Natural Ecosystems / Habitats / Biomes
View allAll Photos Tagged ecosystems
The Superb Starling, native to East Africa, stands out amongst its avian counterparts with its resplendent plumage. Its feathers shimmer with a glossy combination of iridescent blues, purples, and greens, forming a tapestry of vibrant hues that seem almost too perfect to be real. The metallic sheen on its back is a captivating sight, contrasting beautifully against its striking black head and chest.
Found in various habitats across Kenya, from savannas to woodlands, the Superb Starling is a social species that thrives in small flocks. Its melodious song fills the air, creating a symphony of sounds that harmonizes with the rhythm of the African wilderness. These birds are known for their agility and aerial acrobatics, darting effortlessly through the skies, adding a touch of dynamism to their already captivating presence.
As an important member of the East African ecosystem, the Superb Starling plays a vital role in seed dispersal and insect control, making it a key player in maintaining the delicate balance of nature.
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet.
Tessin
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
Whole PHOTO SERIES about my garden on my blog: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/post/western-green-lizard-lacer...
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
AUDIO (if you want to hear the sounds of my garden in the early morning): www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfoCTqdAVCE
ABOUT THIS PHOTO:
Partly out of fear to bore the Flickr community with too many lizard photos, I thought it would make for a nice change - yet in keeping with the main theme of my gallery - to give interested nature and reptile fans the opportunity to get a sense of the lacerta bilineata habitat where I photographed all the animals on this page.
So this is the second of a (as yet planned) series of pictures (if people like them there will be more) that will show you where all the reptile "action" took place: my garden in the beautiful community of Monteggio in the Malcantone region of the Ticino, Switzerland.
The pictures were taken over a period of over a decade, so there were obviously some changes in the garden during that time, but If you focus on the palm tree - which has grown considerably over the years but is visible in all the photos I plan to upload - you get a sense of the geography of the place.
In summer, which is when this photo was taken, the micro-climate in this particular area of the Ticino can be almost tropical in the sense that it's hot and very humid with frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain, and I often refer to my garden (half-)jokingly as my "little Swiss rainforest". I guess you can see how animals - particularly lacerta bilineata and other lizards - would feel at home in this "tropical paradise" of mine :-)
Apparently - as I learned in the comments here on Flickr - the occurrence of this particular lizard species is a very good indicator that an ecosystem is intact, and my family and I always took great care not to interfere too much in our garden and let nature roam as free as possible.
In return, over the years we were rewarded for this "calculated inaction" with a wide variety of species of plants, insects, lizards and snakes visiting - or by now residing permanently in - our little nature refuge, some of which I managed to capture on camera.
As mentioned before, if people like these photos or are interested in other flora and fauna from my private jungle, I'll upload one every once in a while between lizards, so let me know in the comments if you're interested in seeing more of these or if I should stick to just reptiles ;-)
As always, thank you so much for your interest and feedback, stay safe - and have a great week everyone!
Lacerta
The Yellowstone River curls around Bumpus Butte and Calcite Springs on it's way north into Montana.
For me it is typical of the beautiful landscapes one finds in the wonderfully varied ecosystem that is Yellowstone.
Enjoy your Sunday!
Peaks have always been my magnet, my prime objective. I've been blessed to see and experience many iconic peaks with their beautiful ecosystems around them. The main target of my 2015 trip to the Last Frontier was to see the highest peak on the continent. For 6 days in the park it was shrouded in clouds, which isn't unusual as it creates it's own weather system. Fortunately I was finally rewarded with several days of it standing tall and magnificent, like this. I was awestruck.
"The Koyukon Athabaskans and other local tribes who inhabit the area around the mountain have for centuries referred to the peak as Dinale or Denali. The name is based on a Koyukon word for "high" or "tall." That it is!
Thanks for taking a peek!
Have a wonderful Friday and weekend!
A rainforest is an area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. Rainforests are Earth’s oldest living ecosystems, with some surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years. They are incredibly diverse and complex, home to more than half of the world’s plant and animal species—even though they cover just 6% of Earth’s surface. This makes rainforests astoundingly dense with flora and fauna. Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet.
a subspecies of the Common Buzzard.
In winter the Steppe Buzzard migrates from Central and Northern Asia to the south. Most birds spend the winter in Eastern and Southern Africa but a part of the migrating birds move to the the indian subcontinent or Arabia or the far south of Europe.
It prefers somewhat more open areas than the Common Buzzard.
Seen in Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
Steppe Buzzard
Buteo buteo vulpinus
steppe buizerd
Falkenbussard
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
More than a dozen types of waterfowl can be spotted along the San Antonio River Walk. This Mallard is just one of several spotted during our visit.
Tucked quietly below street level, the River Walk is a world-renowned 15-mile urban waterway. Also known as Paseo del Río, the River Walk is a San Antonio treasure and the largest urban ecosystem in the nation.The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops, connecting the major tourist draws.
San Antonio is the seat of Bexar County. With an estimated population of 1,547,253 in 2019, it is the seventh-most populous city in the United States. The metro population is 2,550,960, making it the 24th largest metro area in the nation.
Taken at the Queen Victoria Gardens on a rainy day.
Best viewed enlarged for more details.
Some facts on flies...
Flies form one of the five most diverse insect orders, including about 150,000 described species in 150 families.
It's estimated that there are 30,000 species of fly in Australia, of which only 6400 have been described.
Flies can be distinguished from other insects because they have only one pair of functional wings. Almost all flies have mouthparts that are adapted for lapping or piercing and sucking.
A large component of the world's fly fauna is unique to Australia. Flies are ubiquitous and often abundant in Australian terrestrial ecosystems.
They perform important ecological functions such as nutrient recycling, predation and pollination, and their larvae are often parasitoids of other insects.
Many species of fly are regarded as a nuisance, including the bush fly (Musca vetustissima), mosquitoes, sandflies and blackflies.
Flies are responsible for the transmission of a wide variety of disease-causing micro-organisms in humans and animals.
Most of these diseases are absent from Australia, with exceptions such as dengue fever and some types of encephalitis.
Many thanks for your visit, comments, invites and faves...it is always appreciated..
Happy Sunday
Enonkishu Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya
Merops bullockoides
Witkapbijeneter
Guêpier à front blanc
Weißstirnspint
Abejaruco Frentiblanco
Gruccione frontebianca
abelharuco-de-testa-branca
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
A squirrel barely visible amidst the park's vegetation. It is good to know that they like to eat maple seeds. There are so many of these trees everywhere, and the seeds fly in all directions like little helicopters. By doing this, squirrels control the populations of these trees, benefiting the ecosystem.
Have a beautiful Sunday!
On/Off -Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to comment or add to your favorites! It is greatly appreciated!
Erythrina Mulungu and its "customers"
July and August are months rich in beauty and color here.
Crossing the mountains that separate Rio de Janeiro from São Paulo, with a halfway detour to Minas Gerais, this is the time when the green is punctuated by many trees with red flowers, others in coral tones.
Erythrina mulungu, known by the common names of Murungu, Mulungu-coral, is an endemic tree in Brazil, found in several national ecosystem including the Amazon and Atlantic Forest.
The species is used as an ornamental tree in tropical and subtropical regions and as a medicinal plant in traditional South American medicine, especially in Brazil. The tree is 10 to 25 m tall, blooms from mid-August with the tree completely leafless, lasting until the end of September. Its flowers are much sought after by hummingbirds and other birds to suck their nectar.
The fruits ripen in October-November with the plant still without leaves, but they are not edible.
Studies show that the plant has sedative, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties.
In my hometown I saw specimens of this beautiful and exuberant flowering being attacked by flocks of Maritacas, and I ended up feeling a small shower of flowers on my head, as the clumsy creatures lose a lot of food on these wild visits to the trees where they feed on.
Maritaca is a popular term to refer to the various species of birds in the parrot family. Depending on the region, Maritaca is the name used for medium-sized birds, which are smaller than parrots.
In the first photo you can see the Psittacara leucophthalma (Periquitão Maracanã) which has an “oval” shaped head, general green coloration with the sides of the head and neck with some red feathers. The average size is 32cm. In juveniles, the red feathers on the head and under the wings are absent, being entirely green in color.
The species flyes in flocks of 5 to 40 individuals, sleeping collectively in different places.
Found from the east of the Andes, from Colombia and Venezuela to the north of Argentina and Uruguay, including part of the Amazon and almost all of Brazil.
In the second photo another species, the Brotogeris chiriri (Yellow-winged Parakeet or Star Parakeet).
It is found in Central and Eastern Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Eastern Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru. In the national territory, it occurs from the South to the extreme of Pará, Ceará, Maranhão, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Pantanal, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Both species were feeding from the same tree when I took these photos.
Spring of the Pita River.
***
In a biogeographic definition, paramo is any intertropical mountain ecosystem, characterized by shrubby vegetation that generally occurs from altitudes of about 3,000 to 4,000 meters or up to 5,000 meters, that is, in regions above the forest line. continuous but still below the permanent snow line. It is found in East Africa, New Guinea, and Central and South America. However, since in each of these regions this ecosystem has a specific name, when discussing Paramos, we refer specifically to Andean Paramos.
In this strict sense of the term, all Paramos are located in the neotropical zone, mainly in northwestern South America, present in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. The ecosystem occupies over 30,000 km² of South America and represents 7% of Ecuador's territory. In absolute terms, Colombia is home to 50% of the extent of Paramos (in its three branches of the Andes) and the largest Paramo in the world (Sumapaz).
Paramos' climate is characterized by wide daily fluctuations in temperature and humidity. In general, cold and humid, can undergo a sudden and drastic change in which temperatures fluctuate from below freezing to 30 ° C plus in a daily freeze-thaw cycle. High altitude in tropical locations produces a special, cold, low air density atmosphere that allows for greater dispersion of ultraviolet radiation (light and heat). This climate can be summed up in the phrase "winter every night and summer every day."
In Paramo ecosystems, soils are generally recent, of glacial and volcanic origin, and many are still in formation. Its structure is a combination of organic material that decomposes very slowly in cold weather with volcanic ash. They usually have low pH (acidity) because of the abundance of moisture and high content of organic matter. These characteristics contribute to soil water retention, which in turn is the basis of an essential environmental service: the constant storage and distribution of clean water to lower places.
The largest and most known area is the Páramo grass, which covers large areas of the mountain ranges. It extends from approximately 3,500 to 4,100 m in height, and is mainly composed of grasses and small shrubs.
Over several years I tried unsuccessfully to shoot (not literally) the thousands of migrating Greater Flamingos that frequent the Larnaca lake, the Aliki, from November to end February. Some flamingos may stay longer and even spend the summer here. Their numbers can reach tens of thousands spread over a group of lakes of just over 2.2 sq km total area.
This year there were not so many birds and they kept well away from the edges. In order to protect the delicate ecosystem, wading out into the salt lake is prohibited by patrolling guards who can issue on the spot fines of up to several thousand euros. I stayed well back from the edge.
we saw this blond male a few times in Mara North Conservancy, while he was in the company of a female of a small pride. Initially she refused to mate with him but we heard afterwards that they were seen while mating.
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission
during the last game drive in Lemek Conservancy we saw the third male of the coalition for the first time and he was now also following the mating couple, just like the second one.
The mating pair is shown in the first comment box.
This was in the morning and obviously this third male had been in a fight shortly before
Lemek Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem , Kenya
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.
Lemek Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara ecosystem , Kenya
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission
Standing 18 metres (59 feet) tall and 200 metres (656 feet) long, the walkway affords a stunning bird’s eye view across the Gardens as well as offering an opportunity to experience the ecosystem of the forest canopy.
Designed by the team behind the London Eye, the construction has been deliberately aged and weathered to blend with its surroundings and to ensure that it enhances the landscape rather than detracting from it. As result, the supporting steel columns with their rust colours take on the form of the surrounding tree trunks.
The walkway itself is designed to move slightly in the wind, so visitors will experience a certain amount of ‘bounce’ as they immerse themselves in the foliage of chestnut, beech and oak trees of different species. Visit in early spring or late autumn and your views are unimpeded by foliage.
visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/the-treetop-walkway/592885ba...
There are 118 steps to the walkway’s platform and a lift is available for the visitors who are unable to use stairs easily, or for customers in wheelchairs. Buggies or strollers are not permitted on the walkway so must be left in the designated area on the ground.
Things are a bit slow when I’m relegated to shooting a succulent in my backyard, but my plant seemed in the mood for a portrait, and I was too lazy to look elsewhere. So here she is.
________________________
The Succulent:
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap."
Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems. The water content of some succulents can get up to 90 to 95%. The habitats of these water-preserving plants are often in areas with high temperatures and low rainfall, such as deserts, but succulents may be found even in alpine ecosystems growing in rocky soil. Succulents are characterized by their ability to thrive on limited water sources, such as mist and dew, which makes them equipped to survive in an ecosystem that contains scarce water sources.
- Wikipedia
(Nikon Z6ll, 180-600/6.3, 1/400 @ f/9.0, ISO 10000, edited to taste)
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Southwestern Florida
USA
Found on the boardwalk of the sanctuary.
The Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) is an arboreal anole lizard native to the southeastern United States (west to Texas) and introduced elsewhere. Other common names include the green anole, American green anole, American anole, and red-throated anole. It has the ability to change color from several brown hues to bright green.
The Carolina anole is a small to medium-sized lizard, with a slender body. The head is long and pointed with ridges between the eyes and nostrils, and smaller ones on the top of the head. The toes have adhesive pads to facilitate climbing. They exhibit sexual dimorphism, the males being fifteen percent larger. The male dewlap (throat fan) is three times the size of the female's and bright red while, the female's is lighter in color.
Adult males are usually 12.5–20.3 cm (4.9–8.0 in) long, with about 60-70% of which is made up of its tail, with a body length up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) and can weigh from 3–7 g (0.11–0.25 oz).
Carolina anole males that encounter rival males frequently find it is an introduced and invasive brown anole (Anolis sagrei, also known as the Bahaman anole). When browns first appeared in the United States in the early 1900s, the Carolinas ceded their ground-level territories and were relegated to a very different ecosystem high in the treetops.
Currently A. carolinensis is abundant in its area of distribution, and is able to thrive in disturbed areas, so it is not considered threatened; but the brown anole represents a developing threat in the future. – Wikipedia
Dragonflies are important in wetland ecosystems, vulnerable to wetland drainage, excess nutrients, pesticides and shoreline "cleaning." They eat a broad range of insects from mosquitoes to beetles to other dragonflies. Over 60 dragonflies are found in Central Florida. Some species do not venture far from the water where they breed, while others, such as the Wandering Glider, migrate long distances.
The four-spotted pennant dragonfly is found throughout the southern tier of the United States as far west as Arizona. It's also been spotted in New Jersey. In Florida, its found in most peninsular counties, including all of South Florida, and in a few panhandle counties as far west as Leon and Wakulla. Like other dragonflies, it likes to be around lakes and ponds, since that's where it spends the first part of its life, and that's where it reproduces. The scientific name of the four-spotted pennant is brachymesia gravida. Mature individuals have a dark, slender body, a large black spot between the nodus and stigma of each wing and white stigmas (the only dragonfly with white stigmas). Juveniles are mostly orange-brown with white spots on the side of the face.
This Four-spotted Pennant is from my archives! (Hope I am right about the ID Mary)
The Wadden Sea is the largest tidal flats system in the world, where natural processes proceed largely undisturbed. It extends along the coasts of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
For its globally unique geological and ecological values the Wadden Sea is listed by UNESCO as World Heritage. Nowhere else in the world is there such a dynamic landscape with a multitude of habitats, shaped by wind and tides. Global biodiversity is reliant on the Wadden Sea.
In the framework of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands take on the responsibility of preserving this irreplaceable ecosystem for the benefit of present and future generations. (Source: www.waddensea-worldheritage.org)
Thanks for your views. faves and comments, they are much appreciated!
Some wildflowers seen by the path in the arboretum in Rogów. They looked very decorative there :)
The Rogów Arboretum, established in 1925, is the Station of Protection and Shaping of Forest Ecosystems. It covers an area of 54 ha and is of an exceptional character as compared with other centers of the type in Poland or Europe, because it has been built from the very beginning as a research – didactic object and, moreover, it was located in the forest and has been tightly connected with the forest experimental study from the moment of its origin. The Arboretum consists of three basic parts: the dendrological collections (about 22 ha), the forest experimental plots (about 18 ha) and the alpine garden (1.5 ha).
The dendrological collections that is tree and shrub individuals planted either separately or in groups or small area forms, are mainly concentrated in the central and southern part of the Arboretum, covering a total of 2350 species and varieties. The Arboretum’s specialty is its collection of maples and shrubs from China. This segment is managed naturally, having the look of more a forest park than a typical botanical garden. The trees give the shelter and the proper microclimate for the introduced trees and shrubs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Polne kwiaty przy ścieżce w arboretum w Rogowie. Wyglądały uroczo i stanowiły dodatkową ozdobę tego pięknego ogrodu :)
Arboretum w Rogowie – należy do grupy najcenniejszych, najbogatszych w gatunki i odmiany drzew i krzewów tego typu ogrodów w Europie. Położony jest w dawnym siedlisku leśnym i ma charakter parku leśnego. Od początku istnienia (1925 r.) podlega pod Wydział Leśny SGGW. Na jego obszarze znajdują się jedne z najbogatszych i najciekawszych kolekcji drzew i krzewów Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. Najchętniej odwiedzanym miejscem w ogrodzie jest alpinarium. Oprócz wyniesionych na 2 m ponad poziom gruntu skalniaków, założono tu ciąg strumyków, kilka oczek wodnych i 5-arowy staw z wyspą. W rogowskim alpinarium można obejrzeć ponad 400 gatunków i odmian roślin, pochodzących z gór całego świata. W większości są to byliny, ale nie tylko. Rosną tu także krzewy i drzewa terenów górzystych, np. majestatyczne świerki serbskie, kształtne limby czy srebrzyste jodły kalifornijskie.
Thingvellir National Park, Iceland.
Thingvellir National Park is UNESCO World Heritage Site. In recent decades, research has shown that Thingvellir National Park is a natural wonder of the world where the geology and ecosystem of Thingvallavatn form a unique whole. Thingvellir National Park area is part of the Atlantic Ocean ridge that runs through Iceland. There you can see the consequences of the erosion of the earth's crust in the gorges and cracks in the area.
Artist: www.lulagoce.com
Lula Goce is a prominent Spanish Contemporary urban artist bringing powerfully evocative photorealistic scenes. She merges people with nature adding a fresh inspiration to her creations.
She is very much connected to her environment: “Feelings, sensations, people, the surroundings, a ray of sun or some morning mist, laughter and tears. Love”.
Current
May. Rain has been pounding the Adirondacks for several days, and supersaturated the mountains. Seasonal streams have awakened, runoff and percolation feed the flow, all that water finding it’s lowest level and charging the whole Schroon ecosystem. Some miles below the dam at the lake, the river picks up speed on gradients through boulder fields, now inundated and drowned under the flow. They are immovable, their resistance invisible but for the standing waves throughout the volume. A light mist hovers above the raging current. Standing this close, I can feel the vibration of it’s power, urging my blood pressure higher to match the atmosphere I’m in. Here is spring as allegory to life, the relentless wildness of youth, bursting to race ahead towards that age when you don’t. What I wouldn’t give to truly feel that voltage again, and know the trajectory of where I was headed, instead of treading, spent, looking back at where I’ve come. I stay awhile on the edge of the surge, enjoying the power of the season.
Amid the misty embrace of Cameron Highlands, this striking bird perches on a moss-laden branch, a silent sentinel of its pristine montane forest habitat. The rich biodiversity of this region provides a sanctuary for countless species, showcasing the delicate balance of nature in this cool highland ecosystem. A true gem of Malaysia's natural heritage.
A bridge, and many species of birds, trees, grasses and aquatic plants in, around, and over Creekfield Lake in Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, TX.
For the Remote theme of Flickr Friday.
“Urban Ecosystem Restoration” mural painted by Millo for Street Art For Mankind
From the Street Art For Mankind instagram post:
It features the artist’s signature clumsy character in a surreal setting, attempting to reclaim his space in an urban jungle that has forgotten our primary needs. It poetically and powerfully underscores the importance of green spaces in urban environments. The character demonstrates the strength of these spaces, their transformative impact on our reality, and how they enhance our well-being. It’s a clear invitation to reconnect with nature in our cities.