Evolution in the Landscape

 
                                                                     Mallard Duck
\
E
Ecological Niche: The Mallard duck can be found all around the world in temperate or sub-tropical climates. They are migratory birds and may fly south as far as Mexico and Central America during the cold winter. These birds enjoy grasslands or small ponds surrounded by reeds. They are "dabbling ducks" and must be near the surface in order to catch their food. Mallards  are eaten by bobcats, coyotes and other large mammals. They themselves feed on insects and  plants.

History of the Mallard: The Mallard duck is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds. It is believed that they evolved in Siberia. Their scientific name is Anas Platyrhynchos
.
How has the Mallard thrived?: The Mallard duck is the most populous duck in the world and certain adaptations have led to its thriving. Female Mallard's have developed dark brown and black feathers to help it blend into the murky marshes. Female Mallard's will also pretend to be injured to lure a predator away from its ducklings.

Mallard Ducks: (from left to right) Male, Female

Mallard's are also able to fly vertically out of the water. Many other birds need a large area of space to take of. This may help Mallard's escape predators and this increased mobility is a selective pressure that continues to aid in the survival of the Mallard duck.


Common Ancestor: The common ancestor of all ducks was the Pterosaur. Now extinct, these birds once lived among the dinosaurs. They had bodies similar to those of ducks and had webbed feet and a flat bill similar to a duck's.








                                                                 References




https://bmcgenet.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2156-12-99

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22093799

Soundscape Ecology Challenge

           
                                                                   Sound Frequency Chart
                     


                       

                                  


I spent 15 minutes in Site Beta just listening to what I could hear and taking notes. This landscape is in a more public place. It is close to the street as well as Lesley's campus so it is often loud. Sounds like people talking or dogs barking are commonplace. There is also sounds of birds chirping. Because of the trees in Site Beta, birds can often be heard. 

Assignment #3 Water in the Landscape

                                                     
                                                                      Doane's Falls

                                                       

                                                              Date and Time: 04/17/2017
                                                   Location: Doane's Falls Royalston MA
                                                    Weather Conditions: Bright and Sunny

Observation Transect: During my observation transect I noticed rocks along the shore. I also noticed that the rocks became smoother as they neared the water. Perhaps this is because the water has smoothed them out over time.

The water was brisk and cold to the touch. I believe that this may be because the day before was cold and rainy.

The PH level was 6. The PH level of this has less ions because pure water is a PH of 7.

Breaking Buds Challenge

Date: 4/13/2017

Time: 3:00 pm

Weather: Sunny and in the 50's

Location: Site Beta (A house behind Lesley)

Date: 4/15/2017

Time: 3:00 pm

Weather: Sunny

Location: Site Beta (A house behind Lesley)

Date: 4/18/2017

Time: 4:00 pm

Weather: Sunny

Location: Site Beta (A house behind Lesley)

Each day that I visited site Beta to observe the bud, the flower seemed bigger and more vibrant. It is amazing to me how quickly these buds seemed to bloom. I saw several bees buzzing around these trees. It made me happy because of the rapid dying of honeybees all over the world. It was comforting to see them. As the bud opens a beautiful white flower is revealed. Slowly but surely it opens further and further to blossom.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. "

                                                                                                      -Marcel Proust

Assignment #4: Site Beta

Site Beta- A house outside of Lesley University

Date: April 14th, 2017

Time: 2:00 pm

Location: Lesley University

Weather Conditions: Bright and Sunny

Site Beta is beginning to show signs of life. Having walked by it all winter I would often notice the dead trees and the cold hard ground. Now, buds are beginning to grow and plants are sprouting. Squirrels dart around and bees buzz by. The sun is bright and warm and basks everything in a golden hue. 

Plants are beginning to grow in Site Beta

Nature is not simply the deep woods or a secluded clearing. Nature is all around us. It is often easy in the city to become oblivious and not notice the world around us. We need to appreciate nature, even in its smallest forms. Yes this plant (shown above) is small. Yes it;s surrounded by man-made items. Still, it is beautiful and should not be considered less than what it is.

Assignment #2 The Properties of Life in Site Alpha

Site Alpha Location: Gardner Massachusetts near the train tracks.

Date: 04/02/17

Time: 5:30 pm

Weather Conditions: Cold, cloudy and rainy.

Observation Transect

The path I took was again mainly flat with minor dips. On the ground under me, hard icy slush lay under my boots. To my left, the forest of deciduous trees and conifers lined the path. The train tracks and partial rock wall lay to my left. There was significantly less snow on the path, and what was left was harder and more like solid ice. More patches of grass were exposed during this object transect. To my right the medium sized bushes still lined the way. They gleamed as ice crystals were attached to their exposed buds. 

Properties of Life

1. Homeostasis 

The deciduous trees in Site Alpha maintain homeostasis by losing their leaves for the winter. In doing this, they are able to conserve moisture and energy in their trunks and branches and can survive the harsh winds.

2. Growth

The rain water from the sky as well as the melted water from the snow aid in plant growth. It nourishes the grass beneath.

3. Response to Stimuli

The patches of grass peeking through the snow suggests a response to stimuli. The stimuli being the warmth of the sun and the warmth of the liquid rain water as it reaches contact with the frozen ice and snow. As a response to this stimuli, the snow begins to melt, revealing patches of grass beneath. 

Assignment #1 Observation Transect

 Site Alpha Location: Gardner Massachusetts near the train tracks

Date: 03/18/17

Time: 3:45 pm

Weather Conditions: Cold and Cloudy with snow flurries on and off

                                    

        Observation Transect

On March 15th 2017 I conducted an observation transect at my Site Alpha. 



The purpose of a transect walk is a walk along a defined path in order to make observations about the landscape.

The path that I chose was mainly flat with a few minor dips and bumps along the way. To my left 

tree's (mainly deciduous with  some conifers among them) lined the way. A small rock wall also 

partially lined the way. To my right, medium-sized bushes sporadically lined the way. Usually a trail 

of grass, the path was instead covered with snow. However, at some points, small patches of grass 

were sticking out along the pathway.

(Observation Transect Sketch)

Because of the cold weather and the icy and snowy conditions it was difficult to observe the types of plants. However, it was interesting to see that most of the tree's were deciduous trees, trees that lose their leaves in the fall. There were only a few conifers, tree's that maintain their needles all year round. The railroad tracks also led me to believe that more trees and other plants may have been cleared away in order for the tracks to be created.