Saginaw Forest research

I'm updating the list from August 19, 2010, since I came across another reference, this one to a soil survey conducted in 1964. It's interesting how Google searches are picking up more and more references to studies that have taken place out here. In this case, I think that the Google search turned up the book due to the collaboration that the University of Michigan has with Google - part of the Google Books scanning initiative that's been going on for several years now.

(Remember, too, that there have been several studies on Third Sister Lake.)

SAGINAW FOREST REFERENCES
In chronological order
note: this list is not necessarily exhaustive
compiled by S. Lacy (March 2012)

• Arnold, JD (1935) �A comparative study of certain species of Marasmius and Collybia in culture� Mycologia 27(4): 388-417
• Smith, AH (1935) �Studies in the genus Mycenia. I.� American Journal of Botany 22(10): 858-877
• Blair, WF (1937) �The Burrows and food of the prairie pocket mouse� Journal of Mammalogy, 18(2): 188-191
• Yeager, LE (1937) �Cone-piling by Michigan red squirrels� Journal of Mammalogy, 18(2), 191-194
• Hann, HW (1939) �The relation of castration to migration in birds� Bird-Banding 10(3): 122-124
• Misch, MS (1960) �Heat Regulation in the Northern Blue Jay, Cyanocitta Cristata Bromia Oberholser� Physiological Zoology 33(4): 252-259
• Ladrach, WE (1964) A Soil Survey of Saginaw Forest, M.For. thesis, University of Michigan, 116pp.
• Kistler, S, AG Stephenson and WS Benninghoff (1979) �Description of understory development in a tree plantation with a new method of data structuring� Vegetatio 40(3): 185-191
• Barnes, BV and BC Dancik (1985) "Characteristics and origin of a new birch species, Betula murrayana, from southeastern Michigan" Canadian Journal of Botany 63(2): 223-226
• Howard, RD and AG Kluge (1985) �Proximate mechanisms of sexual selection in wood frogs� Evolution 39(2): 260-277
• Olson, CE, Jr and Z Zhu (1985) �Forest species identification with high spectral resolution data� JPL Proceedings of the Airborne Imaging Spectrometer Data Analysis Workshop. Pages 152-157 (SEE N86-11618 02-43); United States
• Cornell, TJ, KA Berven, and GJ Gamboa (1989) �Kin recognition by tadpoles and froglets of the wood frog Rana sylvatica� Oecologia 78: 312-316
• Riha, VF and KA Berven (1991) �An analysis of latitudinal variation in the larval development of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica)� Copeia 1991(1): 209-221
• Berven, KA and RS Boltz (2001) �Interactive effects of leech (Desserobdella picta) infection on wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpole fitness traits� Copeia 2001(4): 907-91
• Kahan, A (2008) Nitrogen and Carbon Biogeochemistry in Soil and Vegetation Along an Indirect Urban-Rural Gradient in Southeastern Michigan. M.S. thesis, University of Michigan.
• Berven, KA (2009) �Density dependence in the terrestrial stage of wood frogs: Evidence from a 21-year population study� Copeia 2009(2): 328-338

Preternatrurally warm winter: Comparison of years

This winter was weirdly warm. As a piece of evidence showing how different it has been this year, consider the following:

March 14, 2012

March 13, 2011

March 12, 2010

April 6, 2009

Warm days bring ... mosquitoes

Well, that was fast: the mosquitoes are out in force already. Perhaps the fishes, frogs, birds and bats haven't really cottoned on to the veritable insectoid banquet that they have molting and flying before them, but hopefully they will soon.

It's not too fun to do the rounds in jeans and a long-sleeve shirt (too hot) nor in shorts and a t-shirt (too buggy).

Spring peepers

I'm sitting in the porch, listening to the spring peepers. Prof. Berven has been coming out each day this week, and will likely continue coming out for the next little while.

Although it's a little bit chilly, it's really nice to sit and listen to these first spring frogs as they chirp to each other on into the night.

Work Day on April 1, 2012 (no joke!)

Spring is coming early this year. Already, there are daffodils pushing up around the forest, and soon the buds will blossom on the trees, and the invasive species will also be getting their growth on.

Sunday, April 1st, 2012 will be a volunteer work day from noon to 4pm at the Saginaw Forest research facility (3900 West Liberty Road).

WORKDAY PRIORITIES:
We will be focusing primarily on honeysuckle removal. Furthermore, thanks to the unusually warm weather, the garlic mustard is coming in strong and will likely be more than ready to pull come April 1, and so we will also be pulling as much garlic mustard as possible.

n.b.: If you happen to like the taste of garlic mustard (and you can find garlic mustard recipes online), feel free to take away as much of it as you wish!

Other activities include raking the trails of leaf litter and picking up trash from along Liberty Road.

TOOL AVAILABILITY:
Due to a limited number of tools out at Saginaw Forest, I am asking volunteers to bring their own gloves and pruning saws and/or loppers.

SITE ACCESS:
On Sunday, April 1st, 2012, the main gate will be open from 11:30am, and volunteers can park along the driveway near the cabin. (Please don't park at the cabin, since there is limited turn-around space.)

INCLEMENT WEATHER NOTICE:
If the weather turns out to be inclement (i.e., rainy or - heaven forfend - snowy and blustery), then this event will be cancelled. (Check this page for updates.)

OTHER INFO:
There will be snacks and drinks on hand, as well as some hamburgers and hot dogs for later (anyone handy with a charcoal grill?).

If you can't come out this time, don't worry: there will be more volunteer activities in the upcoming months. (Buckthorn needs cutting throughout the forest, and if the garlic mustard isn't up on April 1, they'll be up by May.)

Frog man back

I think that it's the earliest that Prof. S. Berven has come out to Saginaw Forest to set up his yearly spring frog survey on the frog pond. However, due to the non-winter we had this year, I saw him and two of his students slogging through the muck round the frog pond, resetting the low fence and setting the buckets.

This long-term frog survey is one more reason why dogs must be kept on leash.

Updated past entries

Updated entries from May and June 2007.