Niches

Here are some interesting facts about the plants and animals I observed in many different habitats I visited during yesterday's trip to Pepperwood Preserve:

Chaparral -- Many of the plants and animals in the chaparral are quite hardy and live across many different biomes in addition to the chaparral. Those described below find the chaparral to be at least one of the many habitats they call home.

1) Turkey vulture (cathartes aura): Turkey vultures tend to inhabit and soar over large, open areas that are nearby forested regions. Their wide wingspan let them take advantage of rising currents of warm air that are particularly common to the temperature-varying zones at the borders of chaparral and oak woodland areas of Pepperwood Preserve. With respect to the length of its body, the turkey vulture's wingspan is quite large in contrast to other birds, such as jays and crows. Similar to the dynamics of a glider (e.g., DG-800) versus those of a jet fighter (e.g., F-15), the turkey vulture can stay aloft for long periods of time while expending little energy (i.e., infrequently flapping its wings). As a result, the turkey vulture can look for food to scavenge for extended periods of time over large expanses of chaparral.

2) Red-tailed hawk (buteo jamaicensis): The red-tailed hawk can inhabit a wide range of habitats in addition to chaparral. Over chaparral, the red-tailed hawk uses the same strategy as turkey vultures: soar over rising warm air currents for long periods of time while searching for prey. In contrast to the turkey vulture, the red-tail hawk does not rely on scavenging to find food; rather, the hawk prefers to hunt its prey and eat it fresh. A raptor, the red-tailed hawk has binocular vision which, combined with superior visual acuity, permits the bird to locate and judge the distance of prey.

3) Western fence lizard (sceloporus occidentalis):

Less interesting: To regulate its internal body temperature, the western fence lizard likes to sun itself on rocks under direct sunlight. The result of lying conspicuously in the open for long periods of time, the lizard is vulnerable to predators, such as birds. As a defense mechanism, the lizard can detach a large portion of its tail in order to confuse a potential predator from eating the rest of the lizard. Its detachable tail helps the lizard make a life in the otherwise hostile chaparral.

More interesting: A protein in the western fence lizard's blood kills the bacteria that cause lyme borreliosis (i.e., lyme disease). Fleas carrying lyme disease that also consume the lizard's blood are effectively cured of the disease, thereby reducing the incidence rate of lyme disease in humans in areas where the lizard lives.

4) Coyote brush (baccharis pilularis): Coyote brush has small, waxy leaves which minimize the amount of moisture lost to transpiration and the air. Coyote brush is drought tolerant, a quality which serves it well in the chaparral, particularly in chaparral regions of Southern California where there is infrequent rain. The coyote brush's wide-reaching root system permits it to intake rain from a large area of land.

5) California scrub oak (quercus berberidifolia): The california scrub oak has small, leathery leaves that minimizes the plant's moisture lost to the air. The plant is drought resistant, so it can deal with minimal rainfall and low-moisture conditions of the chaparral.

Moist Evergreen Forest -- Looking at the Pepperwood Preserve general map (accessed via: http://www2.santarosa.edu/f/?31477), the closest habitat I could find to a "moist evergreen forest" is the "douglas fir forest". As I recall, the flora in Redwood Canyon is very similar to that along the Tanglewood Path.

1) Ensatina (ensatina eschscholtzii): Ensatinas prey on arthopods, among other small animals. Arthopods, such as millipedes and centipedes, are among the ensatina's favorite foods and are quite prevalent in the moist, forested areas that ensatinas inhabit. The ensatina also eats worms, which can be quite common in the dirt under moist logs where the ensatina also lives.

2) Millipede (diplopoda): By eating dead leaves and wood, millipedes help decompose the decaying plant matter abundant on the moist woodland floor where the millipedes live. Their diet complement the plants around the millipede, making the arthropod well suited for moist evergreen forests. The millipedes speed up the decomposition process of dead plant life and help regenerate the soil with nutrients that would otherwise take longer to become usable if the plant matter had to decay without a catalyst.

3) Giant chain fern (woodwardia fimbriata): The giant chain fern is common in moist woodlands and coniferous forests. The fern can grow well in shade, which suits it well to low-light conditions of moist evergreen forest.

4) California shield fern (polystichum californicum): The California shield fern, similar to the giant chain fern, thrives in moist evergreen forests. The fern is well adapted to growing on the floor of moist woodlands because it can grow well in complete and/or partial shade.

5) Turkey tail (trametes versicolor): Turkey tail frequently grows on the bark of dead logs. Dead logs are abundant on the floor of moist evergreen forests. Turkey tail helps catalyze the decomposition processes. The abundance of its "food" as well as its ecological "job" make it well suited to the moist, thick-foliage conditions of the moist evergreen forest.

Marsh

1) Pond damselfly (coenagrionidae): Many species of pond damselflies live near small- to medium-sized bodies of freshwater. They are adapted to living in marshes where they can lay eggs nearby large populations of small insects that serve as a food source.

2) Sierran treefrog (pseudacris sierra): An amphibian, the sierran treefrog is well-suited to living in marshes, where the frog can lay eggs and where its tadpoles can develop. Additionally, large populations of insects in marsh areas help sustain the sierran treefrog's diet.

3) Northern rough skin newt (taricha granulosa): The northern rough skin newt resides in ponds and in areas near freshwater marshes. The newt produces a particularly strong neurotoxin, called tetrodotoxin. Highly toxic to consume, the newt is relatively safe from harm by most would-be predators. As a result, the newt has little problem with reproducing in the open waters of freshwater ponds, where predation by snakes, birds, or other animals would otherwise hamper living.

4) Pennyroyal (mentha pulegium): Pennyroyal occurs most often in moist soils, such as those nearby freshwater marshes. Pennyroyal can grow both in partial shade and in absence of shade, making it ideal for growing near marshes where it may face competition for light from taller plants. Its oils also repel many rodents and insects, which are abundant near marshes.

5) Horsehair worms (nematomorpha): Horsehair worms are prevalent in freshwater habitats, such as marshes. Larvae are parasitic and will live inside insects, particularly orthopterans (e.g., grasshoppers, locusts, etc.), where the larvae will absorb nutrients from a host's body. Horsehair worms are apt to live in marshes where their vectors are in ample supply.

Publicado el febrero 19, 2013 02:15 MAÑANA por ericandersen