Ripples 9/5/24

Posted on by September 5, 2024

By Kennedy Zittel, naturalist

International Vulture Awareness Day takes place on the first Saturday in September each year. In honor of my favorite bird – the turkey vulture – let’s chat about some of the unsung heroes of the animal world… scavengers!

photo of American carrion beetleScavengers eat: carrion (dead animals), dead plant matter, or refuse (garbage). Scavengers play a critical role in the ecosystem, they keep the environment clean and even stop the spread of diseases! Can you imagine if we didn’t have scavengers around? There would be dead animals everywhere, which would make for a very gross walk through the woods. Scavengers often have specialized stomachs, allowing them to eat dead things without getting sick. This also means that diseases die in the scavenger’s stomach, thus preventing other animals from getting sick. How neat is that?

One of the most well-known scavengers (the best obviously) is the turkey vulture. They are large raptors with a 5-6 foot wingspan. People often say they look weird because of their bald head, but that keeps them clean when they eat. Vultures have weak feet that aren’t strong enough to catch live prey. Instead, they use their sharp beak to rip through carrion. They have a highly acidic stomach… stronger than battery acid! This helps them eat carrion without getting sick and removes diseases to save other animals from getting sick … thanks turkey vultures!

Many birds are scavengers, especially in the winter when food is scarce. A lot of raptors including red-tailed hawks and Cooper’s hawks eat carrion. Even bald eagles eat at roadkill sites and love to eat dead fish. Speaking of, gulls also eat dead fish… and those cute little sandpipers and plovers along the beach are scavengers too! They eat dead insects that they find in the sand. Crows and ravens will eat many things, even carrion. Surprisingly, even songbirds (those that eat insects) will pick at carrion during the winter for extra protein… including chickadees!

Many mammals are scavengers. Raccoons and skunks will eat both carrion and dead plants. Coyotes, bobcats, red and grey foxes, and many weasel species will eat carrion. One of the more well-known mammal scavengers is the opossum! They are North America’s only marsupial mammal… which means they have a pouch that they keep their babies in (like a kangaroo!). They are opportunistic eaters and will eat almost anything. Dead animals, plants, berries, and they love to eat insects!

Speaking of insects, there are many tiny environmental cleaners too. Many insects eat carrion or dead plant matter. The American carrion beetle is the largest carrion beetle in North America (up to 2 inches long). They spend the day sleeping under leaf litter and then wake up at night to use their super sense of smell to find animal carcasses. They use mimicry to stay safe from hungry predators, they are yellow and black… to look like a bee! The water scavenger beetle is another beetle we see here on our preserve when we pond dip. This beetle lives in the water and feeds on living, dead, and decaying plants. They are a slow and clumsy swimmer, which is okay since their food (plants) can’t move away from them.

Scavengers play a big role in keeping the environment clean and disease-free. It is because of all of those animals eating “gross” things that allow us to enjoy a clean walk through nature and keep many other animals from getting sick. Thank you scavengers!

Photo: American Carrion Beetle from Wikipedia

 

Ripples 8/29/24

Posted on by August 29, 2024

Ripples from the Dunes contributed from the Dunesletter archives, September 1985, Number 41. Written by John Hancock.

Nature’s Timetable

Asters, goldenrods and gentians are characteristic flowers of late summer and fall. When we see these flowers in bloom, we know that summer is waning and fall will soon be here. Most asters and goldenrods grow to their full size in early summer, then seem to mark time for as long as two months. Why do they wait before blooming until summer is nearly over? What establishes the timetable by which plants flower?

photo of Coreopsis Tripteris in prairieOver fifty years ago, scientists began experimenting to try to find the answers to these questions. They found that such factors as temperature, moisture, and nutrition may delay blooming, or in extreme cases, may prevent it from occurring. But flowering time is actually controlled by the hours of sunlight in the day. From their early experiments, scientists were able to sort plants into three categories: short-day, long-day, and day-neutral.

Short-day plants do not bloom if the day length is greater than a critical maximum. Some of them bloom in late summer and early spring, others in late summer and fall. Those that flower in spring usually have short delicate stems and few leaves that are small in size. Thus, when air and soil temperatures are right in spring, they are able to quickly push up their leaves and buds and complete their flowering cycle before the day-length reaches the critical maximum. These may be plants that did not flower during the normal period in spring.

Short-day plants of late summer and fall are usually taller and leafier than their counterparts of spring. They spend the spring and summer building their stems, leaves and roots. Then, when the day length falls below their critical maximum, they flower. Short-day plants are unable to grow in the far north if their seeds cannot ripen before the cold weather kills them.

Long-day plants are unable to bloom until the length reaches a critical maximum value. Therefore, they flower only in late spring and early summer. Like the short-day plants of fall, they spend the early part of spring growing their stems and leaves. The do not flower until the critical day length is reached. Then they may continue to bloom until the day length decreases again to the critical minimum. Long-day plants are unable to bloom in tropical areas where there is little variation in day length.

Day-neutral plants are the exceptions to the rule; they are not controlled by the length of the day. They can flower any time environmental conditions are right. They are very adaptable and are able to grow in a great variety of climates.

Individual species of plants may show variations form these simple responses to day length. Some species require repeated exposure to the critical day length for several days to trigger their flowering response, others respond after a single day. The critical day length itself is different for each species.

Further scientific experimentation studied the effects of variations in lighting on the flowering response. Changes in light intensity were found to have no effect. Thus, cloudy days have the same effect as sunny days.

Strictly speaking, it is not the length of the day that is critical to plant flowering, but the length   of the night. If night is interrupted, as by a burst of artificial light, even for as little as a minute, the plant responds as though the night was much shorter. Florists have used this process to force plants to bloom outside their normal periods. Short-day plants, such as chrysanthemums and poinsettias can be held in non-flowering condition until the desired time. Long-day plants can be kept flowering into fall and winter.

The short-day plants of fall have been successful because they are able to set seed and propagate themselves in the short time between their flowering and the onset of the killing cold. Goldenrods and asters have evolved into many species, each occupying a slightly different habitat and each blooming at a slightly different time. Watch for them and the other fall flowers as the season advances.

Photo: Woodland Dunes prairie with Coreopsis Tripteris, species in the Asteraceae family

Ripples 8/22/24

Posted on by August 22, 2024

by Natalie McNeely, intern

Watching a prairie flower throughout the spring, summer, and early fall is like watching a painting come to life. The smells of bee balm, the sounds of buzzing insects, and the ever-changing colors as different flowers bloom are mesmerizing. Seas of purple spiderwort, splashes of orange butterfly milkweed, and waves of yellow-black-eyed Susans and goldenrods create a vibrant tapestry that evolves with the seasons.

photo of prairie flowersGrowing up in Wisconsin, I’ve come to love prairies. While they might not be everyone’s favorite habitat, I think I could spend the rest of my life exploring them because there’s always something new to see. As a kid, my parents took me to as many parks as possible within an hour’s drive from our house. These adventures sparked my love for the outdoors. Still, it wasn’t until I started prairie pollinator research two years ago that I truly appreciated the unique beauty and importance of prairies.

Standing in a prairie, especially a restored one, feels peaceful and exciting. It represents hope for bringing back some of Wisconsin’s natural habitats. Before European colonization, prairies covered 2.1 million acres of the state, including much of southern Wisconsin. Walking along the Willow Trail to the prairie around Todd’s Pond offers a glimpse into what these landscapes used to look like and gives us hope for the future.

Prairies aren’t just beautiful; they’re also home to various pollinators. There’s been a lot of buzz around bumble bees lately, especially since the Wisconsin native rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) was listed as federally endangered in 2017. This has made many people interested in protecting pollinators.

This summer, we conducted bumble bee surveys to see what species are at Woodland Dunes. Through these surveys, I have learned bumblebees can be tricky to identify—they’re fast, land at weird angles, and some, like the red-belted bumblebee (Bombus rufocinctus), can have up to 20 different color patterns within the same species—I think it is still fun to go out and try to identify them. Tracking and identifying bumblebees has given me a deeper appreciation for these essential pollinators and their unique relationship with prairie flowers. And despite the challenges of identifying them and half my camera roll being blurry bumble bee pictures, I think it is fun and worth the battle of chasing them to document through the Wisconsin bumble bee brigade.

Ultimately, prairies are more than just beautiful places—they’re vital ecosystems supporting diverse life. Every element is crucial, from the colorful flowers blooming throughout the seasons to the hardworking bumble bees pollinating them. Exploring, studying, and sharing our experiences in these environments can help preserve these precious habitats for future generations to enjoy.

Photo taken in the front Bugler prairie by Natalie McNeely

Ripples 8/15/24

Posted on by August 15, 2024

By Mary Kennedy, summer intern

The excitement of coming to Woodland Dunes for summer programs is filled with laughter, smiles, and this year a new group of kids were able to come. Kids from the Boys and Girls Club attended programs with the help of a grant from the Kohler Foundation. This grant funded four half-day summer camps for kids ages 7-12. There were around 60 kids in total over the entire summer. A lot of these kids had never been to Woodland Dunes, and this was a new opportunity for them to explore the natural outdoor world.

The first program hosted was a grossology camp that focused on “gross” plants and animals in nature. The program proved to be a hit and even though to some kids it seemed gross they were very intrigued. That program happened at the beginning of the summer, and more recently, a wetland explorer camp took place. The two were both vastly different in content but proved to be popular for the range of ages that attended.

The wetland explorers camp was my favorite program. I am familiar with southern wetlands as a Florida resident during the school year. My wetlands in Florida consist of mangroves and alligators, whereas the ones here in Wisconsin have morning star sedges and Northern Leopard frogs. Seeing both ecosystems makes me aware of how vast wetlands are.           

Within two days, we covered many different parts of a wetland. It started with an introduction to wetlands and how they function, then we went to observe a wetland off of Cattail Trail that consists of a swamp and marsh environment. On the tower, it was evident that many kids had never observed the West Twin River or a wetland too extensively. Many questions were expressed, “What is that?” or “Do alligators live in the pond?” That made me laugh as it is a fair question, but it seems silly to hear. Kids tend to ask those more curiosity-based questions. They want to know the origin of everything and anything. 

Our soil activity also seemed to be one of major exploration. We took two samples of soil – one from the ground and the other from the wetland. Each child got to feel and smell the soil. Having more of a visual component made all the difference for them processing the information.

As someone who also is a visual learner, I appreciate the attention to that aspect. With visual cues, they were more willing to explore. There was also a sense of awareness that was built on what is around them and even what could be in their backyards. I also felt the sense of being more involved in nature and wanting to explore further in my own environment.

Photo: Mary in camp, taken by Jessica Johnsrud

Ripples 8/8/24

Posted on by August 15, 2024

By Claire Bosselmann, summer intern

Is Older Better?

In many ways, yes—especially when discussing the freedom of retirement, aged scotch, and the magnificence of old-growth forests.

photo of old growth forestOld growth forests are ecosystems that develop over many decades without significant disturbance. These ancient woodlands possess unique characteristics that make them exceptionally valuable. Their resilience is enhanced by increased genetic diversity, among both plants and animals, which increases the stability and health of an ecosystem. Structural diversity of plants and a layered canopy of varying age classes provides a variety of habitats, for a multitude of species. With these characteristics, old-growth forests become hot-spots for biodiversity. The Wisconsin DNR defines old-growth as “natural stands that have developed over a period of time, generally at least 120 years, without experiencing a stand replacing disturbance.”

If you’ve ever experienced the feeling of walking through an old-growth forest, it is truly something spectacular. These forests are at least 120 years old; they’ve been the home to hundreds of thousands of birds, mammals, amphibians, and millions of insects. Some of the oldest trees have experienced the changing of the seasons at least 500 times.

The true glory of old-growth forests isn’t just in their lush greenery, towering trees or the cool breeze provided by the shade, but foremost in the richness of their soil. Over decades, organic carbon accumulates on the forest floor from fallen biomass, creating a fertile, carbon-rich environment that all critters and plants rely on. Within that soil there’s a complex world of mycorrhizal networks and microbial communities that have built themselves throughout the lifetime of the forest. Microbial communities help in the nutrient cycling and breakdown of organic materials on the forest floor, and mycorrhizal networks benefit plants by creating a mutualistic relationship through a trade of phosphorus and magnesium. The intricate soil creates an ideal environment for the next generation of plants to grow successfully. These are just some of the wonders of old growth forests that are invisible to the human eye.

Since becoming recognized as vital carbon sinks, old-growth forests have gained increased protection under Executive Order 14072, issued in April 2022. They are a key to mitigating the effects of climate change, as land use change is one of the largest contributors to global warming. Equally important is maintaining high genetic diversity among plants and animals, which allows for more opportunities of survival to our changing world.

Wisconsin is the home to few recognized mature forests, mostly residing in the Northern side of the state and only amounting to 0.2% of total forests in Wisconsin. Old-growth forests in the state are limited due to clear-cutting that occurred in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. If you’re hoping to experience an old-growth forest in Wisconsin, consider hiking in the Cathedral Pines located in Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest’s Lakewood-Laona Ranger District.

So, when talking about aging, many things can become better with time; appreciation for fine wines and aged cheeses, the soil beneath our feet, and policies protecting our forests.

Photo of old growth by Anna Kovach