Parthenocissus quinquefolia, frequently regarded as the Virginia creeper, is a species of flowering vine located beneath the clade of angiosperms in the Plantae kingdom. As denoted at the bottom of the scientific classification pyramid, the species name for the Virginia creeper is P.quinquefolia, while the genus name is the Parthenocissus, indicating that the Virginia creeper is a climbing plant and can form seeds without pollination. Above the genus classification, the Virginia creeper is listed as being a part of the grape family, Vitaceae, for the small, greenish flowers it produces in inconspicuous clusters in late spring subsequently maturing in the late summer season to small, hard, purplish-black berries as depicted in the observation. To add to this, there are no distinct similarities in terms of the adaptations that all observed species in the group project have in common. This is merely because there is a broad range of species identified, each with a unique set of adaptations that differ from the rest. Not to mention, there are very few older plants in the observed sample. Traditionally, older plants, for example, a large maple tree, bear more adaptations than younger plants, for example, a garden weed, as they have undergone a diverse array of environmental conditions through which their genetic composition changed to better allow for survival and reproduction. That being said, a general adaptation that most of the observable species have in common is serrated leaves. General research suggests that serrated leaves bring in more energy and maximize the plants’ growth rate compared to smooth leaves as the teeth have better transpiration and photosynthesis early in the growing season while the leaves are initially blossoming (Nix 2021). Furthermore, the adaptations for an individual organism are more straightforward and quick to differentiate as compared to the complex group of organisms noted in the observational listings for the project. One such species that has undergone adaptations to its surrounding environment is the Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known as the black locust, a medium-sized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the legume family. Compared to other plants in the area that were inherently small, the black locust was considerably taller and projected further outward, extending its leaves and branches toward the sunlight in between the gaps of the other plants. To receive enough sunlight and nutrients to further conduct the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, the Robinia pseudoacacia had to grow taller and further outward, bypassing the other plants in the area. Not to mention, the black locust was relatively large, or ‘full,’ and looked very healthy, remaining untouched by other organisms. As a physiological adaptation or response to the environment and its predators, the black locust is toxic and poisonous which prevents other organisms from eating too much of it or destroying it, thereby promoting its full growth. Thus, it is clear that the black locust underwent the process of mutation to adapt to its surrounding environment and be best suited for long-term survival.

Burdock, or genus Arctium is a vascular plant (phylum) that is invasive to North America. It is part of the family, asteraceae, which is under the order asterales. Since Burdock lie close to the ground beneath large trees that block the sunlight they receive, they have evolved larger leaves, which provide increased surface area to absorb more light energy for photosynthesis. An adaptation common to all the observations is that they are C3 plants. While the C3 pathway leads to photorespiration in hot and dry climates, this is not a significant issue given the sufficient rainfall and moderate temperature of Montreal. It has not been necessary for the plants to evolve an alternative pathway. C3 plants evolved a long time ago when CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere were high and O2 concentrations were too low for photorespiration to be a problem.

Wat doen we aan de toenemende
vergrassing in Solleveld?” Er is gekozen voor het instellen van jaarrond begrazing met
paarden, later paarden en koeien met een gerichte schapenbegrazing. De gevolgen van
de begrazing werden gevolg door met enige regelmaat planteninventarisaties te doen.
De vraag is nu: “Is de doelstelling na 20 jaar behaald?”
https://edepot.wur.nl/520342

Dit artikel presenteert de resultaten van de inventarisatie
van korstmossen in Solleveld gedurende de jaren 2011
en 2012. Het onderzoeksgebied beslaat het deel van
het Natura 2000-gebied Solleveld en Kapittelduinen
dat wordt beheerd door Dunea, inclusief het gebied
de Geest. Van de landgoederen ten zuidoosten van het
gebied, Ock enburgh incl. het Hyacinthenbos en de Van
Leydenhof, Ockenrode en Dorestad zijn enkele stukken
van de openbaar toegankelijke delen meegenomen
in de inventarisatie. De aangrenzende zeereep, onder
beheer van het Hoogheemraadschap Delfland is wel in
het geheel meegenomen
https://edepot.wur.nl/519537

In 2012 hebben de eerste twee auteurs een planteninventarisatie uitgevoerd in Solleveld in
het kader van onderzoek door Dunea naar de effecten van begrazing in Solleveld. Eerdere
inventarisaties vonden plaats in 1993, 1998 en 2005 (Vertegaal 1993, Hagen 1998 en Toetenel
2009). T
https://repository.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/2066/123493/123493.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://www.vandergoesengroot.nl/insectenkartering-oostelijke-vechtplassen/

Project Korstmos monitoring Schapenbegrazing
In opdracht van PWN is in het najaar van 2012 begonnen met de monitoring van de
korstmosvegetatie in Bergen-Noord, met als doel het effect van de schapenbegrazing op de
korstmossen in kaart te brengen. Het onderzoek is opgezet door Hans Toetenel en Rozemarijn Sikkes
en wordt uitgevoerd door de korstmoswerkgroep van de KNNV afdeling Den Haag (KMWG) in
samenwerking met de BLWG [14].
https://eco-on-site.nl/mirrors/pwn-puur-natuur/pdfs/korstmossen_monitoring_schapenbegrazing_bergen_noord,toetenel&_sikkes_2012.pdf

https://eco-on-site.nl/

• Trombidium holosericeum, aka as red velvet mites. On the tree, it is located under Animalia kingdom, Arthropoda, Chelicerata, Arachnida, Acari, Acariformes, and Trobidformes Trombidiidae family.
• One common feature of all my species is they all have three pairs of jointed legs. Insects’ body is divided into three major regions, the head, the three-segmented thorax (which usually has three pairs of legs) and the many-segmented abdomen.
• Red velvet mites are unique because of its bright red color. One shocking fact is the oil from the red velvet mite Trombidium grandissimum is used in traditional Indian medicine to treat paralysis.

1. Euphorbia peplus
   Euphorbia peplus is native to most of Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, often invasive to North America and other countries in temperate and sub-tropical regions.

2. Common adaptation
   All of the observed species in the group have at least one shape part in them that prevents other organisms from eaten or destroying them. For example, Conyzinae (flower) has bristle in their plume; maple has teeth in their leaves; bees have a needle that contains venom. This makes sense if species do not have these aggressive "weapons" to protect them, they will be eaten and become distinct.

3. Unique trait adaptation
   Euphorbia peplus has a green flower that is very identical to its leaves, which might prevent it from being eaten or destroyed by other animals.

I observed daisies during bioblitz. It is a member of Leucanthemum, a genus of flowering plants within the eukaryotic domain.
One of the most basic adaptations observed in all plants was that they retain green color to absorb light energy needed most efficiently. They also have pointy tips which allow water or snow to run off quickly without damaging ones.
Among my observation, what I observed from those with flowers-daisies, catalpas, and white snakeroot- they all have their flowers on top of their body so that as much as sunlight will be absorbed by flowers.

1. I choose to locate Devil's Beggarticks on the phylogeny tree. It was under All Life, Eukaryotes, Plants, Flowering Plants, and then the Daisy Family. Going further into the phylogeny tree it was under the Asteroideae, Heliantheae alliance, Coreopsideae, and then under Spanish Needles, next to Viper Beggarticks.
2. An adaptation that all of the species in our group project had was bright attractive colors. The pigments can help attract flying pollinators like insects. Attracting pollinators for pollination is necessary for the flowering plant to reproduce (produce seeds).
3. The Borage flowering plants have interesting adaptations. Flowers are along scorpioid cymes where multiple flowers are on on side of a curved stem. This allows the plant to have a higher rate of self-pollination/self-seeding. Also, it has an indeterminate growth habit, which means the main stem continues to elongate indefinitely allowing for easy spreading.

1. Seductive Entodon Moss, a type of moss. Mosses are land streptophyta plants, which are under the green plant category of plants. Green plants are under the diphoda category of eukaryotes.
2. One thing that all of my observations have in common is photosynthesis. They have adapted into using their surface area to capture as much light as possible which then supplies the process of photosynthesis with its required energy.
3. My moss observation is unique because moss doesn't have any roots. It sticks itself to surfaces like dirt, rocks, and trees and sucks up nutrients and water from around it using its highly absorbent surface.

1) Sorbaria sorbifolia is one of many flowering plants observed at Mount Royal. On a phylogenetic tree, the plant is part of the Rosaceae family and one of nine species of the Sorbaria genus.

2) All the observed flowering plant species in the group project have bright-coloured petals, which likely help to attract the attention of pollinators like small birds and insects. Better facilitating pollination, this adaptation likely evolved by natural selection as pollinated plants were more likely to pass their traits to the next generation.

3) One unique adaptation can be seen on the Burdocks (Genus Arctium), which have small hooks that get caught in clothing, and likely animal fur as well. This likely allows the plant to spread its seeds and germinate relatively far away from its parent.

I have been working on a moth project this summer (2021) to work out some project ideas I want to incorporate into undergraduate research at Austin Community College.

The goal of the summer project is to calculate a biodiversity index of moths at one location using incidence data (using photos) rather than abundance data. The majority of moth surveys use light traps and calculate biodiversity parameters using the captured moth abundance data. These projects also preserve and store specimens for further research and identification.

While abundance data may be preferred it has considerable drawbacks. For consideration of undergraduate research at a community college the biggest drawbacks are the preservation, preparation and storage of specimens for the long term. Most community colleges lack research lab facilities and extra storage space as well as the expertise to curate the specimens for long periods of time.

Fortunately, there are statistics that can calculate biodiversity parameters and indices using incidence data rather than abundance data. But there are also considerable drawbacks to using incidence data as well especially if coupled with a lack of facilities to store voucher specimens. For instance, observations may never be identified without a voucher specimen.

Given the potential drawbacks to incidence data, the moths of Austin, Texas are fairly well documented and the majority of them can be identified through a photo although there exist several exceptions. However, it is not necessary to identify everything to species to accurately describe the biodiversity of a group of organisms. The use of morphospecies can help estimate diversity even without specific identification.

By posting this in my journal I am hoping to share this protocol with a few people to get feedback to help refine the techniques I am using and to interest others in developing and/or participating in these projects.

Methods and Materials

The location, my home, for the moth sampling was chosen specifically for convenience. Having a convenient location for future students (their own homes) to conduct surveys helps to eliminate some of the potential barriers to doing research (e.g. traveling, discomfort in being in unfamiliar places, etc.) and it connects the student to the research at their own home making it relevant to their immediate environment. This is a key factor in helping students, especially those unfamiliar with scientific research, connect to research and to the scientific method.

The nights chosen for the survey were also out of convenience but with some attempts at meeting a few criteria. Nights of rain or high wind were not sampled. However, temperature, humidity and moon phases were not considered during sampling even though each of these were measured to determin later if they had an effect on the diversity of moths appearing at the light.

A blacklight was hung in front of a white surface 30 minutes before dark (usually around 7:30pm CST) and remained on until midnight. The light was turned off at the end of the survey period and not left on overnight so as to minimize any interference it might be causing in reproductive or feeding behaviors of the moths or any of the other arthropods that might have been attracted to the light.

Surveys were conducted using a camera. I took a picture of each moth species that appeared at the light. I would start taking photographs for about 20 minutes making sure that I had accounted for each of the species present and then I would repeat the survey every hour making sure to photograph any new moths at the light. Each survey date represented about 4.5 hours of blacklight luring and about 1.5 hours of total surveying.

I used 2 different macro lenses to take clear images of the moths and this greatly aided in the ability to take photos of the micromoths.

Photo processing was required to elimate bad pictures and to crop and rotate images for easier identification once put into iNaturalist. Each species from each survey was input into iNaturalist for purposes of records and identification.

The survey dates include:
4/23/2021
4/29/2021
5/1/2021
5/2/2021
5/3/2021
5/9/2021
5/30/2021
6/3/2021
6/5/2021
6/6/2021
6/7/2021
6/8/2021
6/13/2021
6/27/2021
6/28/2021
6/29/2021
7/1/2021
7/2/2021
7/13/2021
7/15/2021
7/22/2021
7/25/2021
7/26/2021
8/1/2021
8/3/2021
8/5/2021
8/13/2021
8/17/2021
8/23/2021
8/26/2021
9/5/2021
9/9/2021
9/10/2021
9/16/2021
9/17/2021
9/20/2021

Ongoing Results

I am currently still doing the surveys and plan to continue doing the surveys until the end of October.

The results that I have started to piece together are very rough still and unfinished because a great deal more work needs to be done to work in identifications (either to species or assign a morpho species designation).

However, the raw data downloaded from iNaturalist can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1asF68vCnoToNM31h4cyMY1xLCoGLUwmExuTL0PTnRrc/edit?usp=sharing
I have attempted to create a template for the biodiversity matrix and have done a preliminary incidence graph in this google sheets file. In the future I will be generating a species accumulation curve, a rarefaction curve as well as calculations for a diversity index. I will also look at relationships between diversity and physical factors like moon phase, temperature and humidity.

I have also created a project in iNaturalist to assist in keeping track of species and to facilitate identification. It can be found at: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/moth-id-project

One of the other reasons that I took on this project is that I wanted to become more proficient at identifying moths. This project has given me a lot more exposure and practice at identifying families of moths by sight and familiarizing me with the set of species that visit this location. Since April I have identified around 300 species at my light which will grow as more of the "difficult" species are identified.

Other projects

I will be conducting these surveys with my organismal biology classes at ACC but in partnership with the cell and molecular biology and biotechnology classes I have funding to have them perform DNA barcoding on moths that may be difficult to identify. We conducted a test run of DNA barcoding on 6 different moth species that I collected from my light and had 100% success at DNA amplification, extraction and sequencing. The results also matched expected species.

The ability to DNA barcode difficult species will help to alleviate some of the problems associated with not having voucher specimens. I am hoping that eventually we will get funding to expand this research project and will be able to collect more specimens.

Conclusions

While I don't have any major data conclusions at this time I would like to say that the experience of doing this project has been very encouraging. the surveys were consistent and it helped my become much more familiar with some of the difficult species that I have had little experience with. So far this project represents about 50 hours of survey time and much more than that in photo processing and identification but it has been very engaging and has encouraged me to look deeper into the analysis of this kind of data.

Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated and of course I want to thank everyone who has ever contributed an identification to the large number of moths I have posted this summer. If you have ideas, questions, or comments I would love to hear them. I am also open to new ideas and to collaborations.

Position of Maianthemum racemosum in a phylogenetic tree:
Starting from the main branch and following the main branch after each division, branching off from eukaryotes, then from the branch right after mesangiospermae from 353620 species, then the branch right before orchards from 40578 species, then the branch from 3207 species, then the branch from 490 species, then the branch from mayflower, then the branch from 9 species, then the branch from 2 species.

Adaptation that all observations have:
None, because not all observations are native to North America. For example, the greater burdock is native to temperate regions of the Old World, in very different and far away regions such as British isles and Japan.

Unique adaptation for one observation:
The hooked tips of the involucral phyllaries of the greater burdock are an adaptation for seed dispersal. The animals pick up the seeds of the mature seed heads as the hooked tips secure to animals' fur, and the seeds can be dispersed to new locations this way.

1. Garlic mustard, or Alliaria petiolata, is a biennial flowering plant in the mustard family. It belongs to Domain Eukaryote, Kingdom Plantae, Phylum Vascular Plant, Class Dicotyledons, Order Mustards and Allies, Family Brassicaceae, Genus Alliaria, Species A. Petiolata.

2. Bush is defined as a low densely branched shrub. It is obvious that all observed species we collected grow very shallow roots compared with other plants nearby, in this way, they can take advantage of rain and also rely on a long tap root to reach down to water stored in the ground. And being close to the ground can avoid freezing as well. Moreover, i found that they always grow in clumps to protect one another from the wind and low temperatures.
   Take Garlic Mustard as an example:
   

3. Burdock has a really unique look, which is globe-shaped and thistle-like. Their hooked tips are an adaptation for SEED DISPERSAL, when animals passing by, the hooked tips can easily stick on their body by grasping onto their fur, so that the seeds can be taken to different new places then fall on the ground to expand its territories.
   The image of Burdock:
   

On our hike, I came across a pine tree. Using OneZoom I was able to find out the pine belongs to the acrogymnospermae family, which is a type of seed plant. Seed plants fall into the euphyllophyta family, which is a kind of vascular plant. Here is a link to see it (https://www.onezoom.org/life/@Pinus=771683?img=best_any&anim=flight#x375,y309,w0.8506).
As well all the observed species in my group project are vascular plants, which means they all have lignified tissues for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant.
A unique adaptation found in one of my observations is the fact that the subtribe cenchrinae is a monocot, which means that the seeds of typically contain only one embryonic leaf.

Listen to replay here https://vimeo.com/610589798
Studies on recovery of particular flora post bushfires.
Presented 21 September 2021 Department of Planning Industry and Environment

September 17, 2021, we headed to the city shortly after 5:00 and were home before 7:00. It was an extra trip so a bit troubling. We had no idea how special it would be!
We had just turned out of the Park at the Eastbank gate when a very large whitish bird flew across the road and roosted within sight of binoculars. It was a Great Horned Owl! We’ve seen these birds at Condie Park and one year by the Scout Camp at Pike Lake. Surprised but not totally untoward.
At the north end of the lake, we slowed, searched for and found, the Great Blue Heron that has been frequenting the lake this past week. We see them pass through but they don’t stay here all year. In no hurry to get to the city, we turned onto the back road. Four geese were feeding in the first field such that you could see heads and necks only craning to look at us. Fun. A white tail doe and fawn were in the fourth or so field and three turkey vultures came soaring over us soon after. Last week along this same road en route from the tree farm we had seen about a dozen turkey vultures, many young without the characteristic red head, feeding on a deer carcass in the ditch. As we passed, we noted those bones were picked totally clean.
We thought we had been very lucky in our sightings but in the next field, our passing vehicle disturbed three young bucks, all well-antlered mule deer. They posed for a close up view with the binoculars. Also, near the fence in the field across the lane we saw sandhill cranes near a flock of geese. These are among the first crane sightings this fall other than flocks we have seen fly over. Well satisfied with our wildlife count for the evening, we turned onto the paved Valley Road, past the tree farm. But before we arrived at the Berry Barn and Tuff Turf fields, something dark caught my eye; I called out uncertainly ‘moose?". We pulled over and parked. We discovered that we were indeed viewing a huge, an enormous bull moose that had a rack to be envied! We could each have had an armchair up there! Very impressive. We watched him for awhile. He was headed back to where we had come from but every now and then he avoided a bush and turned our way so we got a front view and could watch his wattle sway too. We have no photos to share, just memories and incentive to go for a drive now and then two hours before sunset!

Post Script: In addition to our regulars at the bird feeders and in the yard: chickadee, white-breasted nuthatches, hairy and downy woodpeckers, robins, goldfinches and purple finches, we have hosted juncos, flickers, jays, white-throated sparrows, grackles, and a chipmunk. On and over the lake we've watched various unidentified ducks, Canada geese, cormorants, small pied-billed grebes, a lone pelican, and of course the heron I mentioned earlier. Yes, we have seen the beaver lately too. They head south an hour or two before sunset travelling way out near the middle of the lake; it is too shallow along the shoreline this year.

Rheum-rhabarbarum more commonly known as Garden Rhubarb is a fleshy stalk like vegetation purple in color with large green leaves. It belongs to and is one of the most recent common ancestors of the Rheum genus, a taxon group which consists of perennial plants with large leaves somewhat triangular. During the duration of my BioBlitz lab I chose to observe angiosperms, and one adaptation that all my species have in common is the presence of vascular tissue (xylem and phloem). This is because they are not situated in an aquatic environment and therefore must transfer water and nutrients throughout the plant. Of the plants I observed, the Solomon’s Plume appeared to have a unique adaptation which was present in the form of berries. This is most likely due to the fact that it does not have petals and therefore in order to reproduce in other locations, the fruit must be eaten by an animal and then excreted thus causing the growth of a new plant from its ingested seed in a new location.

one unique adaptation for one selected observation:
On the 15th of September 2021, we were asked to go on a naturalist bioblitz where we walked around Mount Royale making different observations, the theme of my group was trees. So I spent time looking for different trees, taking pictures and making observations. One specific tree that caught my eye was the Sugar maple, scientifically known as Acer saccharum. It's roots were large and branched out and were visible from above the ground. Upon further research I found out that that is an adaptation for Sugar Maples, they have adapted their rooting system to be extremely adequate to obtain nutrients and water from the soil. In addition, they have a mutualistic relationship with a specific fungi which allow them to optimize and maximize their water and nutrient intake.

one adaptation that all observations have in common:
A common adaptation that all the observations of my group had was bark, which is an outer covering that protects trees from several external factors like diseases, insects, animals, extreme weather conditions. In addition it has inner spaces for air that act like insulators for the tree allowing them to maitain an optimal temperature.

one phylogeny placement for one selected observation: Sugar Maple

Domain Eukaryota
Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Order Sapindales
Family Aceraceae
Genus Acer
Species saccharum

An unique adaptation for one for one of my observations on coneflower is its prickly seed head. This discourages animals as the seeds appears to cause danger to them. The plant develops this adaptation to prevent the seeds to be eaten by animals such as birds.

One adaptation that all of my observations have in common is the variations in coloration. The most common colors are pink and bright yellow, which mostly serve to attract insects for pollination and seed dispersal.

The phylogeny placement for one of my observations that I researched on panicled hydrangeas (Hydrangea Paniculata). It is on the Hydrangea genus, in the family Hydrangeaceae, order Cornales. It is a deciduous shrub growing in sparse forests or thickets in valleys or on mountain slopes.

The blue spruce belongs to the Kingdom Plantea, Subkingdom Streptophyta (land plant) Division Tracheophyta (vascular plant), Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plant), genus Picea, Species pungens.

Specific observation: Blue spruces have needle like leaves as opposed to broad ones. Needles loose less water and have less wind resistance making the tree less likely to fall over in storms.

General observations: Most if not all the plants had green leaves reflecting the universal presence of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the light-absorbing pigment allowing plants to absorb light energy to power carbon fixation.

The blue spruce belongs to the Kingdom Plantea, Subkingdom Streptophyta (land plant), Division Tracheophyta (vascular plant), Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plant), genus Picea, Species pungens.

Specific observation: Blue spruces have needle like leaves as opposed to broad ones. Needles loose less water and have less wind resistance making the tree less likely to fall over in storms.

General observations: Most if not all the plants had green leaves reflecting the universal presence of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the light-absorbing pigment allowing plants to absorb light energy to power carbon fixation.

The phylogeny placement of the American Aster falls most closely within the Daisy family. Its most recent ancestors include the Smallhead, Purplestern, and Douglas asters. The Daisy family resides within a larger category of Eudicots, a subsect of flowering and seed plants.

The angiosperms in my observations all share a common adaptation crucial to their survival. All of these plants flower. Flowering, though also beautiful to look at, has a more important purpose: to help plants seed and reproduce. The flowering plants and their nectar invite insects and other animals to pollinate and help them reproduce.

The Dwarf dandelion, as pictured in one of my observations, has a unique adaptation to help it reproduce. The yellow dandelion flower transitions into the signature grey fluff. This fluff enables the dandelions seeds to be carried easily by the wind, enabling its reproduction without the help of an insect.

The species I chose for the unique adaptation was the bull thistle. Its unique adaptation are the spines surrounding the flower of the bull weed which are used to protect it from hungry animals.

One adaptation that all my observations had in common, minus the groundhog, was the colour of all the plants. Plants developed to be primarily green in colour to best absorb red wavelength light which they mostly use to grow.

I would place all the plants in the tracheophyte phylogeny since they all have a vascular system. The groundhog I would place in the marmota phylogeny since it is one of 14 marmots within that phylogeny.

The phylogenetic placement of the Sugar Maple is as follows: it branches from Eukaryotes to Plants, to Green plants, to Land plants, to Vascular plants, to Seeded plants, to Flowering plants and then Eudicots. Next, we can see the order is Sapindae, that Sugar Maples are part of the Soapberry family and the Acer genus. The last common ancestor of Sugar Maples is the Canyon Maple.

One common adaptation among all the trees I observed is stomata, which help regulate water loss during extreme temperatures.

An adaptation unique to the pine genus that I observed was that it has long and thin needles, so it has fewer stomata. This means it has even less of an ability to lose water during the cold Montreal winters.

On September 15th, there was a BIOL111 Bioblitz event, during which we were tasked with finding 10 different organisms (each) that related to our topic of choice; seeing as how we chose to analyze how insects interact with plants in their environment, we selected these as the primary subjects of our observations. The Bombus impatiens, known as the Common Eastern Bumble Bee, has an adaptation uncommon to various other insects: hair. Seeing as these bees are native to North America, it was necessary for them to develop protection from the cold, harsh winters; their adaptation of hair around their bodies is well-suited for the climate.

Though many of the organisms observed differed from each other (arachnids vs. hymenopteras, etc), they all had a common adaptation: several legs/appendages. Their numerous appendages allow for an increased range of locomotion, as well as better balance when landing on differing surfaces.

Below is my phylogenetic placement for the Common Eastern Bumble Bees I observed at Jeanne-Mance Park, near Mont Royal:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Anthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Bombus
Species: Bombus impatiens

On September 14, I went on a hunt for different types of leaves and I was glad to find some unique adaptations. Firstly, most leaves during this time of the year in Canada are green in colour. This is a unique adaptation of many leaves that dates way back, since leaves produce chlorophyll (their own food) with the help of photosynthesis, and chlorophyll gives the leaves their green pigment. In a specific group of leaves I found, an adaptation is for them to produce poison/toxins. These leaves were determined to be eastern poison ivy by going through a dichotomous key and suggestions from iNaturalist. Lastly, again through a dichotomous key, I was able to determine the phylogeny of one of the types of leaves I've found. I was able to find the species level of the goldenrods I spotted: solidago canadensis var. canadensis. All 10 observation photos (including the poison ivy and goldenrods) are included in this journal entry,

Results for the third week of the Spring BioBlitz Series below. Each series continues this Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the following events:

After School BioBlitz Series - 21AS4 Event - Friday 24th September, 3pm - 11pm. What can you discover on a Friday afternoon and evening.
Micro BioBlitz Series - 21M4 Event - Saturday 25th Sept, 12pm - 1pm. Again, you've got 60min to discover as much as you can.
Buzz & Crawl BioBlitz Series - Harmonia Event - Sunday 26th Sept. The first of the Buzz & Crawl BioBlitz Series. How many Invertebrates can you find in one Spring day.

Third in this Micro Bioblitz Series this Spring, the 21M3 Event (11am - 12pm) Event brought in a total 162 observations covering 79 species from 15 observers. The top 10 observed species are shown below.

Third in this Micro Bioblitz Series this Spring, the 21M3 Event (11am - 12pm) Event brought in a total 129 observations covering 77 species from 14 observers. The top 10 observed species are shown below.

First in the Fathom BioBlitz series this Spring, the Tosia Event brought in 16 observations covering 12 species from 3 observers. The top 10 observed species are shown below.

Third in the After School Series this Spring, the 21AS3 Event brought in a total 141 observations covering 85 species from 24 observers. The top 10 observed species are shown below.

Third in the After School Series this Spring, the 21AS3 Event brought in a total 141 observations covering 85 species from 24 observers. The top 10 observed species are shown below.

Third in this Micro Bioblitz Series this Spring, the 21M3 Event (11am - 12pm) Event brought in a total 162 observations covering 79 species from 15 observers. The top 10 observed species are shown below.

Third in this Micro Bioblitz Series this Spring, the 21M3 Event (11am - 12pm) Event brought in a total 162 observations covering 79 species from 15 observers. The top 10 observed species are shown below.