Picture: America's WETLAND Foundation
An indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Palmetto plants
The Bottomland hardwoods have lots of mixed woody species that can occasionally tolerate flooding. The dwarf palmettos are an indicator species of this type of wetlands.
Ecological Restoration of the Louisiana Coastal Marsh
Since 1990s, the Louisiana coastal marsh (known also as part of wetland habitat) has been changed.
We are losing a huge part of coastal marsh generally because of the decrease of sediment delivery resulting from navigation and flood controls on the Mississippi River, saltwater intrusion into previously fresh and brackish coastal marshes, dredge and fill activities associated with the exploitation of the area's mineral resources, and natural geological subsidence of Holocene Mississippi River Delta plain sediment.
The estimated losses of these Louisiana coastal marsh areas are approximately 25 square per year.
In an attempt to combat coastal marsh loss and converse the biodiversity of those areas, many types of projects have been planned and implemented.
We had the great opportunity to visit one of these ecological restoration area near New Orleans and understand better this project of ecological restoration.
Ecological restoration of the wetland habitats is crucial for the biodiversity of the complex ecosystem. Also these areas have a huge effect in the commercial seafood, oil and gas.
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| Picure: Talita A. Maia |
The estimated losses of these Louisiana coastal marsh areas are approximately 25 square per year.
 |
| Picture: Talita A. Maia |
We had the great opportunity to visit one of these ecological restoration area near New Orleans and understand better this project of ecological restoration.
Ecological restoration of the wetland habitats is crucial for the biodiversity of the complex ecosystem. Also these areas have a huge effect in the commercial seafood, oil and gas.
 |
| Picture: Talita A. Maia |
 |
| Picture: Talita A. Maia |
How do plants live in salt water?
The salinity of wetlands has a huge influence in the presence of plant species and its diversity. For example, in freshwater marshes, which have just 0 to 2 ppt of salinity, there is more than 90 species of plants. In salt marshes, which has a salinity >20 ppt, there is less than 20 plant species able to live there.
The oyster grass (Spartina alterniflora) is well adapted for salt marshes, being 63% of the vegetation.
This species can tolerate low salinity, but is has less competition in salt water because of its three essential characteristics:
The oyster grass (Spartina alterniflora) is well adapted for salt marshes, being 63% of the vegetation.
Picture: Digital Atlas of Flora
This species can tolerate low salinity, but is has less competition in salt water because of its three essential characteristics:
- Ability of concentrate salt in cells at higher concentrations than sea water, so it maintains a balanced osmoregularity.
- It can excrete excess salt
- It has air tubes that take oxygen from the leaves to the roots.
Marshes
Hello everybody!
Here in Louisiana, we have four different types of marsh.
The Freshwater marsh has the highest plant species diversity, having a salinity range of 0-2 ppt.
Here in Louisiana, we have four different types of marsh.
The Freshwater marsh has the highest plant species diversity, having a salinity range of 0-2 ppt.
Picture: U.S. Geological Survey
The Intermediate marsh has a high plant species diversity, with a salinity range of 2+-10 ppt. It is a type of marsh that exists just in Louisiana.
Picture: America's WETLANDS Foundation
The Brackish marsh has a moderate plant species diversity, having a salinity of 10+-20 ppt.
Picture: America's WETLANDS Foundation
And finally, the Saline (salt) marsh has a low plant species diversity, with a salinity of >20 ppt.
American White Ibises
American
White Ibises (Eudocimus albus) is found at mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the United States.
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| Picture: Marcelle Daoud |
It
is considered a monogamous species of bird, however some behaviors of extra
pair copulation already have been noted.
This
species has sexual dimorphism between males and females. Males have larger
bodies than females, and also they have longer bills. These
sexual differences can influence in different kind of behaviors between the
sexes.
The American White Ibises usually feed on aquatic insects, small fish, crayfish, and other types of aquatic life.
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| Picture: Marcelle Daoud |
Tri Colored Bat
The tri colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) is the most common species of bat that is found in New Orleans, LA.
It is the smallest bat that can be found in eastern North America.
It has this name because of its tri coloration, which is dark at the base and tip and yellow in the middle.
It is an inoffensive animal that feed only on insects
During the summer the tri colored bat usually is the first to emerge after the sunset and the last one to roost after the sunrise, which means that the bat has a very active nocturnal activity.
The tri colored bat can spend until nine months per year hibernating, however this not happen with the species in Louisiana state, as we already explained here: http://biolouisiana.blogspot.com/2015/02/louisiana-bats.html.
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| Picture: Texas Parks & Wildlife |
It is the smallest bat that can be found in eastern North America.
It has this name because of its tri coloration, which is dark at the base and tip and yellow in the middle.
It is an inoffensive animal that feed only on insects
During the summer the tri colored bat usually is the first to emerge after the sunset and the last one to roost after the sunrise, which means that the bat has a very active nocturnal activity.
The tri colored bat can spend until nine months per year hibernating, however this not happen with the species in Louisiana state, as we already explained here: http://biolouisiana.blogspot.com/2015/02/louisiana-bats.html.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Science Without Borders
Hey everybody!!
This is a video that explains about our program, Science Without Borders, and also shows about our experiences here in New Orleans, LA.
We are in a total of 12 brazilians studying Biology, Biomedical Science, and Design at Loyola University New Orleans.
We hope you enjoy the video!!!
This is a video that explains about our program, Science Without Borders, and also shows about our experiences here in New Orleans, LA.
We are in a total of 12 brazilians studying Biology, Biomedical Science, and Design at Loyola University New Orleans.
We hope you enjoy the video!!!
(Video made by Grazielle Melo Pena and Gabriel Pissolati)
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