The wildlife in Deer Creek is doing rather well, despite a fish kill earlier this month. We saw fish at 6 of the 7 sites - at the 7th, they were probably hiding in the deeper, darker water. We also saw crayfish, water striders, and tadpoles.

Water chemistry readings were all within the normal ranges. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 5-9 mg/l. Chloride was 130 mg/l or below at all sites. The pH was mostly between 7.8 and 8.2, though at 8.9, the pH was a bit on the high side of normal (6 to 9) at our furthest upstream site.

If you have questions about what these numbers mean, post a comment and I'll respond!]]> 2010-06-24T22:34:57Z 2010-06-23T21:59:01Z tag:www.litzsinger.org,2010:/weblog//3.697 2010-06-23T21:59:01Z

Keep an eye out for the newest members of the LREC team. Turkey hens should be seen very soon with their chicks (called poults) around the Litzsinger grounds. This photo was taken last June at the North prairie.

According to MDC, turkey nests are usually found on the edges of fields and roads and not far from water. The prairies at Litzsinger that are located near Deercreek are perfect nesting sites for turkey hens. The average clutch of eggs is about 11 and the incubation period is 28 days. Most eggs will hatch in late May and early June.

If you're out at LREC early this summer you may catch a glimpse of these newest additions.

• MAY 20: BRIAN WILSEY, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
  Biodiversity and temporal niche differences
• MAY 27: BILL RESETARITS, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
  Habitat selection and the dynamics of communities and metacommunities
• JUNE 3: CANDACE GALEN, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
  New insights on the role of floral volatiles as ecological signals in a pollination web
• JUNE 10: PAUL NELSON, UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE
  The Homogecene Era: Planet of weeds
• JUNE 17: ALAN COVICH, UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
  The importance of long‐term, place‐based studies in ecology: Learning about biotic responses to changing environments and landscapes
  June 17 is a special seminar event in honor of former Tyson Director Dr. Owen Sexton. Please RSVP by June 10 for this event (mkelly@wustl.edu).
• JUNE 24: MICHAEL ANGILLETTA, INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
  Adaptation to thermal change: Physiological strategies and their ecological implications
• JULY 1: KEITH SUMMERVILLE, DRAKE UNIVERSITY
  Is all timber harvest bad? Resistance and resilience in forest lepidopteran communities
• JULY 8: JENNIFER WILLIAMS, NATIONAL CENTER FOR ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS
  One species, two continents: Changes in species interactions between ranges determine invader success
• JULY 15: BOB RICKLEFS, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, ST. LOUIS
  The regional community: Forest birds of eastern North America
• JULY 22: MICHAEL JENKINS, PURDUE UNIVERSITY
  Bugs, blights, and burns: Endemic disturbance in a post‐invasion landscape
• JULY 30: RICARDO HOLDO, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
  Herbivory, fire, and landscape change in the Serengeti

Last week we were fortunate enough to see some unusual tracks here at LREC. Anne noticed our resident red-shouldered hawk diving along the hillside near the Glass House. Later that afternoon, she guided us out for a spectacular show in the snow:

Several marks were left as the hawk hunted for prey.

With two final wing tracks, the mouse tracks come to an abrupt end...

A closer look at the wing tracks in the snow.

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Now, some of the seeds that have been stratified are being sown in the greenhouse. When seeds are stratified, they are refrigerated in wet sand for several months to simulate winter. Once these seeds are sown in the greenhouse, the seeds will germinate, even though it is still winter - they had their winter in the fridge!

Other seeds are stored dry in the refrigerator to be put in seed mixes that are sown directly outdoors. We have been planning these seed mixes over the past month or so. Once we have selected an area where we want to sow seeds and have decided what seeds we have that would do well in that habitat, we can prepare our seed mix.

As you can see, there are many seeds of different shapes, sizes, and colors that can go into a seed mix. Having diverse species in the mix helps ensure that, even if some of the species don't do well in the place where they are sown, other species will likely thrive!

Several mixes have already been sown in the woodland and prairies with the help of students. After scattering a seed/sawdust mixture on the ground, the students enjoy dancing the seed into the ground. Then all we have to do is wait until spring to see what comes up!

While at LREC, the students observed the diversity of native plants that had borne seeds in the summer and fall. They also discover many footprints along the frozen trails: human and otherwise. Three cheers to the students, teachers and parents of the ECC pre-school for being such hardy and enthusiastic nature explorers.

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Common Milkweed

In the morning mists, a new world is revealed.