Dixie Plantation Part 2
On March 14, 2019 from the time of 1:00pm to 3:00pm (2 hours), I returned to Dixie Plantation, in Hollywood, SC, for the second time and made observations through the iNaturalist app and posted them to my account. Having only been away from the site for about a month there weren't necessarily any drastic changes in the environment but there were some notable discoveries not found during the previous visit (February 7, 2019). On Thursday, it was very sunny with a temperature of 75 degrees, compared to the 73 degree temperature on February 7, 2019. While two degrees warmer may not seem like a lot, due to humidity, there was a high heat index and the overall climate was searing. As done before, traps were laid out prior to my arrival at the site. From there I collected the traps and observed the specimens inside to see whether or not anything new was discovered.
As expected, there were many animals, such as eastern crayfish (Cambarus bartonii) and bluegills (Lepomis), that had already been caught and identified from the first visit to the research site. While there were many repeats of the organisms caught, there were also a substantial amount of new ones. Upon retrieving the first trap, I observed a salamander. After posting an image to the iNaturalist app, I was able to identify it as a mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum). A mole salamander is a species of salamander found in the eastern and central part of the United States. The species is sometimes referred to as the "tadpole" salamander because some individuals remain in this state their whole life. This species of salamander is often found among the leaves on the forest floor and migrate to ponds to breed. While my identification of this species is accurate, it has yet to be verified as a research grade observation. On a fallen tree, near where the mole salamander was found, was white-pored chicken (Laetiporus cincinnatus). Whtie-pored chicken is a species of fungi that grows on trees, often referred to as bracket fungus. This species of fungus is found in the eastern and central parts of the United States. The fungus has striking features that make it an easy species to identify; the fungus has golden-yellow shelf-life structures that fade to pale beige or grey when it gets older and tubelike pores on its undersurface. Since my identification of this species, it has been deemed a research grade observation. In addition to the white-pored chicken covering trees, there were a large amount of red maple (Acer rubrum) seeds and seedlings on the ground. The red maple is one of the most common and widespread species of deciduous trees. The tree is commonly found in the eastern half of North America and is more commonly found in swamps or near water. Red maple trees can grow to be 90 feet tall and can live to be 150 years old. The seeds, called samaras, are reddish in color and have two wings that aid them in wind dispersal through a helicopter blade and propeller motion. With the red maple being the most abundant native tree in eastern North America, according to the U.S. Forest service, it's no doubt that my identification was verified as research grade. Continuing to move along the trail, there were more traps to be retrieved.
With large amounts of fresh water throughout the area, it was no surprise to see large fish and amphibian diversity. From the second trap collected, there were a substantial amount of eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). The eastern mosquitofish is a species of freshwater fish found primarily in the eastern and southern regions of the United States. This species of fish is very adaptable and can live in aquatic habitats from fresh to hyper-saline and cold temperate to tropical waters. Despite having caught a large number of eastern mosquitofish, the population of the species isn't very large in number. While the population currently isn't very large, this species is beginning to be recognized as an invasive species that, as a result, can lead to increase population numbers. In addition to the eastern mosquitofish found, there was also an american water frog (Lithobates) and a pygmy sunfish (Elassoma). Unfortunately for these two animals, the exact species were unable to be identified. The american water frog discovered was still in the tadpole stage of its life cycle. Despite not being able to identify the species, it still belongs to the genus of Lithobates, true frogs. In the case of the pygmy sunfish, there is speculation over the species but unfortunately not evidence to confirm. When I first posted an image of the fish to iNaturalist, I identified it as a pirate perch (Aphredoderus sayanus) but later was informed that the head and mouth shape was not correct for that species of fish. Upon further analyzing, the conclusion was made that it was a member of the genus Elassoma. Elassoma is a genus of freshwater fish knwon as pygmy sunfish, although they aren't true sunfishes. Although the genus was confirmed, there is speculation that it's a Banded sunfish, due to it being a common species in the particular region. Going into deeper bodies of water to collect more traps, there were more new species found.
Fallen over, but still alive, was a black willow (Salix nigra) tree. The tree, while perceivably dead, was still alive due to the fact that roots and branches were connected through the xylem and phloem tubes that transport food and water throughout the tree. The black willow is a species of willow tree native to the eastern part of North America. The tree is known for its ability to thrive in wet conditions and their soft wood that resists splintering, which makes it commercially valuable. The species can grow to be 60 feet tall and in the spring it blooms with dangling catkins, which are composed of tiny flowers flowers that have no petals. The catkins are yellow-green in color and can be up to 3 inches long. While this tree is an easily identifiable species, my observation has yet to be verified and deemed research grade. In the same body of water that black willow was living, was an american pickerel (Esox americanus). The american pickerel is a freshwater fish dispersed in the eastern part of the United States. The fish can grow to be two feet in length and is characterized by its banded or chain-like markings. Also in the same body of water as the black willow and american pickerel was a fallen tree that had a fungus growing on it. Unfortunately, despite being analyzed species can't be determined but is being identified by its genus of Polyporales, shelf fungus. Moving away from the more dense forest area of Dixie to a large stream, I was able to come across more vegetation and animal species.
Observing more of the plant life on Dixie, I was able to come across sweetleaf (Symplocos tinctoria). The sweetleaf is also referred to as horse-sugar. It is a deciduous shrub, whose leaves are often consumed by animals, such as deer, due to their sugar content that can be processed into larger caloric value. The plant is recognized by the pith of its twigs chamber. In addition to this, its leaves are not only sweet but also aromatic, finely haired, and 7-15 centimeters long. Not too far from the sweetleaf, was a baldcypress (Taxodium distichum). The baldcypress is a deciduous conifer that grows in saturated soils in the lowlands of the southeastern part of the United States. The tree gets its name from the fact that it drops its leaves so early in the season. These trees have a characteristic feature of “knees," a special kind of root. The knee is a pneumatophore, that grows from horizontal roots just below the surface and protrude upward from the ground or water and function to transport air to drowned roots underground. Once again, although it is an easily identifiable species of tree, my observation hasn't been verified. Relatively close to where I observed the baldcypress, on the ground, was a strange insect that I had never seen before. With the use of the iNaturalist app, I was able to identify it as a sculptured pine borer (Chalcophora virginiensis). The sculptured pine borer is a metallic woodboring beetle, endemic to forested areas in the eastern United States. The adults of this species are shiny and golden, sometimes bronzed, with lines of ivory along the back that highlight the texture. The bug bores tunnels in wood, eating the tissue, and leave once they mature, ultimately leaving the tree left for dead. In addition to the new observations made, there were repeats such as the finding of a green tree frog (Hyla cinerea).
Overall, from the time of my first visit to Dixie Plantation to the second there weren't any drastic changes to the environment but there were some notable new discoveries. The second visit showed the impact that a little bit of time and a slight increase in temperature can do to the overall area. It just goes to show that there is always something new and exciting to be seen when immersing yourself into nature.
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