Diario de glacheta

The weather today was dry and a little bit chilly. I went on a walk behind the Plex and into the Reservoir because I knew that there are a lot of different plants there. I also went into the pine tree trail to see some different plants there as well. One difference between this walk and the others in the past was that there were plants on the ground today. The pricks from the pine trees were on the ground as well as the leaves from other trees. These fallen plants were orange/brown colored. What I also observed from most of the plants was that they weren't all completely green-colored. Some specks of orange or even red form and this could be due to the fact that it is getting colder and these plants will be leafless once winter approaches. There are still some small flower plants at the reservoir but much fewer than I've seen in the past. Again, the season is changing and the weather is getting colder so the flowers won't bloom as well now.

Today's weather was very cold and windy. There is barely any sun that is seen in the sky. As I started walking up this trail, I first observed many short plants such as clovers and what is seen in image 2. As I traveled up the hill, more spread-out trees were seen. Not only this but the area was significantly drier walking up the hill. This could be due to the change in elevation. Another observation was the change in the density of trees. On the lower level, there were thinner and closer together tree spacings. At the peak, there are a couple of thick and spread-out trees. This could be due to the fact that on the lower level the land is flatter and therefore there are more options of good tree locations. I also saw a bee which surprised me because usually I see bees when the weather is very warm and sunny (unlike today). This could mean that this preserve is an ecosystem service for these bees, and provides certain things to their benefit. I also saw a lot of ants crawling on the ground.

The weather today was very cold and wet. I walked around the Reservoir and into the woods, looking for any fungi. The first fungi that I found were on a drying branch. This fungus was denser under the branch therefore it wasn't very exposed to the surface, but rather hidden underneath. The next fungus that I saw was also on a drying branch that was laying on the ground in the forest. However, this one was much smaller and the color of it was lighter than the previous one. The first one had bigger and more orange-colored fungi while the second one was lighter, closer to a yellow color. The third fungi I saw was very similar to the first one that I saw. However, this time the fungus was wrapping around the branch and the branch wasn't laying on the ground. Then, I realized that the standing trees around the reservoir had a green tint to them. I looked closer, and this green looked like a type of fungus that was forming on the standing tree. Lastly, as I was walking back, I saw a stump on the ground. I shined my flashlight and saw that there was fungus forming inside the stump (in the middle) as well as around it. This fungus looked like mushrooms growing out of the ground with stems. It's interesting to see how there are different colors of fungus in different areas of a plant. I wonder what this specifically refers to. It makes sense that the fungi are close to the reservoir because fungi are significant to biochemical cycles (ex. carbon cycle).