View allAll Photos Tagged climatic
Seaweed ( kelp ) taken during our road trip to Robe, South Australia.
Seaweeds grow in abundance in the oceans, many of which are edible and safe for human consumption.
They have been documented to contain many of the essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds.
For many years, seaweeds have also been cultivated and utilized directly as food for humans or as feed to produce food for human consumption.
Since seaweeds grow in many climatic conditions globally, their cultivation has minimal impact on the environment.
Seaweeds are increasingly recognized as a sustainable food source with the potential to play a major role in providing food security worldwide.
Although seaweeds are part of the diet in many Asian countries and some European nations, there are some challenges in terms of their incorporation into the general diet in many places globally.
Innovation in food technology and culinology can help make seaweeds desirable organoleptically to increase their consumption.
Abstract from a book..Seaweeds: a sustainable food source.
Many thanks for your visit, comments, invites and faves...it is always appreciated..
Peaceful MBT
Siskin - Carduelis Spinus
The Eurasian siskin (Spinus spinus) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is also called the European siskin, common siskin or just siskin. Other (archaic) names include black-headed goldfinch, barley bird and aberdevine. It is very common throughout Europe and Asia. It is found in forested areas, both coniferous and mixed woodland where it feeds on seeds of all kinds, especially of alder and conifers.
These birds have an unusual migration pattern as every few years in winter they migrate southwards in large numbers. The reasons for this behaviour are not known but may be related to climatic factors and above all the availability of food. In this way overwintering populations can thrive where food is abundant. This small finch is an acrobatic feeder, often hanging upside-down like a tit. It will visit garden bird feeding stations.
These birds can be found throughout the year in Central Europe and some mountain ranges in the south of the continent. They are present in the north of Scandinavia and in Russia and they over-winter in the Mediterranean basin and the area around the Black Sea. In China they breed in the Khingan Mountains of Inner Mongolia and in Jiangsu province; they spend summer in Tibet, Taiwan, the valleys of the lower Yangtse River and the south east coast.
The Eurasian siskin is occasionally seen in North America. There is also a similar and closely related North America counterpart, the pine siskin, Spinus pinus.
heir seasonal distribution is also marked by the fact that they follow an anomalous migration pattern. Every few years they migrate southwards in larger numbers and the overwintering populations in the Iberian Peninsula are greatly augmented. This event has been the object of diverse theories, one theory suggests that it occurs in the years when Norway Spruce produces abundant fruit in the centre and north of Europe, causing populations to increase. An alternative theory is that greater migration occurs when the preferred food of alder or birch seed fails. This species will form large flocks outside the breeding season, often mixed with redpolls.
It is a bird that does not remain for long in one area but which varies the areas it used for breeding, feeding, over-wintering from one year to the next.
They are very active and restless birds. They are also very social, forming small cohesive flocks especially in autumn and winter. They are fairly trusting of humans, it being possible to observe them from a short distance. During the breeding season, however, they are much more timid, solitary and difficult to observe.
Population:
UK breeding:
410,000 pairs
Today's theme is Tjoritja West MacDonnell National Park in Australia's Northern Territory. This vast and spectacular section of the MacDonnell Ranges is an outstanding example of an ancient landscape sculptured over time by climatic elements. Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park stretches for 161 km west of Alice Springs.
Ormiston Gorge is one of many gorges in this diverse and beautiful national park.
The genus Polylepis contains about twenty species that are distributed across the Andes. It is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The genus belongs to the tribe Sanguisorbeae, which mainly comprises herbs and small shrubs. Although the relationship of Polylepis to other genera of Sanguisorbeae is largely unknown, the analysis of Torsten Eriksson et al. (2003) showed evidence of a close relationship between Polylepis and Acaena, which shows tendencies towards having fused stipular sheaths, reddish, flaking-off bark, and axillary, somewhat pendant inflorescences, features otherwise characteristic of Polylepis. There are several characteristics that are important taxonomically to distinguish between species of Polylepis, for example: 1) The amount of leaf congestion, 2) presence or absence of spurs and their size and vestiture, 3) presence or absence and type of trichomes, (4) size, shape, thickness and vestiture of leaflets. The most important taxonomic character, however, is the leaflets.
Studies suggest that repeated fragmentation and reconnection of páramo vegetation, caused by the Pleistocene climatic fluctuations, had a strong influence on the evolution and speed of speciation in the genus Polylepis as well as the páramo biota as a whole.
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) iDs a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
Zaryadye Park (Russian: Парк Зарядье) is a landscape urban park located adjacent to Red Square in Moscow, Russia.
The main feature of the park is its facilities hidden under the landscape, while the park itself is divided into four climatic zones: forest, steppe, tundra, and the floodplains. These zones are organized in terraces that descend from northeast to southwest, with each layering over the next to create a total of 14,000 square meters of enclosed, programmed spaces integrated into the landscape: nature and architecture act as one. Visitors can enjoy a river overlook cantilevering 70 meters over Moscow River, media center, nature center, restaurant, market, two amphitheaters and a philharmonic concert hall.
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG), which cover an area of approximately 14 hectares, in Hobart located within the Queens Domain. The gardens were established in 1818 and is the second oldest Botanical Gardens in Australia – the Sydney Botanic gardens were founded two years earlier. The Gardens hold historic plant collections and a large number of significant trees, many dating back to the nineteenth century. It also has an increasing number of important conservation collections of Tasmanian plants, of which the King's Lomatia is one of the most unusual, and the world's only Subantarctic Plant House. Here, plants from subantarctic islands in high southern latitudes are displayed in a climatically-controlled environment, where chilly fogs and mists mirror the wet, cold conditions of their island homes. 30613
Mizunara (Quercus crispula) is an oak species dominant in Japanese mountains. It is usually a tall tree but is a shrub on the Happoone ridge due to soil and climatic conditions.
Happoone ridge is made of a rare type of rock called serpentine (蛇紋岩) that occurs in areas affected by tectonic activities. It contains high percentages of iron and magnesium and produces fragile, dry and poor soils that prevent the forest to grow.
Thanks to the serpentine rock, Happoone is an area where you can observe alpine plants at a relatively low altitude at 1,800 - 2,100 m. If you continue climbing Happoone, forests reappear when you go out of the serpentine rock area.
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) iDs a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
04-April-2022: the Pokljuka plateau, at an average altitude between 1200 and 1347m a.s.l. of its most famous locality, Rudno Polje, is located in the easternmost part of the Julian Alps where the main peaks gradually descend towards the Sava Plain.
It rises to the West of the Sava Bohinjka branch valley, between Bled and Bohinj and descends to the East of the Triglav massif pre-ranges (Viševnik, Veliki and Mali Draški vrh, Tosc...)
It is a rare example of an entirely forested plateau in the South-Eastern Alpine Area, mainly composed of Spruce (Picea Abies) and, to a much lesser extent, of Silver Fir (Abies alba), whose morphological, climatic and botanical characteristics bring closer the (definitely more common) forest plateaus of the Karst-Dinaric Region, such as Trnovski Gozd, Northern Nanos-Hrušica/Ad Pirum Forest and the Central part of Snežnika Forest.
The climate is fully Alpine, but, with stable weather and especially in the months when it is snow-covered, a local continental micro-climate prevails, typical of areas subject to thermal inversion, being largely flat with slight concavity.
Overall, it is an area, on average, colder than the surrounding equal-altitude areas and the forest further helps to keep the snow on the ground which is always present from November to mid-late April, often resisting until early June in residual snowfields. This even in less favorable winters, as shown in the photo, while in (once) typical ones, instantaneous accumulations up to 2 meters can occur, especially at the end of winter.
This is why the area is internationally known for Nordic skiing.
Serralunga d'Alba (located on the left in the foreground) is a municipality in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont. This region is named the Langhe and is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro. It is famous for its wines, cheeses, and truffles—particularly the white truffles of Alba.
These vineyards constitute an outstanding example of man’s interaction with his natural environment. Following a long and slow evolution of winegrowing expertise, the best possible adaptation of grape varieties to land with specific soil and climatic components has been carried out, which in itself is related to winemaking expertise, thereby becoming an international benchmark. The winegrowing landscape also expresses great aesthetic qualities, making it into an archetype of European vineyards.
Luckily, this morning, I could also see the Alps!. In the middle, we see the Matterhorn, next to it and very small Dent Blanche. On the right is the Monte Rosa massif: On the far right
Signalkuppe, then Nordend and the highest point the Dufourspitze, right next to it the wide front is the Lyskamm.
Text adapted from Wikipedia.
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Erlenzeisig (Spinus spinus) - European siskin
My 2019-2023 tours album is here:
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My bird album is here:
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My nature album is here:
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My Canon EOS R / R5 / R6 album is here:
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Erlenzeisig (Spinus spinus) - European siskin
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlenzeisig
Der Erlenzeisig (Spinus spinus, Syn.: Carduelis spinus) ist eine Vogelart aus der Unterfamilie der Stieglitzartigen (Carduelinae). Vögel dieser Art werden zuweilen auch einfach Zeisig genannt, da sie im deutschsprachigen Raum die häufigsten und bekanntesten Stellvertreter der Gruppe kleiner Finkenvögel sind, die den Namensteil „-zeisig“ tragen.
Beschreibung
Erlenzeisige sind mit 12 Zentimetern relativ kleine Finken, ihre Flügelspannweite beträgt 20 bis 23 Zentimeter. Sie werden 12 bis 15 Gramm schwer. Das Männchen ist kontrastreich schwarz-gelb-grün gefärbt, mit schwarzer Stirn und schwarzem Kinn, ansonsten gelbem Kopf mit grünen Wangen. Der Rücken ist graugrün, die Flügel schwarz mit einer gelben Binde. Die Weibchen sind unscheinbarer graugrün und gestrichelt, mit hellgrauem Bauch. Ihre Flügel haben jedoch ebenfalls gelbe und grüne Bereiche. Der Audio-Datei / Hörbeispiel Gesang?/i des Männchens ist eilig zwitschernd, knirschend und scharrend, er wird von Baumspitzen aus oder im Flug vorgetragen.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_siskin
The Eurasian siskin (Spinus spinus) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is also called the European siskin, common siskin or just siskin. Other (archaic) names include black-headed goldfinch,[2] barley bird and aberdevine.[3] It is very common throughout Europe and Asia. It is found in forested areas, both coniferous and mixed woodland where it feeds on seeds of all kinds, especially of alder and conifers.
It can be distinguished from other similar finches by the color of the plumage. The upper parts are greyish green and the under parts grey-streaked white. Its wings are black with a conspicuous yellow wing bar, and the tail is black with yellow sides. The male has a mainly yellow face and breast, with a neat black cap. Female and young birds have a greyish green head and no cap. It is a trusting, sociable and active bird. The song of this bird is a pleasant mix of twitters and trills. For these reasons it is often raised in captivity.
These birds have an unusual migration pattern as every few years in winter they migrate southwards in large numbers. The reasons for this behaviour are not known but may be related to climatic factors and above all the availability of food. In this way overwintering populations can thrive where food is abundant. This small finch is an acrobatic feeder, often hanging upside-down like a tit. It will visit garden bird feeding stations.
Tram Ton Pass - Northwest - Vietnam
The road between Sapa and Lai Chau crosses the Tram Ton Pass on the northern side of Mount Fansipan, 15km from Sapa. At 1900m it's Vietnam’s highest mountain pass, and acts as a dividing line between two climatic zones. On the Sapa side it’s often cold and foggy, but drop a few hundred metres onto the Lai Chau side and it can be sunny and warm. Surprisingly, Sapa is the coldest place in Vietnam, but Lai Chau can be one of the warmest.
Đèo Trạm Tôn - Tây Bắc - Việt Nam
Con đường giữa Sapa và Lai Châu băng qua đèo Trạm Tôn ở phía bắc đỉnh Fansipan, cách Sapa 15km. Ở độ cao 1900m, đây là con đèo cao nhất Việt Nam và đóng vai trò là đường phân cách giữa hai vùng khí hậu. Ở phía Sa Pa thường lạnh và có sương mù, nhưng xuống phía Lai Châu vài trăm mét thì có thể nắng ấm. Đáng ngạc nhiên, Sapa là nơi lạnh nhất Việt Nam, nhưng Lai Châu có thể là một trong những nơi ấm nhất.
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG), which cover an area of approximately 14 hectares, in Hobart located within the Queens Domain. The gardens were established in 1818 and is the second oldest Botanical Gardens in Australia – the Sydney Botanic gardens were founded two years earlier. The Gardens hold historic plant collections and a large number of significant trees, many dating back to the nineteenth century. It also has an increasing number of important conservation collections of Tasmanian plants, of which the King's Lomatia is one of the most unusual, and the world's only Subantarctic Plant House. Here, plants from subantarctic islands in high southern latitudes are displayed in a climatically-controlled environment, where chilly fogs and mists mirror the wet, cold conditions of their island homes. 30835
14-july-2021: between a Covid and a Green Pass, I found a few days to be able to return to my beloved and soft area of the Internal Karst, all administered by "green" Slovenia.
There are no alpine peaks and steep valleys, but it is a very interesting sub-alpine dinaric area, both from a landscape-environmental point of view and, above all, from a meteorological and micro-climatic point of view, with a rare, marked, variety considering the small size of the territory .
The CLEARNESS of this slow and quiet watercourse, surrounded by dense vegetation, strikes us, as with that type of environment we would have expected water with characteristics of greater "stagnation"; but the fact that it (re-)emerges into the light just 1km beyond the photographed point, making its way through underground limestone filtering rocks, explains why the water has a purity (and a starting temperature) from an alpine creek in a flat area to 550m of altitude.
Marrow cabbage is a cultivated variety of vegetable cabbage with thickened shoots. This cabbage is most often used as a fodder plant, and more rarely in German-speaking countries it is used for human consumption.
Sowing in the open field is possible as early as April under suitable climatic conditions. Marrow cabbage tolerates very high temperatures but also low temperatures down to -15 °C when acclimated. It is also grown as a second crop after cereals as a green manure crop to prevent nitrate leaching. This crop is considered an intercrop ("nitrate scavenger"). In spring, the nitrogen is released by rotting and becomes available again for the new crop.
Text adapted from Wikipedia.
Los canutos son un tipo particular de bosque galería presente en los encajonados valles de las sierras del Campo de Gibraltar, Sierra de Grazalema y Serranía de Ronda.
Los canutos mantienen numerosas especies vegetales propias de la flora terciaria europea, gracias a las peculiares características climáticas que ha mantenido la región. La elevada humedad propiciada por la cercanía al mar de las sierras en las que se ubican permite la existencia en los canutos de numerosas especies representantes de la laurisilva junto a otras propias de la vegetación mediterránea. La región mantuvo durante el terciario superior, los últimos bosques tropicales europeos al amparo de las elevadas sierras y la humedad creada por los vientos del estrecho de Gibraltar. Aún hoy en día las corrientes de aire del estrecho, ascienden bruscamente en estas sierras, creando bosques de niebla similares a los presentes en Canarias o Azores.
Información de Wikipedia.
En la Sauceda, Parque Natural de los Alcornocales.
The canutos are a particular type of gallery forest present in the narrow valleys of the Campo de Gibraltar, Sierra de Grazalema and Serranía de Ronda mountains.
The joints maintain numerous plant species typical of the European Tertiary flora, thanks to the peculiar climatic characteristics that the region has maintained. The high humidity caused by the proximity to the sea of the mountains in which they are located allows the existence in the joints of numerous representative species of the laurel forest along with others typical of Mediterranean vegetation. During the Upper Tertiary, the region maintained the last European tropical forests sheltered by the high mountains and the humidity created by the winds from the Strait of Gibraltar. Even today, the air currents of the strait rise sharply in these mountains, creating cloud forests similar to those present in the Canary Islands or the Azores.
Information from Wikipedia.
In La Sauceda, Los Alcornocales Natural Park.
17-may-2021: Canin is the snowiest (total annual snowfall: 12-15m) mountain complex in the Alps, perhaps in common only with the major reliefs of Styria (Austria), and this REGARDLESS of altitude.
Especially the north face, consisting of a large plateau of over 2000m a.s.l., almost always in the shade and with annual rainfall close to 3000mm or 3000l/m2, reaching exceptional peaks of 10m (35 feet) of snow on the ground (maximum INSTANTANEOUS height of the snowpack) even in recent times (2008-2009),
A series of weather-climatic factors make it snow more, in terms of total annual snowfall, at the lowest altitudes of the Canin, compared to the 3-4000m of the Central-Western Alps lower average winter pluviometry.
The black swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic conditions. Black swans are large birds with mostly black plumage and red bills. Black swans are mostly black-feathered birds, with white flight feathers. The bill is bright red, with a pale bar and tip; and legs and feet are grayish-black.The black swan is the state symbol of Western Australia. Male and female black swans are very similar, but the female swan tends to be smaller with a shorter bill.Black swans don't get fully black until they are older.
The black swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent on climatic conditions. It is a large bird with black plumage and a red bill. It is a monogamous breeder, with both partners sharing incubation and cygnet-rearing duties.
The black swan was introduced to various countries as an ornamental bird in the 1800s, but has managed to escape and form stable populations around the world.
Bedgebury National Pinetum at Bedgebury, Kent, in the United Kingdom, is a recreational and conservational arboretum and, with the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, comprises the UK National Arboreta. It was established as the National Conifer Collection in 1925 and is now recognised as the most complete collection of conifers on one site anywhere in the world. The collection has over 10,000 trees growing across 320 acres (1.3 km2), including rare, endangered and historically important specimens. Bedgebury National Pinetum conducts conservation work and is home to some 56 vulnerable or critically endangered species and houses five NCCPG National Plant Collections.
Bedgebury is first mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon charter in AD 841, the name deriving from the Old English bycgan, meaning "buy", and the Kentish vecge, meaning "to bend or turn", possibly in reference to a stream.
John de Bedgebury is listed as the earliest resident of Bedgebury, in the time of Edward II. In the 15th century Agnes de Bedgebury, sister and heir of John (died 1424) married John Colepeper, whose Colepeper heirs, financed by mining clay-ironstone on the estate, were resident until at the time of the restoration of Charles II, and who created an ornamental park on the Bedgebury estate. Elizabeth I visited in August 1573.
The current house was built in 1688 for Sir James Hayes, a little apart from the old house. The estate later passed to the Stephenson family, who retained it until it was left to a Miss Peach, who sold it in 1789 to John Cartier, Governor of Bengal and High Sheriff of Kent, who improved the plantings and the house.
In the 1840s Viscount William Beresford developed the estate by creating the village of Kilndown and three lodges, one of which – Keepers Lodge, now known as Park House – became the centre of the Pinetum. Beresford initiated the pinetum in the 1850s and his successor, his stepson Alexander Beresford Hope, developed Lady Mildred's Drive to enable visitors in carriages to view the trees. The estate was sold in 1899 to Isaac Lewis, who allowed the collection to fall into neglect, and it was purchased by the Crown Estate in 1918 for its marshy land and drier ridges, as well as its streams, lakes and valleys. In 1919, the house was bought by the Church Education Corporation to operate as a school. The school closed in 2006.
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Forestry Commission established the site as The National Pinetum in a joint venture in 1924, as the National Conifer Collection, because air pollution was rendering London unsuitable for growing conifers. A site at the southern end of Bedgebury Park was chosen, centred on Marshall's Lake and a stream-filled valley.
The first plants for the pinetum were raised at Kew Gardens in 1921 and transferred to Bedgebury in 1925 and 1926, alongside Viscount Beresford's existing plantings. Development of the collection was managed by the Kew botanist William Dallimore, a world-renowned expert on conifers.
In 1969 management of the pinetum reverted solely to the Forestry Commission, who extended it in 1977 and created two new lakes. In the Great Storm of 1987 almost a quarter of the trees were brought down. The aim of Bedgebury National Pinetum is "to grow as many species of conifers as the climatic conditions will allow, planted in generic groupings, using geographically associated plantings where possible." (W. Dallimore, 1923)
The pinetum holds 10,000 specimens of conifers and other species that grow in temperate zones, including 7,000 trees, as living gene banks and as a genetic resource for future restoration programmes. It holds 2,300 different species of conifer, specimens of which include the tallest tree in Kent (Abies grandis) and the three tallest Leyland Cypresses in the UK. The plan is for the pinetum to provide a mix of 70% conifers to 30% broadleaves, and to leave 40% of the site open to provide vistas and allow the trees to be appreciated.
Bedgebury National Pinetum is home to six NCCPG National Plant Collections: Yew, Juniper, Thuja, Lawson's Cypress, Leyland Cypress and Cryptomeria japonica. The collection contains 56 species that have been officially declared vulnerable or critically endangered. The scale and quality of Bedgebury National Pinetum's conifer collection have made it an ideal site to take part in the International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP), run by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The ICCP aims to promote the conservation of conifers through conservation work, research and education, and work carried out at Bedgebury makes up part of the effort to conserve the genetic diversity of conifers, particularly those from temperate forests.
The Bedgebury Conifer Conservation Project, initiated in 2007, is designed to use redundant forest plots to grow large numbers – up to 500 – of endangered conifers to provide an ex-situ genetic resource. The first plots were planted with Chilean plum yew by Boy Scouts celebrating their centenary in 2007, and future plantings will include samples from Europe, Asia, North America and Australasia.
Bedgebury nursery was the first to germinate Vietnamese golden cypress (Xanthocyparis vietnamensis) and chichibu birch (Betula chichibuensis) seeds in cultivation.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedgebury_National_Pinetum and www.forestryengland.uk/bedgebury
Ho sempre ammirato gli alberi pionieri in montagna, sono figli del vento che li ha portati lassù, e poi hanno imparato a lottare contro le avversità climatiche vivendo anche a lungo.
Una volta arrivati alla fine stanchi ed esausti, hanno il privilegio di sopravvivere alla morte mostrandosi ancora in tutta la loro selvaggia bellezza.
Questo abita a 1100 metri di altezza ai margini di un passo appenninico.
Heroic and proud
I have always admired the pioneer trees in the mountains, they are children of the wind that sowed them up there, and then they learned to fight against climatic adversities even living for a long time.
Once they arrive at the end tired and exhausted, they have the privilege of surviving death by still showing themselves in all their wild beauty.
I met this at an altitude of 1100 meters on the edge of an mountain pass.
Double clic for best resolution
All rights reserved © Nick Outdoor Photography
This was a visit to the Lakes prior to Christmas last year when I was fortunate enough to get some weird climatic conditions. The Western Lakes were shrouded in this inversion, whilst the Eastern Lakes basked in clear Winter sunlight.
I took this panorama before the sun set whilst stood on the flanks of Side Pike above the Great Langdale Valley. I managed to climb up high enough to get above the cloud and this was the view of the Langdale Pikes and the Mickleden Valley to their left and Bow Fell and Crinkle Crags on the left of that Valley.
Kyllburg, im rheinland-pfälzischen Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm gelegen, hat nur ca. 900 Einwohner. Das Städtchen gehört zur Verbandsgemeinde Bitburger Land und ist ein staatlich anerkannter Luftkurort. Urige Gastronomie und Sehenswürdigkeiten ziehen Touristen an, etwa die Burg und die Stiftskirche Kyllburg, sowie in unmittelbarer Umgebung das Schloss Malberg, im italienischen Barock erbaut.
Kyllburg, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, has only about 900 inhabitants. The town belongs to the Bitburger Land community and is a state-approved climatic health resort. Quaint gastronomy and sights attract tourists, such as the castle and the collegiate church Kyllburg, as well as in the immediate vicinity the Malberg Castle, built with the style Italian Baroque.
Der Playa Larga auf Fuerteventura ist ein wunderschöner Strandabschnitt, der durch seine beeindruckenden Dünen geprägt ist. Die Dünen in dieser Region sind das Ergebnis jahrtausendelanger erdgeschichtlicher Prozesse. Sie wurden durch den Wind geformt, der Sand aus dem Meeresboden aufwirbelte und an Land trug. Über die Zeit hinweg haben sich die Dünen zu festen Strukturen entwickelt, die den Strand vor Erosion schützen und eine einzigartige Landschaft schaffen. Die Entstehung dieser Dünen ist eng mit den klimatischen Bedingungen und den Meeresströmungen verbunden, die den Sand transportierten und ablagerten. Heute sind sie nicht nur ein wichtiger Lebensraum für verschiedene Pflanzen- und Tierarten, sondern auch ein beliebtes Ziel für Naturliebhaber und Erholungssuchende.
Playa Larga on Fuerteventura is a beautiful beach area characterized by its impressive dunes. The dunes in this region are the result of millennia-long geological processes. They were shaped by the wind, which lifted sand from the seabed and carried it ashore. Over time, the dunes developed into solid structures that protect the beach from erosion and create a unique landscape. The formation of these dunes is closely linked to the climatic conditions and ocean currents that transported and deposited the sand. Today, they are not only an important habitat for various plants and animals but also a popular destination for nature lovers and those seeking relaxation.
Schluchsee, Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland.
El Schluchsee es el lago más grande de la Selva Negra y un balneario climático situado a una altitud de entre 930 y 1300 m.
Un paraíso para los amantes del senderismo, de los deportes acuáticos, del ciclismo de montaña y, por supuesto, de la naturaleza. Alrededor del lago Schluchsee se encuentran las montañas de la Selva Negra con sus impresionantes abetos. En el mismo Schluchsee encontrará una amplia oferta de ocio con numerosos eventos, una gran zona comercial y una variada oferta de restaurantes. El limpio lago de la Selva Negra es un auténtico El Dorado para los amantes de los deportes acuáticos. Vela, remo, surf e incluso buceo: en Schluchsee encontrarás las mejores condiciones. ¿O le gustaría conocer el lago Schluchsee en un paseo en barco? El sendero junto al lago también es muy popular para pasear en bicicleta o caminar alrededor del lago. A lo largo del camino hay muchos lugares románticos para instalarse en la orilla del lago.
Schluchsee is the largest lake in the Black Forest and a climatic spa located at an altitude of between 930 and 1,300 m.
A paradise for hikers, water sports enthusiasts, mountain bikers, and, of course, nature lovers. The Black Forest Mountains with their impressive fir trees surround Lake Schluchsee. You'll find a wide range of leisure activities at Schluchsee itself, with numerous events, a large shopping area, and a diverse selection of restaurants. The pristine Black Forest lake is a true El Dorado for water sports enthusiasts. Sailing, rowing, surfing, and even diving—you'll find the best conditions at Schluchsee. Or would you like to explore Lake Schluchsee on a boat trip? The lakeside path is also very popular for cycling or walking around the lake. Along the way, there are many romantic spots to settle down on the lakeside.
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
Suffolk
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) is a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
Norfolk
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) iDs a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) iDs a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
Siskin - (M) Carduelis Spinus
The Eurasian siskin (Spinus spinus) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is also called the European siskin, common siskin or just siskin. Other (archaic) names include black-headed goldfinch, barley bird and aberdevine. It is very common throughout Europe and Asia. It is found in forested areas, both coniferous and mixed woodland where it feeds on seeds of all kinds, especially of alder and conifers.
These birds have an unusual migration pattern as every few years in winter they migrate southwards in large numbers. The reasons for this behaviour are not known but may be related to climatic factors and above all the availability of food. In this way overwintering populations can thrive where food is abundant. This small finch is an acrobatic feeder, often hanging upside-down like a tit. It will visit garden bird feeding stations.
These birds can be found throughout the year in Central Europe and some mountain ranges in the south of the continent. They are present in the north of Scandinavia and in Russia and they over-winter in the Mediterranean basin and the area around the Black Sea. In China they breed in the Khingan Mountains of Inner Mongolia and in Jiangsu province; they spend summer in Tibet, Taiwan, the valleys of the lower Yangtse River and the south east coast.
The Eurasian siskin is occasionally seen in North America. There is also a similar and closely related North America counterpart, the pine siskin, Spinus pinus.
heir seasonal distribution is also marked by the fact that they follow an anomalous migration pattern. Every few years they migrate southwards in larger numbers and the overwintering populations in the Iberian Peninsula are greatly augmented. This event has been the object of diverse theories, one theory suggests that it occurs in the years when Norway Spruce produces abundant fruit in the centre and north of Europe, causing populations to increase. An alternative theory is that greater migration occurs when the preferred food of alder or birch seed fails. This species will form large flocks outside the breeding season, often mixed with redpolls.
It is a bird that does not remain for long in one area but which varies the areas it used for breeding, feeding, over-wintering from one year to the next.
They are very active and restless birds. They are also very social, forming small cohesive flocks especially in autumn and winter. They are fairly trusting of humans, it being possible to observe them from a short distance. During the breeding season, however, they are much more timid, solitary and difficult to observe.
Population:
UK breeding:
410,000 pairs
Bariloche was built on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi and has at your fingertips the beauty of the Andes.
The climatic instability is constant. The wind that blows from the constantly snowy mountains brings a lot of rain and makes the temperature in the city never too high, even during the summer.
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG), which cover an area of approximately 14 hectares, in Hobart located within the Queens Domain. The gardens were established in 1818 and is the second oldest Botanical Gardens in Australia – the Sydney Botanic gardens were founded two years earlier. The Gardens hold historic plant collections and a large number of significant trees, many dating back to the nineteenth century. It also has an increasing number of important conservation collections of Tasmanian plants, of which the King's Lomatia is one of the most unusual, and the world's only Subantarctic Plant House. Here, plants from subantarctic islands in high southern latitudes are displayed in a climatically-controlled environment, where chilly fogs and mists mirror the wet, cold conditions of their island homes. 30345
Schluchsee, Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland.
El Schluchsee es el lago más grande de la Selva Negra y un balneario climático situado a una altitud de entre 930 y 1300 m.
Un paraíso para los amantes del senderismo, de los deportes acuáticos, del ciclismo de montaña y, por supuesto, de la naturaleza. Alrededor del lago Schluchsee se encuentran las montañas de la Selva Negra con sus impresionantes abetos. En el mismo Schluchsee encontrará una amplia oferta de ocio con numerosos eventos, una gran zona comercial y una variada oferta de restaurantes. El limpio lago de la Selva Negra es un auténtico El Dorado para los amantes de los deportes acuáticos. Vela, remo, surf e incluso buceo: en Schluchsee encontrarás las mejores condiciones. ¿O le gustaría conocer el lago Schluchsee en un paseo en barco? El sendero junto al lago también es muy popular para pasear en bicicleta o caminar alrededor del lago. A lo largo del camino hay muchos lugares románticos para instalarse en la orilla del lago.
Schluchsee is the largest lake in the Black Forest and a climatic spa located at an altitude of between 930 and 1,300 m.
A paradise for hikers, water sports enthusiasts, mountain bikers, and, of course, nature lovers. The Black Forest Mountains with their impressive fir trees surround Lake Schluchsee. You'll find a wide range of leisure activities at Schluchsee itself, with numerous events, a large shopping area, and a diverse selection of restaurants. The pristine Black Forest lake is a true El Dorado for water sports enthusiasts. Sailing, rowing, surfing, and even diving—you'll find the best conditions at Schluchsee. Or would you like to explore Lake Schluchsee on a boat trip? The lakeside path is also very popular for cycling or walking around the lake. Along the way, there are many romantic spots to settle down on the lakeside.
Schluchsee, Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland.
El Schluchsee es el lago más grande de la Selva Negra y un balneario climático situado a una altitud de entre 930 y 1300 m.
Un paraíso para los amantes del senderismo, de los deportes acuáticos, del ciclismo de montaña y, por supuesto, de la naturaleza. Alrededor del lago Schluchsee se encuentran las montañas de la Selva Negra con sus impresionantes abetos. En el mismo Schluchsee encontrará una amplia oferta de ocio con numerosos eventos, una gran zona comercial y una variada oferta de restaurantes. El limpio lago de la Selva Negra es un auténtico El Dorado para los amantes de los deportes acuáticos. Vela, remo, surf e incluso buceo: en Schluchsee encontrarás las mejores condiciones. ¿O le gustaría conocer el lago Schluchsee en un paseo en barco? El sendero junto al lago también es muy popular para pasear en bicicleta o caminar alrededor del lago. A lo largo del camino hay muchos lugares románticos para instalarse en la orilla del lago.
Schluchsee is the largest lake in the Black Forest and a climatic spa located at an altitude of between 930 and 1,300 m.
A paradise for hikers, water sports enthusiasts, mountain bikers, and, of course, nature lovers. The Black Forest Mountains with their impressive fir trees surround Lake Schluchsee. You'll find a wide range of leisure activities at Schluchsee itself, with numerous events, a large shopping area, and a diverse selection of restaurants. The pristine Black Forest lake is a true El Dorado for water sports enthusiasts. Sailing, rowing, surfing, and even diving—you'll find the best conditions at Schluchsee. Or would you like to explore Lake Schluchsee on a boat trip? The lakeside path is also very popular for cycling or walking around the lake. Along the way, there are many romantic spots to settle down on the lakeside.
Schluchsee, Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland.
El Schluchsee es el lago más grande de la Selva Negra y un balneario climático situado a una altitud de entre 930 y 1300 m.
Un paraíso para los amantes del senderismo, de los deportes acuáticos, del ciclismo de montaña y, por supuesto, de la naturaleza. Alrededor del lago Schluchsee se encuentran las montañas de la Selva Negra con sus impresionantes abetos. En el mismo Schluchsee encontrará una amplia oferta de ocio con numerosos eventos, una gran zona comercial y una variada oferta de restaurantes. El limpio lago de la Selva Negra es un auténtico El Dorado para los amantes de los deportes acuáticos. Vela, remo, surf e incluso buceo: en Schluchsee encontrarás las mejores condiciones. ¿O le gustaría conocer el lago Schluchsee en un paseo en barco? El sendero junto al lago también es muy popular para pasear en bicicleta o caminar alrededor del lago. A lo largo del camino hay muchos lugares románticos para instalarse en la orilla del lago.
Schluchsee is the largest lake in the Black Forest and a climatic spa located at an altitude of between 930 and 1,300 m.
A paradise for hikers, water sports enthusiasts, mountain bikers, and, of course, nature lovers. The Black Forest Mountains with their impressive fir trees surround Lake Schluchsee. You'll find a wide range of leisure activities at Schluchsee itself, with numerous events, a large shopping area, and a diverse selection of restaurants. The pristine Black Forest lake is a true El Dorado for water sports enthusiasts. Sailing, rowing, surfing, and even diving—you'll find the best conditions at Schluchsee. Or would you like to explore Lake Schluchsee on a boat trip? The lakeside path is also very popular for cycling or walking around the lake. Along the way, there are many romantic spots to settle down on the lakeside.
31-January-2022: when, near you, there are contiguous areas with different meteorological and micro-climatic peculiarities, something is always found (even in a winter that has offered little more than nothing), but you must be ready to seize the opportunities given; this is not easy but sometimes very sathisfactory.
The tail of a cold front from the North, one of the very few that touched the area (always at night, no conditions!) during a short retreat of the African Anticyclone, after having cutted off the Alps and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (sheltered, in winter, by the Tauern chain, in Austria) reformed between the Slovenian plain and the Eastern Karst Region/Northern Dinarides with a series of snow showers in the form of squall-line.
Not for nothing I was there...
As soon as the fast snowfall stopped, I thought I'd take some photos in the only area that is always illuminated in that wide virgin Forest at night.
Artificial light is certainly not like solar one, but, also in this case, it is "of necessity-virtue".
The lights with different tones, reflected from the snow and accumulated by the long pose, create a "carnival" of particular colors.
Very untypical midwinter: No snow and much sun - signs of the climatic warming?
Für Yantra! Gute Besserung!
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
Norfolk
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) iDs a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
Bedgebury National Pinetum at Bedgebury, Kent, in the United Kingdom, is a recreational and conservational arboretum and, with the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, comprises the UK National Arboreta. It was established as the National Conifer Collection in 1925 and is now recognised as the most complete collection of conifers on one site anywhere in the world. The collection has over 10,000 trees growing across 320 acres (1.3 km2), including rare, endangered and historically important specimens. Bedgebury National Pinetum conducts conservation work and is home to some 56 vulnerable or critically endangered species and houses five NCCPG National Plant Collections.
Bedgebury is first mentioned in an Anglo-Saxon charter in AD 841, the name deriving from the Old English bycgan, meaning "buy", and the Kentish vecge, meaning "to bend or turn", possibly in reference to a stream.
John de Bedgebury is listed as the earliest resident of Bedgebury, in the time of Edward II. In the 15th century Agnes de Bedgebury, sister and heir of John (died 1424) married John Colepeper, whose Colepeper heirs, financed by mining clay-ironstone on the estate, were resident until at the time of the restoration of Charles II, and who created an ornamental park on the Bedgebury estate. Elizabeth I visited in August 1573.
The current house was built in 1688 for Sir James Hayes, a little apart from the old house. The estate later passed to the Stephenson family, who retained it until it was left to a Miss Peach, who sold it in 1789 to John Cartier, Governor of Bengal and High Sheriff of Kent, who improved the plantings and the house.
In the 1840s Viscount William Beresford developed the estate by creating the village of Kilndown and three lodges, one of which – Keepers Lodge, now known as Park House – became the centre of the Pinetum. Beresford initiated the pinetum in the 1850s and his successor, his stepson Alexander Beresford Hope, developed Lady Mildred's Drive to enable visitors in carriages to view the trees. The estate was sold in 1899 to Isaac Lewis, who allowed the collection to fall into neglect, and it was purchased by the Crown Estate in 1918 for its marshy land and drier ridges, as well as its streams, lakes and valleys. In 1919, the house was bought by the Church Education Corporation to operate as a school. The school closed in 2006.
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Forestry Commission established the site as The National Pinetum in a joint venture in 1924, as the National Conifer Collection, because air pollution was rendering London unsuitable for growing conifers. A site at the southern end of Bedgebury Park was chosen, centred on Marshall's Lake and a stream-filled valley.
The first plants for the pinetum were raised at Kew Gardens in 1921 and transferred to Bedgebury in 1925 and 1926, alongside Viscount Beresford's existing plantings. Development of the collection was managed by the Kew botanist William Dallimore, a world-renowned expert on conifers.
In 1969 management of the pinetum reverted solely to the Forestry Commission, who extended it in 1977 and created two new lakes. In the Great Storm of 1987 almost a quarter of the trees were brought down. The aim of Bedgebury National Pinetum is "to grow as many species of conifers as the climatic conditions will allow, planted in generic groupings, using geographically associated plantings where possible." (W. Dallimore, 1923)
The pinetum holds 10,000 specimens of conifers and other species that grow in temperate zones, including 7,000 trees, as living gene banks and as a genetic resource for future restoration programmes. It holds 2,300 different species of conifer, specimens of which include the tallest tree in Kent (Abies grandis) and the three tallest Leyland Cypresses in the UK. The plan is for the pinetum to provide a mix of 70% conifers to 30% broadleaves, and to leave 40% of the site open to provide vistas and allow the trees to be appreciated.
Bedgebury National Pinetum is home to six NCCPG National Plant Collections: Yew, Juniper, Thuja, Lawson's Cypress, Leyland Cypress and Cryptomeria japonica. The collection contains 56 species that have been officially declared vulnerable or critically endangered. The scale and quality of Bedgebury National Pinetum's conifer collection have made it an ideal site to take part in the International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP), run by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The ICCP aims to promote the conservation of conifers through conservation work, research and education, and work carried out at Bedgebury makes up part of the effort to conserve the genetic diversity of conifers, particularly those from temperate forests.
The Bedgebury Conifer Conservation Project, initiated in 2007, is designed to use redundant forest plots to grow large numbers – up to 500 – of endangered conifers to provide an ex-situ genetic resource. The first plots were planted with Chilean plum yew by Boy Scouts celebrating their centenary in 2007, and future plantings will include samples from Europe, Asia, North America and Australasia.
Bedgebury nursery was the first to germinate Vietnamese golden cypress (Xanthocyparis vietnamensis) and chichibu birch (Betula chichibuensis) seeds in cultivation.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedgebury_National_Pinetum and www.forestryengland.uk/bedgebury
05-february-2021: Rive/Seafront from Audace Pier.
Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
The foggy and drizzly weather along "Le Rive" (Seafront) of Trieste is one of the various faces of winter in these areas.
The phenomenon, due to a mass of stratocumulus, 4-500m thick, grazing the sea level, is the result of African anticyclonic winter conditions (hot and dry air at high altitudes) with consequent thermal inversion spread over all maritime areas (where it acquires humidity) and plains of the entire basin of the Northern Adriatic Gulf of Venice.
A situation that has its own charm...were it not for the the increasing presence of the African/Saharan HP, at latitudes that are not its own, that makes this phenomenon too frequent and prolonged in the "new meteo-climatic conditions" for the European baric framework, indirectly dictated by the Global Warming, without any doubt.
Siskin - (M) Carduelis Spinus
The Eurasian siskin (Spinus spinus) is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is also called the European siskin, common siskin or just siskin. Other (archaic) names include black-headed goldfinch, barley bird and aberdevine. It is very common throughout Europe and Asia. It is found in forested areas, both coniferous and mixed woodland where it feeds on seeds of all kinds, especially of alder and conifers.
These birds have an unusual migration pattern as every few years in winter they migrate southwards in large numbers. The reasons for this behaviour are not known but may be related to climatic factors and above all the availability of food. In this way overwintering populations can thrive where food is abundant. This small finch is an acrobatic feeder, often hanging upside-down like a tit. It will visit garden bird feeding stations.
These birds can be found throughout the year in Central Europe and some mountain ranges in the south of the continent. They are present in the north of Scandinavia and in Russia and they over-winter in the Mediterranean basin and the area around the Black Sea. In China they breed in the Khingan Mountains of Inner Mongolia and in Jiangsu province; they spend summer in Tibet, Taiwan, the valleys of the lower Yangtse River and the south east coast.
The Eurasian siskin is occasionally seen in North America. There is also a similar and closely related North America counterpart, the pine siskin, Spinus pinus.
heir seasonal distribution is also marked by the fact that they follow an anomalous migration pattern. Every few years they migrate southwards in larger numbers and the overwintering populations in the Iberian Peninsula are greatly augmented. This event has been the object of diverse theories, one theory suggests that it occurs in the years when Norway Spruce produces abundant fruit in the centre and north of Europe, causing populations to increase. An alternative theory is that greater migration occurs when the preferred food of alder or birch seed fails. This species will form large flocks outside the breeding season, often mixed with redpolls.
It is a bird that does not remain for long in one area but which varies the areas it used for breeding, feeding, over-wintering from one year to the next.
They are very active and restless birds. They are also very social, forming small cohesive flocks especially in autumn and winter. They are fairly trusting of humans, it being possible to observe them from a short distance. During the breeding season, however, they are much more timid, solitary and difficult to observe.
Population:
UK breeding:
410,000 pairs
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG), which cover an area of approximately 14 hectares, in Hobart located within the Queens Domain. The gardens were established in 1818 and is the second oldest Botanical Gardens in Australia – the Sydney Botanic gardens were founded two years earlier. The Gardens hold historic plant collections and a large number of significant trees, many dating back to the nineteenth century. It also has an increasing number of important conservation collections of Tasmanian plants, of which the King's Lomatia is one of the most unusual, and the world's only Subantarctic Plant House. Here, plants from subantarctic islands in high southern latitudes are displayed in a climatically-controlled environment, where chilly fogs and mists mirror the wet, cold conditions of their island homes. 30312
“THE WET” AND “THE DRY” IN THE NORTHERN AUSTRALIAN TROPICS
The Northern Tropics of Australia in the Darwin region are described as having only 2 seasons – the “wet season” (or simply “The Wet”)(broadly November to April) and the “dry season” (or simply “The Dry”) (May to October). There is no local designation of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, although it should be noted that some ancient local indigenous calendars describe up to 8 seasons, categorised by not only weather but also flowering and fruiting of edible plants, appearance of migratory animals as food sources, river heights, etc.
While Europeans settled Darwin in the 1860s, indigenous Australians have occupied the area for at least 40,000 years.
In broad terms, the main differences between the Wet and the Dry relate to humidity levels, prevailing wind direction, and (as the names imply) rain, or the absence of rain.
Darwin has no frost, no snow and no hail.
Darwin is also largely flat and unelevated, with few locations exceeding 30 metres above sea level.
Darwin is located 12 degrees south of the equator, in the middle of the cyclone belt.
THE WET – NOVEMBER TO APRIL
During the Wet, temperatures range from a minimum of 27 – 28C overnight (sometimes not dropping below 30C) and 34 – 36C during the day. Humidity levels are in the range of 75 – 95%.
The prevailing monsoon wind direction is from the North West (i.e. from the Timor Sea), except during the frequent storms, which normally come from the South East.
Cyclones (the local name for a typhoon or hurricane) also form during the Wet as part of monsoon trough activity. The wind from a cyclone can come from any direction, depending on the relationship between the cyclone’s eye and the observer’s position.
Rainfall during the Wet approaches 2,000 mm; with the record for a 6 month Wet season period being 3,000 mm. It should be noted that due to quite obvious climatic changes these totals have not been reached in recent years and this may herald a permanent change to the local climate.
In January 2021 Darwin had 750 mm of rain, about average.
Sea temperature during the Wet is around 32C.
THE DRY – MAY TO OCTOBER
During the Dry, temperatures range from a typical minimum of 20 - 21C overnight (on rare occasions dropping to 16C) and 30 -31C during the day. Humidity levels are in the range of 10 - 30%.
The prevailing wind direction is from the South East (i.e. from the direction of the Great Australian Desert); with an occasional light North West sea breeze rising in the late afternoon.
There is virtually no rain between April and October.
Because of the absence of rain, a high bushfire danger exists throughout the area during the Dry, with the highest risk occurring in August and September, before the next Wet season storms occur. During these months, the humidity is very low and the South East winds are at their strongest – up to 30 knots (around 55 km/hr).
Bushfire smoke blows out to sea and causes spectacular sunset effects.
Turnstone - Arinaria Interpres
Ruddy turnstones can survive in a wide range of habitats and climatic conditions from Arctic to tropical. The typical breeding habitat is open tundra with water nearby. Outside the breeding season, it is found along coasts, particularly on rocky or stony shores. It is often found on man-made structures such as breakwaters and jetties. It may venture onto open grassy areas near the coast. Small numbers sometimes turn up on inland wetlands, especially during the spring and autumn migrations.
In terms of wintering sites, ruddy turnstones are particularly faithful to specific locations. A study published in 2009 examined turnstones wintering along a stretch of coastline in the Firth of Clyde. It found that 95% of birds resident to the area at the end of winter returned the following autumn. The same study also confirmed ruddy turnstones as one of the longest lived wader species, with annual adult mortality rates of under 15%. Their average lifespan is 9 years with 19 years and 2 months being the longest recorded.
Population:
UK wintering:
48,000 birds
Schluchsee, Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland.
El Schluchsee es el lago más grande de la Selva Negra y un balneario climático situado a una altitud de entre 930 y 1300 m.
Un paraíso para los amantes del senderismo, de los deportes acuáticos, del ciclismo de montaña y, por supuesto, de la naturaleza. Alrededor del lago Schluchsee se encuentran las montañas de la Selva Negra con sus impresionantes abetos. En el mismo Schluchsee encontrará una amplia oferta de ocio con numerosos eventos, una gran zona comercial y una variada oferta de restaurantes. El limpio lago de la Selva Negra es un auténtico El Dorado para los amantes de los deportes acuáticos. Vela, remo, surf e incluso buceo: en Schluchsee encontrarás las mejores condiciones. ¿O le gustaría conocer el lago Schluchsee en un paseo en barco? El sendero junto al lago también es muy popular para pasear en bicicleta o caminar alrededor del lago. A lo largo del camino hay muchos lugares románticos para instalarse en la orilla del lago.
Schluchsee is the largest lake in the Black Forest and a climatic spa located at an altitude of between 930 and 1,300 m.
A paradise for hikers, water sports enthusiasts, mountain bikers, and, of course, nature lovers. The Black Forest Mountains with their impressive fir trees surround Lake Schluchsee. You'll find a wide range of leisure activities at Schluchsee itself, with numerous events, a large shopping area, and a diverse selection of restaurants. The pristine Black Forest lake is a true El Dorado for water sports enthusiasts. Sailing, rowing, surfing, and even diving—you'll find the best conditions at Schluchsee. Or would you like to explore Lake Schluchsee on a boat trip? The lakeside path is also very popular for cycling or walking around the lake. Along the way, there are many romantic spots to settle down on the lakeside.
Dartford Warbler - Sylvia Undata
The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) iDs a typical warbler from the warmer parts of western Europe and northwestern Africa. It is a small warbler with a long thin tail and a thin pointed bill. The adult male has grey-brown upperparts and is dull reddish-brown below except for the centre of the belly which has a dirty white patch. It has light speckles on the throat and a red eye-ring. The sexes are similar but the adult female is usually less grey above and paler below.
Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy (southern Apulia). The Dartford warbler is usually resident all year in its breeding range, but there is some limited migration.
The Dartford warbler was first described by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant from two specimens that were shot in April 1773 on Bexley Heath near Dartford in Kent.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata are in the Iberian peninsula, others in much of France, in Italy and southern England and south Wales. In Africa it can be found only in small areas in the north, wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria.
In southern England the birds breed on heathlands, sometimes near the coast, and nest in either common gorse (Ulex europaeus) or common heather (Calluna
Dartford warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early twentieth century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just ten pairs. Sylvia undata is also sensitive to drought affecting breeding success or producing heath fires, as occurred during 1975 and 1976 in England when virtually all juveniles failed to survive their first year.
However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat with favourable temperatures and rainfall, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed, they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of their natural range.
The range of the Dartford warbler is restricted to western and southern Europe. The total population in 2012 was estimated at 1.1–2.5 million breeding pairs. The largest numbers occur in Spain where there were believed to be 983,000–1,750,000 pairs. For reasons that probably include loss of suitable habitat, the Spanish population appears to be declining. The species is therefore classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being Near threatened.
A period of climatic warming since 1963 has seen the UK population increase to "more than 2,500 pairs in 2006 (Wotton et al. 2009). Expansion into patches of structurally suitable habitat (up to an altitude of 400m), more northerly areas and away from the core of the range, from Dorset and Hampshire to Derbyshire and Suffolk, is likely to have been facilitated by milder winter weather (Wotton et al. 2009, Bradbury et al. 2011)... The Dartford warbler population in the UK is expected to continue to increase. However, future climate-based projections for the European range indicate that by 2080, more than 60% of the current European range may no longer be suitable (Huntley et al 2007). There is evidence that this is happening already, with severe declines in Spain and France (Green 2017). For this reason, the species is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Global Red List. If the declines in southern Europe continue, the UK will become increasingly important for global conservation of this species".
Population:
UK breeding:
3,200 pairs
Proteas are a beautiful and interesting plant family from Southern Africa being very similar in appearance to the Waratah family of plants in Australia.
Proteas belong to the same family of plants (Proteaceae) as Australia's native Banksias, Grevilleas and Waratahs plus they require similar soil and climatic conditions and are extremely resilient plants.
The Proteaceae plants are an ancient plant family from the time of the Gondwana super continent when Dinosaurs were still extant.
Fossils of Grevillea Robusta (Proteaceae family) and feather fossils from this time period have been found from birds believed to be filling a similar ecological niche to todays Honey eaters for fertilizing these flowers.
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