My site when I visited it this time was slightly more barren than the last. There were far more dead leaves on the ground and far fewer animals that I could see. The only phylum Chordata that I could find in the entire place was a squirrel that ran away from me very quickly (and a rogue Halloween decoration). It seems that the animal life has decreased rapidly. I also found rhododendron, sugar maple, oak, and a different form of fungi than what I had previously seen.
Some evidence of animal activity that I came across was a walnut that had been broken open and chewed- yet I could not find any walnut trees in the vicinity. It’s likely that a squirrel brought the nut here from its original place. This is also the first time that I have come to this place in less-than-ideal weather conditions- it was extremely windy and chilly. I bundled up and wandered around looking for species until my ears hurt.
In terms of vegetation, there was far less fungi than when I was here last. Many of the spores on the rocks have regressed or disappeared completely. There was also more of a shade of brown than red, yellow or orange this week. More things are dying or going into hibernation, it seems. The O horizon is still dark and rich smelling.
Mapping my place made me more spatially aware of the vastness of it. It is actually quite a large area of land, and the height of the trees makes it almost feel like a large room that I can spend my time in. I love having a space like this so close to where I live. It’s also interesting to consider how things congregate in specific areas that support their life and resource demand. Even though this is a pine stand, there are a few other species that show face and it is clear that soil and shade conditions have met their demands. Many of the trees are so big around that I can’t even touch my hands on the other side while hugging them.
