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NATURE / OUTDOORS
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 Today's
Fieldwork
Little Patuxent River
Crofton, MD
3/26/08
Mark Burchick
TODAY'S FIELDWORK - Part 2
- from Mark Burchick
Vernal or seasonal pools have four
distinguishing features: surficial
hydrologic isolation,
periodic drying,
small size and shallow depth and distinctive
biological community.
Seasonal
pools reach their maximum depth and size in
the early spring, at the very end of the
non-growing season and before trees
crank-down the groundwater table via
evapotranspiration.
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Rebel, my trusty Bernese Mountain Dog
and eager field companion, cools off in
the blackened leaves of the wetland. |
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The adult, aquatic phase of the
red-spotted newt (Notophtalmus
viridescens). This
species of newt/salamander has a
complex life cycle. Reference the
following YouTube clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBTNw5qrUFo. |
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We suspect that the three,
black tadpoles are marbled
salamanders that are autumn
breeders. The appendages
behind the neck are the temporary
gills, prior to the later
development of lungs and terrestrial
life on land. My first thought
when I first saw the red-spotted
newt was that it would make great
fish bait for largemouth bass.
But as a read about this species,
they are toxic to fish (noted by the
red color phases) and one of a few
species that can survive in ponds
that contain fisheries. It
became obvious to me however, that
the olive-green, green pumpkin
and/or watermelon color of plastic
bass baits are the most common
amphibian color found in nature.
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Red-spotted newts can live 12 to
15-years and love to eat mosquito
larvae. |
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Spring beauty backed by emerging
Virginia bluebells. |
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Bluebell carpets the Little Patuxent
floodplain and should be a peak
flower within the next two weeks.
I noted lots of golden ragwort just
breaking ground, so in about three
to four weeks we should see tall,
beautiful yellow flowers. |
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Red maple at peak bloom.
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We mapped and classified all of the
wetlands, documenting field
indicators of the active floodplain,
terraces, spring and bench seeps,
skunk cabbage plains and most
importantly, quality vernal pools
that will be filling with egg masses
through the course of the next few
weeks of 'herp' (herpetological)
migration and breeding. |
Mark Burchick
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