2022

Forever and always a TFB <3

Leave a comment

Now that I’m back from the trip and have sort of acclimated to the A/C blasting in my house, it’s time for some wrapping up and a heartfelt reflection! (Also, happy World Rainforest Day!)

One similarity between tropical rainforests and coral reefs is that they are both nutrient poor ecosystems but are also hotspots of biodiversity, and the methods of survival in these harsh conditions fuel biological diversity. For instance, coral reefs are microbially driven ecosystems because microorganisms retain and recycle nutrients for use by the coral organism. Microbial interactions with the holobiont whole can vary widely based on the coral species, symbiont clade and composition, and abiotic factors like light and temperature. Therefore, the diversity of the nutrient-recycling microbial community as a part of the holobiont promotes coral diversity. Additionally, trees and plants in tropical rainforests have adapted to the nutrient poor soils by displaying a variety of nutrient-maximizing methods. One example is buttress roots in trees. These roots spread horizontally under the soil (as opposed to downward vertically) in order to take advantage of the newly deposited nutrients in the upper layers of soil and store them in their plant tissue. These buttress roots also stabilize the tree by having thick, outward stretches at the bottom of the tree, and this also maximizes the amount of surface area the tree has with the most nutrient-rich top soil layers. Just like microorganisms for corals, phenotypic variations like buttress roots in tropical trees promote biodiversity driven by the need to maximize nutrient capturing abilities.

Another similarity between these two ecosystems is the competition for light between organisms. In coral reefs and tropical rainforests, light is a limited and highly coveted commodity. One way that coral organisms ensure access to enough like is through phenotypic plasticity. When a coral of a certain species is present in light-limited conditions, it can be phenotypically different from a coral of the same species in conditions with ample light. The phenotypic form of corals in low light levels is plating, where the coral grows outward in flat plates to maximize the surface area exposed to light so that its dinoflagellate symbionts can photosynthesize and provide nutrients (this also ties back to the lack of nutrients!). The drive for phenotypic forms that maximize light access also fuel coral biodiversity. In tropical rainforests, the thick canopy is an example of the strong competition for light. Tree branches grow outward and create a dense mat of canopy vegetation where almost every sliver of space in the sunlight is taken up by plant life. This leads to tough competition on the forest floor, where organisms better suited to low light conditions compete for the little light transmitting to them. Epiphytes are an example of how this competition within and under the canopy for light has led to biological diversity. Epiphytes are non-parasitic plants that grow upon other plants. They are often seen growing on the trunks and branches of trees. This ability to grow vertically higher than the ground floor is an adaptation to limited light, where epiphytes can advantageously grow closer to the canopy and avoid the competition and overgrowth in the understory. For both of these ecosystems, competition for sunlight drives biodiversity.

One similarity between the two ecosystems that I have personally observed is the 3-D topography. When snorkeling on the fore reef, I got to see the massive spur and groove structure of the coral reef. When hiking the bird tower trail in particular, I experienced the large changes in elevation of the tropical rainforest. Another similarity that I observed is the ability of organisms to occupy even the smallest of spaces and niches. On the reef, I saw this in urchins hiding in crevices and rubble, zoanthids covering tube sponges in tiny polyps, and benthic sea cucumbers underneath structures. In the forest, I saw this in snakes eating frog eggs in trees, spiders with webs in the stalactites of a cave, and a Mexican burrowing toad inhabiting an abandoned leafcutter ant nest.

I have also noticed differences between the two ecosystems, and the major difference is how apparent the impact of destructive forces are. From my personal observations, I saw that destruction was more obvious in the reef than in the forest. While snorkeling, it was so clear to see the expanses of coral rubble, evidence of coral death from disease or bleaching, and impacts of overfishing (in non-MPA reefs). The degradation of the reefs was easy to spot. However, I found it less easy to spot the effects of destructive forces in the rainforest. Of course, the trails and roads and clearings are evidence of human landscape degradation, but outside of this, proof of degradation was not as obvious as it is in the coral reefs. Of course, seeing Morelet’s tree frogs that are critically endangered and scarlet macaws that are endangered in Belize brought the destruction of the tropical forest ecosystem and its organisms to the forefront of our minds, but it was not as if we were seeing dead stretches of forest while conducting our research.

This course completely exceeded my expectations. I did not expect to learn so much about Belizean culture and history, and I was definitely surprised by how much I enjoyed the fieldwork in both ecosystems. I also did not expect to make so many meaningful connections and friendships with my fellow TFBs. Going into this course, I expected to do the things listed on the schedule, but I did not expect to learn as much as I did from those things and for these experiences to have as much of an impact on my ideas for my future career as they did. I did not expect to come out of the trip as the McKenna that I am today with my new revelations and interests, but I am endlessly grateful that I did!

My favorite parts of the course were definitely those with fieldwork! Although the conditions were rough (washing machine currents, accidental fire coral collisions, and mosquitos / chiggers, extreme slopes to hike, and torrential downpours), I thoroughly enjoyed the day-in-the-life moments of being TFB, physical labor included! I also loved the food! I already miss Belizean food; I looked forward to every meal everyday and always felt replenished. My ultimate favorite part of the course was the people! The Belize Babes, Surf & Turf, the two smallest TFBs, the Glovers staff, Ruth and Claudios, the LCRS staff, I feel so lucky to have met and spent time with all of these people! I loved learning alongside the Babes and under the direction and motivating encouragement of Surf and Turf. Everyone I met in Belize was so hospitable and dedicated to ensuring that I enjoy my stay, and it was amazing to learn from these people too and their knowledge and experiences!

My least favorite part of the course was probably the bugs. However, my collection of bites are well-earned TFB battle scars! I also found it hard to get enough time day to day to fill out my field notebook, but after a few days I learned how to maximize my time so that I wouldn’t fall behind (as much as possible). Overall, I really enjoyed this course and didn’t have a big problem with anything; everything about this course qualifies as a “favorite” of mine, just some things are less favorited than others.

The biggest thing that I learned that I think will define where I take my future is my passion for (and my apparent skill for) science communication. I learned that I love talking about and communicating sciency things, and I was told that I’m easy to listen to when doing so. This has inspired me to pursue a future in communicating science! This course also opened my eyes to the complications of wildlife/ecosystem protection. Hearing from the marine safety officers and the Belize Fisheries Department taught me the difficulties of actually enforcing the regulations and restrictions of MPAs. Additionally, hearing from Rafael and Dario about the recent problem of poaching around LCRS made it clear that without the ability to fully surveil a protected area, even forest reserves can fall victim to destructive forces. It really helped me understand the intricacies that must be considered alongside an area’s label as being protected. By far, the most surprising thing that I learned during this course was what lionfish tastes like! I never in my life thought that I would have the opportunity to eat lionfish (especially in ceviche), but that experience will definitely not be forgotten.

This course/trip has been inexplicably elucidating on so many levels. I can’t thank everyone enough for this opportunity, and I already cherish these moments in memory. Belize holds a special place in my heart! Cheers to the end of an un-Belize-able experience and to the beginning of my travel fever and science communication career aspirations!

– McKenna

2022

Going to Miss This Place (Final Blog)

Leave a comment

Hi all, it’s Faith with some closing remarks…

Reflecting on this trip, I learned a lot about rainforests, coral reefs, and biodiversity. You may have heard the phrase that “coral reefs are the rainforests of the ocean” or the other way around, and now, I know why! I got to see first hand how both ecosystems are house so much biodiversity. Both ecosystems house a majority of the earth’s biodiversity and rely on complex interspecies relationships. They are homes to a variety of specialists, that have evolved to reduce competition with other species, and both are incredibly valuable.  I observed how tree density means nothing if the tree species present aren’t native to the environment, and how hard corals provide structures and homes for an immeasurable amount of species whereas soft corals were more “space-fillers.” From the deforestation line at the Belize-Guatemalan border to the veins of coral disease at Glover’s, I saw how  humans negatively impact our environments. I even learned that these two seemingly different environments are connected: long, long ago, the sea creatures with calcium carbonate skeletons laid the foundations for the rainforests soil. This lead to the forests having numerous soils types and massive cave systems beneath them. Furthermore, the rainforest is equally dependent on abiotic factors like nutrient availability, temperature, and  soil (or water) type as coral reefs! In my eyes, the largest difference between these two ecosystems are the dominating species, as trees are plants and most corals are cnidarians!

The most surprising fact I learned from this trip is how nutrient deficient the reefs and rainforests are. This seems contradictory because organisms need nutrients to live, and these two ecosystems house most of the words biodiversity. So, one would assume that they were plentiful in nutrients. However, these ecosystem’s nutrient scarcity allows them to be diverse. Organisms have evolved to maximize their ability to get nutrients, and this results and mega-specific symbiotic interactions like fig wasps with fig trees and corals with dinoflagellates. These specific interactions create specialized niches that reduce competition and allow many different species to coexist!

However, this system also makes the rainforests and reefs extremely fragile. On this trip, we got to listen to Dr. Alavero, and hear his research on scarlett macaws. He emphasized that the jungles are equally impacted by climate change as coral reefs. Humans tend to overlook climate change’s effects when they aren’t directly visible, but the environments current changes have made the weather unpredictable which disrupts the life cycles of land animals and marine animals. Scarlett macaws utilize different areas when mating and foraging, and they use the weather to help determine when to mate and migrate. Similarly, corals, trees, and insects (like termites), “coordinate” their reproductive cycles around the climate. The world’s changing climate, has cause reduced reproductive success in macaws and is harming other species as well. With global warming and ocean acidification, we actively see the weakening of coral skeletons and coral bleaching. The decline of these species then causes the decline of their symbionts, and because everything is interconnected, this can cause great losses of biodiversity. Just seeing the extreme differences between the health of an mpa reef and a non-mpa reef indicates how harmful we are to our planet. I will never forget the impact we have on the planet, and I now understand how difficult it is to save intricate ecosystems. Because of their complexity, There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to restoring these ecosystems. However, we should all do our part to be eco-friendly, and reduce our impact.

When I look back, I imagine that I’ll remember how this trip “opened my eyes” per se. When you first enter the water or forest, everything looks the same. But after you look a little more closely and learn a little about taxonomic groups, you begin to realize that the biodiversity lies not in the major differences but the minor ones.  In only 2 days, I was just as excited to see a new species of grasshopper as I would have been to see a jaguar. Likewise, being able to differentiate between Diploria labyrinthiformis, Grooved brain coral, and  Diploria strigosa, Symmetrical brain coral, is extremely cool.  It’s hard to grasp the differences between similar species and their ecological niches without seeing them in person. Textbooks do a great job of summarizing these specific species’ interactions, yet being surrounded by them provides a true understanding about how dynamic our world is. And now, I feel like  I could identify these interactions in my own community.

Here are a few other facts (that are a little less sentimental) that I’ll never forget.

  • Ecosystems are entirely different at night due to temporal differentiation
  •  You have to be at least 5’2″ to enroll in the Belizean coast guard
  • The barrier reef GREATLY protects us from wave activity (you have no idea)
  • The different tree-top layers provide homes to unique animals, and some fauna will only live in specific tree species
  • If you order a fish in Belize, it will be served whole!

Overall, this course was way more fun than I expected, and now I can say that I’m proud to be an Ebio major! I really enjoyed excavating the leaf-cutter ant colony, posing with the queen, exploring the Belize Zoo, and touring Caracol. Honestly, the only activity I didn’t enjoy on this trip was having to pee in a vial and sort the arthropods that fell in, but, alas, sometimes you must pee in a cup in the name of science. I learned so much, and I definitely see both the rainforest and coral reefs in a new light. I even accomplished some of my goals and one of my life goals (seeing a wild mantis shrimp), so how could I not love this trip?!

Bye bye Chiquibil!!!
2022

Leaving Las Cuevas (Day 12)

Leave a comment

Hi all, it’s Faith with Day 12 updates from the 2022 Belize trip…

This morning we woke up and prepared to leave Lac Cuevas. I enjoyed my morning hot-chocolate-coffee, and then joined the group at 8 to collect our pee samples from the forest.

We didn’t see any reptiles on out hike, but we did see lots of fungi from the rains. We did this hike rather speedily, so I don’t have much to report on. Afterwards, we worked on out poster and analyzed our findings. Our data supported our hypothesis by 66%. We did find more arthropods on the forest floor, and more were attracted to the pee samples over all. However, the ratios between pee:water on the floor was actually greater than that of the canopy. Our study had many limitations such as a short data collection time, inability to identify some insects, and having flagging tape on our trees. All of these could have skewed our data.

After we analyzed the data, or group split into two teams. One team went and collected the cameras, while my team stayed and packed up camp. By 3:00, we were all packed and ready to leave Las Cuevas. My team did make a quick run to the frog pond to grab the last camera; however, we didn’t see any fauna on that trip either. I wish I could have gone on the hike to retrieve the cameras, but our teams method was much more efficient

After a 4 hour car ride, we made it to Midas Resort in San Ignacio. We plan on staying here until our flight tomorrow… I’m so sad that tomorrow will be my last Belizean breakfast; I will miss the  fryjacks, eggs, and beans.

Goodbye Belize!

QOTD: “If you really have to, you could pee in a waterbottle. We are all really good at that now.”

Luna the cat at Midas Resort
Our Pee Project Poster

 

2022

Thank You for an Unbelizeable Time (Very Original I know)

Leave a comment
Wow. Two weeks done. And I am so grateful to gave been able to experience this trip with such a fabulous group of TFBs.
Throughout these two weeks I have learned so much about the environment that we live in and the roles that we play it. Even though one is in water and one is on land, these two ecosystems share immense similarity. They both are home to large, biodiverse populations that are key for the health and success of our planet. Both have expansive amounts of organisms that reside within them, having perfected a balance of life and death for millions of years. There are processes that have been in plays since the beginning alongside these organisms ability to adapt and evolve quickly to ensure a world that is full of colorful life. Whether it was swimming in the coral reefs alongside the parrotfish and coral or hiking in the rainforest alongside the howler monkeys and scarlet macaws, it was eye opening to see how lively the natural world is without the touch of humans.
Even though we were given this amazing opportunity to see the beauty that still exists in untouched and protected areas, we were also shown the reality of the impact we have on these areas in our everyday habits. From throwing out trash without a second thought to driving to work everyday, we contribute to this negative impact everyday. Even though we were able to see some beautiful and healthy coral in the MPAs, we also were shown the reality of coral bleaching and disease. Whole areas of reef that were once plentiful with diverse corals and schools of fish are now drowned and choked by sargassum and other macro algae. We should not be able to clean up for an hour and collect more than 60kg of trash that included everyday items such as toothbrushes and flip-flops. Scarlet Macaw, Morelet’s Tree Frogs, and hundreds of other species are critically endangered because of our contribution of climate change and a need to make a profit off of their rarity. Deforestation is still a prominent problem that forests are facing and it’s not seeming like it’s going to slow down anytime soon. This trip opened my eyes to what these ecosystems were like before us and what they might become if we don’t step in and continue to fight for lives that don’t have the ability to fight for themselves. Despite the tragic truth of what humans are doing to this planet, we also got to hear from people who are trying to save it and reverse or at least slow down our affects. Hearing talks from Borris Avelaro and organizations like the Belize Fisheries Department have sparked a want to help in a direct and purposeful way in my mind and I am sure in the other TFBs minds as well. There are good people out there that are trying to help our planet as much as possible and are able to have a positive and lasting impact within peoples minds to inspire them to do the same.
This course exceeded my expectations in the best way possible. Coming into it, I knew it was going to be a fun and educating experience but I loved it even more than I thought I would. It was amazing being able to share these experiences with people who are interested in the similar studies and with whom everyone can totally geek out about what they’ve learned and share an excitement for learning new things and helping each other along the way. Being able to apply the processes of experiments and research outside of the classroom and have the ability to apply it in the field was awesome. I loved every minute but my favorite part was being able to be active (like snorkeling and hiking) while also being able to collect data and learn new things about our planet. In terms of what my least favorite parts of the course were, I have none. I guess the only thing that wasn’t great was waking up at 6:30am every morning, but I quickly realized that it was worth it so we could have more time to see even more cool things out in the field. To sum up the things that I have learned in this course that I will remember five, even ten, years from now is
1) As a TFB, you become very resourceful with the materials that you have in order to conduct experiments (aka peeing in a test tube in the name of science).
2) It is super cool to be able to learn and identify different taxa and the roles they play in their ecosystems as you are out in the field. It is also awesome when everyone collectively freak out about see leaf cutter ants going about their daily lives, minding their own business while we get to observe them and understand why they do what they do.
3) The tropical rainforests and coral reefs are insanely biodiverse ecosystems that play key roles in the planet and our own everyday success (in case I haven’t already mentioned that..), more than I believed prior to this trip. There are also so many different people who are trying to protect it and work together to save it, and I would love to join them in the near future to help continue their efforts.
Thank you Dr. Correa and Dr. Solomon for such a great opportunity to learn more about the natural world around us and experience what it’s like to be a true TFB. As I mentioned in my pre-departure blog, despite it being super cheesy, I love the Belize Babes and the new friends that I have made! Can’t wait for our reunion and I hope to hear about new taxa sightings that people see even outside of Belize 😉
– Sophia
2022

Day 12: Speedy TFBs

Leave a comment

Today we started off our last day in Las Cuevas by collecting our arthropod pitfall traps and sorting through the data in the morning. We found that there were more insects on the forest floor than in the canopy but the we were wrong about the canopy arthropods would be more attracted to the nitrogen rich trap. Afterwards, some people started our poster while  me, Dr. Correa, and a few others sped hiked through the motion camera trap trails to collect them and get the data. It was super fun to speed hike through and see the same plants and areas of trail in a completely different way. Now that we didn’t have to worry about biasing data placement, etc., I was able to hike and just enjoy it as a hike itself. What’s even better is that it started to rain pretty hard once we finished the steep uphill of Bird Tower Trail so we were nice and refreshed by the time we returned to the station. The rain was also beautiful to watch and listen to, the ponds slowly filling up and preparing themselves for the many frogs that will soon inhibit them.

After we finished up packing and were waiting for the vans, one of the station managers Darrio pointed out that you could hear what sounded like hundreds of Mexican Burrowing Toads croaking from the wallows/frog pond area. A few of us decided to check it out and it was so cool. Once you step into the pond area, it was a 360º surrounding of the frogs croaking. Sadly we didn’t see any as they are burrowed in the ground but it was still really cool to hear them as the wet season kicks in.

Once we left Las Cuevas and made our way to the hotel, I was able to still spot lots of epiphytes. Since settling in our new rooms, I have identified lots of Tillandsia spp. and Philodendron hederaceum. It’s pretty cool to see that they still thrive outside of the forest – and who knows, maybe I’ll be able to spot some back in Houston (in the wild or as house plants) 😉

– Sophia

TFBs in action
So much rain!!
Rusty embracing his amphibian calling
2022

Day 11: Lucky Charm TFBs (Sorry for Jinxing It)

Leave a comment

Two true TFB experiences today: I woke up at 5am to join some of the group for some bird watching and peed in a test tube. Waking up was a little rough at first but it was worth it. It was super cool to see the morning mist around the fog and drink coffee while watching the Black Vultures hang out on their canopy spot. The dawn chorus was also super pretty (where all of the birds sing in the morning) and looking out into the trees while waking up was pretty peaceful. I also got some people to start throwing around a frisbee !! But I promise ultimate ishn’t my main personality trait… After breakfast, we started our next experiment – seeing the differences of arthropod abundance in the canopy versus the forest floor. One way to test this is by placing a pitfall trap with nitrogen in it and a water in the other one. How do you get the nitrogen source into the pitfall? Our pee.

For the rest of the morning before lunch we set up our 64 pitfall traps on the tree and in the forest floor. I spotted some Mistletoe Cactus (an epiphyte) too! And of course lots of Tillandsia spp., Monstera spp., and Philodendron radiatum and hederacum. As soon as we got on the trail to set up, we came across a Jumping Pit Viper and an Eyelash Viper. Apparently the manager of the station hasn’t seen on in the wild in the past 12 years and it’s insane that we were able to find one. Then after lunch, we got to excavate some Leaf Cutter Ant nests to try to find their fungal garden looking at young ones first and then old ones. While searching for the nests and prepping for the excavation we saw a Tarantula Hawk, scorpions, a Orb-Weaver Spider, and Ant Lion holes. When we looked through the young one, we were able to find the queen which was absolutely giant – she can live up to 25 years and has a bunch of eggs that she lays over time after only mating once. Two kinds of worker ants that work as a defense layer are called Majors and Soldiers. These have huge heads that have really sharp mandibles and do not hesitate to bite you and draw blood. While looking at the first of the two bigger nests, we found a rare (to find) Mexican Burrowing Toad which was SO cute and funny looking. A big highlight of the day was seeing a super happy and excited Rusty. Looking at the second of the larger nests, there was many more major and soldier ants, and a much larger fungal garden and we got to see the architecture of the nest more.

After dinner, as we got to go on an optional night hike which was definitely 100% 12/10 worth doing, I almost stopped on a Red-Rump Tarantula. I really think my clumsiness has amplified 10 fold over the past week and a half. As we walked through the trail, it really felt like we were on the set of a movie with the way our headlamp moved across the towering palms. We encountered two (!!) Morelet’s Tree Frogs which is a critically endangered species which is tragic as these guys are super cute. They even jumped on some people and we had a fun tree frog photoshoot. As we made it to the same wallow as yesterday, we saw that the same Red-Eyed Tree Frog (possibly Morelet’s as well) eggs where being preyed upon by a Northern Cat Eye snake. We actually got to watch the snake’s process of stalking the eggs slowly and taking multiple trips to get as many eggs as possible. It was super cool to be able to observe behaviors of the more nocturnal organisms and basically unlock another world.

-Sophia

Zombie Moth!!
Leaf Cutter Ant Major
Mexican Burrowing Toad!
A Critically Endangered Morelet’s Tree Frog
Planet Earth worthy moment
2022

Day 10: New Heights

Leave a comment

This morning after breakfast, we created our camera trap experiment in which we are going to use fifteen motion cameras that will take photos over the next few days. We are going to try to identify the different predators and prey and see where they might be most abundant in the different areas of the foot trails, untouched forest, and the “paved” roads. We set out for a couple of hours before lunch to begin our camera set up, mainly putting up our five cameras for the road areas. After lunch, we then set out for the true hiking experience to put up the other 10 or so cameras. I was impressed with the amount of elevation that we gained throughout the hike, rubber boots adding to some of the difficulty when we had to go down hill (they are super important for protection against snakes and also great for the rain and puddles) but I think this is because mine could do with some extra traction but I still very much enjoyed the hike. The vegetation within the forest was unbelievable. I just feel like everything is magnified by 10x, it’s gorgeous. I saw huge Give and Take Palms, plenty of fish tail palms, huge Tillandsia utriculata (the same genus as the small airplants but this one can grow up to 60cm) in many of the tree canopies, and a lot of house plants that were obviously thriving more out here in the jungle than someone’s plant room: Philodendron radiatum, Philodendron hederaceum and a lot of Monstera spp. I also saw a lot of air-plants that were both on the tree at around eye level but also a few that had fallen to the ground because the branch that they were connected to had broken off. These were Tillandsia spp. but they all are so similar that I’m learning that deciphering the exact species is going to be more difficult than I expected. Along the way, we saw so many different butterflies, a huge cockroach, lots of cicada shells, leaf cutter ants, and even got to eat some termites. Since they were so small, it wasn’t scary to eat them – they mostly had a woody aftertaste to them but I don’t know if I’d go out of my way to find and eat them.

Tillandsia schiedeana (This grows on all of the large tree branches)
Gigantic Leaf Cutter Ant nest
Red-Eyed (maybe also Morelet’s) Tree Frog eggs!
A wide angle selfie (of course) at the Bird Tower!
Philodendron radiatum

After we finished the elevation climb, we made it to the Bird Tower where we went up this questionably stable structure that had the most amazing outlook I have ever seen. You could see so much of the forest yet only understand that it is only a part of the whole thing, it was gorgeous. On the hike down from the top, we stopped at the smaller Mayan cave were we found some Mayan clay pottery shards and got to explore the room that had been built by building a wall into the natural constrictions of the cave. The stalactites were so impressive and I could have stared at them all day, but I’m excited for the cave we get to explore in a few days. As we were trying to pass the time, I have also learned so many riddles and I can’t wait to stump everyone one at home. On the way back down Dr. Solomon also pointed out some orchids but I couldn’t identify them because there were no flowers. However, pseudobulbs led us to believe that they were orchids. Our final stop was a ginormous leaf cutter ant mound that was about 6ft wide (at least). It is so cool to watch the Leaf Cutter ants all line up and create their foraging trails as they cut down the vegetation to bring into their home to cultivate the fungus that they eat the byproduct of. I’m starting to understand why Dr. Solomon loves ants so much. We also stopped by a wallows (in the dry season)/frog pond (in the wet season) and found a bunch of Red-eyed Tree Frog eggs on a hanging tree branch – super cool!

-Sophia

Uncategorized

Final Reflection Blog: An Unbelizeable Adventure!

Leave a comment

Throughout this course I have learned and experienced so much in such a short amount of time, and I have definitely walked away with an unshakeable sense of wonder and respect for these two tropical ecosystems. One of the main ideas this course has left me with is in the surprising amount of similarities between these two seemingly separate ecosystems, and how that might relate to their current biodiversity. Both coral reefs and rainforests are shaped by their how they maximize the use of limited resources such as light, nutrients, wave energy, and soil. The variety of complex ways in which these organisms adapt to these conditions is reflected in their unmatched biodiversity.

Some personal connections I made along the way are definitely related to what I studied for my topic lecture: the biogeographic history of the region. Both of the specific ecosystems we visited were highly shaped by the history of geologic processes in the region. Glover’s atoll was created by past volcanic activity, and the limestone sediments that characterize the karstic landscape of the Chiquibul were deposited millions of years ago. Actually, the origin of the calcium carbonate in this limestone is from the many millions of marine shelled creatures that lived there when that area was underwater, so the connections run even deeper! Both areas were also deeply impacted by continental movements, specifically the connection of North and South America 3 million years ago, which separated the oceans and joined the terrestrial organisms, but still both leading to continued diversification.

This course was more difficult in some ways than I expected, but also so much fun! I definitely expected to get lots of bug bites while there, but I certainly did not expect the sheer volume of mosquito, sand mite, and chigger bites I came home with! My least favorite part was probably getting seasick on the first boat ride in, that was pretty miserable. Future TFBs beware, and bring itch cream and Dramamine! But as is true with most field work, there were so many fun moments that made all the uncomfortable parts so so worth it! Some of my many favorite moments include: seeing giant ceiba trees, watching a jaguar feed, eating lionfish ceviche, holding a comb jelly, touring the Caracol Archeological Reserve, and seeing the beloved Mexican burrowing toad! And all of these moments were made even better by the friendships I made with my classmates, which I am very grateful for.

Before I post this final blog, I want to leave it by sharing some of the most important or surprising things I learned on this trip that will stick with me for a long time. The entire guest lecture by Dr. Arevalo was definitely memorable for me, especially in his dedication to the ecology and conservation of the scarlet macaw, and his point that there is only limited impact for ecology research if we do not actively apply it to conservation practices and efforts. I will also always remember our conversations on the health of coral reefs, and how quickly climate change can damage these beautiful places. It was something I was always aware of in the periphery of my mind, but there is something different about firsthand experiencing the incredible diversity of these reefs and then learning how threatened they really are. One final thing I will always remember is seeing  and learning about the insane complexity of leafcutter ant colonies! We learned that the characteristics of the ants change as the colony ages and can spread into massive structures that last with a single queen for a max of about 25 years! The fact that such complex eusocial animals have evolved is so insanely cool!

This class and the people I got to know along the way are unforgettable and I had such a great time!

-Phoenix

Uncategorized

June 19th: Rainforest Experiment Results!

Leave a comment

Today we concluded both our pee pitfall experiment and the camera trap experiment! This morning we made a short hike through the Maya trail, and collected each of our pitfall traps filled with urine and unlucky arthropods. Along the way I spotted some cool looking harvestmen climbing along a sharp give-and-take palm! We also saw some really cool examples of moths that were killed by the “zombie” fungus Ophiocordyceps which takes control of the nervous system of its victims. These moths were in various stages of decay so it was like we were seeing the process itself, which was super cool!

 

Once back in the lab, we sorted our pee pitfalls and removed all of our captured arthropods to tally which traps had the most visitors. We found that in general, the arthropods were more often found in the nutrient rich pee, and there were many more arthropods found on the forest floor than the canopy. But the canopy arthropods actually had more guests in the water tubes, but the sample size for this area was very small. I actually did fish out a few harvestmen and a small spider during our data collection, so I did get some arachnids in there! Check out our title for the poster aka our most despicable pun yet (Urine for a Treet).

Some of the students went out to go collect all of the camera traps we had placed on our first day in the rainforest, and during this spotted a really cool spider, I wish I had been there! I have tried my hardest to identify this fuzzy guy just from the awesome picture Elena sent me, but still no luck. Its leg morphology points to it being some kind of ground-dwelling spider rather than orb-weaving. The coloration, leg shape, and fang placement resembles that of both huntsman and wolf spiders, but none of the spiders I’ve researched in this area have such distinctive fuzzy legs. What a cool little mystery! Fun fact, the “hair” on spiders legs are actually called setae and can be used for grip when moving around, sensing chemicals, and so many other cool things!

2022

Day 9: Epiphytes Galore

Leave a comment

Even though today was another travel day, we managed to spend a large part of it at the Mayan Ruins of Caracol!! It was super cool because we actually got to climb on top of them and go through the rooms and tombs. We first started out learning a bit of Mayan history from Leo, our tour guide. He explained how there was a two class system: the elites and the middle class that worked for the elites. The builds of their houses were different (completely stone vs. thatched) as well as their burial methods like how intricate the tombs were and what was put inside. My favorite stop that we made was at the large pyramidal temple that a Mayan king had actually built his palace on top of, securing his status as a god or at least that it was he was divinely chosen. We got to climb onto the temple to the very top where the stairs were surprisingly tall and steep – the Mayans must have had some serious quads not gonna lie. Within Caracol, there were about 200,000 people living in 35,000 homes at one point, but Leo told us of possible reasons why the Mayan civilization fell: 1) War – self explanatory, 2) Degradation of the environment – using too many of the resources around them and a butterfly effect of affecting the organisms and habitats around them, 3) Revolt – archaeologists have found evidence from purposefully destroyed statues to finding skeletons found in mass graves/unusual spots by the palace (around which they were trying to construct a wall for protection against their own people). It was mind blowing to see these ruins in such an up-close perspective and understand how they went about daily lives. The view from on top was beautiful as you could see so much of the Chiquibul forest and its inhabitants and listen to the beautiful cacophony that is created within.

The cicadas here sounds so different than the one’s at home (they kind of sound like a constant drone flying overhead) and the Melodious Blackbirds have a super distinct call that I am sure we will hear plenty of over the next week. During lunch, we even hear the loud croak/groans of the Howler Monkeys! In terms of some of my taxa sightings (epiphytes!!), I saw plenty. I saw lots of Arrowhead Plants, Tillandsia utriculata, Philodendron hederaceum, and Monstera spp. Lots of these were growing on these super cool 200+ year old Ceiba trees that had plenty of epiphytes growing on them and here at least 100ft tall – so amazing. We also saw a Gumbo limbo tree which is funnily also known as the Tourist Tree as it has a red colored bark that peels off, just like the American tourists that come and visit.

Afterwards we headed to Las Cuevas Research Station where in the car we saw a toucan, scarlet macaw, and lots of turtles that were crossing the road. The station is super nice and we were able to get in yesterday’s taxon briefings in as well as those scheduled for today so I presented about epiphytes! I’m actually really excited to get into trying to ID them and also teaching the group about them as they are definitely very present in the forest.

-Sophia

Ceiba tree canopy
Ceiba tree butress  roots! They were amazing to see
Group photo on top of the Caana
Fish tail palms – many people try to illegally bring these across borders
Tillandsia spp. AND Philodendron hederaceum

Rice University