Field
Observation:
It was a warm but foggy morning as I began the short hike
to Wysong Meadows Loop. It was that time
in the morning where the birds were becoming active, so much in fact that the
mother goose thought I was trying to interfere with her goslings, so she helped
me get moving even faster with a quick flap of her wings and a quick hiss. As I approached Wysong Loop I couldn’t help
but notice the hundreds of spider webs throughout the field with the first of
the morning sun reflecting off the beautiful silk. I also quickly observed the eager mosquitoes
and deer flies searching for an early morning snack. When I approached the loop for the first time I noticed a
few large trees with their leaves glinting with the morning fog surrounded by a
sea of herbaceous plants. Beginning my
first lap around the loop trail I could begin to distinguish a few smaller
differences in the plant communities, such as areas with more shrubby vegetation,
smaller grasses, rushes, and forbs, as well as differences in moisture levels.
During this early morning walk around the loop I even scared up
a wild turkey hen and her poults and they quickly ran/flew into the brush; I could also hear a tom in the distance gobbling. As I continued walking I began to notice the great
variety of wildflowers and how walking, even in that small loop, could have
such differences. Put together they made
up a beautiful mosaic and splashes of color and mixed with the early morning
fog and hundreds of spider webs made for a picture perfect story.
Species
Identification:
1) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
With
a height of 1-3’ this flowering plant is hard to miss on the open field
displaying a golden yellow daisy-like flower around a black to brown central disk (Figures 1 and 2). This plant is a biennial which means that it
takes two years to fully complete its lifecycle, the first year it forms its
leaves, which range from 2-7’’ long and are rough and hairy, and the second
year the flower heads which are 2-3’’ emerge (Thieret, Niering, and Olmstead,
2001).
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Fig. 1 Black-eyed
Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Flower head
(K. Bradley 7/7/2016) |
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| Fig. 2 Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Tall 1-3' with rough and hairy leaves (K. Bradley 7/7/2016) |
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2) Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
This brilliantly colored flower is
hard to miss in the old field landscape, with its bright orange color standing
out in stark contrast. The flowers
themselves are clustered in a group on top of the hairy stem with narrow shaped
leaves 2-5’’ long (Fig. 3-5). Research
has shown that butterfly weed can take up to four years to reach its full size
and it is able to survive long dry summers because of its long taproot (Texas
Parks & Wildlife). It is easy to compare
to other milkweeds because in addition to the flower color this is the only
milkweed with an alternate leaf arrangement and watery sap when bruised, many
other milkweeds have a milky substance released when broken open (Newcomb 1977). Butterfly Weed can be present on a wide
variety of habitats, from open dry soils to roadsides to fields and prefers
well drained soils, and it has a large distribution across North America (Texas
Parks & Wildlife, Thieret et al. 2001). It is present in this
old field because it has the perfect habitat conditions, with ample sunlight,
and well drained sandy soil.
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Fig. 3 Butterfly
Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) The brightly colored orange flowers on top the hairy stem. (K. Bradley 7/9/2016)
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| Fig. 4 Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) The characteristic flowers clustered together to form a large showy head. (K. Bradley 7/9/2016) |
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| Fig. 5 Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) 1-2' in height with hairy stems and 2-5'' narrow leaves. (K. Bradley 7/9/2016)
Butterfly weed has also some unique characteristics and historical uses. This plant is commonly used in landscaping projects because it attracts many beneficial pollinators like bees and especially butterflies, thus the common name. Historically Native Americans used the tough taproot to treat a variety of ailments such as pleurisy, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses (Texas Parks & Wildlife, Thieret et al. 2001).
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3) Eastern
Cottontail (Sylvilagus
floridanus)
The eastern cottontail rabbit is a common sight
throughout most of North American and can be seen from urban areas to open
fields. In this location they are
commonly seen darting onto and off of mowed trails. It is easily recognizable as the cottontail
rabbit due to the white underside of its tail, and when it is moving is easily
observable (Fig. 6). As long as this
rabbit has cover, brushy areas, tall grasses, and food such as shoots of grass,
leaves, and clover the populations can thrive.
This rabbit is present in this old field because it provides the perfect
combination of food and cover, which protects them from predators.
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| Fig. 6 Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) (Photo Credit: Indiana Department of Natural Resources)
Like many other animal species the population goes through many ups and downs. The population can increase if there is an abundance of food and cover and fewer predators such as foxes, hawks, owls, and domesticated dogs. Rabbits can have from three to six litters each summer which allows for population numbers to greatly change in the course of a few months. This population can then come back down due to a number of factors such as disease, poor reproduction, low food supply, and hunting (Indiana Department of Natural Resources).
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4) Eastern
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Eastern Cottonwood trees are very
common throughout the central United States and are found on moist and well
drained soils, usually around bodies of water such as creeks, rivers, wetlands,
and ponds. That is why many cottonwoods
are in this site due to historical and current ditches and waterways (Fig. 7). When approaching cottonwood trees you can
usually hear the leaves in the breeze, and the leaves themselves have a
flattened stalk connecting the leaves to the branches. The leaves are a deltoid (triangular) shaped,
thus the scientific name, and are toothed (Fig 8 and 9).
The branches themselves are alternate, have thick twigs, and the bark is
characteristically gray and furrowed (Jackson 2003).
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| Fig. 7 Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) One of the trees found in the old field. (K. Bradley 7/9/2016) |
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| Fig. 8 Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Characteristic leaves with flat stem and thick branches. (K. Bradley 7/9/2016) |
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| Fig. 9 Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Characteristic deep furrowed bark (K. Bradley 7/9/2016) |
Some interesting characteristics and uses of cottonwood include the fact that the wood is not durable, and thus is commonly used for plywood. Cottonwood is also used in windbreaks (planted in multiple rows) and is sometimes selected and planted for being able to quickly provide shade to an area. Cottonwood is regenerated by seeds which are very small and attached to a cottony mass thus the name, and allows for easy distribution and regeneration (USDA 2002).
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| Creative Contribution: Spider web photos taken from Wysong Meadows Loop. (K. Bradley 7/7/2016)
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Response Question:
The dominant vegetation for the Wysong Loop is an
herbaceous layer filled with grasses, rushes, and wildflowers. There is also woody vegetation with 5
large woody tree species, comprised of Populus
deltoides and Juniperus Virginiana as
well as some bushy sumac (Rhus sp.) located on the eastern side. The main vegetation found throughout is a
mixture of grasses and wildflowers, with heights ranging from just a few inches
on the north side, all the way over six feet on the southern edge of the
area.
The dominant vegetation is an herbaceous layer due to the
management activities of the area. Historically this old field was used for row crop agriculture from 1938-1967,
so almost thirty years (or more) of production before it was planted with
clover as a wildlife habitat as an agreement with the Indiana Department of
Natural Resources. In the mid 1990’s
there was management implemented to cut invading woody plants, such as hawthorn
(Crataegus sp.) and autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellate). Autumn olive is is a very
invasive pest species found throughout North America and efforts throughout the country are underway to attempt to get rid of this invasive shrub. These woody plants were removed from the area
to reduce the fuel load and the first prescribed fire was completed in the
spring of 1996. In the spring of 1995,
two permanent vegetation transects were installed allowing area managers to
track species and abundances. Since the
first initial burn there have been prescribed fires occurring in the spring of
2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2016 (W. Minter, personal communication, July 7,
2016).
This management of this area would greatly explain why the
herbaceous layer is so active today. Having
a prescribed fire through the area allows for the grasses and wildflowers to
regenerate, most of which thrive under periodic fire conditions, while at the
same time getting rid of the woody plant species that were starting to
establish. Prescribed fire is a very beneficial management activity for a variety of reasons ranging from reducing large fuel
loads, helping to remove unwanted species (such as the woody vegetation),
increase forage for game animals (wild turkey, cottontail rabbit, etc.), helps
the land recycle the nutrients, and finally providing optimal growth for many
varieties of herbaceous plants, and wildflowers (Fire & Aviation Management). Finding the cottonwood trees in this area can also show the
history of this area which used to be underwater with the remnant
sandy soil and mesic site conditions.
I can’t
wait to see how my site changes over the next couple of months. Many of the
goldenrod species and other wildflowers look just about ready to start blooming, which will paint and
even brighter picturesque landscape. I also can't wait to see and learn more about how interconnected things are, just like the spider's web, so stay tuned!
Citations:
Fall Wildflowers of New England. (2004). Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio/Wildflowers_Kimonis_Kramer/PAGES/BLACK-EYEDSUSAN_PAGE_FINAL.html
Fire and Aviation Management, Managing Wildland Fires:
Prescribed Fire. (n.d.) Retrieved July 14, 2016, from http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/management/rx.html
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Animal
Information: Cottontail Rabbit. (n.d.) Retrieved July 11, 2016, from https://secure.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3375.htm
Jackson, Marion. (2003). 101 Trees of Indiana: A Field Guide. Bloomington, IN: Indiana
University Press.
Newcomb, Lawrence. (1977). Wildflower Guide. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Texas Parks & Wildlife, Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa). (n.d.) Retrieved
July 14, 2016, from http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/butterflyweed/
Thieret, J. W., Niering, W. A., & Olmstead, N. C.
(Eds.). (2001). National Audubon Society
Field Guide to Wildflowers Eastern Region. New York, NY: Chanticleer Press.
USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program, Plant Fact Sheet,
Eastern Cottonwood. (2002). Retrieved July 14, 2006 from http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_pode3.pdf
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