Plants and Wildlife

Below are two photos I took Saturday of Monarch caterpillars eating Milkweed leaves, their sole source of food.  Monarch butterflies have declined precipitiously over the last twenty years, a direct result of declines in Milkweed, open space, and the degradation of their winter nesting grounds in Mexico.

In the Northeast, Milkweed is not considered a wetland plant by the USDA for wetland classification purposes, but is elsewhere in the United States it's status differs, as there are over 100 species of Milkweed in the United States. The swamp Milkweed found in the west thrives only in moist soils, and the photos I took were roadside, in a very dry environment.  Due to the toxins found in Milkweed, which are also present in the caterpillar, birds and other predators steer clear from what would otherwise be a juicy snack.

 Some helpful pages here:

Native Milkweeds - The Xerces Society
 USDA Milkweed plant Profile
Wetlands Institute - Monarch butterfly
NRCS Monarch Butterfly Habitat Development Project
Monarch Butterfly Conference Report
A particularly well researched monograph on Milkweed from a Botanists perspective

 

Caterpillars on Milkweed Plant

Caterpillars on Milkweed Plant

 

Monarch Caterpillars on Milkweed Plant
Monarch Caterpillars on Milkweed Plant

 

 

 

Below are a few visual resources for learning about Wetland Plants,I always found that photos are easier to learn from than black and white drawings that are found in many books. They can also be referred to more easily while out in the field, assuming you have internet connectivity. The flashcards are a novel idea, and you can use it to gauge your progress about your knowledge of wetland plants. Each of the 133 flashcard lists bothe Common names, scientific names, and additional info the particular species, as well as an audio component. The only drawback is the flashcards were created 4 years ago, and not edited recently.

Specific to the Michigan and to the Midwest, many of the plant species found in the over 2,000 photos are also found elsewhere in the United States, and can still serve as a guide for other areas.

Wetland Plant Flash Cards

Photos and Characteristics of Wetland Plant Species and Wetland Ecological Communities of Michigan and the Upper Midwest

Check out the Audubon Society's photo contest winners, the photos are all amazing, but the one of an eagle swooping down to snatch a fish out of a Blue Heron's grasp is magnificent!

Link Here: Audubon Photo Winners

Subcategories

A section about Wetland plants and their unique features.

A section about Wildlife found in wetlands.

Wetlands in the News

29 March 2024