Flora Report: Lodgepole Pine

Veronica Patterson
Ms. Overly
Science Pd 4
June 4, 2008


The lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta, has needles in groups of two, long yellow green egg shaped cones, and reddish brown scaly bark. They thrive ecologically by growing rapidly early in their life. Another advantage lodgepoles have over other pines is their ability to survive in almost any kind of soil; lodgepole pines also can survive with a large variety of water and carbon dioxide conditions. This allows the Lodgepole to grow in areas that other trees would normally not inhabit. Because of these adaptations, many animals that rely on trees in their environment can inhabit new areas, as the lodgepole pine spreads, which greatly increases the biodiversity of these areas. There is also no competition for lodgepole pines in these areas, because they are the only trees with the adaptations that allow them to grow in these harsh conditions. This is a great advantage for them, because they cannot grow in the shade of other trees.

Lodgepole pines spread by using both seeds and pollen. The seeds are spread when the resin on that seals the pinecones shut is opened by fire. It is extremely advantageous for the lodgepole pine to spread its seeds after a fire, because they are intolerable of shade. This makes it nearly impossible for lodgepole pines to grow where large trees already in place. It also explains why they grow best after taller trees have burned down. This makes the lodgepole pine a very important component to succession, because they grow back quickly, helping the area return to its climax community after a natural disaster.

One of the disadvantages of spreading so quickly is the occurrence of overpopulation. In these areas, the lodgepoles will grow so densely that they will not only crowd out other species of trees, but will stunt the growth of their own population. In these cases the trees must wait for another fire to clear out some of the smaller trees, or it will remain in a stagnant state.

Works Cited
Lodgepole Pines. (2005, May). Retrieved June 30, 2008, from Saskatoon Farm: http://www.saskatoonfarm.com/images/lodgepole.jpg

Wikipedia. (2006, May 12). Lodgepole Pine. Retrieved July 1, 2008, from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lodgepole_Pine

Observation 8

Time: 7:28 pm
Weather: Storm Clouds
Temperature: 48 degrees

Over the course of these observations my area has gone through many transformations. As the weather warmed my area greatly increased in biodiversity with the appearance of moose, fox, insects, frogs, rodents, and many bird populations; I believe that the richness in biodiversity was mostly caused by the pond which offered good habitats, and encouraged the growth of flora life. As we have come towards the end of this study my areas biodiversity has begun to plateau with the loss of some species to the stormy weather. This also had affects on other species still living at the pond as the lost the food source of frogs to the bad weather. However, these storms also served to diversify the flora life. This increase in flora life provided more food for many animals, and also provided new shelters. As we get farther into summer I predict that my area will continue to change with the weather, and will remain an excellent area for both animals and plants.

Observation 7

Time: 4:23 pm
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temperature: 55 degrees

The spring showers that hit my observation area earlier this week appear to have killed off the small frogs that once inhabited the pond. Their disappearance has had a significant affect on some of the other wildlife that occupy my area. The water fowl relied almost exclusively on the frogs for food, now that they are gone the ducks have moved to eating insects, but have also begun to wander the neighborhood in search of other habitats that could provide more food. Their disappearance has also put more pressure onto the insects that live by the pond. The birds can only rely on insects for food which has diminished the populations of insects greatly. The only animals in the area that seem unaffected by the change are the moose the foxes.

With the weather clearing now the moose and fox have begun to make more appearances around the area. It seems that neither species enjoys cold rainy weather. The fox also seemed to have difficulty hunting in the bad weather, because the rodents all remained in their dens. If we had a rainier climate it is possible that the fox would not be able to survive. The moose however is reaping the benefits of the rain, because the plant life if feeds off of is now flourishing thanks to the extra water.

Observation 6

Time: 7:00 pm
Weather: heavy rain, thunder, and lightning
Temperature: 51 degrees

My area is having the first true spring shower of the year. This weather is predicted to continue throughout the rest of the week. I think that if this rain does continue the already increasing biodiversity of flora life will begin to grow and advance even more quickly. This will in turn continue to increase the biodiversity of the fauna life around my area, because they will provide more habitats, and food for the animal life.

The rain has caused most of the animals to stay within their shelters. However, there are some animals that seem to flourish in the rain. Several ducks have begun to appear on the pond. They take turns ducking to catch bugs, and frogs from the mud at the bottom of the lake. A blue heron has also visited the pond to hunt. The ducks and the heron are the only birds that I have seen out in this weather, the smaller birds seem to prefer dry weather. They small birds also have very few insects to feed off, because the weather is too damp and cold for most insects to fly. The moose also seem unaffected by the rain. They still roam through the area looking for willows, and other plants to feed on.

If it continues to stay this damp, some smaller organisms may have trouble surviving in my area. The small birds are not adapted to fly in the high breezes and rain. The insects that inhabit my area are also not able to survive in this weather. Foxes will also have trouble finding food if the rodents continue to stay in their burrows. However, this weather is necessary for much of the flora life in my area. The drought that we have experienced in the past few years have caused many lakes to dry up, which in turn has caused the death of some plants that rely heavily on water.

Fauna Report: Red Fox

Veronica Patterson
Ms. Overly
Science Pd 4
May 20, 2008

Fauna Report for Field Journal Project: Red Fox

The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, inhabits almost all of North America and Eurasia. There are also several populations in the Northern Africa. The red fox can survive in different ecosystems, including plains, forests, and scrublands. Though they typically prefer lower altitudes, there are populations as far north as the arctic.

The physical characteristics of this species vary depending on the environment. In general the adult fox weighs from 6.6 to 30.8 pounds, about the size of a small dog. Red foxes can be anywhere from 18 to 33.75 inches long. In comparison to their total length foxes’ have long tails that range from 12 to 27.5 inches long. Their small size is important, because in cold climates it allows them to walk on snow without breaking through. It also allows them to hunt their prey more easily, because their steps create fewer vibrations through the ground. Their long tails offer an advantage in balance for the foxes, allowing them to walk on treacherous surfaces like snow without losing their balance.

The red fox typically has a red coat, with a white underbelly and black tips on it ears nose and leg. However, some variations in the wild can have a brown black coat. They can also have mottled coats, which have colored spots or blotches, and a variety of facial markings. The darker and mottled coats can offer an advantage in more thickly forested areas, because it allows the fox to camouflage itself in the shadows of the plants.

Red foxes are mostly carnivorous. Though they do eat vertebrates such as small rodents, rabbits, small fish, and birds, the majority of their diet consists of invertebrates. These invertebrates include insects, mollusks, earthworms, and crayfish. When available they supplement their diet with plant material such as apples, plums, blackberries, and other fruit. These foxes are also impressive scavengers that will often follow larger animals, wait for them to make a kill, and then eat whatever is left over. When scavenging they must be careful, because if they come to close wolves, and bears they will not hesitate to attack a fox. Along with wolves and bears, badgers will often prey on foxes.

These foxes are mostly independent creatures. In the summer they prefer to forage alone, while in winter they form pairs to mate. Foxes typically mate from December to February. However, the exact time when they mate depends on the climate they inhabit. The pair will stay together through the winter, with the male fox providing for the female fox as she raises their young kits.

Each red fox claims its own territory. Territories may be as large as 19 square miles and within these territories there are usually several dens. These dens are often abandoned dens of marmots or badgers, and sometimes the fox will dig the den itself. The digging of these dens can affect the habitat they live in, because it can destroy the burrows of other organisms in the ecosystem, such as mice. Some smaller dens are used for hunting and summer rest areas while a larger den is usually reserved for winter rest, mating, and the raising of kits. Most red foxes are crepuscular, active during twilight, however, due to the large amount of human lights near their territories, many have begun to display nocturnal habits.




Works Cited:
New Hampshire Public Television. (2008, January 1). Red Fox-Vulpes vulpes. Retrieved May 13, 2008, from Nature Works: http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/redfox.htm
Wikipedia. (2008, May 12). Red Fox. Retrieved May 13, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_fox

Observation 5

Time: 3:00 pm
Weather: Mostly Clear
Temperature: 74 degrees

The weather has been getting warmer as we get farther into the month of May. This has caused an increase in the number of bug populations in my area. This in turn has created more niches for birds of many types in my area. As I begin to see more bugs I have also seen some new species of birds including, red-winged blackbirds, swallows, robins, and blue birds. The biodiversity of my area continues to increase as the weather warms. I predict that as more small birds come to my area, I may see more predators of these birds, such as red-tailed hawks.

The fauna biodiversity in my area has increase dramatically with the warm weather. The cattails, and grasses by the pond continue to grow. The willows have also begun to sprout their green leaves. There are also new flowers appearing, spring daffodils, and tulips have begun to grow. This will probably cause an increase in the herbivores and omnivores that visit my area. Perhaps elk and deer will come instead of just the moose that typically visit my area. After such a hard winter I am sure that they will be looking for food sources in places other than the typical feeding areas.

Observation 4

Time: 3:45
Weather: Clear Skies
Temperature: 63 degrees

My area has not been visited by any new organisms over the past few days. The fox caught and ate a mouse when out in the field. Now that the grass is taller it has begun to stalk prey, then pounce very high in the air, and trying to grab the mouse as it lands. It seems that this ecosystem provides plenty of food for secondary consumers like the fox. Later on the fox also came to sniff around in the willows and cattails where the mallard ducks and magpies nest. The ducks where not about, or they were camouflaging themselves within the shadows of the grass and willows, because the fox could not catch one.

The moose also returned today to eat more willows. They seem to be slowly improving in health as the weather warms, and more food becomes available to them. It seems that they have also begun to relax as they realize that the largest predator in this area is the population of red fox.

The biodiversity in my area continues to remain very high, with the large amount of producers, primary consumers, and secondary consumers. I think that the biodiversity is so high, because of some of the abiotic factors in my area. For instance the pond provides water for plants, and these plants in turn provide nutrition and shelter for the other organisms.

Observation 3

Time: 5 pm
Weather: Mostly Cloudy
Temperature: 44 degrees


A new population of organisms are visiting my observation area today; a baby moose and a mother moose. They appear to be having a difficult time surviving. They are both very thin, they are also losing fur in patches, and it appears that they have some type of skin fungus. It also seems very likely that they have lice, and other parasites. They are so desperate for food that they were not even deterred by the barking dogs and cars of the neighborhood as they usually are. I predict that they will have a hard time surviving another winter as long and intense as this one, if they can even survive the summer.

The fox also made an appearance today. He was behaving strangely, one second he would hold stock still, and the next he would be running full speed across the common area field. At another point he also ran in a tight circle for about 3 minutes. I think it may have been the grasshoppers, and other grass bugs that occupy the field.

The fauna in this area is beginning to show signs of spring. The cattails have begun to sprout their white fuzzed tips that will soon turn brown. The population of willow trees by the pond is also starting to show green buds, that leaves will grow from. The grass is also growing taller and greener. All of these changes have created an increase in bird traffic for this area. Several magpies have a habitat in the willow trees, ducks have begun to nest in the island cattails, and a variety of songbird populations are in the area. I believe that as the weather continues to become warmer the biodiversity of the area will continue to increase.

Observation 2

Time: 4:30 pm
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temperature: 56 degrees


There is a new organism in my observation area today. A blue heron has landed on the island by the pond, and appears to be hunting the small frogs and insects that live near the cattail reeds. One of the adult foxes was also out in the field hunting to feed the rest of the population of foxes. I predict that the increase in biodiversity will continue throughout the coming weeks as the weather continues to become warmer. The pond appears to be the center of a small ecosystem. Organisms and populations come to it throughout the day; some to find food/water and others to find shelter, or just a place to stop and rest. The plant life around the pond is also beginning to become more developed. For instance, the cattail reeds have begun to grow their brown fuzzy caps, and the grasses have begun to become green and taller. I predict that soon the reeds grass will be high enough to provide shelter for populations of duck to have their ducklings in.


The blue heron appears to have caught a frog or a small fish to eat and now is returning to it's nest, perhaps the pond will become a regular feeding environment for this bird to visit. Now that the blue heron has left a population of approximately a dozen magpies has come to land in the willows beside the pond. Maybe they are looking to catch some insects or scavenge a kill off a song bird or another organism.

Observation 1: Description of Area 5/6/08

My observation area is located directly behind my house in Shoshone Dr. Wilson. The area reaches from just past the fence border of my back yard, through the pasture, and onto the common area located in the middle of the neighborhood. The area that I am observing will be around 3 acres. The habitat in this area is mostly flat grassland. The tree coverage in this area only consists of a few remaining natural willows and man planted conifer trees. There is also a man made pond with an island just past the fence line. Some of the biotic factors living in this area are a fox that has just had kits, and tends to roam through the neighborhood. Many other predators such as coyotes and the occasional wolf pack have visited this area. An occasional herd of elk or deer will travel through this area; many times moose will also winter in this area to feed off the willows. The pond also hosts a number of small frogs, and insects such as dragonflies, and horse flies.