Burns Environmental » Real Estate

Plant and Insect Relationships

james — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:40:05 +0000

Vegetation Control Insect Control: Plant and Insect Relationships

Nature and natural law.

There are a few things that should be self evident. Gravity, for instance, works every minute of every day, and needs no proof aside from the fact that when you drop an object that is heavier than air, it hits the ground.

In the world of biology, as in the world of physics, some things are self evident, although dealing with living things is less predictable, still, they are there, those things that happen in patterns, that are predictable, and consistent. The relationship of plant and insect life is one of these.

Insect and vegetation relationships.

Bugs seek protection, food and water. Vegetation provides the solution to those needs. The insect population in an area increases with the availability of these resources, and uncontrolled vegetation provides those resources in abundance.

The mosquito example.

The mosquito is a good example. One of the questions we hear often is: “Can you do anything to control the mosquitoes around my pond?” The answer is yes! By controlling the vegetation, particularly the filamentous algae that often exists in ponds, we can exercise a high degree of mosquito control. Mosquitoes use the water in ponds to reproduce their young, the pond supplies water for many small animals, which provide the blood the female mosquito needs for reproduction, it provides water for the eggs to hatch and grow as larvae, and the algae, and other thick weeds provide the protection from fish, and other predators which would otherwise eat the larvae and adults.

Herbicide, or Insecticide?

This relationship between uncontrolled vegetation and insects can be repeated in every case. Plants and animals are interdependent. Controlling the growth of brush and weeds, will control the insect and animal population. In most cases, where chemicals are used to control insects, the first chemical that should be used, is an herbicide.

Learn more about mosquitoes in ponds and lakes!

Exotic Plants Biodiversity: A Cause and Effect Tale

james — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:32:32 +0000

Exotic Plants, Biodiversity: A Cause and Effect Tale

The following tale is true in most of it’s content, the names have been changed to protect the innocent!

A plant native to Asia sprouts. It is pulled from it’s native waters and shipped to an aquarium wholesaler in South Florida. It is bought by a family in a goldfish bowl along with some gravel, and a small goldfish. The goldfish is forgotten during the family vacation, the goldfish dies, and is buried at sea, along with the contents of the bowl.The plant from the fish bowl survives, and likes it’s new home. It produces more plants, which, in turn, produce even more, now growing exponentially. An out of state boater doesn’t clean his boat well after a fishing vacation to the area, and travels back to his state with a hitch hiker or two. These plants survive the trip, and find a new home in the first lake the boater puts into.

They like the new lake, and thrive. More boaters do the same through various parts of the country. The plant becomes the dominant species in it’s new homes, and gradually eliminates all other plants in these lakes. the small fish that enjoyed the new cover in it’s early stages, now have lost the plants that support the micro invertebrates that fed them. They disappear. The larger fish that survived by eating the smaller fish, now begin to dwindle. Other animals that consumed the larger fish, and some of the now missing native plants for survival, now move to other areas, and populations decrease.

Fishermen, who once thought that the cover provided by the invaders was good for fishing, now find their favorite spots devoid of fish, and move to other spots, possibly taking the predator with them along with their sport fishing dollars, and the local bait and tackle shops close. This strains the local economic resources, and some local services are no longer available.

The animals who once fed on the fish, have moved away, no longer eat another of the invasive plants (brought here on purpose, and heretofore, seemingly dormant) in the forest, which now takes over the sub canopy, and eliminates the food that deer used for browsing. Scarce food, and unusual disease (brought on by lack of nutrients from some of the now defunct native species) force the dwindling whitetail population to move out of the area. Hunting and the tourism trade in the area now cease.

The proprietors of the local hunting and fishing store close down shop and move to South Florida where they open a small aquarium shop, no longer able to survive in their native area.

They can no longer pay into their children’s college funds, and one of the children, who was destined to discover a cure for cancer, turns to petty theft to help support his family. The cure is lost forever. Little Timmy is bound for a life of crime, and the cancer cure was found in a plant that existed only in a small pond in his native home, which was destroyed by the invasive aquatic plant.

A little heavy on the pathos, perhaps, but not far from the truth! This fictitious(?) story illustrates some of the problems related to exotic plants and loss of biodiversity.

Exotic plants move. They do not stay in the same area forever, and they have many means of locomotion.

Each change in an ecosystem brings about other changes, which in turn, bring about other changes…

These changes eventually effect the human population economically and in other ways.

Learn more about our dwindling native species population and biodiversity.

Basic Native Backyard Habitat Requirements

james — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:20:21 +0000

To establish a wildlife friendly habit for your backyard project, there are 3 main components:

Water: All life needs water. Without it survival is impossible. To be able to attract wildlife, there will need to be an ample supply on hand and available for the animals you are trying to attract. This can be attained in a number of ways, through naturally occurring sources such as streams, and by less natural means such as rainwater containments, and even by supplying, or supplementing with water from a water supply organization such as your city supply, or rural coop.

Food: The species you want in your habitat will want to eat. Otherwise, they will not stick around. The best method of providing food, is to have an ample supply of plants native to your area. Non native plants usually destroy the balance in the food chain, while native plants provide food in sufficient quantities for the animals native to your area. In some cases, alternative feeding may be needed, but the best method is native plants in a native habitat.

Cover: Animals need cover, to hide from predators, to nest and protect their young, and for periods of rest. The best cover is natural cover provided by plants native to the area. If it is not possible to provide such a thick dense growth in your habitat, other means can be constructed.

A native, natural setting is always preferred, but due to size limitations, or other considerations in residential areas, this may not always be completely possible. In such cases, the use of the most natural, least invasive method is always the best means.

Backyard Habitat Project | Where do I start? Be DIRECT

Mosquitoes and Mortgages | Real Estate and Public Health

james — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 05:25:51 +0000

The real estate market across the country is in desperate shape, and there is no sign of it letting up soon. The economy is in flux, and prices were already maxed. Banks and mortgage institutions were partially to blame, because of what Donald Trump calls “exploding mortgage rates”. Partially I say, but not entirely.

A changing landscape.

Large metropolitan areas are already seeing a migration, partially due to a new trend which allows people to have the same conveniences of city life, while living in more rural areas. The internet is making commuting less necessary, and shopping more convenient, even from distant locations. This trend is likely to continue for some time. Some experts expect a huge drop in urban property values to result. Just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, there is another round of difficulties flying in to sting the already smarting beleaguered industry.

Public health and environmental concerns.

This time, it is a human health and environmental problem. The most recent, and immediate being one that is showing up in many places in California, and now hitting suburbia across the land. Foreclosed homes especially those with swimming pools, Koi ponds and other water features have to be maintained, or mosquitoes take over. The maintenance of such features can be expensive in terms of dollars and cents, but not maintaining them can be expensive in terms of human life.

Some areas have ordinances requiring the foreclosing entities to carry on such maintenance, but unfortunately, it is not always done. This leaves city and county health officials to deal with the mosquito problems which often turn into public health problems due to West Nile Virus and Malaria to name only a couple. This also translates into a fiscal problem, because someone has to pay for these services, even in areas where the crunch has caused a dwindling tax base, and that is us!

Rodents and insects.

Overgrown lawns, back lots, and other properties where brush and weeds are allowed to grow unchecked because of lack of funds to maintain them, will produce similar problems with rodents, insects and and a host of other undesirables. This stretches out of the urban and suburban areas, and into rural America. Properties have to be kept up, otherwise health problems will ensue, and the proprietors of such properties could find themselves with little of any value left to sell.