December 8, 2022
Blog Post #4
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
✩ Change In Foliage and Plants ✩
╰┈➤ While the areas surrounding my spot are incredibly barren save for the coniferous trees, ferns, and clinging grasses, my spot is still hanging on in the early days of December! In Figure 1, the succession of the forest is shown extremely clearly; the surrounding young red maples have sparsely dispersed yellow leaves and the others have mostly completely lost their leaves, which joins the wet and decaying leaf litter. Said leaf litter is being patted down by rain and snow and will eventually create a lovely O layer for the soil and act as insulation for many burrowing animals. The tallest trees are the eastern white pines that, of course, still have their leaves.
╰┈➤ Something unexpected that took place in my spot over the weeks of my absence was a boom in mushroom growth! While the ones on the ground have been stamped out by the leaf litter that blocks their view of sunlight, the ones on the numerous fallen and decomposing logs are taking the elements in stride! I would have thought it’d be getting too cold for mushroom season, but these mushrooms are hardy (Figure 2). I also finally got iNaturalist to work in my spot, and identified the genus of three of the most popular mushrooms in my area, which are Genus Ganoderma (most likely Artist Bracket, Figure 2), Genus Dacrymyces (Figure 3), Genus Stereum (Figure 4) and Genus Trichaptum (Figure 5).
✩ Animal Presence ✩
╰┈➤In Figure 6, one of the former inhabitants of the leaf litter, a wolf spider, is shown curled up on its back, most likely having succumbed to the elements. I’m sure there were tons of other bugs that had done the same in the log in the center of my area. The only other hints of animal presence were the new insect bores in the fallen logs, shown in Figure 7, that are most likely the homes of multiple bugs looking for shelter and food in the decaying log.
✩ What Aspects Did I Enjoy The Most? ✩
╰┈➤ I believe that what I enjoyed the most about this project was visiting a place in nature as if it was an old friend. I got to observe the small changes that my place went through and improve not only my knowledge of my place and the surrounding area but also my relationship with the earth and sense of place. It helped me create a meaningful connection to the environment that I will never forget, and I can’t wait to continue returning to my place to check up on it!
