In addition to current topics in our posts we begin of a new arm of Everglades Ark. The Coastal Systems are a large portion of Florida. By State Florida has second longest of the ocean coastlines in the USA. It is remarkably diverse with the full gamut of wildlife of the animal, plant and protist Kingdoms. Observations range from macroscopic to microscopic, geologic to biologic and is as variable as the weather.

To satisfy the understanding of this system I have developed a new online, interactive, database supported by Epicollect5. The information may be found in cd files, still images, video clips and audio files. There are four portions in this database that include: beach geology findings, mollusk findings, bird findings and microscopic soil findings.This is publicly available for your use to download the comma delimited files for use in programs like Excel and Google maps. The address for this data site is https://five.epicollect.net/myprojects/beaches-of-southwest-florida.

This is a sister of the other site that is part of Everglades Ark found at https://five.epicollect.net/project/everglades-ark

These are important supplements to this site. They provide us with evidence used to support our monologues, dialogues and discussions. These are also part of our effort to support citizen scientists most of whom can enjoy the discoveries found in nature,form the basis for statistical analysis of findings and provide evidence to support theories. Sorting of these finds have beed previously discussed in earlier postings.

I highly encourage you to participate in this form of discovery. The observations are the most valuable part of the data .the greater number of observations results in a more reliable foundationv If you wish, please feel free use the data in your own projects and share the results with us. If you want to join our group by recording your findings please contact me at: john@evergladesark.com.

I will provide instruction and with your email address, allow permission to be a collector for the Coastal areas of SWFL

The data map below shows the interrogatories and responses of the database. They are in this downloadable PDF file. Your comments and recommendations are welcome,

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#Epicollect5, #mapping, #Everglades Ark, #database, #Google maps, #Excel

I have introduced a new page in the menu line of the header to act as a tool requested by several of our fellow travelers. This new page lists all of the pages and directs the viewer to the page site. Click on the tittle or image. This function a supplement to the query magnifying glass symbol. The query allows the participant to enter words that are linked to key terms in the site text’s. The magnifying glass is on the right side of the header.

The feature image shows the title block of the header.

I hope that buy expediting a review of the site.you find this convenient.

Try it out here. Click on All Posts – Links . In the usual fashion, you can return here by clicking in the back arrow in the banner at the top of this page.

If you have further suggestions please feel free to comment in the form below.

Ian was a category 4.5 hurricane with a storm surge that washed over our community and much of the western coast line of Florida up to Clearwater. The worst hit community was 25 miles north of us called Fort Myers Beach. Much of that community is gone. In our county of Lee more than 50 people died. The storm demolished thousands of homes and 45000 automobiles. It devastated the lives of thousands of people who are now dependent on the government for temporary housing, food and water. Just now electricity is returning and damaged bridges and highways are in repair. Millions of tonnes of trash piles the streets and dumps with the remnants of the storms damages. The news is filled with pictures and stories of the experiences of the traumatized communities and people.

I bicycled out to see more of my favorite observation sites and made some photos of these places for comparison to their condition prior to the storm. Much of the plant life is damaged, missing or dead. The winds uprooted trees and broke branches The storm surge did much more. The direct force of the water uprooted plants and swept away the wildlife. The after effects of seawater compounded the result of the surge spreading toxic levels of salt and bacterial contamination. It is difficult to survey the animal life because or the tangled deadfall of trees. The plant life is easier to assess.

The two photos above are from a location in a swamp area photographed 4 months prior to and 10 days after the storm. As seen the photos, the plants that best survived were the monocotyledons and those with the ability to bend with the wind. Hence the palm trees are managing ok. The dicotyledons with deciduous leaves and thick stiff branches have suffered the most.

The butterfly garden showed below will need to be replanted.

What is wrong with sea water?

Unlike mangroves, plants that are not specially adapted to sea water may die from dehydration when flooded by storm surge. The salt introduced into the difusion driven circulatory system of plants causes water from the cells be pulled out of the cells because of a process called osmosis. When there is a semipermeable barrier separating salt water from fresh water the dynamics of the condition promotes a balance of both sides. The semi permeable cell wall will not let salt in but water can pass freely through in both directions. Therefore water in the cell is depleted in an effort to dilute the salty water. The imbalance is so great that cellular water is exhausted and the plant dies from dehydration. Additionally this introduces plant stress which inhibits photosynthesis and protein synthesis. No synthesis and no water = no growth.

Some places had 4 to 9 feet of water in their living g rooms. If the water had risen two more inches we would have had water in the house. We are thankful that we did not experience the extent of damage shown above.

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#Osmosis #saltwater #hurricane #Ian #storm surge #semipermeable

The orchids have been very prolific in flower production during the growing season this year. I believe that this was the result of a dedicated automated watering system, consistent generous fertilization, control of direct sunlight and pest control. In addition to the production of flowers, the leaves, air roots and stems have multiplied. This has put some of the plants outside of their designated boxes. The air roots have attached to their boxes, trellis and the wall of the house. The stems have extended themselves into the walking space and often times the blossoms overgrow one another obstructing the view. To bring some order into the orchid garden I tried something new. There are many choices to propagate plants including germination of seeds, plant division and budding/grafting. In this instance I have started two new plants by division. Below is a photo record of the process I followed.

Example one shows a phalaenopsis orchid with devision at a level well above the base of the plant. In this area, at a node, the plant has sprouted a group of air roots and three new leaves. These are substantially separated from the root and leaf ball of the main portion of the plant. Using a razor I sectioned the stem from the base of the plant and trimmed away all remaining portions of the stem system leaving just the roots and leaves.

Example two demonstrates a cattleya orchid. The growth has a clearly defined section with air roots and three leafs at the base of the plant. This area of the Cattleya is relatively new and had a well defined stem. Using a razor blade I sectioned through the stem and removed the segment.

Both new plant segments were placed into appropriately sized boxes with some of the air roots protruding through the wooden slats and gently fastened to the sides of the box for stability. The base of the box was lined with Sphagnum moss and the remainder filled with shredded rubber mulch for stability and appearance. I have found that the rubber mulch retains some moisture but does not decay. This also reduces the possibility of mould and insect growth.

The new specimens were replaced into the orchid garden and will be treated in the usual routine. In time we can check the viability and growth of these new cuttings. If successful, they may provide new blossoms for the next growing season. I feel that the new plants are a return on investment for the good care provided to the orchids.

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#orchid #division #propagation #cattleya #phalaenopsis #

Mushrooms are not plants or animals . They have a classification all their own. They are fungi. This is a sample of a local SWFL mushroom that should start a discussion on fungi. The purpose is to provide a vocabulary for description and to show the various forms of these fungi. The growth that is seen above ground typified by this example is the fruit of the fungi. From this fruit spores are shed to facilitate reproduction. Below the ground is the bulk or the working organism. This undergrowth is very extensive in both size and spread. The undergrowth also provides a network of communication for further reproduction and communication with plants that share the same environment. Showed here are both the macroscopic and the microscopic structures.

From this you will also see that fungi are not plants but are a completely different life form. When entering data in the Epicollect5 database be sure to use the fungi classification and not the plant option.

Note in

Fungi form a vast, complex part of the floor of the forest, grassland, sloughs and savanas in almost all environments and on all of the continents. Unfortunately they are rarely seen or discussed. I hope that we have the opportunity to explore them in greater detail in the future,

References:

Mushroom species Look up

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The Mottled Ducks which we described earlier in our pond departed for the north, however, there are captive ducks which are noteworthy. My favorite is the Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata). They are originally from Asia and are very colorful. Perhaps they were named after the elite Chinese former imperial civil service. The name Mandarin may actually be derived from Portuguese.

I saw these in Central Park on Manhattan 45 years ago when I was working at the Sloan Kettering Institute. I was so surprised by their rich color. Due to the female’s lack of vibrant color I did not recognize them. The Mandarin ducks shown here are at the Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs, FL. They are fun to watch and I was allowed to enter the restricted area with staff help to make these photographs.

There is an extensive complex history of traditional formal clothing in China. They were not only fashionable, but also highly regulated by the Manchu who conquered the Han, but were eventually assimilated by them. The Qizhuang design was originally developed to facilitate horse riding and archery. It evolved over the 4000-year history of Manchu influence on the Han and Qing dynasties. It is a highly stylized formal clothing form worn in multiple variations by both men and women. They can be remarkably ornate and colorful.

References:

Why Mandarin Doesn’t Come From Chinese

Mandarin Duck

Eight Colorful Facts About the Mandarin Ducks

Traditional Chinese Clothing

Costume in the Qing Dynasty

Changing of Chinese Traditional Clothing

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#Cheongsam #Mandarin #duck #clothing #China #clothing # bird #feathers

I really paid attention to the Plumeria when we visited Hawaii 25 years ago. The flowers are used to make leis as a garland worn around the neck especially during a greeting ceremony. There are alternate names for the plants. A common name is “frangipani”. The scientific name is Plumeria Apocyanacea. The following adage apples to my experience in finding them in Florida. “If you don’t look for them you don’t see them”. While biking I noticed a tree that was remarkable for its lack of leaves and flowers. Now my eyes are open and I see them everywhere. Plumeria plants are native to Mexico and Central America.

In the fall the tree starts out with a very unbecoming aspect. It seems to be from another planet. I wondered why anyone would have such a strange looking tree dominating their front yard. Check out previous references to these trees in this blog Blooming Trees of Spring and Trees of Christmas.

In mid summer the Plumeria are in full color and the trees are spectacular. The trees that I found here are better than the trees which is saw in Hawaii. They thrive in the heat and full sunlight therefore many of the transient winter visitors may never see the blossoms.

As you would expect with a name of Apocyanacea, the sap of the plant is toxic.

#Plumeria #frangipiani

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These Mottled Ducks (Anas fulvigula) are commonly found in my back yard. They are spring residents in most of the local ponds of the community. They are fun to watch especially when the chicks follow the hen. Sometimes these birds are difficult to photograph because they are always on the look out for the Red Hawk which resides near by. The featured photograph is a mated Mottled Duck couple with female on left male on right.

These mottled ducks are very similar to the Mallard ducks in Michigan with which I am familiar. They are easily distinguished by the yellow bill.

Mottled Ducks form pair which bonds earlier than most other duck species. They typically pair in November well before the breeding season which starts the following spring. Male Mottled Ducks tend to remain with their mate well into the incubation period and sometimes later.

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#ibis #little blue heron #red tailed hawk #mottled duck #duck hens #drake #duck chicks #Anas fulvigu

The solution for low production is: light control, frequent water, fertilizer and pest control.

I worked diligently to encourage the orchids to grow this year because of the very poor performance of the last three years. Until last November all 12 of the vandas died. We explored the use of soap applied to control pests. The cattleya stopped all activity and what was left were leafless vertical branches. The phalaenopsis bloomed but minimally. In the face of this discouraging result I developed a new strategy. I gathered all of the plants in a protected but bright area in the courtyard with no direct sunlight and no rain. I replumbed the area to allow a garden hose attachment. I installed a timed, directed mist water spray system and I began an aggressive fertilization program. I used a soap spray to reduce the probability of pest growth. The results were prolific beyond my expectations! All of the plants grew doubling the size of the plants with new stems and leaves. In the home courtyard there are 20 phalaenopsis and 13 cattleya orchids. Most of the season has favored the phalaenopsis species where the plants have simultaneously provided at least 145 blossoms with a maximum production of over 220 during the three months. The cattleya have been growing but less prolifically with episodic blooming from some plants yielding about 30 blooms. They may still produce for the next two months. The cover picture is a cattleya with its second yield this season.

The plants were watered with an automated misting system timed to 5 minutes on alternate days. They have been generously fertilized on alternate weeks. The first blooms came in early February and have persisted until now where I expect all to be lost in the next two to three weeks. The peak blooming period was one week before Easter (approximately March 14).

The Price of Production:

Now that the wet season has begun the watering is reduced and just in time. One plant has its first outbreak of mealy bugs (Coccoidea). These showed up on the crotons on the other side of the yard about two weeks earlier. I removed the crotons from the yard and sprayed them with an insecticidal soap. None the less here we are with an infection showing up on two of the phalaenopsis plants.

I first cut away one leaf that was highest infected and explored the specimen using the microscope. After identifying bugs accurately as mealy bugs. I treated all surfaces of the plants and the surface soil with a thorough spray of 70% alcohol.¹ Orchids have succulent leaves and tolerated this treatment. After the alcohol evaporated I followed up with a spray of insecticidal soap.

Plan for next season:

I think this has been a fair trade. Pest control is necessary to counteract the high fertilizer and water schedule. The ants are attracted by the mealybugs’ sugar, therefore, lowering the bug population will lower the attraction of the ants and reduce the spread of bugs. For the summer I have reset the watering timer lowering the watering rate. This is for two reasons. The plants have recovered from their earlier experiences and are now lush. The rainy season will begin soon with humid days. I also reduced the fertilizer concentration but I keep the same schedule. The plants need to rest. This will reduce the growth of the bugs. I will continue the alcohol and soap on scheduled basis to kill any remaining bugs before and during their next hatch. For next season I will Introduce new plants into the colony including dendrobium and cattleya orchids.

References:

1. Home remedies for orchid plants

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#orchid #mealy bug #isopropyl alcohol #ants #mealybug #nest #fertilizer

There are a few stragglers from the early spring flowering trees. See the previous post on Spring tree blossoms. We now have a new collection of flowering trees that have captured my attention because of their spectacular blooms. These trees are not seen by the seasonally migrating residents nor by the tourists because they have returned home to their residences in the northern States. These are the next group of trees preparing for the new summer season.

I have included five flowering trees present along the streets of the city of Naples. It is difficult to express the overwhelming verdant, colorful canopies stretched over the avenues. A later post will specialize on plumeria varieties.

The cover image is a sample of a Southern Magnolia showing the leaf, bud, blossom and seed pod.

There is a constant change in tree blooms throughout the year here in SWFL. The beauty and adventure of discovery adds delight in the journey. This is the third in a continuing series of blooming trees. All of these are located on the Everglades Ark Epicollect5 data base.

Thanks for your interest. I hope that you enjoy the trip through my eyes. Look for the Plumeria show in a post that is still to come. “Like” if you like it. Comment as you wish.

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# magnolia #poinciana #cassia #late spring #blossom #desert cassia #pink shower