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The threat of invasive species - Jennifer Klos

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One commonly used classification system for wetlands was developed by Cowardin and is described in Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States Exit. The Cowardin system is used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the National Wetlands Inventory. In this system, wetlands are classified by landscape position, vegetation cover and hydrologic regime. The Cowardin system includes five major wetland types: marine, tidal, lacustrine, palustrine and riverine.

Another common wetland classification system, used by the Army Corps of Engineers, was developed by Brinson and is described in A Hydrogeomorphic Classification for Wetlands Exit. As the title implies, wetlands are classified by their geomorphic setting, dominant water source (e.g. precipitation, groundwater or surface water) and hydrodynamics. The hydrogeomorphic (HGM) includes five major wetland types: riverine, slope depressional, flat and fringe.

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Wetlands Classification and Types | US EPA

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One commonly used classification system for wetlands was developed by Cowardin and is described in Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States Exit. The Cowardin system is used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the National Wetlands Inventory. In this system, wetlands are classified by landscape position, vegetation cover and hydrologic regime.

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Invasive Species: Animals - Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

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A species profile for Wild Boar from USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center.

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Distinguishing characteristics include size. Javelinas are small and compact, weighing from 30 to 55 pounds, while adult feral hogs can reach 100 pounds or more. Javelinas are a grizzled brown and black with a white band of coarse hair, its "collar," around the neck. Feral hogs come in a variety of colors and combinations of colors.

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Growing up my kids loved to pick wild dewberries. Some called them wild blackberries. A vacant field near our house has plenty of these low spikey vines. The ones my husband hates and pulls them up wherever they get in his way. Very prickly plants.

I also remember as a kid picking wild dewberries. They seem to ripen before the wild blackberries here. Some people say they went blackberry pickin' and others went dewberry pickin'. I decided to find out the difference between the 2 berries or are they the same thing.

Dewberries ripen before the wild blackberries here. Biggest issue is picking the berries without getting scratched up. Dewberries grow on vines which run along the ground, a kind of ground cover. The biggest difference is the spiky stems. Look kind of hairy don't they?

Now blackberries have bigger and fewer thorns. Blackberries grow more upright than dewberries. Either way is yummy. My favorites though are the University of Arkansas's thornless blackberries. Tasty, no thorns, larger berries.

Our area is blessed with several pick your own berry farms. My favorite place for blackberries is Enoch's Berry Farm in Fouke. We've picked there for several years, and they really are tasty sun warmed and freshly picked off the vine. Enoch's also sells blackberry plants to grow your own. You have to order in advance as they sell out quite quickly.

More on Dewberries and Blackberries

Enoch's Berry Farm Pick your own blackberries, buy blackberry plants, how to grow blackberries

Local Harvest Search for blackberries or other locally harvested goodies in your area
Arkansas Blackberries Have Dewberry, Will Travel A Blackberry Guide: Dewberries Ripen Earlier Dewberry Recipes
Southern Dewberry listing in native plant database

Dewberry Merriwether's Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Texas and the Southwest

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What is the Difference Between a Dewberry and Blackberry? - HomeGrown LifeStyle

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Growing up my kids loved to pick wild dewberries. Some called them wild blackberries. A vacant field near our house has plenty of these low spikey vines. The ones my husband hates and pulls them up wherever they get in ... Continue reading →

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About the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

The ivory-billed woodpecker recently went from near total obscurity to superstardom when birders reported a sighting of the believed-to-be-extinct species.

The world's third largest woodpecker was condemned to oblivion some 50 years ago, but in April 2005, a stunning video emerged from a vast Arkansas swamp forest. The tape appeared to show a live ivory-billed woodpecker-and captured the attention of the world. It was hailed as the birding equivalent of finding Elvis alive.

In the wake of the discovery, some experts supported the evidence while others suggested that the tape showed a similar, smaller woodpecker-the pileated -which remains common in much of North America.

Ivory-billed woodpeckers make a unique double-knock noise when pecking at trees, and this sound may be a crucial aid to identifying any surviving birds. A recent recording may have captured this distinctive sound, but it may also reflect noises of nonavian origin.

Until more hard evidence emerges from the Mississippi Delta's inaccessible, 860-square-mile Big Woods region, the ivory-bill's status must remain uncertain. But it is beyond doubt that the bird captured the attention of America and became a tragic symbol of the vanished old-growth delta forests it once frequented. These woodlands survive today mostly in isolated patches.

Ivory-billed woodpeckers use their enormous white bill (not really made of ivory, but bone) to strip bark from dead but standing trees, and to access the beetle larvae that make up their primary food. These bills were once decorative objects prized by some Native Americans. They have been found in archaeological digs far from the bird's ancient range-which suggests that they had value as trade items.

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Ivory-Billed Woodpecker | National Geographic

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About the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker The ivory-billed woodpecker recently went from near total obscurity to superstardom when birders reported a sighting of the believed-to-be-extinct species. The world's third largest woodpecker was condemned to oblivion some 50 years ago, but in April 2005, a stunning video emerged from a vast Arkansas swamp forest.

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procyonid, (family Procyonidae), any of a group of tree-climbing mammals comprising raccoons, coatis, olingos, the New World ringtail, the cacomistle, and the kinkajou. Though the 18 species are classified as carnivores, procyonids are actually omnivorous and are closely related to bears (family Ursidae). Indeed, both the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the lesser, or red, panda ( Ailurus fulgens) have been grouped in the past as procyonids; however, the giant panda is actually a bear, and the lesser panda is the sole member of family Ailuridae. Procyonids mostly inhabit Central America, and only the North American raccoon is widely distributed north of the tropics. The raccoon and some other procyonids are sometimes kept as pets.

Natural history

Procyonids are relatively small carnivores that usually weigh 1-12 kg (2-26 pounds), depending on the species. Body lengths range from 30-70 cm (12-28 inches), and tails range from 20 to 70 cm. Coats are generally brown, and many species have facial markings and a dark-banded tail. The eyes are large and the ears rounded. The tail can be prehensile, as in the kinkajou ( Potos flavus), or semiprehensile and used for balance, as in the coatis (genera Nasua and Nasuella). The feet have five digits and are void of fur on the soles. Long fingers allow great dexterity; all species are good climbers, and at least one species, the kinkajou, is arboreal. The claws are short, curved, and either nonretractile or semiretractile. Like bears, procyonids walk on the soles of the feet (plantigrade locomotion), leaving clear imprints of the paw pad and all digits. Procyonids have 40 teeth, with long canine teeth and small, sharp premolars; the molars are broad. This dentition is indicative of an omnivorous diet that includes animal flesh, invertebrates, fruits, and grains. Kinkajous are mostly fruit eaters (frugivorous), whereas other species are opportunistic and consume whatever is available.

Social systems of procyonids vary from extensive groupings of unrelated animals, as observed in coatis, and the family groups of raccoons to the solitary kinkajou. Males mate with more than one female, and most procyoinids breed in the spring. Young are often born in hollow trees, tree cavities, or abandoned farm buildings. Only females provide parental care. Except for kinkajous, procyonids do not defend territories, with the result that many animals can occupy a relatively small area. Densities are affected mostly by abundance of food, depredation by humans, and natural predation and disease. The highest densities of procyonids occur among raccoons inhabiting urban areas of North America, such as Toronto in Canada and Chicago in the United States.

Paleontology and classification

Procyonids belong to the mammalian order Carnivora. They evolved in the tropics, diverging from ursids about 30-50 million years ago.

Family Procyonidae (procyonids)

18 species in 6 genera found only in the Western Hemisphere.

(Genus Nasua coatis)

2 Central and South American species, 1 ranging into North America.

Genus Nasuella (mountain coati)

1 South American species.

Serge Lariviere

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Procyonid | Raccoons, Coatis & Ringtails

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Procyonid, (family Procyonidae), any of a group of tree-climbing mammals comprising raccoons, coatis, olingos, the New World ringtail, the cacomistle, and the kinkajou. Though the 18 species are classified as carnivores, procyonids are actually omnivorous and are closely related to bears (family

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Explorer

Age of Discovery

Claim to Fame:
Mapped much of the southern half of the modern United States, from Florida to North Carolina and west to the Mississippi River.

Hernando de Soto

"AN OLD PORTRAIT OF HERNANDO DE SOTO (ca. 1500-1542). Engraving from Retratos de los Españoles Illustres con un Epítome de sus Vidas, Madrid, Imprenta real, 1791." Caption, translated from Spanish: "HERNANDO DE SOTO: Extremaduran, one of the discoverers and conquerors of Peru: he travelled across all of La Florida and defeated its still invincible natives; he died in his expedition in the year 1543 in his 42nd year of age."

Early Life

Hernando de Soto was born around 1501 in the Spanish province of Extremadura. Like many conquistadors, his early years in Spain are unknown, and the first reference to him is in 1519, when young de Soto shows up in the newly conquered Spanish territory of Darién, in modern day Panama.

Some say that de Soto had attended the University of Salamanca, a famous school in Spain. This would indicate that his family had some money, influence and connections.

Voyages

For several years, de Soto made his living as a soldier, quieting native resistance around Central America. In 1521, a native chieftain named Urraca organized a successful guerrilla campaign against the Spanish in Darién. De Soto, fighting under the command of a ruthless captain named Francisco Pizarro, rode out to the aid of a small Spanish army led by Gaspar de Espinosa, and managed to drive Urraca and his men into the mountains. Because of his daring actions in the face of danger, de Soto and his commander Pizarro became instant heroes in Panama.

On an expedition to Nicaragua in 1524, de Soto did not gain the wealth he had wanted, but found himself instead in a political struggle. He stayed loyal to the Governor of Darién, Pedro Arias Dávila (often called Pedrarias) and his lieutenant, Hernández de Córdoba. He was rewarded for his loyalty with money and prestige and de Soto partnered with two Spaniards named Francisco Compañón and Hernán Ponce de León in the lucrative native slave trade.

Because of the slave trade, de Soto reconnected with his former army commander Francisco Pizarro. De Soto would march inland to capture natives to sell at the slave market in the newly founded town of Panama, on the Pacific coast. In 1530, Pizarro arrived in town to drum up support for a proposed expedition against the native cultures of South America's Andes mountain region. He needed fighting men, ships and supplies. De Soto and Ponce de León agreed to support the expedition with their ships and supplies. At the end of 1530, Pizarro's expedition of two hundred men set sail from Panama, with de Soto as one of his scouts.

De Soto returned to the New World in November 1538, and put together an army of Spanish soldiers and horses to invade Florida.

On May 18th, 1539, de Soto's expedition of near 1,000 men and nine ships set sail for Florida. A week later, de Soto's flagship San Cristobal landed somewhere near modern Tampa Bay, which he christened Espiritu Santo.

On May 8, 1541, they found themselves on the banks of the great Mississippi River, which de Soto dubbed the Rio de Espiritu Santo ("River of the Holy Spirit"), probably near the site of present day Memphis, Tennessee. By early June, the Spaniards felt rested enough from their recent hardships to attempt a crossing of the mighty river. The expedition constructed several barges, which they rowed down river towards the Ozark Mountains where it was rumored that the natives possessed a large fortune in gold, which proved false.

By late 1541, they had reached modern day Arkansas, where once again, the rumor of gold turned out to be false.

De Soto set up winter quarters in southeastern Arkansas, where he took stock of his expedition. There was little material wealth to show: a handful of pearls from Cofitachequi, some copper from Chiaha, but no land was conquered and settled, and no slaves were captured to take back to Cuba. Worst still, there was obviously no gold to be had. After several years on the march, de Soto had lost about half his men, most of whom were clad in animal skins like their native opponents, and they were surrounded by enemies who refused to feed them. The expedition had traveled several thousand miles through the North American continent, mapping it out and serving as ambassadors to native cultures.

Spanish scouts sent further down the Mississippi returned and reported that the way south would be difficult to travel; the land was swampy and the natives were unwilling to trade for food. After this news de Soto became sick and confessed his sins to the expedition's chaplains. After apologizing to his soldiers for leading them into the wilderness with no way of escape, he named Luis Moscoso de Alvarado, a capable Spanish soldier used to the hard life of an explorer, as his successor.

Upon the death of de Soto, it was decided to conceal his death from the natives, so they buried him with full military honors just outside their camp, near modern day Natchez, Mississippi. The local natives grew concerned, because de Soto seemed to have disappeared, and because the Spanish had given them a very simplified explanation of Christianity, which insisted that Christians could never die. When it became apparent that de Soto had indeed died, the natives started to doubt the powers attributed to the Spaniards' religion and began to act suspiciously around the outskirts of the camp. Moscoso de Alvarado was afraid that the natives might find and desecrate de Soto's body, so he had his former commander exhumed and buried again, this time in the Rio del Espiritu Santo. Figuring that an attack was imminent, he ordered the men to start marching north, to where they had spent the winter. Here they constructed several more barges and made their way down what is now called the Brazos River, into the Spanish province of Panuco, in northern Mexico, by mid-September 1543. There were roughly 300 survivors.

Legacy

Although no gold was found and no colonies created, the records from the expedition increased European knowledge of the geography of the New World, as well as information on the indigenous peoples. These accounts are the only European description of North American native habits and culture of the Southeast before the influence of Europeans.

Due to the failure to find wealth within the continent, Spain chose to concentrate on Florida, the Pacific coast and southern portions of the New World.

De Soto's men instigated most of the attacks with the native peoples, leading to long-lasting mistrust and hostility between the natives and European settlers.

The indigenous peoples encountered by de Soto and his men were exposed to European diseases for which they had no immunity, such as measles, smallpox and the chicken pox, causing massive loss of life amongst the Native Americans.

Clayton, Lawrence A., Clayton, Vernon J. K., and Moore, Edward C. The de Soto Chronicles: The Expedition of Hernando de Soto to North America in 1539-1543. University of Alabama Press, 1996.

Galloway, Patricia. The Hernando de Soto expedition: history, historiography, and "discovery" in the Southeast. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005.

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Claim to Fame: Mapped much of the southern half of the modern United States, from Florida to North Carolina and west to the Mississippi River. "AN OLD PORTRAIT OF HERNANDO DE SOTO (ca. 1500-1542). Engraving from Retratos de los Españoles Illustres con un Epítome de sus Vidas, Madrid, Imprenta real, 1791."

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North American Black Bear (ursus americanus luteolus)

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North American Black Bear (ursus americanus luteolus)

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Louisiana Black Bear Status & Range | Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

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The Louisiana black bear was listed as threatened within its historic range (defined as southern Mississippi, Louisiana, and east Texas) under the Endangered Species Act on January 7, 1992 (57 FR 588), due to extensive habitat loss and modification, as well as human-related mortality.

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texas wildlife facts fact sheets wild animals mammals birds fish native plants reptiles amphibians

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Information about the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), a species found in the State of Texas