A Comprehensive Vision and Strategic Outline for Ecological Renewal
Let’s get serious about the Florida environment. This first posting outlines the three major issues regarding the future of Florida, especially Southwest FL.
The title image is a view of Estero Park Preserve. I added the sign graphic.
Scenarios for the future
Risk/benefits of rewilding
Consequences of species intra- and interdependence
For centuries Florida has been famed for its vibrant and diverse wilderness. It is a living repository of species drawn from the Caribbean, the Gulf, and subtropical America. Yet the past two hundred years have seen this unique ecosystem ravaged. People introduced non-native species, relentlessly homesteaded, and transformed the landscape for agricultural and urban development. The result is a wilderness in crisis. It is fragmented, altered, and teeming with exotic species that out compete or hybridize with the native flora and fauna. This document series outlines a strategic plan for the future of Florida’s wilderness. It is an examination of possible scenarios. It presents the risk/benefit calculus of rewilding. It supports species interdependence. It has a step-by-step outline for ecosystem restoration.
Definition: Rewilding is comprehensive, often large-scale, conservation effort focused on restoring sustainable biodiversity and ecosystem health. (institute of Rewilding)
This is one example of tens of thousands of citrus groves abandoned and overrun by invasive species.
Babcock ranch preserve undeveloped wet prairie
Babcock ranch preserve undeveloped upland wood
Major Scenarios for the Future of Florida’s Wilderness
Florida stands at a crossroad, with three major possible scenarios for the trajectory of its wilderness:
1. Continuance as a Species Repository: For millennia, Florida has served primarily as a bank of species. Rather than an origin point for evolutionary novelties it has been a major exporter of species elsewhere. Rewilding under this scenario would focus on maintaining and nurturing native species. It preserves the region’s role as a living archive of biodiversity.
2. Generator of New Species: The widespread introduction of similar but non-native species—both intentionally has created a dynamic environment. Hybridization and adaptation of ornamental and agricultural plantings will unintentionally transform Florida into a generator of new species. Unpredictable and unintentional ecological outcomes will result.
3. Degraded Ecosystem: If rewilding efforts fail or are mismanaged, Florida will become an ecological cautionary tale. With native species in decline invasive species will become rampant. Ecosystem services like water purification, habitat provision, and storm protection will severely decline.
Risk / Benefit Considerations in Rewilding
The imperative to restore Florida’s wilderness must be balanced by a careful analysis of risks and benefits. Rewilding, while promising, is not without peril.
Genetic Integrity: Simply replacing lost native species with physically similar, but non-identical genotypes can backfire. A non-native genotype may outcompete local species or fail to provide for dependent mutualists, causing cascading ecological harms. Cloning or propagating exact native genotypes minimizes this risk while preserving ecological relationships honed over millennia.
Ecological Compatibility: The introduction of new or “replacement” species may disrupt established mutualisms. They may also create new competitive dynamics while further destabilizing the ecosystem.
Proof of Concept: Any rewilding project must proceed through careful. It demands experimentation, trial phases, and rigorous review of existing literature. These will all be needed to maximize chances of success and minimize unintended consequences.
Intra- and Inter-Dependence of Species
Ecosystems are intricate webs with species depending on one another for food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal, and countless other functions.
Physical and Genetic Identification: Restoration begins with precise identification of native species, both morphologically and genetically. This enables accurate matching of replacement stock and helps avoid mismatches that could undermine restoration.
Codependent Species: Many native species are mutually dependent. For example the relationship between native bees.; wildflowers or wading birds and wetlands. Successful rewilding requires restoration of these relationships, not just individual species.
Environmental Conditions: Beyond the species themselves, restoration must account for the specific environmental factors. Soil chemistry, water availability, fire regimes, and more allow these relationships to thrive.
These are the topics of the postings to follow
Review of State Key Initiatives
Structured outline for rewilding
Maximizing existing objectives
Marketing the concept for large scale rewilding of Florida
Call to action
SUMMARY
This is not just about legacy. This is your own quality of life; your own property value; your own cost of living. What are you thinking about when you don’t support initiatives, don’t press your representatives and spread invasive species? There are only three choices. 1. Fix it; 2. live with it as is; 3. abandon it and live with the consequences.
Let’s know your thoughts. Leave a reply jn the comment box below or start a thread in our discussion board.
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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.
Southern live oak
Thorn apple bush (Crataegus alabamensis) with the thorns as an identifier.
Possible Florida alligator weed with changing colors
Polygala lutea
Lyonia ferruginea
This view is in the periphery of the transition zone with no oaks but many palms and saw palmetto dominating the understory.
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.
These plants support a wide variety of animals which are specifically dependent on select plant species as are these butterflies. The butterfly here is a Queen. Check out the earlier post on Queens.
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.
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.
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 #1contains: 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.
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.
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.
The last few days of our expedition gave meaning to our adventure. We were in the Kenyan Maasai Mara, thrilled by the larges animal migration of on Earth.
On the cover photo is a group of blue Wildebeest. AKA the common wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus) it is a large antelope found in Kenya and Tanzania.
One wildebeest is not photogenic. There is never just one. Tens of thousands of them live and move together as one massive organism. Hundreds of thousands of mixed species of animals move with them and between each other during the great wildebeest migration.Migration map We were in the Maasai Mara during the last four days of August.
The Maasai Mara of Kenya is contiguous with the planes of the Serengeti National Park and the Tanzanian National Park. All are part of the Serengeti plane. These images are from the Kenyan Maasai Mara National Reserve. It was the most favorable point to observe the Great Migration when we were there. As the weather changes from dry to the rainy season the grass regrows. It is the grass which provides food for the grazing animals. This is irresistible to the wildebeest, zebra, impala, buffalo and other animals who follow this growth by the millions. The dead grass remains after the tops have been eaten to the ground or burned off. The rain brings a fresh regrowth. This regrowth replaces the razor-sharp stubble with soft young plants.
One of the most thrilling wildlife spectacles on earth was spread before us like pepper on a salad. We stopped to watch this ancient migration sight that this area supports. You can see in every direction that the savanna is covered by hundreds of thousands of animals. It is hard to comprehend that they actually number in the millions. They are visible to every horizon, slowly moving to follow the fresh growth. They meander about eating and mingling, occasionally fighting and challenging one another for mating or protecting one another from the daily challenges of survival, reproduction, and predation. For reasons unknown to us they may gallop along following some instinct or stamped when startled or frightened. It is this cumulative picture of integrated behavior based on soil, seasonal weather, prolific plant life and a massive accumulation of thousands of animal species which underscores the interdependency of this huge ecosystem.
Migrating animals wandering from one side of the horizon to the other. View of the north.
We did cross the Mara river and its tributaries where crocodiles and hippopotamuses were swimming or simply resting. The hungry crocodiles were ready at a wildebeest crossing to take advantage of the weakest or most vulnerable animals. We did not see this classical behavior but none-the-less the trap was set. Predators and scavenger animals follow this migration in the ladder of primacy with the lion at the apex.
The Mara river teeming with crocodiles waiting for the stampede.The blue wildebeest, keystone animal of the Serengeti, Maasai Mara. Running with the group on its way into the future.
The wildebeest is the keystone animal of this ecosystem. It is the primary consumer of the grasses. It has a high reproductive rate. It is the resource upon which all of the carnivores and scavengers depend. They till and fertilize the soil. A single calf is born after 8.5-month gestation. Bands of female wildebeests are in control, leading the entire herd towards new grasslands. In the mid-20th century, the wildebeest population was decimated. The herd was cut down to one third of its normal size because of the rinderpest viruses (a variant of the measles virus). It originated and was spread from domestic livestock. As a result of loss of the grazing animals the grass lands grew uncontrolled. This over-growth subsequently changed the natural fire regime to an intense wildfire which burned nearly the entire Serengeti. This was an ecological disaster. Millions of domestic animals also died. Plant and animal species collapsed. Because of a massive human intervention including vaccination and quarantine the wildebeest population has been transformed. The Serengeti and Maasai Mara have been magnificently rewilded and the population of these animals is back to a stable 1.5 M with no disease detected in the last 8 years. Perhaps my 30 year wait to go was helpful because it allowed the wilderness more time to recover.
View to the south where the spread of animals seems endless.Mixed wildebeest with zebra was a common observation
Animals on the move for the last hour and will probably continue for the next hour (My first video)
The sight of all these animals and the resource to feed and accommodate all of them provides a small but expanding view of the might of the ecosystem. At one time in the distant past this view would have been quite prosaic. Imagine Neanderthal or possibly the older Cro-Magnon people living with this type of annual migration. They would have been part of it. They would have been much earlier than our current view of history, but it probably looked like the American Great Basin to the First Peoples and early settlers of the Americas. We must appreciate that this area is just a few hundreds of miles from the Olduvei (Oldupai) gorge where Lewis and Mary Leakey (beginning in 1937) found fossilized hominoid remains dating back hundreds of thousands of years. (Pronconsul 25 million years old). What were those people thinking when they saw this sight? The ancient hominoids and modern tribal peoples were and still are intimately connected with this environment. Their moment-to-moment survivals depended upon understanding this grand recipe and also the small, intimate details of their surroundings. The people of the Maasai tribe move their domesticated herds in synchrony with the wildlife, plants and rainfall. They know this because of their exposure to a multigenerational experience. They now participate in separation of their herds of domestic cattle and vaccination from Rinderpest and Foot and Mouth disease. We were so poorly prepared to comprehend systems as complex as this in just a few days.
I think that there are many lessons to be learned from this. For at least a million years hominoids and humans have learned that living in harmony with the constantly changing environment is a prerequisite to survival. The environment changes including geologic-like continental drift and volcanism. Weather changes, due to wind and rain/snow, land slides and floods, drought, temperature and storms. Species changes with mutations and natural selection. Human behavioral changes including perception and interpretation of surroundings, the value of group behavior and behavioral adaptation by creation of societies. Society changes with development of institutions like religion and governments. Behavior changes lead to exploration, discovery, invention and industrialization. The nomadic herders of today who live in near Stone Age conditions with cell phones will change. What changes will Space Age people make? We, the people of the space, information and atomic age have the ability to affect all of the aforementioned changes. We have the opportunity to do so because we live with disposable wealth and a discretionally directed time.
From the successful story of the rewilding of wildebeests in the Serengeti we have started on a new path. The wildebeest story is considered one of the most successful rewildings of our time. Rewilding efforts have been remarkably successful in Yellowstone, Spain, Argentina, Switzerland, ocean reef areas and many more. These efforts can not only save species and restore habitats but also fight the climate change crisis. Rewinding Florida is an active effort and a topic worthy of further exploration and discussion.
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UNDERSTANDING THE TWO ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS BY COMPARING THEM FROM THE GROUND UP.
To help understand what is happening in this system it may be made easier by look at its parts. There may be some errors in this method but at least this is a reasonable hypothetical start. Let’s begin with the idea that every detail is important and that everything is interconnected. Also, if a part of the system is lost the entire system is compromised. See the map at the end of this posting.
The featured image shows one of thousands of termite colony mounds
The Okavango and Mara locations are very different not only in location and elevation but also in geology. Two soil samples were taken from typical road side areas in the savannah-like landscapes away from human traffic areas. Under the microscope you can see that the individual sand grains are transparent, something which is not obvious when looking at the sand with the unaided eye. The sand of the Delta (Fig. A1 & 2 is made up mostly of silicon dioxide (SiO2). It is completely glassy. It is not soluble and has no mineral content. Volcanic pumice Fig B1 & 2 is a complex particle aggregate of ash feldspar. It is an incomplete glass with other minerals at the particles’ surfaces. The Mara soil has a much higher metabolizable mineral content which makes the soil more fertile than the Delta.
Fig A1. Sand particle sample from Okavango Delta. (20X) Completely translucent. Illuminated with transmitted plane light. This is nearly pure silica.
Fig. A2. Sand particle sample from Okavango Delta. (20X) Completely translucent. Illuminated with transmitted polarized light.
Fig.B1 Sand particle sample from Mara. Note the surface’s complex micro-porosity. Illuminated in dark field with direct lighting. This amorphous, opaque particle is definitely volcanic in origin. (20X)
Fig. B2. Sand particle sample from Mara. (20X) Completely opaque. The red color is iron oxide. Illuminated in dark field with direct lighting.
–—+—-
OKOVANGO DELTA
The Delta is flat but it is cyclically flooded and the colors are green and tan. The islands of the Delta were built by the humblest of creatures. The termites as architects, engineers and builders have created a landscape of unbelievable variety. They harvest the dead plants and with the sand of the Kalahari desert and they build massive, nearly indestructible castles reaching meters into the sky. The nest height is determined by the water level. The higher the water level, the taller the nest will be. When the population reaches a critical mass, a new colony is initiated. With erosion by water, wind, and the burrowing of animals the mounds collapse and islands grow. As a result of centuries of this cycle the islands provide a collective of soil used by the large mammals, birds and fish. The aquatic plants are supplemented by grasses, brush, bushes, and trees. These form savannas in the Delta for non-migrating herds of grazing land animals and the creatures which accompany them. They also encourage aquatic animals like fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals which are supported by the aquatic environment.
Termite mound on savannah island of the Okavango DeltaPampa Grass (Niscanthus junceus) Assists in forming islands by trapping sand and with decaying plants supports rooted water plants such as water lillies.Blue Water Lilly (Nympheanouchali). These also assist in the formation of islands and support protective areas for aquatic animals.Marshland in the Okavango Delta with grazing zebras. The trees in the background are on the island that emerged from the work of the termites and plants.Impala roaming through of the woodlands of the Okavango Delta. This land is based on the foundation of sand deposited by wind and water sediment which is fixed and enriched by termites and plants. These zebras are grazing on a very large island in the Okavango Delta. It appears like a classic savannah landscape.Tree covered island succumbing to salt accumulation in the Okavango. The islands dehydrate and accumulate salt at the periphery. When high water returns and infiltrates the interior of the island the salt enters the soil. Plants, weakened by drought, are further dehydrated and die.
The water levels rise and fall because of the flow of several rivers that end in the Delta. The water never reaches the sea; hence the Delta. Water is lost by evaporation and transpiration. The animals have a reliable supply of water and plants. They do not migrate.
—-+—-
MAASAI MARA
The Kenyan savannah is so starkly different from the Okavango Delta they seem worlds apart. The Serengeti plane colors are tan and beige. The Mara land is flat and dry. In contrast to the Delta, the Maasai Mara is the result of volcanism and rain. Dominating the landscape is the ancient volcano of Mt. Kenya along with the range of uplands that are a result of the enormous energy expended in tectonic plate collision and the spread of the great Rift Valley. It stands as a plateau at an elevation of about 1,480 to 2,280 meters. The volcanoes of the area have created a mineral rich soil which when watered by the seasonal rain provides an opportunity for lush grass to grow. There are few trees growing on the savanna of the Mara making it seem like a great lake of soil dressed in golden grass. The Mara also has riverine forests. The seasonal rains are predictably distributed regionally causing the rotation of the animal migration. The people of the Maasai tribe move their domesticated herds in synchrony with the wildlife, plants and rainfall.
When looking at the landscape of the Maasai Mara it is nearly unavoidable to escape the surrounding mountains replete with volcanoes. Mount Kenya (ancient volcano) is just to the right side of the image. The ash of these are the source of the soil. The sand particles seen in Figs. B1&2 came from these volcanoes. Note how dry it is in this region.Mara river cutting through the savannah. The river is a limited but reliable source of water. Seasonal rain is the major water resource however it is variable and recently very deminished.Hillsides erosion adds to the plane.The massive savannah of the Serengeti plane supports an animal migration that may be the greatest seasonal movement of animals on earth. The grass is lush and green.Mount Kenya off in the distance as part of the Great Rift Valley. No migratory animals here.This map* of the central eastern sextant of the continent of Africa shows the relative position of the two areas of our grand safari.
These two systems are much more complex than this simple description. This only becomes apparent after returning from there, collecting and organizing observations, and reflecting on the diversity and life forms and cycles. This leads to many more questions such as: Where did the glassy sand come from? Why do the two areas share so many identical species? Why are there so few cactus or pine species? How would you summarize the comparison of these two areas? Perhaps these questions can stimulate discussion in our comment section.
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The previous posting on Africa showed the photographic preparation for the trip. This posting is an introduction to the upcoming blogs which will feature the animal and plant wildlife in more detail. This photo safari was planned for thirty years. It has been postponed three times. At last, this was the opportunity to go. Botswana and Kenya are the two countries we visited in sub-Saharan Africa. The reasons to go there were their diversity of wildlife, ecosystems, and safety. The month of August was selected to be timely to see the greatest density of animals in the most clement season. It was also an opportunity to look for the similarities and differences of the comparable African and US locations. Here are thoughts, impressions and recounting of the two weeks of experience there.
The title sunset image is typical of the African sky. The beautiful sunset red comes from sand and minerals of the desert suspended in the air and refracted by the light. These same sands which are blown across the Atlantic Ocean color our Floridian sunsets too.
This lengthy monologue is only a rudimentary description of a very large subject. It is intended to help understand and appreciate the reasons for these features seen on this expedition and to summarize the complexities of the climate, geology, the flow of water on the land, the interdependency of species and some similarities to areas in the USA. The two major eco systems were marshlands and savanna. In Botswana the wetlands of the Okavango delta were the focal point. In Kenya the savanna of the Maasai Mara section of the Serengeti was of greatest interest. The Okavango delta ecosystem has some similarities to the wetlands found in the Southwest Florida Everglades National and State Park systems. The Maasai Mara is more like the grasslands of Montana where, 250 years ago, buffalo, antelope, elk, and wolf roamed in their own great migration.
Climate and Geology:
The Okavango delta is 19 degrees south of the Equator. The Florida Everglades are 19 degrees north of the equator. They receive approximately the same amount of energy from the sun. The marshlands of the Okavango delta and the Florida Everglades are both essentially inland dispersions of fresh water. The Okavango is a unique feature of the Kalahari Desert. This delta is deep in the interior of the land mass and the climate is continental. Unlike the Everglades, it does not have the moderating exposure to a neighboring ocean. It has a soil basis of sand that averages 200 feet deep. On top of that is a soil of a few inches depth with mixtures of soil brought by wind, flood, and a thin organic compost. The average elevation is 3100 ft. The delta has three biome types that include savanna, woodlands, and swamp. The Okavango River supply is derived from the confluence of the Cubango and Cuito rivers in Angola. The annual flow reaches the delta between March and June with maximum flow in July. Additionally, there is seasonal 18-inch rainfall in the Okavango from November to February which adds to water shed.
Floridian Everglades are at sea level and are founded on petrified sea bottom called sedimentary rock with a high calcium carbonate basis called limestone. The Florida Everglades topsoil is an average 17-foot-thick layer of marl (calcitic mud), peat and muck. The Everglades are subtropical wetlands whose freshwater system begins near Orlando in the Kissimmee River. The average annual rainfall is 60 inches. The Everglades have a maritime weather with tropical storms and moderation of climate. Climatically, there are no hurricanes in the Okavango and in the Everglades there is no drought.
In support of the science of plate tectonics. The Americas and Africa were one land mass 200 million years ago.
The concept of moving plates of the crust of the earth suggests that at a distant time in the past the assembly of the plates separated into the various land bodies. The shapes of the land mass fragments seen today can be manipulated as puzzle pieces into a larger land mass that fits together quite well. This particular assembly is called Pangea. If this is how the continents formed then there is a strong relationship between the eastern geology of the Americas and the western African geology. This fit is not entirely perfect, however, when considering the length of time for the division to transpire it is remarkably good. This has been supported by substantial evidence of rock formations that span the continents.The science is based on continental fit, matching rocks, fossils, corals, mountains, glacial striations, magnetic lineages and direct measurement of the movement.
About 98% of the water that goes into the Okavango delta is eventually lost through evaporation and transpiration. Transpiration results when water moves through the plant and evaporates from leaves and flowers. Despite the subtropical sun generating intense evaporation, the delta’s water is fresh, not salty. I was surprised by this because non circulating ponds of water in the middle parts of the islands have very high chemical and salt concentrations. This chemical concentration occurs in thousands of islands. The reason the water is fresh is that trees on the edges of the islands create a barrier of natural filters between the inner part of the islands and the floodplain. The second reason is a process of transpiration caused by trees. Water flows into the delta and carries with it silica and soluble minerals like sodium carbonate. As the water is lost from the trees, the silica and salts remain to build islands. The center of the islands concentrates the accumulated salt and as a result the vegetation dies from dehydration leaving a central bare white mineral spot. Termites facilitate island formation when they build nests of organic material, fungus, soil and water. These mounds of soil and nutrients promote tree and other plant growth. When the seasonal water rises the termites build skyward forming islands. Eventually the nest is abandoned to form a new colony. The mound then collapses from animal invasion and erosion. Termites are the keystone species of the Okavango. Without them the delta would be like the desert. Water would be lost, and life would be less dense and less diverse.The Okavango has no palm trees and pines are also nearly absent.
Pond in center of a large island in the Okavango delta. Salt has accumulated in the water causing the trees to dehydrate and die.Okavango Savana, for centuries built from sedimentation and termite mound building. Trees in the center of the island died from dehydration caused by salt accumulation. Grass is a monocot and is salt tolerant. The termites moved out and the mound is vacant.Intermittently flooded lowland in the high water season of the Okavango deltaFreely flowing fresh water in a branch of the Okavango river. The plant is Pampas grass (Miscanthus juncos).
The vegetation in Florida also plays an important role. The ocean barrier to salt invasion are mangroves which are salt tolerant. These mangroves are key to prevention of back flow of the salty ocean and hold the soil preventing erosion. Some fresh water flow does reach the ocean creating a relative partial positive pressure. The soils of the Everglades are rich in nitrates and farmers increase the nitrogen of a large portion of the Everglades. This has resulted in an overgrowth of a complex of bacteria species which feeds on the nitrates and deplete the nutrient value of the topsoil. The Everglades have no Acacia trees and lots of mosquitos.
The Kenyan savanna is climatically and geologically very different from the Okavango savanna. Kenya is at the Equator. It is a mile high in altitude and the soil is volcanic in origin. It is more like the area around Denver CO. It is surrounded by hills and mountains and has two rivers flowing through it. The major river flow is the Mara. The other is the Talek. It is part of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem spanning Tanzania and Kenya and has been geologically very active with ancient and recent rock formations. It is in the Great Rift Valley. It is in this valley that the million-year-old petrified remains of very early hominoids have been found.
High planes savanna of the Maasai Mara portion of the Serengeti plane. Mt Kenya is on the right horizon.River cut into the Mara plane providing water to the vegetation and wildlife. This is a spot where the Wildebeests would cross during their migration. They would climb the banks of the river during a stampede. The animals are subject to the risks of death from the crocodiles that ply the river during the crossing. Igneous rock formation on exposed hill side in the western Mt Kenya highlands.
The plants and animals are widely different in speciation in these three areas but they have similar behavior. This may be the result of adaptation to similar geologic and weather conditions. The apex predators of all locations are big cats. All have eagles, egrets, large carnivorous reptiles and cats and lots of grass.
Human impact:
The effect of the behavior of large numbers of modern people on the Florida ecosystem is dramatically different from the African locations. The Everglades water flow is highly engineered and not necessarily for the best. Southward flow of the Florida delta is interfered by highways and farms to the point that it does not meet the sea as it original did. The Okavango delta also does not meet the sea. In Africa the observed locations have relatively low populations and have been benignly neglected or protected from hunting, industrialization, mining or drilling and farming so that the plants and animals have survived basically unchanged for centuries or even millennia.
Romancing Wild Africa:
We went to see the animal life of Africa and did not go to see the cities, towns, or villages. We did not have much contact with the people of the areas we visited. Africa is a huge, populous, resource rich continent with a history that dates to the origin of most species. There is great wealth and great poverty. Too many people have nothing. They live an impoverished stone age existence in the space age. I acknowledge that many of these are desperately poor and politically persecuted to enslavement and/or death. The NGOs, like CARE, work to help many but must be careful to manage their limited resources. They also try not to support the migrant people in camps to a better level than the local people. The native residents also live by subsistence on gardening, raising a few cattle, contract farm working, tourism, and crafts. Some also engage in a variety of illegal endeavors such as poaching and grazing their animals on park land. You can read the newspapers for details of other antisocial behaviors such as intertribal warfare, abduction, extortion, theft, civil insurrection etc. Desperate people do desperate things.
The wilderness of the savanna of Africa is nothing like anything in eastern US. There is no sense of luxury to the plants or the soil. Much of the topsoil is sand deposited by wind and water. The stark beige color varies little by the source of volcanic mineralization. The organic content is not a rich loam of plant breakdown. It is thin and the organic content is from the sparse droppings from animals or the occasional bush or more rarely from a tree. Animal droppings are recycled by the life on the planes and provide an episodic line of trees from incompletely digested seeds. The brilliant emerald green plants, startling blue sky and the breathtaking color of twilight is such a relief from the monotony.
Next:
We will look in greater detail at the findings of this two-week photo expedition in the following blogs. They will focus more on species than locations.
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#Africa #Okavango #Botswana #Kenya #Everglades #transpiration #Maasai Mara #salt #tectonics #transpiration #evaporation #Tanzania #marsh land #savanna
