Great Natives of Midwestern Ecotype
September 2009 Edition
© 2009
Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype
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GNOME N EWS THE BIG PICTURE:
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
EOL- Is it Wiki for Wildlife? Plant Profile
4
Native on the Net
4
Best Books
4
Organization Spotlight
5
Native News
5
Planting with a Purpose
5
Researching Relief
6
Invasives!
7
Fantastic Fauna
7
Focus on the Future
7
Did you know... •
•
Kudzu can grow up to a foot a day and have roots that weigh over 500lbs? Garlic mustard seeds can stay viable in the ground for 7 years?
Wikipedia has become one of the largest online encyclopedias in the universe since its formal inception in 2001. In April of 2009, it hit the 10 million article mark, over 2.5 million of which are in English. It is known as an open-sourced contribution site. This means anyone may add to and edit this free resource. The Encyclopedia Of Life (EOL) is an unprecedented project to catalog the biodiversity of the earth via a similar open-sourced concept. "Imagine an electronic page for each species of organism on Earth..." is the quote by Edward O. Wilson on the home page of EOL. Wilson should know what he is talking about. The Harvard University professor is a biologist, researcher, theorist, naturalist, and author. He is also known for his environmental advocacy. Just in case you were wondering – that would be approximately 1.8 million pages. One for each described species already known to science.
The project itself is planned to be completed in ten years. While now nearing its second anniversary, it has already accomplished a lot. 150,000 pages written by experts are already in place. These focused on animals of greatest interest to the public. In addition to that, 1.4 million placeholder pages have already been set up to take information.
Experts and citizen scientists alike have fuelled explosive growth of the interactive encyclopedia. It has over 1.8 million unique visitors from over 200 countries since its unveiling in 2008. It is truly a global project in nature allowing science to utilize information that has never before been combined in one place. Can you say ultimate field guide?
GNOME’S MISSION Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype (GNOME) is an organization focused on the preservation and expansion of native floral and faunal species. The mission is to provide a netbased forum where mem-
bers can share their passion, plans, ideas, and questions with other people having a common interest.
1. Join our facebook group at
You can participate in many different ways.
3. Visit or link to the website 4. Pass on the newsletter.
http://www.facebook.com/ group.php? gid=45643568296
2.
Submit articles, pictures, stories, or plans for publication.
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Bouteloua curtipendula– Sideoats Grama Grass August’s Name that Native was an easy one this month. It received 80% of the votes. Little bluestem was the only other grass to get selected. When it comes down to it though, this grass is pretty unique and stands apart from other short grasses.
“See how nature trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls.” ~Mother Teresa of Calcutta
The original range for this plant is almost everywhere in the continental United States. In some areas of the Midwest this species is expanding and is becoming more common. This plant usually grows to about two feet tall. Individual blades of this grass are typically about 1/4” across and between 6-8” long. Flower culms/ racemes are up to 12” long.
Faunal associations include leaf hoppers, grasshoppers, and stinkbugs. Some upland game birds as well as songbirds feed on the seeds. Many hoofed mammals will readily feed on this grass.
Blooming time is from mid-summer into fall. Flowers are green/red when newly opened, gradually drying and turning tan.
I use this grass on my elevated drainage bed because it thrives in the drier soil. I have it mixed with dropseed and forbs. It really is almost showy this time of year.
Sideoats Grama is a compact, shorter grass that will add interest to any location.
NATIVE
ON THE
NET
Sometimes wading through sites looking for good resources on native plants is just too time consuming. This section should help!
Have a lot of knowledge about native plants? Put it to use through the Encyclopedia of Life.
This month’s featured site is :
General information about EOL can be found on the Big Picture this month. While the project is immense in scope, it creates an opportunity for enthusiasts to use their specific knowledge and apply it.
Encyclopedia Of Life http://www.eol.org
BEST BOOKS– PRAIRIE Ok– I know that this isn’t technically a book, but it does have an ISBN number! Prairie in your Pocket by Mark Müller is a great quick reference guide when weight or space is a consideration. Folding down to the size of a business envelope, it will fit almost anywhere when biking, backpacking, hiking, or in the glove compartment of the car. It is laminated and very user-friendly.
This plant will grow in a variety of soils which includes those containing clay-loam, loess, gravel, and sand. It prefers dry areas with full sun. Once established, it is quite drought resistant.
The site calls for citizen scientists to contribute information. After getting to know several native floral and faunal enthusiasts, I can’t imagine a better place to give an outlet for their vast knowledge base. This global project will eventually catalog and describe every species in the world. Check it out and become a contributor!
IN YOUR
This guide is not meant to be the definitive prairie plant identification reference. The purpose of this guide is to provide information on 114 species of the most common plants associated with what is known as a tallgrass prairie. It is a great entry level knowledge guide.
POCKET General organization is done by flower color. Scientific and common names are given, as well as height and bloom time. It is one of a series of pocket guides by the author. He has also illustrated several books on Iowa prairie plants and regional content.
This is a handy and compact guide– great for the car!
G N O M E N ew s
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O RG A N I Z AT I O N S P O T L I G H T : M I D W E S T R E N E WA B L E E N E R G Y A S S O C I A T I O N “The Midwest Renewable Energy Association promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living through education and demonstration.” Mission statement taken from the MREA homepage. Want to keep up with news about renewable energy projects in the Midwest? Here is one good place to do that. The focus of this organization is to promote renewable technologies through education, information, and action. www.the-mrea.org
One of their biggest events is their annual Energy Fair. Last June the organization celebrated its 20th Anniversary of the Fair, drawing over 23,000 people to rural central Wisconsin to learn about what’s hot in renewable energy education. Renewable energy through education One facet that is really nice and action about this organization is its presence in online communities. By becoming a fan of Membership starts at $30 MREA on facebook, you will redollars for students and goes ceive timely updates about up from there. Becoming a “green” information. The articles member allows you to excluare a great way to quickly stay on sive publications as well as top of what is going on in the gives you a vote in organizarenewable energy and sustaintion decisions. able living arena.
NATIVE NEWS:
EATING THE VINE THAT ATE THE SOUTH When life gives you kudzu, make a dietary supplement? The invasive vine Pueraria lobata was introduced in 1876 from Japan and encouraged as an erosion control plant in the South from the 1930s to the 1950s. It is a prime example of what damage introduced species cause in a native environment. It now covers over 2 million Southern acres!
PLANTING
Known as the vine that ate the south, annual costs related to removing this plant are estimated to be close to 500 million dollars a year in the southern US. New research done by scientists in Iowa and Alabama might provide a useful solution to at least some of the kudzu problem. They have discovered that kudzu root-extract shows promise as a dietary supple-
WITH A
ment for a high-risk problem in America– the metabolic syndrome.
“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” ~Peter Drucker
This condition can cause obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and problems with the body using insulin. In tests on rats in a lab, this extract from kudzu reduced all of those symptoms after two months of use.
PURPOSE:
FLAG IT FIRST! No– I’m not talking about calling your local utility company to mark your yard-you shouldn’t go that deep anyway! Using colored flags can really help you visualize how the your new bed will look when it is finished. Thinking about mature plant size is a basic component when planning a new bed. In theory or on paper, this step comes
easily. But I can’t tell you how many times I have “planned” something in that way, only to find out that some plant or combination of plants were not spaced as they should have been. Marking flags can be purchased at most home improvement stores. If you can’t find the color of the blooms you are going to be planting, grab some spray paint too. Flags are
quickly painted to represent your flowers. Place your colored flags according to your paper plan. Space them according to mature size. This will give you a solid idea of how your plantings will look when the project is completed. Moving flags around is much easier to do than digging established plants.
By placing colored flags with mature plant spacing, you get an idea of the final bed appearance.
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RESEARCHING RELIEF: G A R L I C M U S TA R D R E V I S I T E D The featured invasive in GNOME News in May was the infamous garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). Few introduced plants can produce the ire and frustration caused by this invasive plant poster child.
“How can we protect homeland security unless the government stops the invasion of illegal aliens?” (plants/animals of course!)
~Phyllis Schlafly
Stories of this invasive having detrimental effects on delicate ecosystems abound. Take the recent Chicago Tribune article from September 1, 2009 as an example. This article was discussing how the overpopulation of deer in the Ferrysburg-owned dunes in Grand Haven, MI are destroying rare native plants on the 115-acre reserve. The article mentioned how garlic mustard is moving in, stifling tree growth and other native seedlings.
Richard Lankau, a postdoctoral researcher at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) at the University of Illinois began by posing a rather obvious evolutionary question: “Once garlic mustard has vanquished most of its competitors, why would it invest as much in maintaining its toxic arsenal?” To find the answer, he looked at a study of historic herbarium records that gave them access to 140 years worth of garlic mustard locations in the eastern half of the US.
Taking samples from 44 locations, they grew these in a greenhouse A woodland colonized by garlic mustard. and measured the toxins. Their findings: natural selection is at play in the genetics of garlic mustard colonies over time. While I give kudos to the Tribune for being aware They found that populations older than 30 years of the issue, the article fails to mention the 1-2 produced fewer toxins. punch that deer and invasive plants have on native plant populations. This is useful in the overall plan to combat garlic mustard in woodlands, since focus can be put on In a perpetuating cycle, deer and plants like garlic the newest invaded areas where the most damage mustard can virtually eliminate natives in an area is likely to occur. where both are prevalent. Deer avoid eating garlic mustard, so browse more palatable plants– Other new research done by the Agricultural Reoften native ones. This creates space for the fersearch Service (ARS) is looking into biological contile and invasive garlic mustard to grow in. Toxins trol agents. within garlic mustard damage many types of soil fungi essential for healthy native plant growth, making that area less capable to grow those naHistorically, multiple biological agents were retive plants. In reality this is even more complex, leased in hopes of one working to eradicate invabut between deer browsing on natives and crowd- sive species. Sometimes, those released agents ing and chemical attacks by garlic mustard, the also became invasive, feeding on similar native threat to native ecosystems is very real. It is a forms of what it was meant to control. threat that has prompted new studies on this invasive plant and ways to eliminate or at least reduce The ARS believes that it has singled out one weevil it across the United States. from Europe that only feeds on garlic mustard and not other plants in the Brassicaceae family (like One such study is being done at the University of cabbage, radish, and horseradish). Stringent tests Illinois. The focus of the study is on the were done in quarantine to determine that this glucosinolates that are produced by the garlic weevil- Ceutorhynchus scrobicollis would not jump mustard. These are the toxins that kill many to other host plants and become a pest itself. It is forms of fungi in the soil around the plant in North currently awaiting release at the University of MinAmerica. Many native plants rely on these fungi to nesota. supplement things like phosphorus, nitrogen, and water. Garlic mustard is able to function without No single study is likely to find the magical the assistance of the fungi. weapon in this battle against alien invaders, but every study gets us one step closer to a solution.
G N O M E N ew s
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I N VA S I V E S E U R O P E A N S TA R L I N G Sometimes a plant or animal can be so common that it is failed to be recognized as invasive. That statement could be used to describe this month’s invasiveSturnus vulgaris (Linnaeus). Known simply as a starling in many areas, the European starling came to America in the 1890s. The reason for its introduction? It was part of a plan to introduce to the United States every bird species mentioned by Shakespeare! Really! The bird is usually about 8.5” long. Beak color is dependant on season, being bright yellow during breeding season. They usually have iridescent feathers near their head/neck.
The starling is a voracious omnivore. It is capable of eating large amounts of grain. It is an aggressive feeder, and will chase other birds from a feeding area. Due to their gregarious nature, they are often found forming large flocks. These will often be seen in fall or winter and can cause significant damage to crops.
European Starling Distribution (dark=dense)
It is estimated that these birds do hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to crops annually. In addition to crop damage, these birds have a significant affect on native wildlife. They are cavity nesters and will outcompete native birds. They also consume food that would otherwise feed native species.
F A N TA S T I C F A U N A : T H E W O L F S P I D E R As summer wanes, cooler nights and morning dew using the sit-and-wait method. It is because of are signs that fall is on its way. It is also a time their hunting style, which is not unlike Canis lupus, when animals– particularly rodents and spiders– that they are called “wolf” spiders. seem to find themselves sharing our living space. This month’s selection are of the family Lycosidae, commonly called wolf spiders. There are over 200 species of this spider in North America. They can range in size from 3-35 mm. Usually coloration is from gray to brown tones and banding is often present as well.
Another unique characteristic about wolf spiders has to do with young bearing. The wolf spider will carry her egg sac around with her via her spinnerets. When the young hatch, they will climb onto the mother’s legs and abdomen and ride on her for several hours or days. They scatter when the mother is threatened.
Many people will run into these spiders in their basements and garages in the fall. While they are Spiders in this family are unique in several ways. slightly venomous (as are most spiders), they are Just as in many spiders, they have eight eyes. The not a danger to humans. The are also not aggresarrangement of these eyes on a wolf spider is one sive. I recommend the catch and release method! characteristic that can help to identify them. Wolf spiders have good eyesight relative to other arachnids. They have four small eyes nearest their mandibles. Above those, are two large eyes. At the top of the head are two medium sized eyes. These are used to locate potential prey or predators. These spiders are nomadic. They do not use webs to catch prey. The two main ways of hunting are by running down prey on their evening forays or by
Female wolf spider carrying young
“I have drunk, and seen the spider.” ~William Shakespeare
Great Natives of Mid-western Ecotype (GNOME) is an organization focused on the preservation and expansion of native floral and faunal species. The mission is to provide a netbased forum where members can share their passion, plans, ideas, and questions with other people having a common interest in native species.
Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype Primary Business Address 1753 Wick Way Montgomery, IL 60538
Check out our site!!!
E-mail: GNOME.Native@gmail.com
We’re on the Web! http://gnomenative.webs.com/ There’s no place like GNOME!
Fantastic Fauna p. 7- http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_wolf.htm
(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45643568296)
This is our primary forum location. The newsletter as well as open discussions are there and also other links to people and groups that focus on natives.
Got an article? Now accepting member submitted news and photos! Once you have something to share, send it to the email listed at left. Monthly news articles will, of course, give credit to the contributor. Everyone welcome!
FOCUS
ON THE
FUTURE
What will the impacts of budget cuts be for students currently receiving services, and what is the message we are sending to them?
The Junior High teams have multiple levels of teams that travel. There are the main teams (A). But there are also B and C teams. In all, one team is travelling daily.
I feel that is going to be a bit of a rant, so I apologize in advance…
Focus on Future p.8- http://www.justkiddingcartoons.com/i/Cartoons/ Cartoon_192wtmk.jpg
Invasives p.7- http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp? si=74&fr=1&sts=sss&lang=EN
Fantastic Fauna p.7http://www.cirrusimage.com/Arachnid/wolf_spider_3.jpg
Garlic Mustard p.6- http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2009/07/090725115152.htm
Invasives p.7- http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/bbimages/ aab/images/attractbirds/starling_flock.jpg
Garlic Mustard p.6- http://news.illinois.edu/ news/09/0901garlicmustard.html
Invasives p.7- http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/Likely/likelyStarling-European.jpg
Invasive Map p.7- http://www.50birds.com/images/usgs%20European% 20Starling.gif
Coverhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824210040.htm Native News p.5- http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2009/08/090826110122.htm Big Picture Photo- http://www.mcz.harvard.edu/images_home_rotate/ EOL_MCZ_Version1_071108.jpg
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I have recently started my 14th year of teaching. This is my second district, so maybe my sampling is too small to count, but I have noticed that when budgets get tight, it always seems to be the same things that suffer. It was announced that there would be no field trips allowed this year in my district except those that were scheduled last year before the decision was made. This is the same situation that occurred several years ago in my old district and it may seem reasonable considering current
In my eyes, it makes no sense to cut things like trips to a local prairie, or to Springfield– our state capitol, while spending money on travelling C teams.
“The School High Jump”
fiscal conditions. But a closer look reveals something different. While unconditionally eliminating field trips, there are no restrictions on things like travelling sports teams.
If one looks at the statistics, most students are not destined to become professional athletes. The field trips that are planned are curriculum based. They are also the only opportunity that many of these students will get to visit these places– especially in an educational setting. I think it is time to raise the bar.