Site: My backyard
Date: May 29, 2008
Temp: Not Recorded
Weather: Partly Cloudy
Wind: Slight Breeze
Soil: Damp
What a boring way to end my field journal... Nothing change except a couple blue birds perched up in the trees. The grass is still green as ever. The willow are still the same size. The pond is still full. And no new flowers, or shrubs have came up. The biodiversity in my area has suddenly decreased and I don't no why. I am guessing because of all the rain the animals are slightly confused with what season it is. The moose scat from last week is gone, and I haven't seen any "real" wildlife for quite some time. I was hoping of ending my field journal with telling you there was moose, a herd of elk, and some new beautiful flowers. Although, the past eight observations were all different in some way, and I noticed dramatic changes in my area!!!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Work Cited
Work Cited
Black Willow. 1982. 23 May 2008. [www.ostermiller.org]
Black Willow Salix Nigra. 25 May 2008. www.cirrusimage.com
British Columbia Outdoor Wilderness Guide. 2007. Interactive Broadcasting. May 18, 2008. [www.fishbc.com]
Moose. 21 May 2008. myanimalblog.wordpress.com
Flora Report, Black WIllow
The Black Willow, Salix nigra, is found throughout the valley of Jackson Hole. The willow is known for its fast spread and growth. It can get as tall as 140 feet and expand as far as four feet in width. Because the Yellow Willow also inhabits in the Jackson Hole area, the Black Willow has something unique about it to help people identify the difference between the two. The leaves on the twigs are lance, which is when there are slits in the leaves, shaped with curved tips, and little buds on the ends of them. The buds fall off and help the willow spread throughout its habitat and populates the area.In order to survive, the willow takes in large amounts of water each day. With the soil also being moist, this allow other plants to grow that live near high water tables Living around borders of lakes and along watercourses, the willow only needs partial sunlight to continue to survive. The soil is moist which provides more nutrients, and this leads to the growth of the willows.
The willow has many helpful niches, but also a couple that are destructive to other plants. For instance, the willow spreads so wide that it blocks sunlight for plants trying to grow beneath . Nevertheless, the black willow takes in so much water, filled with nutrients, that it makes the soil moist which is helpful to plants that need those resources to grow. The branches and twigs also supply food for the moose. The more willows in the area the higher biodiversity of animals because it’s a big food source for many organisms.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Observation #7
Site: My backyard
Date: May 27th, 2008
Time: 7:03 p.m.
Temp: 52 degrees
Weather: Partly cloudy/sunny
Wind: No wind
Soil: Damp
Wow my grass is so green! That is the very first thing I noticed when I looked outside. The grass almost looks fake. Anyways, the willow trees seem to have grown tremendously due to the fact I haven't observed in about a week. A couple more dandelions have came up along the berm, and also some purple flowers (not sure what type).. There have been a couple more weeds pop up which is not a good thing!! Animal wise all I saw was a couple black birds and some squirrels. I heard some geese and frogs but wasn't quite sure where they were located. Last week was so much more exciting then today... Although I did notice the squirrel digging a hole which can be its niche. The only succession in my area is when my dad burned a pile of wood and old grass outside behind the house which can allow new weeds and plants to grow in. Otherwise nothing to interesting happened today and it was a bummer.
Date: May 27th, 2008
Time: 7:03 p.m.
Temp: 52 degrees
Weather: Partly cloudy/sunny
Wind: No wind
Soil: Damp
Wow my grass is so green! That is the very first thing I noticed when I looked outside. The grass almost looks fake. Anyways, the willow trees seem to have grown tremendously due to the fact I haven't observed in about a week. A couple more dandelions have came up along the berm, and also some purple flowers (not sure what type).. There have been a couple more weeds pop up which is not a good thing!! Animal wise all I saw was a couple black birds and some squirrels. I heard some geese and frogs but wasn't quite sure where they were located. Last week was so much more exciting then today... Although I did notice the squirrel digging a hole which can be its niche. The only succession in my area is when my dad burned a pile of wood and old grass outside behind the house which can allow new weeds and plants to grow in. Otherwise nothing to interesting happened today and it was a bummer.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Observation # 6
Site: My backyard
Date: May 20th, 2008
Time: 5:05 p.m
Temp: 75 degrees
Weather: Partly Cloudy, hot, partly sunny
Wind: Breezy
Soil: Dry
The hot weather is bringing in different species to my area (community)... It's so interesting. The very first thing that I saw when I went out on my porch was a BULL MOOSE and a baby cow right along its side! I recall in my last observation I saw moose scat and was hoping that the moose would come back, and there they were. I think they came back for the willow trees cause that's all I ever see them do in my backyard besides sleep. Once again this will create a niche for more plants to come up due to them recieving more sunlight. The cow moose was using an anti-predator adaptation of mimicry of its mom. But then again, the baby wasn't using it to protect itself from a predator. Everything the mom did the baby did right afterwards like copy-cat. Along with the two moose was this rare bird that I have never seen before. It was black and it had what looked like a neon orange or pink under its wing. I didn't get to observe it to much because it wasn't around for long. Also not quite in my backyard but in a aspen tree across the road was a hawk perching by its nest. I just thought that was something new to share. Flora wise nothing has really change except that some aquatic vegetation (maybe a little algae) was happening in the pond. Otherwise the pond is raising the biodiversity of species in my area!
Date: May 20th, 2008
Time: 5:05 p.m
Temp: 75 degrees
Weather: Partly Cloudy, hot, partly sunny
Wind: Breezy
Soil: Dry
The hot weather is bringing in different species to my area (community)... It's so interesting. The very first thing that I saw when I went out on my porch was a BULL MOOSE and a baby cow right along its side! I recall in my last observation I saw moose scat and was hoping that the moose would come back, and there they were. I think they came back for the willow trees cause that's all I ever see them do in my backyard besides sleep. Once again this will create a niche for more plants to come up due to them recieving more sunlight. The cow moose was using an anti-predator adaptation of mimicry of its mom. But then again, the baby wasn't using it to protect itself from a predator. Everything the mom did the baby did right afterwards like copy-cat. Along with the two moose was this rare bird that I have never seen before. It was black and it had what looked like a neon orange or pink under its wing. I didn't get to observe it to much because it wasn't around for long. Also not quite in my backyard but in a aspen tree across the road was a hawk perching by its nest. I just thought that was something new to share. Flora wise nothing has really change except that some aquatic vegetation (maybe a little algae) was happening in the pond. Otherwise the pond is raising the biodiversity of species in my area!
Observation # 5
Site:My backyard
Date: Monday May 19th, 2008
Time of day: 6:01 p.m.
Temp: Not recorded
Weather: Sunny, really hot, no clouds
Wind: Tiny breeze
Soil:Dry
Finally my pond is all the way filled so as I was observing today I noticed the biodiversity in my area increase meagerly. First off, with newly fresh water I noticed that there were a couple mallard ducks swimming around in the pond. I believe there were two males and one female. The female duck was over on its own while the two male ducks seemed to be fighting over the female. It was very exciting to finally see some intraspecific competition going on in my backyard! Besides the ducks, there are also frogs hidden beneath some rocks (abiotic factors). I have no idea what gender or how many of them there are because I can never find them. I always hear them croak throughout the day when I am home. Along the pond was some moose poop, and it seemed to be pretty fresh. I am hoping the moose will come back to this area when I do my next observation. Along with some more organisms coming to place, the plant life has also grown tremendously. The grass is the greenest I have seen it after a long winter. Some dandelions have came up along the berm which adds a little more color to my backyard. Although, the willow trees haven't seemed to have filled out much since last time. As time has gone on my area is becoming more interesting!!
Date: Monday May 19th, 2008
Time of day: 6:01 p.m.
Temp: Not recorded
Weather: Sunny, really hot, no clouds
Wind: Tiny breeze
Soil:Dry
Finally my pond is all the way filled so as I was observing today I noticed the biodiversity in my area increase meagerly. First off, with newly fresh water I noticed that there were a couple mallard ducks swimming around in the pond. I believe there were two males and one female. The female duck was over on its own while the two male ducks seemed to be fighting over the female. It was very exciting to finally see some intraspecific competition going on in my backyard! Besides the ducks, there are also frogs hidden beneath some rocks (abiotic factors). I have no idea what gender or how many of them there are because I can never find them. I always hear them croak throughout the day when I am home. Along the pond was some moose poop, and it seemed to be pretty fresh. I am hoping the moose will come back to this area when I do my next observation. Along with some more organisms coming to place, the plant life has also grown tremendously. The grass is the greenest I have seen it after a long winter. Some dandelions have came up along the berm which adds a little more color to my backyard. Although, the willow trees haven't seemed to have filled out much since last time. As time has gone on my area is becoming more interesting!!
Fauna Report
Towering at six to seven feet high and weighing 700-1,100 pounds the moose, Alces alces, can be found throughout the continent of North America. Being the largest member of the deer family the moose is known for its distinctive long legs, humped shoulders/back, long brown hair, and velvety antlers.
Since the moose is so unique it has many helpful niches that helps itself and other animals. As people observe this animal they are able to see how big the mammal is. This is helpful to other animals throughout the area because in the winter, as the moose travels through the snow, it packs it down which makes it less difficult for the smaller species to travel. Being helpful to small rodents as well by, once their antlers fall off (antlers can get as long as 150 cm) the rodents receive their calcium from them. Not only do moose help animals but also give assistance to plants. With one of their most reliable food sources being the willow, they are continuously eating the branches. This then makes the willows less bare and allows sunlight to reach the plants.
The moose’s physical characteristics also allows them to adapt to land and aquatic vegetation during the summer season. As lakes freeze and plants die, the moose’s food source in the winter is mainly willow, aspen, and dogwood trees. These are all easy access for the moose because they live in small forests with lakes and streams nearby. In the summer they eat more spruce forest and in the winter its areas with more aspen and willow trees. Although, both of these areas are habitats to wolves and bears which are the moose’s most dangerous predators.
Moose aren’t on the endangered species list quite yet due to their reproductive system. When the Bull Moose hears the calf moan it reacts to its signal and runs to find it. The male then mates with the female which usually takes one to two days. Before the Bull Moose leaves it urinates, and the calf rolls around in it which produces the baby cow. The baby cow will usually stay close with its mother until it is able to provide food and survive by itself. The moose is very exclusive, and an animal that hopefully will be roaming the earth for quite sometime.
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