Works Cited

Defenders.org. 2008. Defenders of Wildlife. May 29. [http://defenders.org]



Colostate.edu. December 27, 2007. CSU/Denver County Cooperative Extention Master Gardener. May 29. [http://Colostate.edu]

Stock photography. Buffalo. www.hickerphoto.com/buffalo-6842-pictures.htm

Benedicting Sisters Annunciation Monastary. Cottonwood.www.annunciationmonastery.org/cottonwood.jpg

Observation #7

Site: Elk Refuge
Date: May 28
Time: 6:36
Temperature: 53 degrees
Weather: Rainy, wet
Soil: Wet
Today I was observing the plant life on the Elk Refuge. Again the grass is looking super green. I looked on www.fws.gov, and it said that there are about 33 different plant species on the refuge. The sagebrush is the most predominant, which is why it was the only one I could see before. Near the marshy areas there were sedges, rushes, cattails, and bulrushes. Everywhere else there were mostly sagebrush and willow. Sedges just look like normal grass, they are green and tall and spout out at the top, and rushes have brown fuzzy tops. The thistle, which is the most common weed, looks like it could be a pretty flower because of its pretty purple top, but is actually noxtious and spreads over the refuge.
There have been 30 fires on the elk refuge, which have mostly been started by lightning. Besides causing less coniferous forests and sagebrush, these fires have had a pretty positive effect. They create more habitat diversity, and do well for the soil. As a result of the healthy soil, future plants grow even greener, and larger than before. The fires create a blank slate so the soil is usable, which creates more biodiversity.

Observation #8

Site: Elk refuge
Date: May 30
Temperature: 43 degrees
Time: 7:15 am
Weather: Partly cloudy, almost sunny
Soil: Wet
This morning we drove past the Elk Refuge on my way to school. Near the pond there were a bunch of geese, which means more biodiversity. They weren't here earlier when the snow was melting. The geese had black heads, with long necks and grey bodies. The wet habitat supports the needs of the geese because they live around ponds, and river and lake shores. The refuge is a very grassy area, (which is getting even greener), and the geese use grass and plant material to build their nests. I didn't see any nests, but I think that typically they would be on the ground near the pond. There is a place away from the pond where people can visit and take pictures, but the geese are very protective of their nests and eggs so people can't get too close to the pond. Hopefully sometime I can get closer so I can observe interactions inbetween the geese.

Observation #6

Site: Elk Refuge

Date: May 25

Time: 7:34 pm

Temperature: about 45°

Weather: Pouring rain, overcast

Soil: Super wet

Today it rained all day, so the soil on the refuge was really wet. All of the precipitation this past week has really affected to the healthiness of the grass on the refuge. It is now mostly green, some parts still a little brown, and some even a red color. The water table is super high right now. You can see the water flooded everywhere on the refuge, not just the near the river. Again there are no elk, because they have migrated up to higher elevations. Nothing has changed, except for weather. There are still ducks in the river, and I am curious as to how they handle in the rain. I am sure they are fine in the rain, but wonder if they enjoy it. 

Observation #5

Site: Elk Refuge

Date: May 25

Time: 2:12 pm

Temperature: 53°

Weather: Cloudy, a little sunny

Soil: Damp

The refuge is getting greener and greener. There are no elk visible, and I haven't spotted any new mammals. I went out to the river by the highway to see if there were any new birds that I could look at, and there were about 10-15 ducks in the water. The ducks I observed would dive under the water to get food like fish, grasses, insects, and worms. There were a variety of male and female that didn't act any different to each other. I think that the male ducks are the ones with dark green heads, and the female are a light brown/orange color. They weren't doing anything out of the ordinary. I have seen bald eagles on the refuge before, and I read somewhere that eagles eat ducks, so the ducks are threatened by that predator, and probably some others. I was talking to my dad and he said that this is about the time of year that sandhill cranes start showing up by the water in the refuge. Hopefully I will be able to see some in later observations. 

Flora report

The cottonwood, along with willows, are part of the Salicaceae family. The trees grow very fast and range from from 40-80 feet in height. Their bark is thick, grey and rough and their branches spread out widely. Cottonwood trees need rich soil to grow, so they rarely grow far away from water. They are found near riverbanks, lakes, and irrigation ditches. The branches create nesting sites for river fishing offspreys, bald eagles, and herons. In the environment of a cottonwood tree you may find other organisms such as moose, elk, buffalo, deer, and many bird species like ducks, sandhill cranes, and eagles. Cottonwood trees are very tolerant to flooding, erosion, and fire so many cottonwood trees live to be over 100 years old. On the other hand, dence thickets of shrubs can cut off their sun supply which, as seedlings, they need partial to full exposion to. When this happens they die quickly. The wide and shiny green leaves that spread out from their branches are fed on by caterpillars. Cottonwood leaves are a lime green color during the summer, and in the fall they turn a bright yellow. The sun plays a key role in this change in coloration. During this time cottonwood trees require even more water to keep healthy.

Many animals rely on cottonwood trees. For example, there is a symbiotic relationship between beavers, and cottonwood trees. Beavers thrive on the soft wood of the cottonwood tree, to build dams. Cottonwood trees are negatively affected by the beavers niche, because in turn the tree is eventually killed. 

Fauna Report- Bison

The bison is the largest, and possibly most majestic mammal in north america. It is also known as the buffalo. Its coloring ranges from light to dark brown. These creatures average six feet tall and 2000 pounds and grow a dense protective fur coat that keeps them warm through the winter. They shed their coats when the weather is warmer by rubbing up and down on trees. Bison feed on grasses, sedges and forbs, and sometimes berries, lichens, and horsetails. They are a nomadic species, meaning they move with the seasons. During the winter the bison migrate to areas of lower elevation like prairies where they are able to find more food. With their hooves and large heads they are able to clear away the snow from vegetation.

Bison are found in Europe, Asia and America. At one point they were nearly extinct. In some parts their main predator was the lion. In America they are threatened by wolves, bears, and eagles, but are able to fight off most other animals. Human hunting used to be a huge threat before it became very monitored. Once nearly all of the bison were killed except for thirty-four which were able to survive. Now a hunting license is required so the populations of buffalo stay consistent, and many buffalo are protected in the yellowstone national park.

There is some competition between bison and cattle for land. It is human imposed, because people do not want diseases like brucellosis spread to their cows from the bison. In montana, they boast themselves as a cattle state and have no tolerance for wild bison. The competition is that the bison can't go grazing on land they like, because the people want only cattle. Also there is competition between elk and bison for food, because it is hard to find during the harsh winters. Luckily here in Jackson they have the refuge to provide for all of their survival needs, so they don't have to fight over limited resources.

There is a mutual symbiotic relationship between bison and birds. Nesting inside the buffalos fur are pests that provide a steady supply of food for the birds. The birds are able to feed on these parasites that are unwanted to the bison. The birds also sound an alarm by hissing when the bison is threatened with a predator.

To help stay safe, bison travel in herds. Their large numbers intimidate predators. When threatened, the buffalo charge and are able to reach speeds of thirty miles per hour.

Bison serve an important ecological niche. They provide extra nutrients to carnivores such as the eagle, bear, and wolf. They also help keep open spaces free of trees for other hoofed animals (ungulates). Bison like large flat areas because their herds spread so widely. Without bison, an ecosystem might be out of balance. They are one part of the giant web of life that creates a successful, healthy living environment.

http://lastwildbuffalo.blogspot.com/

http://www.frogdesign.com/events/the-bird-and-the-buffalo-symbiotic-relationships-in-the-ecosphere-of-design-521.html

http://www.fws.gov/species/species_accounts/bio_buff.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bison

Observation #4

Site: Elk Refuge

Date: May 18

Time: 8:19 pm

Temperature: 70°

Weather: Partly cloudy, windy, warm

Soil: very marshy

In my last observations I said the soil was dry but marshy around where flat creek runs through the refuge. I just learned that right now it is actually pretty marshy everywhere because the water table is so high. The refuge has actually greened substantially from last week. Also the numbers of elk have dropped. There were two huge groups of elk last time i checked, one on the north side of the creek and one on the south. Now, however, there are no elk that I could see on the south side and just a small group on the north. I'm guessing that soon the elk are going to be totally gone off the refuge, because they are migrating so fast. The bison I saw were far east and I'm not sure if that means that they are also migrating, or if thats just where they stay through the seasons. Far out near the bison are a bunch of cottonwood trees. They are about 40-50 feet tall and have grey bark. There are possibly other trees out near the cottonwood trees, but I am not sure if they are actually part of the refuge. 

Observation #3

Site: Elk Refuge

Date: May 12th

Time: 8:11 pm

Temperature: 38° F

Weather: Sun setting, partly cloudy, windy

Soil: Fairly dry

Today I took some binoculars out to the refuge to try to see if anything exciting was going on with the elk. As usual, not much was happening but them lounging and meandering. I think this is because most of the action happens more when the buck elk are fighting over their mates. That is more during the fall season. My binoculars did not get me very close to the animals, so I went inside to look through a telescope. Out east near the bottom of the mountain was a population of about fifty bison. Bison diets are closely related to their habitat. They feed on leaves, twigs, barks, and a variety of grasses. Like elk, the bison migrate to the refuge when the snow gets too deep during the winter. They are pretty close to the mountains now because their food resources are no longer cut off by the snow. The elk have also migrated further away since my last observation. I am not really sure if the grass is completely edible to the elk and bison yet, and wonder when their food is no longer given to them. I haven't really seen any drastic changes in the life of the elk on the refuge. Hopefully something more exciting will happen in my next observation!

A great ecologist is always dying to get a closer look!

Observation #2

Site: Elk Refuge

Date: May 11th

Time: 6:49 pm

Temperature: 58° F

Weather: cloudy, super windy

Soil: dry

Nothing has really changed since yesterday, except for the weather. The elk are still grazing in the green of the refuge, and the grass doesn't seem any greener. It seems like there should be elk near the center of the refuge where the water is. I'm not really sure where they are getting their water. There aren't any interactions between the elk that I can see but it's hard to know because I'm so far away. There were some birds out near the water and I am guessing they were long billed marsh wrens, yellow headed blackbirds, or yellow throats because those are the birds that are attracted to the marshy areas. I did some research on the blackbirds and the marsh wrens and found that marsh wrens are actually predators to the black birds. As for the soil it is still pretty dry, but maybe that will change because it looks like it's going to rain tonight!

My only friends

Observation #1

Site: Elk Refuge

Date: May 10th

Time: 6:14 pm

Temperature: 58° F

Weather: Clear sunny skies, a few clouds

Soil: dry

My observation is from the perspective of the west side of the Elk Refuge, which is North of town. There is a population of Elk grazing in the area (big surprise), but there is not very much action occurring. During the winter there are a lot more elk on the refuge, because they resort to the lower elevations when they have low food sources in the mountains. Right now they are in their migrating season, so the amount of elk on the refuge is low. There are more elk in the regions of green grass which are mostly located along the borders of the refuge. Im guessing this is because Elk feed on grasses, and the grass near the center of the refuge is still dead. The soil is dry right now, but probably marshy near the streams and ponds. The refuge is wide and flat and there is not much plant diversity, and there are no trees. There is a lot of sagebrush, but the ground is mostly is blanketed in brown dead grass. Hopefully soon it will be green because that means summer!!! yayy