Animals, Plants and Endangered Species

Hoosier National Forest is the home of 50 mammal species, 142 bird species, 36 reptile species, 28 amphibian species, 125 different types of fish and more animals are being discovered every year. The most common animals to see are the white-tailed deer, fox, woodchucks, opossum, rabbits, turkey, waterfowl and many birds. This is also the home for bald eagles, grey bats, Indiana brown bats, rough pigtoes and fan shell mussels which are all endangered species. Most of the trees in this forest are wallnut, oak, pine, ash and maple. Some are very ancient over 200-400 years old. Some of these trees are in danger due to the speard of Ash Borer disease. Ash borer is a beetle that bore holes in trees and hollows them out.

More History of Hoosier National Forest

There is a lot more history in this forest such as, the Rickenbaugh House/post office, it was built in 1874 from sandstone, wallnut and oak. It was in a 'T' shape design. The Rickenbaugh Post Office was open form 1880-1951. The forest service bought the land in 1968 and have already restored the old house for touring. Besides these historical structures the forest consist of several caves and sinkholes to lost underground rivers that can be explored. In some places limestone is a 170 feet in depth, but the land is not just limestone it is plentiful in sandstone and shale as well.

History-Lick Creek Settlement

Lick Creek Settlement is place in Orange County, Indiana where the first African Americans settled. Jonathan Lindley led 11 African American families in 1820 that was fleeing North Carolina do to slavery, they stopped in southern Indiana where they could live free. Benjamin Rorberts, Elias Roberts, and Peter Lindley were the very first people to buy land in the area in 1832. The small community donated funds to build a church(Africian Episcopal Church). It was open during 1843-1869.

HistoryCharles C. Deam Wilderness

The Deam Wilderness was first to be settled by an Native American family in 1826. The Todd Family bought this property for $1 from the government. The land was sold very cheaply because it was on steep hills and the soil was very poor for farming. The forest department have now returned the land back to nature allowing it to grow natural. The only thing left from the pioneers that lived here almost 2 hundred years ago are 6 small cemeteries.

History-Cox Woods

There is a lot of history behind Hoosier (Indiana) National Forest with some historical sites that can be visited. The Cox Woods now known as Indiana Pioneer Mother Memorial is an area of 88 acers with old growth-wallnut trees over 40 inches in diameter/180 years old and Ancient oak trees about 400 years old. This area has never been built upon and is the last old growth forest of its size in Indiana.

Indiana(Hoosier) National Forest

This is part of the Knobstone Trail that runs through Clark County.

This forest is in southern Indiana. It borders the Ohio River through Brown, Bedford, Orange, Clark, Washington, and Scott County and Tell City. It is over 430,000 acres but only about 200,000 acres lay in the bounders because the rest are state parks or privately owned. When I went here last summer we were coming back form Holiday World Amusement Park, I didn't have much time to explore a lot of the land, but I did get to walk the Knobstone Trail for about 2 hours and then we had to leave. We seen a lot of birds, squirrels and a couple of rabbits, that was it. I really wish I had more time but since I didn't I planned the trip for this summer .We are leaving August 6 and we will spend two days camping at Blackwell Horsecamp and then off to Holiday World for two days. When I left last summer I picked up a bunch of brochures about this forest and I could not believe how much stuff you can do here. You can; camp, swim, canoe, hike, go boating, fishing, horseback riding, hunting and even go through some of the caves. I can't wait!

Temperate Forests

Temperate forest have four distinct seasons, cold winters, cool rainy springs, hot moist summers, and cool falls. In some places the winters are very mild. The flora(trees & plants life) in these forest varies a little; they are made up of mostly hardwood like oak, hickory, beech, hemlock, maple, cottenwood, elm, willow, evergreens and basswood. During the winter all trees and plants lay dormant. They also contain many shrubs, moss, ferns and flowering herbs. Their fauna(animal life) deer, fox, black bears, bats, birds, reptiles, fish and insects, small rodents, etc... These are the forests we see most in the United States, they are also found in eastern Canada, Europe, China, Japan, small parts of South America and parts of Russia. There are many subdivisions under the temperate forests, they are moist and dry conifer/evergreen forest, temperate broad leave forest and the mediterranean temperate rain forest-they only differ in the climate. I will focus my attention on a particular temperate forest in southern Indiana known as the Indiana National Forest. It is the only forest I've ever went to and there is a lot of neat things to do there.

Answers to some Questions

I might of confused a few people when I say flora and fauna. Flora is the plant and tree life within the forest and fauna is the animal life that habitats the forest. I do get a little carried away when I get researching the Amazon Forest, I'm always founding new information. No, I have never been here but it is a goal of mine, it would be a dream come true. I do study biology part time but it is a long term goal-to get my Bachelor's degree. Everything I write about on the Amazon Forest is purely research. I love the vivid colors of this forest. I can only imagine how awesome it would be to see the bright colors among the plants and trees a long with the colorful animals.

Animals of the Amazon

Moving on to animals, the Amazon Rain forest has the largest diversity of animal species in the world and 90% of their animal species are insects. Most of the other animals that live in this rain forest are arboreal which means they live and spend most of their time in the trees. Some well known animals living in the Amazon Rain forest are; Harpy eagles, Vampire bats, Toco toucans, Blue Dart frogs, Woolly monkeys, Squirrel monkeys, Orange tree boas, Jaguars and Anteaters. These are just a few because there are way to many to list them all (impossible).

Harpy Eagle

The Harpy eagles are the world’s
largest and most powerful of all eagle species. They weigh around 14 to 18 pounds. Females are normally larger than males. Their wings are black on top and grey and white underneath. Their bodies are black and their heads are light grey. Their talons are about 5 inches long and they have a wing span of 7 feet. They live in the emergent layer of the forest. And they mate for life.

Common Woolly Monkey

The common Woolly monkeys are found all throughout the Amazon. They like the humid conditions. Their fur can vary in color from dark brown, red- brown, grey, and olive. Their backside is normally a little lighter in color. Their faces are black and palms are pink. Their tails are very long and thick and can even support their body weight. They live in groups of 10 to 45, normally 2 to 6 in one tree. They eat mainly fruit, leaves, and seeds. The females will leave the group at maturity to avoid inbreeding. These monkeys are hunted by many predators such as cats, eagles and humans.

Blue Dart Frog

The Blue Dart frogs are very colorful, tiny, and poisonous. They do not live in water. They are found in trees. They lay their eggs mostly in the ground so predators cannot find them. They also secrete poison from their glands and back to keep predators away. This helps aid their survival.

Toco Toucan

Toco toucans are the largest of the toucan species. They are 24 to 26 inches in length and have a very wide tail. Their bills are around 8 inches long and are bright yellow, orange, and black. They are very hard on the outside but are hollow on the inside. Their bodies are mostly black with touches of white, red, and yellow. They have a blue patch around their eyes. They live in the open lowlands of the forest. They only mate once in a year and will lay 2-4 eggs.

Vampire bat

The Vampire bats are about 3 inches long and has an 8 inch wing span. They are very dark grey/brown with two extremely sharp pointy teeth. They have special salvia that they secrete into their prey to stop the preys blood from clotting. These bats mate year around and can live up to 9 years in the wild. This type of bat has made the adaptation to have the ability to walk, run, and hop on the ground and stalk its prey. This allows for their great survival.

Plants and Trees of the Amazon Rain Forest

Some of the common plants and trees you would find in the Amazon rain forest are Bougainvillea spectabilis, Curare, Kapok trees, Strangler Fig tree, and Coconut trees. I will give a brief summary of all these plants and trees because each has their own purpose for surviving. I would like you to know that all plants have a Genus name and a species name but they also may have one or more common name. First I will begin with the Bougainvillea spectabilis, this is an epiphyte plant. This plant can grow up to 30 feet high. Its flower is heart shaped and can be red, pink, orange, yellow, or white. They can survive in sunny and intermediate shady areas but prefers the tropical land. They have made many adaptations for their survival. The plant grows vines with leaves that have pointy spikes of the underneath side so it can climb upward to reach sunlight and wrap trees for support. Its flower is heart shaped with a drip tip so that the water runs off and does not weigh the plant down. This plant is very unique in the way it can change its form to grow. It can change to be a tree, vine or shrub depending on where it starts its growth in the forest.

The Curare is a vine (liana). Its common names are Curare, Grieswurzel, Pareira, Pareira Braua and Vigne Sauvage. Its Genus and species name is Chondrodendron tomentosum. It has a 4 inch diameter at the base of the vine and can grow over 100 feet tall. They also have heart shaped leaves with spikes on the underneath side. The leaves grow 4 to 8 inches long and wide. This vine has clusters of white flowers. The Indians use to crush the flower and make a syrupy substance that they would place on the ends of their arrows. This substance would have a paralyzing effect on the animal after being shot. The root of this vine has an ingredient called D-tubocurarine and is used in medicine. It is known to be a diuretic and has also been used for edema, fever and kidney stones. This vine has made the same adaptations as the Bougainvillea spectabilis. The heart shaped leaves allowing water to run off quickly and spikes on the underside of leaves used for climbing and wrapping trees to reach sunlight and support the growth of the vine.

Ceiba pentandra is the Genus and species name for this tree. It is found in the emergent layer of the rainforest. It can grow to be over 150 feet tall. Their trunks are smooth, cylindrical, and grey. The base of tree trunks reaches about 9 feet in diameter. They branch out horizontal and the crown of the tree is umbrella shaped. It flowers in clusters of pink or white before leaves appear. A lot of the plants and animals of the rainforest live in these trees. This tree has made a few adaptations for its environment. They grow spine-like protrusions out of its trunk to protect its trunk from being damaged by falling trees and climbing animals. The crown of the tree is shaped like an umbrella to allow water to run off quickly and shelter animals. Its also known as; Kapok tree, Ceiba and Silk cotton tree.

Strangler fig trees also called Banyan trees, begin life as an epiphyte. They can grow to be 148 feet tall. These trees are the most important for animal survival in the rainforest because they bear fruit all year round and constantly have a supply of food for animals to eat. This Strangler Fig starts growing in the creases of other trees and quickly strangles it host tree and takes over. This aggressive growth pattern insures its survival. It has many adaptations for survival. They have waxy leaves to protect them against dry winds and dehydration from constant sunlight. And has the ability to root it’s self on and in other trees to begin life do to the poor soil and low sunlight at the forest floor that it is not able to grow in. The genus and species name for this tree is Ficus ssp.

The Coconut tree grows to be 50 to 80 feet tall with feathery yellow-green leaves that are 15-18 feet long. It produces about 50 coconuts a year. These are found near edges of water. They can only survive in frost free areas. Their fruit are used for many sources such as meat, drink, sugar, cattle food and making soap. The Genus and species name for this tree is Cocos nucifera.

What Sparked My Interest

Believe it or not I use to hate these kinds of places. About 13 years ago I moved into a house that sat on 3 acers of wooded land. I hated all the trees and bugs that came with it. I began having the trees wiped out three and four at a time. After making a clearing for the backyard, I begun to like being outside. What I did not expect was the close encounters with snakes, groundhogs, raccoons, salamanders, deer, moles and bats but it did not seem to frighten me. I was more fascinated that they came so close to all of us. I was able to get about 5 feet away from a family of raccoons after awhile becaue I kept sitting out food. My nephew and kids were constantly snatching up gardener snakes and frogs, bringing them home to be pets and my husband was baiting in deer with a salt lick. As time went on the more I liked to hike through different woods checking out the animals. Well it was until I started school that I decide that working in a forest would be really cool. The more science coarses I took the more interesting forestry became so I decided to study biology part time. It is more like a hobby for me right now but one day that might change.

Amazon Rain Forest

The Amazon Rain Forest is the largest tropical rain forest located in South America. It takes up more than 1.6 million square miles. This forest lies within parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname and makes up 40% of all rain forest. 30% of the Amazon Rain Forest occupies most of Brazil. It is the home for over 500 mammal species, 175 lizard species, 300 reptile species, thousands of insects, 1/3% of the world's birds and more than 480 tree species. This forest also contains the world's largest river system (Amazon River & Basin). The river is 4080 miles long and varies from 1 mile to 35 miles wide. This Amazon forest has an average daily temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit and 120 inches of rainfall in a year. The humidity is normally around 82%, very muggy. To have a chance to visit this particular forest would be a dream come true to me. I feel it is one of the most trilling places on earth. Sure, I would be more than a little freaked-out if I come across some extremely dangerous predators but in the end it would be awesome.

Pictuers of the Amazon River

Layers of the Rain Forests

Emergent Upper Canopy

Understory Forest Floor

I would like to begin by talking about the tropical rain forests because they have intrigued my interest the most. They cover only 6% of our earth's surface but they have the highest diversity of plants and animals. Over 50% of all the world's plants and animals species are found within these forest. They have extremely tall trees and many plants that are known as epiphytes, which means the plant grows on and in trees. There are many vines enter-twining through the trees, its the way some plants reach sunlight. Pretty Cool! All the rain forest have four distinct layers which plants and animals can grow and survive. The emergent layer (top) is exposed to high winds and sunlight. The upper canopy (below the emergent layer) receives modern light and most animals are found here and food supply. The understory (below the upper canopy) does not receive much light and has humidity. The last layer, the forest floor completely shaded and poor soil contents.

Tropical

Temerate

Boreal

Unique in their own Ways

Forests can be found all throughout the world. Their climate has everything to do with where they are located. Tropical Rain Forests live near the earth's equator in places that temperture stays consistently warm, wet and high humidity (no seasonal change). The temperture in these forest range from 68 to 87 degrees Fahrenheit depending if it is day or night and where it is located around the world. The average rainfall is 120 inches a year but they have been know to recieve up to 260 inches in a one year. Temperate Forests are found in areas of western and eastern North America, northeast Asia, western and central Europe. they normally have four defined seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter althought in some places the winters can be very mild. The temperture ranges from 40 to 80 degrees Fahrenfeit depending on the season. They recieve anywhere from 80 to 120 inches of rain in a years time. The Boreal Forests also know as Taiga Forests are found in parts of Europe, Asia, Siberia, North America, Alaska and Canada these are places with four seasons but winters are long and cold. Temperture varies from 10 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. And they recieve most of their precipitation in the from of snow, the average is around 70 inches a year but this varies alot depending on location in the world.

The Heartbeat of our World

I look at the forest and I see the heart of our world. This is a place where life has began before mortal existence. One-third of the Earth's land is occupied by different types of forest. There are three main divisions: tropical, temperate, and boreal. Among the temperate and boreal forest lies many subdivisions. With the combination of all forest in one group scientist have predicted that they are accompanied by two-thirds of the world's plants and trees and approximately 70% of the animal species on Earth. Forests are considered to be the "lungs of our world" as well, they take in massive amounts of carbon dioxide that we people produce on an everyday basis and release over 75% of worlds oxygen we breathe. If these forest did not exist-we would not exist.