A wolf spider stares at me as I take its (her?) photo. The Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies, Nebraska.  The leg span of this spider was only about 1.5 inches.  Certainly not the biggest I’ve seen, but plenty big to intimidate people who are already squeamish about arachnids!

As I was on my knees counting plants inside a square meter plot frame last week, this little (big?) wolf spider came crawling out of the litter.  I managed to corral it into the handy little ziplock bag I carry for just such emergencies, and a half hour later when I returned to my truck, I let it back out to see if it would pose for photos.  Not having my wheelbarrow photo studio handy, I had to make do with just blocking its repeated escape attempts with my hand until it got fed up and decided to sit still and consider its next move.  It gave me about 30 seconds to squeeze off a few shots. 

Then it dashed off again, and I let it go.  I had plants to count, and the spider had a meal to find.

Kent Pfeiffer (center) stands in a portion of woodland that has been burned four years in a row and points out some of the changes that have occurred over that time.

The tour was led by Gerry Steinauer (state botanist for Nebraska Game and Parks) and Kent Pfeiffer (Northern Prairies Land Trust), who have been leading the charge for woodland burning in eastern Nebraska.  In addition to Kent and Gerry, and several other Game and Parks biologists, the tour group included staff from the Nebraska Forest Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

We started by talking about why Game and Parks is implementing prescribed fire at Indian Cave State Park.  Some of those reasons include:

- Fire topkills small understory trees and shrubs, and repeated fire can eventually kill them completely.  Mature trees – especially oaks – are largely immune to even frequent fire, so they survive, keeping the canopy of the woodland intact.  The end result of frequent fire is a more open woodland structure that promotes herbaceous plants such as grasses, sedges, and wildflowers of all kinds.  Kent and Gerry are aiming for something around 80% canopy coverage of mature trees, with very few understory trees, so that as the sun moves across the sky, woodland plants receive a mixture of sun and shade off and on during the day.  This keeps those woodland plants cool enough to survive, but gives them enough light to thrive.  Since the majority of woodland species (plant and animal) live in the herbaceous community, maintaining a diversity of plant species at the ground layer is particularly important.

A hiking trail used as a fire break for a recent prescribed fire. The woodland area to the left has not been burned (for many decades) and the area to the right was burned this spring.  There is a dramatic visual difference between the two – primarily because the abundance of small trees and brush makes it impossible to see more than a few feet into the unburned area.

- Fire removes leaf litter, as well as understory brush, and allows more light to hit the woodland floor.  This helps oak seedlings survive – a critical component of woodland ecosystems, because without that regeneration of oak trees, there will be no oaks to replace the mature trees as they die out.

Frequent fires will promote the survival of these oak seedlings, which would otherwise stand no chance of growing into mature trees.

- In addition to the habitat and plant community benefits, there are benefits to human visitors as well.  A woodland with an open understory is much more pleasant to walk through, making hunting, birding, or hiking easier and more fun.  Kent talked about how much nicer the temperature is in burned oak woodlands on summer days because the open understory allows a breeze to come through and prevents the kind of stifling heat found in unburned woodlands.  Plus, woodland burning suppresses poison ivy, which most hikers appreciate…

Gerry Steinauer stands in an area of woodland that has been treated with frequent fire, as well as some “hack and squirt” herbicide treatments to help kill smaller diameter trees. Note how far you can see into the woods because of the open understory – and the abundance of plants growing on the woodland floor.  Many of the smaller diameter trees in the photo are dead, but still standing (temporarily).

While those justifications are all good, Kent pointed out that there is a more comprehensive question that we need to answer in Nebraska.  If we want to have oak woodlands 50 years from now, we have to make that decision now, and start changing the way we treat our current sites.   Most oak woodlands in the state are essentially unmanaged.  Another couple of decades of that kind of hands-off approach, and many of the mature oak trees will die without replacing themselves, allowing the current understory of hackberry, ash, white mulberry, and other tree species to become the new canopy.  Those tree species don’t create leaf litter that can carry fire, so fire will no longer be a management option – meaning that it will be nearly impossible to create the kind of woodland habitat structure that birds and other woodland animals, as well as most plant species, depend upon.  The forest will still support life, but it will be a dramatically different community than we have now.  We have to decide as a society whether we value oak woodland enough to do what we know is necessary to maintain it into the future.

An abundance of perennial sunflowers is typical of woodland plant communities in transition from a dense shady forest to an open woodland. Over time, the herbaceous layer on the forest floor will become much more diverse as other species, including grasses, sedges, orchids, and many more, increase in abundance.

Nebraska is a little late to the party in terms of burning oak woodlands.  Other states like Missouri and Wisconsin (among others)have a strong record of utilizing fire to manage their woodlands.  You can also read here about the innovative work Bill and Sybilla Brown are doing in Iowa.  In those other places, the discussion revolves around how often to burn – not whether or not to burn in the first place.  Here in Nebraska, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the use of prescribed fire to manage grasslands over the last decade or two.  Now we need to shift some of our attention to oak woodlands as well – and we need to do it before it’s too late.

Need a hint?

I photographed it last week in a recently-burned sand prairie along the Platte River in Nebraska.

Think you know?  Read on to find out.

This is a photo of a prickly pear cactus pad a month or so after a prescribed fire.  Typically, fire topkills cacti in our prairies, but they survive and regrow.  In fact, below this burned and discolored pad, there was a tiny little new pad starting to emerge from the ground.

Have a great weekend!

A celery looper moth (Anagrapha falcifera) nectaring on hairy puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense) last week in our Platte River Prairies. This native moth is one of many species that annually migrates northward into regions of the country where it can’t overwinter. Thanks to Eric Metzler for the identification of the moth in all three photos in this post.

I don’t know if the moths and butterflies are moving early because the flowers are blooming early, or if both the flowers and insects are simply responding to the same stimuli.  As I looked into it, however, I was surprised to learn how much control moths and butterflies have over where they go.  Many species of insects use seasonal winds to help carry them where they want to go, but it’s not as simple as the “wind blowing them north”.

First, why do moths and butterflies migrate northward every spring/summer?  The migratory species are unable to overwinter where the ground freezes, so they can’t live up here year-round.  However, there are lots of nectar-producing flowers here, providing an incentive for southern insects to move north. (Nature abhors a vacuum?)

To get north, moths and butterflies take advantage of strong south winds that help push them where they want to go.  They don’t fly on days when the wind would be in their face or crosswise with their intended direction.  Even when the wind isn’t blowing the exact right direction, however, the insects can correct for drift and still fly where they want to go – a far cry from being at the mercy of the wind.  Recent studies of moth and butterfly migrations in Europe (using radar) found that the insects can also increase their speed by flying high enough to ride the stronger winds at high altitudes.  Some flew more than 1,000 feet in the air and reached top speeds of 55 miles per hour.

I’m sure many readers of this blog have noticed the abundance of miller moths (army cutworm moths) in their house and yard this spring.  The big numbers, and the fact that they end up in people’s houses, have attracted a fair amount of media attention.  In reality millers are only one of many species that have made the trip early this year.  Many other moths and butterflies – notably red admirals – have also come north already, and are busily flitting around flowers in yards and prairies.

A bilobed looper (Megalographa biloba) nectaring from the same flower species as its close relative, the celery looper. Hairy puccoon was one of the few conspicuous flowering plants in a recently burned sand prairie – making it a big target for insect pollinators of all kinds, but especially moths.

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A face-to-face look at the bilobed looper.

There’s much we don’t know about insect migration.  Not surprisingly, it’s a difficult topic to study!  As we continue to learn more, however, I’m sure the story will just get more and more interesting.  Stay tuned!

Below are some links to more information on this topic.

An article on the European moth/butterfly migration study I mentioned.

Daily Nebraskan newspaper article on the early migration.

Two links to information on the moth species featured in my above photos.

Bilobed Looper

Celery Looper

Gerry Steinauer, the state botanist from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, will talk about prairie restoration and help you learn how to identify prairie plants.

Throughout the day, there will be guided tours of our high-diversity prairie restoration work and fire/grazing prairie management, during which visitors can see the results firsthand and discuss the associated challenges and successes.  We hope this will give people a chance to see some of the many options available for doing prairie restoration and management work and provide ideas that could be adapted to other sites.  The objective is not to promote the specific techniques we’re currently using, but rather to share what we’ve learned along the way, and stimulate discussion among the group that helps all of us get better at prairie conservation.

Tour prairies that are being managed with fire and grazing to enhance their plant diversity and habitat quality. Participate in discussions about the positive and negative impacts of various management techniques on a wide range of prairie species.

In addition, we’ve lined up a number of experts on various topics, including prairie ants, spiders, bees, reptiles/amphibians, plants, invasive species, and wildlife management, and those experts will give field presentations on their topics – and will also participate in the tour discussions.  This will be a great chance to learn how to identify prairie species you might not be familiar with, and also to learn how those species live and interact with each other.  If you’re like me, it’s difficult to learn how to identify tricky species when there isn’t someone there to tell you whether or not you’re guessing right!  Also, there’s no substitute for an in-person conversation with someone who is a recognized expert in their field of study.

Prairie communities consist of thousands of plant, animal, and invertebrate species. Come and meet scientists who can help you learn to identify – and identify with – a variety of these species.  Mike Arduser, from the Missouri Department of Conservation will share his expertise on prairie bees and other insects.

There is no cost for attending the Field Day.   We are grateful to Pheasants Forever and Prairie Biotic Research, Inc.  for helping to cover the costs of the event.  We will have some snacks available, and will keep big jugs of cold water, tea, and lemonade so you can fill your bottles as many times as you need to during the day.  Please bring a lunch with you – we’ll provide places to sit and eat, and might even have a slideshow by some nature photographer or other during lunch time.  In case it gets extraordinarily hot in the afternoon, we’ll have some indoor and shady activities planned as well.

Scheduled events will start at 9am and end at 4pm, but we encourage you to come early and stay late.  Trails will be open all day, so you can feel free to explore the prairies on your own as much as you like.  We would appreciate it if you would let us know if you plan to attend – so we can ensure we have enough snacks and drinks and so we can plan hikes accordingly – but you are also welcome to just stop by.

Click HERE to see the official announcement of this event on our website and to get more information.  Be sure to click on ”Show Directions” to get directions to the prairies.  PLEASE NOTE THAT THE BRIDGES NORTH OF OUR PROPERTY ARE OUT, SO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE WEBSITE – DON’T ASSUME YOU CAN GET THERE AS YOU MAY HAVE IN THE PAST.

Here is a list of those people who have committed to help lead tours and/or present information at the Field Day.  We are still pursuing a few more.

Mike Arduser, Missouri Dept of Conservation (bees)

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Bill Beachly, Hastings College (spiders)

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Pete Berthelsen, Pheasants Forever (wildlife management, pheasants/quail)

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Karie Decker, Nebraska Invasive Species Program (invasives)

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Dennis Ferraro, University of Nebraska (reptiles/amphibians)

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Chris Helzer, The Nature Conservancy (prairie management)

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Gerry Steinauer, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (botany, prairie restoration)

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James Trager, Shaw Nature Reserve – Missouri (ants)

Jumping spider on shell leaf penstemon. Platte River Prairies, Nebraska.

The above photo was actually taken after several minutes of watching the little spider and trying to get the breeze, light, and spider to coordinate with each other so I could snap the shutter.  The below photo shows the spider as I initially spotted it – with its lunch.

Jumping spider with prey.

Very shortly after I took the above photo, the spider disappeared beneath the flower.  When it reappeared later, it didn’t have its prey anymore.  I imagine it dropped it so it could make a fast getaway if it needed to.  I hope he/she was done eating…

Trying to figure out if that annoying photographer is still there…

I know not everyone thinks spiders are cute, but you’ve got to admit, this one has a certain charm…

A robin nest (?) on the ground in a burned/grazed portion of our Platte River Prairies.

I’m sure it’s not the first time it’s happened, but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a robin nest on the ground.  Maybe our efforts to keep trees from encroaching on our prairies have been so successful that robins can’t find trees to nest in?  

…That’s definitely not the case, though it was ironic that the nest was placed right at the base of a small Siberian elm tree that had been top-killed by a prescribed fire this spring.   I’m not sure what the bird’s actual rationale was for nesting on the ground, but I wish it luck.

A punctured egg a few feet away from the nest.

Unfortunately for the robins, it looks like I wasn’t the first to find the nest.  A few feet away from the nest I also found an egg that had apparently been removed from the nest  – and it had a hole punched in it.  Cowbird, maybe?

Also, it would be a great name for a band.

Blue wild indigo (Baptisia australis).

The species just barely makes it into Nebraska – it’s more common east and south of us.  The above photo was taken at my in-laws’ prairie garden where I planted some Kansas seed many years ago.  I know there are Flint Hills (Kansas) prairies where this species blooms in abundance – I’ve yet to see that in person, but would really like to.

This is an old photo, not one from this season.  I think it’s a little early for it to be blooming, but with the exceptionally warm spring, maybe it’s in flower now?  Anyone seeing it down in Kansas or Missouri?

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Regardless of the sludge, the wetland project is one that I’m very happy with, and I’m really looking forward to watching the plant and other ecological communities establish over time.  I’m also excited to see the shape of the channels and adjacent wetlands change as groundwater and stream flow levels rise and fall through the years.  The project was designed to be dynamic; change is as essential to the future success of the project as any of the wetland construction or wetland seedings we did.

This photo was taken in March, 2012. It's multiple photos stitched together into a panorama. The water was pretty high at the time of the photo, merging together what will be more separate pools and channels when the water levels are lower. The sludge in the distant background of the photo, so the foreground shows mainly bare sand and water - which was planted over the winter with a mixture of locally-harvested wetland seeds.

Because change is such a major emphasis of our project, it fits perfectly into an initiative headed up by Michael Forsberg and Michael Farrell.  The Platte River Timelapse Project is designed to merge art and science by using new technology to showcase the dynamic nature of the Platte River and all that it affects.  We were fortunate enough to become a partner in the project early on, and Forsberg installed a timelapse camera at the site prior to the beginning of the latest construction phase.  That camera takes one photo every hour during daylight hours, and documents the changes that take place in front of it.  The plan is to leave it in place for many years.  Even better,  we hope to have two more cameras up and running within the next several weeks, greatly increasing our ability to tell the story of this wetland.

Here is the timelapse of our project through the end of March.  If your internet service is like mine, the video may be a little jerky the first time through, but if you just click play again and rewatch it after the first time, it runs much more smoothly.  The whole video is only 52 seconds long.  You can see the construction equipment at work as they reshape the topography, and then watch the wildlife response – especially during the spring bird migration.  As the season progresses, the video will be updated with new footage, and we’ll be able to watch the establishment of the vegetation and the rise and fall of water levels.

There are lots of other timelapse videos you can watch on the same website.  As a starting point, I strongly recommend this terrific series from the top of a tower at Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary, showing the Platte River, sandbars, and lots of sandhill cranes.  During  the first minute or so, the movements of the roosting sandhill cranes are fascinating.  Starting at about 1:30, though, the story becomes the waves of sediment rolling down the channel – very clearly demonstrating the primary role of rivers… to move sediment.

Stay tuned!  I’ll post more video of our wetland project when it becomes available.  In the meantime, they’ll continue to update all of the other footage at the Platte River Timelapse site too, so you can return now and then to see what’s changing.

False Solomon's seal flowers.

The little prairie garden in our yard is greening up much faster than it normally does.  Today, the False Solomon’s seal was blooming, and the thin clouds overhead made good conditions for photography.  White flowers can be tricky to photograph because it’s difficult to keep the white from washing out, even in diffused light.  To compensate, I underexposed the photos (made them look a little darker than I normally would) and then brightened them carefully with Adobe Photoshop.

False Solomon's seal. Aurora, Nebraska

False Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum) is a widespread species that occurs across most of North America.  In Nebraska, it is found in both grasslands and woodlands.  Along the Platte River, I see it both on the tops of sand ridges in lowland meadows, as well as in the nearby cottonwood woodlands.  It’s also common in the oak woodlands in the eastern part of the state.

False Solomon’s seal is named for its similarity to the true Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum), which does have a somewhat similar appearance, but the flowers of true Solomon’s seal emerge from the axils of the leaves rather than from the top of the plant.