Beach Grass

Marram Grass

Marram Grass that has grown up a dune

 As everyone who has been to Lake Michigan knows, the sand dunes are full of tall, thick marram grass, or more commonly called beach or dune grass. This grass can get to be several feet high and is smooth and waxy to the touch. The edges are slightly sharp and the ends of the blades are pointed. 

Dune grass lies several meters inland from the water

 Marram grass is very important to dune succession, which is the progression of wildlife and vegetation that move in and out of a dune ecosystem. Marram grass is present on the upper beach or foredune, which is several meters back from the water. The grass helps to slow down the wind and prevent erosion. It also forms a root system, which allows humus to begin to build up. (Humus is decomposing organic matter that forms a nutrient rich soil). After the grass comes in, birds and other wildlife bring in seeds. Other plants and trees begin to grow and more wildlife make the dunes their home.

Marram grass covers much of the dunes and beach area

 These photos were taken at Saugatuck Dunes State Park by students of the ZOL 355 class. 

"Old Pearly"

Pearly Crescentspot Butterfly

This butterfly was found at Lux Arbor Reserve. To a normal person, this butterfly might appear as a Monarch butterfly, a well-known orange and black butterfly species. However, it is not a Monarch, but a Pearly Crescentspot (Phyclodes tharos), nicknamed "Old Pearly" or just Pearly Crescent. It is usually about 1 1/4" wide and has zigzag patterns in orange and black on its wings. In comparison to a Monarch, it is only about a third or a quarter of the size and Monarchs have several small sections on their wings, which look more uniform than those on the Pearly Crescentspot. "Old Pearlies" are quite territorial and will attack anything that attempts to invade its territory. Pearly Crescentspots are found in meadows and other open areas around much of the United States, Mexico, and southern Canada. Pearly Crescents breed many times throughout the year, but in the north, the breeding season is between April and November. Other species that are similar to the Pearly Crescent are Northern Crescent and Tawny Crescent. 

sources:Simply Butterflies, Government of Canada 

Damselflies

Adult Damselfly (Zygoptera)

Many are familiar with the dragonfly, but have you met the damselfly? Both belong to the order of insects called Odonata and have minute antennae, extremely large eyes, two pairs of transparent membranous wings with many small veins, and a long slender abdomen.  One of the first ways to distinguish a damselfly from a dragonfly happens before they are hatched. Damselfly larva is cylindrical about 1 mm long whereas dragonfly eggs are round and about 0.5 mm long.

This picture was taken near Augusta Creek as our class studied the differing colors of male damselflies. 

Resource: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/uniramia/odonatoida.html

Hesperis Matronalis

Hesperis Matronalis

Large patches of H. Matronalis in the sun-shade edge.

 Hesperis Matronalis is a very common flower in southwest Michigan and can be found in large patches in fields and along the roadside. It is a part of the mustard family and produces white flowers and many shades of purple flowers. The flowers are very small, around two inches across. The leaves are also relatively small. The plants themselves can be more than two feet tall. Its common name is "mother of the evening" because it can be seen better in the evening. It is considered a "biennial" plant, which means it produces flowers every two years.

An up-close photo of purple flowers. 

These pictures were taken at the Bird Sanctuary on the first day of class. We were measuring the antioxidant levels in the flowers and leaves for both purple and white flowers. We also observed the abundance of each flower color in the shade versus the sun. We also took height measurements and counted the number of leaves and pollinators.

Cattails

Typha Latifolia

close up picture of the cattail flower

Most people are familiar with cattails. We saw these cattails around many of the ponds at the Pond Lab. They are quite tall-around seven feet right now. The leaves are tall and green. The female portion of the flower is the stiff, brown tube-like object; the yellow part is the male portion of the flower. The flowers eventually turn to fluff, which is used by animals and birds to create nests. Animals also hide in the cattails and use them as shelter. 

The cattails were thicker in some ponds than in others. The areas with more dense cattails seemed to have a greater number of red-winged blackbird nests. 

Cattails surround the ponds at the Pond Lab.

Resource: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/common_cattail.htm

Green Frogs Everywhere

This frog is a Rana catesbeiana, or bullfrog. We saw them in many of the ponds at the Pond Lab. 

Bullfrogs are common to Michigan and live in ponds, lakes, and river backwaters. They also need vegetation in their habitat, which is likely why we found them in the cattails and grassy areas surrounding the ponds.
Bullfrogs are 3-8" long. They look similar to green frogs, but are bigger. The main difference is that they do not have a fold of skin near the eardrum. Males have yellow throats while females have white throats. The frogs seen at the Pond Lab were quite large!
They make a low croaking sound. When we would get near them, they'd almost seem to scream as they jumped back in the water. While I was observing red-winged blackbirds, I saw more frogs than birds!

Lots and Lots of Lily Pads!

As many people have probably noticed, there are "Lily Pads" all over the place. On our class visit to Lux Arbor Reserve, the lake in which we collected pitcher plant water samples was home to many, many water lilies, or lily pads.

An abundance of these plants in the water at Lux Arbor.

 These plants were not in bloom when we were at Lux Arbor.

Between the large masses of lily pads, freshwater can be seen.

 The official family of water lilies and lily pads is nymphaeacae. Nymphaeacae live in freshwater climates around the world. There are two main types of water lilies-hardy or tropical. The plants at Lux Arbor had a diameter of about 9"-15".
Water lilies help protect organisms below the surface of the water from the heat of the sun. In some places, nymphaeacae can be considered an invasive species because there are so many of them and they can be difficult to remove.

Lily pads are rooted beneath the surface, but float on top of the water.

Photo credits to the Zoology 355 class.