Bio B - Field Study

 Upon my 2nd visit to my Field Study location I noticed how little the invasive species had changed in the past few weeks.  - They're the same height, their berries are just abundant and they don't seem to be drying out because of the colder weather.  The only real difference is that the stalks are turning bright pink.  I did some research to figure out what this plant was.  My first step was to ask my dad who goes in these woods a lot, he thought they were elderberry, so I searched up photos of elderberry. Then I researched invasive plants in Holland Michigan when I came across a plant that looked just like the one in these pictures. I dug further and found out that they were actually pokeberry.  As you can see, these two images show the same plant. The first image is my image of the plant growing in the forest behind my house and the 2nd is an image from google.  You can tell the difference between pokeweed and elderberry by their berries, as sh...

There were quite a few things that I noticed on this trip. The first thing I noticed was how little of the plants had started to dry out. Most of the plants had just started changing colors. This allowed me to identify poison ivy and fungus much quicker. Only a couple trees have started to change colors though, most of them are still green.   The poison ivy has started turning bright red:         And the fungus on the fallen log has turned bright orange, making it look  somewhat like mac&cheese and a lot easier to notice: Another thing I noticed was how many plants still had flowers on them even in this colder weather. 

September 27, 2022. It was very windy and partly cloudy with some rain. It was around 53 degrees outside. Sunrise was at 7:37 am and sunset was at 7:31 pm. I encountered a few things on this trip: I heard crickets and birds continuously, there were at least 3 different kinds of birds in the area. I also saw and felt the same long grass as before, and the seemingly invasive species was still very much alive. There were also just as many insects, such as flies, that I got to feel. 

The majority of them appear to be a few inches shorter than me I estimate that they can grow up to 5-6 ft  As of right now I don't know the name of this plant. However it is everywhere in this area and in the forest around it.    These plants also have a very strong fruity smell that is sometimes overwhelming

Unknown "land-cattail"  Woodpecker   Dandelion Seeds

 September 9, 2022  4:05pm - 4:32pm, 80 degrees and very sunny outside  Sunrise at 7:18 am - Sunset at 8:03 pm  Things I heard:  - Bee, fly - lots of birds including a woodpecker - snapping of sticks - cars - crickets/cicadas - wind  - etc...