http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler stories of landscapes, conservation, and people in and beyond the Rivanna Watershed Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:11:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © lmiddleton@embarqmail.com () lmiddleton@embarqmail.com() stories of landscapes, conservation, and people in and beyond the Rivanna Watershed lmiddleton@embarqmail.com No no http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler 144 144 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2009/02/03/119-fernbrook-natural-area-hosts-winter-landscapes-and-much-more/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2009/02/03/119-fernbrook-natural-area-hosts-winter-landscapes-and-much-more/#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:53:12 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/?p=176 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2009/02/03/119-fernbrook-natural-area-hosts-winter-landscapes-and-much-more/feed/ 0 4:49 January 15, 2009 Fernbrook Natural Area in northern Albemarle County near Stony Brook is host of images of death, decay, and resurrection in the flora and ... January 15, 2009 Fernbrook Natural Area in northern Albemarle County near Stony Brook is host of images of death, decay, and resurrection in the flora and fauna of the Piedmont woods. The January cold spell has arrived ndash; always a harsh reminder, especially here in Virginia ndash; of the intractability of winter.nbsp; Being from New England, it feels welcome, like a patch of remnant habitat ndash; familiar and necessary for my survival.nbsp;nbsp; The bite of cold when I first leave the house for my walk, the peeling back of layers as heat of my body meets morning chill. The knowledge of light that has come with experiencing over half a decade of Januarys, as the skies are brighter, the days are longer, but still, somehow, muted by the cold.nbsp; My need to be outside is greater at this time of year than others --against the inertia that a warm house foster, an urgency tugs at me as the voices of the winter landscape are calling. I went to feed this winter hunger last weekend at Fernbook Natural Area, thenbsp; 63-acre preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy in northern Albemarle County near Stony Point.nbsp; This time of year, it is a palette of earth tones, rich with every shade of brown, red, yellow, orange, and black.nbsp; Green pokes up here and there: running cedar emerging from the layer of leaves, the rhododendron on the northern slopes; and the ever-reliable, Christmas fern, though sagging from the weight of wingter, it is still standing, ready to be counted. The trail slopes down through a tall stand of red oak, hickory and yellow poplar towards a small stream that drains the ridge.nbsp; Only the beech trees and few oaks still hold their leaves, browned now, quaking in the slight wind.nbsp; The late afternoon light is mediated by clouds, occasional patches of blue lingering before a darkening sky. This winter in particular, I am attuned to disintegration and death, and a forest like the one at Fernbrook is as good a place as any to find it.nbsp; Decay is everywhere:nbsp; dense downed logs along the trail are scuffed by travelers' boots into light tufts.nbsp; The bark of Virginia pine still standing, is pocked by holes that spiral round the trunk marking the drill of the downy woodpecker.nbsp; A cavity higher up could be home to a pileated.nbsp; These are some of the larger agents of change in the forest, foraging for a meal beneath the bark of host trees giving way slowly to insects. Still on the branches of beech trees, are black clumps of sooty mold.nbsp; A hunk the size of my fist has dropped to the ground at the base of a beech, and I pick it up ndash; light as a sponge, this is final stage for the mold that is unique to the beech tree.nbsp; Scorias spongiosa, as a species of sooty mold that grows below colonies of beech woolly aphids, whose honeydew ndash; or excrement ndash; provides nourishment through its life stages.nbsp; In January, these aphids are long gone, but when I pry the mold apart, I find shiny black ants feasting on the spores. Cleared in colonial days for timber, Fernbrook was abandoned sometime after the Civil War.nbsp; But here and there, the pencil-sharp snags of Virginia cedar point skyward, and from time to time, the slope is anchored by a mound of rocks that marked perhaps the corner of an old field.nbsp; The small stream has the characteristic steep banks of our Piedmont streams that have been cut vertically during the years of high erosion when no protective measures stemmed the flow of topsoil from newly logged acres. Just as surely as I am looking at death and decay, I am also witness to rebirth, in everything from the defiant fist-like buds of the dogwoods in understudy, to the delicate, cigar-shaped twist of the beech bud.nbsp; Each soggy, rotten log hosts its own ecosystem of fungi, bacteria, and insects, thriving in dark spaces, drunk on the nutrients they release back to the cycle of life. Through the bare trees I can see upward to the sky, anoth... Albemarle,County,,Climate,,Ecology,,History,,Natural,History,,North,Fork,Rivanna,,Sediment,,Trails,and,Footpaths lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/04/114-winter-stoneflies/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/04/114-winter-stoneflies/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:05:21 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/04/114-winter-stoneflies/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/12/04/114-winter-stoneflies/feed/ 1 5:10 February 28, 2008 In the midst of winter, there are bugs in the stream that are alive and well ndash; and some, eve, are hatching out ... February 28, 2008 In the midst of winter, there are bugs in the stream that are alive and well ndash; and some, eve, are hatching out to become insects, having found their aquatic niche at a time when no others compete.nbsp; During StreamWatch sampling on the upper Doylersquo;s, we find several families of winter stoneflies. This show originally aired on February 28, 2008 and again on December 4, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. The upper Doyles River, like most headwater streams in the Rivanna watershed, is about as pristine as they come.nbsp; The waters that collect from springs and drainages of the land that is protected by Shenandoah National Park do not suffer the assaults of sediment and runoff that challenge the health of streams at lower elevations.nbsp; For this reason, the community based water monitoring program, StreamWatch, has chosen a spot high on the Doyles as one of several headwater streams that will be used during the next few years as ldquo;reference streamsrdquo; ndash; a standard of ldquo;as good as it gets in our watershedrdquo; -- against which other tributaries of the Rivanna will be evaluated. A couple of weeks ago, during a lull in the waves of wintry mix that so often challenge us in the piedmont, I visited the site for the first time.nbsp; The snow was still in patches on the ground, especially on the cooler, north facing slopes, but the sun was casting bright shadows lighting up the grays and browns of winter.nbsp; The macroinvertebrates, that we were there to count, cycle through their lives no matter the weather.nbsp; Some species are only found in the upper reaches where springs fill rugged, narrow streams that drop through pools and riffles, creating a cool, oxygen rich environment that is ideal for the aquatic world of bugs and the trout that feed on them. Recently, Irsquo;ve become interested in stoneflies ndash; the order Plecopteranbsp; that is well known to aquatic biologists and fishermennbsp; -- and on this day especially I was eager to see which stoneflies might come up to be counted in our mesh net after a vigorous rubbing of rocks and gravel. Ournbsp; total count was 355 bugs from three short net samples ndash; with almost 2/3 of them mayflies ndash; another bug that is known to thrive in cleaner water ndash; but also a hearty count of stoneflies, over forty of these representing at least five different families. In aquatic biology, it isnrsquo;t just the numbers of these sensitive organisms thatrsquo;s important ndash; when many different species are represented, this indicates richness, the abundance of varieties pointing to a complex and thriving ecosystem, with plenty of niches for many different kinds of organisms. The water is 3 degrees Centigrade, or about 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and we collect stoneflies from five families: green, common, perlodid, giant, and small winter stonefly.nbsp; Each of these has its place in the food chain ndash; some are crawlers that graze the algae and bacteria from the rocky bottom.nbsp; Others feed on the abundance of detritus caught between rocky pools and drops, munching through twigs and leaves, and recycling nutrients back to the water.nbsp; Some are carnivorous, and some are opportunistic.nbsp; And their lifecycles also vary: when they lay eggs, hatch into the larval stage, emerge from the water, and finally complete the cycle by depositing eggs for the next generation ndash; these are particular to each kind. Today, wersquo;ve caught a few of the small winter stonefly, which are sometimes called snowflies to honor the season in which they hatch from eggs that have been deposited by their terrestrial parents.nbsp; As the water warms, these bugs burrow down to the region of the loose sand, gravel, and cobble where surface water and groundwater mix and wait out the summer in quiet dormancy.nbsp; As the water starts t... Albemarle,County,,Climate,,Doyles,River,,Ecology,,Headwaters,,Natural,History,,Rivanna,River,,Water,Quality,,Wildlife lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/13/111-autumn-on-the-rivanna-encore/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/13/111-autumn-on-the-rivanna-encore/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:05:06 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/13/111-autumn-on-the-rivanna-encore/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/11/13/111-autumn-on-the-rivanna-encore/feed/ 0
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4:40 November 13, 2008 A warm day on the river traveling to Rivanna Mills to sample provides opportunity to reflect on the need for both the short ... November 13, 2008 A warm day on the river traveling to Rivanna Mills to sample provides opportunity to reflect on the need for both the short and long view of changes in the watershed. This show originally aired on November 8, 2007 and then again on November 13, 2008 on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. There is something not altogether right about this day.nbsp; Here it is, November 1st, and we should be bundled in fleece and wearing high rubber boots to venture out on the water.nbsp; Instead, wersquo;re wearing light rubber wading shoes that sink into the mud as we shove the canoe from the launch into the Rivanna at Hells Bend Farm, striving for a patch of water that will be deep enough to float the boat.nbsp; Though the water is a cool 56 degrees, the air temperature is climbing past 65 as the sun arcs into the autumn afternoon.nbsp; Irsquo;m not sure what doesnrsquo;t feel right: is it the air temperature? or the water level? which is still near historic lows in spite of patches of rain wersquo;ve had. Headed downriver to sample for aquatic bugs for the StreamWatch volunteer program, we quickly learn that the shoals in the center extend almost entirely across the river.nbsp; We snuggle up against the left bank, a vertical wall of dying asters and poison ivy, where a channel twice the width of the canoe is just deep enough to get a decent stroke.nbsp; Rounding Hellrsquo;s Bend, we stick to the outside, but in the long straightaway below we have to shove our way to the other side, seeking a route through the shallows of coarse sand deposited as the water slowed and dropped its load after the last storm.nbsp; The bottom is now being sculpted by the gentle flow into underwater ripples and bluffs much like the sharp relief of the winter beach is built by the tides and wind.nbsp; The channels along the banks are a Piedmont version of aquamarine.nbsp; The summerrsquo;s weed is gone, and everywhere, the water is clear enough to see to the bottom, where sunken leaves tumble and pile up against underwater tree limbs and rock outcroppings. Once at the sampling site below the Mill, we get to work, scraping bugs from a shallow cobbled riffle into the mesh net and pouring over the contents with our middle aged eyes.nbsp; We enter the world of macro ndash; where everything of interest is small ndash; one-eighth to as much as an inch long, like the fat, ribbed crane fly larvae that are in abundance today.nbsp; Wersquo;ve also captured small pebbles, twigs, and leaves in various stages of decomposition ndash; and from this tumble of browns and yellows, we must pick out the larvae of mayflies, water pennies, and caddisflies ndash; as well as the tiny clams and snails and worms that inhabit the stream.nbsp; Having sampled for a couple of years, we know that you look until you canrsquo;t find any more bugs, and then you look again, switch sides of the table and look some more, flip the net over and keep on looking, before you can have confidence that yoursquo;ve collected all the bugs in the net, which is necessary to assure quality data.nbsp; While we pour over the net, the river tumbles over the stone from the old dam, the sound making it seem like a fuller river than it is. By four orsquo;clock, wersquo;re winding down, just as the sky turns an ominous gray and the late afternoon sun catches clouds in curving lines stretched out in the wake the tropical depression Noel.nbsp; After pulling the canoe back up through the rapids to head home, I trip trying to step in the canoe and am suddenly on my butt in two feet of water that now feels plenty cool.nbsp; The paddle back upstream is welcome and warming work.nbsp; At the far end of the long straight channel, the late afternoon sky is dense with clouds descending their dark on tawny yellow sycamores that flank the river.nbsp; After straining to find the small bugs, it feels good to ... Climate,,Ecology,,Fluvanna,County,,Natural,History,,North,Fork,Rivanna,,Rivanna,River,,Rivanna,mainstem lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/09/106-carbon-cycles-at-scheier-natural-arera/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/09/106-carbon-cycles-at-scheier-natural-arera/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:07:41 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/09/106-carbon-cycles-at-scheier-natural-arera/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2008/10/09/106-carbon-cycles-at-scheier-natural-arera/feed/ 0
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5:19 October 9, 2008 At Scheier Natural Area in Fluvanna County, forester Steve Pence describes how a forest in succession contributes to the carbon cycle. This show ... October 9, 2008 At Scheier Natural Area in Fluvanna County, forester Steve Pence describes how a forest in succession contributes to the carbon cycle. This show originally aired on October 5, 2006 and as an encore on October 9, 2008nbsp; on ldquo;The Rivanna Rambler,rdquo; a weekly public affairs show airing every Thursday at 11:55 a.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM or wtju.net. Summer is having its last licks in the Piedmont, spreading a layer of warm heavy air over the southwestern reaches of the Rivanna watershed in Fluvanna.nbsp; My destination is Scheier Natural Area 10 miles west of Palmyra.nbsp; Rolling hills farmed in hay give way to patches of forest and modest houses set back from the road.nbsp; Goldenrod and Queen Annersquo;s lace offer patches of color and light.nbsp; Here and there, I can see the peaks of pine emerging like soldiers from behind an unruly patch of trees, evidence of land reclaimed for growing timber.nbsp; In the distance, the mountain to the west sit blue and cool on this muggy Sunday afternoon.nbsp; Irsquo;m headed for a talk offered by the Rivanna Conservation Society, who owns the 100 acre preserve. As I join the group late, Steve Pence, of the Virginia Department of Forestry, has already warmed to the subjects of the role of trees in our lives and the changing climate, a complex subject at best.nbsp; Steve has worked with trees his entire career, so I trust that any opinions he offers are informed.nbsp; Hersquo;s just finishing up on the basics of the carbon cycle ndash; how trees breathe in carbon dioxide and give off the oxygen so necessary to human life.nbsp; And talking about the difference, from a foresterrsquo;s point of view, between carbon sequestration and carbon sink, terms we should all be learning these days as we face the uncertainties of global climate change. ldquo;In short,rdquo; he says, ldquo;We need plants; but they donrsquo;t need us.rdquo; This is a startling thought to me as I stand amidst a crop of young trees, two foot high seedlings of oak, beech, hickory and maple on the edge of the thicker woods beyond the gravel parking lot. Carbon sequestration is the term used to describe how carbon, the ubiquitous and necessary building block of life, is removed from the atmosphere as a young forest of rapidly growing trees absorbs carbon dioxide, resulting in a reserve called a carbon sink.nbsp; If, on the other hand, a forest is allowed to mature, itrsquo;s ability to ldquo;take uprdquo; or remove carbon from the atmosphere is slowed, resulting in a dynamic equilibrium:nbsp; as trees die and decompose, they give up the carbon to the soil and atmosphere.nbsp; As new trees grow in their place, these youngsters utilize the carbon in the atmosphere to photosynthesize -- hence the green leaves, the underground roots, the colors of fall, and the shelter from the storm. Proactive efforts to mitigate global warming often include planting trees, to accelerate this process of removing carbon from the atmosphere.nbsp; However, the rate at which forests can sequester carbon, given the available land, is far exceeded by the rate at which it is released by the combustion of the fossilized forests that we have removed from the carbon sinks in the form of coal, oil and natural gas.nbsp; The facts remain that to reduce carbon emissions in the US by 7% , as stipulated in the Kyoto Protocol, would require the planting of "an area the size of Texas every 30 years", according to William Schlesinger, of Duke University. When Howard Scheier bought this land in the 1950rsquo;s, it was open and agricultural, farmed successively in corn, cotton, and tobacco since the last century.nbsp; He planted loblolly pine, reclaiming the land as trees.nbsp; In the 1980rsquo;s, when the pine bark beetle was starting to impact forests in Virginia, Mr. Scheier proactively harvested all loblollies on his property, leaving the young hardwoods that had sprouted in the understory to grow and thrive.nbsp; Thes... Climate,,Ecology,,Fluvanna,County,,Natural,History lmiddleton@embarqmail.com no No http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/10/31/64-sugar-hollow-on-halloween/ http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/10/31/64-sugar-hollow-on-halloween/#comments Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:06:00 +0000 admin http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/?p=14 http://www.cvillepublicmedia.org/rambler/2007/10/31/64-sugar-hollow-on-halloween/feed/ 1