Diario de clarissahoward

Similar to last week, I decided to meet up with a friend and observe species surrounding the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. This area is most certainly a biodiverse one and I even observed new species that I had not seen last week. I walked around for about 45-1hr minutes and observed both plant species, which is the them of this week, and even different species of bird like a Swan and a Heron. The weather was quite warm and sunny and the temperature was in the low 80s, but because of the water, there was still a nice breeze. On the other hand, some plant species I observed were (I think): horse-weeds, buckthorns, sagebrushes,and mountain laurels. One of the features I like about iNaturalist is that other people on the app correct me if I label the wrong species. I also noticed some geese chomping on some grass by the reservoir and it reminded me how important something as simple as grass is for maintaining a healthy ecosystem. This week’s theme on plants is definitely relevant to our past Perusall assignment, as it discusses key adaptations that allow plants to live on land, such as the stomata (pores that control gas exchange and important for photosynthesis). Overall, I enjoyed this walk much more! Looking for plants and flowers was much much more interesting and exciting than looking for fungi and it allowed me to really connect with nature after my long shift indoors.

I decided to meet up with a friend and observe species surrounding the Reservoir, which is one of the closest and most scenic areas nearby. I walked around for about 45 minutes and observed the natural life by both the water and wooded area. The weather was sunny yet brisk and the water was calm. Not only was I able to find lichen, moss and microbial mats in both the water and on rocks/trees (which was related to the theme this week), but I also observed some animal wildlife like chipmunks and numerous species of birds. I noticed that it was quite a biodiverse environment, which is very important for maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The lichen I found was located on both rocks and trees, as well as the moss. The lichen and microbial mats are important observations because they demonstrate multilayered patches of microorganisms, which is relevant to this week's topic. I also took pictures of plants because the reading discussed the importance of the xylem, stomata and vascular/non-vascular plants. I took pictures of flowers because the Perusall reading discussed pollination and emphasized the relationship between pollinators and flower characteristics. I was, however, unsuccessful in finding any fungi. Maybe next time!