Saturday, October 31, 2015

Wall Springs

Temp: 82 degrees
Cloud coverage: 10%

The purpose of our visit was to observe the karst topography and springs. Wall springs was originally owned by the Wall family and was purchased by Charles F. Wall on February 28, 1884 and was later sold to Harry Davis in 1927. Harry changed the name to Health springs and turned the area into a resort. The spring was then renamed to Wall Springs when it was acquired by Pinellas county in the late 80s.

The spring pumps out 3000 gallons of water per minute producing around 4.2million gallons of water a day. There were so many fish in the park, and they were clearly visible through the water.

 Springs PH is 7 salinity 2-3

 Bayou salinity 16-17 ph of 6

Wall Springs

October 29, 2015

Temperature: 84 degrees mostly sunny.

210 Acres. 

Here to observe the karst topography and springs. 

The park was purchased in the late 1880's by a man named Wall. It was then sold in the 1920's and repurchased later on to go back to its former name. 

 

Wall Springs Park is a spring who has 3000 gallons a minute flowing out of it. That means its 4.2 millions gallons a day! 

There are grazing animals due to the clear water. 

The Ph of the spring is 7 and the salinity is 2-3.

The duck weed covered the whole entire water! 

The Bayou eventually goes to inter-coastal in and out toe the spring. 

The outlet to the bayou salinity is 16-17 with a pH of 6. So it is going up the closer it gets to the ocean. 

Part of the bayou horse shoe crabs and a string ray! 

And out when we got to the ocean water we saw a million of jumping mullet! 

Other things we saw consisted of: Red black and white mangroves, giant leather fern, molted duck, freshwater fish, and a mallard duck! 

This was a very cool site seeing park. There were many cool things and it was a very gorgeous park! 

Wall Springs

Wall Springs
Temp- 84
Weather- clear skies with few clouds

We visited Wall Springs park to observe and learn more about Karst Topography and the local spring in Palm Harbor! Before we went to go look at the spring Dr. G gave us some information about the park. She told us that it used to be a Health Spa and a recreation center before the county took over and made it a park.

We then made our way over to the spring ^^

You could see the water flow coming from the bottom of the ground and flowing out into the pond. We tested the spring water for it's salinity and pH.

Salinity- 2-3 ppt

pH- 7

As we kept walking on the board walk we got a better glimpse of the pond that the spring water flowed into. It was completely covered in duckweed. I mean the stuff was everywhere!!

The water from the pond flows underground into a bayou of salt water. We were able to see the water flow out among the mangroves and emergent trees. 

When we tested this water for it's salinity and pH, they were completely different! It is amazing how such a short distance can mean completely different water. 

Salinity- 16-17 ppt

pH- 6

Some of the species that I noticed were a giant leather fern, mangroves (black, white, and red), cat tails, mullet, pin fish, and even horseshoe crabs swimming around.

There were also many invasive species that I was able to take note of. These include but aren't limited to the air potato, rosary pea, camphor tree, china berry, japanese climbing fern, carrotwood, chinese tallow tree, and the brazilian pepper. 

Sawgrass Park - St. Petersburg

On October 15th, the class visited Sawgrass Park, located in St. Petersburg, nestled partially in a neighborhood.  The weather was beautiful.  Sunny, light breeze, approximately 85 degrees.  The ecosystem observed was wetland/swampy.  This park was built as part of a flood prevention program.  The park is really something to see, especially when you learn of the pollution from a shooting range (lead and arsenic poisoning in the groundwater/wetlands)in the not so distance past, and how the cleanup has brought this area back to almost pristine condition, which in turn invites back the diverse flora and fauna. 

Egmont Key 
October 20, 2015
Temperature- 79 degrees overcast
19mph winds 11:00am

This is an island on accessible by boat. 

                                               

In 1848 the lighthouse was completed to safely guide ships en route to Tampa. The island was a brief and tragic home to Seminole Indians who where defeated in war. The light on the lighthouse beams every 15 seconds. 

There are many tortoises inland. They survive due to the dry sandy environment along with indigo snakes. 

On the boat ride there (15 min) we where able to see 1 bottle nose dolphin. 

On this island grows: Poison ivy, sea grapes, sea oats, sea birds, pine trees, and what we believed to be an aloe plant. They are able to grow here due to the beach like and sandy atmosphere that is also dry. 

The sand was very Shelley due to the islands wave activity. 

The ecosystem of this state park is a beach on the outer island and gets forest like inland. 

We saw many crabs and jelly fish on the beaches! 

                                                  
                                                 

                                                 

All the jelly fish were dead and had been washed up on the shoreline! There were millions! We had to look down every step or we would step on one! EW!

                                                 

We where also able to identify the different dunes of the beaches! 

At 12:00pm it was 81 degrees
No clouds 
with a wind speed of 19mph.

The island is 1.6 miles long
Less than .5 miles wide.
400 Acres. 

We saw very many waxy leaves by the beach environment due to the adaptation of the salty environment. 

At 3:00pm it was 85 degrees and sunny! 

                                           

All in all our first field trip was a blast to our state park! We look forward to going back soon except we plan to bring more sunscreen and water! 

Saw Grass Lake Park

Saw Grass Lake Park
October 15th
85 degrees, slight breeze
400 acres

The park contains a significant amount of wetlands, which are beneficial to prevent flooding. Since flooding is common in Florida, little true forest floor has been able to grow. Despite the presence of water, cypress' do well in this environment thanks to their adaptation of roots that poke above ground to supply the tree with oxygen if they water rises. To combat wind and uprooting, many trees have adapted by widening their bases and spreading their roots. In many cases, if a tree does topple, it can become an important resource in helping a new tree grow. The old tree is known as a nurse tree, and can act as a base for a fledgling plant such as a tree. Providing stability, soil, and nutrients in the form of decay, the nurse tree helps raise a new generation. Shelf fungi also find fallen trees as suitable growing places.
Trees present alongside cypress include maple and oak. The addition of these trees that reach into the canopy accounts for the presence and habitat of the ever curious squirrels of Saw Grass Lake Park. Also found in the trees are bromeliads, which are epiphites, and have a commensalist relationship with their host trees.
Also a feature of the wetlands, along the shoreline there are emergent plants that grow thickly. These plants provide cover for  fish and insects that find shelter underneath. The common moor hen takes advantage of this gathering place, lightly stepping across the heavy cover of plants to feast on the plants and other organisms. Alongside them, a soft shell turtle paddles through the water, perfectly suited for the water as indicated by his webbed feet.
The highlight of the trip was likely the spotting of the tortoises, one elder and one baby (who was very intent on his journey). Although less of an evolutionary adaptation, the older tortoise seemed unphased by the stardom being thrown on him, while the little one remained unhindered. I suppose learning to put up with humans is just one of the downsides of being a Saw Grass Lake tortoise resident.

Sawgrass Lake Park

On Thursday, October 15th our class went to Sawgrass Lake Park. It was a very sunny day with minimal to no clouds in sight at 86 degrees. Swawgrass Lake Park is a 400 acre park with a swampy ecosystem. It is known as the largest maple swamp on the east coast!
When we first arrived in the parking lot we spotted a big gopher tortoise getting some sunlight. Not too far from where he was hanging out we also discovered his burrow where he lives! :)

As we ventured into the park we all spotted some Morhens on the shoreline of the stream. We then continued on the boardwalk trail, it was then that I noticed all the maple! Throughout the whole trail it was EVERYWHERE!

Since the whole park is very wet and swampy the trees have made certain adaptations for the wet loose soil. For example, the trees roots grow outward to give the tree stability and anchor it down better than it would if the roots were growing straight into the ground.  Since the soil is so loose trees can be uprooted naturally by a harsh storm. We were able to see quite a few uprooted trees on our walk. 

When we got to the observation tower we saw not only a gator but a huge soft shell turtle swimming its way towards us. The turtle had webbed feet so that it would be able to swim in this wet ecosystem. Unfortunately, my phone died at this point and I was unable to capture a picture :(

I enjoyed this field trip as Sawgrass Lake Park is a park that I have visited before and loved. It was nice to learn more about the park in this visit!

Sawgrass Lake Park is a 400-acre park that is extremely important for the areas flooding. In the parks’ recent history, pollution from a nearby shooting range has caused high levels of arsenic and led, but the rangers are working hard to reverse the damage.

After we all parked we saw a Gopher tortoise next to a sign about them, how funny! Not far from this tortoise was a small baby tortoise, who seemed to love our shade.

This park also happens to be the largest red mangrove swamp on the gulf coast!

After starting our walk we talked about the canopy of the park, and identified the following layers: ground floor, shrubs, understory, canopy, no emergent layer.

At the park we walked on all of the boardwalks, looking at plants, being watched by some squirrels, and went out on the two dock-ish parts of the boardwalk over the water. Throughout out walk here are some of the species we identified:

• Cypress: Has “knees” that provide the same function as pneumatophores on black mangroves
• Moorehens: Have webbed feet to be able to waddle on the emergent vegetation
• Maple and other trees have roots that extend out to stay sturdy, as the sediment is not very stable, this rooting is similar to mangroves

Pokeweed (pink color)

Alligator Gar

Some other species we encountered include:

• Rush grass
• Duckweed
• Alligator gar
• Soft shell turtle
• Maples
• Giant leather ferns
• Tent caterpillars
• Cinnamon ferns
• Pokeweed
• Coffee
• Pink parasitic plant on dead tree (unable to be identified)
• Shell fungi
• Azolla, a red color aquatic algae that is symbiotic with ferns
• Apple snail eggs
• Alligator

Sawgrass Lake Park

Sawgrass Lake Park
 Julia Bourdon

October 15th, 2015

Temperature: 86 F

     Last week, the class and I visited Sawgrass Lake park in St. Petersburg, FL.  This park instantly became my favorite park our class has visited due to it's beauty, diverse wild life, and size. Immediately after arriving, our class found a tortoise, and after taking a few pictures, we found another tortoise a few feet away!

 

After this amusement, we finally headed into the park.

Here, Mrs. Georgen taught us the threats the park endures. One major threat which this park endured was a lead and arsenic build up in the water, due to bullet shell run off. A huge restoration project was done, and now the water is much better. 

We also learned about the different plant species in the park. What makes this park's ecosystem so unique, is that there is a lot of tipped-over trees! These trees are still thriving, because of their enormous root systems still intact. This allows the tree to continually survive and grow. These trees are a very important part in the park's ecosystem because they provide shelter, and food for plants and animals. They also help stabilize the sediment.

Tipped-over tree

 

The park provided me a scenic, and relaxing break from school, and I plan on returning soon!

Although the park had many interesting animal species to observe, for example, we saw an alligator surrounded by her babies; my favorite species I encountered was an excessively friendly squirrel!

 

 

 

Sawgrass Lake Park

Weather: no clouds in the sky, hot but not humid, no breeze, 86°  F

Why we went? At this park, we explored the trail to see what different types of species we could encounter, and then we noticed different adaptations the species had to live in a swamp like environment.

Observations: Some different species we ran into were: Morehens, duck weed, giant letter ferns, fallen over maple trees, tree stumps with various plants on it, soft-shell turtle, an Anhigna bird drying on a tree, many gators. Also, we saw the difference in heights of trees in the canopy.

Adaptations: Ways that these species survive in this environment is through adaptations that they have grown accustom to over time. For example: the giant leather ferns had spores on them to allow them to obtain oxygen in the swamp that is occasionally filled with water. The fallen over maple trees were not dead, but had fallen due to the rise and fall of the amount of swamp water. A way it adapted to this condition was through the roots reaching down the water, and new branches coming from the part of the tree already touching the ground. The tree stumps with various plants allowed other species to create a safe environment on them as if it provided an island like structure in the swamp. Soft-shelled turtles have the adaptation of webbed feet that allow them to swim in the water, this is also a trait that the gators have in order to help them swim. And finally we have the Anhigna bird that has less oils on its skin that helps with the fact that they are able to swim in water opposed to other types of birds that just dive in it.

Sawgrass Lake Park
October 15th, 2015

Temp: 86 degrees
Humidity: 42%.

Sawgrass Lake is a swampy grassland home to many species and plants. It is a total of 400 acres (WHOA). and consists of wet soil. It is located in St Petersburg Florida and is one of the largest maple swamps on the Gulf coast of Florida!

This is considered a swampy ecosystem. The maple tree goes periods of time with water covering majority of its roots that why it is lifted up so high!

We where able to see the different sections such as little ground (floor), shrubs, under tree, and canopy.

Alligators are very common in these areas because of the swampy atmosphere where they can adapt by being in or out of the water along with their dietary habits. We saw 14 baby gators with their mom! We also saw another gator in a separate section of the park! So don't go their at night! CHOMP.

We also saw a soft shell turtle swimming in the water! This animal was adaptable their due to his/her webbed feet to make swimming much easier! (Hopefully faster than the gators)

Pokeweed is dark berries and we saw many of those! Caterpillars surrounded specific trees in a web like form then they eat the leaf!

All the plants can grow and stay in this environment due to their adaptation to the musty soil.

Martians where at the front of the park on the line of stream, doing what they do best.. nothing. Actually they where probably eating or hanging out! Haha.

All in all this field trip was a very fun time! I loved the environment and seeing new trees. Also learning about new adaptations to different plants and animals.