Roll tide!!!!! This past weekend, September 26th to 28th, myself (Ethan) and Meghan embarked on a trip down to Paint Rock Forest, ~20 miles southwest of Hunstville, AL, for some field work! I was scouting for some more tupelo for my research, and Meghan came along to help out and also check out one of the newest ForestGEO sites, Paint Rock Forest!
Having never navigated karst topography before, and having never been to Alabama, I was in for some new experiences. The forest there was probably the healthiest forest I have ever been in. So much species diversity! The native Euonymus! The native Callicarpa! Flowering orchids! Wowowowowow!!!!
We had the absolute pleasure of being helped out and shown around by Helen and Patience, both field workers at Paint Rock and who know the site like the back of their hands. It's so amazing to hear about and walk around a site from those who are so passionate about it. I learned lots about the natural environment in Paint Rock as well as the various research projects going on there (cave ecology!!!!). Also, Helen took us around on the UTV which saved us a lottttt of bushwhacking and scrambling!
Our fieldwork was pretty successful, with many a tupelo found, though notably looking a bit less healthy compared to their northern counterparts. This could be because we're pushing the southern end of their range here, and they are moving northward, but it was an interesting observation nonetheless.
Now, on to fruit cleaning!
Research aside, here's a list of cool things we saw/ did:
- Went around on a UTV
- Saw a southern devil scorpion (Vaejovis carolinianus)
- Caves!!! so many caves!!! We went in a cave!!!
- Sinkholes (?!)
- Super cool rocks
- Coral fossils!
- Noteworthy plants:
- crane fly orchid
- resurrection fern
- Trillium sp.
- oval ladies' tresses
- narrow leaved glade fern
- strawberry bush
- American beauty bush
- tall bellflower
- Eastern leatherwood
- red mulberry
- river cane
- leafcup
- sweetgum
- sourwood
- cherrybark oak
- water oak
- persimmon
- Maryland senna
- swamp tupelo
- Carolina buckthorn
Some other photos for your viewing:
Ttyl!
- Ethan