Diario de dross3

For this assignment I decided to observe a salt marsh and redwood forest/coastal scrub to see the differentiation between the two. The salt marsh I observed was Berkeley Aquatic Park, which is located in west Berkeley right off the side of the freeway. What I found interesting about this area was the vast amount of plant and flower species surrounding the area of water, which are present in this particular area due to their tolerance of salt water. I also found it interesting when I seen a butterfly land on one of the plants and figured that it had adapted to the area due to the amount of plants and the fact that many of the plants of relatively high. The mud/moss I seen in the water is also essential for this habitat as it contributes to the food chain of the area by providing sustenance for the bacteria and other species living in the area. The redwood forest/coastal scrub that I observed was Tilden Regional Park, which is located in the Berkeley Hills. The wild turkey I observed has adapted tot he area due to the vast amounts of vegetation and the plant and flower species I observed have adapted due to their ability to grow rapidly in this type of setting.

I decided to take a walk around the Berkeley area since I noticed that many of the observations from last year were relatively close to campus and my place of residence. Surprisingly, many of the observations were in the same place as last year although a few of them were a few houses down or on a different block. One observation that really intrigued me was the African Iris since I originally did not know that it was observed last year until I looked it up and the fact that I had no knowledge of the type of the flower that it was. Overall, this assignment was a great way to explore the surrounding area and share observations with students from the previous year.

The Genus Zantadeschia plant, also known as the Calla Lilly, is native to southern Africa from South Africa north to Malawi and its name was given as a tribute to Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi by German botanist Kurt Sprengel. These beautiful flowers have been widely used in paintings, notably by artists Diego Rivera and Georgia O'Keeffe. The flower is also a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant that grows to 1-2.5 m tall with leaves that are usually 15-45 cm long. Surprisingly, these flowers are poisonous due to the presence of calcium oxalate. All parts of the flower and poisonous and coming in contact may result in local irritation or a burning sensation around the mouth and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Ironically enough, the leaves are sometimes cooked and eaten. The flower can grow continuously when watered and fed regularly and is able to survive periods of minor frost. The flower is notably recognized for its inflorescence and white or brightly colored spathes.

For this exercise I happened to walk within the vicinity of the area that I live in and discover some very interesting characters. What intrigued me was the diversity of the plants in the area and whether or not they were alive and thriving or near death. A large majority of the plants I observed had the majority of their petals still intact, although they were some that were completely naked and a few that were missing about two to three petals. When observing the Calla Lilly I noticed that the spathe of each flower was intact as opposed to the Genus Brugmansia, which seemed to be wilting away. There was also one plant I observed that seemed to have leaves missing at the very end while the rest of the plant had leaves jotting out from both sides in opposite directions. For the most part, I wanted to focus on the vibrant colors and different shapes of each plant, which is why I chose a variety of flowers and other plants that appeared bulbous or abnormal.

The first plant I observed exemplified a Flowering plant without any flowers. There were similar plants in the area that still contained flowers but this one in particular had already shed them. The second plant I observed contained an abundant amount of flowers that still seemed to be blooming despite the weather changes. The third plant I observed contained solely leaves and there were barely any missing, which signifies how this plant is leafed out. The final plant I observed was completely bare, with no leaves or flowers.

The first observation I made a few weeks back in January falls under the iconic taxa of Plant, since it is a flower which I have been informed is a member of the Genus Impatiens. My second observation, which took place this afternoon as I was walking to work falls under the iconic taxa of Mammal, since it is a Squirrel. What I found unique about this squirrel is the fact that it had a black mark on its body, which I had not seen on any of the other squirrels around Berkeley. My final observation, which took place this evening as I was walking through campus falls under the iconic taxa of Insect, since it is a Fly.