Works Cited

"Fox." Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= NS70382&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 31, 2008).

"Lupine." Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= NS101068&SingleRecord=True (accessed May 31, 2008).

National Geographic. 2008. National Geographic Society. May 21, 2008. [http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/printable/red-fox.html]

Rangleland Ecosystems & Plants. 2007. USASK. May 27, 2008. [http://www.usask.ca/agriculture/plantsci/classes/range/lupinus.html]

http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/howard.whiteman/field/mammals/red-fox-art-slack.jpg -May 21, 2008

http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= NS101068&SingleRecord=True. –May 27, 2008

Flora Report

Silvery Lupine- Lupinus argenteus pursh

            Silvery lupine begins growth in the early spring. By June, they are usually blooming and begin forming seeds in July into August. Silvery lupine grow in open grass lands, and are native to Wyoming and other areas in the West United States, along with few other countries. During wet summers, lupine populations can double then that of a dry spring and summer. The flower needs sun light enable to grow, but lupine thrives on moister.

Silvery lupine hare generally 50-100 centimeters tall. The flowers are nearly white with bluish shading, all different varying from light to dark. The flowers and in many slender clusters, 10-15 centimeters long while the leaves are lower on the stem, and have silky-hairy texture.

       Silvery lupine contain toxic alkaloids, they are one of six species of lupine that are poisonous. The teratogenic alkaloid is highest in the seeds, pods, and young leaves. The toxins are found mostly in the seeds and pods. The younger the plant, the more toxic the plant is. The main animals that have been affected are included in the livestock category, especially sheep and cattle. Death is not a common result, because the organism would have to consume large amounts of the plants in a short time. However, birth defects have been extremely common in relation to the ingesting of lupine. Cases in human defects however have been less then animals, but non direct, such as women drinking goat’s milk during pregnancy, has shown to be the cause of some birth defects.

       A large participant in the reproduction of these flowers is bees. The mutualism between bees and flowers allow bees to gather pollen, as well as flowers to reproduce and spread pollen. Bees are often attracted to lupine due to the simple pattern of which lupine flowers contain pollen. The top groups of flowers on the stem usually contain the most pollen that bees search for. Just by looking at the flowers, it is evident whether or not they have pollen, by tiny, dark spots in the flower. The perennial lupine flower is one of many native flowers to Wyoming, and one of the most common to see on hillsides and open grasslands.

Observation #8

Site: Backyard/Teton Village
Date: 5/29/08
Time: 3:32 pm
Temp: 51 Degrees F
Weather: Rainy
Soil: Wet

The ecosystem that I have been studying is much more diverse then during my first observation. This is also increasing the competition between species. While the rain has stopped for a few moments, worms are above the ground enjoying the rainwater while birds are enjoying the simplicity an easy meal. Two robins are pecking at the ground gathering as many worms as they can while about five smaller, black birds avoid the robins but fight each other for the worms. Not only is interspecific competition between the bird species happening, but also intraspecific competition. Bees fly from flower to flower, but today, there are no tulips for them to enjoy. Last night a moose that inhabited my yard over the winter came back and ate all of the tulips, leaving the bees only lupine and the other dark blue flower. For some odd reason, moose are highly attracted to tulips and tend to eat the flower if they ever come upon it. 

Observation #7

Site: Backyard/Teton Village
Date: 5/26/08
Time: 9:00 am
Temp: 43 Degrees F
Weather: Cloudy

Soil: Damp

With as much rain as there has been, the grass has gotten much nutrition and is growing extremely. The flowers in all the gardens are beginning to bloom, and the leaves of the aspen trees are even getting bigger. Along the side of the house flowers such as lupine, tulips, and another large, blue flower are blooming. These flowers are mingled with trees, and in areas where shade from the trees covers the ground almost all the time, flowers are shorter and are farther behind in the growing process as those who are in the sun a lot. This is because they are given less food (sunlight) then the other flowers to use as energy to grow. Up in a large pine tree, robins have made a nest and there looks to be eggs in it. With the flowers blooming, more and more bees come to look for pollin. Along with wind and other organisms, insects, mainly bees, help flowers to reproduce by spreading pollin from one flower to the next. Weeds such as dandelions are still overwhelmed by the large amounts of rain. In order to grow, dandelions require a drier period of time.

Observation #6

Site: Backyard/Teton Village

Date:5/22/08

Time: 7:00 pm

Temp: 44 Degrees F

Weather: Rainy, Cloud

Soil: Wet

All day long, it has been raining on and off. The soil is extremely damp while the trees, grass, and flowers are all looking extremely green. The taller flowers along the side of the house have started to bloom, just enough to see the color inside through slits of the sepal. In my area, there is a very large biodiversity of flowers. Just naming the ones I know, there are tulips, and more natural to the area, lupine. These biotic organisms however must compete each other for the limited space. This intraspecific competition determines the population of each different flower species. During my last observation, there were dandelions coving areas of the yard. Now however, after there has been so much rain and no sun they are all wilted and dead. There are no insects out since the weather is very cold, but with all the rain there are worms coming out from inside the soil in search of water. This is also attracting a great number of birds. Even as the rain pours down, magpies occasionally fly down but mainly, robins have been preying on worms. This is the first time of the year I have seen any robins. The aspen tree's leaves have continues to grow, while the pine trees have only become more green with all of the rain.

Fauna Report

Red Fox- Vulpes vulpes

The Red Fox can be found mainly in North America, North Africa, and Eurasia, and became popular when hunters and trappers discovered them. They are the raised on farms more commonly than any other wild animal due to their fur and because they were hunted for sport. However in February 18, 2005, hunting foxes for sport became illegal. As young pups, they are often taken by predators if they are not protected. Coyotes and wolves can also attack adult foxes, but the main predator of foxes are humans.

The red fox’s fur is an orangish-red color with white on their underside and tail, and black legs and ears. It is an omnivore so they eat berries, grass, and fruits, along with small animals like birds, mice, rabbits, and squirrels. A large part of their diet however is invertebrates like crickets, caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles and crayfish. Even when the fox is hungry, it will continue to gather food and berries it in the ground for winter. They can detect extremely low frequency noises; this is how they hear mice digging in the snow and/or ground.

Though they are mainly nocturnal, the Red Fox will sometimes venture out during the day. The Red Fox requires an environment that will accommodate the creation of dens for breeding. They like being in areas such as farmland, prairies, and wooded area. Besides using dens for shelter, Red Foxes usually curl their bushy tail around and under their nose for warmth. When temperatures get too low for them too be able to survive curled up in the open, they usually find an abandoned rabbit or marmot den.

Only weighing up to 30 pounds, the Red Fox has learned to adapt and avoid predators in a way that has enabled them survive. The Red Fox uses phonological separation, an Anti-predator adaptation that has allowed the Red Fox time to hunt at night and not worry about avoiding humans and other predators of theirs. The Red Fox’s resourcefulness and wit has earned it a legendary intelligent and cunning reputation.

Observation #5

Site: Backyard/Teton Village

Date: 5/19/08

Time: 5:00 pm

Temp: 73 Degrees F

Weather: Sunny

Soil: Dry

Having been watered, the grass is extremely green. Flowers along the house have begun to grow and dandelion's are scattered throughout the yard. These are weeds that are spread by seeds blowing in the wind. Dandelions are perennial, meaning they remain last for a long or apparently infinite time. The dandelions in the yard have begun attracting bees. Three large bumble are continuously landing on the flowers and then soon flying to another. In the garden along the house, the flower's leaves has opened and an unbloomed sepal is on the top of a large, about 9" stem. What kind of flowers are these? Near the larger flowers, little buds have started growing out of the soil. Hiding from the sun light, black-billed magpies fly in and out perching on the branches of pine and aspen trees. The aspen trees have lost the fuzzy pods on the branches, and in place little grean leaves have begun to grow in their place. The aspen trees in get more sunlight and are watered more, these tree's leaves are about three times larger then the other aspen tree's.