the light that the longleaf needs to grow. Species like the wiregrass, seen in the background, need the fires to bloom flowers to release pollen into the air. Some places like Carolina Beach State Park do a prescribed burn every so many years to keep these longleaf pine savannas healthy and to preserve an area that spanned from Texas to Virginia. Taken on May 30, 2016.
The coquina outcrop is a formation of limestone created by coquina clam shells. This image was taken in Fort Fisher, near the Riggins Condo complex. The outcrop is mainly visible at low tide and most of it is completely covered during high tide. The outcrop at Fort Fisher is the only one of its kind in North Carolina. This unique ecological zone provides a habitat to a variety of sea life, such as sea stars, sea urchins, and sea anemones. In addition, many shelled animals make this place their home, including clams, crabs, and sea whelks. For shell hunters, this is a great place to visit because often larger, whole shells get washed to shore due to the wide range of shelled animals living on the outcrop. The coquina outcrop also provides a home to horseshoe crabs and sting rays. The outcrop has a large amount of biodiversity, where each species serves a different ecological purpose. However, with pros come some cons. Researchers have found that the outcrop may cause larger amounts of flooding after storms and can move and displace sand. For more information and to have an encounter with these creatures, check out the Fort Fisher Aquarium coquina outcrop exhibit/ touch pool and this link: sites.google.com/site/islandecology2011/coquina-outcrops
I almost walked right past this tiny blue crab on Wrightsville Beach, NC on June 11th as the tide pulled away. Unsure of its age, the size was just a few inches in the body. The blue crab, or Callinectes sapidus was probably found so close to shore and digging in order to spawn, which can be done closer to the shoreline. Spawning is important to ensure generations to come survive, but it didn't seem safe with all the beach goers and tourists out and about on this warm, sunny day. All I can hope is he survived and went undisturbed during spawning.
Acknowledgements: www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/pub/seascience/bluecrab.html
On Tuesday I captured this picture of a red-tailed hawk flying over McNeil Hall! The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is the most common type of hawk in North America. It stays in much of North America year round. The most common coloring pattern of these birds match this UNCW resident as it has a pale under belly with a cinnamon tail and a dark black coloring on its shoulders. When I took this picture, this guy was flying at branch-height and landed on the nearest tree. He then soared in the air and I was able to get this shot. I imagine he was lying in wait of a squirrel to scurry up the tree, and then took to the air to see if he could find any a bit quicker. Small mammals are the primary food source of these amazing birds. Animals like mice, wood rats, rabbits and squirrels are the red-tailed hawk's main prey. (I can also imagine that this hawk is feeding quite well as the squirrels on campus are pretty safe - their only predators are hawks and the occasional truck...) Red-tailed hawks also love to build their nests in super tall trees so they can have a nice view of the landscape around them. (This hawk lives in the tall trees in the little forest in between Tri-House!) The Red-tailed hawk is a carnivore and a predator, at the top of its food chain. I never really thought of the UNCW campus to have such a biodiversity of amazing animals!
What we have here is the Chelydra serpentina or the common snapping turtle in my driveway in Richlands North Carolina. Snapping turtles have a geographic range that extends from the east coast of the United States almost all the to the west coast and even up in parts of Canada. Since turtles are ectotherms I was curious to know how the different temperatures would affect their ability to catch prey. Turns out that while the temperature does in fact decrease jaw velocity and acceleration, the snapping turtles in the northern most limits spend more time basking than their southern relatives. The basking helps warm them up enough to be able to catch mobile prey(Vervust et al 2011).
Reference
Vervust, B., J. Brecko, and A. Herrel. 2011.
Temperature Effects on Snapping Performance in the Common Snapper Chelydra serpentina (Reptilia, Testudines). Journal of Experimental Zoology Part a-Ecological Genetics and Physiology 315A:41-47.
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.
This photo was taken on the UNCW campus on April 11, 2017. This is an ant hill made out of soft, fine sand and soil. Ants are important ecosystem engineers, meaning that they alter the structure of their environment and have a large affect on other species in that environment. Ant hills are made from the fine soil and sand particles that worker ants bring out of the tunnels they dig and deposit at the entrance. Through the creation of tunnels, ants benefit the soil by mixing soil horizons and creating pathways for gas and water exchange. These pathways also increase the amount of nutrients that can reach plant roots. Ants are part of many food chains as predators and prey and they are decomposers as well. Some species feed on organic waste.
Source: onsnetwork.org/mayonotebook/2015/05/07/ants-as-ecosystem-...
Most days here in Wilmington, there are clouds of some sort, floating gently along or rushing off to be somewhere else. We expect them here, as they are a large part of the weather in our local, coastal ecosystem. These stratocumulus clouds passed over the UNCW campus on Tuesday, January 24th. Stratocumulus often signify a change in the weather. In this case, we got some wind gusts and a few warmer days. Clouds are extremely important for the big picture on our planet, our biosphere. They do all of the work. Clouds move the Sun’s energy around our planet. Solar radiation heats our atmosphere, warming the surface and evaporating water. As the moisture rises, it cools and condenses into clouds. The winds then carry the clouds all over the Earth. Clouds cool the Earth’s surface, by reflecting solar radiation and bringing precipitation. They also help to warm things up again by radiating the heat that they absorb back towards the ground. The heat energy and moisture that clouds carry drive weather patterns all over the world. A cloud that starts here could travel almost anywhere. Think on that next time you look for puffy shapes in the sky!
Sources:
This purple pitcher plant lives at the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden in Wilmington, NC. This pitcher plant is host to an active inquiline community of organisms that lives in the water that accumulates in the pitchers. Also notice the Venus flytraps growing around the pitcher plant.
This is a picture of a Narcissus taken in my front yard. The common name for this plant is daffodil.
Like all other plants, this daffodil depends on Nitrogen to grow, develop and reproduce.
Although our atmosphere is about 78% Nitrogen, plants are unable to use it in its gaseous state.
Before plants can take up this vital element it must be fixated by bacteria living in the soil. Bacteria change nitrogen (N2) into ammonium (NH4+) and then into nitrates (NO3-) through a process called nitrification. Plants are then able to absorb the nitrates in the soil through their roots, this is called assimilation. Once the plants have absorbed the nitrates they then turn them into things like amino acids, nucleic acids and chlorophyll.
When the plant dies and begins to decay, it will return the nitrogen it used back to the soil where bacteria will turn it into ammonium through a process called ammonification. After ammonification the nitrogen is able to reenter the cycle. If there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil, special bacteria will put the nitrogen back into the air through a process known as denitrification.
Source: bit.ly/1kw3fGc
I took this picture on MLK Day on the south end of Wrightsville Beach at Masonboro Inlet which separates Masonboro Island and Wrightsville. The inlet is characterized by a jetty which helps prevent longshore transport of sediment down the coast onto the uninhabited, protected Masonboro Island. This inlet is not only important for ships to access the Intercoastal Waterway from the Atlantic, but also for animals like the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Even though I only snapped a picture of one dolphin breaching the water, I counted about 7 dolphins, making it a pod of dolphins. This social group of dolphins uses the power of numbers to survive and thrive in the environment. These carnivores were most likely hunting fish and other organisms that dwell in the inlet. Dolphins are carnivores because they feed exclusively on the tissues of other animals (Smith & Smith 127). One of the advantages of this population of Tursiops truncatus, a group of one species, is they work together to attain food and resources. Since the dolphins are predators and carnivores, they need to consume a large amount of prey, an ecological resource, in order to maintain their body mass, internal systems (respiratory, osmoregulatory), and homeostasis or regulation of an animal's internal conditions (Smith & Smith 129). These dolphins working together as a population helps them survive and consume enough food to maintain their internal processes which require a lot of energy. Tursiops truncatus have a wide range of habitat across the world and are a typical species found off the coast of Wilmington, NC. Their niche is typically their role as a tertiary predator in the aquatic environment with only humans and sharks being a threat. I think this picture is important because it shows how close these vital, complex animals are to the coast and how our actions along the coast directly affect the environment and populations like this one of the common bottlenose dolphin.
On Sunday March 12th before church started I took this picture out the side window of the church building in the Pine Valley neighborhood. Earlier this year the end of winter was warmer than average causing the leaf out and blooming of springs first plants and trees to be nearly 20 days early. This rare Wilmington snowfall in March came after many trees and plants had already leafed out and bloomed. This picture shows one of Wilmington's most prominent plants, the azalea, in the snow, something I have not witnessed after living in Wilmington my whole life (21 years). This particular variety is a dwarf azalea. In later weeks I have noticed that since the snow most of the azalea blooms and buds that were almost ready to bloom wilted, turned brown and died. The buds that were not as close to blooming, thus being more protected from the snow and frost, survived and have now bloomed throughout the city. Extreme changes in the weather are limiting factors that have effects on the growth, reproduction, and survivorship of a species.
Recorded June 9, 2016 on UNCW campus, I found a dragonfly (suborder Anisoptera) flying near the pond. Throughout the video, the dragonfly is sitting on or staying in close proximity of the nearby plants. To understand why the actions of the dragonfly are not shocking, we have to understand the life cycle of a dragonfly while also understanding their impact on trophic cascades, pollination and fitness in plant species. Dragonflies are born as larvae in aquatic environments. If they survive predation and become an adult, they become a significant terrestrial species. By understanding a trophic cascade incorporating the Dragonfly species, I was able to see the indirect control they have on the pollination of plants. Dragonflies are predators looking for bees and butterflies as prey. The removal of these prey reduces the plants pollen production which reduces the plants fitness. This ecological process allows us to further understand the impact of indirect interactions on the community structure.