Friday Photography – Witchhazel

December 12, 2008

 
Flower of witchhazel, Hamamelis virginiana.  Witchhazel is the only native shrub that flowers in the winter in the eastern US. It is commonly found along streambanks and in coves and other rich, moist sites.  Witchhazel is the source of the astringent and cleansing agents sold as Witch Hazel. 
Witchhazel is pollinated by the winter moth, [...]

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Technical difficulties

December 12, 2008

Sustainable Kentucky and Trees, Climate and People are experiencing technical problems. We will have both sites repaired shortly and apologize for the inconvenience.

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US National Phenology Network helps track climate change, and you can help

December 10, 2008

Phenology is the study of the timing of natural events. Phenology observers record the date and location of important seasonal events, such as bud burst, flowering, insect emergence and animal migration. Once a Victorian hobby, phenology has never been of much interest to Americans. The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) aims to change that by [...]

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Do invasive species cause ecological change, or follow it?

December 10, 2008

Invasive woody plants are a major problem in forests worldwide. Invasive trees and shrubs are often fast-growing with light, wind-dispersed seed or bird-carried fruit. They are able to quickly colonize disturbed sites and may prevent native species from germinating or growing. Here in central Kentucky, almost every forest patch near urban areas is so choked [...]

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Butterfly atlas shows species moving quickly north

December 7, 2008

A new atlas of butterfly observations in Britain shows that several southern species are moving north quickly. The atlas, based on 40,000 observations made by a network of volunteers over 10 years shows that species adapted to northern climates are moving north or uphill, while more broadly distributed species are not changing their distribution.
This [...]

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Logging underwater forests for timber in Ghana

December 6, 2008

Ghana is beginning to log drowned forests from Lake Volta as a source of high-value tropical logs. Ebony, teak, mahogany and nearly 100 other species have been found on the lake bottom, where they have stood since the construction in 1964 of the Akosombo hydroelectric dam. The venture is expected to earn $100 million [...]

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Friday Photography

December 5, 2008

Sumatra oak, Quercus sumatrana the southernmost oak, Sumatra, Indonesia. The buttresses and surface roots are typical of many tropical trees. Photograph by Tom Kimmerer

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Lodgepole pines are disappearing from the west – Video

December 4, 2008

The New York Times has an outstanding video, “America’s Disappearing Forests”  documenting the devastating impact of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) in the Rocky Mountain states.  The insect has destroyed about 2 million acres of lodgepole pine forests. Since lodgepole pine typically occurs in pure stands (coming in [...]

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Don’t panic, the acorns aren’t gone

December 1, 2008

The internet is atwitter with the Case of The Missing Acorns. The Washington Post and National Public Radio, among others, are reporting that oak and other nut-bearing trees have no nuts this year. Reports are concentrated along the east coast from Virginia to Maryland, with scattered reports from elsewhere.
The news reports give the impression [...]

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Friday Photography

November 28, 2008

Hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, on eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis.
Near Asheville NC. Picture by Tom Kimmerer

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