Wetland Wonderland: What does the Frog say?

Field Observations:

After a full week of class and homework, I welcomed the opportunity to spend some time observing the Kessling Wetland at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College. I was so excited to be outside that I couldn't sit still. I grabbed my rubber boots and started to explore the eastern shoreline. Before I knew it, I had spent an hour enjoying the 79 degree (F) and sunny weather while taking pictures of nearly everything that I saw.

As I was headed out to the wetland, I heard the roar of an airplane overhead. I looked up to the North to see a crop duster flying in loops just above the treetops as it turned around to spray the field that is to the north of the farmstead. The normally noisy wetland was impossible to hear over the roar of the plane's engine. It was beautiful to watch the pilot maneuver the plane in the tight turns, just above the treetops.

The three families of geese that call Kessling Wetland home were quite active today. Some of the older

goslings were starting to become more independent, swimming off just a little further from their parents than before. The families also would fly short distances as a miniature flock from one end of the pond to the other. It is always a joy to watch these birds grow and mature day after day.

As I walked along the shoreline, I finally had the opportunity to see some of the noisy frogs that hide along the edges of the wetland. Although it should have been obvious, the key to actually observing these frogs is stealth. I had to be careful to walk slowly and not make much noise as I crept up to take a look at these sneaky frogs. They were incredibly difficult to photograph because as soon as they heard any noise from my camera, they would quickly spring up and dive under the thick layer of algae and duckweed covering the surface of the pond. After much patience and skill, I finally mastered the art of sneaking a picture of these well camouflaged animals.

Once I reached the southern shore of the wetland, I witnessed two beautiful song birds fluttering around and eventually perching on a high branch. They were too far away and silhouetted against the sun, so I was unable to identify them, but their casual interactions were quite charming. I wish I could have gotten a better view to watch them longer.

Closer to the ground, buzzing around the milkweed flowers, were a dozen honeybees. They had no interest in me. They were incredibly focused on finding the nectar from the next beautiful flower that they could find. I could have spent the entire afternoon watching the bees scurry from bloom to bloom in an elegant dance of excitement.

I was so entranced in watching the honeybees that I almost missed the two herons fly across the wetland to the opposite side of the pond. The pair rose up with grace and with a few strong flaps of their wings had flown across the pond. Carefully, each chose its place to perch on a cluster of exposed logs. They remained there for several minutes, eyeing me carefully as I slowly crept closer to capture a better photograph. After what felt like hours of careful positioning and quiet maneuvering, I was able to snap a unobstructed picture of the majestic birds.

As I walked back to the farm towards the end of my hour long observation, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of gorgeous flying insects. Butterflies, dragonflies, moths, and damselflies were in abundance. It seemed that no matter where I looked, one would be fluttering around or resting on a beautiful flower, stem, or branch. It was incredibly fun to watch these amazing insects. Although I wish I could have captured an image of each, some were far to fast for me to take position and focus before the fascinating creature flew to a new resting spot.

Succession in the Wetland:

The Kessling Wetland, nestled between the Kessling farmstead and the Rieth Village, is speckled with floating vegetation and is surrounded by emergent vegetation that leads to some shrubs and then larger trees. This pattern of plant life is characteristic of aquatic succession. Hydrosere, the process of a freshwater environment slowly filling in with vegetation until dry and covered in forest, is the name that describes aquatic succession. This process occurs much slower in fast moving water since the current continually batters the shoreline making it difficult for new vegetation to establish.

In slow moving and stagnant bodies of water, such as the Kessling Wetland, hydrosere occurs much faster. The slow moving current allows vegetation to creep slowly inward towards the center of the water body. As this vegetation dies, it sinks to the bottom and decomposes, adding a new layer of soil, filling in the pond with sediment. New vegetation grows on top of this decomposed material and when it eventually dies, it adds another layer of new sediment. These layers stack on top of each other, slowly making the water body shallower. Most vegetation found in a wetland environment can only survive within a specific range of water depth and moisture content. That is what leads to the pattern of succession seen in the Kessling Wetland and other similar locations.

In the traditional framework of succession, the Kessling Wetland is in the early stages. There is still a large area that remains open water throughout the summer months. Moving from the center of the open water towards the shore, each stage of hydrosere can be observed. The pattern moves from open water, to floating vegetation, to emergent vegetation, to shrubs and bushes, and finally to larger trees. As succession continues, these zones will slowly move inward, filling in the pond. However, moving water will slow this process, helping the pond to retain its open water.

Jackson, M.T. (1997). The Natural Heritage of Indiana. Bloomington, IN. Indiana University Press

Four New Species:

Bulfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

This aquatic species of frog spends most of its life in ponds, lakes, and other slow moving bodies of fresh water. Bullfrogs live in areas with much vegetation that provides camouflage and cover in the event of a disturbance. Bullfrogs are nocturnal and feed primarily on insects, crayfish, other frogs, and minnows. The life cycle of a bullfrog also ties it to the water. Bullfrogs, along with other species of frogs, hatch from an egg that is submerged under the surface of the water, typically attached to the stalk of a plant. When these eggs hatch, a tadpole emerges. The tadpole is essentially a head with a tail that lives entirely under water for several weeks until it begins growing legs. As the tadpole grows, the legs slowly appear, the tail slowly disappears, the lungs continue to develop, and the gills slowly disappear. After several weeks of development, the frog is in the shape most associated with being a frog. Bullfrogs are identified by their large external eardrum (tympanum), fully webbed hind feet, and a lack of dorsolateral ridges. In regards to habitat, The Kessling Wetland has much of the necessary emergent vegetation in the form of cattails along with much duckweed floating on the surface of the water to provide camouflage and cover for these frogs. As evidenced in my observations of butterflies, dragonflies, and several other insects, the Kessling Wetland hosts much of the preferred food for bullfrogs. The bullfrog pictured here is most likely a young fully-developed bullfrog.

Behler, J.L. (1979). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Herons are identified by their long legs, long neck, long slender bill, and characteristic folded neck when in flight. The Great Blue Heron lives in areas such as marshes, swamps, shores, tidal flats, and moist fields where they feed primarily on fish in the shallow water. The Kessling Wetland provides the appropriate habitat for these birds to thrive. There is much cover along the shoreline to provide some camouflage and protruding branches for them to perch upon. The pond is filled with fish, frogs, and other aquatic species that serve as food for these majestic birds.

Audubon. (2014). Great Blue Heron. Retrieved from: http://birds.audubon.org/species/greblu1

Peterson, R.T. (2010) Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America. New York, NY. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Mild Water Pepper (Polygonum hydropiperoides)

Growing in a large mat along the shore, Mild Water Pepper is identified by the five part flowers growing in an erect spike at the top of the plant. The sword-like leaves are similar to grasses in that they hug the stalk in a sash-like fashion. Mild Water Pepper grows in shallow streams and other wet places, such as the edge of the Kessling Wetland. The slow-moving and stagnant water allows this plant to become well established along the shore creating habitat for many shoreline vegetation loving species.

Newcomb, L. (1977). Newcom's Wildflower Guide. New York, NY. Little Brown and Company

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

When thinking about a wetland, honey bees are not usually the first creature to come to mind. These insects build hives in hollow trees. They have a complex social behavior resulting in distinctly different sub-types of bees within the hive. For example, there is one queen, a handful of male drones, and many female workers, each with distinct physical characteristics. In order to make honey, the worker bees leave the hive to collect pollen from flowering plants. Since there is an abundance of blooming Swamp Milkweed along with many other flowers surrounding the Kessling Wetland, the Honey Bees seem to be quite at home.

Milne, L., & M. Milne. (1980). National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects & Spiders. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.