Nature Note #172: Macros in Marcellus
After having lived in Syracuse for a year, town life in Marcellus isn't the most exciting, but it is a welcome break from the city. We no longer have to suffer the wail of sirens, the stomping of feet from our considerate upstairs neighbors, or the relentless rap music people would use in conjunction with horn honks to let their associates know that their ride was there.
Fortunately away from all that ruckus, Alison and I spent Friday and Saturday at the annual Olde Home Days festival in our adopted town of Marcellus. We visited our local park to find that a whole carnival had been set up. After wandering around the makeshift carnival grounds, we decided to get a quick bite to eat there rather than going back home to our house. However, dining on carny food, while not our proudest moment, still wasn't as bad as having tried deep-fried Oreos.
For anyone who has never had the pleasure of consuming deep-fried Oreos, I would recommend a more commonplace sweet treat like a slice of watermelon or a Popsicle, because what I ate was the least natural thing I'd seen (and indeed actually consumed) all day. The carnival atmosphere was filled with people, fairground rides, and more greasy food. I wanted to get away from there as quickly as possible, so Alison and I headed double time over to the creek.
Fortunately away from all that ruckus, Alison and I spent Friday and Saturday at the annual Olde Home Days festival in our adopted town of Marcellus. We visited our local park to find that a whole carnival had been set up. After wandering around the makeshift carnival grounds, we decided to get a quick bite to eat there rather than going back home to our house. However, dining on carny food, while not our proudest moment, still wasn't as bad as having tried deep-fried Oreos.
For anyone who has never had the pleasure of consuming deep-fried Oreos, I would recommend a more commonplace sweet treat like a slice of watermelon or a Popsicle, because what I ate was the least natural thing I'd seen (and indeed actually consumed) all day. The carnival atmosphere was filled with people, fairground rides, and more greasy food. I wanted to get away from there as quickly as possible, so Alison and I headed double time over to the creek.
A few locals had retreated from the carnival section of the park and ambled along the rough paths and over the bridge nearby. People swung on the swings, and watched the pleasant and albeit, quieter scenery beyond. We would have done the same, but decided instead to be a bit more involved with our interaction with nature.
No doubt when most people hang out in a park or go to walk on a trail, it's to get fresh air and experience the peace that nature offers. Mostly, they're people looking to get out for a bit and away from their homes; maybe walk their dogs or play with their kids in the park. We saw a few fishermen as well that day, trying their luck for prey that probably would barely fill a salad plate.
At some point, I will go fishing there to try my own luck, but that day we were focused on creatures that were a bit lower on the food chain. As we settled along the grassy bank, we plucked fist-sized rocks from the bubbling current in search of benthic macroinvertebrates.
Those last two words were an especially large mouthful, so in order to understand them, we need to break them down into smaller pieces. An invertebrate is any animal that lacks a backbone, so creatures like worms, flies, beetles, sponges, squid are invertebrates. Perhaps the most incredible thing about inverts is that they are the most numerous form of animal life on earth with up to 97% of all animal life on earth consisting of these spineless wonders.
Macro refers to their visibility, meaning that you can see these inverts without the aid of strong lenses. If they were microinverts, they could only be seen with a microscope. Finally, benthic refers to a plant or animal that dwells at the bottom of a lake or river. If you remember that benthic = bottom, that will more or less clue you in to their location.
Some of the creatures we found were encouraging as they represented group of insects only found in clear, clean, well oxygenated streams. Scuttling groups of stoneflies and mayflies ran for cover on the opposite side of the rocks we held, while a defiant hellgrammite held its ground.
Hellgrammites are the larval form of dobsonflies, who like many of the larva we found, spend part of their lives in the stream before climbing a stem or similar vertical surface to metamorphose into their adult forms. Adept underwater predators, hellgrammites use their pincers to grab and pierce invertebrate prey and have even been known to go after minnows if they grow large enough.
Another highlight was the discovery of a dragonfly nymph clinging to a stick along the stream bank. Another aquatic insect, their adult form is more recognizable with their thick bodies and teetering, veering flight. Despite the former being their more familiar form, several species can spend several years as larva before eventually exiting the water to transform into their adult forms. Even as adults, they may only live a few weeks or months at the most.
We departed the stream to return to the quiet of our home, but later this summer, I hope to complete a biotic assessment of the stream to test its biodiversity and assertain its healthiness. I would be surprised if it wasn't at least rated "good".
One can only hope to find even more rich finds. Feelers crossed.
At some point, I will go fishing there to try my own luck, but that day we were focused on creatures that were a bit lower on the food chain. As we settled along the grassy bank, we plucked fist-sized rocks from the bubbling current in search of benthic macroinvertebrates.
Those last two words were an especially large mouthful, so in order to understand them, we need to break them down into smaller pieces. An invertebrate is any animal that lacks a backbone, so creatures like worms, flies, beetles, sponges, squid are invertebrates. Perhaps the most incredible thing about inverts is that they are the most numerous form of animal life on earth with up to 97% of all animal life on earth consisting of these spineless wonders.
Macro refers to their visibility, meaning that you can see these inverts without the aid of strong lenses. If they were microinverts, they could only be seen with a microscope. Finally, benthic refers to a plant or animal that dwells at the bottom of a lake or river. If you remember that benthic = bottom, that will more or less clue you in to their location.
Some of the creatures we found were encouraging as they represented group of insects only found in clear, clean, well oxygenated streams. Scuttling groups of stoneflies and mayflies ran for cover on the opposite side of the rocks we held, while a defiant hellgrammite held its ground.
Hellgrammites are the larval form of dobsonflies, who like many of the larva we found, spend part of their lives in the stream before climbing a stem or similar vertical surface to metamorphose into their adult forms. Adept underwater predators, hellgrammites use their pincers to grab and pierce invertebrate prey and have even been known to go after minnows if they grow large enough.
Another highlight was the discovery of a dragonfly nymph clinging to a stick along the stream bank. Another aquatic insect, their adult form is more recognizable with their thick bodies and teetering, veering flight. Despite the former being their more familiar form, several species can spend several years as larva before eventually exiting the water to transform into their adult forms. Even as adults, they may only live a few weeks or months at the most.
We departed the stream to return to the quiet of our home, but later this summer, I hope to complete a biotic assessment of the stream to test its biodiversity and assertain its healthiness. I would be surprised if it wasn't at least rated "good".
One can only hope to find even more rich finds. Feelers crossed.
Comments
Post a Comment