Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians

257 Pages·2010·7.67 MB·English

by  Jennifer Frick-Ruppert

Mountain Nature

Mountain Nature
a seasonal natural history
southern appalachians
of the
jennifer frick-ruppert
The University of North Carolina Press Chapel Hill
© 2010 The University of North Carolina Press
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Set in Legacy and Stone Sans
Publication of this book was supported in part by generous gifts
from Frank and Doris Guest, Linda Martinson, Augustus and
Margaret Napier, Aleen Steinberg, and Kenneth and Harriet Walls.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and
durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book
Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.
The University of North Carolina Press has been a member of the
Green Press Initiative since 2003.
Frick-Ruppert, Jennifer.
Mountain nature : a seasonal natural history of the Southern
Appalachians / Jennifer Frick-Ruppert.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-8078-3386-5 (cloth : alk. paper)
isbn 978-0-8078-7116-4 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Natural history—Appalachian Region, Southern. 2. Forest
ecology—Appalachian Region, Southern. 3. Mountain ecology—
Appalachian Region, Southern. 4. Animal ecology—Appalachian
Region, Southern. I. Title.
qh104.5.a6f75 2010
508.75—dc22 2009039275
cloth 14 13 12 11 10 5 4 3 2 1
paper 14 13 12 11 10 5 4 3 2 1
for Fritz
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Contents
acknowledgments xiii
introduction: the diverse southern appalachians 1
1 the nature of cycles 9
Daily Cycles and Biological Clocks 10
The Daily Cycle of Sleep in Animals 11
Daily Cycle of Sleep in Plants? 12
Communication at Night 12
Seasonal Cycles and Biological Calendars 15
Day Length as the Cue for Seasonal Calendars 17
Tree Rings: Evidence of Seasonal Cycles in Plants 19
Migration and Hibernation: Seasonal Cycles in Animals 20
Seasonal Cycles of Aquatic Animals 21
Appalachian Trout and Other Fish 23
Trout Food: Aquatic Insects 25
Longer-term, Multi-year Cycles 26
Tree Reproduction and Long-term Masting Cycles 27
Masting in Cicadas? 28
Population Peaks in Voles as Long-term Cycles 29
Geological Features as Extremely Long-term Cycles 31
The Nature of Cycles 33
2 cycles of spring: march, april, may 35
Pollination and Flower Form 35
Pollination in Serviceberry and Silverbell 36
Wind Pollination in Maples, Oaks, and Grasses 37
Insect Pollination in Tulip Trees, Magnolias, and Flame Azaleas 40
Of Peas and Pollinators: Locusts and Other Legumes 41
Ephemeral Wildflowers: Ramps and Trout Lilies 44
Other Wildflowers: More Lilies, Trilliums, and Jack-in-the-Pulpits 47
“Leaves in Three, Let It Be!” 48
Oconee Bells: A Charismatic Appalachian Wildflower 49
Bloodroot: A Native Poppy 51
Plants and Ants: Beneficial Relationships 51
The Orchids: Wildflowers that Trick Insects and Parasitize Fungi 54
Morels: A Springtime Delicacy 56
Squawroot and Other Parasitic Plants 57
Honeybee Swarms: Colony Reproduction 59
Insects and Migratory Birds 61
Warbler Diversity and Decline 62
Caterpillars and Cuckoos 63
Blue Birds and Bluebirds 65
Migrations: The Return Route of Hummingbirds 66
Spring Peepers 68
Climatic Conditions in Spring 69
3 cycles of summer: june, july, august 71
Flowers in Myriad Forms: Jewelweed and Dodder 71
Summer’s Divine Robes: Cardinal Flower 74
Ginseng and Yellowroot: Uncommon and Common Medicinal Plants 75
Insectivorous Plants: Sundews and Pitchers 76
The Heaths: Mountain Laurel, Rhododendron, Sourwood, and Pinesap 78
Interdependence of Plants and Pollinators: Yucca 81
What Good Is a Mosquito? 82
Seeds and Fruits: Doll’s Eyes and Hearts-a-Bustin’ 83
Rain, Fungi, and Connections 84
Dangerous Social Insects and Their Mimics 87
“Unsocial” Wasps? 91
Poisonous Butterflies and Their Mimics 93
Moth Communication and Camouflage 96
Luna Moths: Endangered or Not? 98
Katydids and Crickets: Summer Songsters Use Sound to Communicate 99
Damsels and Dragons 101
Crab Spiders: Camouflage by the Predators 103
Flashing Fireflies of Summer Evenings 103
Railroad Worms and Millipedes: Predators and Prey 106
Grouse Threat Display: Prey or Predator? 108
Southern Appalachians: Greatest Salamander Diversity in the World 109
Lizards and Snakes: Close Cousins 111
viii contents
Snake Sense 114
The Centenarian Turtles 117
Climatic Conditions in Summer 119
4 cycles of fall: september, october, november 121
Bioluminescent Mushrooms 122
Leaf Color Change 123
Fall Flowers: Gentians and Orchids 126
Witch Hazel’s Bewitching Flowers 126
Dispersal of Offspring in Plants 128
Sweet Fleshy Fruits 130
Fatty Fruits? Spicebush and Dogwood 131
Other Fleshy Fruits: Sumac 133
Migrant and Resident Birds as Fruit Dispersers 134
Dry Fruits: Oaks, Hickories, and Chestnuts 135
Squirrels as Seed Dispersers 137
Bird Migration: Kinglets and Nightjars 138
Hawks: Migrants and Residents 140
Resident Screech and Barred Owls 143
Bats 144
Bats and Gargoyles 147
Migrating Monarchs and the Foods that Support Them 148
Ladybugs: Friends or Foes? 152
The Rise and Fall of Insect Populations: Woolly Bear Caterpillars 154
Woolly Alder Aphids 155
Spiders and Their Insect Prey 157
Climatic Conditions in Fall 161
5 cycles of winter: december, january, february 163
Freeze/Thaw Cycles and the Magic of Ice 163
Deciduous versus Evergreen Trees 164
Appalachian Conifers 167
The “Perfect Storm” of Acids, Adelgids, and Global Warming 168
American Holly: A Broad-Leaved Evergreen Tree 170
Rhododendrons as Evergreen Thermometers 171
Evergreen Herbaceous Plants: Cycles Reversed 172
Primitive Plants and Their Reproductive Cycles 173
Lichens and Jelly Fungi 176
Springtails: Enigmatic Winter Animals 178
contents ix