 |
| Good morning, Ecuador! |
Our soil collection was both adventuresome and laborious. We entered the forest at the Yanayacu Stream Trailhead and soon jumped off the path and made one of our own. We stopped in approximately seven locations to peel away layers of leafy, decaying top soil. With a shovel, a couple of us took turns digging holes to unearth quality pails of moist soil, as directed by Andrea. I did a yeoman's share of the digging, and we formed a sort of firemen's brigade to move our pails back to the trail where our wheelbarrow awaited. We filled the wheelbarrow and 20 buckets and made our way back to the research station. When we arrived, another team had assembled rigs of cable that would be used to suspend our piper plant clones. A third team was still out on the forest's outskirts collecting several species of caterpillars and leaf samples.
After a healthy lunch of soup, avocado/onion/tomato salad, llapingachos with a peanut butter-based sauce, and a fried egg, we discussed what would be our agenda for the afternoon. I decided to join the team which would learn how to spread and pin moths and butterflies for display. This was a fantastic lab, led by Suzanne Rab Green of New York's American Museum of Natural History. She demonstrated how to pin the specimen through the abdomen and then gently spread its four delicate wings and antennae. Suzanne can pin and prepare 30+ specimens in an hour, but we struggled to do one or two moths in 60 minutes. A steady hand, good eyes, and patience are required to properly pin butterflies, skippers, and moths. Clearly, practice also makes perfect.
As we finished our pinning practice, we noticed that the clouds had cleared and the afternoon sun was now allowing the forest to bask in a warm glow of clear skies and sunny rays. We stopped what we were doing and made our way down the station driveway and local road, walking south past a few ranches and a lot of forest growth. We came across a roaming horse and even found a flowering plant which was decorated with a colony of butterflies and a few beetles. Fantastic! We snapped a few pictures and collected a plant sample and made our way back to the station.
After dinner, Dr. Walla lectured about the history and role of the Yanayacu Biological Station and its objectives in identifying caterpillars and parasitoids (the insects that lay eggs in the caterpillar and feed off of their flesh). Through his talk, we learned that most caterpillars have not been linked to their adult forms, especially in moths, and that there are 113 families of moths. Regarding parasitoids, Dr. Walla informed us that researchers at the site have identified one new wasp species, called Napo; it was named for the Yanayacu province and is about 1/4" long with an aggressive demeanor. His lecture continued with details of oviposition, a butterfly laying its eggs under the leaf of a plant, metamorphic stages called instars, and a look at biodiversity. Dr. Walla stated that a tropical community of insects can never be sampled completely so scientists must use diversity indices to estimate or generalize biodiversity. Scientists like Dr. Walla or Dr. Lee Dyer (lead Earthwatch scientist) look at diversity of interactions and quantitative species interaction. With regard to their focus, Yanayacu has collected more than 78,000 caterpillars (but almost half have died). One final notable Earthwatch factoid was evidence that the species richness per plot (the plants and animals in a given plot) is similar between Yanayacu and the research area in Louisiana, with approximately 20.8 different species in the plots. Fascinating... and sure to be a talking point on Day 3.
QUESTION: If you were to go explore your own backyard, how many different species of plants, animals, and insects could you find?
Zack Brown
ReplyDeleteIn my back yard there are about 15 types of plants, including apricot trees, lemon trees and grass. There are many types of animals, about 24 , like lizards, snakes, coyotes and rabbits.Where I live there is a lot of diversity with the animals.
In my front and backyard I found 25 different types of plants, including cactuses, oranges, roses, and much more. I also saw, 3 different kinds of animals lizards, spiders, and moths. They are a lot of plants in my backyard and in my front yard but, they are almost no animals. By: John
ReplyDeleteThis afternoon i explored my backyard and found more than I expected..
ReplyDeleteIn my garden i found a dozen different types of flowers I also found a pine tree, palm trees and banana trees. I also saw a vine that covers my fence (that I don't know the name of). Obviously I saw dirt.;) I also found some rosemary, mint, basil and three different types of cacti.
On the other hand, the animals that are in my area are coyotes, mountain lion, different types of birds like crows and humming birds. And I think that there are also foxes and skunks in the area.
In my front and backyard there are 16 flowers.for the trees there are one pine, 12 palm trees, seven banana trees, and bamboo. We also have a few bushes. As for animals there are coyotes and there have been two snakes at my house one in the backyard and one in the front yard...
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard i have these types of trees palm trees,pine trees, and some banana trees. We have herbs and a bunch of flowers like jasmine, roses, and birds of paradise. As for animals there are coyotes that go up and down my street, and we sometimes see a deer. I see a bunch of birds like hummingbirds, eagle, and crows.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I found:
ReplyDelete20 types of plants including eucalyptus, oak, pine, and palm trees, as well as cactus and rosemary.
6 different animals like humming birds, coyotes, deers, and lizards.
8 insects such as spiders, butterflies, moths, roly polys, and ants.
I had no idea how much diversity there was outside my own house.
In my backyard, I have 21 trees which include 6 palm trees, 1 magnolia tree, 2 orange and lemon trees, and 10 spiraled pine trees. Also, I have 4 different types of flowers. 3 types are white and 1 of the types are red roses. Another part of my backyard includes bugs and reptiles. I have blue-bellied lizards, garden snakes, snails, ladybugs, hummingbirds, honeybees and worms. Finally, I have coyotes, deer, and the occasional wolf.
ReplyDeleteRYAN H.
ReplyDeleteI saw 3 different kinds of animals and 2 kinds of trees. Now i'm no expert but in my backyard i saw some cool things, well i think there cool. The things that i saw first were a squirrel a bird (that looked brown), and a butterfly. The trees i saw were a lemon tree and oak maybe. I don't know trees or animal species but it was still fun looking around.
ZOE W.
ReplyDeleteWhen I explored my own backyard, I saw and experienced so many different kinds of wildlife and plants. There were so many different kinds of plants that I couldn't even keep count of. Including two birch trees, bougainvillea, ivy, and so many more things that will take up this whole page to list. Animal wise, everyday I see at least five squirrels in my back and front yard. Also, mostly every night, I tend to hear coyotes howling away. As well as plants, there are so many insects in my backyard that it is to hard to count. I know though, that there are very common insects in my backyard like bees, worms, flies, spiders, beetles, butterflies, and so many more. Also, there are some very strange insects that are small and I've never heard of them before. My backyard is a very adventurous place with many wildlife creatures about it.
ALEX W.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard, I saw many different things. I saw six different shrubs, one squirrel, over ten red and white roses, and a mini palm tree! Sometimes, at least once a month, I see a coyote or a lost cat in my backyard.
CHLOE S.
ReplyDeleteAround my home there are over 30 different plants like 3 lavender plants, 10 roses, 2 lemon trees, a nectarine tree, an orange tree, 2 grape plants, 5 bamboo stalks, a maple tree, and a garden. Also around my home there are many animals such as birds (I live on the bird streets), coyotes, wolves, squirrels (of course), snakes, and raccoons.
My backyard is in a canyon with great diversity of animal, plant, and insect species. The main flora include the evergreen scrubs, live oaks, and several types of eucalyptus. The animals would include coyotes, deer, bobcats, raccoons, possum, skunks, and mountain lions. Prey include rabbits, squirrels, mice, and rats. Birds include the hawks, owls, pigeons, raven, hummingbirds, mockingbirds, and crows. Reptiles that I have seen in our backyard include rattlesnakes, lizards, and frogs. The insects have included moths, butterflies, beetles, ladybugs, wasps, honey bees, preying mantis, earthworms, spiders, black widow, brown recluse spider, mosquitoes, and caterpillars.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard, there are the occasional snake, coyote, and deer. There are birds, squirrels and many different types of lizards. Some lizards are small, but some are quite large. There are also many different plant species such as ivy, a lemon tree, a fig tree and fern.
ReplyDeleteI have 6 species of plants, 2 cactuses, 8 different species of animals and insects, and 5 different types of flowers.
ReplyDeleteLIZA B.
ReplyDeleteThis is my answer for the second weebly question. The animals in my back yard are butterflies,birds,butterflies,flies,ants,dragon fly,spiders,bees,flies,and misquotes .Sometimes there are squirrels,coyotes,snakes, and rates.The plants in my back yard are trees,flowers,grass, and bushes.
NICK M.
ReplyDeleteI found at least 10 plants including roses and some trees. I also saw a lot of birds and heard them. I saw about 8 animals including squirrels and snails.
BROOKE B.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I found many interesting plants and wildlife. I found about five different types of trees and a few kinds of flowers. Sometimes there are coyotes and deer but not when I went outside. I discovered a few different of insects that I think were water bugs or beetles. In my backyard I would say that there are 10 different kinds of animals including lizards, there are a lot of lizards in my backyard. Those are the plants and wildlife that I found in my backyard.
In my backyard, I have many different types of trees including lemon, kumquat, and Japanese plum trees. There are various insects and birds-including butterflies, dragon flies and hummingbirds.There are lizards, squirrels and, every once in awhile, I have seen a garden snake. There are also flowers, like roses and hydrangeas.
ReplyDeleteWhen I explored my backyard I found a large diversity of plants and numerous amount of insects and animals. I saw many trees such as pine, lemon, kumquat, and a lot more that would become a humongous list. I saw many different flowers, including pink, red, and white roses, daises, geranium, hibiscus, and many more to name. While outside I noticed some animals and insects, like snails, bees, squirrels, hummingbirds, ants, and more. There were even a couple of ducks in my pool! While outside I realized that there are so many different varieties of plants and animals that I have never paid much attention to before.
ReplyDeleteIn my back yard, I saw 6 different kinds of trees including a lemon tree, and a pomegranate tree. I also saw 8 different kinds of flowers including daisy's, lilies, and trumpet flowers. I also saw four kinds of birds including a hummingbird and about 5 kinds of bugs and insects including spiders, bees, and ants. I also have a garden that I planted and some things that I planted were lettuce, tomatoes, herbs like basil and cilantro, peppers, strawberries, blackberries, and potatoes.
ReplyDeleteWhen I explored around my house I saw many different types of trees and plants such as, Rose bushes, Apple trees, Pine trees, Lavender plants, Jacaranda trees, Birds of Paradise, Jasmine, Magnolia Trees and many more. I also sometimes see hummingbirds, squirrels, Praying Mantis, lizards and Bees. I have so many different types of plants and animals around my house.
ReplyDeleteIn my back yard I saw several different types of flowers including Hibiscus flowers and Hydrangea flowers. I also saw a palm tree and many other different kinds of plants such as ferns and spiral pine trees.The mammals in my back yard include coyotes and squirrels, the reptiles that I have in my back yard are blue bellied lizards and garden snakes. I have observed many different types of birds such as sparrows,hummingbirds,hawks, and doves. I have also witnessed many kinds of spiders in my back yard including black widows and jumping spiders.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I found many different types of trees and plants including 2 lemon trees, 1 orange tree, 4 palm trees, 1 pomegranate tree, 7 rose bushes, 2 hydrangeas, and 3 grape vines. I also saw many insects such as 2 bees, 4 spiders, 1 worm, and some ants. There were also some other animals in my backyard such as 1 hummingbird and 1 squirrel.
ReplyDeleteIn my front and backyard I see many things. My front yard has a plum tree, peonies, and yellow roses that represent my grandfather. In my backyard I see butterflies flying around, hummingbirds and bees surrounding flowers. On my white picket fence roses, jasmine and ivy hang on the fence. Sometimes I see squirrels walking and jumping on to the fence. Many things are happening in my front and backyard.
ReplyDeleteOn my backyard exploration I found 48 different types of plant life, including things like jasmine and mint. I also discovered six insects, like worms and beetles, and seven bees. I saw two snails, 17 types of trees, nine birds and one little brown snake.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I found many different plants and animals.
ReplyDeleteI found 9 different types of trees including crape myrtles, sycamores, and oak trees.
I found 11 types of flowers and other plants including rosemary, red and white roses, and lavender.
I found 6 different animals including deer, humming bird, crow, and lizards.
I found 8 different types of insects including moths, butterflies, bees, and roly polys.
In my garden, I found 7 different types of plants including tomato, corn, cucumber, and parsley.
I didn't know that my backyard had so many different species.
In my backyard I found lots of different types trees, flowers, and animals such as:
ReplyDeletea pine tree, lots of small daisies, rosemary, jasmine, grape vines, eucalyptus trees, an apricot tree, and ivy.
Some animals in my backyard are: butterflies, hummingbirds (other birds as well), bees, worms, and ants.
My backyard includes many types of trees, animals, and flowers.
(Sometimes, there are coyotes, wild cats, squirrels, and snakes.)
In my backyard, I found many plants and animals. I saw many different kinds of trees like pepper trees, olive trees, oak trees, California walnut trees, and so much more. I have a bunch of flowers such as roses, lavender, and Mexican sage. Some other plants that I found are cactus, lantana, and ferns. I found many animals such as butterflies, squirrels, grasshoppers, spiders, birds, and so much more. Sometimes, I see coyotes, cats, gophers, skunks, and ducks! I have a lot of diversity in my back yard that I have never realized before.
ReplyDeleteIn my yard I had many different types of plants, I had 8 different shrubs, 4 different types of trees, 15 types of flowers and many more.
ReplyDeleteWESTON J.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I found 14 trees, they include one orange tree, one persimmon tree, and one pine tree. I also found some flowers, weeds, and grass in my backyard. Some insects I found were centipedes, bees, and birds. There are lots of different trees and insects in my backyard.
SARAH H.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard there are 6 types of trees including palm trees, 1 type of grass, 3 types of shrubs/ bushes, 5 types of flowers including yellow, pink, and white ones, ants, spiders and spider webs, lizards on occasion, squirrels on occasion, and even rattle snakes.
MIKAELA K.
ReplyDeleteMy front/back yard:
Trees/plants:
Two lemon trees
Avocado tree
Three Pomegranate trees
Three Sycamore trees
Miniature palm tree
Orange tree
Tangerine tree
Five other random trees
A lot of grass and other buses
Tomato plants
Strawberry plants
Many colorful flowers, some being:
Daisies
Camellias
Gardenias
Lavender
Jasmine
Rosemary
Succulent flowers and plants
Petunias
Alyssum Flowers
Etc...
Animals and bugs:
Humming birds
Many other birds chirping
Grass hoppers
Bees and wasps
Lady bugs
Ants
In the past I've seen a woodpecker, two ducks in my pool, and a coyote in my backyard.
ALEXANDER R.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard i saw 7 types of trees such as crab apple tress, and Meyer Lemon Trees. I also saw 3 types of birds including finches. I saw a snail, squirrel, and some ants. That is what i saw in my backyard.
ALLY S.
ReplyDeleteIn my back and front yard, I have so many plants and animals.
One plant is called fire dragon and it is really pretty. There are also many other flowers in my back and front yard. In the garden there are tomatoes, basil, rosemary, broccoli, cauliflower, and many more fruits and vegetables.
Sometimes I see raccoons in my back yard and I see squirrels and birds everywhere.
I have a lot of life just in my back and front yard
ALYSSA W.
ReplyDeleteIn my front yard I saw six plants, three trees, five bushes, and four rocks.
ADAM H.
ReplyDeleteI saw 11 types of birds including a blue jay, also 3 types of trees including oak and pine trees, and I saw 5 types of spiders including a daddy long legs.
SARA D.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was looking in my back yard I noticed about 12-16 different plants and while I was trying to count all of the animals I saw I realized that I could never get an exact number considering how many insects, birds, and other large and small animals are in my back yard. But if I had to estimate I would guess 50-100 animals.
NICHOLAS Y.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard there are wide variety of plants and animals. There are two trees, 20 hedges, 30 shrubs and bushes. I saw two butterflies, ten spiders, twenty crickets, several bees, four lizards, many birds, a few snails, one lady bug, and seven earth worms. This is the diversity of plants and animals that live in my backyard.
MAGGIE C.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I found many different types of plants, animals, and trees. I found 34 different types of plants and or flowers including roses, rosemary, ferns, and many more. I discovered 11 animals including birds, ducks, bees, and others. I also found 8 types of trees including cherry, lemon, oak trees, and more. I have a huge backyard with many plants and wildlife that I have never thought I had.
TESS S.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I saw around,
8 different kinds of trees
12 different kinds of flowers
Dirt :)
Grass :)
I saw 3 ducks in my pool
4 berry bushes
many crows
a squirrel
SEBASTIAN M.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I found:
palm trees
worms
ants
mint leaves
fern trees
pine trees
ficus trees
bamboo trees
roses
snails
bugambilia
lemon trees
avocado trees
orange trees
coyotes
pomegranate trees
lizards
caterpillars
gofers
possums
skunks
deer
apple trees
peach trees
fig trees
apricot trees
kumquat trees
stray cats
snakes
grasshoppers
mosquitoes
birds of paradise
jasmine
ladybugs
snails
squirrels
raccoons
pigeons
humming birds
ANNA E.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful to have a backyard! In my backyard I have a wide variety of fruit trees such as orange, lemon, lime, pink lemon and plum trees. There are 2 oak trees and 4 palm trees. I also have a variety of plants such as cactus, mint, and grass! I have multiple species of birds that roam in my backyard such as humming birds, crows, hawks, sparrows, blue jays and ducks. There must be hundreds of different species of insects including but not limited to ants, worms, flies, mosquitoes, bees, butterflies and spiders. There are squirrels and my two Chiuwawas.
Im not sure if my earlier comment showed up so here:
ReplyDeleteIn my back yard I found 26 different types of plants including a lemon tree, a rosemerry tree, many rose plants, and an apricot tree. I also found a nest of crows, three butterflies, a few flies, and a worm.
FIONA D-C.
ReplyDeleteIN my back yard i found, 34 different types of plants including honeysuckel, ivy, and rosemerry. I also saw 15 different types of animals including ants, birds, and the occasional mountain lion.
SATORI R.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I have 9 diffrent species of trees. I also 28 diffrent types of plants. We have a lot of insects in our backyard including, water bugs and a lot of diffrent types of spiders.Some of the annimals i usably see include, squirrels, coyotes, mountain lions, deer, and sometimes humming birds.(usually in the spring or summer ).
In my backyard I have
ReplyDeleteCoyotes
deer
squirrels
butterflies
worms
woodpeckers
hummingbirds
roses
dandelions
ferns
trees
moths
bees
spiders
robins
snakes
and many more amazing creatures
In my backyard I found some amazing things that I never knew I had. I found 7 types of plants, dirt, grass, 15 types of insects that I did not know the name of, butterflys, ladybugs, bees, and a stray cat. That is what I found in my awesome backyard.
ReplyDeleteIn my back yard I found 5 different types of flowers such as sunflowers and tulips.
ReplyDeleteI also found 9 different types of insects such as mosquitoes,bees,ants,spiders,and caterpillars
I found 3 different types of animals that were squirrels, coyotes, possums
There 4 different types of tree such as lemon trees, avocado trees and orange trees
KALEN A.
ReplyDeleteIn my back yard I saw ant's, garden snake, Huming birds, grass, 12 spider, and 2 grass hopers. What I learnd from this is that there are lots of insects in the back yard that I dont see every day.
ELLI B.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard, I found a bunch of bees in my rosemary. From time to time I will see coyotes and raccoons, but only about once a month or less. I also found 4 lizards and 2 types of grass.
JACK K.
ReplyDeleteIn my backyard I have many different types of wildlife, plants, insects, and reptiles. There are: deer, raccoons, squirrels, coyotees, crows, hummingbirds, cacti, oak trees, succulents, ants, spiders, ladybugs, bees, rattle snakes, and lizards. There are many cool things in my backyard and I am lucky to have a great place to hang out.
TALIA S.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look around my backyard and front yard, I see 14 different types of flower such as violets, rosemary, bougainvillea, roses, gardenia, magnolia, lilies, etc. I also see many animals such as ducks (in my pool), bees, ants, snails, cats, hummingbirds and many more. I have a garden that I grow in my front and backyard with red bell peppers, oranges, lemons, strawberries, apples, apricots, figs, nectarines, tomatoes, and loquats. In my past experiences with nature at my house, I saw deer, raccoons, snakes and bob cats.
COLE T.
ReplyDeleteIn my front yard I found rose bushes,5 different types of flowers, squirrels, grass, and a tree.
TARA R.
ReplyDeleteIn my garden I saw several types of trees such as fig trees, pine trees, palm trees, apricot trees, plum trees, apple trees, cherry blossom trees, banana trees,several orange and grapefruit trees, and redwood trees. Those are just the ones I can name. We also have an amazing variety of flowers. We have red, white, pink, orange, and yellow roses. We also have sunflowers, hibiscus, lilies, poppies, marigolds, hydrangeas, birds of paradise, and many more. We also have a lot of herbs such as, rosemary, thyme, mint, curry leaves, and we also have some jasmine bushes. As for animals, we have squirrels, birds, raccoons, hawks, crows, owls, and the occasional duck or coyote. We also have all kinds of different insects such as butterflies, ants, worms, potato bugs, caterpillars, ladybugs, banana slugs, and snails. The diversity in my backyard is amazing and it wasn't until I made this list that I realized how impress of it really is. The variety you can find in just looking at your backyard is really cool and I'm really glad I did it.
When I went outside to my backyard for the first time I saw many different things. I saw a bird or 2, a shrubbery, a caterpillar, and an apple tree! I also saw a snake, it almost bit me I was lucky.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to my backyard, I saw a diversity of animals, plants, and trees. There were 8 oak trees. 17 palm trees, 2 pine trees, 2 squirrels, 1 humming bird, and 6 roses.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU, STUDENTS. THIS BLOG CLOSED AT 11:59 P.M. ON APRIL 21.
ReplyDelete