Cells in the Landscape

Date: November 12th
Time: 1:05 - 1:55 PM
Weather: Partly cloudy, 46 degrees Fahrenheit
Location: Lesley's Brattle Campus

I was feeling a little gloomy after staying in bed for most of the morning, so I decided to venture outside. I had just finished reading the article about forest therapy, so I was hopeful that going outside would improve my chances of fighting off a recently acquired cold. I sat up against the trunk of a honeylocust tree not far from Site Gamma. I was surprisingly comfortable in my sunny spot. I closed my eyes and tried to relax completely, but I found it difficult due to a nearby road and the pedestrians on it. I heard many people discussing the results of the election, cars passing, faraway leaf blowers, airplanes, and squirrels running around and rustling in the leaves. I think I could have fallen asleep there if I were not worried about people looking at me as they passed. I am not sure how long I sat like this, but eventually I pulled out some homework. I completed an assignment and then got up to run errands in Harvard Square, just as it was beginning to get chilly. The back of my coat and tights were covered in mulch and dried leaves when I stood up.
Cells in this Environment:

* The plant cells that make up leaves, bark, mulch, seedpods, and grass. Abscission cells were certainly at work because nearly all of the honeylocust leaves had fallen to the ground. 
* The animal cells that make up all of this tissues in my body (and the squirrels' bodies)
* The prokaryotes that I consumed in my Greek yogurt that morning

My cells responding to the environment:

* Keratinocytes making up my epidermis, which form a protective barrier and release signaling proteins called chemokines whenever that barrier is breached
* The white blood cells (like T and B lymphocytes) fighting off the cold virus that has infected me with special proteins called antibodies

Visit a Conservation or Ecological Restoration Site

Date: November 2nd
Time: 3:18 - 3:57 PM
Weather: Overcast, 65 -70 degrees Fahrenheit
Location: Alewife Brook Reservation - North Cambridge

I accidentally came across the Alewife Brook Reservation as I was collecting cottonwood for a viceroy caterpillar. It came out of diapause due to the unusually warm weather, so I thought it best to have food available, just in case. I only recently realized that you mentioned it in your blog post.

The Alewife Reservation is surprisingly close to the large Alewife T Station and its huge parking garage. I walked there from Boston Transit Alewife Station, using a narrow paved path that connected to Alewife Station Access Road. A chainlink fence separated the path and a bog that was to one side of it. Both the path and bog were littered with garbage and I could see bottles floating in the water. I don't understand why littering is so widespread. It makes me feel simultaneously sad and angry. Once I reached Alewife Station Access Road, I crossed it to walk on a bike path called Alewife Linear Path.

The path ran alongside a small pond called Yate's Pond. I could see a group of Canada geese floating nearby the opposite shore. What attracted my attention the most, however, was a large fish that could be seen floating just below the surface of the water. I stood on the bridge/path and just stared at it for a few minutes. I could see its pectoral fins moving slightly, but other than that it was fairly stationary. It was a pale grey from where I stood, and looked to be a foot long. It was so close to the surface of the water that part of its dorsal fin was poking out! I watched it for a while thinking that it would swim away, but it did not and I eventually left (when I checked on it later I saw it swim under a bunch of water weeds). Yate's Pond had some litter in it, but nothing like what I had seen on the path that I mentioned earlier. I noticed a frog sitting in a shallow area with only its head poking out of the water, which was swirling with colorful oil.

I collected a some cottonwood and then I only needed to cross the road and a tiny wooden bridge to get to the reservation. I peeked over the side of the bridge as I crossed it, and was surprised to see a critter in the creek/stream below. It was too small to be a beaver, so I believe that it was a muskrat. I cannot recall ever seeing one before, so I was pretty excited. It sat in the shallow water along the bank, and was munching away on what looked like dried reeds. It did not seem to be bothered by the sound of the nearby highway or bicyclists crossing the bridge. It was rather cute.

I did not wander far into the reservation because I had a class in the evening that I needed to get back to. I explored an area that had a sign marking it as a restoration area by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The area had short grass and many thistle, burdock, and mullein plants. The perimeter was filled with tall grasses, shrubs, and trees. I walked to the back of the restoration area where it met Little River, and was lucky enough to observe a great blue heron wading in the water. It was beautiful. I do not think that it was aware of my presence and walked more slowly than I would have expected, perhaps so that it had a better chance of sneaking up on a fish.

Mullein:

Burdock:

Thistle:

Pokeweed:

Not Yet Identified (maybe swamp smartweed?):

The website for the commonwealth of Massachusetts lists Alewife Brook Reservation as an important area for native birds like osprey, great blue herons, and woodcocks. I wonder if I would have seen more than the blue heron if I had wandered deeper into the reservation. The reservation's description did not say anything about muskrats, but it did mention that it is a site for herring migration and spawning. I wonder if the large fish that I saw was a herring.

I was surprised to see as much wildlife as I did in such a small area, especially since there was a pollution problem and a major highway nearby. I wonder if such encounters are common because there are few other areas for the animals to go.

Comparisons

Transect at Site Alpha

Date: October 26th, 2016
Time: 1:16 to 1:26 PM
Weather: 46 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, 10mph wind
Location: Lesley University Brattle Campus - Cambridge, MA

Point A:
-Crushed acorns/acorn caps
-Dried oak, maple, and other leaves covering the ground
-Fallen twigs and small branches

Point B:
-Small weed that has gone to seed
-Ant running along measuring tape
-Dried leaves
-Grass still green and seemingly healthy

Point C:
-Dried leaves are more abundant
-More medium or small black ants

Point D:
-Even more leaves, but mostly from a nearby maple
-Some litter

Point E:
-Lots of crushed acorns in the dirt
-Sugar ants
-Fewer fallen leaves, but the ones present look older

Changes in Site Alpha:

The most noticeable change from my original transect on September 16th was the large number of leaves covering the ground. There were dried leaves even then, but not enough to mostly obscure my view of the grass. At the time a tree that I referred to as "Tree 1" still had most of its leaves and was only yellowing slightly, but the tree was completely naked when I visited on October 26th. Another noticeable change was in temperature. Site Alpha was 64 degrees Fahrenheit on October third (the first time I measured temperature), and on October 26th it was 46 degrees. It appeared that there were more fallen and broken up acorns, as well. I did not encounter evidence of arthropods as frequently as I did in September, such as crickets/other insect calls, many ants, a jumping spider, and a gnat. I imagine that the many broken up acorns are a result of being stepped on or mowed over by people, but other than that I cannot think of other human interference. It is clear that summer is long gone and the trees and animals are preparing for cooler days. Many of the insects have likely migrated or are in diapause, and most of the trees in the area have changed color or completely dropped their leaves.

What Remained the Same:

There is still a scarcity of grass in Site Alpha, and the canopy of the oak remains largely unchanged by the cooler weather. In the photo above you can see that it still has a green canopy, whereas the maple nearby is a brilliant yellow-orange. Ants were still milling around, but only small black sugar ants. The area was still pebbly and covered with small acorns.

Transect at Site Beta

Date: October 26th, 2016
Time: 1:40 to 1:50 PM
Weather: 46 degrees Fahrenheit, chilly in the shade, 10mph wind
Location: Lesley University Brattle Campus - Cambridge, MA

Point A:
-Some fallen oak leaves, but not many
-Can feel many acorns underfoot
-Majority of acorns are crushed by mowers
-Two squirrels spotted

Point B:
-Fewer fallen leaves
-Fallen branch with leaves still attached
-Unshelled acorn with chew marks

Point C:
-Not many acorns visible
-Numerous holes that I believe are the result of squirrels burying their finds
-Grass is longer as I approach the large oak tree - Perhaps it is difficult to mow over the roots?

Point D:
-Large fungus is still attached to the tree, but looks a little dry and there are acorns embedded into its surface
-A surprising number of young dandelion plants
-More chewed acorns

Point E:
-Less grass near tree trunk, and some of it is dead
-Acorn fragments scattered about
-Not many fallen leaves

Transect at Site Gamma

Date: October 26th, 2016
Time: 1:29 to 1:38 PM
Weather: 46 degrees Fahrenheit, cold in shade/sun behind the clouds, 10mph wind
Location: Lesley University Brattle Campus - Cambridge, MA

Point A:
-Squirrels in nearby trees and digging through fallen leaves
-Rough moss that is not a rich green, but a dark green/brown
-Beech seeds and burst open shells
-Flowering weed
-Tons of honeylocust pods all over the surrounding area
-Honeylocust seeds are now dark brown instead of a greenish tan (possibly ripe now)

Point B:
-Dried oak leaves and tons of honeylocust pods
-Shards of glass in the dirt
-One of the chestnuts I left last time was missing one side of its shell and there were nibble marks on the flesh of the nut
-Low growing dandelion greens
-A thick carpet of yellow honeylocust leaves was on the ground

Point C:
-A fragment of terra-cotta about the size of a cell phone
-My "offering site" is mostly empty and some of the honeylocust seeds I left last time have begun to sprout! You can even see a small snail to the right of one of the sprouted seeds
-The site has scratch marks and small holes in it, as if the squirrels were digging around

Point D:
-More glass shards in the dirt
-Fewer fallen leaves
-Cigarette butt with lipstick stain

Point E:
-Lots of oak and other old, dried leaves
-Some honeylocust pods, but not as many as near the start of the transect
-Beech canopy has retained most of its leaves

Comparing all Three Transects

Key Similarities:
-Tree leaves changing color or dropping to the ground
-Abundant nuts and seeds, especially acorns
-The presence of a tree at each site
-Presence of lawn grass
-Squirrel activity

Key Differences:
-Site Alpha and Beta are occupied by large oak trees, while Site Gamma has honeylocust trees and a beech
-Site Gamma is in an are less frequented by the students living on the dorm
-Site Beta is the only site with large fungal growths

I do not think that I have data that is specific enough for a chart or table, especially since it was not consistently recorded. I made sure that all three transects were very close to each other, so they do not have drastic differences. All three are also on school property, so the terrain does not have much variation or a chance to grow wild due to mowing. I can't seem to glean much from the differences, but the similarities point to the approach of winter.

Site Gamma

Date: October 14th, 2016
Time: 1:56 PM to 3:08 PM
Weather: 57 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny
Location: Lesley University Brattle Campus - Cambridge, MA

I wandered to the very edge of the Brattle Campus to an area that is not frequently passed by students or visitors. There is a large tree there that I believe is a European beech (fagus sylvatica). I found the shells and seeds of its fruit all over the ground around it. The tree's trunk was wide enough that I could not wrap my arms around it fully. The bark was smooth and grey, with the exception of some black scarring. The leaves were plentiful and only a handful of them had begun to turn yellow. Thick, dark roots protruded from the ground around the tree, and were sometimes separated by large areas of moss. There was also an area at the base of the tree that seemed to have been completely stripped of its bark.

The burst open beech fruits:

Area at the base of tree that has been stripped of bark:

Moss and a flowering plant between the roots of the tree:

I found long, dry seed pods scattered around the area, and traced them to a nearby tree that I believe is a honeylocust (gleditsia triacanthos). I spent over ten minutes prying open and extracting the seeds inside, which was more difficult than I expected. Sometimes I would encounter a green, sticky substance inside the seed pod. I wonder if these pods needed more time to mature, as the seeds were green-ish and difficult to reach.

I noticed a lot of squirrels around, but it did not seem as if the beech or honeylocust seeds were being eaten. I decided to collect 35 of each and place them at the base of the tree to see if they would disappear. I also collected 12 acorns from the oak trees at Site Alpha (small acorns to the right of the beech seeds), Site Beta (small acorns to the left of the beech seeds), and large acorns from an oak not far from Site Beta. I put these seeds out at 3:08 PM:

I decided to add two chestnuts, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds that I had in my room to the squirrel offerings. I returned at 4:06 PM to do so, and found that the area had already been disturbed! There were 6 Site Beta acorns, 2 large acorns, and 2 Site Alpha acorns missing. It did not appear that any of the beech or honeylocust seeds had been eaten. This is what it looked like:

This is what it looked like at 4:09 PM, when I added a few other food options:

I forgot about my little "experiment" due to other school work, and when I returned on October 16th at 3:39 PM, I found that there were only remnants of what I had left still there. All of the acorns and chestnuts were gone, and sunflower seed shells were scattered all over. The beech and honeylocust seeds had been disturbed, but I could only count a few that were missing. Some of the honeylocust seeds had been halved, but not eaten. This is what it looked like:

Oh, and as for macromolecules, I think the most abundant type in my site would be carbohydrates. I looked up the nutritional information for chestnuts, acorns, honey locust seeds, and beech nuts, and many of them were high in carbohydrates with small amounts of protein. The honey locust seeds and the pulp surrounding them are high in sugar, and can be used as a coffee and to make beer. Beech nuts were the only fruits that were higher in fat than in carbohydrates. I am not sure if all of these nuts are high in carbs to attract animals, or to provide nutrients for germination (or maybe a bit of both).

Site Beta

Date: October 8th, 2016
Time: 5:23 PM and 8:18 PM
Weather: 65 degrees Fahrenheit
Location: Lesley University Brattle Campus - Cambridge, MA

I chose this location for Site Beta because I have been watching the area for several weeks now, and it is also visible from my room's window. I began documenting it when I came across a large fungus on the side of the tree. I encountered this particular fungus previously while spending a summer in Providence, Rhode Island. The fungus changes greatly in appearance over time, and specimens of various sizes can be found around the perimeter of the oak tree.

Here is the fungus as it appeared on September 17, 2016:

The same fungus on October 8, 2016:

The fungi attract what I believe are leopard slugs (Limax maximus) late at night. I frequently visit them to watch their behavior. In the past I have seen them climbing up the oak tree, emerging from the ground, and munching away on the fungi.

Small snails can be found on the fungi if one looks closely enough. The largest that I found had a shell with a diameter of about 1/2 a centimeter. There are two small snails in the lower left hand corner of this photo:

Last night I believe that I saw the beginning of a mating ritual, but I did not stay long enough to confirm this. I have seen videos about the mating behavior of leopard slugs, and it starts with one slug following the trail of another and gently biting the tail end of the pursued. There is a rather elaborate and almost unbelievable procedure that follows. You can learn about it with David Attenborough here (the video is only a little over four minutes long):

Here is a photo from September 18, 2016 to give you a sense of scale:

During the day I see squirrels, blue jays, pigeons, and turkeys visit the site.

I listened to the TED Radio Hour interview with Emma Marris, but it did not change my perspective of nature very much. I spent most of the summer observing and documenting organisms in my yard, so I know that one does not need to go far in order to encounter nature. I like to raise and study Lepidoptera, so I am always on the lookout for larvae and pupae. These searches included not only my yard and forest hikes, but abandoned lots, overgrowth bordering shopping centers, and trees planted ornamentally in parking lots. I almost always found something of interest, sometimes in unexpected places. I did not realize, however, that so much energy is put into maintaining the "purity" of national parks. I have encountered my fair share of invasive/non-native species, like gypsy moths, japanese beetles, an even the slugs mentioned above. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to remove a a particular species from an area that has established itself. I liked Greg Aplet's approach to conservation, where there were three different landscapes: one preserved to reflect data from a particular time period, one in which you introduce new organisms that may do well in the changing environment, and the last left untouched to see what thrives and how nature adapts on its own.

Challenge: Find a Flowering Plant and Pollinator

Date: October 3rd, 2016
Time: 2:16 - 2:59 PM
Weather: 70 degrees Fahrenheit, blue skies/fluffy clouds, fairly consistent sunshine
Location: Forest Street - Cambridge, MA

I created a transect along a urban flowerbed, because I had noted several pollinators there a few weeks ago. Unfortunately many of the blooms that attracted them during my last visit had gone to seed, so the area was not buzzing with activity as it had been before.

Point A: The transect began at a marigold plant and extended ten feet along the flowerbed. The marigold was still producing new blooms because I saw many buds and partially opened flowers, but I did not see any pollinators visit this plant or the neighboring hosta.

Point B: There were purple, trumpet shaped flowers, along with the same species but in white. Again, no pollinators that I saw visited these plants.

Point C: There was a creeping succulent of some kind (reminiscent of chicks and hens) that was not in flower, as well as a large bushy herb with spikes of many small white flowers. There were green pepper plants in the back. The spiked plant attracted the most pollinators out of any plant.

Point D: More of the trumpet-like flowers, this time white with red stripes.

Point E: Purple trumpet-like flowers and an sizable eggplant in the back. There was a small eggplant forming and a few of its flowers were still in bloom, but I saw no pollinators go to it.

Point F: There were spent lilies of some kind at the end of the transect, along with a patch of dirt inhabited by clovers and other small weeds.

Possibly a European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera):

Pollinators Spotted (in order of frequency): bumble bees, honey bees, eastern carpenter bees, a small green bee, flies, a wasp of some sort, cabbage white butterflies, and a hover fly mimicking the coloration of the bees.
I also saw a few multicolored Asian ladybeetles, which made sense because there were a good number of yellow and red aphids about. I was really only able to observe the honey, carpenter, and bumble bees at work. They traveled up and down the spikes of white flowers rather clumsily. It seemed as though they wanted to drink from as many flowers as possible. The bumble bees and honey bees where quick to do this, but the eastern carpenter bee was rather sluggish. I am familiar with this species, so I was able to identify it as a harmless male. I got as close as I could to watch him, and even held him a few times. I helped him out when he made it to the end of a flower spike and was frantically reaching, presumably looking for somewhere new to go. He readily grabbed onto my finger and I brought him to an unexplored spike. He did not fly around much, and sometimes he sat almost completely still while gripping onto a flower.

Male Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica):

Examples of Inductive and Deductive Reasoning:

* Insects are cold blooded and often bask in the sun to get the heat required to move around, so the low number of pollinators is likely due to the cooling weather. This could also explain the sluggish behavior of the large eastern carpenter bee. (Deductive)

* I did not see any pollinators visit the trumpet-like flowers, so this could mean that they are not plants that naturally occur in the area. The bees and other pollinators might be less inclined to visit them, or perhaps do not have an adaptation necessary to reach the nectar of this species. (Inductive)

* The bees will inadvertently transport pollen to nearby flowers on their setae-covered bodies, allowing the plants to cross pollinate and to begin producing seeds. (Deductive)

Possibly a Male Common Eastern Bumblebee (Bombus impatiens):

* There were multiple ladybugs sighted because the flowerbed was full of aphids, which ladybugs prey upon. (Deductive)

Multicolored Asian Ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis):

Sweat Bees (family Halictidae) - Possibly Bicolored Agapostemon (Agapostemon viriscens):