Diario de eajohnson6

I found this moose roaming around Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. I have family that lives in Anchorage, so we made moose scouting a family affair, and found this male having a snack. After some research, I discovered that the moose found in this region belong to the Alaska-Yukon race of moose and their scientific name is Alces alces gigas. A fun fact that I did not know, was that moose are the largest of all deer species and are herbivores (National Geographic). In general, moose tend to be pretty dangerous when approached and have been known to trample and ram people with their massive horns. A safety issue in places that have moose is them being hit by cars and going through windshields. For that reason, the pictures show the moose eating the trees, and I observed from a safe distance. Traditionally, moose have been hunted for their meat, hide, and antlers. The average set of moose antlers (only males grow antlers) weighs between 40-50 pounds, but the heaviest recorded weighed about 75 pounds (U.S. National Parks Service). They shed their antlers once a year. In fact, when moose are fully matured, their antlers may grow up to an inch a day which is roughly a pound of antler a day! Moose can be found across the State, but primarily in the main part of the State. They are not as common is Southeast Alaska, for instance, Revillagigedo Island, which Ketchikan is on, does not have any moose. On the other hand, Wrangell Island, which is home to Wrangell, Alaska, does have moose.

Works Cited

“Moose: Did You Know? (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/articles/moose-did-you-know.htm. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024.
“Moose: National Geographic.” Animals, National Geographic , www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/moose. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024.

For this week’s species, I chose to photograph Naupaka papa (Scaevola coriacea, dwarf naupaka). As you may have noticed, this plant does not look like something that occurs in Southeast Alaska! I am currently in Hawaii and this is an Indigenous plant to the region. In fact, it only occurs in the state of Hawaii making it an endemic species to the region (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Pacific Islands). As far as growing climates are concerned, I have personally only seen it grow at really sandy beaches and away from any water source. The species prefers a hot, dry climate, and, beach naupaka is the only (of eight different species) that lives in coastal conditions. In the article that is referenced in this journal entry, the authors note that this is an endangered species and although it used to be on nearly all of the Hawaiian islands, now it just occurs on a few islands. This particular island is not one of them, however, I was asking a friend who lives on the island about finding this species and she said that the University of Hawaii has begun to plant the species in a revitalization program in areas where it is likely to grow/thrive. Although I am traveling, I did call Hawaii my second home for three years of my adulthood. Living in Hawaii shared a few similarities with living in Southeast Alaska and a lot of differences. Finding this species and photographing it brought back memories of living nearby and having this type of foliage in my (relative) backyard.

Works Cited
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Pacific Islands. “Naupaka Papa and Native Hawaiian Plant Month: A Celebration of Rare and Endemic Plants in Hawaiʻi.” Medium, Conservation in the Pacific Islands, 17 Feb. 2022, medium.com/usfwspacificislands/naupaka-papa-and-native-hawaiian-plant-month-a-celebration-of-rare-and-endemic-plants-in-hawai%CA%BBi-10bf10c46eac. Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.

I found this specimen in my actual back yard and decided to submit it for this weeks' post! Growing up in Southeast Alaska and spending ample time in the outdoors, I have always been drawn to moss and lichens for some odd reason. Maybe because of the vast species available or their role in the eco-system absorbing carbon, but who really knows? At first glance, their visual appearance is nothing special. Often times, it just looks like a green fuzzy blob on the forest floor. In an article depicting different types of moss found across the State of Alaska, which was written by the United States Department of Agriculture, I learned that mosses and liverworts (all known as bryophytes) all lack a stalk and root systems. In addition, the article taught me that many of the different species that fall into the bryophyte class fall into a "male" or "female" classification for reproduction purposes. This was new information to me, and I thought that I might share it with the class; a "fun fact" if you will.

For the self-reflection portion of this post, I wanted to touch on how this species has played a role in my sense of place as it relates to my home in Southeast Alaska. This will be a common theme in the remaining iNaturalist posts, but I can vividly remember being a child, playing in the forest with my friends, and using this species to make forts, pillows, potions, and everything in between. Reflecting on this species brought back such good memories and I hope that future posts/species that I write about will as well!

Works Cited
“Mosses and Liverworts of the National Forests in Alaska.” United States Department of Agriculture , Forest Service Alaska Region, Sept. 2008, www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_069239.pdf. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

I found this lichen, which I believe to be Reindeer Lichen, or Cladonia rangiferina (scientific name), while on my hike this afternoon up to Perseverance Lake. The trail is one of my very favorite hikes in Southeast Alaska and is something that I try to do throughout the seasons. It has excellent bird watching, diverse landscapes, and the lake at the top is a nice reward after strenuous hills! I found this group of lichen in a mossy marsh/muskeg area that was adjacent to a small creek. Although similar, this particular lichen is not to be confused Old Mans’ Beard or Usnea Longissima as they are completely different other than both belonging to the lichen family.

Although I found this specimen in the Ketchikan area, I found some interesting facts about this species that I would like to include in this journal entry. The scientific section of the Brittanica Library writes that it is used by mammals such as musk oxen and caribou in more northern ecosystems. On top of that, the same Library included that the lichen is used in Scandinavian countries in alcohol production. This is something that I find to be very interesting! I work at a distillery that produces its own spirits and I cannot imagine using lichen as part of the distilling process—mainly because of its high-water content. The last fact that I have about this species is that it is very slow growing and tends to grow between 0.12 to 0.2 inches per year (Petruzello). That is not a lot of growth!

Works Cited
“Reindeer Lichen.” Edited by Melissa Petruzello, Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/science/reindeer-lichen. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.