Species are everywhere, but they don’t exist: Wherein we discuss different methods of defining species, the purpose of separating living things into categories, why it seems like species exist, and why, ultimately, they may not. If species don’t exactly exist, is the concept still meaningful? Yes. Find out why on the Quest podcast.
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The voices:
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Danaan DeNeve – Evolutionary ecologist, PhD candidate at UC Merced
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Nate Fox – Paleontologist, PhD candidate at UC Merced
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Taran Rallings – Paleo food web modeler, PhD student at UC Merced
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We will update this blog post with some exciting accessory information very soon
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Next up:Models and Data Collection: the methods, the tension, and the search for reality
Today the world celebrates World Wetlands Day!
(ONE day?!? … wait… that’s OK, May makes up for that… the entire month is American Wetlands month… we’ll get really bogged down in them then… )
Wetlands are one of my favorite places… they are where land and water meet and (when healthy) life flourishes! … “what” you ask “are wetlands?”
Wetlands are marshes, bogs, swamps, fens… wetlands are areas where water covers land (permanently or cyclically) in a way that it creates a distinct ecosystem ( ecosystem = a community of organisms [plants, animals, microbes, etc.] and its environment functioning as an ecological unit).
San Lorenzo River Lagoon, Santa Cruz, Ca. (photo: Chiara)
Before we get to describing some of the befits we enjoy from healthy wetlands, I’d like to share a few of *my* favorite wetlands:
Red-crested Cardinal in Kealia Pond (wetland) National Wildlife Refuge, Maui. (photo: Chiara)
Tide-pool with algae, egg sacs, and an unexpected surprise… (photo: Chiara)…the humuhumunukunukuapua’a, a.k.a the reef triggerfish (and the state fish of Hawai’i). (photo: Chiara)
Wetlands of Agate Beach, Oregon. (photo: Chiara)Flooding Creek… provides…
…recreation… 😉 (photo: Chiara)
… returning Coho salmon habitat. The salmon use flood waters/wetlands to access spawning grounds and the young use the nutrients provided… (photo: Chiara)
Wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world.
Wetlands provide food, water, and shelter… and not just for wild animals, for us also.
A quick review of the main benefits of wetlands:
Water Quality
Wetlands act as natural water filters, filtering out many pollutants and sediments.
Water Quantity and Impacts
Wetlands help to dampen the impact of storms and droughts, absorbing storm energy (decreasing erosion, turbidity, and the resulting sedimentation) and storing and slowing water flow (decreasing flood and drought).
In addition to slowing and storing water, wetlands also allow ground water recharge, critical for human water supplies.
Atmospheric Maintenance
Wetlands store carbon in their plants and soils, potentially moderating climactic impacts.
Ae’o. Endangered Hawaiian stilt, ~ 1500 remain in the wild. (photo: Chiara)
Habitat
Wetlands, of course, also directly provide habitat for many species (including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). Many other
Moss Landing, Ca., with complimentary sea otters. (photo: Chiara)
animals also use wetlands for food and shelter (elk, moose, bear, etc).
Most of US waterfowl and commercial fisheries depend on wetlands.
In addition, about a third of all plants and animals listed as threatened or endangered in the US depend on wetlands to survive.The plants and microbes living in wetlands are also unique in many ways, many can only survive in specific types of wetlands.
Ecosystem Productivity
Certain wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on earth and they also have an immediate impact on habitats *down stream*, effectively feeding them.
Recreational
Healthy wetlands are generally beautiful places, ideal for many recreational activities: hiking, water activities, bird watching, fishing, hunting, and photography.
(remember, we’ll explore more of The World Of Wetlands in May, American Wetlands Month!)
This morning we woke up to an early snow and an early visitor…
Coyotes eat most everything they can find… from deer and rabbits to berries and tasty late season treats… apples…
Coyote’s are really adaptable canids (members of the dog family = Canidae); they are omnivores (= eat both plants and animals, like berries and rodents) that over time have adapted from living primarily in prairies and brushy areas to also living in cities, forests, and even along ocean shores.
Coyotes were originally found in central western North America (in yellow). As habitat was altered by human use and wolf populations (and other predators) were reduced, coyote populations expanded and now include almost all of North America and Central America.
Phylogenetic tree of the Canidae. Source: Lindblad-Toh, K. et al. “Genome Sequence, Comparative Analysis and Haplotype Structure…” Nature (2005 Dec 8)
Coyotes were first called “jackal”, “Spanish fox”, “prairie wolf”, and “brush”or “little wolf”. The name “coyote” comes from the Nahuatl name coyōtl; the 1st published use of “coyote” was in Clavijero’s “Historia de Mexico” (1780).
Genetic analysis shows that the relatedness of coyotes, or other canids, is not as simple as once thought.
Coyote facts:
Scientific name: Canis latrans .(translates to barking dog)
Collective Noun: Pack!
Identification:
Physical: 3′-4.5′ long (nose to tip tail), 20-45 lbs, similar coloring to a German Shepherd dog. Longer and narrower muzzle than most dogs. Wolves can look a LOT like coyotes from a distance, especially when young, but adult wolves have a much broader muzzle and larger nose pad.
Scat: varies a LOT! Usually 3″-4″ long and ~1″ diameter. Scat from meat tends to be very dark and smooth, from plant matter variable and crumbly.
Range: Almost all of North and Central America historical range western and central North America
Habitat: fairly ubiquitous (= almost everywhere on land is possible)
Food: Omnivore (eats plant and animals), commonly hunting at night.
Natural Lifespan (wild): usually about 4-5 years, but up to 14 years.
Breeding/Behavior: Sometimes mate for life, sometimes by year. Breeding takes place from early February through late March and pups are born from April through May. Pups stay in the den the first few weeks. Feeding growing pups can be very demanding, making this time of the year harder on coyote/human interactions;
coyotes are very protective of den sites and pups.
where coyotes are removed (hunted or trapped) the female coyotes will produce more pups per litter.
Today the world celebrates World Wetlands Day!
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