Peter Bellomo’s Post

Happy Fish Friday! Modern science has unraveled many secrets of the natural world. We have uncovered how mountains form, how animals communicate, and how the moon creates tides. One mystery still baffling science is how the American eel (Anguilla rostrata) reproduces. American eels are a snake-like fish species native to the east coast of North America. As of 2024, no one has seen an American eel reproduce in the wild. Until the mid-1900s, scientists (including Aristotle) thought these slimy creatures spawned from the mud since so few had been found with reproductive structures. In the late 19th century, Sigmund Freud took an interest in eels and dissected over 400 in an attempt to understand their reproductive system. With little luck, he later moved onto psychology. Other scientists like Johannes Schmidt had more success and discovered that the eels migrate from rivers to the Sargasso Sea to reproduce, making them a Catadromous species. Although we know more about eels today, they are still a mystery. But doesn’t that make them even more interesting?! Write-Up Credit: Jenna Watson (Junior Wetland and Vegetation Ecologist) #AmericanEel #RCBioSolutions #RCBioSolutionsLtd #Fish #Wildlife #Wetlands #Grasslands #Regulatory #Alberta #EnvironmentalConsulting #SylvanLake #Edmonton #Calgary #Fieldwork #FishFriday

🔍 **Otters vs. Beavers: Nature's Playful Architects!** 🌿 Ever wondered how to tell apart these two fascinating creatures that love to splash around rivers and lakes? 🦦🌊 Here's a quick dive into their world! **Otters:** Known for their playful antics, these furry carnivores belong to the Mustelidae family, flaunting lean bodies and pointed tails. They thrive in freshwater habitats and sometimes even the ocean. Unfortunately, they're currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. **Beavers:** These industrious rodents have earned fame for building impressive dams and lodges. With stocky bodies and paddle-like tails, they stick to shallower waters. The beaver clan is faring better, holding onto a Least Concern status. Intrigued by creatures similar to otters? Discover the Eurasian Otter, Congo Clawless Otter, Tayras, and even those mistaken for otters—beavers! 🦫 Dive deeper into their amazing traits and how they contribute to their ecosystems. Get all the detail-rich insights here: [Similar to Otters](https://lnkd.in/gZMGj_42 For an in-depth exploration and visual treats, check out the full article: [Simply Ecologist](https://lnkd.in/gHh5BKyb) #WildlifeWednesday #NatureLovers #Conservation #Ecology #SimplyEcologist #Otters #Beavers

Wetland Kaleidoscope: Forests growing out of... lakes?🌱 Our Kaleidoscope journey begins with the colonization of waterbodies by pioneer species, gradually yielding to the establishment of woody plants. Over time, these plants pave the way for the growth of shrubs and trees, marking the progression towards a thriving and diverse peatland forest. The gradual process through which species and ecosystems evolve is called ecological succession. Primary Succession is the slow process through which ecosystems develop and evolve from an earlier stage up to a highly productive and diverse climax state. In contrast, secondary succession occurs in response to disturbances, such as floods, fires, or human activities, more akin to a recovery. The classical model of ecological succession in wetlands describes the progression from an initial state of open water with few plants, to a forested climax state through the slow accumulation of peat. But how applicable is this model really? In reality, many wetlands remain in an equilibrium state far from a forested upland climax. The reason for this is multiple, whether hydrological factors, erosion, or other regular disturbances such as fires. Despite the complexity, wetlands continue to captivate with their ever-evolving nature and hold invaluable lessons for our understanding of ecological dynamics.🌊 #WetlandKaleidoscope #NatureExploration #Biodiversity #EICAccelerator #EUEIC

"Bluff Knoll Summit - Stirling Range NP, WA - The Stirling Range is located in southern WA, and is 60km wide east to west. The range alters weather patterns in the area as it exists as the only significant vertical obstacle in the region. As such, the mountains here record far higher rainfall than the surrounding area. This can be seen very clearly is bright green slopes of the hills in the range, juxtaposed to the arid brown lands which surround the park. This demonstrates the physical impact mountain ranges can have on local climates. Furthermore, the unique geology of the range has produced one of the most diverse areas of fauna and flora in the world. Over 1500 plant species are known to exist within the relatively small national park, of which 87 are endemic. These 1500 species is also comprised of more varieties of wildflowers than the entirety of Britan. This is due in large part to the poor soil quality in the range, despite the range's relative youth. The geological and climate differences of the range in contrast to the surrounding region also makes home to many biome and range restricted birds, making it a hot spot for bird watches" Camron Alley Likes on this post go toward the People’s Choice prize. Check out our profile to learn more! #AdlOpticaPhotoComp2024

"#Weekly_Informations #Natural_Ecosystems An #Ecosystem is originally considered as a basic biological unit formed by the environment (Biotope) and the organisms that live in it (Biocenosis). The following are considered as natural Ecosystems: ecosystems that are intact, those that have been destroyed then regenerated, and those directly managed by humans. Among natural ecosystems, we have: . Streams . Rivers . Lakes . Ponds . Forests (The rainforest, the dry forest, the wet mountain forest, and other types of wooded areas) . Shrublands . Peatlands . Paramo (mostly found in high-altitude areas, under the tropics, and in South America)"

Finding Traces of Lost Habitats Around Us There is a hidden history that many people are not aware of or simply ignore: The traces that remain of precious natural habitats, some of which we have lost due to human activity. Finding remnants of our ancient ecosystems, and recognizing more clearly what our landscapes once looked like, can help us see where things have gone wrong and potentially be very important in helping us put things right in the future. The soil below our feet holds many clues about the habitat on a particular site over the years. The different layers of organic matter built up over time can tell us a lot about what once grew there. Scientists can discover many details not only about people and their activity but also about the vegetation on a site by digging deep and analyzing what they find below. Amazingly, ancient woodland sites, even when the trees are gone, can still produce plants of the understory that have built up in the seed bank of the area. Identifying areas that used to be woodland can help us find the best areas for rewilding. We will sometimes see natural regeneration by removing pressures such as overgrazing (by sheep and/or deer, for example) from an area. Or, where regeneration cannot naturally occur, we can determine excellent areas for tree planting.

“Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of a wolf.” This poignant quote from American philosopher, conservationist, and writer Aldo Leopold frames the start of a wolf-themed week of From the Ground Up article spotlights, starting with The Right to Thrive: Wolves, Deep Ecology, and the Illusion of Separateness, by Susie O’Keeffe, Research Associate at the College of the Atlantic. An account of the shooting of a wolf in Leopold’s book, A Sand County Almanac, sparks O’Keeffe to contemplate the misguided notion that humans are both separate from and superior to other life forms. In her essay, she suggests that humanity needs to move away from this paradigm, calling for a 180-degree redesign of society’s thinking that the world is a collection of resources made for human exploitation. She explores the alternative of Deep Ecology and its principal tenets: that people are inseparable from one another and the natural world, and that all members of the life community–wolves and humans included–share the intrinsic right to thrive. Read more of O’Keeffe’s philosophy, and hear from diverse thinkers who believe in the interdependence of all species, in our Winter 2025 issue. https://buff.ly/41sGi6p #conservation #newengland #northeast #landconservation #wwfc #winter2025 #climate #vermont #rhodeisland #newhampshire #connecticut #maine #massachusetts #wolves #deepecology

Old-growth forests are key to our future - but only if we protect them. This great Scientific American article highlights northwest Montana's Yaak, and our successful efforts to block a massive clearcut that would have logged 600-year-old trees. Give it a read! https://lnkd.in/gAYfvMrd

If the world should be a better place for all of us, then we need to consider collaborating with one another irrespective of our regional differences and shun the ideology of what old school economics taught us about comparative advantage. Nature according to story of creation in faith books told us of why satisfying a felt need came to existence prior to the creature. we read about light and darkness coming first, the firmaments, cloud and ocean following suit. The Dry land and flora creatures were created on third day. On fourth day, The seasons and time which come by the earth revolution round the sun, the earth daily rotation and the moon which revolves round the earth within some days were created. Perhaps the season were created to regulate the production of floras on the earth. Nature, when not disturb has a way of regulating the abundant floras around us. On the fifth day, creatures of the sea and the flying creatures in the air all came into Being and on the sixth day all faunas and Man were also created. The above shed lights of ecology and the possibility of an all vegetarian world. Perhaps this may be the secret of longevity by early dwellers on Earth. The first man was tasked with the mandate to have dominion over all the floras and fauna when assigned to give them name. Note that you can't give name to something you haven't studied to know how unique it is and the character it posses at a particular time or season. Man is expected to have knowledge of how the season controls the flora and faunas distributions, diversity, multiplication and replenishment on earth. Even in chapter 2 when Man was placed in the Garden of Eden, we were told of great Mineral resources of Gold and other precious stones within the earth, but it was not commanded to Man to unearthen them. Probably Man doesn't need them to exist on earth by nature's arrangement. Even after the fall ,there are evidences man might have live in mountain caves, moat or tree-sculptured caves and in tents with the minimal level of destroying nature to get shelter. Floras are seen then as means of food and medicine for Man ( psalms 104:14). Seasons and Time make some of these floras to spread in diversity over all areas of the world instead of concentrating in a particular region. The responsibility given to Man was to subject himself to study on how to manage nature and psychologically live as a companion with his fellow human and not to exercise dominion over the other man. Our failure to get this understanding resulted to the thought of believing you have a comparative advantage over the other which is more of subjecting others to be under your command instead of collaborating and embracing exchange of technology, innovations and resources for a world where everyone have same sense of belonging. until we come to this knowledge and deep understanding , our selfish interest may make climate change to engulf us all where we all loss everything or everybody becomes null.

A paleoecological context for forest distribution and restoration in Grootbos Nature Reserve, Agulhas Plain, South Africa Frontiers https://lnkd.in/ggJiaqjE