Monthly Archives: October 2023
Common vegetation
Trees
Most of the overstory is composed of Basswood trees of varying age and size, and there is a patch of exclusively young basswoods off of the path near the gravel road to the Research Complex
- Many of these have small black spots on the leaves, possibly signifying an infection or insect infestation of some sort
Other notable trees in the area, both in the under and overstories, include:
- A couple Eastern White Pines- one of these has been cut down and left to rot in pieces, home to many insects and fungi; shed pine needles make up a good part of the organic matter on the ground
- Many Eastern Black Walnuts- fallen walnuts litter this whole section of the path, in varying stages of decomposition (How does this impact soil pH? What organisms feed on these fruit?); many leaves also show signs of infection and/or bug presence
- A few Red Maples- only beginning to yellow
Woody Shrubs and Other Plants
A small marshy area exists on the left side of the path between it and the young basswood outcropping, and various marshy grasses grow here; so far, I was able to identify Common Reed and Fennel.
- This wetland was flooded at the time I visited it (10/10/23), and I spotted some oily substance in the puddle by the trail- I’m not sure what it is or where it came from, possibly a bike or the research facilities nearby, but I’m curious if it makes a frequent appearance and/or effects plant and animal life nearby
Both Glossy and Common Buckthorn can be found growing under the cover of the Red Maples.
Various other shrubs and vines grow, yet to be identified except for a patch of Sensitive Fern across the path from the marsh
About my spot
I found this trampled path just off of the South Burlington Rec Path, a little ways past the UVM Dairy Farm across the street, splitting off from the driveway to the University’s Extension System and Bio-Research Complex. It was a refreshing change of scenery from the loud Rec Path parallel to Spear Street and the open, polished golf course: a quiet path under a canopy of larger trees and lined with colorful shrubs. It’s not a far walk on the trail until it connects back to the open golf course, and you can see the Research Complex through the trees at times, but it still felt like a respite from the more developed paths I’d seen around town.