April Phenology Update: Spring Season

Phenology Update:

With the harsh cold months coming to a close, the transition between winter and spring was clearly evident in my most recent visit to my phenology location. Previously, the entirety of Centennial Woods was covered in snow, and the only signs of active life were the sounds of birds chirping and the dormant trees. With the temperature increasing, the snow has melted and plants have begun to leave their dormant state. The picture to the right displays a plant commonly known as Christmas Fern. This plant prefers rock/sandy soil in shaded or semi-open areas. This vegetation was not seen in my last visit to centennial woods.

Throughout my most recent visit to Centennial Woods, I came across a variety of different vegetation, and I saw signs of animal presence close to the stream that runs through the middle of the woods.

Right outside the entrance to Centennial woods is an Apple Tree which is blossoming at the moment. The picture to the right is a sketch of the flowers on the Apple Tree. Cross pollination happens during this time of year, and it is essential to producing fruit. Bees and other insects, which are starting to come out with the warmer temperature, are responsible for this cross pollination.

Additionally, I came across a patch of Yellow Trout Lily (shown to the right) in Centennial Woods. Yellow Trout Lily are one of the earliest flowering lilies in the New England, taking advantage of the sun before the trees leaf out. This flower attracts long-tonged insects like queen bun-blebees and soldier beetles.

Coltsfoot, commonly mistaken for dandelions, are also starting to sprout right now. Coltsfoot are one of the earliest blooming wildflowers in new England, and can survive in lingering patches of snow and harsh soil conditions. their seeds are spread by the wind.

I also observed signs of animal life on my trip to Centennial this past week. I saw mallard tracks in the mud lining the bank of the stream that runs through the middle of Centennial. Females lay their eggs in early spring. As migratory birds, Mallards go south for the winter and return to raise their offspring in the north as the temperature increases in the warmer months.

Lastly, I also saw racoon tracks on my walk through Centennial along the stream bank. From January to June, females give birth to their offspring, referred to as “kits”. In spring, racoons primarily eat insects, worms, and other animals that are immediately available. Because of this diet, it is not uncommon to see the racoons weight drop noticeable in the spring months.

Below is a species diagram of Centennial Woods…

February 7, 2021

Return to Campus

Phenology Update

Upon returning to campus for second semester, the appearance landscape was clearly different. Studying the phenological changes within Centennial Woods since the last blog post, the decrease in average daily temperature has impacted the flora and fauna.

As discussed in previous blog posts, temperature decrease resulting from changing seasons causes vegetation to become dormant. to conserve energy and nutrients essential to survival, plants will stop growing until milder weather returns. This was evident on my walk through Centennial, as seen in the pictures above and to the right.

Centennial Woods February 5, 2021

Finding evidence of animal life in the woods was slightly more difficult than in past blog posts. While walking through the woods, the trails were compacted from the flow of human traffic, so I was unable to find any animal tracks. However, I could hear birds chirping throughout the woods. Specifically, I heard a tapping sound, and saw a woodpecker which I have now been able to identify as a Pileated Woodpecker. Unlike some animal species that inhabit Centennial Woods, the Pileated Woodpecker is a non-migratory bird species that does not hibernate. Pileated Woodpeckers live together in pairs, and they are typically very territorial; however, during the winter they are known to tolerate floaters. This tolerance could be the birds conserving limited energy, which result from the lack of resources of the winter landscape provides.

December 5, 2020

Centennial Woods V. Eldridge Park

Eldridge Park:

Eldridge is one of the only forested areas in my hometown of Elmhurst, Illinois. Previously, this forested area was a landfill sight, and it wasn’t in 1956 that the city began repurposing the land to create what is now Eldridge Park.

Eldridge Park, while not as forested as Centennial Woods, is a combination of forested areas as well as the the grassland/prairie biome that covers most of Illinois prior to urbanization.

Centennial Woods V. Eldridge Park Ecology and Phenology

When comparing both Centennial Woods and Eldridge Park on an ecological and phenological level, it essential to acknowledge their geographical differences. Specifically, it is these geographical differences that ultimately cause these natural areas to be made up of different biomes entirely. Eldridge Park is located within the heart of what used to be the Great Plains before it was turned into land for urbanization purposes, while Centennial Woods is a Northern Hardwood Forest. This ultimately causes differences in the ecology of each area.

Specifically looking at the ecology of the area, Eldridge park is both classified as a temperate grassland (prairie) and as a deciduous forest. As a result, we have bird species like the American Gold Finch, generally found in temperate grasslands, and is also home to hawks, owls, coyotes, deer, otters, beavers, skunks, and racons, the last of which are similar to that of Centennial Woods ecology.

As referenced above, the plant ecology in Centennial Woods is different than that of Eldridge. There is a clear divide between the two locations because this part of the country does not get enough rainfall to support the growth of large trees, but there isn’t little enough rainfall to create a desert; thus, temperate grasslands are created. With this in mind, Centennial Woods has far to moist of a climate to be unable to support tree growth. With these obvious differences aside, differences in soil Ph can have a significant impact on the types of vegetation and woody plants that grow in Each respective location. Centennial Woods has an average Ph of about 4.5, which is extremely acidic, making it perfect for the growth of pine trees. Compare that with the typically neutral Ph found in Eldridge which is why there are not many pines growing in this location.

With all this in mind, the phenology of both locations occurrs in the same way, with palnts going dormant for the winter and animals preparing for the winter or migrating. However, the difference between the phenology in Centennial to that of Eldridge is how soon the phenology starts changing. Because Centennial Woods is not only farther north than Eldridge, but is also at a higher elevation in the mountains, the change in seasons starts much soon than Eldridge Park.

December 5, 2020December 5, 2020

Event Map and Phenology Update

Phenology Update:

Now that its early November, there are barley any leaves left on the trees and all the vegetation has gone dormant for the winter season. Comparing the area now to what its used to look like back in September, animals seem to have gotten hard to spot and plant life has dwindled down significantly. More specifically, on my most recent hike in Centennial Woods , which was right after the first snow of the season, I observed a notable decrease in the number of squirrel and and chipmunk sightings compared to hikes earlier in the semester. This change is an exemplification of the influence that temperature changes have on the phenology of an ecosystem.

Centennial Woods Event Map:

Poem and Photo Gallery:

Maple

As cool summer winds whisper through the air, together stands the mighty Maple and child.

Her eyes are blue as morning skies and hair as black as a raven’s feather. Maple whispers sweet nothings as the girl lays beneath her strong mighty roots, hoping to stop the moon from stealing the day away.

But as skies grew darker the trees begin to sleep, until only Maple remained. And still, even with only a single leaf clinging to her branches, Maple whispers sweet nothings to her beautiful child: “flow forward like the water, be gentle as a doe, and strong as a tree.”

And as her last leaf fell and she began to drift to sleep, Maple watched her blue eyed girl trot away like the sun at the end of a perfect day, and whispered “Until snow melt, my sweet babe”.

December 5, 2020December 5, 2020

Centennial Woods Map, Phenology Update, and Wildlife Signs

Centennial Woods Map

Phenology update:

It has been about a month since I’ve gone to Centennial Woods. Last time I was there, flowers were blooming in the wetland area and the trees were still green for the most part. However, upon returning I found that the leaves had started to completely change colors, the sun is setting sooner, and the nights are continuing to get colder. As the season changes, there is less precipitation on average, which is evident in the drier soils compared to the previous visit I made.

Centennial Woods map:

Exemplification of Phenology

Observations:

-rich and green

-leaves have begun to slightly change color

-very little in terms of the transition from summer to fall

Versus …

Observations:

-Leaves almost all changed colors or have fallen on ground

-most vegetation is in its dormant state in preparation for the oncoming winter

Wildlife Signs:

With the seasons changing, the plants in Centennial Woods have clearly started to transition into their dormant states in preparation for the winter. With that said, animals that inhabit the area are beginning to do the same as well. While hiking through the woods, I walked to the stream edge and noticed very small animal tracks that lead away from the water and faded away as the soil became drier the farther away from the water source they went. I was able to immediately identify that the tracks were that of a racoon. Additionally, I was able to spot several bird nests while hiking in the woods, and I heard the sounds of birds chirping all throughout the endeavor. Of all the wildlife known to live within the woods, I was able to find evidence of several different bird species that live within Centennial Woods as well as evidence of the common racoon.

December 5, 2020

Centennial Woods Map

Centennial Woods overview

September 6th, 2020 Centennial Woods Trail

Centennial Woods is one of nine natural areas preserved by the University of Vermont on campus, and it is within walking distance on every part of the ground of UVM. Located on the far east side of campus behind the UVM Children’s Hospital and Medical Center parking garage, Centennial woods is about a one mile walk from the WDW dorms on Redstone Campus where I live. This walk will take about 20 minutes from Redstone, however, taking the campus bus to Central Campus and walking the remainder of the way cuts off about 5 minutes from the estimated walking time.

Map to Centennial Woods from Redstone Campus

When deciding what location to pick for this project, I was immediately drawn to Centennial Woods because its rich land-use history and the natural beauty that is perfectly preserved in an urbanized city. I am from Chicago, so having access to such a rich environment in the heart of Burlington is what I dream of having at home.

Vegetation and woody plants

Centennial Woods is home to a plethora of vegetation and woody plant species. Based upon the plant species growth within the area, Centennial Woods is classified as a Northern Hardwood Forest. As per typical Northern Hardwood Forests, Centennial Woods is composed of primarily Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch, Paper Birch, various Maple species including Red, Striped and Sugar Maple, Eastern Hemlock, Eastern White Pine, and Northern White Cedars. Pines tend to thrive in these woods, and this is due largely in part by a positive feedback loop created by the needles that fall to the soil. Pine trees tend to thrive in acidic soil, so to help increase the acidity of the soil, pine trees evolved to have slightly acidic needles. When the needles fall to the soil, they are incorporated into the soil, and therefore make the soil more acidic. This process helps the pine trees in Centennial Woods to thrive.

September 27th, 2020 Centennial Woods Tree Species: Black Cherry , Eastern White Pine, Sugar Maple

As mentioned above, in addition to the copious woody plant species that inhabit Centennial Woods, this area also modes a wide variety of vegetation, and these species types vary throughout the woods based on soil composition and saturation. When hiking in the drier parts of the woods you will commonly find poison ivy and staghorn sumac, but once you reach the stream you will find various fern species, honeysuckle, and buckthorn. Additionally, upon reaching the man-made wetland, you will find an entire field of new England Aster, cattails, and many other wetland vegetation species. This difference in vegetation types is due to the individual species’ soil moisture preference.

Phenology Blog Project – Sophia Fisher

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