Dark and Mysterious

Field Observations:

As I walked along the gravel drive that passes the Merry Lea Learning Center, towards the lowland off to the right, I instantly noticed a huge change.  The insects seemed to come alive once I entered the lowland forest.  It was a very warm, sunny Saturday afternoon and as I stopped to take a picture of a false nettle plant along the edge of the forest and within a few seconds I was covered with fifty or more mosquitos.  Not far behind were the horse flies, who for some reason, really liked the top of my head.  As I was surrounded by these pesky insects, I could tell that I was entering a much wetter and darker environment. The woods was alive with insects, birds calling, toads hopping and a few rays of sunlight making it to the forest floor.  The soil in the woods was very dark, rich with dead organic matter, it was spongy to walk on, but water did not seep with each step taken. 

This was the first time stepping foot into the lowland forest that I will be studying over the next two months; it was a very exciting feeling.  It was dark, humid and full of life.  Below the canopy, lie young saplings waiting for a chance to take over when one of the larger trees dies or is taken down by a storm.  In addition to young saplings, there are smaller types of plants, including ferns that occupy the forest floor.  While walking

through the lowland forest I came upon tracks in the moist soil, the soil was in perfect condition to be a mold for the animal that left behind the tracks.  I was able to determine that the animal tracks were that of a white-tailed deer.  It looked as if the deer was passing through the area, possibly looking for some berries or other food types.  I also came across a small American toad that was trying to escape the wrath of my boots as I clumsily steeped without taking a look towards the ground.  I was able to safely navigate around the toad, as to not crush it, but observe the dark areas of the lowland forest. 

New Species:

American Toad

(Bufo americans)

These toads are very common to Indiana and this area particularly, they can grow up to four and a half inches long and the adults usually look chunky.  The toads can vary in color, in order to match their surroundings, the colors include: brown, brick-red or olive.  They all have warts on them at adult stage and have patterns of lighter colors and brown spots.  Both the male and female have a spotted belly, but the throat of a male is much darker.  They are common in a lowland forest due to standing water in the spring, in which the male and female will mate; the female will lay thousands of eggs in a string in shallow water.  The tadpoles will hatch, leaving the water eventually to hop around in search of food.  These toads have a very pleasant call that sounds similar to a cricket.   

Grossman, S. (2002). American Toad. In Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species. Retrieved July 11, 2014, from http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Anaxyrus_americanus/

False Nettle

(Boehmeria cylindrica)

False nettle is a perennial plant that is about two to three feet tall.  It is a member of the nettle family, often it can be mistaken for stinging nettle, but there are no stinging hairs on a false nettle.  The stems of false nettle are light green, 4 sided or round, the leaves usually are opposite on the stem, in rare occasions they can be alternate.  Also, the leaves are ovate or ovate-lanceolate in shape.  The false nettle prefers shade, moist, rich loamy soils and this is why it is very common in the lowland forests. where it gets It is heavily populated along trees lines, lowlands and wet areas with shade.  

Chayka, K. (2006). Boehmeria cylindrica. In Minnesota Wildflowers. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/small-spike-false-nettle



Sensitive Fern (Bead Fern)
(Onoclea sensibilis)

This is one of the many ferns that grow in Indiana and this lowland forest; it thrives in organically rich moist soil and enjoys part to full shade.  It grows tall, eighteen to twenty-four inches in wet soil and can spread aggressively along rivers and streams.  It claimed is name from the fact that the green vegetative fronds suffer almost immediate damage from fall’s first frost or from a severe drought.  The roots will colonize, despite being bulky they are still shallow.  The other common name derived from the thought that the ferns look as if they have a decorative beaded appearance. 

Onoclea sensibilis. (2006). In Missouri Botanical Gardens. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/

PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=l300






Red Maple
(Acer rubrum)

A red maple is a very common tree in Indiana and in North America, it can grow in both dryer and wetter areas, it particularly thrives in the lowland forest because of the rich organic soil and the moisture.  The red maple seed are very shade tolerant, has a high percentage of seed germination and are able to be suppressed for many years before taking its place in the forest canopy.  The maple sapling growth is slow in its beginning, but as it receives more sunlight it will grow a more extensive root system and increase growth.  

Goodman, R. M., Yawney, H. W., & Tubbs, C. H. (n.d.). Red Maple. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/acer
/rubrum.htm

Dominate Vegetation:

The dominate vegetation in the lowland forests mainly persists of trees, they occupy the canopy of the forest and dictate the amount of sun that will make it to the forest floor.  The trees dominate this area for a few reasons, the first is that the rich organic matter and high amounts of moisture allow for the trees to obtain sufficient nutrients to survive all year and continue to grow year after year.  Also, trees were able to exploit the resources available better that plants and shrubs, over time beating out the other plants for sunlight and nutrients.  This is not to say that only trees exist in this area; there are several shade tolerant plant species that enjoy the wet conditions.  Some of those plant species include ferns, false nettle, stinging nettle, mosses and many more.  The area is primary dominated by a range of trees which include: swamp white oak, silver maple, sugar maple, cottonwood, oak red, sycamore and black willow.

Michigan United Conservation Clubs. (n.d.). Lowland Hardwoods. In Private Land Partnerships. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/landowners_guide

/Resource_Dir/Acrobat/Lowland_Hardwoods.PDF

Creative Piece:

Can you find the amphibian hidden in the picture below?