Best Map of Tucson and Mexico

Check out species lists and maps for flora and fauna.  Data portal is powered by Symbiota, which also has fungi and South American biota.

Piedmont Streams

Typical NC stream, fresh off the Piedmont, meandering through Triassic basin sediments.  These finer sediments build good point bars, and will hold a slope; geomorphologic indicators for bankfull, are not hard to find.  Relatively recent erosion is undercutting veg on the outside of the meanderbend.  The point bar is under-sized for the depth of the undercut, meaning that this is a gully.  The fine substrate can support tighter bends then if the substrate were sand.

Regolith

from Regolith Geology and Regolith Geomorphology by Taylor and Eggleton:

Saprock indicates some color change, but no volume/texture/hardness, while saprolite retains original rock volume but is more "rotten" and may flake off easily (reduced strength).

Mottled zone is splotches of red and white showing variable iron movement.
Pallid zone may indicate leaching of iron.
Plasmic zone indicates accumulation of clay particles from the dissolution of feldspar and recrystalization of various clays.  Shrink/swell clay particles like may displace grains of quartz, causing accumulations.

Dark reduced zones around plant roots contrast with light oxidized zones along cracks and channels that communicate with above-ground atmosphere.

 In the French literature, saprock is the zone where the fabric of the parent rock is conserved, contrasted to the zone above where the fabric has been lost (pedolith).

NC Stream Watch - New Hope Creek

NC Stream Watch volunteers take monthly samples along an elevational transect of New Hope Creek as it flows from Duke Forest slate belt down through Triassic basic sediments and bottomlands into the northernmost lobe of Jordan Reservoir 

Samples include wetted-width cross-sections to estimate total flow.

Water chemistry including Dissolved Oxygen, Total N and Total P.

Inspection of the macroinvertebrate fauna.  At Old Chapel Hill Rd and New Hope Creek, and at Erwin Road and New Hope Creek, we observed:

Mayfly
Female copepod
Daphnia
Snow Leopard leach
Midgefly
Oligochete
Dragonfly larva
& Asiatic Clam

Air Ions and Indoor Air Quality

     Having researched air ions before, I can attest that the subject is extremely technical and, worse, often prone to contradiction and obscurity depending on who is writing (and who is selling) various ideas.  It is another of those interdisciplinary areas with different and competing claims, in this case, from fields as divergent as air chemistry, ecology, and human health.  The following article, from Townsend Letters, does an admirable job of introducing most of the major competing health claims and sifting the evidence:

Static Electricity and Respiratory Infections
More times than not, shaking out a blanket on a cold night generates the crackle and sting of static electricity and a flurry of sparks. Synthetic materials, low humidity, and ungrounded electrical equipment are producing an unprecedented amount of electrostatic charge indoors, and these electrical fields may be contributing to increased risk of respiratory illness and other infections, according to a 2007 article in Atmospheric Environment. Indoors, most particles, including microbes and allergens, are so small (less than 1 microgram) that they could float in the air indefinitely; but electrical charges cause these miniscule particles to settle on surfaces and stick. These surfaces include skin and lungs. High electrostatic levels and increased deposition of airborne particles on skin have been linked to facial rashes, especially when humidity is low. Charged particles in the lungs increase the risk of infection and asthma. 

Keith S. Jamieson, H. M. ApSimon, and J. N. B. Bell advocate several ways to decrease indoor static electricity and the accompanying health effects. One recommendation is to reduce electrical charges by grounding laptop computers and other electrical equipment. They also recommend unplugging equipment when it's not in use. 

Another option is bipolar air ionization. (Long-term unipolar air ionization with negative ions has shortened lifespan of laboratory animals.) Air ionizers produce varying amounts of ozone, which damages the lungs, according to the EPA. Jamieson et al. urge people to use passive air ionization measures, such as grounding electrical equipment and choosing materials and furniture finishes that do not conduct electrical charges.

Another way to combat electrostatic is to use humidifiers. Indoor heating and cooling systems often reduce humidity levels. Low humidity encourages high electrostatic levels and decreases beneficial small air ion levels. (Small air ions kill microbes and reduce employee fatigue in the office workplace.) Humidifiers are often used to make breathing easier during respiratory infections; but humidifying indoor air, especially in winter months when furnaces are running, may prevent illness as well. 

Jamieson KS, ApSimon HM, Bell JNB. Electrostatics in the environment: how they may affect health and productivity. Electrostatics 2007 Journal of Physics: Conference Series. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/142/1/012052. Available athttp://iopscience.iop.org/1742-6596/142/1/012052. Accessed September 18, 2012.
Jamieson KS, ApSimon HM, Jamieson SS, Bell JNB, Yost MG. The effects of electric fields on charged molecules and particles in individual microenvironments [abstract]. Atmosph Environ. August 2007;41(25):5224–5235. Available at www.sciencedirect.com. Accessed April 27, 2011.
Reeves D. Electrical fields from everyday equipment and materials could increase infection risk [press release]. Imperial College London. July 20, 2007. Available atwww3.imperial.ac.uk. Accessed September 18, 2012.

Paul Krafel, author of Shifting / Seeing Nature

Paul Krafel is one of the great unsung ecological thinkers.  His original book, "Shifting", self-published in the 1980's, gained a cult following for its blending of meticulous natural history observations (i.e. the entire sequence of insect colonization of a decomposing deer over an entire season) and deep reflections on the role of humans vis-a-vis nature, work, and mind.  His book is now being republished as Seeing Nature: Deliberate Encounters with the Visible World.

He is also a founder and senior instructor at Chrysalis Charter School in Redding, CA.  He writes a series of newsletters about life at the environmental education-focussed school, as well as his continuing explorations into inner- and outer-space (see story about photos above).

A Tree Dies in the Forest...

Eastern forest disturbance is primarily through canopy gaps.  These forests are ...."characterized by a long recurrence interval of disturbance relative to successional recovery time as well as small disturbance area."
HR Delcourt and PA Delcourt. Eastern Deciduous Forests. in  MG Barbour and WD Billings; North American Terrestrial Vegetation. 2nd Edition.

Stream Restoration with NCSU

Along Dry Gulch in Carrboro, North Carolina:

Karen Mendenhall (NCSU extension specialist) and city of Carrboro Environmental Planner, Randy Dodd led the riparian planting.  Rock structures had already been installed:


Detail of restoration plunge-pool rock structures.  Not visible is the substrate, an innovative mix of sand and woodchips.

Juncus ephesus was planted below bankfull - hopefully it won't wash out in the big storms of winter!


Species Planted:

Woody:
Betual nigra (Black or River Birch)
Alnus serrulata (tag alder)
Rhodendron austrinum (Florida Azalea)
Hamamelis sp., probably virginiana (Witch Hazel)
Quercus michauxii (Swamp Chestnut)
Platanus occidentalis (American Sycamore)
Salix nigra (Black Willow)
Cornus amomum (Silky Dogwood)
Viburnum sp (Viburnum)

Grasses:

Juncus ephesus (Soft Rush)
Chasmanthium latifolium (River Oats)

The Microbiome

This is probably the best article about the microbiome. (Economist.com)

Vegetation Map on the NC Outer Banks