Japanese Garden Types – Part 3 – Woodlands

The native woodlands are foundational for all other Japanese gardens. They have been revered for thousands of years as part of Shinto. They are geologically, ecologically, historically, culturally and economically important. The previous posts in this series have reviewed the cultural insights and history of the Japanese gardens. This is part three of a six part series on Japanese gardens. The purpose of this presentation is to focus on the value and management of the forests. Can these be applied to care of woodlands in Florida and the East Coast of the USA?

There are three garden types in Japan that include woodlands, food production gardens, and the classic traditional gardens. Here is a brief overview of the forests in the wilderness of Japan.

The feature image is typical of the countryside viewed from the cable car on the way to Mt. Fuji. It is mountainous and covered with a forest of predominantly gymnosperm trees.

The history of Japan has significantly altered the natural woodlands of Honshu. The wilderness is not as natural as expected. 75% of Japan is densely forested. Forty percent’ was planted by people. There is a deep and protracted use of the woodlands for lumbering. The giant shrines with statues of the Buddha are made of cedar and cypress harvested from the wilderness. Historically all of the major buildings and residences were built from local wood. Until the twentieth century no other materials were used.

No understory at altitude at 1/2 (4500 ft) of Mt Fuji

Deforestation Events

The forests were depleted of wood from three major events. There were two major event periods of construction which consumed whole mountains of wood. The first was during the castle shogun period the 1700’s. These included many square miles of defensive castles and associated residences for soldiers, civilians and commerce. Simultaneously, the residences and temples of the Buddhists were constructed. The second period was during the Edo and the Mejie eras. Edo construction focused on the new capital now called Tokyo. The third and period was the combination of the 1850’s through 1950. The forests were severely depleted as never before. This third period included deforestation for construction and devastation as a result of war.

Deforestation has an impact on the geology and ecology. Without the tree roots to hold the soil, earthquakes, floods, land slides with mud and rocks ensued. To restrain the soil trees were aggressively replanted with cedar and cypress with very little diversity. In 1954 The public was incentivized to plant even more. That incentive indirectly increased further deforestation of diverse native tree angiosperm hardwood species like the maple.

This had a further modern impact of construction lumber. Its value depends on good management of the trees. To grow straight, tall and knot free, the limbs need to be trimmed. To allow sufficient light and access to the trees the forest needs thinning. To be accessible to harvest, the slopes of the hills must be within the capacity of the power equipment. This is demanding work requiring a skilled and able labor force. The population of Japan is aging. The wage rate compared to other countries is relatively high There are insufficient foresters to develop an industrial timber crop. As a result of this, the trees are of questionable value. The monocultural nature of the crop also makes the forest susceptible to pests and diseases. The understory is sparse and not diverse. The wildlife is severely limited. To compete with imported lumber the method of management needs to be rethought.

2024. Tokyo completely rebuilt in concrete

Spiritual Value of Old Trees as Seen in Art

Shinto regard of trees and forests is foundational. Recall that there has been a long veneration of trees which we described in the last posting. This value dates back thousands of years. They are assigned individual and group value as Kami spirits.

In Japan, old trees are venerated for their resilience, strength and power. Allegorically, they offer a bridge to the past. Both of these concepts are essential to the concept of Shinto. Blossoming trees are also highly regarded. Most notably are the spring blooms of the weeping cherry and plum trees. Autumnal trees with seasonal chromatic change in the leaves offer even more inspiration for artists.

Kano Masanobu, ~1550, This exquisite screen, ink on foiled paper is in the Tokyo National Museum

Buildings for the Community Revering Forested Trees

The size of the remaining wooden buildings speak volumes about the mass of lumber needed for the temples, castles and residences of ancient Japan. The Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji in Nara Japan is the world’s largest wooden building. It houses the largest cast bronze seated Buddha statue. It is only one of the few remaining giant Buddha halls. These images of notable wood structures do not truly capture their great size. Maintenance of these halls, palaces and castles is constant, expensive, and requires expert craftsmen and are paid for by donations. The remaining buildings are a small fraction of all of the original buildings that once existed.

Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji in Nara. This reconstruction is only two thirds of the original building.

Private Wooden Buildings

The Gion district in Kyoto and the Yasaka-no To Pagoda has a high concentration of traditional wooden machiya merchant houses. This area was established 1300 years ago. Many of these wooden buildings date back to the Meiji period more than 150 years ago. Most of the original buildings were destroyed in the fire of 1865. In Kyoto those which were rebuilt were not destroyed in WW II. There were wooden structures like these in Tokyo. They were the norm and as you would expect, during WW II most of them burned. Only a few pockets of these remain. They were replaced with modern buildings made of steel reinforced concrete and glass.

Tokyo. Wood is protected from deterioration caused by dog urination. The curved barriers can be seen on the face of the structure

Kyoto. No barriers results in discoloration and acidic damage to the structure.

WW II post war reconstruction period and current state of woodlands

Trees by the numbers

Look at this hillside. At the lower level, below the green line, you can see the density of the tree trunks. There is no place for understory growth. This suggests over planting without selective tree pruning or thinning as is necessary for a healthy tree growth pattern.

The foliage distribution strongly overlaps the mountainous areas which we described in the first of this series on Japan. To better appreciate the distribution of trees in Japan, the following illustrations will show the varieties and locations in the island group. This underscores the limited accessibility to manage the growth or to commercially harvest the wood.

The distribution of trees is approximately 40% deciduous and 60% coniferous and evergreen.

This graphic is from “Forest and Forestry of Japan Textbook to Learn about Forests” . The Japan Forestry Association, “Forest zone of Japan”. Note our visited area is characterized as warmer temperature vegetation.

For more information on plants seen on this trip, please visit the Everglades Ark Epicollect database. to see more native trees and plants in seen on this visit. See observations numbers 422 to 434.

Reforestation:

There is a strong response to the tree management in today’s Japan. The forests of Japan rank third in the world for percentage of forest covered land. Modern management techniques including diversification of species are being applied and the use of local lumber is increasing.

Japan is now making a concerted effort to reforest and rewild their woodlands. Although this is a public works project and is government sponsored/funded it depends on community part time and volunteer workforce. It includes incremental reforestation using a variant of the Montreal process. This successful process has been widely applied in many locations around the world. The dedication and discipline of the people of Japan have made this do-it-yourself (DIY) project an example that could be followed here in Florida.

CONCLUSION

Forests continue to play an important part in Japan both spiritually and economically. Hopefully we can learn that over deforestation and questionable management can result in unintended consequences. The reversal of the untoward results can be costly, labor intensive and time consuming.

Next

In our next posting we will explore the productive gardens as farms in Japan. Later we will see the classic formal gardens

HERE ARE SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR the discussion board

Where does the art of bonsai fit into Japanese culture?

How would you manage the woodlands of Japan?

What can we learn from the Japanese woodland management experiences?

How can we use the Florida Master Naturalist program to encourage woodlands management in our own neighborhoods?

If you have visited or live in Japan please add to this description.

Is Japan competitive with the world in lumber production?

Reference texts:

•Japan, DK Eyewitness, Penguin House, Dorling Kindersley, 2000

•The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, Benedict R., Houghton Mifflin, 1946, 1957, 1967. 2005

•Judgement at Tokyo, Bass G.J., Alfred Knoff, 2023

•Zen Gardens, Masuno S., Tuttle Publishing, 2012

•Japanese Gardens Revealed and Explained, Chard R., Zenibo Marketing, 2013

•Japanese Stone Gardens, Mansfield S., Tuttle Publishing, 2009

Please post your comments in the space provided below.

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#gardens #Japan #Shinto #samurai #Buddhism #Shogun # culture #imperialism #history #philosophy #art #trees #

December 8, 2024

Revival of Pond Plants and Ecosystem Post-Hurricane Ian – Part Two

The plants of pond #47 are slowly recovering after hurricane Ian. This is part two of a three part series describing the slow recovery of the artificial pond that was created as part of a community wide system. Be sure to read part one of this series. The ten foot high storm surge from hurricane Ian brought seawater with its salt content and fish and other marine life. Because salt water is heavier than fresh water it sank to the bottom of the pond displacing a substantial portion of the fresh water. The ocean water is toxic to the fresh water species because it dehydrates the cells of salt intolerant plants and animals. This has been recovered by the inflow of fresh ground water and water filtered by community supplier. Now the water has a very low percentage of salt. My refractometric test for salinity tested on 5/1/2024 shows a near normal specific density of 1.002. We will discuss this in the next posting describing pond geochemistry.

The pond is surrounded by grassy lawns which are tended by the gardeners and home owners. At the water’s edge soil retaining mesh and plants have been added to prevent erosion. Most of these plants were thought to have been lost from toxic levels of salt. In the intervening two years they have begun to make a strong come back. They hold the soil, provide shelter for the marine animals and a feeding ground for the wading birds. Look at the previous post to see the birds feeding in grass and reed areas of the pond.

Pond plants

Net casting in pond to capture fish sample. This photo also shows round bright areas where Tilapia fish made nests

Soil retaining mesh submerged can be seen here. This was placed before the storm as part of the pond remediation.

Aquatic plant species used to reduce soil erosion.

Long view of pond looking from southeast to northwest.

Lance leaf Arrowhead, (*Sagittaria lancifolia*), Native, AKA Duck Potato.

Needle rush (*Juncus roemerianus*), Native

Horsetail spike rush *(Eleocharis equisetoides*) Native

Lawn, grass, Live Oak trees with marsh rushes and tubers surround the pond. They stabilize the soil and provide shelter and food as the basis of the ecosystem pyramid. It is only recently that the survivability of this plants was confirmed. Presence of these plants supports the concept of corner stone species. Without these plants the insects would not lay eggs. The fish would not feed on the insect larvae. The birds would not feed on the fish. This is further reflection of the eutrophic quality of the pond system.

Perhaps you have seen similar recoveries. Recall the experiences of the recovery of the Fulda river in Germany. Let’s hear about your experience! If you wish to contribute to the discussion please use the comment box.

The third of the three related postings on this pond will appear soon. It will describe the hydrochemistry and the micro aquatic inhabitants. Be sure to subscribe to follow along.

Also, feel free to use the discussion board to participate in one of the ongoing discussions or to introduce a new topic.

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#Pond recovery #ocean water #Lance leaf Arrowhead #Needle rush #Horsetail spike rush #cornerstone species #

June 10, 2024

Cooperation of Wildlife and People: Bonita Bay Pond #47’s Ecological Success – Part #1

This is a story of cooperation among people and wildlife in the Bonita Bay community. This description is divided into three postings including the macro biology, micro biology and geochemistry. Pond #47 is in my backyard. The freshwater pond was inundated by sea water to a depth of 10.3 feet above MSL. The flood was a climatic challenge to the entire four square mile community property including all 64 retention ponds. The good news is that recovery is well on the way to near normal conditions.

This first of three postings shows the macro biologic content of the pond. This small body of water is in the Bonita Bay residential community in the city of Bonita Springs, Florida. It was artificially constructed nearly 40 years ago as part of a larger hydraulic system intended to manage the surface water of the community property. The property is bounded by Spring Creek to the north, Imperial River to the south, Bonita Bay to the west and highway 41 to the east. There are five animal phyla represented here and they are all thriving. There are also four plant phyla.

The featured picture is one of hundreds of halloween pennant dragonflies that were so full of beautiful color. I had to share it with all of you.

Fish:

Net casting was done to collect fish samples and to check the varieties. It shows the net hitting the water, the clarity and depth, and the light-colored ring patterns in the water are spawning nests created by resident tilapia in the sandy bottom. Other techniques included fly casting and spin casting with artificial bait. Six fish species were caught from the Anchorage Pond #47. They included Mayan Cichlid, Blue Gill, Tilapia, Largemouth Bass, and Snook. Numerous minnows were seen but not caught. Neighbors who regularly fish the pond suggest that there are more Tilapia and fewer Snook since the Ian hurricane.

Mayan Cichlid (*Mayaheros urophthalmus*) (invasive)

Snook (*Centropomus undecimalis*) (Non-native)

Reptiles:

Alligators and turtles live easily in the pond. The alligator population is variable and although it usually has one. During mating season there were at least two. The turtle population is greater than the alligators and from observation there are always at least four swimming near the surface. During the day these reptiles and crawl out of the ponds to lie on the banks.

Marine Crustaceans:

One marine crustacean type was found. Three Blue crabs were found in the water along the shore. These were probably brought in by the hurricane.

Blue crab (female), *(Callinectes sapidus*)

Birds:

The number and species of wading birds is highly dependent upon season and weather. The birds may select those areas of the shoreline which are favorable to their food and which may be protected from predators by alligators. Here are some of the birds in the shore line vegetation hunting and eating with the alligator in their midst. The osprey was standing quietly watching from the close by tree. These birds were seen in March/April. The birds included Great Blue Herron, white and tricolored Herron, Ibis, ducks, Wood Stories, Anhinga, and Osprey.

American Osprey (*Pandion haliaetus*) waiting in tree

Insects:

The most obvious insect which could be attributed to the pond were standing or feeding on the pound shore line. The dragonflies observed were exclusively the Halloween Pennants and were in the hundreds. The White Peacock butterflies were flying about in small groups or pairs just on shore near the grass.

Halloween Pennant Dragonfly, (*Celithemis eponina*)

White Peacock butterfly (*Anartia jatrophae*)

The diversity of the wild life supports the eutrophic designation of the pond. Further examples of this follow in the next two presentations. They include the plants and the microflora with geochemistry. Be sure to see them too!

This story is similar to the previous posting on a river restoration project found in Fulda, Germany.

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See the discussion board to engage with like minded naturalists and photographers or to open a new topic to share your thoughts. https://evergladesark.com/2024/04/25/discussion-board/

#Pond #Recovery #fish #insects #crustaceans # dragonfly # butterfly # turtle # Herron # Mayan Cichlid #Snook # Blue gill #bass #Osprey #White Peacock #alligator

June 8, 2024

Wildflowers in SW Florida – Xeric Group

This group of flower images were made from observations during the last February, March and April. This is the second of a series on wildflowers of SWFL. These images represent some of the flowers which were seen in three distinct environments: uplands, pine and saw palmetto flats and costal flats. There is some crossover of plants which may be seen in multiple environments. For organizational simplicity the images have been separated into two groups: those that grow better in moist soil areas are in the mesic group, those that grow better in dryer soils are listed in the dry mesic and xeric group.

The images which are used here for illustration show the beauty and diversity of the native plants. As a supplement to these images there is a spread sheet posted under PAGES of this site which lists the plant growing requirements. If you wish, this information may be used to assist in selection of plants which you could plant in your own SWFL community or home garden. The images are associated with a Fig #. That number is the data key number listed in the first (Left) column of the spread sheet. Use that number to correlate the image to the data.

The featured image is Figure 22. Pinebarren Goldenrod (Solidago fistulosa)

Figure 2. Nettle Leaf (*Salvia urticifolia)*

Figure 3 Florida Tickseed (*Coreopsis floridana*)

Figure 4 Nuttall’s Thistle (*Cirsium nuttallii)*

Figure 6. Simond’s Aster, (*symphyotrichum simmondsii)*

Figure 7 Southeastern Sunflower (*Helianthus agrestis*)

Figure 20 Flag pawpaw (*Asimina obovate*)

Figure 24 Tickseed (*Coreopsis Leavenworthii*)

Figure 26 Sweetscent (*Pluchea odorata*)

Figure 29. Rabbit bells (*Crotalaria rotundifolia*)

Fig 38. Rusty Lionia (*Lyonia ferruginea*)

There are definitely fewer flowering plants in the dry group. These flowers are less flamboyant in color, shape and size. The dominant chromas are in the middle of the visible light spectrum, the hues are in the lighter range and the values are in the middle zones. Their growth in single plants tend to be in dense florets and panicles. As groups of plants they tend to be distributed in patches of the landscape. This may be related to their propagation frequently by seeding.

For the gardeners be sure to check out the supplement to these images on the spread sheet in the Pages post on this site titled findings/Wildflowers in SWFL

References:

Real Florida Gardeners Guide lists native nurseries

Guide for Choosing Native Plants by Florida Wildflower Foundation

Pruning Notes for Native Plants by Grounded Solutions

Getting into the “Weeds:” An Introduction to Common Lawn Plants and Their Ecological Benefits

Plant This Not That book

Attracting Butterflies with Wildflowers by Florida Wildflower Foundation

Full Plant Reference List

Native Florida Landscape – Florida treasure coast

Estero preserve

Florida Soil

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If you wish to participate in discussion or make comments please use the comments box.

#Xeric #wild flowers #native plants #noninvasive plants #

April 18, 2024

Wildflowers in SW Florida – Wet, Mesic Group

Here are images of flowers made from observations during the last three months. This is one of a series on native wildflowers of SWFL. These images represent some of the flowers which were seen in three distinct environments: uplands, pine and saw palmetto flats and costal flats. There is some crossover of plants which may be seen in multiple environments. For organizational simplicity the images have been separated into two groups: those that grow better in moist soil areas are in the mesic group. Those that grow better in dryer soils are listed in the xeric group.

The featured image is a Dixi Iris and a visiting Monarch butterfly

The images which are used here for illustration show the beauty and diversity of the native plants. As a supplement to these images is a spread sheet in the Pages post on this site titled findings/Wildflowers in SWFL. which lists the plant growing requirements. If you wish, this information may be used to assist in selection of plants which you could use in your own SWFL community or home garden. The images are associated with a Fig #. That number is the data key number listed in the first (left) column of the spread sheet. Use that number to correlate the image to the data.

Fig1. Water Pimpernel; Limewater Brookweed (*Samolus ebracteatus)*

Fig 8. Winged loosestrife (*Lythrum alatum*)

Fig 9. String Lily (*Crinum americanum)*

Figure 10. Scarlet hibiscus (*Hibiscus coccineus*)

Fig 11. Pickelelweed (*Pontederia cordata*)

Fig 12. Lizard’s tail (*Saururus cernuus*)

Figure 13. Mexican primrose willow, (*Ludwigia octovalvis*) INVASIVE!

Fig 14. Dancing Lady Ginger, (*Globba winitii*)

Fig 17. Spanish needles (*Bidens alba, Asteraceae*)

Figure 21. Tickseed (*Coreopsis floridana) State of Florida Flower*

Figure 23. Big yellow milkwort (*Polygala rugelii)*

Fig 27. Water Hyssop or Herb-of-Grace (*Bacopa monnieri*)

Fig 28. Salt marsh morning glory (Ipomoea sagittate)

Figure 30. Grassy Arrowhead (*Sagittaria graminia*)

Figure 31. Fragrant Flatsedge (Cyperus odoratus)

Fig 32. Saw Grass (*Cladium jamaicense*)

Fig 33. Coastalplain St.John’s-Wort (*Hypericum Brachyphyllum)*

Fig 34. Princess flower (*Tibouchina grandiflora*) (Not native, escaped house plant)

Fig 35. Brazilian Plume (*Justicia carnea)* (Not native, escaped house plant)

Fig 36. Orange Milkwort – Polygala lutea

FIG 38. Rusty Lyonia (*Lyonia ferruginea*)

Fig 39. Meadowsweet (*Spiraea cantoniensis*)

There are definitely more flowering plants in the music group than the xeric. These flowers are flamboyant in color, shape and size. The dominant chromas are in the ends of the visible light spectrum, the hues are in the more saturated range, the values are in all zones and they may be multi-chromatic. Their growth as single plants tend to one bloom. As groups of plants they tend to be distributed in patches of the landscape. This may be related to their propagation frequently by rhizomes.

For the gardeners be sure to check out the excellent PAGES Excel spread sheet for the Wildflowers of SWFL data on these beautiful images.

If you like it click on LIKE!

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If you wish to contribute a comment of engage in a discussion please use the comments block.

References:

Real Florida Gardeners Guide lists native nurseries

Guide for Choosing Native Plants by Florida Wildflower Foundation

Pruning Notes for Native Plants by Grounded Solutions

Getting into the “Weeds:” An Introduction to Common Lawn Plants and Their Ecological Benefits

Plant This Not That book

Attracting Butterflies with Wildflowers by Florida Wildflower Foundation

Full Plant Reference List

Native Florida Landscape – Florida treasure coast

Estero preserve

Florida Soil

#Mesic #wild flowers #native plants #iris #lily #hibiscus #milkwort #sedge #grass #tickseed #morning glory #lyonia #Meadowsweet #willow

April 13, 2024

Sand, Water, Wind and Fire – Interpreting Findings From Exploring SW Florida

The ancient Greeks believed that there were four elements that made up everything. These were earth, water, air, and fire. The powerful image of these are readily apparent when walking through our wilderness. They form a landscape which we call an ecosystem.

The feature image is a composite of the elements which make up the four elements of a world view that lasted for three thousand years of human civilization. This concept was not challenged until the 17th century, not questioned until the 18th century, not recodified until the 19th century and not defined until the 20th century. Yet, when walking through our wilderness, it is easy to see why the simplistic view was so persistent.

In previous posts you saw the following scenes during our explorations of southwest Florida. Notice that all observations were based on sand. The most frequently found life forms have been the plants. The Slash pines, Saw palmetto, Ferns and grasses. are the toughest most productive species. They may not be the first responders but they are always the last survivors. They may not be keystone but they may be the cornerstone species

Sand supports plants and animals even those emerging from the sea.

Together with the energy of the sun, water is the stuff of life on our blue planet.

Wind is the great mover of everything from sand and water to fire.

In the flats and the hummocks, fire is both the destroyer and creator.

There are commonalities among the ecosystems we have explored in SWFL. What we see are the four elements of water, sand, wind and fire. We looked at hardwood hummocks, flatwood pines and scrubs and beach pine ecosystems in SWFL. The dominant surface has been sand but this is a specific old sand that doesn’t stick together because of its blunt, rounded surfaces and corners. Water has also been a constant factor in all of these environments. It has ranged from swamps to marshes, streams and ponds of fresh water to high salinity coastal ocean water. The size and shapes of the sands and the plants which live in them has been shaped by wind and selectively cultivated by fire. In casual observation we may not be aware of it however, on a daily basis, they are all in constant flux.

Hardwood hummock generated by the survivors allowing angiosperms and animals to specialize.

A marsh is unable to support trees or dry soil dependent animals but is filled with saw palmetto and other survivors.

Flatwood pines and scrub work together to provide the canopy.

Costal flatwood stabilize the sand against flood, wind and fire.

Although geologically, climatically and biologically diverse, these observations are consistent with those made in other parts of the world including our exploration of the equatorial and central Africa, Central Europe, Central and South America, the subarctic tundras of Canada and central and costal China. They all have cornerstone species which are tough and prolific.

Our persistent global view of our environment is delusional. It seems constant and simple. This perception is in conflict with the reality of global changes that are revealed only with fact based uber-human insights. From discovery of subatomic structure and molecular biology to views of earth from outer space and massive data and computational power we see that our earlier concepts were so shortsighted. Geologic and fossil records suggest that life with RNA began 2 to 3 billion years ago. RNA/DNA is the ultimate survivor. It persists in its myriad forms and is the foundation of all life today. If we allow ourselves to have a humbling experience we can see that although humans are now the dominant animal species it is a fleeting, precarious existence where we are so vulnerable to extinction. The next most dominant animal species is insects. Unlike insects we use and abuse the resources with intention or without it. The insects with the plants which occupy this land have a remarkable vast history of slowly changing physiology and appearance. Over time, they mutate, procreate, selectively survive and change to meet the planet which in turn reciprocates the change. They are aware only of earth, water, wind and fire. Still, they will out survive us.

Time line for the universe, suggesting the early existence of an RNA world of living systems.*

In the enormous scale of time, animal species and angiosperms have frequently changed. Birds and mammals which we enjoy today have developed only in the recent 65 million years since the last extinction; hominoids only in the last 1 million. In SWFL these plants are generally angiosperms like saw palmetto, slash pine, ferns and grasses including palms. The plants are quick to recover from wind and fire but genetically are very slow to change. They are the ultimate survivors with predecessors that date back hundreds of millions or perhaps a billion years almost unchanged. Some animals are ancient too, like the reptiles, insects and many marine animals. Relative to these ancient plant and animal species, all that we see alive today including humans are invasive species with which the plants have accommodated. We are continually faced with our own changes and that of the world around us. Of the species that are with us today, in time, most will disappear. The survivalists on land, like insects, gymnosperms, and reptiles will persist.

Interpretative summary;

Change is inevitable. Those who are able to accommodate to change are survivors. If the speed of accommodation to change is insufficient then to avoid extinction, the ability to recover from stress is imperative . There are some unavoidable extinction events. If you don’t like them, try not to create them.

So what:

We should rethink our relationship to the environment. We need to assimilate and cooperate with the changes. Resistance is futile. In a following post we will explore a futurist view of what will eventually be done. Evolutionarily the agent acting against physics and thermodynamics has been life. Life has survived by accommodating to everything during the last 3.5 billion years. Using the free energy from the sun, DNA collects and stores information, builds resources of energy storage and construction materials. With these it generates and executes algorithms that protect and promote self replication. For our survival we will do the same. This process is in our genes; in fact it is our genes.

References:

*Molecular biology of the cell,. Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. York: Garland Science; 2002.

Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al.

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# sand #water #wind #fire #interpretation #change #

March 9, 2024

Costal Hummocks – Part 2, Plants at Work

Nature Prevails in these two fashions. Some deeply rooted plants at some distance from the water line survive and hold the soil forming hummocks with their roots. This is a continuation of the previous post describing the effects of the hurricane Ian. The hummocks also contain the roots of herbaceous plants which are rapid growers that tolerate the sea water conditions. Together this army of plants are hard at work here: plants begin to trap and fix into place wind born sand.

The feature image simultaneously captures three concepts. The red severe weather warning flags are fully horizontal showing that there is a persistent 25 to 35 mph wind; the water and dunes are closed to the public; the pure white sand is flat and extends deep into the inland beyond any berm area. These are all signs that this is a distressed area that is a long way from a return to its former condition. The contributing factors are water and wing storm damage, persistent wind blowing onshore reducing the ability to hold sand; no plant roots have developed to stabilize the beach. Public access to the dune area would compromise the fragile environment and endanger its future.

This chart shows the Delver-Wiggins Pass State park. The red line is the only available walking path. The remaining park area is closed to the public at this time. There has been so much damage that the park service wants the public areas to recover without an interfering visitors who may simply walk on the new plants and retard regrowth.

The yellow lines describe the areas of interest which I was able to photograph using a long focal length lens. It was a very windy day with very few people on the beach.

Surviving old growth trees on islands of high ground hold the soil and provide the plants an opportunity to enter into the battle against the sea.

Sea Grapes and Railroad vines start at the hummocks

Sea grapes (Coccoloba uvifera) (no flowers, no fruit).

Railroad vines ((*Ipomoea pes-caprae*) (no flowers).

Important second defense plants, grasses are difficult to identify from a distance, perhaps saw grass, sea oats and a reed.

Long leaf yellowtop, (*Flaveria linearis*).

Yellow joy weed (*Alternanthera flavescens*)

The mangroves in the wetlands do not appear to be as resilient as the plants on the berms. They are suffering from the high salinity which is still retained in the water of the swamps. These areas need more rain and better drainage to dilute the salt and flush the system.

Mangroves in the swamp behind the tropical hummock.

Discussion about the future:

For the last 50 years this parkland has been tended and enjoyed by many people. It has been subjected to two cat-4/cat-5 hurricanes. Expensive rehabilitation was constantly used to reconstruct the beach berms, hummocks and swamps. Perhaps preventive measures would be a better alternative to this practice. Simple measures such as avoidance of cleaning beaches of detritus on beaches which trap sand and add nutrients for plant growth. There are more aggressive approaches. As seen in the illustration below***, these methods could include sand fences, sand entrapping peers and more demanding but effective projects such as offshore islands, and breakwaters, reinforced dunes, rip rap walls, mangroves, and fewer public use beaches. These may not be popular however they will hold the sand and protect the hardwood hummocks and the mangrove forest. This will not stop rising ocean water however, it will provide improved mitigation from the saltwater surge damage to private and commercial property and the lives of the tens of thousands of people who live, work and recreate here.

There are hundreds of references on the topic of beach dune restoration but fewer references discussing beach erosion preventive measures. Depending on wind and water beaches come and go. Because of our interference in natural cycles we may be a little late to consider let nature take its course.

References:

**Dune Restoration and Enhancement

Florida dune restoration

Surrogate wrack helps beach restoration

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#Costal #beach #erosion #rehabilitation #

March 7, 2024

Costal Hummock – Part 1, Effects of Hurricane Ian

We are exploring, the Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park which was substantially affected by hurricane Ian one year ago. This costal park has three characteristics including beach dune, tropical hummock and mangrove swamp that provide habitat for wide variety coastal plants and animals. Most visitors look at the tree line and walk away. They are attracted to the beach. This park is nearby the urban population of the city of Naples, Florida which is within easy walking distance of the entrance. Currently however, the tropical hummock and swamp areas are closed to the public. This adventure is a post-storm exploration of the beach dune. The beach took the full force of the cat 5 hurricane force 150 mph wind and was inundated by a wall of water 13 feet high traveling at a speed of 60 miles per hour*. Unlike the other places we explored, this ecosystem is on the front line to battle for survival against the sea.

Wiggins Pass in Bonita Springs, Florida is flanked by two parks Delner-Wiggins Pass park is on the southern flank. The GPS coordinates are marked.

The first visit, in February of 2023, was to observe the condition of the beach sand. Because it was only three months since the storm, I was expecting severe erosion however I was surprised to find that in some areas, the beach dune was gone. I took samples of the sand to see what the chief constituent type of particles were present. I also looked at the size and shape of the beach. If you wish, please check out the Everglades ark, Epicollect5/Florida Beach Sites to see what was found in the park at observations #84 and #85. As you can see it was worn silica and shell fragments. There was no undergrowth.

History**:

Wiggins Pass, situated north of the park, is the outlet for the Cocohatchee River. in the late 1800s Joe Wiggins, the first homesteader, ran an apiary and trading post where he traded goods with Seminole Indians and settlers. Collier County acquired the land through the philanthropic generosity of Lester J. and Dellora A. Norris, hence the name ‘Delnor.’ In 1970, the state of Florida purchased the land from Collier County for a state park, which opened in 1976.

During the approximate twenty years of 1950 to1970 the river was frequently dredged to improved boater access into the Gulf. This included the destruction of the adjacent mangroves in the area. Additionally, the placement of the dredging “spoilage” was dumped as berms along the channel. This action destroyed the natural barrier and filtration of the water and additionally blocked the natural hydrological circulation throughout portions of what was the mangrove forest. Through determined effort much of this damage was repaired. This required substantial rewilding of the area including removal of the berms, redirecting water flow to natural drainage, removal of non-native species such as Australian pines, Brazilian pepper, Wedelia and others, encouraging the return of native plants, planting sea oats, cordgrass, paspalum, and others to stabilize the beach after hurricane Ivan, forming corridors for return of animal species and encouraging the protection of endangered terrapins and crocodilians species as well as numerous birds and mammals Probably the most difficult process was the legislative effort and funding to make this area a State Park.

The Walk-about:

This post shows the observations of the recent second visit of this beach 15 months after hurricane Ian. The two visits are exactly one year apart. Starting from the guest parking lot and walking west to the beach the first sight is the water however the tropical hummock and mangroves are more interesting.

Keep Out! And don’t disturb the plants. The fence line is there to remind the public to help support beach regeneration.

“Renurished” surface of the inter hummock areas are completely sterile.

These mounds of sand are a fraction of the sand imported and used to refill the depleted beach**.

Remnant of the hummock near Wiggins Pass

The high ground hummock level with the sea

The tropical hummock is sitting at the shore of the former dunes. The hurricane winds ripped across the shore and the entire beach and miles inland were inundated by a an ocean surge that exceeded the tops of many of the trees. It hammered and then droned most of the trees with sea water. The dunes were gone. The hummocks were in the ocean and in some places the ocean surge uprooted the trees. With the help of the DNR, the State forest service and cooperation of the public, the dunes and hummocks will regenerate the beach dunes and prevent further erosion.

The surviving hummock plants are the resource for replanting the new sand on the beach

The railroad vines spread like spider webs across this new surface.

The radial outgrowth of the railroad vines from the hummocks is progressing toward the waterline. They are supported by the sand however the sand has almost no nutritional value. These plants apparently derive their sustenance from roots in the hummock and transport that until the plants gain a foothold in the sand.

The plants will rebuild and anchor the beach dune.

You can see from these images that the park service had added sand to completely rebuild the beach. The new sand is pure silica without any minerals or shell fragments. This was imported from open pit sand mines in the interior of the State. This action may placate the public demand however, I believe that this has questionable value for the environment. **

Discussion :

Instead of plant control by fire as seen in previous four posts, this shows the dramatic effects of invasion by the sea. The ocean leaves very little behind. The effects of drowning, the sledgehammer like force of the surge, the toxic effects of hyper-salinity followed by the bacterial burden from decaying plants and animals are all combined and are deadly. In this area the loss of property by ocean invasion is far greater than loss from fire especially in the urban areas.

In the next posting you can see the effects of plants in the regeneration of the area.

References:

*NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT HURRICANE IAN

**Delnor-Wiggins Pass, history

**Adding Sand to Beaches?

Mangroves

Hardwood Hammocks (hummocks) in SWFL

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#Wiggins Pass #Ian #hurricane #beach #costal hummock #mangroves #railroad vines #palm #sea grapes

March 3, 2024

Pine Flatwood / Scrubby Flatwood – Part 2

The purpose of this post is to show the details of the scrubby understructure of the flatwood pine of the Estero Bay State Preserve in Estero Florida. Additionally one can see the management of of the ecosystem with prescribed burning. in the first post about this site post we saw the general terrain of the pine flatwood of the State Preserve. Now we can compare this understructure to a previously explored Florida’s hard wood hummock.

The feature image is the Florida State flower. The Tickseed (Coreopsis Leavenworthii)

Scrubby flatwoods are characterized by an open canopy of widely spaced pine trees and a low, shrubby understory dominated by scrub oaks and saw palmetto, often interspersed
with areas of barren white sand.*

This image shows the size of the saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) scrubby flat.

Off the trails, it was very difficult to make any headway. I was insufficiently prepared for the hazards. Because of the dangerous anatomy of the saw palmetto growth, it was nearly impossible to walk. The stems of these palmettos were edged with saw like teeth. Without brush pants, shirt, gloves and boots it was impossible to venture by foot deep into the off-path areas without injury. There may be interesting animals living in this dense razor-sharp growth, however, that will wait for another day. In the future we will investigate these plants and this territory in more detail. I also walked into some of the previously prescribed burn areas.

Possible cogon grass. Seeds not visible. If it is this grass, it is invasive.

Bushy bluestem grass (Andropogon glomeratus)

There were also recently burned areas already showing extensive recovery. In these areas it is easy to see the root structure of the saw palmetto. They are like palm trees lying horizontally just below the surface of the soil. The fronds sprout horizontally from the roots. Without the herbaceous portion of the plants, it was much easier to walk off the path and see the regenerative behavior of the plants.

Roots and pinecones densely littered the surface and were robustly sprouting new growth. I could see no erosion of the soil caused by the surge in the areas with the saw palmetto roots. The burned areas were very interesting. It was evident that the green tops of the saw palmetto burn easily, probably because of their high oil content. The saw palmetto plants burn even when they are green. The surviving palm and pine trees were scorched and trunk surface burned but in the pines not down to the cambium and not into the tree crowns. Prescribed burning is an important part of the control measures for this area and deserve more attention.

Laurel dodder (Cassytha filliformis) Probably invasive vine.

The rich deep brown chromyl spectra of the charred forest ranging from deep chocolates to subtle cafe-au-lait plus the broad textural variety in this setting retains the promise of plant regeneration.

Prescribed burning:

Prescribed burn area showing the exposed sand surface with very low mineral and organic soil content

This view of the postburn area shows the root system holding the soil from erosion

Remnant of the saw palmetto growing from the remaining root

The surface of the slash pine scorched but not burned through to the cambium

The areas with prescribed burning seen a year ago also experienced a heavy flood surge from hurricane Ian. These areas have recovered. There are scorched trees and some deadwood, however, most of the scrub has regrown. It is difficult to distinguish the destruction of the trees from fire or from flood. There were also recently burned areas already showing extensive recovery. In these areas it is easy to see the root structure of the saw palmetto. They are like the trunks of palm trees lying horizontally just below the surface of the soil. The fronds sprout vertically from the roots. Without the herbaceous portion of the plants, it was much easier to walk off the path to see the regenerative behavior of the plants. Roots and pinecones densely littered the surface and were robustly sprouting new growth. I could see no erosion of the soil caused by the surge in the areas with the saw palmetto roots. The burned areas were very interesting. It was evident that the green tops of the saw palmetto burn easily, probably because of their high oil content. The saw palmetto plants burn even when they are green. The surviving palm and pine trees were scorched and surface burned but not down to the cambium on the pines and not into the tree crowns. Prescribed burning is an important part of the control measures for this area and deserve more attention.

Costal plane stagger bush (Lyonia fruticose)

Discussion:

The scrubby flatwood and the flatwood pines or the Estero Bay Preserve are very different from the C.R.E.W. Cyprus Dome walking trails. The concept off highlands in Florida are evident in the CREW when you consider the major differences in flora between the two Preserves. Subtle changes in land height make a remarkable difference in vegetation. One could almost exchange the term ‘Highland’ for “Dryland’. In fact, “High Land” designation could practically be made on the basis of vegetation rather than measurement. That relative dryness provided by a few centimeters on height changes the entire biology of the environment. The height advantaged trees are also phototrophic. They grow toward the light and therefore at their climax are broad leafed and wide spread. The plants of the flats are are geotrophic,. They grow high and narrow. They are not competing for the light once they rise above the scrub. This height advantage allows them to bring the crown of needles out of fire harm’s way. When comparing the role of fire in the two environments, fire in the hardwood climax forest is calamitous while fire in the flats are regenerative. I suspect that the nutrative value of soil in the planes areas will also make an important differences in plant selection.

Tougher clothing is an imperative for exploring the saw palmetto scrub.

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References::

*Scrubby flatwood

Saw Palmetto Control: Individual Plant and Broadcast Application

A Study of the Physical and Chemical Properties of Saw Palmetto Berry Extract

Typical yields in harvestable areas range from a low of 200 lbs. to more than 1000 lbs. of berries per acre.https://patents.google.com/patent/US6669968B2/en

Saw Palmetto Market https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/saw-palmetto-market

Saw Palmetto Berries https://fenuccio-j.medium.com/saw-palmetto-berries-996329cbec20

Forest Herbicide Workshop https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/media/programsifasufledu/florida-land-steward/events-calendar/Minogue-2021-Forest-Herbicide-Webinar-Pine-Mgmt-FINAL.pdf

Harvesting Saw Palmetto https://sustainableherbsprogram.org/explore/plants-in-commerce/saw-palmetto/harvesting-saw-palmetto/

Sustainability of Saw Palmetto https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbalgram/issues/132/table-of-contents/hg132-feat-sawpalmetto/

Saw Palmetto Structure https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2021/03/04/saw-palmetto/

#flatwood #saw palmetto #prescribed burn #

February 28, 2024

Pine Flatwood / Scrubby Flatwood – Part 1

Here is our chance to see and compare exploration experiences These are observations of a Pine flatwood in Estero Bay State Preserve, Florida which we will compare to an observed hummock system. In theory, this flat should not be here in South West Florida because the karst is close to the surface however other soil conditions are present.* We explored a Florida hard wood hummock in the last two post. Part one of this observation shows the general landscape**. Part two will show the details of the smaller scrub plants.

The feature image is the Florida State flower. The Tickseed (Coreopsis Leavenworthii)

The Florida Estero Bay Preserve comprises 11,300 acres (17 square miles) and is part of the Estero River delta. It has a complex assembly of plants and animals. There are two entrances. The southern River Scrub entrance was chosen because it opens into a scrubby flatwood pine area. Often this area is wet, however, today the specific area of interest was the dry scrub area. February is among the seasonally drier months and the plants should be typical of the reserve’s description.

This feature image is emblematic of a SWFL Pine flatwoods. They are characterized by:
Low, flat topography
Relatively poorly drained, acidic, sandy soil
Plant growth composed of open pine woodlands with frequent fires

The last time I was here was in February 2023, three months after hurricane Ian flooded this area with salt water to a depth of more than twelve feet. I then reconnoitered the area for just an hour with the intention to revisit with good preparation. On this day I was surprised to find the area reasonable vital however, some of the grasses and palm trees were still quite distressed.

February 2023. The only live oak in the area was easy to see, but could not be found Feb 2024.

February 2024. This slash pine did not survive the hurricane and flood surge.

The walk-about:

For nearly five hours I walked through a five-mile portion on and off the trails in the southeastern portion of the preserve. The trails were well marked, wide and relatively easy to hike. Off the trails, it was very difficult to make any headway. I was insufficiently prepared for the hazards of the flats. Because of the dangerous anatomy of the saw palmetto growth, it was nearly impossible to walk.

Savanna like flat covered with saw palmettos. Slash pines were about 10 meters apart.

The Scrub flat seen a year ago is in recovery. The palm has scorched bark.

This pine flatwood area was burned last year and has made an excellent regeneration. In the middle of the picture the lower leaves of the palm burned however, the crown is still intact.

This area was burn after hurricane Ian, The defoliation is is the result of both storm surge wind damage and prescribed burn. Many of the plants suffered and died as as result of the salt water immersion.

This return visit was exactly one year after the last. This area is very open and bright. The savannah like landscape was covered with low growth saw palmetto and grasses. This was regularly punctuated by sabal palm and slash pine trees. The difference between this pine flatwood and the hardwood hummock of the C.R.E.W. could not be more dramatic. When compared to the hardwood hummock, the flats had very few large gymnosperms such as the live oak trees. There were no hummock islands of bunched trees. While this walk-about was during midday there were few insects or birds. It was very quiet. One mated pair of ospreys were flying through the trees near the river. They occasionally ventured into the flats.

Tidal swamp land with brackish water tolerant plants including mangroves.

Unburned flood tidal marsh areas were not explored; however, they seem to be fully covered with mangroves. Photos of that area show the limit of the walk to the northwest.

Riverbank of part of the Estero River delta with mangrove.

Chart of Estero Bay South – Ecosystems,
walking detail. Red line is the walking trail.

Discussion:

The hardwood hummock had a range of elevations. The high ground was about 10 inched above the pond level. Contrarily, this ecosystem is very flat and at this time of the year is dry. The hardwood hummock had live oak trees with some pines and palms. The flatwood area at this location is populated almost exclusively by slash pines with a few palms and oaks. The understory is scrub consisting mostly of saw palmettos. Walking toward the wetlands, some hardwoods were in the ectotone between the flats and the wetland mangroves. .

There is much more to see in this preserve. During dry periods, the southern portion could be traversed on the paths by bicycle. Go to part two of this exploration!

References:

*Natural Resource certification

**Scrubby pine flatwoods

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#pine flatwood #scrubby flatwood #prescribed burn #tidal marsh #surge #saw palmetto, #ecotone

February 25, 2024

Florida C.R.E.W. Hardwood Hummock – Part 2

This is a description of the grassy and herbaceous undergrowth of this small part of the C.R.E.W. Together with the Part 1 post, the purpose of this presentation is to reduce the confusion of seemingly random plants and to help you understand why you see the what and why of the plants you see when you explore this type of wilderness area.

The featured image shows the “American beauty berry” in the understory. It was found along the trail to the live oak hummock on the path in the C.R.E.W. Cyprus Dome Cypress Hummock. This is second of a two part presentation of this area. The part one has the GPS location, charts and maps and describes the walk-about of the Corkscrew Reserve Environmental Watershed.

Perhaps the best way to understand the hydrology and geology for an area is to look at the plants. They have adapted themselves to use the area without the need to follow the resources like the animals. In fact the animals seek out the plants for survival. In these two presentations you can see the variances in plant anatomy and physiology through a series of locations. The plant adaptations have taken eons to reach the characteristics that make them identifiable as genus and apecies. The plants have the ability to adapt to the changing environment using two tools. These include plant succession and genetic mutation. Succession occurs when an ecosystem changes gradually or even catastrophically. This may cause the plant climax species to expire. Opportunistic species then overtake an available environmental niche. Mutations are genetic changes that take place at a known rate and this may result in variations which are better adapted to survive in an ecosystem. These mutations can be cumulative and can be perpetuated in the genome of subsequent progeny by inheritance of the variance.

Two signs of animal activity. The bear has slashed through the outer surface of a palm to feast on the honey made by a nest of bees.

This is a view into the scrub before the pond. From this distance the green mid-growth seems to be mangroves.

Here is a scene off the path toward the marsh with reeds and sedges and other grasses.

Thorn apple bush (*Crataegus alabamensis*) with the thorns as an identifier.

Possible Florida alligator weed with changing colors

This view is in the periphery of the transition zone with no oaks but many palms and saw palmetto dominating the understory.

Coastal plain grass-leaved-goldenrod (*Euthamia* *caroliniana)* (I think)

Shiny blueberry (*Vaccinium myrsinites*)

Meadowsweet at the edge of the hardwood hummock. Identification of this would be better if the blooms were fresh.

This is a sample of plants in the late transition zone. Note the oak tree litter which acts as a plant inhibitor. Though the “beans” contain no caffeine, they can be roasted and consumed as a coffee-like beverage.*

Bull thistle (*Crisium vulgare*), Invasive

Rosary pea (*Abrus precatorius*), invasive, highly toxic.

Beauty berry *(Callicarpa americana)*. The berries are edible to humans, although should be consumed in small amounts. Raw berries are edible, but generally are used to make jellies and wines.**

Observation of a confined area environment is a complicated but fun puzzle. The area should be visited during multiples of seasons, time of day intervals and length of observation to begin to grasp a comprehensive understanding of the area and begin to understand the reasons for classification and to understand the interactions of the plants and animals. Even simple identification is difficult when the plants are not blooming or in leaf. From this first time visit it can be discerned that there is a progression of plant types and land elevations in this small area. At the end of this presentation there is a simplified map of the area under observation.

This image of the understory in the oak hummock canopy shows the more dense plant undergrowth. This may occur because the oak tree litter is less prevalent and because some plants are less susceptible to the shedding of oak allelopathogens..

This is a sample of plants in the late transition zone. Note the abundance of oak tree litter which acts as a plant inhibitor.

No oak tree litter here and hence no trees, however, there are many herbaceous plants. That is a Fritillary Butterfly.

This simplified chart shows the four major ground areas that were observed. The hardwood hummock is about ten inches higher than the scrub flats. The scrub flats are about two inches above the level of the pond water.

The undergrowth depends upon water, sunlight, soil minerals and a range of allelopathic inhibitors. Be sure that you check out part 1 of this series. This understory is very different from that found in the Estero River Scrub Preserve State Park. We will go there in the near future.

Here is a recommendation. Go out into the nearby wilderness area. Pick a quiet spot and try to identify the type of environment classification you see or identify the undergrowth plants. It can be a fun and an educational challenge! Share your experiences or photos in the comment box below.

Reference:

Wild Coffee1

Wild coffee 2

Wild Weeds – American Beautyberry

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#hummock #succession #mutation #climax species #herbaceous understory #CREW #allelopathic #oak hummock #scrub flats #hydrology #geology

February 13, 2024

Florida C.R.E.W. Hardwood Hummock – Part 1

Let’s go to see Florida upland hardwood trees at a hummock in the CREW. The second part of this blog will focus on the herbaceous plants of the area.

The cover image shows the landscape at the northern end of trail. It is a live oak hammock.

The word hummock is sometimes written as hammock. There is some controversy regarding the origin of the word and the use of the word in context helps to facilitate understanding. In Florida it describes a fertile area that is easily distinguishable from the surrounding Pine Flatwoods and is characterized by broadleaved trees (here, primarily Laurel and Live Oaks) and often cabbage palms and vines. Another term used is ”upland” which may be only a few inches above the flat plane scrubland. In this observed instance the upland may be 5 to 10 inches above the nearby plane.

The C.R.E.W. is an eponym for the Corkscrew Reserve Ecosystem Watershed. It includes more than 60,000 acres and is the largest watershed in Southwest Florida. The plants in this watershed filter, trap and metabolize compounds in the water that may be toxic in downstream waterways, resevoirs and aquifers. The watershed also provides habitat for wildlife and recreation for guests.

This exploration of the Oak-Palm Hammock in the Cypress Dome Hiking Trail of the CREW Land and Water Trust was done on February 1, 2023.

Note the GPS location to geolocate via google maps.

The walk-about:

I walked northward along the green and yellow path. The general terrain varied from wetlands through mesic to xeric elevated land and extensively through the grass and brush undergrowth. I did see a black bear and continued to keep warily looking for him as we both moved northward. There were no bear citing photo opportunities, however, there were other signs of his behavior.

The trail is part of a diverse woodland ecosystem alongside a broad marsh area. It begins with an open grassy area and gradually parses into pine and palm flatwoods. This area shows signs of extensive fire damage with considerable succession regrowth. There were signs of fire that may have been not a prescribed burn. Extensive scorching up the trees including the tree crowns at least 30 feet above the floor were evident. Many of the trees including the slash pines were burned completely to ground level leaving only stumps. There were, however, numerous scorched trees and palms which survived.

Throughout this morning and mid-day walk with numerous stops the area was remarkably silent. There were no birds, very few insects, and the only mammal was the distant black bear. The air was also very still with a temperature of 58 to 65 degrees F. There was a very gradual rise in ground elevation. This was hardly perceptible except for the reduction in moisture of the ground and the gradual change in the flora. Here was an increased density of slash pines and mixed sabal palms. The understory was shorter than the mesic areas near the pond. These uplands may be as little as 10 inches higher than the flats.

This flat scrub has grasses and the dominant tree is the cabage palm. If you look closely you can see the palms have been burned up to and into the crown of leaves.

This shows a grassy transition area that was not burned .

The grassy palm area transitioned to an oak and palm hummock

The walk progressed up the hillock where palmettos were no longer a significant part of the undergrowth. The pine trees have been totally displaced by the succession oak tree growth.

In this live oak hillock undergrowth of herbaceous plants has nearly disappeared. This area is relatively small, however, it follows all of the classic descriptors of a hardwood hummock.

Only native live oaks were growing in this area. The very short undergrowth of grass suggests that fire is not an important controlling factor for reproduction or inhibition of growth in the understory.

Discussion:

The understory of this live oak hammock shows no scorched or burned trees. Yet, there is very little undergrowth even in the areas of bright sunshine. Without testing I suspect that this is the result of chemistry. The trees may release biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other plants. These allelochemicals may have beneficial or detrimental effects on the organisms and more widely the ecosystem. These trees may release phenolic compounds with which I have had experience. They may be like the black walnut trees on the family farm in Michigan. I suspect also that the generous load of fallen leaves and fruit of these trees will also acidify the soil upon their decomposition.* Along with a less mesic soil, this allelofication and acidification of the understory may significantly alter the growth of herbaceous plants and grasses. This provides less fuel for fire. The growth and reproduction of these trees does not depend upon fire. They have their own survival advantages.

The concept of allelopathic competition between and among plants suggests that grasses might also reduce the growth of small oaks similar but opposite to the effect seen when the oaks are mature. I could not find published reports of this potential phenomenon.

This map represents my view of the area in the reserve that I walked. It is a landscape map of terrain that represents the change in vegetation. The red line is the marked trail of the combined green and yellow trails in the visitor map. The areas marked with colored crosshatching are approximations of growth areas.

What’s next?

Future visits to this area could be in the months of April and May and at an earlier start time when the plants may be in bloom and when the animals will be more active. Additional equipment should include a small shovel for examination of the soil and more specimen collection should be done for chemical analysis and microscopic examination. More time could be spent if there were less construction traffic. The eastward section of this reserve area was not explored at this time. It may have another diverse plant library including the cypress dome. With permission, the adjacent private property north of the fence line could also be explored.

Thank you for your interest in this blog. Please continue to part two of this series of observations of Florida Hardwood Hammocks. Its focuses on the scrub and understory.

References:

*Determination of Allelochemicals in the Environment surrounding ceratiola Ericides

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#hummock #succession #mutation #climax species #herbaceous understory #CREW

February 12, 2024

Native and Invasive Plant Species in Local Area #2

This is a record of the observed plant life in Area #2 which is adjacent to Area #1. The purpose was to identify invasive species in a neighborhood wetland area. This allows us to compare the adjacent sites of Areas #1 and #2. The results show the unintended consequences of water managemant. The two observation sites are within ten feet from one another but are extraordinarily different.

The feature image is a view of the landscape of area #2

The observation location of Area #2 is shown in Fig 1. It is in the swamp beginning nine feet north of a junction of a cultivated butterfly garden and a wilderness swamp area. This swamp is part of the slough that runs through the community property joining Spring Creek to the Imperial River. The slough has been engineered to use this as a retention pond for excess water. Six observations were recorded because they are the sum of all the viable species in this two acre area. There were no viable native plants to be found.

Fig 1. This is a Google map illustrating the location Area #2. The black numbers indicate the observations. #22 is the site of Area #1 from the previous post.

METHOD:

Potentially invasive species were harboring in this neighborhood area. Visual observation of plant life was done. Observational data was gathered using the Epicollect5/Everglades Ark database.

Physical examination was done in a selected two acre area. It is a community property that is an extension of the swampy slough which transverses the community between the Imperial River and Spring Creek. This area was difficult to access as it required wading through the wilderness swamp area. The observations were made between the 3:00 and 5:00 PM, between rainstorms, on November 16, 2023. The water level was elevated because of the recent precipitation. The identification of plants was later confirmed by computer assisted photographic identification. The identity was confirmed by the agreement of at least three independent search results.

OBSERVATIONS:

The site #2 sample of Carolina Willow behavior.

Carolina Willow, native but spreads and alters environment

FINDINGS:

Observation data was extracted from the collection site as a cdf and placed into two “Excel” files designated as A. and B. Title numbers correlate the information from both spread sheets.

Survey and Catalogue Site #2 contains: Observation number, hyperlink of full plant image, quantity, date, time, GPS location, light exposure, environmental location, location risk level.
Plant-Identity Site #2 contains: growth levels, plant type, hyperlinks to all photographs of plant and details of flowers, fruit, stems, common and scientific names and observation notes.

Survey and Catalog File Site #2 Spread Sheet and Plant Identity Site #2 are spread sheets enclosed in the accompanying file with their respective names. Swipe laterally to see the full sheet. Click on the hyperlinks to see the plant images.

Survey and Catalog File Site #2:

created_at

title

1_Observation_

2_Cell_Photo

3_Camera_facing_dire

4_How_many_items

5_Date_default

6_Time_default

lat_7_GPS_point_observat

long_7_GPS_point_observat

accuracy_7_GPS_point_observat

8_Kingdom

9_Plant_Identity

137_Site_surface_con

138_Site_weather_con

139_Other_location_i

140_Risk_level_to_lo

141_Event_Note

142_Photo_or_Audio_o

144_Observer

2023-11-16T19:35:40.716Z

404

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=c2789940-7a8f-4a22-ab9a-b94b154df297_1700163199.jpg

11/16/2023

14:33:31

26.340419

-81.817153

Plant

Wet soil

Overcast

Swamp

Photo recording file with same Observation date

John Knapp

2023-11-16T19:28:50.961Z

403

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=9624a326-e90f-4471-90d9-ae535daa201e_1700162784.jpg

100

11/16/2023

14:26:35

26.340415

-81.817234

Plant

Dry soil

Overcast

Swamp

Invasive, Established, Non native

Photo recording file with same Observation date

John Knapp

2023-11-16T19:25:36.756Z

402

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=feb1d4ad-d9f7-48d4-abda-effaf50fe892_1700162538.jpg

11/16/2023

14:22:29

26.340417

-81.817278

Plant

In or on water

Overcast

Swamp

Established, Native, Non-Invasive

Photo recording file with same Observation date

John Knapp

2023-11-16T19:19:06.973Z

401

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=77f89e49-3b60-4798-a904-2d6d9eec8446_1700162191.jpg

11/16/2023

14:16:46

26.340481

-81.817328

Plant

In or on water

Overcast

Swamp

Native, Invasive, Range change

Photo recording file with same Observation date

John Knapp

2023-11-16T19:14:36.040Z

400

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=e481bade-4434-4fd7-9254-0a672f845895_1700161912.jpg

100

11/16/2023

14:12:02

26.340481

-81.817333

Plant

In or on water

Overcast

Swamp

Non native, Invasive, Range change, Introduced

John Knapp

2023-11-16T19:09:09.705Z

399

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=ef647515-46e6-4285-9343-1e440e094796_1700161625.jpg

100

11/16/2023

14:07:17

26.340482

-81.817376

Plant

Wet soil

Bright indirect sun

Swamp

Non native, Introduced, Invasive, Nuisance, Range change

Category I invasive climbing vine

John Knapp

Site survey, interactive spread sheet. Click on hyperlinks to see images.

Plant Identity Site #2:

uploaded_at

title

10_Observation_

11_Choose_best_PLANT

13_If_CULTIVATED_or_

28_If_FERN_which_ord

29_Which_growth_stag

36_Which_fern_specie

43_If_Climbing_which

44_Which_plant_growt

45_Flower_present

46_Flower_photo

47_Seed_present

49_Leaf_or_Stem_pres

50_Leaf_stem_photo

51_Bark_present

52_Bark_photo

53_Common_Name_

54_Observation_notes

55_Scientific_Name

2023-11-16T20:05:38.000Z

Cultivated or herbaceous

404

Cultivated or herbaceous

Swamp understory

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=0846278e-45d7-41f0-b2d7-b614fe483de1_1700163273.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=0846278e-45d7-41f0-b2d7-b614fe483de1_1700163295.jpg

Great Bougainvillea

Very large spreading, sharp thorns

Bougainvillea spectabilis

2023-11-16T20:12:17.000Z

Cultivated or herbaceous

403

Cultivated or herbaceous

Swamp understory

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=3423cf53-590f-4087-91e1-e237a1b4b3bc_1700162844.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=3423cf53-590f-4087-91e1-e237a1b4b3bc_1700162886.jpg

Tropical Whiteweed

Ageratum conyzoides

2023-11-16T19:52:25.000Z

Fern (POLYPODIOPSIDA)

402

Fern (POLYPODIOPSIDA)

Polypodialis

Sporophyte

Giant Leather Fern

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=e247ff50-daa9-48d3-afa2-ee21f9a08426_1700162687.jpg

Leather fern

Acrostichum danaeifolium

2023-11-16T22:00:21.000Z

Woody

401

Woody

Overgrowth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=fd1b96e3-8a57-4d2b-97d8-66052782d7c2_1700162282.jpg

Yes

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=fd1b96e3-8a57-4d2b-97d8-66052782d7c2_1700162298.jpg

Carolina or Costal plane willow

Salix caroliniana Michx

2023-11-16T22:07:48.000Z

Cultivated or herbaceous

400

Cultivated or herbaceous

Swamp understory

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=4d6cdf14-85cd-4224-974f-ee276600930f_1700161978.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=4d6cdf14-85cd-4224-974f-ee276600930f_1700162023.jpg

Bitter melon

No fruit at this time

Momordica charantia

2023-11-16T22:17:30.000Z

Climbing

399

Climbing

Twinning, Tendrilll shoots

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=aaa74fb5-767c-4994-9fc7-d7598f0fe2df_1700161705.jpg

Arrowhead

Syngonium podophyllum

Plant identification, interactive spread sheet. Click on hyperlinks to see images.

All of the master data file can be found on the Epicollect5/Evergladesark web site.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:

Risk level to local environment, statistical analysis:

Descriptive Level of Risk	COUNT	PERCENT of 6
Native	2	33
Non-native	4	66
Highly invasive	5	83
Rapidly spread	4	66
Non-native subject to high range change	1	17
Native subject to high range change	1	17
Non-native subject to high range change, nuisance, noxious?	1	17

Tabel 1. Listing level of risk, the number of plants in the group of six, the percentage of the the six plant types

RESULTS:

Within 100 feet of one another, multiple examples of 6 species of herbaceous plants and trees were identified. These were the only species of green plants in the area. There were no other observable viable plants.
The remainder of the vegetative remains were brown and appeared to be non-vital. This is consistent with the observations made during the year after hurricane Ian.
The relative percent of non-native to native plants is very high when compared with the distribution of plant types in the State of Florida.
It appears that the native population is less capable of regeneration when compared to the native species.
Range change represents the capability of plants to spread into neighboring areas either actively or passively. This seems to be the dominant criteria to include in the invasive status by most authorities.
One plant is native, capable of great range change, and is classified as capable of changing the environment. It is observation #401. The name is Costal Willow (). It is not classified as noxious nor invasive.
One plant is non-native, introduced, invasive, nuisance, range change capable. It is the arrowhead, observation #399

DISCUSSION:

This narrow range of species was difficult to observe in this poorly defined space. Walking into the swamp was problematic. A larger observation area resulted in very different findings. The sample was not biased. A continuing limitation in this study was to measure the percentage of the individual plant species mass relative to the totality mass of the vegetation.

Site #2 is significantly different from site #1. Site #2 has a significantly high percentage of brown and brittle plant remnants which have been unchanged in the last year. One year ago, hurricane Ian’s flood surge covered everything in site #2 with 15 feet of salty ocean water. This resulted in the death of most of the plants in this spot. The community has 24-inch deficiency of standard rainfall. The observed area #2 has not experienced a dilution of the salt because of the relative drought and the lack of water circulation. Although the native plant species are reputed to be more salt tolerant this does not appear to be seen here. The Carolina willows are 25 to 30 feet high and are therefore mature. The fallen limbs of these trees are generating new sprouts. The herbaceous plants may be spread from areas in higher ground from runoff and from wind dissemination. Contrarily, area #1 stands on higher ground, is plumbed for irrigation and is, in part, a tended garden.

There is considerable difference of opinion in assigning local environment risk levels to plants. The assignment of risk may not be current. The Carolina willow is a native plant species and is a good example of good things gone bad as a result of mismanagement by unintended consequence. Seedlings and small saplings cannot survive variable water levels in marshes with alternating conditions of dry and wet. However, once plants become larger, willows can survive droughts and tolerate floods and are very difficult to eradicate. Stable water levels created by water management projects allow the Carolina Willow to spread and thrive. As a result, the Willow thickets use tremendous amounts of water, leaving less available for wildlife. They also block out other plant species and thus by changing the environment are regionally classified an invasive species.

This is also a practical application of the Epicollect5/Evergladesark data file.

CONCLUSIONS:

It was relatively difficult to observe the variety of plants in this uncontrolled area. This detailed experience helped to increase awareness of the lack of variety of plant species in a larger sample area. The numbers of invasive species in this small area were surprising. The extent of apparently dead vegetation was distressing and the fact that the only viable organisms were invasive species suggests that the future native plant population for replacement of the dead plants is not promising. These plants will continue to seed or spread to all of the surrounding local gardens. Wholesale extermination of the invasive species, removal of the non-viable plant remnants and replanting of the area with salt tolerant native species seems to be the only alternative to the existing condition.

For comparison Check out Area #1 I n the previous post.

References: Some of the sources used to assist in the identification of the observed plants.

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#invasive plants #swamp #slough #Carolina willow

November 20, 2023

NATIVE AND INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN LOCAL AREA #1

This post describes one location in Bonita Springs, Florida, with interest in identifying native and invasive species this neighborhood area. The featured image shows Area #1. It was made November 3, 2023 at 8:30 AM. The trees variably shade the garden throughout most of the day.

Figure 1. Google map of location of observation site showing 21 observations centered in Area #1. Numbers indicate observation titles with lines leading to observation site.

The observation location is shown in Google map as the central light lavender spot in Fig 1. It is at the junction of a cultivated butterfly garden and a wilderness swamp area. Twenty-one observations were made at this point.

METHOD: Physical examination was done in a selected 40m² area of a private easily accessible residential garden including a back yard intended to attract butterflies. This back yard also abutted a community wilderness swamp area. The identification of plants was facilitated by computer assisted-photographic identification. The identity of the plants was confirmed by the agreement of at least three independent search results. (See References)

OBSERVATIONS: Site #1, where observations were recorded, is pictured in two photographs. The first photograph is the feature image. It pictures the northward view of landscape showing the butterfly garden in the foreground. On the same day the second photo, is shown in Fig 2. This was photographed at 9:00 AM and shows that the proximating swamp area has greater light penetration. Considering the cotton mouth snake sightings, boot protection in this area is recommended.

Figure 2. Northward view of swamp wilderness in Site #1 at the terminal edge of the butterfly garden

PLANT OBSERVATIONS: Attached are two Excel pages which show two data files of the observations described in table1.

SITE SURVEY Excel file	PLANT IDENTITY Excel file
Observation #	Observation #
Cell Photo	Plant description
Camera facing direction	Site surface conditions
How many items	Site weather conditions
Date	Risk level to local environment
Time	Photo or Audio High resolution recording
GPS point
Observer name

Table 1. This summarizes the variables assembled from observations and entered into the database.

Observation data are assembled and listed into two “Numbers” files designated as A. and B. To correlate the information from both spread sheets use title numbers.

Survey and Catalogue Site #1 contains: Observation number, hyperlink of full plant image, quantity, date, time, GPS location, light exposure, environmental location, location risk level.
Plant-Identity Site #1 contains: growth levels, plant type, hyperlinks to all photographs of plant and details of flowers, fruit, stems, common and scientific names, and observation notes A.

A. Survey and Catalog File Site #1 Spread Sheet. To view the full spread sheet use the slider at the bottom of the sheet to scroll laterally. To open the image file click once on the hyperlink text to choose open option; click again in the option text box to view images. For simplicity don’t click on-open-in-new-tab. To return, just click on the back button in your browser.

created_at

title

Cell_Photo Link

Camera_facing_dire

Count

Date

Time

lat_7_GPS_point

long_7_GPS_point

accuracy

Kingdom

Site_surface

Site_weather

location

Risk_level

Note

Photo_or_Audio_o

Observer

2023-11-09T13:33:51.056Z

398

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b50b9d4d-7662-4916-b544-42c861152a90_1699536650.jpg

11/9/23

8:31:05

26.340219

-81.816556

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Native, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-09T13:30:06.397Z

397

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=4ae134fd-9fb5-4138-bcfb-078c6637d8a3_1699536425.jpg

11/9/23

8:27:13

26.340232

-81.816515

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Native

John Knapp

2023-11-09T13:25:20.193Z

396

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=1973a3e7-cb39-4f73-819f-64ce09a5e55e_1699536164.jpg

11/9/23

8:22:58

26.340257

-81.816372

Plant

Dry soil

Bright indirect sun

Yard, private

Native, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-09T13:21:59.365Z

395

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=fe5c7aac-7736-43ab-b7b1-8fb33b2e1ff2_1699535961.jpg

N, D

11/9/23

8:19:34

26.340278

-81.816342

Plant

Wet soil

Bright indirect sun

Yard, private

Non Native,Introduced, Range change, Invasive

John Knapp

2023-11-09T13:17:33.768Z

394

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=8f16d8f9-16c0-4177-bebd-3759f259de55_1699535640.jpg

11/9/23

8:14:09

26.340263

-81.816428

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Native

John Knapp

2023-11-09T13:12:07.799Z

393

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=5ddea960-0ffb-4d75-a3fc-be5c1535a36c_1699535367.jpg

11/9/23

8:09:37

26.340296

-81.816571

Plant

Wet soil

Bright sun

Swamp

Native, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-09T13:08:25.983Z

392

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=e546245c-4d5c-4997-8819-274c3134676f_1699535146.jpg

11/9/23

8:05:56

26.340265

-81.816539

Plant

Dry soil

Bright indirect sun

Yard, private

Non-nartive,Invasive, Introduced, Nuisance

John Knapp

2023-11-09T13:03:34.910Z

391

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=c6c6c182-6c3c-43d2-a12b-db7db08fb7b9_1699534860.jpg

11/9/23

8:01:09

26.340312

-81.816554

Plant

Dry soil

Bright indirect sun

Yard, private

Native, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-09T13:00:10.003Z

390

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=559ec205-9403-4f2a-9784-5f4bac64b68c_1699534651.jpg

11/9/23

7:57:40

26.340253

-81.816512

Plant

Dry soil

Bright indirect sun

Yard, private

Native, Range change, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-09T12:53:16.476Z

389

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=6a4d6e88-72fc-48a4-b3cd-ae126f455369_1699534249.jpg

11/9/23

7:50:59

26.340281

-81.816519

Plant

Dry soil

Bright indirect sun

Yard, private

Non-native, Introduced, Established, Non-Invasive

is cycad

Photo recording file with same Observation date

John Knapp

2023-11-09T12:48:41.595Z

388

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=16acef45-5bda-45bf-a3bf-6d4e4f4cb0df_1699533949.jpg

E, N

11/9/23

7:46:02

26.340271

-81.816443

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Non-native, Introduced, Non-Invasive, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-09T12:44:47.546Z

387

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=4158a7a0-74a8-4799-ad5b-e5e0148e2a9e_1699533639.jpg

11/9/23

7:40:56

26.340245

-81.816503

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Native, Range change, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-09T12:40:00.085Z

386

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=fac7eb63-d3ee-42da-a3ec-3b9330a3079d_1699533379.jpg

11/9/23

7:36:34

26.340251

-81.816526

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Non-Invasive, Established, Native

John Knapp

2023-11-09T12:35:48.963Z

385

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=c93f6fb8-dffe-45ac-b9be-94a2cb52d3b1_1699533143.jpg

11/9/23

7:32:48

26.340248

-81.816527

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Native, Established, Invasive, Range change

John Knapp

2023-11-09T12:31:57.623Z

384

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=80d5b289-3b53-4a59-ba0c-94f805513282_1699532984.jpg

1000

11/9/23

7:29:59

26.340245

-81.816568

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Native, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-08T16:28:27.773Z

383

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=25624154-1326-48f1-ba5d-9b723444733e_1699460497.jpg

11/8/23

11:22:13

26.340282

-81.816625

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Nuisance, Native, Range change, Non-Invasive

noxious

Photo recording file with same Observation date

John Knapp

2023-11-08T16:20:27.765Z

382

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=800e9bac-7b78-4047-9883-4c065f25612d_1699460233.jpg

11/8/23

11:17:28

26.340289

-81.816569

Plant

Dry soil

Bright sun

Yard, private

Non-native, Range change, Non-Invasive, Introduced

John Knapp

2023-11-08T16:15:29.398Z

381

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=c28478a1-7218-4bb4-9b8b-704633888534_1699459863.jpg

11/8/23

11:11:14

26.340306

-81.816509

Plant

Wet soil

Shaded

Yard, private

Native, Range change

John Knapp

2023-11-08T16:07:48.223Z

380

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=f04af210-63bf-40fe-8741-4bfd8d9fb0b5_1699459406.jpg

11/8/23

11:03:43

26.340304

-81.816517

Plant

Wet soil

Shaded

Yard, private

Nuisance, Native, Range change

John Knapp

2023-11-08T16:02:13.715Z

379

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=ba056828-954a-4140-b50c-6a9ecd0e577b_1699459130.jpg

11/8/23

10:59:02

26.340319

-81.8165

Plant

Wet soil

Shaded

Yard, private

Native, Range change, Non-Invasive, Established

John Knapp

2023-11-08T15:57:45.801Z

378

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=c69b186c-5093-490d-83c1-bb61773aafe6_1699458838.jpg

11/8/23

10:54:12

26.340317

-81.816488

Plant

Wet soil

Deeply shaded

Yard, private

Non-native, Invasive

John Knapp

Sheet A. Survey and Catalog table.

B. Plant-Identity Site #1 Spread Sheet. To view the full spread scroll laterally. To open the image file click once on the hyperlink text to choose open option; click again in the option text box to view images. For simplicity don’t click on view in separate tab. To return, just click on the back button in your browser.

created_at

title

10_Choose_best_PLANT

12_If_Herbacious

If_WOODY

FERN_which_ord

Which_plant_growth

Flower

Flower_photo link

Seed_present

Seed_photo link

Leaf_or_Stem

Leaf_stem_photo link

Bark

Bark_photo Link

Common_Name

Notes

Scientific_Name

2023-11-09T13:33:20.329Z

398

Palm

Other

Overgrowth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=d1d7ab41-444f-4b97-8b6a-9c5c349bb723_1699536750.jpg

Yes

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=d1d7ab41-444f-4b97-8b6a-9c5c349bb723_1699536772.jpg

Cuban Royal Palm

Roystonea regia

2023-11-09T13:29:30.180Z

397

Woody

Leaf (Angiosperm)

Overgrowth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=35f06672-1b50-48ac-989c-58cb3a1ddc7b_1699536527.jpg

Yes

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=35f06672-1b50-48ac-989c-58cb3a1ddc7b_1699536552.jpg

Live Oak

Quercus agrifolia

2023-11-09T13:24:48.228Z

396

herbaceous

Under growth

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=8f8f386f-e032-42da-8e2e-e5d7f6d72d7c_1699536219.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=8f8f386f-e032-42da-8e2e-e5d7f6d72d7c_1699536279.jpg

Periwinkle

Catharanthus roseus

2023-11-09T13:21:24.237Z

395

herbaceous

Garden bed

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=e09b44c6-e82a-453b-b2db-cfc8e24e9443_1699536023.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=e09b44c6-e82a-453b-b2db-cfc8e24e9443_1699536069.jpg

Hill Glory Bower

Clerodendrum paniculatum

2023-11-09T13:16:28.554Z

394

Woody

Leaf (Angiosperm)

Overgrowth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b16b9df4-9cc8-4846-bb7b-ca23f5a0409d_1699535751.jpg

Yes

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b16b9df4-9cc8-4846-bb7b-ca23f5a0409d_1699535776.jpg

Bluejack oak

Quercus incana

2023-11-09T13:11:18.562Z

393

Palm

Palm (grass like tree)

Overgrowth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=361acf41-37c5-428b-942e-7289bdc029e4_1699535458.jpg

Yes

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=361acf41-37c5-428b-942e-7289bdc029e4_1699535471.jpg

Cabbage palm

Sabal palmetto

2023-11-09T13:07:57.697Z

392

Epiphyte (Air Plant)

Garden bed

Mid growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=9e58fe06-2906-41ef-9ce3-d8e1fc5cca18_1699535222.jpg

Yes

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=9e58fe06-2906-41ef-9ce3-d8e1fc5cca18_1699535270.jpg

Dwarf umbrella tree

Heptapleurum arboricola

Heplapleurium arboricole

2023-11-09T13:02:55.916Z

391

Cultivated or herbaceous

Swamp understory

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=0c7c700b-86c8-475e-aecc-5b1ecb059995_1699534922.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=0c7c700b-86c8-475e-aecc-5b1ecb059995_1699534967.jpg

Scorpions tail

Heliotropium angiospermum

2023-11-09T12:59:39.492Z

390

Woody

Swamp understory

Mid growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=17e195ee-705c-492a-ae78-99cd62abcd2c_1699534706.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=17e195ee-705c-492a-ae78-99cd62abcd2c_1699534754.jpg

Yes

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=17e195ee-705c-492a-ae78-99cd62abcd2c_1699534769.jpg

Scarlet bush

Hamelia patens

2023-11-09T12:52:42.464Z

389

Palm

Palm (grass like tree)

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=da525ad4-9f19-407b-9379-7c8d36c41be6_1699534348.jpg

Cardboard palm

Firm leaf breaks on bending

Zamia furfuracea

2023-11-09T12:48:10.306Z

388

Woody

Leaf (Angiosperm)

Mid growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=e6c44f47-94ab-40ff-b1dd-cca3a36bf2ff_1699534009.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=e6c44f47-94ab-40ff-b1dd-cca3a36bf2ff_1699534038.jpg

Hibiscus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

2023-11-09T12:44:11.053Z

387

Fern (POLYPODIOPSIDA)

Polypodiineae

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b80af39c-696d-4ab9-a0a0-6f2e74d3b348_1699533795.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b80af39c-696d-4ab9-a0a0-6f2e74d3b348_1699533842.jpg

Sword fern

Nephrolepis exaltata

2023-11-09T12:39:26.169Z

386

Fern (POLYPODIOPSIDA)

Polypodiineae

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=df98de5d-52ae-48a6-9aa4-c6d08fabc9b8_1699533557.jpg

Christmas Fern

No sporangium on leaf

Polystichum acrostichoides

2023-11-09T12:35:16.762Z

385

herbaceous

Swamp understory

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=15a475fb-22fd-486c-9ec5-25478ba7dac6_1699533266.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=15a475fb-22fd-486c-9ec5-25478ba7dac6_1699533295.jpg

Porter weed

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis

2023-11-09T12:31:18.377Z

384

herbaceous

Under growth

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=1c632d7f-ecda-41e1-aa35-fbfb011a2d0f_1699533043.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=1c632d7f-ecda-41e1-aa35-fbfb011a2d0f_1699533069.jpg

Beach sunflower

Helianthus debilis

2023-11-08T16:27:14.503Z

383

herbaceous

Mid growth

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=89712a46-ae79-465b-9fd1-7d4a1ef7f461_1699460616.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=89712a46-ae79-465b-9fd1-7d4a1ef7f461_1699460703.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=89712a46-ae79-465b-9fd1-7d4a1ef7f461_1699460756.jpg

Yes

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=89712a46-ae79-465b-9fd1-7d4a1ef7f461_1699460789.jpg

Poke weed

Phytolacca americana

2023-11-08T16:19:36.146Z

382

herbaceous

Growing on another

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=d25a8359-2831-4425-bfa7-80ccb4aeddb9_1699460291.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=d25a8359-2831-4425-bfa7-80ccb4aeddb9_1699460348.jpg

Bleeding heart vine

Clerodendrum thomsoniae

2023-11-08T16:14:48.621Z

381

herbaceous

Overgrowth

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b0c393a3-06ef-43f0-9859-a1a520b49811_1699459915.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b0c393a3-06ef-43f0-9859-a1a520b49811_1699459957.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b0c393a3-06ef-43f0-9859-a1a520b49811_1699460006.jpg

Creeping cucumber

Melothria pendula

2023-11-08T16:05:30.943Z

380

herbaceous

Growing on another

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=1c760315-1769-4350-970f-93d44c7511b2_1699459476.jpg

Pepper vine, cow itch

Ampelopsis arborea

2023-11-08T16:01:22.212Z

379

herbaceous

Growing on another

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=a2af38bc-a609-4bc9-84e0-0071d934ea79_1699459221.jpg

Muscadine grape

Vitis rotundafolia

2023-11-08T15:56:55.723Z

378

herbaceous

Under growth

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b9537a1d-e69d-4281-82bb-1bee35259e6f_1699458892.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b9537a1d-e69d-4281-82bb-1bee35259e6f_1699458924.jpg

YES

https://five.epicollect.net/api/media/everglades-ark?type=photo&format=entry_original&name=b9537a1d-e69d-4281-82bb-1bee35259e6f_1699458963.jpg

Sweet scent camphor weed

Interesting odor

Pluchea odorata

Sheet B. Survey and Catalog table.

To see the full data display follow this link: Epicollect5/Everglades Ark and view observation “Title” numbered 377 through 398.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, RISK LEVEL OF OBSERVED PLANTS TO LOCAL ENVIRONMENT :

TYPE	COUNT	PERCENT of 21
Native	13	62
Non-native	8	38
Highly invasive	4	19
Rapidly spread	9	43
Non-native subject to high range change	3	63
Native subject to high range change	6	29
Native subject to high range change, nuisance, noxious?	1	5

Table 2 The percentage of the described plant type was determined relative to the total count.

RESULTS:

In Area #1, within 60 feet of one another, 21 species of herbaceous plants and trees were identified.
The relative percent of non-native to native plants is consistent with the distribution of plant types in the State of Florida.
Range change represents the capability of plants to spread into neighboring areas either actively or passively. This seems to be the dominant criteria to include in the invasive status by most authorities.
One plant is native, capable of great range change, and is classified as a nuisance. It is observation #380. The name is pepper vine (Ampelopsis arborea). It is not classified as noxious nor invasive.

DISCUSSION: The wide range of species was easy to observe in this defined space. There was sufficient space to allow for some freedom of movement. Walking into the swamp would have been more problematic. The sample is biased due to the more controlled cultivation of plants directly adjacent to the uncontrolled swamp. The cultivation of part of the study area may have selectively altered the usual development of variety in the mix of plants. A larger observation area might result in an alternative finding. Another limitation in this study was to measure the percentage of the individual plant species mass relative to the totality mass of the vegetation. There is considerable difference of opinion in assigning local environment risk levels to plants. The assignment of risk may not be current.

CONCLUSION: It was relatively easy to observe the wide variety of plants in this controlled area. This detailed experience helped to increase awareness of the variety of plant species in a very small sample area. The numbers of invasive species in this small area were surprising. Perhaps a more localized region may wish to determine the level of invasivity of local plants.

References: Some of the sources used to assist in the identification of the observed plants.

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#invasive plants #native plants #statistical analysis #observations #spread sheet #Epicollect5 #data

November 11, 2023

Florida Marsh Exploration. Part I

This is a recounting of the first three exploratory walks into the perimeter of a Florida Marsh located in the Bonita Bay Slough.

Cover photo is a Saltmarsh Morning Glory (Ipomoea sagittat)

This is part of a series of Floridian environments and ecosystems including Wetlands.

Introduction:

The central wetland feature of the Bonita Bay Community property is a slough. It connects the Spring creek at the north end to the Imperial River to the south. I examined maps of this area that predate the roads, rail beds and towns since records were kept. The entire property including the marsh may have been tidal before the current community was built and made an east-west road across the center at the watershed divide. What remains is now a tidal marsh that appears to be otherwise unaltered for at least several hundreds of years and a wooded wetland in the developed community. The city of Bonita Springs and the highway now called Old 41 as well as the railroad bed were placed to avoid these marshes and swamps. In 1952, highway 41 was built and the marsh and lowland to the east of the highway were filled. The natural watershed to the BB community area was compromised. It is now fed primarily by the estuary of Spring Creek, the Imperial River and rainfall. The creek and river continue to accumulate water from the areas east of 41 but there is no obvious westward surface flow between these two streams. Included are some photographs of some of my observations. Irrigation water is pumped from wells east of highway 41 for community and golf course irrigation.

50 meters into the slough I met with an impenetrable wall of vegetation. I first thought that this would be a freshwater marsh, however, the flower on the left a Saltmarsh Morning Glory (Ipomoea sagittata) acknowledges this to be a saltwater marsh. It was the most beautiful find through all of the area explored.

Marsh exploration:

Visit 1.

Level 1 preparation for a walking trip: Action plan with driver drop-off and pick-up points and gear for a walk in the marsh included: bush pants, shirt, calf high waterproof swamp boots, hat, drinking water, cell phone, SLR camera, bug repellent, and sun block.

I began my walk at the south end at the center of the marsh. This was at the beginning of the artificially created east/west roadbed at the watershed divide.(See map) The vegetation was thick and dense, dominated by grasses, low shrubs and herbaceous plants. After two steps the depth of the water rapidly increased. While I was standing in eight inches of water, I probed the spot for my next step with my walking stick. It easily slipped to full 1 ½ meter length through an increasingly viscus mix of water, vegetation, and decayed plant material. I could not find any real hard bottom. I assume that the bottom is peat.

Foliage over my head as I stood in 10 inches of water.

I reported this unknown weed as a possible invasive.

Carefully using my walking stick to test for footing I treaded into the marsh. There were a few areas where the floating vegetation did support my weight. There were some spots where there was soil sufficiently high for secure standing. Avoiding the possibility of sinking into the water and muck to my chest, I cautiously advanced further in a very irregular line about 70 meters into the marsh. It all appeared to be a heterogeneous tangle of a great variety of grasses, ferns, bushes, and vines.

Visit 1.

I expected this area to be filled with wildlife and a variety of plants different from other environments in Florida. I have looked at the slough many times from a raised viewing platform and was always surprised by the sparsity of birds. I expected to see more diverse animals, however, when wading in the marsh I was again disappointed. For ninety minutes of observation, I saw only a pair of red winged blackbirds. There may be extenuating circumstances for this condition. Salt marshes are not known for bird nesting. Birds are concentrated at the Rookery Islands on the southern end of the slough, there may be predators in this northern end which the birds recognize and this results in their avoidance. The density of the dead vegetation or the deadly effects of hurricane Ian storm surge may have caused a die-off of the predated food supply.

The height of the vegetation was above my field of vision and there was no sign of an animal path or previous human activity. At one spot where the vegetation thinned, I could see the tree line which was approximately a quarter mile to my east. No other landmarks were visible. The abundant plant variety was very diverse; the animal live was not. I was surprised to find very few flying or crawling insects, no vertebrates except for a few birds. At 9:00 AM it was very quiet, no wind, no odor and very hot (38 C, 100 F) with 100% humidity. After 1 ½ hours, aided by my cell phone and dead reconning, I retreated approximately 70 meters back to my start point. I reviewed my findings overnight. The plants which I observed were more typical of a salt marsh. This deserved further investigation.

Previous views during the past years from the observation deck suggested a rich variety of the marsh vegetation. Again, I was disappointed. The slough is filled with dead plant remains secondary to the saltwater infusion of hurricane Ian’s storm surge. Brush and tall grasses are grey-brown and toppled over horizontally to the water line. Some are continuing to sprout and flower but the overall color of the area is greyish brown.

Visit 2.

If the heron were not so bright I would have missed it among the grey-brown weedy background.

This great white heron carefully stalked through the grasses in the marshes. The utility of the length of its neck and legs was clearly evident. It picked up some animal wrapped in green vegetation and swallowed the sandwich without hesitation.

The following day I returned for a second look with the same prep, and made additional photos and notes. The weather was unchanged. The second trip provided additional findings. I saw more feeding birds but none nesting and very few insects. It was especially interesting to watch a great white heron hunting in the depth of the marsh. Previously I saw them only on the shores of more open spaces. In the deep marsh I could see it using all its skills of crouching, deep water wading and stealth. It did indeed catch something, however, the identity was obscured by some green vegetation surrounding the small prey. After I returned home, I ordered a handheld refractometer to check the marsh salinity.

Visit 3.

Same prep was used plus 6 specimen bottles for water sampling The weather was unchanged. The sample times were between 8:45 and 9:30 AM. Water samples were taken at three surface points at five locations using a dip cup. See map in Fig 20. The samples were brought home and their temperatures were stabilized at 72F (23C). Using the handheld refractometer I gauged the salinity of my samples. The findings are reported in table 1.

I also sampled other wetland areas in the community properties to test the salinity at various locations. See the five locations on the map (Fig. 2).

Findings:

The lowest salinity at 3 PPT is water exiting from the south slough into the Imperial River. There is an apparent progression of lower salinity of the system water from northeast to southwest. The salinity of the Estero Bay east littoral area is 30 PPT higher than the upper Spring Creek.

SWS its the expected average salt water salinity of local sea water in the littoral zone.

Also found were numerous plants that were thriving despite the damage caused by the hurricane of 2023. These can be seen in the next posting. Florida Marsh Exploration. Part II

Discussion:

This is a saltmarsh without a north/south flow. The north and south arms of the slough have been blocked by the Bonita Bay boulevard. The two arms were continuous prior to the property development. The obstruction of the continuity has resulted in the formation of two very different environments. The north end of the slough is wide open to the Spring creek which is estuarial. The south end is connected to water retention ponds in the community with an exit to the Imperial River. The retention ponds collect the water which has filtered through the community swamps and wooded wetland. There is a narrow one-way gate that allows a very limited inflow from the river at the south end of the slough. This does not prevent an inflow from a salt water storm surge two feet above the high tide water line. From table 1 you can see a progression of salinity changes. I also learned that trial explorations are important in determining the level of preparation for venturing deep into unknown areas.

Level 2 preparation. for exploration of the marsh

Similar to level 1 preparation but use a kayak as a vehicle and/or working platform.

Level 3 preparation. for exploration of the marsh using a Full Immersion Preparation.

Have a companion. Make an action plan with driver drop-off and pick-up points. Gear should include: Two lengths of 50^ft, ½ⁱⁿ, 4 ply, hemp rope, carabiners, gloves, drinking water, folding knife, 3-meter foldable measuring stick, containers for wet samples, waterproof cell phone or a camera with over and underwater capability. Enter wearing a full 1^mm diving wetsuit, with hood, boots, and sneakers. Prepare to change to dry clothing for an after-extraction at pick-up point.

The rope and carabiners are for emergency extraction. The wet suit is for buoyancy and skin protection. Hemp rope rather than climbing rope because it is less expensive. It is impossible to remove the salt and dirt and it may be discarded after a few uses.

I learned from this experience. The next trip preparation will be different.

Conclusions:

These observations are made during a very small timeline in the marsh and may not be representative of the yearlong parade of conditions. To better understand the marsh, multiple return visits are certainly forth coming. Test other entry points with level one preparation. Test other seasons with drier or wetter conditions. If a Kayak cannot penetrate the vegetation, plan for a level 3, immersive exploration.

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#marsh #salt water #heron #saw grass #Bonita Bay #slough #Morning glory #salt marsh #salinity #wetlands #Florida

Reference:

Freshwater Systems of Florida, Main M., University of Florida, Gainsville, FL, 2015, http://www.masternaturalist.org

July 24, 2023

Category: Wild plants

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