Mountain nature : a seasonal natural history of the Southern Appalachians

CONTENTS......Page 8
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 14
INTRODUCTION: THE DIVERSE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS......Page 18
1 THE NATURE OF CYCLES......Page 26
Daily Cycles and Biological Clocks......Page 27
The Daily Cycle of Sleep in Animals......Page 28
Communication at Night......Page 29
Seasonal Cycles and Biological Calendars......Page 32
Day Length as the Cue for Seasonal Calendars......Page 34
Tree Rings: Evidence of Seasonal Cycles in Plants......Page 36
Migration and Hibernation: Seasonal Cycles in Animals......Page 37
Seasonal Cycles of Aquatic Animals......Page 39
Appalachian Trout and Other Fish......Page 40
Trout Food: Aquatic Insects......Page 42
Longer-term, Multi-year Cycles......Page 43
Fishing in Trout Rivers......Page 44
Masting in Cicadas?......Page 45
Population Peaks in Voles as Long-term Cycles......Page 46
Geological Features as Extremely Long-term Cycles......Page 48
The Nature of Cycles......Page 50
Pollination and Flower Form......Page 52
Pollination in Serviceberry and Silverbell......Page 53
Wind Pollination in Maples, Oaks, and Grasses......Page 54
Insect Pollination in Tulip Trees, Magnolias, and Flame Azaleas......Page 57
Of Peas and Pollinators: Locusts and Other Legumes......Page 58
Ephemeral Wildflowers: Ramps and Trout Lilies......Page 61
Other Wildflowers: More Lilies, Trilliums, and Jack-in-the-Pulpits......Page 64
“Leaves in Three, Let It Be!”......Page 65
Oconee Bells: A Charismatic Appalachian Wildflower......Page 66
Plants and Ants: Beneficial Relationships......Page 68
The Orchids: Wildflowers that Trick Insects and Parasitize Fungi......Page 71
Morels: A Springtime Delicacy......Page 73
Squawroot and Other Parasitic Plants......Page 74
Honeybee Swarms: Colony Reproduction......Page 76
Insects and Migratory Birds......Page 78
Warbler Diversity and Decline......Page 79
Caterpillars and Cuckoos......Page 80
Blue Birds and Bluebirds......Page 82
Migrations: The Return Route of Hummingbirds......Page 83
Spring Peepers......Page 85
Climatic Conditions in Spring......Page 86
Flowers in Myriad Forms: Jewelweed and Dodder......Page 88
Summer’s Divine Robes: Cardinal Flower......Page 91
Ginseng and Yellowroot: Uncommon and Common Medicinal Plants......Page 92
Insectivorous Plants: Sundews and Pitchers......Page 93
Threats to Pitcherplants......Page 95
Interdependence of Plants and Pollinators: Yucca......Page 98
What Good Is a Mosquito?......Page 99
Seeds and Fruits: Doll’s Eyes and Hearts-a-Bustin’......Page 100
Rain, Fungi, and Connections......Page 101
Dangerous Social Insects and Their Mimics......Page 104
“Unsocial” Wasps?......Page 108
Poisonous Butterflies and Their Mimics......Page 110
Moth Communication and Camouflage......Page 113
Luna Moths: Endangered or Not?......Page 115
Silk Shirts from Worms!......Page 116
Damsels and Dragons......Page 118
Flashing Fireflies of Summer Evenings......Page 120
Fewer Fireflies?......Page 123
Grouse Threat Display: Prey or Predator?......Page 125
Southern Appalachians: Greatest Salamander Diversity in the World......Page 126
Lizards and Snakes: Close Cousins......Page 128
Snake Sense......Page 131
The Centenarian Turtles......Page 134
Climatic Conditions in Summer......Page 136
4 CYCLES OF FALL: SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER......Page 138
Bioluminescent Mushrooms......Page 139
Leaf Color Change......Page 140
Witch Hazel’s Bewitching Flowers......Page 143
Dispersal of Offspring in Plants......Page 145
Sweet Fleshy Fruits......Page 147
Fatty Fruits? Spicebush and Dogwood......Page 148
Other Fleshy Fruits: Sumac......Page 150
Migrant and Resident Birds as Fruit Dispersers......Page 151
Dry Fruits: Oaks, Hickories, and Chestnuts......Page 152
Squirrels as Seed Dispersers......Page 154
Bird Migration: Kinglets and Nightjars......Page 155
Hawks: Migrants and Residents......Page 157
Resident Screech and Barred Owls......Page 160
Bats......Page 161
Bat Conservation......Page 164
Migrating Monarchs and the Foods that Support Them......Page 165
Human Effects on Monarchs......Page 169
The Rise and Fall of Insect Populations: Woolly Bear Caterpillars......Page 171
Woolly Worms and Weather Predictions......Page 172
Spiders and Their Insect Prey......Page 174
Climatic Conditions in Fall......Page 178
Freeze/Thaw Cycles and the Magic of Ice......Page 180
Deciduous versus Evergreen Trees......Page 181
Appalachian Conifers......Page 184
The “Perfect Storm” of Acids, Adelgids, and Global Warming......Page 185
Invasive Species......Page 187
Rhododendrons as Evergreen Thermometers......Page 188
Evergreen Herbaceous Plants: Cycles Reversed......Page 189
Primitive Plants and Their Reproductive Cycles......Page 190
Lichens and Jelly Fungi......Page 193
Lichens as Indicators of Air Quality......Page 195
Hibernation and Denning Cycles in Groundhogs and Bears......Page 196
Activity Cycles of Small Mammals: Shrews, Moles, Mice, and Flying Squirrels......Page 199
“Bird” Feeders?......Page 202
Rarely Seen Large Carnivores: Foxes, Coyotes, Bobcats, Mountain Lions, and Otters......Page 206
Rabies Epidemics......Page 209
Cycles of Bird Irruptions......Page 210
Birdsong and the Cycles of Territoriality versus Foraging Flocks......Page 212
Reproductive Cycles that Begin in Winter: Wood Frogs and Great Horned Owls......Page 218
Climatic Conditions in Winter......Page 221
Effects of Global Warming......Page 38
Ramps Harvests......Page 62
Fire Ants and Global Warming......Page 70
Please Do Not Dig Orchids......Page 72
Photovoltaic Cells: Humanity’s Photosynthesis?......Page 75
Caterpillar Circular Logic......Page 81
Hummingbirds and Feeders......Page 84
Poison Ivy Potion......Page 89
Wasps as Friends, Not Foes......Page 106
Treatment for Squash Borers......Page 107
Cool Night Lights......Page 122
Color Perception in Humans......Page 142
Hawk Migration Sites......Page 159
Monarch Migration Locations......Page 168
Old Coal and Fossil Fuels......Page 192
Groundhog Day......Page 197
Help Black Bears and People......Page 198
APPENDIX: Federal Public Lands in the Southern Appalachians......Page 222
REFERENCES......Page 224
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