#native species

[fieldsparrowstudio]

jewels of opar

traditional ink, digital color. 2024

[himekokosu]

Lilium rubellum

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Okay. So you know how industrial agriculture overuses synthetic fertilizers loaded with nitrogen to make up for the decades of soil degradation that intensive farming practices cause? So not only does a lot of this fertilizer end up as runoff in our waterways every time it rains, but while it's still on land it's messing with the surrounding ecology, particularly plants.

See, nitrogen normally exists primarily in our atmosphere, and most organisms can't absorb atmospheric nitrogen, even though it's a crucial nutrient. However, some soil bacteria are capable of drawing this nitrogen in and converting it to a form of ammonia accessible to plants. These bacteria can be found in little nodules of many plants' roots, and make the nitrogen available to their hosts in return for a nice safe place to live. When these nitrogen-fixing plants shed leaves or other parts, or die entirely, the nitrogen in their tissues is then released into the local ecosystem as they decay.

However, when we started supercharging farmland and gardens with tons of extra nitrogen through fertilizers, we threw off the entire nitrogen cycle. Plants native to a given ecosystem have evolved to tolerate a certain balance of nutrients, to include some that may be naturally scarce, and when the nutrient balance suddenly shifts significantly, it causes a lot of upset. With more nitrogen filtering through nearby ecosystems, and those downstream, nitrogen-fixing plants are suddenly losing their competitive edge, and are becoming less common in these places. Over time, they can become locally extinct, breaking whatever bonds they had with other species in the ecosystem, which often leads to even more ecological unraveling.

So you see, more fertilizer isn't always the answer. When engaging in habitat restoration efforts in many parts of the United States, it's important to work with the native soil instead of adding a lot of amendments. Those amendments can actually make it easier for invasive weeds to get a roothold because they often come from places with richer soil, or are simply more able to make the most of the excess nutrients to grow faster and out-compete native plants. Adding too much nitrogen, whether intentionally or as a byproduct of agriculture, makes it even tougher for native ecosystems to thrive in disturbed areas adjacent to farms. On the other hand, making sure your restoration site has native nitrogen-fixers and other pioneer plants helps set the stage for long-term success, while making conditions less favorable to nutrient-hungry invasive species.

We already had plenty of reason to curb the overuse of synthetic fertilizers; this study just adds another argument in that regard.

[jenfoundabug]

Arctic skipper (Carterocephalus mandan) Northeastern Pennsylvania, US

[wolfchanw]

I went for a hike with one of my favorite humans today and found this little darling sunning themselves on a popular trail. I decided to move them off the path as there were a LOT of bikes whizzing by, and they were so polite! No hissing, no musking, no bites!

@snake-spotted I thought you'd appreciate my new friend too!

[mamaspark]

I found the coolest praying mantis here in NC. I’ve only seen the green ones in MI. My daughter told me this is a Carolina Mantis and is native to here. The green ones are an invasive species.

[omg-snakes]

I was so, so lucky to meet a very special trio of snakes for a class I'm taking on methods in field ecology. One of my two professors is a specialist in garter snakes and was kind enough to bring three different species in for us to compare in person and observe up close. The first was the gorgeous common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, pictures above. She was so calm and well-mannered!

Next was this tiny (by comparison) T. elegans dude, a western garter snake, who was wary of the camera but very patient about being passed around by a group of excited college students. He matched my classmate's sweater perfectly!

Finally, an endangered and incredibly precious T. gigas, the giant garter snake. She's about half of her maximum adult size, so a giant indeed! She musked and peed a bit but for the most part this gojira-faced beauty was pretty chill. We got to observe a full work-up for her including documenting records and microchipping.

She's one of the last of her species. Despite Herculean efforts by her protectors and conservation experts (mostly just one man and his dedicated team), this is a very difficult species to observe in the wild and their habitats are disappearing faster than their need for prioritization of protection in a given area can be assessed. These snakes rely on riparian habitat near rivers, which is also unfortunately a favorite for human development. At this time we don't know how exactly many giant garter snakes are left or whether their current populations are stable.

Today we got to visit their marshland habitat and watch these three go back to the place where they were caught. It was a huge honor and something I'll carry with me forever.

[arthistoryanimalia]

#TwoForTuesday on #TurtleTuesday from the British Museum:

Turtle Figure India, Mughal, Allahabad, c. early 17th c. Nephrite jade; H20 x L48.5 x W32 cm, 41 kg 🆔 “The detailed carving work allows the species to be identified, i.e., a female 'Kachuga dhongoka' [Three-Striped Roofed Turtle, now a critically endangered species] and native to the River Jumna which joins the Ganges at Allahabad.” (BM)

Turtle Netsuke Made by Kikugawa; Japan, Meiji, late 19th c. Silver; W5.4 cm 🆔 Not offically ID’d, but likely the endemic Japanese Pond Turtle (Mauremys japonica), aka nihon ishigame.

[photos-by-rv]

NEED HELP WITH BUTTERFLY ID: A lovely swallowtail butterfly (Eastern Tiger?) resting upon creeping thistle, a non-native plant in North America.

South Frontenac, Eastern ON, Canada | July 14, 2024

[thegreenwolf]

Hey, all! I haven't had a chance to list my three latest stickers--a chum salmon, a banana slug (on a banana!) and a rough-skinned newt in a log. But you can get them directly from me--all my 4" vinyl indoor/outdoor stickers are $5 each plus shipping, and I do ship internationally. Just drop me a line at whishthound(at)gmail(dot)com.

[bumblebeeappletree]

You can grow tanks, rather than buy them, and they'll have a lot more water-harvesting capacity.

This video is about how living sponges (rain gardens) have far greater capacity than non-living manufactured water tanks, in that they utilize and infiltrate water during and immediately after rains to quickly make more room or capacity for the next rain - even if that rain comes just a few hours after the first rain.

Thus rain gardens (in this case, a water-harvesting, traffic-calming chicane or pull out) typically have much more potential for flood-control, groundwater-recharge, bioremediation (natural filtration of toxins), and heat-island abatement (due to the shading/cooling vegetation they grow and the cooling effect of the water transpiring through these "living pumps").

This works in any climate, but the vegetation changes as you change bioregions. The easiest path to success is to use plants native or indigenous to your area and site's microclimate. Go further, and select native plants that also produce food, medicine, craft/building materials, etc so you grow living pantries, pharmacies, craft suppliers, etc.

At minimum, make sure your tanks overflow to rain gardens, so that overflow is used as a resource. And place those rain gardens and their vegetation where you most need that vegetation, such as trees on the east and west sides of buildings to shade out the morning and afternoon summer sun for free, passive cooling.

The ideal, is that once this rain garden vegetation has become established the only irrigation water it will require is the freely harvested on-site water, so no importing/extracting of groundwater, municipal water, or other is needed. This way we can infiltrate more water into the living system than we take out - thereby enabling the recharge of groundwater, springs, and rivers; instead of their depletion and dehydration.

Get more info on how to do this and harvest many other free, on-site waters at:

https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/

where you can buy Brad's award-winning books, "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond" at deep discount direct from Brad at:

https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/s...

For more info on the community water harvesting and native food forestry work check out:

https://dunbarspringneighborhoodfores...

For more videos that expand on this one subscribe to this channel at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Harvestin...

#rainwater

#waterharvesting

#permaculture

#rainwaterharvesting

[ahedderick]

Cry wolf

A couple year ago my son was exploring a cave in a remote area of West Virgina and found, along a railway, some Very Big canine tracks. He was able to get a good clear photo of one, with his hand for scale, and was a little over four inches long without claws. It wouldn't have been impossible for a dog to be in that area, but it was quite far from the nearest houses and also very few dogs have paw that big. We all said "hmmm," and there the matter rested.

Coyote howling is very distinctive, quite high-pitched. I can't get close to the highest notes I hear when the coyotes on the mountain are crying. Twice now, recently, we have heard howling from the mountain that is much lower.

If you look up the range of gray wolves, the closest area would be in upstate New York, which is hundreds of miles from Maryland. However, the Appalachian mountains run in a broad, almost straight band right from here to New England. A critter that was avoiding humans and roads and traveling the wild areas of the mountain ridges would be led right here if it was moving north to south.

In my lifetime black bears, coyotes, porcupines, and fishers have returned to this area after being locally extinct for decades. There are a lot of rumors of mountain lions; although not many of them are credible, a few are. A lone wolf? Deciding to venture south and see the world a little? Is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

We will continue saying, "hmmm." And keep our eyes and ears open.

[beyondtheegress]

👁👄👁

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Happy Spring! I've just released my newest quarterly chapbook, Habitat Restoration: What It Is, Why It’s Important, and How to Get Started.

Habitat loss is the single biggest cause of species becoming endangered or extinct. Thankfully, we can help our local animals, plants, and other beings by restoring their habitat–even in our own backyards, gardens, and porches! Get the basics of what you need to know about:

What habitat restoration is

Why it’s important

How to get started

Troubleshooting your restoration project

Further resources

Whether you’re an experienced gardener wanting to grow native plants, or a nature-lover trying to make your corner of the world a little better place, this book will get you started on your own small-scale habitat restoration project.

You can get the ebook for free right now by signing up for my monthly email newsletter at https://rebeccalexa.com/news-updates/. Or if you want to purchase a paperback, it's available for just $6 plus shipping at https://rebeccalexa.com/habitat-restoration/

(Reblogs okay and encouraged--thank you!)

[jenfoundabug]

It would be nice if humanity could reach a point where landscaping like this is not okay. I walk past this area frequently, and they regularly nuke everything with roundup and remove all the detritus. Think of all the arthropods and other wildlife this wasted space could support. I understand having fire buffers around buildings, but this attitude isn’t exclusive to plots close to buildings…

I also understand many native plants can be more difficult to grow, but California poppies (in the Bay Area) are not one of them. I’m sure other regions have similarly easy to grow species. Even a few plants can make a huge difference.

We as a culture need to stop it with the blasé attitude about the destruction of nature, particularly bugs (ie invertebrates). “Kill it with fire” is a shitty and ignorant way to react to a tiny animal that is merely trying to exist. The vast majority of bugs are not out to get you and are, in fact, terrified of you (rightfully so in many cases).

Would you squish a baby bird? Didn’t think so.

[kettlechip-krispy-kreme]

damn native bees are so cool i wish ppl cared about them as much as honeybees