Monthly Archives: March 2024

 

International Day of Forests celebrates the importance of forests and the important roles they play for various organisms and ecosystems worldwide. This date was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. Forests provide habitat and food for many of the world’s organisms including birds, snakes, turtles, insects, and plants. Forests are also known for their ability to filter out CO2 from the atmosphere and produce oxygen. The Amazon Rainforest, which some have called the lungs of the Earth, produces around 20% of the Earth’s oxygen supply. Forests are valuable for the wellbeing of the world around us and the biodiversity of organisms on the planet. However, there has been in recent years concern with the alarming rate at which we are losing hectares of forests annually.  

Forest Loss 

The loss of forests around the world has been due to a variety of things including deforestation and an increase in forest fires. Around 10 million hectares of land are lost annually due to deforestation and around 70 million are being affected by fires annually. Deforestation worldwide is due to an increase in urban development, farming, and agricultural land to meet the demands of an exponentially growing population. Forest fires are common in these ecosystems, however in the past couple decades, an increased number of forests have been affecting these ecosystems greatly. A decrease in forest management (which includes fires) has led to larger and less controlled fires. Innovation has been done to develop early warning systems, empowering Indigenous voices worldwide through land mapping and climate finance access, and sustainable production of the good and services that come from forests (lumber, coffee, fruit, etc.).  

Worldwide there are around 600 different species of rays. The ray species is comprised of many different types of organisms including stingrays, skates, manta rays, and sawfishes. These fish species are often found in more temperate parts of the ocean, brackish water, and even freshwater. Stingrays are known as benthic fish, or fish that tend to stay at or around the bottom of their habitats. They will spend a lot of their time partially buried in the sand for protection. Stingrays are known for their ability to use the serrated edges and sharp points on their spines (barbs) for hunting and protection. The underside of the spines of some stingray species can produce venom which is used to hunt prey and protect themselves. Around 70 different stingray species can also produce an electrical discharge through their barb which also helps with hunting and protection by stunning their prey or predator. These animals can be found feeding on organisms like crustaceans, small fish, snails, clams, shrimp, and other small creatures often on the bottom of bodies of water. Since rays are known for being long and flat, they swim in a more unique way. They will either ungulate their bodies like a wave or flap the sides of their bodies like wings. Different species of stingrays have varying home ranges and distribution patterns. Some species of stingrays can be found in oceans worldwide, whereas some have a much smaller home range. Here in Florida, we have around 15 species of rays that live in different bodies of water located within the state. 

Species of stingrays found in Florida:

• Atlantic Stingray, Dasyatis sabina
• Bluntnose Stingray, Dasyatis say
• Roughtail Stingray, Dasyatis centroura
• Southern Stingray, Dasyatis americana
• Yellow Stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis

Humans and Stingray Interactions

Negative interactions between stingrays and humans are very limited, especially out in the wild. As stingrays are usually very peaceful and non-aggressive, they usually only occur when the stingray feels threatened. There are ways to reduce your chance of being harmed by these secretive animals. Stingray stings mainly occur when the animal is stepped on. To reduce your chance of a painful interaction, make sure to shuffle your feet when wading through the water to scare away any buried ray. When participating in recreational activities like snorkeling or diving, make sure to stay aware of your surroundings and do not initiate contact with a wild stingray or any wild animal. In any water activities, it is always important to have another person with you in case an emergency happens.

 As to be expected around the start of spring, lots of animals are out and about looking for mates or nesting areas. But one animal that makes its presence known loudly in South Florida is the limpkin. As they are well camouflaged in wetland areas in South and Central America, and the southern part of North America (although there have been sightings of them as far up as Wisconsin and even into Canada), they are heard more than they are seen. These birds are known for being very loud with their characteristic screeches and wails made especially by the male. These sounds are made when they are courting another mate, establishing territory, feeding, or when a predator such as an alligator is spotted. They are often heard around dusk, dawn, and during the night. So, if you hear an unknown screech during the nighttime that wakes you up, it might just be a limpkin calling to others.  

These birds tend to prefer hot, humid wetland areas, but can also be spotted in agricultural areas such as cane fields and canals or ditches. They are active during the day but can also be found foraging around in wetland areas at night. They stay around wetland areas because they forage primarily in shallow waters and tend to stay under covered areas. Here in Florida, they primarily eat apple snails with their beaks adapted to easily extract these snails out of their shells. They will also eat other types of snails and freshwater mussels. During times of drought or flooding, they will eat other organisms such as insects, frogs, crustaceans, and worms. Their long toes allow these birds to stand on floating plants to look for food underneath the plants.  

Below is a link to some limpkin calls:  

Limpkin Sounds, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology