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This photo is of the beautiful longleaf pine forest right on UNCW campus! The longleaf pine is the dominant tree species of the ecosystem, however many rare plants and animals reside there as well! Among them, the southeastern fox squirrel, the northern pine snake, and the red cockaded woodpecker (NC Longleaf Coalition). This longleaf pine forest is what ecologists call a fire-climax community, in that the species in this ecosystem are not only resistant to fire, but also dependent upon it. Longleaf pines require bare mineral soil for their seeds to germinate, and they have adaptive strategies for surviving fires during the early stages of their development. Most notably, they establish a long tap root below ground and spend three to fifteen years in a grass stage, with long needles that protect the terminal bud from these fires. Although longleaf pine forests used to cover almost 90 million acres, unfortunately today only about 3 million acres across the south contain long leaf forests (Way, 2006).
www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/geography-environmen... (Alfred Way)
www.nclongleaf.org/llPineForests.html (NC Longleaf Coalition)
Sand is something that all of us are used to walking on, but have you ever looked closer? Millions of tiny unique sand particles are mesmerizing at the microscopic level. Sand is different on every beach depending on how rocky, wavy, or littered it is (4). On tropical islands, sand is white and powdery because it’s made up mostly of calcium carbonate from shells of corals and mollusks while on Wrightsville beach, where this picture was taken, the most common kind of sand is quartz, which were carried here from rivers. This quartz is not easily water soluble and is made up mostly of silicon dioxide (4). A beach in California, called “Glass Beach” used to be a dumping ground for a city impacted by an earthquake in 1906 (1). Over a hundred years later, the beach consists of tumbled, polished pieces of “sea glass.” It actually used to be common to dump trash in the ocean, and this trashed beach wasn’t cleaned up until the 90’s (1). If you look at sand with a 30x or 40x microscope or a really good camera, you can see that there are tiny pieces from bigger seashells, and different tumbled rocks in many different ways (2). With a 300x microscope, many beautiful images were collected of unique sand grains found from different places. Many bright colorful geometric shapes appear, some looking like small trilobites, and some looking like tiny cacti (3). Sand is also very important in the zonation of different organisms that live in the wet or dry sand.
(1)https://50roads.com/glass-beach-ca/
(2)https://www.google.com/amp/s/prhscience.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/sand-under-a-microscope/amp/?source=images
(3)www.earthlymission.com/sand-magnified-300-times-reveals-a-breathtaking-universe-2/
(4)https://www.livescience.com/34748-what-is-sand-beach-sand.html
UNCW's Alumni Relations celebrates the graduating seniors as they offer a reception at Burney Center to welcome the students as alumni. PHOTO BY: MICHAEL SPENCER/UNCW
While collecting data for Ecology lab the morning of February 1st, I took this picture of Forest C which has not been burned since the 1980s. Species like the Long leaf pine thrive in areas that have frequent burns because they stay in their sapling stage, for years if needed, until the conditions are right for them to quickly grow beyond the understory and reach a height safe to survive the next fire. Other species like grasses and Turkey Oak saplings do not survive the fire and are wiped out when they occur. Benefits of the fires include killing pests and competition to species that survive the fire, and thus providing nutrients for the soil and remaining vegetation. With that said, the abundance of species killed by the fire increases the longer it takes for another fire to occur.
Source: www.fire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/fact_sheets/TheB...
This image captures the humble millipede attempting to protect itself as it was interrupted while scavenging for food in my trash. This image was taken on June 3rd at 1:52 pm. In the image one can see the the millipedes worm-looking, yellowish brown legs and the contortion it is making to protect them. This is not the first one that I have found in my home; I’ve recently come into contact with about 7 in the past week. This came as a surprise to me, because I usually think that insects invade the home during the winter to find food and escape the heat. After an amount of research, I discovered that millipedes are a common pest after great rains, practicing a regular weather dependent migration. During heavy rain storms, mostly in the spring and summer, millipedes, unable to fly or swim, trek the terrain in search of high ground to avoid drowning and escape erosion. This is not the normal migration of the millipede though. Millipedes are water-dependent creatures, constantly in search of environments that are humid enough to sustain them. For most of the year they migrate towards areas that accumulate moisture, outrunning the threat of dry air rather than heavy rains. This is what triggers their season based migration into homes during the fall. These critters invade in a parasitic sense benefitting off of human actions and being a nuisance. To be fair they are not too bad, they mostly eat dust and random debris, but they can damage plants and consume food. In addition, when a female finds a nice moist organically-ripe area, they have been known to lay hundreds of eggs. For those afraid of bug infestations, most of the time millipedes within a few days of entering the home after these heavy rains, due to the dryness of the air. This is the case with most of the millipedes I have found, but luckily I was able to scoop up this little guy and send him on his way outside, more than likely to find his way back into my house during the next rain.
chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/2015/07/millipedes-invading-homes-an...
www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?ident...
I took this picture on Thursday the 26th after the rainfall at the beginning of last week. The puddle was outside of the track on campus here at UNCW. Some rain from a rainfall filtrates into the soil, falls on concrete, or falls directly into the water. The rain water that falls on the concrete and forms a puddle will evaporate rather quickly after the precipitation stops falling. The water will evaporate (the rate of evaporation depends on the external conditions) then condense in the atmosphere and precipitate in some form to result in a collection. The water cycle is the recycling of water between the atmosphere and Earth's surface. This puddle is just one step in the water cycle (the collection phase).
Alumni, faculty, staff and students enjoyed the largest alumni party of the year as they celebrate a pregame reception on Hoggard lawn to reunite old classmates and friends February 2, 2019. PHOTO BY: BRADLEY PEARCE/UNCW
This is a photo of me on a shipwreck called Spiegel Grove, it's located off Key Largo. This photo shows some of the different marine life that has made the wreck their home. On the wreck there were sea squirts, and different sponges. Shipwrecks can serve as artificial reefs and like natural coral reefs, they face harmful anthropogenic impacts. Some environmental issues that put these ecosystems at risk would be pollution and careless tourism because of how fragile they are. Climate change would be another issue that affects how well a reef thrives. With rising temperatures, the water will get hotter and can eventually lead to coral bleaching. These reefs are hot spots for many organisms and can provide either food or shelter so it's very important to keep them alive and healthy!
(Cape Fear River) This lichen colony (Cladina evansii) was found near Carolina Beach state park on the Cape Fear river side. Lichens are innately ecological because they are comprised of two different species: algae and fungus. The algae provide photosynthetic energy while the fungus absorbs nutrients and gases. This allows lichen to make the most inhospitable places hospitable. They work in a symbiotic relationship, however there is speculation that the algae are prisoners to the fungus.
This lichen, commonly known as deer moss provides food for many grazing animals such as deer! They also provides clues to the air quality of the region. Since lichen directly derive nutrients and gases from rainwater and the atmosphere they are particularly susceptible to pollution. So a region with lots of healthy lichen generally means the air quality is good.
UNCW Seamen compete at Fish Bowl 2023, held at University Park, on the James Madison University campus, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Sunday, March 5, 2023. The Seamen went undefeated and took the championship.
I was visiting family over Easter and noticed that there were these yellow flowers all over the cow pastures. What I thought was odd was those flowers only seemed to be present where the pastures were. I asked my family what they were and they told me those flowers were buttercups. These flowers are winter annuals that flower in the spring. They are the most common in over grazed fields, and can be harmful to some animals. They can only grow when other dominant plant species are over grazed. Once the seeds have been dispersed buttercups typically can not grow because the dominant plant species is covering the soil. The exposed soil is needed for the buttercups to grow, because it needs the sunlight. They are unwanted weeds to most farmers and the cows will eat around them, which is another reason why they are everywhere, because the cows will eat everything else. This video is a good example to show how one species can effect the growth or suppression of another.
sources: caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu/2014/01/buttercup-pasture-control/
This photo was taken in front of the pond located in front of the UNCW clocktower. It was taken at 9:08 AM on Wednesday February 20th, 2018. The specific element of ecology in this photo is predation. Seen in this photo is a Great Egret hunting for prey. I did some research to find background information on this bird and came across this helpful website: www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-egret
From this site I learned that the Great Egret (aka Ardea alba) is quite common in Wilmington. They often hunt for fish, frogs, and other small organisms that may be lurking in shallow waters. I actually saw this Great Egret jab its beak into the water for something, however it was hard to tell what it had caught. This is clearly a good example of predation because in this scenario the Great Egret was a predator and whatever it caught in its beak was its prey. As soon as I saw the bird make its snag I snapped a picture. It seemed to me like the Egret’s hunting style was to wait patiently in the shallow water at the edge of the pond and then suddenly jabbing its beak into the water, clutching its prey. It was very interesting to watch this predator hunt its prey. The website I mentioned above noted this hunting style, and also mentioned that the Great Egret may hunt in a flock and will even sometimes take food away from birds that are smaller. The Great Egret is a magnificent predator that can be found right here on UNCW’s campus.
UNCW Alumni Associated invited legacy students and family alumni to the Legacy Pinning Ceremony to cemmemorate making UNCW a family tradition at Kenan Auditorium September 16, 2017. PHOTO BY: JEFF JANOWSKI/UNCW
UNCW Seamen host Easterns 2023 at North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex. Little River, South Carolina, Sunday, April 2, 2023.
This is not one of my EcoPhoto submissions, but I remembered after Dr. Borrett was mentioning them in class that I had seen one in the forests behind school last semester, and since they are rare I thought I would share some more info about them.
Pygmy rattlesnakes are a subspecies of pitviper. The "pit" refers to an organ in the snakes head that can detect the heat that other animals give off. They are a venomous snake, but it is a weak venom. They have a very small rattler that usually can't be heard so you may not notice them until you are about to step on them. They are aggressive towards humans and can bite multiple times in a row; it is rarely fatal but if bit you should go to the hospital.
"http://www.snake_removal.com/pigmyrattlesnake.html"
This photo of a cluster of oysters was taken on the sound-side of Wrightsville Beach on February 27th, 2017. Bivalve mollusks form mutualistic relationships with many other organisms including barnacles and crabs. Oysters serve the ecosystem by providing a habitat for other marine animals, by filtering the water, and also by serving as a food source to birds, fish, and humans. It's amazing how important oysters are to local waters; the performance of oysters and other filter feeders is a useful ecological indicator.
This photo was taken in the woods by Cameron Hall on the UNCW campus. I enjoy going into the woods on walks and often I take photos of the natural beauty. I felt this photo demonstrates a lot of the ecological concepts talked about in lecture. There are a few examples. This is a picture of the long leaf pine trees native to the Cape fear coastal area. These trees serve a specific ecological niche. The decaying pine needles that fall to the ground are acidic and when they lay on the forest floor, they change the pH of the soil, helping provide a soil that allows specific plants to grow there. Long leaf pines also represent individuals, communities, and populations, as they interact with each other and other plants and animals that reside in the area. The area was mostly pine trees and small brush and grasses.
This pine cone stuck out to me on my way to Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve on the afternoon of January 29. It is a female pine cone from a long leaf pine, Pinus palustris, which is a common gymnosperm in the southeastern US, it is especially common on campus. This pine cone was sitting by itself near the university apartments. This tree is monoecious or hermaphroditic meaning it has both male and female reproductive organs on the same individual. Pictured in this photograph is the female reproductive organ which looks like a characteristic pine cone with a hard, bark-like texture with rectangular, curved scales radiating from the center. The male pine cone is soft, flexible, cylindrical, smaller, and orange in color. Both pine cones play important roles in the plant's reproductive cycle: the male pine cone releases pollen relying on environmental factors, namely wind or animals, to lead them to the female cones. Females cones protect the seeds as they mature and will eventually open and release them. Once released, the seeds can rely on many different environmental factors to disperse them such as wind, water, and animals. Dispersion is also a role the female pine cone itself plays as it often bounces and rolls away after falling from a tree and can be further moved by other organisms, such as being kicked around by UNCW students. Dispersing seeds is important because it prevents or reduces the competition between parent and offspring for resources such as light, water, or space.
This photo was taken 3/20/18 on the UNCW campus, in front of Friday Hall. Surprisingly, this small bog is an example of a wetland. Wetlands and wetland plants are adapted to periodically have anoxic soils. The plants can live in flooded conditions and are versatile in the fact that they are adapted to unstable soil conditions. Wetlands vary temporally and daily in water depth. Sometimes, they even have no water level.
McCrary's Bog in particular is part of what once was a Carolina Bay. Due to systematic allogenic change, much of this previously known Carolina Bay was filled in by sediments. Some of the filling could be due to land disruption for construction of the campus. There are several types of wetlands besides Carolina Bays, including Salt Marshes, Swamps, and Mangroves. It varies geographically what type of wetland can grow, because of temperature. Mangroves cannot survive frost, so they are only found in tropical locations. Salt marshes and Carolina Bays can survive the frost, so they will be found farther north than Mangroves. Wetlands are a highly productive ecosystem, and are quite imperative for wildlife.
References: people.uncw.edu/borretts/courses/biol366/lectures/10_BIOL...
This photo was taken while I was home last weekend in Benson, North Carolina. The constant cold temperatures had caused our man made pond to freeze over. Do cold periods interfere with a habitat that is accustomed to a warmer climate? How do the fish of the pond adapt to the sudden and long periods of cold waters? Do the smaller fish die off? This is an example of the ecological concept of climate change effecting a freshwater ecosystem during a winter season. This natural disturbance influences the temperature fluctuation of the surface water. This change in surface water temperatures therefore effects the organisms living below its surface. This pond is home to many turtles, small fish, pond skaters, tadpoles, frogs, and other insects. It occasionally is the temporary home to migrating geese. The ability for these organisms to adapt to the environmental change is vital to the species survival. Maintaining a habitat is fundamental to the conservation of a species, and if a species does not adapt to the changes of their habitat, then they will not survive.
Cite Referenced:
www.biodiversitybc.org/assets/pressReleases/BBCPrinciples...
I took this photo in Fall of 2016, while on a vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I forget the name of this waterfall. I chose this photo because to me, it encompasses essentially all facets of our Earth System. Quite obviously, the hydrosphere, the plants are biota, and maybe not so obviously; the lithosphere as well. The topography alone in the Blue Ridge Mountains can be truly stunning. In my opinion it is very pleasing to see such awesome representations of our Earth systems in one shot. I think that the rock formations in this photo, and throughout the Appalachians, can be mesmerizing. To apply further, and to revisit the real highlight of the photo; I think that waterfalls may be observed as an amazing and somewhat rare occurrence in our hydrosphere. To take even a step further, I see waterfalls as unique opportunity for promotion of biodiversity in freshwater rivers. Over long periods of time, (talking evolutionary time frames here) waterfalls may promote speciation by acting as natural barriers to migration of freshwater organisms. Next EcoPhoto assignment, I look forward to actually getting out there and snapping a more recent photo in Wilmington area! Just couldn't pass up posting this one.
This is a Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) or otherwise known as a green anole, it was found sunbathing on a fence in my apartment complex. These reptiles are naturally found in the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Florida and as far west as central Texas. This cold blooded reptile, small to medium in size, is often referred to as a chameleon but is actually a lizard. These cold blooded lizards bask in the sun in order to regulate their body temperature because unlike humans they do not have a stable constant internal temperature. Anoles are carnivorous creatures that feast on small insects and spiders and are meals so birds of prey and some snakes. These animals have a couple cool adaptions including color changing abilities to help camouflage from predators and dewlaps. Dewlaps are expansions of the throats used by male anoles as a tool for intra specific competition to win over a females affections. The dewlaps are also used by male and female in cases of aggression to frighten predators.
I took this photo on the trail on campus called The Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve around 4:30 PM on 1/29/17. These oyster mushrooms are labeled under the species Pleurotus. This photo shows the crucial role mushrooms play in our environment. They help break down plant and animal material. Often, they are found on other organisms such as these mushrooms here feeding on this dead tree trunk because they are unable to produce their own energy. Oyster mushrooms in particular help break down toxic chemicals by secreting enzymes which break down the organic bonds in wood into smaller molecules. These organisms are also major absorbers of mercury. Oyster mushrooms are critical to the environment by helping keeping it clean of toxic chemicals.
#UNCW #ecology #bio366 #uncweteal #Sp2017 #image1
This photo was taken on Lot H at UNCW on March 20, 2018
This honey bee was found pollinating all of the near by white clover plants or Trifolium repens (a popular plant that attracts Honey Bees) in the area by lot H on campus. Pollination is defined as the maneuvering of the pollen grains from the anther (male sex organ) of the flower to the stigma (female sex organ); thus Honey Bees stimulate the reproduction of several flowers. Honey Bees serve as efficient pollinators for plants because of their hairy bodies trapping the pollen from one plant and depositing it in another. The purpose of Honey Bees going to the flowers in the first place is to collect nectar (sugar rich) and pollen (protein rich) to support their young. In addition, the nectar is not beneficial to the plant other than its usefulness in attracting pollinators, so the bees are in no way harming the plants in this process.
During the pollinating process, they tend to stay within a 1.5 mile radius from their hive. Generally, they focus on pollinating one plant species at a time, which increases their efficiency in pollinating plants. Their small size is desirable asset that permits them to fit into many different plants' shapes and sizes. The Honey Bees are attracted to plants based on their color, fragrances, or even odors.
At the individual level, the relationship between the Honey Bees and the White clover can be described as a mutualistic symbiotic relationship since both species are benefiting from the interactions with one another. In addition, this interaction would be described as a non-symbiotic mutualism since the two organisms do not physically coexist, albeit still depend on each other for an essential function; the bees for food and nutrients, the plants for reproduction. At the population level, the interaction between the Honey Bees and White Clovers may result in the increase in white clover populations if the Honey Bee's population increases; or vice versa.
Sources
www.librarything.com/topic/136783
www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/BEEKEEP/CHAPT8/chapt8.html
www.thespruce.com/best-plants-to-attract-bees-4142007
Bio 366 book- Elements of Ecology the 9th edition
WSE international student Natsuko Matsumoto shows he fine art of origami to Bradley Creek Elementary school third graders Emmanuel Godinez, Lupe Brito (in red) and Keith Cox (bomber jacket) as the PASSPORT program visited the school on Thursday. Students from the Watson School of Education had the opportunity to work beside 3rd grade students and teachers from Bradley Creek Elementary school on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006. PASSPORT is a prelude to the Achievement though Creative Enrichment (ACE) program where third graders spend several days studying about Africa, Australian, the Caribbean, Japan and Mexico through hands-on workshops. UNCW/Jamie Moncrief
I found this Honey Locust tree, or Gleditisia triacanthose, on Sunday May 28th, 2017. It was located outside of St. Mark's Catholic Church. Honey Locust trees are native to some parts of the United States and in the wild they typically have thorns. However, their thornless counterparts have often been used in landscaping for the shade they can provide a garden. The thing that attracted me most to this tree was the immature pod hanging from it. These pods are typically red-ish brown when fully mature. Honey Locust trees are polygamo-dioecious which means that there are "perfect and pistillate flowers on female trees and only staminate flowers on male trees."
Sources: plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_gltr.pdfhttps://agclass...
I took this photo behind UNCW, my friends and I buried potatoes the Friday before spring break. So this is three week after being buried. As you can see there are roots coming out of it as well the skin has degraded a significant amount. It has also lost a lot of its' coloring. I feel like this is a great example of decomposition and Nutrient cycling.
Of course I had to look into how long it would take for potatoes to grow. The research I did showed that it normally takes 3 to 4 weeks, also to bury pieces or whole potatoes 4 inches deep.
harvesttotable.com/how_to_grow_potatoes/
I was very curious after seeing the little decomposition of the potato, how fast other thing degrade. So I what I found was a tin can takes about 50 years to decompose and about cardboard about 2 months to decompose.
www.thebalance.com/how-long-does-it-take-garbage-to-decom...
UNCW Seamen host Easterns Qualifier 2023 at North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex. Little River, South Carolina, Sunday, February 26, 2023.
UNCW Student Ambassadors held their 30th Annual Oozeball — Dirty 30 event, inviting students, alumni, staff and facultyt to participate in a mud volleyball tournament behind Brooks Field on April 26, 2025. PHOTO BY: SAJORDEN MILLER/ UNCW
UNCW stack of books cake. Lemon cake with Lemon Buttercream icing. This cake is mostly covered in fondant the pages were created with icing. My battery on my camera was low, so I just took two quick pictures of it. The client is supposed to send more to me.
This is the Laspeyresia saltitans, otherwise known as the Mexican Jumping bean moth. In this photo, taken February 15th 2017 in my apartment, I have captured the exact moment that the moth has hatched from its "Jumping bean" shell, which isn't even a bean at all. It is a small section of a seed capsule of the Sapium biloculare which flower in the Spring and summer months, at which time a female moth will lay her eggs within the seed capsule and as the larvae inside grow, they will feed off of the seed and eventually eat their way out of the capsule when they have transformed into a moth. If the jumping bean is exposed to sunlight or warmth, the larvae inside will jump, hence the name "Jumping Bean". Since the larvae of the moth is completely eating the seed within the capsule, the relationship between the moth and the plant is not beneficial to the plant and the moth is seen as a seed predator.
This photo was taken February 22nd in the woods behind Carleton on UNCW’s campus. The upward angle of the picture clearly shows the canopy layer which is the zone of primary production. What’s not shown is the forest floor which is the zone of decomposition. Decomposition rates can be impacted by things like climate, lignin amount, and oxygen amount. Different temperatures are an example of climate’s effect. In a northern state like New York it would take longer to decompose material like leaf litter than in a southern state like North Carolina. Rainfall is also shown in studies to correlate a greater amount making for faster decomposition. Besides physical factors, the decomposed community is also a big factor of decomposition speed. The process of turning leaf litter to humus and then to organic soil matter for Lolblolly and longleaf pines to absorbs nutrients from all is done through decomposition.
This is a picture of a few mature longleaf pine trees on the UNCW campus. When I saw this it made me think of the abiotic resources that all plant species, in particular the longleaf pine, have to compete for. They are sedentary (non-moving) organisms so they need to have unique adaptations in order to succeed. Sunlight, water, and nutrients must all be obtained to grow and ensure reproduction. Longleaf pine trees are shade intolerant and require sunlight to grow. This means that they cannot form a closed canopy or else the seeds and juvenile trees will not be able to harness any sunlight and grow. Their intraspecific competition for sunlight limits their population growth and their dispersion patterns. Longleaf pine trees also compete with each other to ensure their survival through a burning. They stay in a grass stage to protect them from the fire and when the root system is strong enough they shoot out of the ground and have a critical timeframe to compete for resources with other adolescent longleaf pines to grow to safe heights.
Source: www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Plants/Longleaf-Pin...
This photo of some sundew plants was taken March 22, today, to the side of chancellors walk in between Leutze and Cameron hall. The sundew plant is a carnivorous plant that exhibits carnivorous predation because it consumes the animal tissue of typically insects that get stuck to its sticky, mucilaginous glands on the surface of its leaves. Since the sundew is a sedentary organism, it exhibits a type one functional response as it sits and waits for its prey to be captured (passive predator). With this type, it is categorized by its passiveness as well as its constant consumption rate and the time spent feeding used to also be searching.
UNCW Seamen host Easterns 2023 at North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex. Little River, South Carolina, Saturday, April 1, 2023.
This photo was taken during spring break off Key Largo at a shipwreck called Doc DeMilly at 150 feet. On the wreck we only saw one Lion Fish however when their population becomes more dense in a nonnative area, it can have hurtful impacts on it's surrounding life. From Zachary Long's lecture we learned invasive species are "alien species whose introduction has economic and environmental impact." It often results in destructive impacts both environmentally and economically. Their presence puts stress on these ecosystems because they are out-competing and out-breeding the other marine life. There are various ways of dealing with lion fish. Many people spear, then eat them. Some restaurants have a set up with dive shops and this becomes a popular activity for tourists. Other ways I've heard, have been to teach sharks to start eating them.
This picture of a Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea L.) was taken on UNCW campus in Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve on April 9th 2018. Take notice of the brown rods in the middle of the green leaves. These rods (pinna) are responsible for the Cinnamon fern’s reproduction and seed dispersal. The pinna is produced in April/May and is named for its cinnamon stick-like appearance. The brown color is from many spores that are tightly compacted on the leaflets of the frond. The spores will be released in June when they are mature. Once released, the reproductive pinna will be a naked stipe which will wither and decompose.
This species of fern prefers moist soil which is a reason it is dominant in this area. It is commonly found in wetland marshes such as on the campus of UNCW. It prefers shade tolerant habits which allows it to live in the dense Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve. This forest was dense but inhabited many Cinnamon fern individuals.
Sources:
ccrm.vims.edu/publications/wetlands_technical_reports/93-...
I took this photo at Hugh Macrae park. The photo shows lots of tadpoles and algae. These tadpoles will eventually turn into frogs, some amphibians fully develop into frogs or toads within 6 weeks, where others can take up to 3 years to complete the process. Tadpoles play an important role in maintaining the structure and function of streams through their feeding habits and their interactions with other animals. Tadpoles also benefit microbes like algae and other aquatic animals by providing nutrients. During leaf litter breakdown, tadpoles and some other invertebrates might interact with each other to get nutrients. They act as both consumers and prey to other species and they help contribute to energy transfer within their habitats. Algae helps form the base of the ocean's/freshwater food web. Algae feeds smaller fish and crustaceans, which then feed larger species. This continues up the food chain to the largest predators and even humans, who eat algae and use certain varieties for many commercial and industrial purposes. The larger types of algae, which are consumed by fewer creatures than the smaller ones also contribute to the food web by decomposing and providing nutrients for soils and small organisms. Algae, mainly the small kind, play a significant role in the earth's climate. When cell tissues of these organisms are damaged, they release dimethylsulfonioproprionate (DMSP) (a gas important for the biogeochemical cycles of the earth). In seawater, DMSP breaks down to form dimethyl sulfide (DMS). When DMS spreads to the ocean's surface and diffuses into the air, it oxidizes as sulfate aerosols (which behave like cloud condensation nuclei). When water attaches to these nuclei, clouds form and create rain for the earth below. Since almost half the world's biogenic supply of sulfur is produced by DMS from the ocean, a loss of large populations of algae can have a substantial effect on the Earth's climate.