Tropics of Brazil

Parque Nacional Chapada dos Veadeiros, Brasil

One of the interesting pieces of information I learned before heading off to Brazil was about weather and natural disasters. The size of Brazil is 8,511,965 km² compared to the United States of 9,826,630 km² (about a difference of Alaska and Texas combined). Within the United States we have everything from tornadoes, to hurricanes, to earthquakes, blizzards, and flooding thanks to a combination of tectonic plate positions and weather patterns. For being quite close in size, the only major disaster Brazil must worry about is flooding. This is due to the position of the country being relatively far from the edges of its tectonic plate, the lack of dry air combining with humid in a way to form supercell storms, and the lack of ingredients to form cyclones in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The issue lies in being mostly a tropical environment where the season are two: wet and dry. That means, when it rains, it pours. In wilderness relatively untouched, adaptions for these flooding rains can be spotted in the buttress roots of trees to the the structure and behavior of ant colonies. In urban areas lacking the plant roots to prevent erosion and concrete that prevents draining, heavy rains averaging up to 1500 mm (59 inches) mean constant fears of flooding for near half a year.

Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen

In honor of Pi Day, I thought it'd be great to have a related post if only because I'm a bit of a nerd. I figured a good post could be about a bird whose name includes the word pie or possibly a post about some sort of blackbird, like in the old nursery rhyme. As both were already covered earlier, I opted for yet another bird with pie in the name, the Australian Magpie. A large bird with an unusual flute-like song, the magpie can be found throughout most of Australia and are a very common sight in urban areas. As they are very rarely seen alone, have little fear of humans, and can be found in most neighborhoods, these birds can be best compared to the Common Grackle found in great portions of the United States and Canada. The big white beaks with black tips of the Australian Magpie are the best way to distinguish it from the common coloration of black and white birds in Australia. As with many other birds, they can become very aggressive and territorial during breeding season. Since they can thrive in urban areas, this may result in dive bombing of people and pets.

Shumard Oak

Shumard Oak, Quercus shumardii

Shumard oak occurs throughout the Great Plains, east and south to the Atlantic and Gulf Coastlines, and north into Ontario. It is highly valued for its high survival rates and steady growth, while in the Great Plains in particular it has great heat tolerance and fire resistance. It is also one of the few "distinguished autumn color" trees which is quite uncommon of trees in areas such as Texas. As sturdy trees, they have a long lifespan living at the least 480 years. One of the main concerns for this and other species of oak especially in Texas is a fungal disease known as Oak Wilt where the fungus prevents water uptake. As with other oaks, the Shumard oak does produce acorns which a variety of animals such as squirrels, raccoons, and deer love the eat. The white-tailed deer also prefer this oak as browse in some parts of Texas. Once the tannins are leeched out, acorns are considered edible for human consumption. The Native Americans often used acorns to make flour, the process of which leeched out the bitter tannins making it safe.

One reason I love this particular photo besides making the Shumard oak stand out, is the extremely rare sight of measurable snow in this part of Texas.

Mute Swan

Mute Swan, Cygnus olor

The Mute Swan, named for being a less vocal swan, is a species native to Eurasia that was introduced multiple times during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Valued by some for their beauty in ornamental ponds and gardens, this highly aggressive species is a threat to many native waterfowl species. The establishment of this swan has become a huge concern mainly along the Atlantic Coastline, especially near Long Island which was unfortunately a location for one of the largest known releases of this bird.  Very recently, Texas, specifically Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, has become a possible new spot for the Mute Swan. As of when this photo was taken, only one swan has found its way to the refuge, but if it ever finds a mate it could spell disaster. Sadly, it seems that this particular swan was likely a pet that has not been search for or recaptured. It will come closer when whistled for. While the current age of this one is not known, it should be noted that in the wild these swans can live for about two decades. From what I was told, due to certain laws and regulations, there is nothing they can do at the refuge to remove this swan except hope that a coyote might get his paws on this exotic meal.

Just to clarify the potential disaster this could spell, remember that Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is home to thousands of migratory waterfowl due to the location of the refuge within the Central Flyway. The highly aggressive Mute Swan, who has remained year round, can readily establish a stable non-migratory population that could disrupt the nesting habits of multiple local and migratory species.

Preemptive

Nessie of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge 

I decided today to have a bit of what I consider a simple post that will be followed up with explanation on the next. For an unplanned shot, this Loch Ness like capture speaks many words. What exactly it is a photo of, I'll let you know on Friday, but keep in mind the myth of the "monster" known as Nessie.

Whale Mountain

Whale Mountain of the Cerrado region in Brasil

This iconic formation within the Cerrado (pronounced Say-ha-do) is known as Whale Mountain (seen on the far right) located just kilometers from both Alto Paraíso de Goiás and Parque Nacional Chapada dos Veadeiros. The Cerrado is the lesser known and least protected tropical savanna of Brasil that is almost, if not equal, to being as threatened as the very well-known Amazon Rainforest. It encompasses close to one-fourth of the land of Brasil, and became heavily impacted when the capital, Brasilia, was moved further in to encourage growth within the Cerrado as opposed to just the coastline. One of the biggest threats is from soy farmers who wipe out tons of Cerrado land for their farming, leaving one or two single non-native eucalyptus trees among fields of soy. Cattle ranching is second as the biggest threat to this amazing and highly endangered ecosystem.

Eastern Redbud

Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis

While I had a different post planned originally, I decided instead to post about the iconic eastern redbud in honor of Texas Independence Day. While not the state tree, it is a very common sight as spring approaches. It is native to the region and one of the first blooms spotted as the weather warms. One reason for the commonality of the redbud is that it is fire tolerant with roots sprouting after fire. Both butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted by the nectar, honeybees for the pollen, whitetail deer for the foliage and twigs, and some songbirds for the seeds. The Native Americans made good use of this tree from using the bark and roots to treat whooping cough, dysentery, fever, congestion, and vomiting, to frying the flowers and eating them. In addition to fire and drought resistance, an animal attractant, and the versatile uses of this tree,  the beauty of the blooms makes for a wanted and loved garden ornamental.