My sight off the Calkins Trail is a beautiful spot characterized by a number of species. The most dominant and interesting of these is probably the Green Ashes which fill the side of the bank that I observe from. Up and down the Winooski on my side of the trail. It catches my attention because I do not typically notice Green Ash trees on my adventures through life, but they are confidently rooted here in the sandy soils of the bank.
Another established species in my phenology site is the ground cricket, there is always crickets chirping loudly to my left as I look out on the river. They have chirped since the first day I went my phenology site. I believe they live in the grasses that are next to me.
Ravens also are one of the most notable species in the area surrounding my phenology site. They have been hard to photograph. However, I see these highly intelligent birds flying back and forth over the Winooski or in the woods behind my plot. They often are calling out loudly. Maples are another noticeable species, they are common on the opposite shore of the river and somewhat common in the area surrounding me. The maples are especially interesting due to their fall foliage as expected.
Another species that characterizes my plot is the millipede and other small insects that live in the soils near my plot. I have dug through the soil, multiple times when at my phenology site to see if these insects would go deeper into the soil with decreasing temperatures.
The turkey vulture is one of the species that I find very interesting in a phenological sense. These birds are scavengers and are highly adapted for that purpose. I have seen turkey vultures circling the forest to descend on what is most likely a dead organism who struggled to make it through the diving temperatures and lack of food. Some other observed species are the green frog, some mice, some different song birds, water striders, mosquitoes, and possibly signs of a raccoon.
There has been many vegetation changes. The last time I visited my phenology site was on October 3rd, 2019. At that time although the leaves were vastly unproductive and pigmented, the leaves were still attached. Now the leaves have dropped entirely, this was a drastic change. Additionally, I would have expected the herbaceous plants to be affected by the colder temperatures and reduced daylight. These plants however appear unaffected and have remained their pigment. Below are photos comparing the foliage situation.
A photo of low herbaceous plants.
The soils in my site are a muddy carbon saturated clay, with a sandy soil only inches below this. These lower soils drain quickly. I have soil samples in my room and the sandy soil dries quickly. These soils still seem fertile with low herbaceous life vibrant, and a variety of trees. As well Intervale Farm which is located in a reasonable proximity of my site probably could not function in depleted soils.
The topography my area is interesting; of course there is the Winooski River which cuts through my site. This wide river with a weak riparian zone and pretty steep but short banks. The side of my observation is flat like a floodplain the opposing side has a very steep hill that rises up so the horizon is capped with trees and notable white pines. The topography changed in a way recently. The river channel went from a 60-70% fill in previous observation periods, with slow water movement. In the last observation the river channel went to about 95% fill and medium fast flow. This is slightly observable in the foliage comparison photos.
This map helped me visualize and conceptualize where the different types of tree stands were. It also helped me draw a connection between the grasses and the crickets. It helped me focus on the types of trees in my zones. It also gave me perspective on the different distance levels I have been making observations. From far observation, like analysis of stands and river dynamics, to plot observation like cricket and ash analysis, to small scale soil observation of insects and such.
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