Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
Having just celebrated six months of wedded bliss, this holiday season brings on great feelings of love and opportunity for family celebration. It is a time filled with candy canes, colored tree lights, and mistletoe, just a bit of the many things we can enjoy at the holidays. I’ll never forget the time I was preparing a lesson plan for area schools on symbiosis, a word that describes the relationships between organisms in the natural world. I discovered then that mistletoe is a parasite. Mistletoe, a parasite? I always thought it was so ironic that a plant that brings love and joy into our lives was also a plant that uses other plants as a host by taking nutrients out of the tree. What a surprise!
Mistletoe is a partial parasite, as the plant is still capable of photosynthesis. They have a special root system, called haustoria, which grow down into their hosts. They extract nutrients from the trees upon which they grow.
The common dwarf mistletoe grows in northern Wisconsin. Not looking like most mistletoe plants we hang in our homes, this dwarf plant grows less than 3 centimeters tall. In spite of its size it often causes a very conspicuous irregular growth known as a “witch’s broom.” A witch’s broom is created by the mistletoe as it causes the tree to grow a compact mass of branches that resemble a broom that can reach 3-10 feet in size. Its main host is black spruce, but it also will parasitize red, white, and jack pine and balsam fir.
To some, mistletoe might be considered a negative part of a forest, but actually mistletoe does have some benefits in many ecosystems. The density of the growth can provide habitat to birds and other animals. Some species of mistletoe can cause the host plant to grow more berries, increasing reproductive success and providing food to other animals.
Mistletoe has a history that is rich in human tradition that goes all the way back to Greek culture. Throughout time mistletoe was thought to bestow life, protect against poison, and increase fertility. It was also thought to ward off evil, or bring peace, as well as provide a prediction of happiness and long life. Mistletoe can certainly bring magic to this season’s holiday joy. May you all enjoy a wonderful, festive holiday, and be sure to find your way under the mistletoe!
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Barred Owl
Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
I’ll never forget the time I called in a barred owl using my voice, only to have both the owl and myself experience being dive-bombed by woodpeckers. Or the other time I called in five owls all part of the neighborhood around the house. I’ve been practicing a barred owl call for many years now, and its who-cooks-for-you song is noticeable enough in the forest to make it one of the most-known owls in our northwoods environment. It is with constant amazement and utter respect that I interact with these birds in our area.
A barred owl enjoys a variety of habitats that include deep, moist forested areas, wooded swamps and woodlands near wetland areas, preferring larger forest tracts. Their territory is thought to be up to one square mile of land. Barred owls eat small mammals such as voles, mice, shrews, squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks. They also will eat birds up to the size of a grouse, woodpeckers, and even smaller owls, and are known to take prey from around bird feeders. They catch birds as prey at dusk when the birds are settling in to roost for the night, as the barred owl cannot usually take them while in flight. They also will eat bats, snakes, frogs, salamanders, mollusks, and insects. They have even been observed wading in water in search of crayfish and fish. In fact, the feathers on the front belly of the barred owl can sometimes have a pink tinge, possibly due to eating crayfish. In winter, barred owls rely on their excellent hearing to focus in on animals burrowing through snow.
Barred owls hunt mostly at dusk and night-time by sitting on a high perch and looking and listening for prey. They then catch their prey during a short flight to the ground. During the day they hide in dense foliage, usually high above us. They also roost on a branch close to the trunk, or in a natural tree hold.
A very territorial bird, barred owls use vocalizations that are more extensive than their familiar who-cooks-for-you. When feeling very territorial, they move from a short bark into a monkey-like call that is amazing to hear. To me these owls represent one of the best creatures of the northwoods. Their beauty, their night call, are all worthy of admiration.
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
I’ll never forget the time I called in a barred owl using my voice, only to have both the owl and myself experience being dive-bombed by woodpeckers. Or the other time I called in five owls all part of the neighborhood around the house. I’ve been practicing a barred owl call for many years now, and its who-cooks-for-you song is noticeable enough in the forest to make it one of the most-known owls in our northwoods environment. It is with constant amazement and utter respect that I interact with these birds in our area.
A barred owl enjoys a variety of habitats that include deep, moist forested areas, wooded swamps and woodlands near wetland areas, preferring larger forest tracts. Their territory is thought to be up to one square mile of land. Barred owls eat small mammals such as voles, mice, shrews, squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks. They also will eat birds up to the size of a grouse, woodpeckers, and even smaller owls, and are known to take prey from around bird feeders. They catch birds as prey at dusk when the birds are settling in to roost for the night, as the barred owl cannot usually take them while in flight. They also will eat bats, snakes, frogs, salamanders, mollusks, and insects. They have even been observed wading in water in search of crayfish and fish. In fact, the feathers on the front belly of the barred owl can sometimes have a pink tinge, possibly due to eating crayfish. In winter, barred owls rely on their excellent hearing to focus in on animals burrowing through snow.
Barred owls hunt mostly at dusk and night-time by sitting on a high perch and looking and listening for prey. They then catch their prey during a short flight to the ground. During the day they hide in dense foliage, usually high above us. They also roost on a branch close to the trunk, or in a natural tree hold.
A very territorial bird, barred owls use vocalizations that are more extensive than their familiar who-cooks-for-you. When feeling very territorial, they move from a short bark into a monkey-like call that is amazing to hear. To me these owls represent one of the best creatures of the northwoods. Their beauty, their night call, are all worthy of admiration.
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
White/Black Fur
Nature Watch
December 3, 2010
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
If the color black absorbs heat, why is a polar bear white? It turns out that dark or black fur isn’t always the warmest fur to have. Energy does come to animals when the sun is shining. This solar radiation penetrates into the fur, some of which is absorbed at the surface, and some all the way to the skin.
Because our winters have less sun, we have less incoming solar radiation, called insolation. Animals living in our region and latitude are exposed to a lower amount of insolation. Black fur absorbs solar radiation well, but even then, much of the energy is redirected back into the environment again, keeping the sun’s heat from reaching the animal’s skin. A contrast to this is white fur, which reflects some sunlight outward, but also reflects the sun down into the fur layer down to the skin. Add to this the thickness of the fur and how those fur pieces lay over each other, this white fur can more successfully warm the skin. Animals that have dark skin with white fur (as do polar bears) increase their ability to absorb heat. How interesting that white fur is not just about camouflage!
How do humans deal with constant exposure to cold? Can we, who live in the northwoods, ever get “used to the cold”? Evidence does show that humans can acclimatize themselves to colder environments, but usually only with prolonged exposures to that cold. Several groups of people have developed very specific adaptations to cold. Inuits, Norwegian fisherman, and Tibetan and Indian yogis have increased circulation and skin temperature in their extremities. Finnish outdoorsmen can have brown fat in strategic locations. Mailmen of Quebec City have lowered blood pressure and heart rates. Antarctic workers have a higher core temperature. Those with yoga training can exhibit a higher cold tolerance.
Sign me up for the next yoga class! And the next time I feel bad about the extra layers of fat around my body, I’ll just think of it as strategically located cold insulators. Whatever it takes, being outdoors, even in the cold, is worth making some adaptations!
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
December 3, 2010
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
If the color black absorbs heat, why is a polar bear white? It turns out that dark or black fur isn’t always the warmest fur to have. Energy does come to animals when the sun is shining. This solar radiation penetrates into the fur, some of which is absorbed at the surface, and some all the way to the skin.
Because our winters have less sun, we have less incoming solar radiation, called insolation. Animals living in our region and latitude are exposed to a lower amount of insolation. Black fur absorbs solar radiation well, but even then, much of the energy is redirected back into the environment again, keeping the sun’s heat from reaching the animal’s skin. A contrast to this is white fur, which reflects some sunlight outward, but also reflects the sun down into the fur layer down to the skin. Add to this the thickness of the fur and how those fur pieces lay over each other, this white fur can more successfully warm the skin. Animals that have dark skin with white fur (as do polar bears) increase their ability to absorb heat. How interesting that white fur is not just about camouflage!
How do humans deal with constant exposure to cold? Can we, who live in the northwoods, ever get “used to the cold”? Evidence does show that humans can acclimatize themselves to colder environments, but usually only with prolonged exposures to that cold. Several groups of people have developed very specific adaptations to cold. Inuits, Norwegian fisherman, and Tibetan and Indian yogis have increased circulation and skin temperature in their extremities. Finnish outdoorsmen can have brown fat in strategic locations. Mailmen of Quebec City have lowered blood pressure and heart rates. Antarctic workers have a higher core temperature. Those with yoga training can exhibit a higher cold tolerance.
Sign me up for the next yoga class! And the next time I feel bad about the extra layers of fat around my body, I’ll just think of it as strategically located cold insulators. Whatever it takes, being outdoors, even in the cold, is worth making some adaptations!
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Cottontail Rabbit
Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
One morning this week my husband and I looked outside and saw a cottontail rabbit feeding right outside our window. The little white burst of color we call a tail resembles a cotton ball for which the rabbit is named. The cottontail’s body was covered with a soft pale-gray mixed cinnamon colored fur with black tips. The rabbit living in our backyard was grooming itself, as their fur isn’t waterproof and needs care to keep their hair in healthy condition. Their large, long ears shifted as a satellite dish as they listened to everything around them. All of these observations were made in a few moments, watching this rabbit outside our window.
The sun was not even up yet when we saw our backyard visitor. Cottontail rabbits browse for food at night on grasses and herbs such as clover, dandelions, alfalfa, fruits and vegetables. In winter, their diet consists of the woody parts of bark, twigs, brambles, and buds of birch, oak, basswood, willow, sumac, dogwood and maple trees. Their teeth are adapted for gnawing on plants. Their top incisor teeth keep growing constantly throughout their lives to allow them to keep chewing away at their meals.
Cottontail rabbits live in a variety of habitats from our neighborhoods, orchards, and farms to sparsely wooded or thick brushy areas. They can travel in a range up to eight acres, and can be moving any time of day or night, but mostly during dawn and dusk. They choose areas with good protection and escape routes.
Freeze tag was always one of my favorite games, and it is one that the cottontail rabbit excels at when avoiding predators. Freezing is far more than a game to these rabbits, as they use this technique to avoid predators, avoiding being noticed until the animal gets too close. Then they shoot out like a bolt of lightning, fleeing from their prey with a zigzag pattern, reaching up to 18 miles per hour and leaping up to fifteen feet away in one move. The zigzag movement gives them an advantage as it breaks their scent trail. Sometimes they will also stand on their hind feet to observe predators.
We all know the cottontail rabbit can sometimes be a bit of a scoundrel to us as they chew away our tulips, but they too can bring great enjoyment in our backyards. Be sure to post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
One morning this week my husband and I looked outside and saw a cottontail rabbit feeding right outside our window. The little white burst of color we call a tail resembles a cotton ball for which the rabbit is named. The cottontail’s body was covered with a soft pale-gray mixed cinnamon colored fur with black tips. The rabbit living in our backyard was grooming itself, as their fur isn’t waterproof and needs care to keep their hair in healthy condition. Their large, long ears shifted as a satellite dish as they listened to everything around them. All of these observations were made in a few moments, watching this rabbit outside our window.
The sun was not even up yet when we saw our backyard visitor. Cottontail rabbits browse for food at night on grasses and herbs such as clover, dandelions, alfalfa, fruits and vegetables. In winter, their diet consists of the woody parts of bark, twigs, brambles, and buds of birch, oak, basswood, willow, sumac, dogwood and maple trees. Their teeth are adapted for gnawing on plants. Their top incisor teeth keep growing constantly throughout their lives to allow them to keep chewing away at their meals.
Cottontail rabbits live in a variety of habitats from our neighborhoods, orchards, and farms to sparsely wooded or thick brushy areas. They can travel in a range up to eight acres, and can be moving any time of day or night, but mostly during dawn and dusk. They choose areas with good protection and escape routes.
Freeze tag was always one of my favorite games, and it is one that the cottontail rabbit excels at when avoiding predators. Freezing is far more than a game to these rabbits, as they use this technique to avoid predators, avoiding being noticed until the animal gets too close. Then they shoot out like a bolt of lightning, fleeing from their prey with a zigzag pattern, reaching up to 18 miles per hour and leaping up to fifteen feet away in one move. The zigzag movement gives them an advantage as it breaks their scent trail. Sometimes they will also stand on their hind feet to observe predators.
We all know the cottontail rabbit can sometimes be a bit of a scoundrel to us as they chew away our tulips, but they too can bring great enjoyment in our backyards. Be sure to post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Ruffed Grouse
Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
While walking in the woods this week it happened again. I was meandering along and enjoying the shades of brown and green colors that greet us in the forest this time of year. Suddenly, I was startled and almost jumped out of my skin when a ruffed grouse flushed out of the brush nearby. I enjoy these birds for their beauty, in spite of the scare they often give me. They are difficult to see as they camouflage themselves so perfectly into their surroundings. As they flush out away from me, the sound of their wings beating loudly as they swiftly fly away matches the speed of my startled, crazy heartbeat.
Some fourth graders I know are currently reading the book Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, which features a ruffed grouse. In the story, Brian Robeson has managed to survive a plane crash in northern Canada, and is surviving this northwoods wilderness with his wits and a hatchet. Brian names the ruffed grouse “foolbirds.” I have to disagree with Brian’s “name,” as ruffed grouse seem to me anything but foolish. The way grouse find food anytime during the year seems very intelligent to me.
In autumn, there is plenty of food available to a ruffed grouse. There are many different fungi, or mushrooms, to choose from, as long as the birds can find them before the red squirrels. Acorns have fallen from trees, and grouse benefit from white-tailed deer who have stomped on the acorns and broken them open to be found and consumed by the birds. The late-ripening berries are for the taking, and its not just the shrubs and other plants we typically think of that have available fruits, but also low growing plants such as rose hips, bunchberry and wild lily of the valley.
In later fall, the ruffed grouse adapts to new food sources as the bird moves from the ground to the trees. Grouse consume the buds of many different trees such as aspen, birch, and chokecherry. It is believed that with the change to higher fiber-filled tree parts, grouse depend more on micro-organisms in their digestive system to aid them in getting nutrients out of their food.
We are fortunate to be able to enjoy the beauty of ruffed grouse in the northwoods. On second thought, perhaps “foolbird” is an appropriate name, because they sure do fool me with their excellent camouflage and ability to hide. Be sure to get outdoors this fall to enjoy looking for grouse in your own back yard.
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
While walking in the woods this week it happened again. I was meandering along and enjoying the shades of brown and green colors that greet us in the forest this time of year. Suddenly, I was startled and almost jumped out of my skin when a ruffed grouse flushed out of the brush nearby. I enjoy these birds for their beauty, in spite of the scare they often give me. They are difficult to see as they camouflage themselves so perfectly into their surroundings. As they flush out away from me, the sound of their wings beating loudly as they swiftly fly away matches the speed of my startled, crazy heartbeat.
Some fourth graders I know are currently reading the book Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, which features a ruffed grouse. In the story, Brian Robeson has managed to survive a plane crash in northern Canada, and is surviving this northwoods wilderness with his wits and a hatchet. Brian names the ruffed grouse “foolbirds.” I have to disagree with Brian’s “name,” as ruffed grouse seem to me anything but foolish. The way grouse find food anytime during the year seems very intelligent to me.
In autumn, there is plenty of food available to a ruffed grouse. There are many different fungi, or mushrooms, to choose from, as long as the birds can find them before the red squirrels. Acorns have fallen from trees, and grouse benefit from white-tailed deer who have stomped on the acorns and broken them open to be found and consumed by the birds. The late-ripening berries are for the taking, and its not just the shrubs and other plants we typically think of that have available fruits, but also low growing plants such as rose hips, bunchberry and wild lily of the valley.
In later fall, the ruffed grouse adapts to new food sources as the bird moves from the ground to the trees. Grouse consume the buds of many different trees such as aspen, birch, and chokecherry. It is believed that with the change to higher fiber-filled tree parts, grouse depend more on micro-organisms in their digestive system to aid them in getting nutrients out of their food.
We are fortunate to be able to enjoy the beauty of ruffed grouse in the northwoods. On second thought, perhaps “foolbird” is an appropriate name, because they sure do fool me with their excellent camouflage and ability to hide. Be sure to get outdoors this fall to enjoy looking for grouse in your own back yard.
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Fox Sparrow
Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
The bird feeders at my parent’s house are still busy in spite of the many migrant birds that have left us for a while. A few glances at the feeder show the less colorful winter plumage of the goldfinch, the slate-colored juncos, chickadees, downy and hairy woodpeckers, white and red-breasted nuthatches, blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, white-throated and fox sparrows. It was the fox sparrows that recently caught my eye, and ears. A larger sparrow, fox sparrows are bright rust-colored on the tail and wing. There are red, thick streaks on the breast, and reddish streaks on a gray colored back with faint white wingbars. Their lower mandible is colored pink to yellow-orange. These sparrows are a striking bird, and have some additionally interesting behaviors.
Fox sparrows most appealing behaviors are ones to hear, rather than see. They scratch through leaves through insects and seeds, and make so much noise they sound like a larger animal. These noticeable actions come from a vigorous double-scratching as the fox sparrow kicks backward in the litter with a two-footed jump-kick motion as they work to uncover food. This same foraging behavior unfortunately makes them vulnerable to cats and other predators.
The main food choices of fox sparrows are seeds from grasses and a plant called smartweed. They will eat berries as well. During warmer seasons, they also eat insects and feed them to their young. When nesting, adults are known to perform a broken-wing display to lure potential threats away from the nest.
Be sure to enjoy the fox sparrows around your own feeders, birds which are collectively known as a “den,” or “slyness” of sparrows. Enjoy them while you can though, as they spend our winters in the warmer climates of North America. Their migration this season began in early October and by mid-November, only the last few will remain in our neck of the woods. Watch and listen for this last glimpse of color and sound as they scratch around the fall leaves of our northwoods backyards.
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
The bird feeders at my parent’s house are still busy in spite of the many migrant birds that have left us for a while. A few glances at the feeder show the less colorful winter plumage of the goldfinch, the slate-colored juncos, chickadees, downy and hairy woodpeckers, white and red-breasted nuthatches, blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, white-throated and fox sparrows. It was the fox sparrows that recently caught my eye, and ears. A larger sparrow, fox sparrows are bright rust-colored on the tail and wing. There are red, thick streaks on the breast, and reddish streaks on a gray colored back with faint white wingbars. Their lower mandible is colored pink to yellow-orange. These sparrows are a striking bird, and have some additionally interesting behaviors.
Fox sparrows most appealing behaviors are ones to hear, rather than see. They scratch through leaves through insects and seeds, and make so much noise they sound like a larger animal. These noticeable actions come from a vigorous double-scratching as the fox sparrow kicks backward in the litter with a two-footed jump-kick motion as they work to uncover food. This same foraging behavior unfortunately makes them vulnerable to cats and other predators.
The main food choices of fox sparrows are seeds from grasses and a plant called smartweed. They will eat berries as well. During warmer seasons, they also eat insects and feed them to their young. When nesting, adults are known to perform a broken-wing display to lure potential threats away from the nest.
Be sure to enjoy the fox sparrows around your own feeders, birds which are collectively known as a “den,” or “slyness” of sparrows. Enjoy them while you can though, as they spend our winters in the warmer climates of North America. Their migration this season began in early October and by mid-November, only the last few will remain in our neck of the woods. Watch and listen for this last glimpse of color and sound as they scratch around the fall leaves of our northwoods backyards.
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Fall Leaf Decomposition
Nature Watch
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
“Scrunch,” “scrunch” went the crunch of dry leaves under my feet. The brown, dead leaves have been a delight for many that love to walk through leaf litter while kicking up fall leaves. For others, the leaves are perhaps part of a fall routine as people rake them from their lawns. For nature, decomposition is the natural process for leaves as they fall to the ground, creating new building blocks of life recycled over again. Right now in the forest this recycling is a job filled by invertebrates, fungi and bacteria.
Decomposition of leaves occurs through many different means. Invertebrates and earthworms break leaves into smaller fragments. This process allows the leaf pieces to have more surface area to support the next step of decomposition, bacteria and fungi. Rain also filters through the leaves, dissolving chemicals and nutrients. Bacteria grow better when the leaf fragments are smaller. The organic matter is broken down to carbon, nitrogen and other minerals.
Certain species of fungi also aide with the decomposition of leaves. Fungi hyphae fibers spread through dead leaf litter just under the forest floor, extracting nutrients the fungi need to survive. These hyphae develop into matted carpets that we sometimes see when leaf litter is moved. The speed at which decomposition occurs depends on moisture, temperature and composition of the leaf matter. Lower temperatures make decomposition occur more slowly. Leaves with low nitrogen also slow decay because the fungi cannot gain enough nitrogen from the organic matter to make necessary proteins. Lower oxygen environments also slow decomposition.
Waste not, want not is the perfect description of our leaf decomposers. Without them, nitrogen and other nutrients would be locked in the dead leaves, not leaving enough for living plants and their needs in making new leaves and seeds. Those bacteria and mushrooms are such “fun-guys!”
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
By Susan Thurn,
Cable Natural History Museum
“Scrunch,” “scrunch” went the crunch of dry leaves under my feet. The brown, dead leaves have been a delight for many that love to walk through leaf litter while kicking up fall leaves. For others, the leaves are perhaps part of a fall routine as people rake them from their lawns. For nature, decomposition is the natural process for leaves as they fall to the ground, creating new building blocks of life recycled over again. Right now in the forest this recycling is a job filled by invertebrates, fungi and bacteria.
Decomposition of leaves occurs through many different means. Invertebrates and earthworms break leaves into smaller fragments. This process allows the leaf pieces to have more surface area to support the next step of decomposition, bacteria and fungi. Rain also filters through the leaves, dissolving chemicals and nutrients. Bacteria grow better when the leaf fragments are smaller. The organic matter is broken down to carbon, nitrogen and other minerals.
Certain species of fungi also aide with the decomposition of leaves. Fungi hyphae fibers spread through dead leaf litter just under the forest floor, extracting nutrients the fungi need to survive. These hyphae develop into matted carpets that we sometimes see when leaf litter is moved. The speed at which decomposition occurs depends on moisture, temperature and composition of the leaf matter. Lower temperatures make decomposition occur more slowly. Leaves with low nitrogen also slow decay because the fungi cannot gain enough nitrogen from the organic matter to make necessary proteins. Lower oxygen environments also slow decomposition.
Waste not, want not is the perfect description of our leaf decomposers. Without them, nitrogen and other nutrients would be locked in the dead leaves, not leaving enough for living plants and their needs in making new leaves and seeds. Those bacteria and mushrooms are such “fun-guys!”
For over 42 years, the Museum has served as a guide and mentor to generations of visitors and residents interested in learning to better appreciate and care for the extraordinary natural resources of the region. The Museum invites you to visit its facility and exhibit, On Lake Owen: The Art of Walter Bohl, in Cable at 13470 County Highway M. Also find us on the web at www.cablemuseum.org to learn more about our exhibits and programs. Post your own stories on the Nature Watch blog at cablemuseumnaturewatch.blogspot.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
