Invasion

The depth of the details in nature found all around us are usually not appreciated, even by those who look. There can simply be too much to see and information overload is not something most of us need more of. But the lessons of our environment are always worth it to those who spend the time to see.

 

Most people who have experienced frogs from school tend to think they are all like iconic northern leopard frogs. In the bosque these have been eradicated by the more invasive bullfrogs that were released during farming experiments in the 1930's (still debated). One of the weird things about these frogs is that the life style of the large adults is very different than the lives of the juveniles of the same species. This juvenile can't hibernate yet and is still out in the colder weather, hunting. Unlike leopard frogs, bullfrogs have large brains and large fat body stores. Both species need oxygenated water to survive more than four days of freezing weather

 

 

 This Cooper's hawk is enjoying the morning sun. Actually, it is likely still out because it has not yet caught a bird napping in the bosque and is staying out late to study the behaviour of the feeding flocks traveling along the bosque routes. You can see the classic puffed chest of a sunbathing bird at rest.

 

This is actually the same bird as above, but from behind. This pose is very different, with hunch shoulders and a wary affect, it is looking much smaller. This time it is in hunting mode; sleek, inconspicuous and ready to pounce from the shadows.

The forb plants are growing rapidly, taking advantage of few insects and less sunlight competition as the leaves fall to grow quickly. This is a sow thistle. Plants like this are well adapted to land disturbed by construction because it is a therophyte. These plants spend most of their lives as seeds in the soil, waiting for favorable conditions. Then they burst out, make more seeds and quickly die away again. These plants typically become weed species, as almost no eradication strategy will be able to catch them in a vulnerable phase to wipe them out.

The east facing slopes of dry ditches are the first to warm in the mornings. The bright winter sunlight is actually pretty fierce and allows these forbs to quickly grow a thick taproot full of energetic sugars. Steep slopes prevent taller plants from getting a foothold as they crowd themselves out. These are docks many of these plants are polyploid; they carry multiple sets of the genome, making them very hardy and resistant to damage and environmental stresses. Humans has 23 chromosomes that are paired. Docks carry several hundred chromosomes that are "backed-up" ten times in each cell.

The unique New Mexico climate means plastics quickly degrade in the high UV from the constant dry sunlight. Dry wood, on the other hand, will last almost forever as fungal infections are pretty rare in treated wood and water damage is almost unheard of away from plumbing pipes. This is bad news for people who leave dog poop out on the trails because the feces will petrify before they "naturally breakdown". Those particles eventually pollute our river with fecal coliform as the plastic bags they are in break down within a week in the sun (if the skunks and coyotes don't open them first). The old wooden iconic structures can last a very long time in dry environments.

Native cottonwood trees do not have much resistance to fungal infections because they do not often encounter the problem outside of the bosque. The old, mature trees can get wet rot, and dry rot. Some arborists classify fungal infections into white and brown, depending on the look. These "heritage trees" often die when the fungus gets into the living cambium under the bark at the ground level and topples the tree over (see the large white/brown scar at base of this tree). Old cottonwoods are also famous for shedding branches, in a process called "Cladoptosis". It has killed some zoo animals in the past.

Heavy traffic and compacted soil often kills trees, which need air and water to reach their roots. This tree has shed some bark after a superficial fire scorched the surface. It might survive if "artist conk" doesn't invade. Most people have heard about the lack of viable young cottonwood trees in the bosque. (this link has a good discussion of the general principles)

Tumbleweed is one of a series of different plants that are designed to snap off easily at their base as the plants dries. The wind rolls the plants along and scatters seeds over a wide area.

 

Most plants do not travel around, and the next generation seedlings benefits from the increased moisture and shade provided by the previous year's growth in a type of nursery

The levee road is hard packed, dry and dusty. It would seem to be a very inhospitable location for seedlings, and is for most species. But that just means it is perfect growing space for any species that can "figure out" how to make it work. Enter the holly hock plant. By growing now, it will be perfectly positioned to thrive later in the year. The seeds likely have been sitting in the soil for some time, and the signals they need to grow are active. They use a process of "scarification" to survive and even thrive in ridiculously inhospitable environments (like around humans)

I have noticed that many creatures and their lives are affected greatly by holes and walls. This structure in the ground under the plants is built by some sort of wolf spider for protection/hunting. Webs are multipurpose but are lightweight, and waterproof. Their production can be fine tuned to be sticky, or not, stretchy or firm. Some forest species can make them into slingshots or food parcels. The classic web structures are just the tip of how spiders can use their filaments.

This hole shows an insect mass hatching from this fibrous mass, maybe a braconid wasp species, but I don't know. That hole specifically is where the caterpillar used to be that the small wasps hatched out of and pupated.

Unlike parasite wasps, the photogenic birds are returning. Our mature cottonwoods provide the perfect perching spots for migrating birds. Along with them the birders also visit to view them. These flickers are a common sight, but still gorgeous.

The crow flocks seem very comfortable bedding down in the thick trees and shrubs near the river. A group of crows is called a "murder"

The thin whiote line along the edge of this wings describes it as a white winged dove. These common birds have definitely figured out how to live in suburbia by accepting bird feeders supplemented with feed foraging. Many birds actually suffer from human bird feeders, but not this species (or the raptors that rely on them)

It was interesting to help out at the Tingley ponds pollinator garden with some new plantings. The seedlings are raised in giant commercial greenhouses and the crowded, cramped environments often mean they can raise more weeds than pollinator plants. The moist environments from heavy watering also meant some seed pots have these snails. I'm still not sure, but these two I found in the soil are actually Physella acuta. A common aquatic snail often found in plants (even thought they don't eat them)

While most people want all "weeds" removed I have seen the pygmy blue butterflies like this one rely on the stands of Russian thistles (note the spikes on the plant) to thrive in large numbers. There are still many hardy aster species around that provide nectar and pollen. Unfortunately, the same plants also help large grasshoppers survive, which people look on negatively. The tough grasshoppers and the delicate butterflies are connected, and dependent on humans to make the right management choices for them.