The WFSU Ecology Blog
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Kayak and Canoe Adventures
Chipola River Paddling Trail | The Ovens and...
Kayaking Bald Point | Adventure on a Living...
Wacissa Springs Adventure | Kayaking a Wild Florida...
A Geologist’s View of the Apalachicola River |...
Upper Chipola River Kayak Adventure | Ghosts &...
Tate’s Hell & the Apalachicola River Delta |...
Kayak Scouting Mission on the Ochlockonee Water Trail
Merritt’s Mill Pond | Kayaking and Spring Caves
Kayaking the Apalachicola River with my Four-Year-Old Son
Canoeing the Aucilla: A Red Hills River Steeped...

The WFSU Ecology Blog

  • Home
    • About
    • EcoAdventures
      • Kayak and Canoe Adventures
      • Hiking
      • Wildlife Watching
    • WFSU Public Media Home
  • Documentaries
    • EcoCitizen Show | Seasons in South Tallahassee
    • Red Wolf Family Celebrates First Year at the Tallahassee Museum
    • Roaming the Red Hills
    • Oyster Doctors
    • Testing the Ecology of Fear
    • EcoShakespeare
    • Stories from the Apalachicola
    • Classic WFSU Ecology Documentaries
  • Habitats
    • Estuaries
      • Oyster Reef
        • The Effects of Predators and Fear on Oyster Reefs
        • Apalachicola Oyster Research
        • Animal Species in a North Florida Intertidal Oyster Reef
        • Oyster Reef Ecology | On the Reef
      • Salt Marsh
        • In the Grass- Salt Marsh Biodiversity Study
        • Plants and Animals of a North Florida Salt Marsh
        • Salt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass
      • Seagrass Bed
        • Predatory Snails, and Prey, of the Bay Mouth Bar Seagrass Beds
      • In the Grass, On the Reef Glossary
    • Waterways Big and Small
      • Apalachicola Basin
        • Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines | Virtual Field Trip
        • The Age of Nature Screening & Discussion | The Future of the Apalachicola
        • Apalachicola RiverTrek | Kayaking, Camping, & Hiking the River Basin
        • Apalachicola River and Bay
      • Aucilla/ Wacissa Watershed
    • Longleaf Pine & Fire Ecology
  • Backyard Habitat
    • Backyard Blog
      • The Backyard Bug Blog 2018
      • Backyard Blog January 2019
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      • Backyard Blog October through December 2019
      • Backyard Blog January 2020
      • Backyard Blog February and March 2020
      • Backyard Blog April 2020
      • Backyard Blog May 2020
      • Backyard Blog June 2020
      • July and August 2020 Backyard Blog
      • Backyard Blog September/ October 2020
      • Backyard Blog November/ December 2020
      • Backyard Ecology Blog | 2021
    • Backyard Flora and Fauna
      • Bees of North Florida and South Georgia
      • Woody Vines of North Florida
    • Florida Friendly Seasonal Planting Guide
    • Pollinator and Gardening Posts
    • Gardening Web Resources
Tag:

spartina alterniflora

  • Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass

    Does Diversity Matter in the Salt Marsh? A Look Back

    by Randall August 19, 2014
    by Randall August 19, 2014

    Randall Hughes has wrapped her Saint Joseph Bay salt marsh research. What has she learned about diversity and the health and productivity of the ecosystem?

  • Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass

    Seagrass Wrack in the Salt Marsh – Blessing or Curse?

    by Randall August 22, 2013
    by Randall August 22, 2013

    Can some disturbances be beneficial? So is Seagrass wrack in the salt marsh a destroyer, or provider of nutrients and habitat?

  • Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the GrassWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small

    Diversity- Getting by With a Little Help From (Salt) Marsh Friends

    by Randall August 1, 2013
    by Randall August 1, 2013

    Fiddler crabs are cute, but they have purpose, too. Dr. Randall Hughes looks at combinations of plant and animal species that make for a healthy salt marsh.

  • Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass

    The Many Personalities of Salt Marsh Cordgrass

    by Randall July 17, 2013
    by Randall July 17, 2013

    It’s hard to see, but marsh cordgrass plants have their own personalities. Genetic diversity may benefit the salt marsh and the critters that rely on it.

  • Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass

    Grasses in Classes: Kids Learn to Build a Salt Marsh

    by Rob Diaz de Villegas July 2, 2013
    by Rob Diaz de Villegas July 2, 2013

    Schoolchildren take to Choctawhatchee Bay for a day of sun, fun, and coastal restoration. Grasses in Classes has kids raise and plant salt marsh cordgrass.

  • Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass

    How Can We Prevent Salt Marsh Die-Off?

    by Randall June 26, 2013
    by Randall June 26, 2013

    Marshes are as productive a habitat as oyster reefs, and just as vulnerable to drought. Randall Hughes looks at what makes a salt marsh resistant to loss.

  • Salt Marsh Ecology | In the GrassWildlife in North Florida- Critters Big and Small

    Crown Conchs- Friend or Foe?

    by Randall March 20, 2013
    by Randall March 20, 2013

    The crown conch is the Jekyll and Hyde of coastal ecosystems. Dr. Randall Hughes clarifies why the predatory snail might be a friend or foe to the salt marsh.

  • Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass

    A long time in the making

    by Randall November 28, 2011
    by Randall November 28, 2011

    If you want an activity that will take a lot of your time, go out onto your lawn and try to figure out which blades of grass belong to what individual plant. The grass in a salt marsh, like your lawn, is made up of various individuals, each with different characteristics that contribute to the success of a marsh. Dr. Randall Hughes’ new experiment looks at what makes habitat building cordgrass individuals successful.

  • Oyster Reef Ecology | On the ReefPlants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass

    Tricks or Treats? And more on the effects of predators in marshes.

    by David November 1, 2011
    by David November 1, 2011

    When David Kimbro looks through his trick-or-treat bag, he doesn’t see candy, he sees oyster shells and periwinkle snails. Can predators trick periwinkles into not destroying marsh cordgrass? Or will they serve as tasty treats for blue crabs? David shares his data.

  • Plants- From Wildflowers to Longleaf PineSalt Marsh Ecology | In the Grass

    Are two friends better than one?

    by Randall August 16, 2011
    by Randall August 16, 2011

    Fiddler crabs benefit salt marshes. Ribbed mussels benefit salt marshes. But together, is their effect even greater, or do they cancel each other out? Dr. Randall Hughes of the FSU Coastal & Marine Lab looks to find out.

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Florida milkvetch

Florida milkvetch (Astragalus obcordatus) in the Munson Sandhills

When I test out a new camera, I usually head to a random spot in the Munson Sandhills and take a series of videos and photos. This small flower caught my eye, as almost nothing was in bloom. I identified it as Florida milkvetch (Astragalus obcordatus) in iNaturalist, and it was confirmed.
I then saw a photo of this plant in a Facebook group for native plant enthusiasts. It turns out this is kind of a rare plant, and one botanist went so far as to classify it as imperiled. It pays to keep your eyes down by your feet when walking in the sandhills.

WFSU-FM Environmental Stories

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  • Lawmakers Look To Fund Environmental Projects Despite Budget Shortfalls
  • Florida Forest Service Warns Panhandle Communities Of Wildland Fire Threat
  • Controversial Wastewater Project In Wakulla Gets Public Hearing
  • FWC Considers Banning Commercial Sale Of Tegus, Green Iguanas

2021 Backyard Blog update- migratory birds and invasive plants

Cedar waxwings eating glossy privet berries.

Cedar waxwings eating glossy privet berries.

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iNaturalist

iNaturalist became a part of the WFSU Ecology Blog during the EcoCitizen Project in 2019.  Since then, we’ve used it to help identify the many plants and animals we see on our shoots.  And on the Backyard Blog, we show how it can be used to identify weeds and garden insects, to help figure out what’s beneficial or a possible pest.  Below is the iNaturalist profile belonging to WFSU Ecology producer Rob Diaz de Villegas.

iNaturalist.org

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View robdv’s observations »

Most Recent

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  • New WFSU Ecology Intern To Help Out at Lake Elberta
  • Florida and Georgia Head to the Supreme Court — Again — In Fight Over Water
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  • Shorebirds in the Misty Morning | Surveying the St. Marks Refuge

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