The Serengeti Plains and Annapolis

Cape hunting dogs feeding

We entertained friends last evening - assorted appetizers, more than enough for an entire meal. It struck me how as everyone was gathered around the serving table, it looked like a scene from the Animal Planet cable network where hungry predators are circled around their prey preparing to feed upon its fallen carcass. Our guests were quite civil and orderly - no dominant leader for the pack emerged, there was more than plenty for everyone. Mentioning the metaphor of the appearance of the Serengeti 

Annapolitans feeding

Plains, there was a slight chuckle - our hungry guests not lifting their eyes as they continued to to serve themselves. After filling our plates, we moved to the tables set out on the patio. It was a perfect evening for outside dining - temperature in the low 80°'s and low humidity, tiki torches and citranela candles lit to fend off the bugs.   The wilds of our back yard a perfect suburban veldt setting - cooked carrion and other delicacies neatly arranged on platters, the sounds of the environs in the background, and good company under the stars.

Haiku - Forest for the Trees

Tree climbing a vine

Haiku challenges
Minimal ⁽¹⁾ structured verses
Infinite meaning

Results: Single tree vine richness increased with increasing host tree DBH (2) and differed significantly among host species. For climbing vines, the ratio of variation in subplot presence explained by tree species and by environmental variables was ca. 4:1 (in the most disturbed logged plots slightly lower), for free standing vines this ratio varied from 1:2 in the most disturbed logged plots to 9:1 in reserve plots, while a ratio of ca. 1:1 was found for all plots analyzed together.

Conclusion: Different tree species have different probabilities of being infested by vines. Vines see both the forest and the trees; the environment is more important in earlier developmental stages, properties of individual trees become more important from the time vines start to climb. (3)
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(1) minimal, minimum - These adjectives have subtle differences in meaning. Minimal means "extremely small in number, amount or degree ... and not worth worrying about": with minimal support, minimal objectives, minimal amount of pain. Minimum means "the smallest number, amount or degree that is possible, necessary, acceptable or lawful to have": Of any one in his family, he had minimum contact with his father. Minimum wage. Minimum payment. Reference by clicking here. 

(2) DBH - diameter at breast height. I knew this without having to look up the abbreviation - learned in one of my plant ecology classes over 30 years ago. My instructor, Bill Chilcote, was on my graduate committee - I had three of his courses. I saw a few months ago that he had passed away in 2006, the year I left Corvallis for the east coast.

(3) Ingrid Nesheim and Rune H. Økland. 2007. Do vine species in neotropical forests see the forest or the trees? Journal of Vegetation Science.18:395-404.