Reflections

Field Observations:

I cannot imagine a better way to start my day than visit the Kessling Wetland.  It was 70 degrees (F) and incredibly humid when I made it to the wetland at 9:30 in the morning.  The sky was clear with just a few clouds lingering on the horizon.  Countless cicadas were buzzing everywhere creating a beautiful chorus. 

As usual, I started observing in the northeast corner of the wetland, but decided to walk counterclockwise around the wetland this time.  The northeast corner of the wetland was full of several varieties of blooming wildflowers.  The blue vervain continues to bloom, but is starting to fade.  Countless bumblebees were buzzing around the great lobelia and the halberd-leaved rose mallow that are also near the blue vervain.  I absolutely loved watching the bumblebees collect nectar and hurry about among the beautiful blooms.

While walking along the northern shoreline, I was lucky to see and photograph the great blue heron that hangs out in that area.  The heron was just on the other side of the cattails from me and saw me well before I saw it.  The heron was gracious enough to stay still for a few seconds, allowing me to take two pictures, before rising up and flying to the opposite side of the wetland.

Walking along the western shore, I was startled by a pair of mallard ducks taking flight from somewhere nearby, but just out of sight.  I watched them fly around the corner of the wetland to the southwest bay.  As I watched, I noticed that there was a third female mallard by itself standing in the shallow water.  I was able to photograph it so I could more easily identify the species once I looked at the pictures.

The western shore was full of diversity of all forms of life.  A pair of painted turtles were sunning themselves on logs.  Several honeybees and bumblebees buzzed around the flowers.  A graceful little white butterfly hurried past me, always just out of my reach.  As I crept towards the southwestern corner of the wetland, I was stunned to see the elusive green heron standing on a dead tree branch high in the air.  The heron watched me carefully as I photographed it, but suddenly flew away as soon as I took one step closer.

Along the southern shore, I was greeted by the song of several species of songbirds.  I was patient, and waited for the birds to come closer so I could better identify them.  This charismatic song sparrow perched on a high tree branch and proceeded to fluff its feathers and observe me from a safe distance.  It was quite fun to watch this spunky little bird.  

The incredible variety and resiliency of life in a wetland continues to amaze me. Although the water level in the wetland has fallen since I started my observations a few weeks ago, I continue to see more life taking hold in the exposed mud.  The thick muck threatened to trap my boots in its suction-like grasp, so I did not dare to venture far from shore.  Just in the small opening near the canoe on the eastern shore, I saw frogs and damselflies using the shoots of the young grass shoots for cover.  In the exposed mud, I saw many hand-prints from a raccoon that must have visited that spot the night before.  It would be quite the experience to observe the wetland at night and learn more about a whole new group of fascinating animals.

Climate Change negatively impacts Wetlands:

For several decades scientists have been warning of the impact that climate change will have on the earth, its ecosystems, and the health of people, animals, and plants.  While all ecosystems will be impacted, wetlands stand to face some of the most drastic changes.  Wetlands are defined and driven by the presence of a consistent level of water and moisture.  Climate change threatens to change the distribution of water throughout the globe, drying out most of the remaining native wetlands.  

In the wetlands that do not dry out, it is predicted based on preliminary experiments conducted by the Smithsonian that the invasive species, Phragmites australis, will take over, quickly choking out all native plants.  While there is a native variety of Phragmites, its European counterpart is far more aggressive and can survive under the stress of air and water pollution.  It may sound like a pretty good thing that there is a plant that will thrive in the polluted air and water that may be in the near future, Phragmites australis is not a sufficient food source and does not provide sufficient habitat for native animals to survive.

Some other impacts that climate change would have on wetlands is as follows:

- changes in salinity, sediment imputs, and nutrient loading

- migration patterns of wetland-dwelling species will need to be altered to avoid extinction

- loss of biodiversity (plants, amphibians, fish, insects, birds, etc...)

- expansion in range for many invasive aquatic weeds

- loss of flood control from wetland buffers

- increase the amount of toxic algae

While climate change is a very real, and very scary thing that is happening right now, there are steps that can be taken by every individual to slow the catastrophe.  For example, pre-packaged and "fast food" use large amounts of materials and energy to produce, not to mention they also have lots of fat, sugar and extra calories.  An easy alternative is to pack your own lunch, eat more vegetables and fruits, or shop at your local farmers market before heading to a supermarket to buy groceries.  Another way to reduce your impact on climate change is to change the way you travel.  I'm not saying that you have to walk or bike everywhere, but that it is beneficial to plan ahead.  Whenever possible, carpool, use public transportation, or plan errands in advance to minimize the time spend driving.

It is the responsibility of every individual to take action so that the beautiful world that we are living in will remain equally, if not more, beautiful for many generations that are yet to come.

If you are interested in learning more about climate change, I recommend that you check out some of the sources I used.  Also, two books that I have enjoyed are: "Climate Cover-up" by James Hoggan, and "Eaarth" by Bill McKibben.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Climate and Health. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/prevention.htm

Erwin, K.L. (2009). Wetlands and global climate change: the role of wetland restoration in a changing world. Wetlands Ecology and Management. 17:71-84.

Mandia, S. (2010). Global Warming: Man or Myth?: Climate Change Impact on Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes, & Rivers. Retrieved from: http://profmandia.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/climate-change-impact-on-freshwater-wetlands-lakes-rivers/ 

Stromberg, J. (2013). How will the wetlands respond to climate change?. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-will-the-wetlands-respond-to-climate-change-164048534/?no-ist 

Four New Species:

Great Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

The large racemes or spikes of blue flowers make Great Loelia one of the showiest flowers along the wetland shore.  Great Lobelia is found in moist thickets and swamps and loves to grow in the damp soils found around the Kessling Wetland.  On the bottom of each of the irregularly shaped blue flowers is a slightly bulging stripped pattern.  Great Lobelia grows in full sun to part shade in consistently moist soil, a set of characteristics that are present in the northeast corner of the Kessling Wetland.  While making observations on the wetland, I noticed that several bumblebees were enjoying drinking the nectar from these beautiful flowers.

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

Missouri Botanical Garden. (2014). Lobelia siphilitica. Retrieved from: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=i460

Green Heron (Butorides virescens)

Hiding in the southwestern corner of the Kessling Wetland, this Green Heron finally stayed still long enough for me to capture this image.  I was quite a far distance away, so I apologize for the poor clarity.  Green Herons live around lakes, ponds, marshes, and streams.  They have relatively short legs compared to other herons and are characterized by their deep chestnut colored neck.  Green Herons eat insects, frogs, and small fish.  The large population of frogs at the Kessling Wetland is more than enough to support this lone Green Heron.

Audubon. (2014). Green Heron. Retrieved from: http://birds.audubon.org/birds/green-heron

Peterson, R.T.. (2002). Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America. New York, NY. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

This female Mallard was standing in the shallow water near the shore of the wetland.  Male Mallards are easily identified by their green head and white ring around their neck.  Females are trickier to identify, but have a similar blue stripe that is bordered by a white bar on either side on the speculum, just like the male Mallards.  Malards live in an array of habitats including marshes, wooded swamps, ponds, rivers, city parks, and grain fields.  These ducks eat aquatic plants, rootlets, and tubers from the bottom of ponds and other similar water bodies.  The Kessling Wetland has an abundance of aquatic vegetation and is able to support a healthy population of dabbling ducks.

Ducks Unlimited. (2014). Mallard Facts, Figures, Description, and Photo. Retrieved from: http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/mallard#ad-image-0

Peterson, R.T.. (2002). Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America. New York, NY. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow (Hibiscus militaris)

Commonly found along riverbanks and swamps, these beautiful large flowers are over 4 inches wide and have petals that are almost 3 inches long.  Hibiscus flowers, such as the Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow, have stamens that are in a column protruding from the center of the flower.  The broad leaves have long stalks with a smooth surface on the underside.  A unique characteristic of the Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow is that the lower leaves are 3-lobed and spear shaped, whereas the upper leaves are unlobed.  Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow is found in areas that are not highly disturbed and have moist soils, such as the shoreline of the Kessling Wetland.

Illinois Wildflowers. (2012). Halberd-Leaved Rose Mallow. Retrieved from: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/halberd_mallow.htm 

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

Creative Reflection:

As I am finishing my last blog post on the Kessling Wetland, I have come to realize that while it has been a struggle at times, willing my way through identifying species and attempting to be as still as possible while taking photographs, I have learned an incredible amount of information on wetlands and loved every moment that I spent there.  I had the amazing opportunity to watch the sunset over the wetland and could not shake the feeling that while I may be done with making required weekly observations for this blog, I will always feel a special attachment to the Kessling Wetland.