Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts

Monday 10 October 2016

Superb Photographs Celebrate Autumn's Crimson Leaves, Misty Mornings and Foraging Wildlife



Well, in spite of Britain's tarnished habit for confusing with its schizophrenic weather, it is now officially autumn. Therefore, several are still mourning the summer, plenteously of others regard these months as those that form the best season of the year. Thus, it marks the arrival of fiery crimson leaves, chiller temperatures, clearer stars and finally, the excuse to shroud ourselves in snuggly jumpers and sip tea by the fire. Normally, people like autumn colors, scattering nature colors all over the ground. The autumn which derives its name from Etruscan, a pre-Roman language more than 2,000 years old also brings with it a decent chance to watch Britain's woodland wildlife. Therefore, few birds fly in while others habitually migrate away, numerous critters are out gathering nuts and berries in preparation for hibernation, and for stags, it's time to grow and display their wonderful antlers. Here’re a collection of autumnal photos to welcome in the falling leaves and shorter days. 













Tuesday 26 April 2016

King Clone, The Oldest Living Thing on Earth



It is believed, that King Clone is the oldest creosote bush ring the Mojave Desert, as far as 11,700 years old. Frank Vasek, The professor of University of California has discovered the King Clone and their age are projected by him. The King Clone ring is one of the oldest living organisms on Earth. The single clonal colony plant of Larrea tridentates reaches up to 67 feet in diameter although average diameter is 45 feet. After Vasek hypothesized that the creosote ring was, in fact, one organism, a graduate student working in Vasek's lab, documented that plants within a ring had more alike characteristics, than those from other plant clusters. The King Clone resides on mostly unprotected lands, because most of people do not care and drive over it with all-terrain vehicles. Due to its natural habitats, the creosote bush may lose some of these waxy, resinous leaves during extreme drought, but never loses them all. Therfore, these leaves are pungent after a rain, and have been used as antiseptics and emetics by native peoples. Its foliage provides refuge for crickets, grasshoppers and praying mantids.

The brainy Vasek has used two methods to estimate the age of ring. The first method is counted rings and measured the distance of annual growth, while the second method to use radiocarbon dating on pieces of wood found in the center of the ring and measuring their distance from each other and living bushes. Therefore, the dating methods come up with similar results. The Creosote Bush is the most characteristic feature of North America's hot deserts that tolerates arid conditions simply by its toughness. It competes belligerently with other plants for water, and frequently wins, for its prevalence in many arid locations.

Furthermore, The King Clone ring is on restricted-access public land in the central Mojave Desert, about 0.6 miles north of California Route 247 on Bessemer Mine Road near the towns of Lucerne Valley and Landers. It is situated within the Creosote Rings Preserve of the Lucerne Valley and Johnson Valley. Well, if you want to grow this bush with seeds, then place a number of seed capsules in a shallow pan cover with boiling water. So let them soak overnight. After that place a few seed capsules in a pot with soil and start to water, so thin out the superfluous seedlings and plant. Source: Charismatic Planet




Saturday 10 October 2015

The World's Most Beautiful Tree Tunnels Revealed



Well, when true nature branches out it is nothing short of magical. Whether they’re formed unintentionally, naturally or with a slight help, “Mother Nature's” finest tree tunnels in Europe, America and Asia are a sight to see. Because from intertwined beech branches in Northern Ireland to blossom covered streets in Japan reveals the most beautiful tunnels around, from maples to oaks. In spite of its busy city reputation, as most of peoples knows, that Tokyo is home to some of the most attractive parks, public spaces and botanical gardens in Asia. The world’s most beautiful tunnel trees are, romantic and amazing made of beautiful flowering trees, the longest-living organisms on Earth, beautify and defend the environment by providing color, shelter, and shade. Source: Charismaticplanet.com

The “Ginkgo Tree tunnel”, which separates a sea of tiny city apartments and crowded public places, comes into its full glory in autumn when its leaves turn deep yellow. Moreover, this peculiar tree tunnel can be tracked down in the “Meiji-Jingu Gaien Park”, which was named after the Emperor who passed away in 1912.
Ginkgo Tree tunnel
This specific tree tunnel marks the entrance to Milton Abbot in Devon. The beautiful straight path is surrounded by countless beeches that intertwine in an arch over the roadway and lead into the small village which was named after forming part of the original endowment of Tavistock Abbey.
Milton Abbot in Devon
Leading up to the Botany Bay Plantation on Edisto Island, South Carolina, are myriads of leaning oak trees making up one of the world's most attractive tree tunnels. The striking “Botany Bay Plantation” Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area is a state preserve, which was well formed in the 1930's from the merger of the Colonial-era Sea Cloud Plantation and Bleak Hall Plantation. The dirt track road leading up to the site is branded one of the most beautiful with its draping branches and stunning colors.
Botany Bay Plantation in Edisto Island, South Carolina
This Kawazu cherry tree tunnel in Shizuoka, Japan, is made up of a row of cherry blossom trees that are lit up at night. Sightseers and locals travel from all over to walk underneath the tunnel which is classed as one of the world’s most eye-catching walkways.
Kawazu Cherry Tree in Shizuoka, Japan
The early morning shot in Central Park, New York City, shows off one of the park's several tree tunnels that have made it so well-known nowadays. The urban park in middle-upper Manhattan is one of the most visited in the whole United States as well as one of the most-used filming locations. Tree tunnels formed to make a spectacular walkway for passers-by when Central Park opened in 1857.
Central Park in Manhattan, New York
Dark Hedges are one of Ireland’s most snapped natural phenomena. The striking road is made up of an avenue of spectacular winding beech trees along a narrow country road. The majestic beautifully trees block out sunlight in certain parts due to the thickness of the branches. At night, lots of people find the route haunting, and strolling hand-in-hand with somebody special, these young lovers must be in one of the world's most romantic spots.
The Dark Hedges in Antrim, Northern Ireland
Ukraine has this unbelievable, ethereal Tunnel of Love, actually made up of an avenue of trees. There’s one thing however; it's also a train line. And when it's choo-choo time, the tunnel does get rather noisy. 
Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
Maple Trees in Ludington, Michigan, The amber leaves on this tunnel make it one of United States and one of the world’s most gorgeous walkways. The incredibly beautiful thick maple trees hang over Conrad Road and meet where they create beautiful arch for cars and bikes to pass under.
Maple Trees in Ludington, Michigan
The tunnel of Maple Trees in Lake Kawaguchiko, Japan, is located a few kilometers away from Mount Fuji entices traveler because of its stunning location Just a few kilometers further inland from Fujikawaguchiko town, this tree tunnel, made up of an archway of soft colored maple trees, sits above the shores of Lake Kawaguchiko.
Tunnel of Maple Trees, Lake Kawaguchiko, Japan
In South London lies a mixture of pink and white blossom trees interlinking over the entrance to Battersea graveyard. The stunning thick trees stand firmly in place to form the archway that brings a bit of beauty to this lively city.
Battersea blossom in London
Cherry Blossom Tunnel is located in Bonn, Germany which is home to more than 300,000 people. The city is well-known for its loveliness and cherry blossoms, which come into bloom for about 20 days each summer as well as its narrow streets. Every summer the city's Heerstraße road becomes a place of beauty when the blossom trees join up and form one of the world's favorite tree tunnel walkways.
Cherry Blossom Tunnel, Germany
Wisteria Flower Tunnel, Kawachi Fuji Garden, Kitakyushu, in Japan is a private garden in the city of Kitakyushu having more than one million populations, some 6 hours from Tokyo. While the garden is beautiful by itself, it’s best well-known for its tunnel of wisteria flowers, when the stunning flowers are in full bloom around April and May, the experience of walking through the tunnel is not unlike walking through a fairy tale.
Wisteria Flower Tunnel, Kawachi Fuji Garden, Kitakyushu, Japan
Jacarandas Walk, Pretoria, in  is often called “Jacaranda City”, thanks to the miles upon miles of jacaranda trees that line its roads, parks and avenues. The dazzling purple flowers of the tree are a sight to behold, particularly in early November when peak summer in the southern hemisphere flowers is in full bloom. There’re jacaranda lined avenues all over the city, though the prettiest is arguably along Old Church Street on the corner of Eastwood and Stanza Bopape. Here, the trees are so close together that creates a tunnel-like canopy of purple flowers. This is home to more than 150 Wisteria flowering plants. At one glance you must be inspire and entice to take a walk through. The best time to visit is April to mid-May, when the flowers are at full bloom. You can walk beneath the lovely hanging multi-colored blossoms for a truly surreal experience.
Jacarandas Walk, Pretoria, South Africa
The Path up to the Halnaker Windmill in Sussex, England is a striking path will take you up to the Halnaker Windmill in Sussex. Without any doubt it is so surreal to looks like it could practically be the setting for a Grimm Brothers’ story.

Autumn Tree Tunnel, Smuggler’s Notch State Park, Stowe, Vermont, USA actually the  dense forests of the park were once used by bootleggers and smugglers during the prohibition era, but as the time passes it has converted into most widespread attractions in the park remains a road covered in trees that form a tunnel-like canopy. The tunnel is at its most beautiful in autumn, when the leaves turn a deep shade of brown, yellow and red. So, when you go further down the road, you will reach a waterfall known locally as “hippie hole.
Autumn Tree Tunnel, Smuggler’s Notch State Park, Stowe, Vermont, USA
Laburnum Tunnel, Bodnant Garden, Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy, in Wales actually a Bodnant Garden is a historic garden spread more than 80 acres surrounding Bodnant. Eventually built in the late 19th century, the house and the attached gardens are now a National Trust property known for its verdant, formal gardens, ponds, and rose gardens. It’s most prevalent feature, remains the artificial tunnel of spectacular yellow-gold laburnum flowers. When in bloom, the flowers totally cover the arch, making for a magnificent sight.
Laburnum Tunnel, Bodnant Garden

Monday 25 May 2015

The world of sandy Beach



The beach is a product of weathering rock and the seas drift. Countless molluscs and worms live inside the sand, while animals on its surface range from tiny sand hoppers to bird sand seals. Sand consists of tiny particles of rock and shell, and is the result of years of erosion and weathering by the sea. The erosion begins with the sea gnawing away at cliffs and breaking off rocks and stones. These are carried away by the sea and waves batter them against rocky foreshores, breaking them and their attached shells into ever smaller pieces. Thus the sea produces the raw materials for a sandy beach. So, the next stage in the creation of a sandy beach takes place once the particles of rock and shell are small enough to be suspended in the water, when they are carried along the coast by a process known as “longshore drift”. The direction from which waves approach a stretch of coast is determined by the direction of the prevailing wind, since the waves are created by winds out at sea. As the waves hit the shore they run up the beach, usually obliquely (depending on the wind direction), carrying their cargo of sand with them. This is called swash. The water returns the back wash by the line of least resistance, which is straight down the beach. By this to-and-fro action, waves after wave, the sand is shifted along, guided by the direction of the prevailing wind. This is longshore drift. If the swash is more powerful than the back wash then the sand gradually builds up to form a beach. If the backwash is dominant the sand moves on along the coasts, round the head land, and perhaps the next until it comes across a bay in which the conditions are right for the formation of a beach.

Beneath the surface, like all habitats dominated by the tides, sandy beaches have their favorable and unfavorable periods for the creatures that live there. The water brings a fresh source of food on each tide but when it retreats the inhabitants invertebrates such as worms, crustaceans and molluscs have to seek shelter against the sun, the wind and predators. For this reason the great majority live beneath the surface of the sand. One of the most obvious inhabitants is the common lugworm, which advertises its presence with the familiar coiled worm casts. This worm loves permanently in a U-shaped burrow, where it swallows sand to extract the organic content, after which the sandy waste is ejected as the coast. A few inches away from the cast a shallow round depression in the sand marks the entrance to the worm’s burrow. 

Where the feeding activities of the head end are causing the sand to sink the only way you can see the worm itself is to dig for it as anglers do for bait or hope to see it being dragged out by an oystercatcher or a gull feeding at low water. The damp sand of the inter-tidal region contains several different marine worms besides the lugworms. The tube building worms are particularly satisfying to find because they build beautiful shelters against the difficult environment. The sand mason, for example, secretes of sticky mucus from its body, to which sand grains adhere. This sandy tube extends down into the sand and also pokes above the surface. When the tide is out the worm withdraws, leaving only the top of the tube open. As the tide comes in the worm extends itself up the tube to collect tiny food particles drifting past its waving tentacles. The tube provides the worm with a fixed home in the unstable medium of sand and allows the worm easy movement up and down in response to the changing rhythm of the tide. 

Burrowing Bivalves This kind of movement up and down in the sands in response to the tide is also performed by several different molluscs. The molluscs of the sand are mostly bivalves, in contgrast to those of rocky shores which are mainly creatures such as limpets and winkles, which seal their single shells to the rock surface to keep in moisture and maintain an anchorage during the hazardous period of exposure. The bivalves have a different strategy to survive this dangerous period they burrow, using a powerful foot muscle to drag themselves out of sight into the damp sand. A good example of a burrowing bivalve is the common cockle. Moreover, when the tide is in the cockle lies half buried at the surface with its two shells slightly apart to allow its siphons to extend into the water for feeding and respiration. One siphon draws in water, along with its complement of plankton food, while the other siphon ejects the sieved water as waste. When the ebbing tide signals the end of the cockle’s feeding time it tightly clamps its two shells, sealing itself in until the next flood tide, and hides itself just below the surface of the sands.
Hidden predators sand also harbors some active hunters, such as the masked crab and the burrowing starfish. When the tide is in the masked crab digs and scoops its way into the sand with its powerful hind legs. Once hidden it breathes by drawing water down through long, tubed antennae and waits for the tide to go out so it can begin hunting. It is active only at night along the lower shore and shallow water, walking without the sideways scuttle typical of most crabs. The burrowing starfish adopts a different strategy. It hides just below the surface of the sand and seizes whole molluscs or worms, swallowing them into tis central stomach. A bivalve may seem indigestible, but the starfish has a way of dealing with it. It succeeds in prising open the molluscs shell inserting its own stomach. The starfish’s digestive juices then reduce the meat inside to a ready meal. In due course the empty shell is rejected on to the surface of the sand. 
 
Birds on the beach are on the lookout for molluscs, and they have some highly successful methods of extracting the meat from within the shells. Even the tough shell of a cockle is no protection against the powerful bill of an oystercatcher. Hunting in the shallows just before the cockle runs out of feeding time on a falling tide, or before the incoming tide renders the water too deep for the bird to wade, the oystercatcher looks for an open gaping shell. When it sees one it strikes the molluscs adductor muscle, after which the molluscs is unable to close its shell in self-defense. Even if the shell does manage to close round the beak, the strong red bill can easily force it open again. Alternatively the oystercatcher can smash its way into the shell by using its beak like a hammer. Gulls also use brute force when feeding on molluscs, but a certain amount of cunning as well. Herring gulls sometimes force cockles to the surface by paddling their feet up and down on the surface of the sand. They have also learned to pick up cockles from soft sand, fly with them until they are above a hard surface such as a rock or even a promenade and then drop them so that they smash open below. 

Sandy beaches do not exist in isolation but are flanked by rocky headlands or shallow rocky foreshores. In sheltered parts of the beach, where the water currents are slack, the sea often carries a large cargo of debris from these neighboring habitats, and from further out at sea itself; seaweed, dead animals and shells, for instance. At the high water mark much of this organic material piles up to form the familiar strandline with its own wildlife of scavenging sand hoppers, kelp flies, turnstones, crows rats and foxes. The same strandline also supports most of the few plants found on the lower reaches of a sandy beach. Here you may find plants such as saltwort, sea rocket and orache. Further inland, above the high tide, level, the most obvious sign of plant life is often sand dunes. These are an extension of the sandy beach, formed when onshore winds carry the sand inland. Once there maritime plants notably marram grass stabilize the sand to form semi-permanent dunes. 

Going in the other direction, away from the land, low tides sometimes create temporary offshore islands which because of their isolation are excellent habitats for seals. Common seals often give birth to pups on such islands, even though the pups must be able to swim before the next tide comes in to engulf them. Once in water the baby swims with its mother and then both return suckling on the sand bank or in the shallows when the island reveals itself again. Common seal spend a lot of time out of the water humping on to the sand in large social gathering as well as to drop pups. Their passage along the sand is marked by the characteristic tracks created by their bodies and flippers. As the tide drops the seals move with it towards the water. From the seals point of view, one stretch of sand is as good as another for their purposes their preference for offshore banks is a direct response to human disturbances, for on land people are their only major enemies, and people flock to beaches in their thousands for the recreation they offer so well.  Source: Charismatic Planet