Most evenings, if daylight permits, I head out back for thirty minutes of natural solitude. While mowers may hum in the distance or trucks may rumble on a nearby road, I try to focus on the sights, sounds and fragrance through which I stroll. I also try to ignore problems that may have occupied my day or that await my attention tomorrow.
This natural form of stress reduction has become a vital part of my life and, though I make no attempt to search for any particular plants or animals, I generally encounter something unexpected or see it in a different light. More than anything else, these breaks from human responsibilities make me appreciate the calm patience that typifies the lives of wild creatures and, on most evenings, I seem to absorb some of that serenity.
I could be getting some bills paid or subjecting myself to the endless parade of reality shows on cable TV but those thirty minutes are a cherished part of my day. While these outdoor rambles often provide fodder for future blogs, I seek only the company of our wild neighbors and a chance to enter their world, however brief that visit might be.
Kamis, 31 Mei 2012
Rabu, 30 Mei 2012
Italy, Earthquakes & Human Nature
After enduring two tragic earthquakes within a span of nine days, residents of northeastern Italy are both distraught and mystified. As emphasized in news reports, that region had not experienced a significant earthquake for hundreds of years. Yet, this industrial valley stretches between the Apennines and the Alps, mountain ranges that owe their very existence to the collision of the African and Eurasian Plates.
This tectonic collision, though too gradual to witness during our brief life span, has been going on for at least 40 million years, producing the varied landscape of southern Europe. A quiescent period of seismic activity in any given area, even lasting hundreds or thousands of years, is to be expected as pressure along the collision zone shifts from one region to another. While we may understand the geologic cause for the earthquakes, our inability to accurately predict the timing of such events has become all too clear over the past few decades; nevertheless, scientists in Italy are facing manslaughter charges for their failure to predict the 2009 quake in the Apennines, east of Rome, which killed more than 300 citizens.
We humans have a tendency to blame others for the misfortunes that we endure, even when they arise from the uncontrollable and, to date, unpredictable natural forces that mold our planet. We also tend to interpret our Universe, distant galaxies or local geography, from the narrow perspective of our human life span. Anyone who resides along the active plate margins of Planet Earth cannot afford to ignore the realities of its past and ongoing geologic evolution, however remote the risk of catastrophe might seem at the present time. After all, the Africa-Eurasian collision has been underway for 40 million years, 400 times longer than our own species has walked the planet.
This tectonic collision, though too gradual to witness during our brief life span, has been going on for at least 40 million years, producing the varied landscape of southern Europe. A quiescent period of seismic activity in any given area, even lasting hundreds or thousands of years, is to be expected as pressure along the collision zone shifts from one region to another. While we may understand the geologic cause for the earthquakes, our inability to accurately predict the timing of such events has become all too clear over the past few decades; nevertheless, scientists in Italy are facing manslaughter charges for their failure to predict the 2009 quake in the Apennines, east of Rome, which killed more than 300 citizens.
We humans have a tendency to blame others for the misfortunes that we endure, even when they arise from the uncontrollable and, to date, unpredictable natural forces that mold our planet. We also tend to interpret our Universe, distant galaxies or local geography, from the narrow perspective of our human life span. Anyone who resides along the active plate margins of Planet Earth cannot afford to ignore the realities of its past and ongoing geologic evolution, however remote the risk of catastrophe might seem at the present time. After all, the Africa-Eurasian collision has been underway for 40 million years, 400 times longer than our own species has walked the planet.
Senin, 28 Mei 2012
The Arctic Fox
Mention Arctic land mammals and the image of large, well-insulated creatures comes to mind: polar bears, musk ox, caribou and the extinct woolly mammoth, to name a few. But the small Arctic fox, the most northern-living canine on our planet, has managed to thrive on the harsh, treeless tundra of the Arctic biome. Equipped with a compact body habitus, thick, dense fur, furred paws and changing coloration to blend with its environment, this hardy fox also has an exquisite sense of hearing for prey location, adapts well to an omniverous diet and produces large litters to sustain its population.
After breeding in late winter or early spring, the monogamous pair uses a large den network in which to raise its litter of 6 to 15 or more kits; the newborn fox will remain with their mother through the summer and, as with some other wild canines, a few yearlings often stay behind to assist with feeding and protecting their younger siblings. The diet of the Arctic fox is dominated by lemmings and other small mammals (including seal pups) but also includes berries, vegetation, carrion, birds, fish and the eggs of seabirds and waterfowl. When food is abundant, they will bury eggs or meat in the Arctic permafrost for consumption during the harsh months of winter.
Circumpolar in their distribution, the populations of Arctic fox are stable in most areas though they are endangered in Scandinavia due to overhunting. Having evolved late in the Pleistocene, about 250,000 years ago, they spread across northern oceans on the vast ice shelves of that Period and are the only mammal native to Iceland. Today, like many polar species, Arctic fox are threatened by global warming that is changing their habitat, altering their food supply and allowing dominant predators (such as red fox and gray wolves) to invade their territory.
After breeding in late winter or early spring, the monogamous pair uses a large den network in which to raise its litter of 6 to 15 or more kits; the newborn fox will remain with their mother through the summer and, as with some other wild canines, a few yearlings often stay behind to assist with feeding and protecting their younger siblings. The diet of the Arctic fox is dominated by lemmings and other small mammals (including seal pups) but also includes berries, vegetation, carrion, birds, fish and the eggs of seabirds and waterfowl. When food is abundant, they will bury eggs or meat in the Arctic permafrost for consumption during the harsh months of winter.
Circumpolar in their distribution, the populations of Arctic fox are stable in most areas though they are endangered in Scandinavia due to overhunting. Having evolved late in the Pleistocene, about 250,000 years ago, they spread across northern oceans on the vast ice shelves of that Period and are the only mammal native to Iceland. Today, like many polar species, Arctic fox are threatened by global warming that is changing their habitat, altering their food supply and allowing dominant predators (such as red fox and gray wolves) to invade their territory.
Minggu, 27 Mei 2012
Faith & Suffering
It seems very likely that religious beliefs first arose in early human clans (some 130,000 years ago) when gods were invoked to counter fear and suffering. After all, our distant ancestors were traumatized by natural catastrophes, brutal weather, predators, mysterious diseases, fatal injuries, famine and tribal warfare on a regular, if not daily, basis.
At some point during our evolution, certainly by three to four thousand years ago, suffering had become more than the impetus for religious ritual; it had become ingrained in the rites themselves. We humans had come to imagine that our gods are appeased by suffering; as a result, human sacrifice, self-inflicted pain and self denial became an essential part of religious ceremony. Even today, despite our advanced scientific knowledge, such attitudes persist, represented by a wide range of beliefs and rituals, from giving up desserts during Lent to volunteering as a suicide bomber. Orders of monks and nuns retreat to lives of fasting and prayer, Catholic priests take vows of celibacy, devout believers lash themselves with reeds or whips and many (if not most) of the faithful view their earthly suffering as a ticket to heavenly rewards.
Of course, if this delusional, suffering-based faith only affected those who practice it, the rest of us would be free to focus on the enlightenment of human culture. Unfortunately, their beliefs permeate human society, stifling education, fomenting warfare, fostering intolerance and instilling fear in younger generations. Worse yet, those who view suffering as a means to salvation are more willing to inflict its scourge on the innocent. One hopes that we will eventually evolve beyond these primitive delusions but our zealous, god-fearing brethren, obsessed with their image of a vindictive deity, are not likely to fade from the scene anytime soon.
At some point during our evolution, certainly by three to four thousand years ago, suffering had become more than the impetus for religious ritual; it had become ingrained in the rites themselves. We humans had come to imagine that our gods are appeased by suffering; as a result, human sacrifice, self-inflicted pain and self denial became an essential part of religious ceremony. Even today, despite our advanced scientific knowledge, such attitudes persist, represented by a wide range of beliefs and rituals, from giving up desserts during Lent to volunteering as a suicide bomber. Orders of monks and nuns retreat to lives of fasting and prayer, Catholic priests take vows of celibacy, devout believers lash themselves with reeds or whips and many (if not most) of the faithful view their earthly suffering as a ticket to heavenly rewards.
Of course, if this delusional, suffering-based faith only affected those who practice it, the rest of us would be free to focus on the enlightenment of human culture. Unfortunately, their beliefs permeate human society, stifling education, fomenting warfare, fostering intolerance and instilling fear in younger generations. Worse yet, those who view suffering as a means to salvation are more willing to inflict its scourge on the innocent. One hopes that we will eventually evolve beyond these primitive delusions but our zealous, god-fearing brethren, obsessed with their image of a vindictive deity, are not likely to fade from the scene anytime soon.
Sabtu, 26 Mei 2012
An Early July
On this Memorial Day weekend, July has made an early appearance in the Heartland. With afternoon highs in the 90s (F) and overnight lows in the 70s, it feels like mid summer; were it not for the plentiful moisture still in the soil, the vegetation would be wilting in the intense heat, but, in this case, the verdant face of May persists.
This early heat wave is courtesy of a high pressure ridge over the southeastern U.S.; beneath this dome, air is sinking and heating up, retarding cloud formation, while, along its outer edge, thunderstorms will ignite across the Upper Midwest. One crop of storms, off the coast of South Carolina, has developed into Tropical Storm Beryl, which will move WSW along the rim of the dome over the next 24 hours, bringing heavy, much-needed rain to southern Georgia and northern Florida.
The high pressure ridge should stay in place through the holiday weekend and will then drift to the east, allowing cooler and drier air to filter in from the northwest. Until then, we'll endure heat and humidity more typical of July and the Southeastern Coast will receive an early taste of the hurricane season (which officially begins on June 1). Here's hoping that a premature summer ushers in an early autumn!
This early heat wave is courtesy of a high pressure ridge over the southeastern U.S.; beneath this dome, air is sinking and heating up, retarding cloud formation, while, along its outer edge, thunderstorms will ignite across the Upper Midwest. One crop of storms, off the coast of South Carolina, has developed into Tropical Storm Beryl, which will move WSW along the rim of the dome over the next 24 hours, bringing heavy, much-needed rain to southern Georgia and northern Florida.
The high pressure ridge should stay in place through the holiday weekend and will then drift to the east, allowing cooler and drier air to filter in from the northwest. Until then, we'll endure heat and humidity more typical of July and the Southeastern Coast will receive an early taste of the hurricane season (which officially begins on June 1). Here's hoping that a premature summer ushers in an early autumn!
Jumat, 25 Mei 2012
Midwest Mountain Lions
Having once inhabited most of the United States, mountains lions were extirpated from eastern and central portions of our country by the early 20th Century; an exception was the Florida panther, which managed to survive in the dense vegetation of the Everglades and adjacent cypress swamps. Throughout most of the 1900s, the easternmost populations of cougars (other than the Florida panther) were in West Texas and in the Black Hills of western South Dakota.
However, over the past decade, sightings of mountains lions have increased signficantly across the American Midwest. Almost all of the confirmed cases have been males, presumably banished from their home range by other dominant males; indeed, cougars are territorial and field studies have revealed that the home range of adult males is in the neighborhood of 100-300 square miles. While 5 mountain lions inhabited the Pine Ridge Escarpment of western Nebraska in 2004, 30 were documented by 2011, including females and cubs. Sightings in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin have involved male cougars that are thought to have wandered eastward from South Dakota and western Nebraska (though some may have arrived from Colorado via the Arkansas River corridor). One famous case involved a male that wandered through Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2009-2010 and ended up getting killed in Connecticut in 2011. Here in Missouri, there have been at least 29 cougar sightings since 1994, though, in some cases, multiple sightings of the same cat may have occurred. Since mountain lions are secretive and primarily nocturnal, an accurate estimate of Midwest wanderers is very difficult to obtain and it is likely that more pass through this region than some human residents might care to imagine; on the other hand, livestock loss to cougars has been minimal since these travelers seem to favor small mammals and the occasional deer.
Of course, unless females begin to follow the nomadic males from mountainous areas of the West, breeding populations will not become established in the Heartland. The increasingly common sightings in recent decades surely reflects the growth of human populations throughout the Mountain West, depriving these predators of their natural habitat and forcing males to head east, following river channels across the Great Plains. Any excitement associated with the opportunity to observe these magnificent cats in the Midwest is tempered by the knowledge that we have driven them from their modern homeland and that they are returning to an ancient homeland that has forever changed. Whether they will be welcomed or persecuted remains to be seen.
However, over the past decade, sightings of mountains lions have increased signficantly across the American Midwest. Almost all of the confirmed cases have been males, presumably banished from their home range by other dominant males; indeed, cougars are territorial and field studies have revealed that the home range of adult males is in the neighborhood of 100-300 square miles. While 5 mountain lions inhabited the Pine Ridge Escarpment of western Nebraska in 2004, 30 were documented by 2011, including females and cubs. Sightings in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin have involved male cougars that are thought to have wandered eastward from South Dakota and western Nebraska (though some may have arrived from Colorado via the Arkansas River corridor). One famous case involved a male that wandered through Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2009-2010 and ended up getting killed in Connecticut in 2011. Here in Missouri, there have been at least 29 cougar sightings since 1994, though, in some cases, multiple sightings of the same cat may have occurred. Since mountain lions are secretive and primarily nocturnal, an accurate estimate of Midwest wanderers is very difficult to obtain and it is likely that more pass through this region than some human residents might care to imagine; on the other hand, livestock loss to cougars has been minimal since these travelers seem to favor small mammals and the occasional deer.
Of course, unless females begin to follow the nomadic males from mountainous areas of the West, breeding populations will not become established in the Heartland. The increasingly common sightings in recent decades surely reflects the growth of human populations throughout the Mountain West, depriving these predators of their natural habitat and forcing males to head east, following river channels across the Great Plains. Any excitement associated with the opportunity to observe these magnificent cats in the Midwest is tempered by the knowledge that we have driven them from their modern homeland and that they are returning to an ancient homeland that has forever changed. Whether they will be welcomed or persecuted remains to be seen.
Kamis, 24 Mei 2012
The Treetop Vocalist
Over the past month, loud vreeeps have echoed through our neighborhood on my morning walks to work. Their source is always difficult to locate but these clear, ascending calls seem to arise from the treetops, where the vocalists remain hidden amidst the dense foliage of late spring.
In fact, they are the distinctive calls of great crested flycatchers, colorful insectivores that prefer to hunt in the upper canopy of open, deciduous woodlands; suburbs of the central and eastern U.S. thus appeal to these summer residents. Nesting in tree cavities, great crested flycatchers utilize a wide variety of nesting materials, including human trash and discarded snakeskins; it is only during the collection of these items that they are likely to be seen on the ground and, even then, they fly from site to site, not hopping or walking like most songbirds. The great majority of their time is spent in the trees, snaring insects from leaves and stems or catching them in mid air.
By late summer, great crested flycatchers begin to migrate toward their wintering grounds in the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. There they feast on insects in the canopy of rain forests and, unlike most migrant songbirds, remain vocal throughout the year.
In fact, they are the distinctive calls of great crested flycatchers, colorful insectivores that prefer to hunt in the upper canopy of open, deciduous woodlands; suburbs of the central and eastern U.S. thus appeal to these summer residents. Nesting in tree cavities, great crested flycatchers utilize a wide variety of nesting materials, including human trash and discarded snakeskins; it is only during the collection of these items that they are likely to be seen on the ground and, even then, they fly from site to site, not hopping or walking like most songbirds. The great majority of their time is spent in the trees, snaring insects from leaves and stems or catching them in mid air.
By late summer, great crested flycatchers begin to migrate toward their wintering grounds in the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. There they feast on insects in the canopy of rain forests and, unlike most migrant songbirds, remain vocal throughout the year.
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