Plants and Wildlife

One of the worlds most recognized plants, the Venus flytrap still amazes. It's carnivorous appetite, an adaptation to nutrient poor bog soil, is well known, but recently discovered was the plants ability to "count". To reduce false alarms, the flytraps sensory trigger hairs do not immediately fire when disturbed, but like any good predator, will wait until the hair is jiggled more than once, ensuring that a meal, and not a stray breeze, snaps the jaws closed. Considering the plant has been studies for centuries, its surprising that its common sense approach to minimizing false alarms hadn't been previously discovered.

Watch a video here

I came across the Spring 2015 issue of Sound Update focuses on the topics that were discussed at the 2014 Long Island Sound Tidal Wetlands Loss Workshop on October 22-23, 2014 in Port Jefferson, NY.

The articles summarize the following workshops and related research on:

  • Topic 1: Wetland Submergence
  • Topic 2: Ecological Indicators of Wetland Change
  • Topic 3: Wetland Elevation Changes
  • Topic 4: Marsh Migration
  • Topic 5: Tidal Wetlands Trends and Conditions Assessment



Submergence is the gradual conversion of tall smooth cordgrass in the low marsh to mudflat. In coastal Connecticut and Long Island, the low marsh zone consisting largely of Spartina alterniflora, has been converting to mudflats over the last 30 years in many areas. There have been many proposed explanations, including climate change, the effects of excessive nitrogen curtailing root growth which in turn weakens the structure that keep the muck and peat bound together.

Also discussed is Sudden vegetation dieback (SVD) also found in the low marsh area, and identified by the loss of vegetation over a number of years with limited regrowth, likely the result of multiple stressors including the purple marsh crab.

The newsletter is a great introduction to the wetland science and challenges faced by wetlands in the Long Island Sound.

Below are a few photos of tidal wetlands along the Connecticut River in Essex, CT taken this week during low tide, exposing mud flats. Tidal wetlands provide habitat, nesting, feeding, and refuge areas for shorebirds; serve as a nursery for many species found in the Long Island Sound. The Connecticut River was designated as an Wetland of International Importance by RAMSAR, and is the largest river system in New England. The river includes fresh, salt and brackish tidal wetlands and is a key component linking the Long Island Sound and upland fresh water systems.

Essex, CT Tidal Marsh

Essex, CT Tidal Marsh

Essex, CT Tidal Marsh

Subcategories

A section about Wetland plants and their unique features.

A section about Wildlife found in wetlands.

Wetlands in the News

28 April 2024