Woodland ants play a key role in forest regeneration
Aphaenogaster sp, or woodland ant, plays a beneficial role in new forest biodiversity as keystone dispersers of the seed of understory plants such as native wildflowers. Many plant species rely on a mutual relationship with ants to disperse their seeds.
These plants evolved with seeds that have an appendage rich in fats attached to them, and that is very attractive to woodland ants. Ants need fats just as much as protein and sugar, and it is hard to find foods rich in fats in the forest.
They take the seeds with fatty rewards back to their nests, protecting them from consumption by rodents and other organisms. Once the fatty appendages are consumed, the ants remove the seeds from the nest, dispersing them far from the original plant. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Woodland ants are a native species that lives in logs, forest leaf litter and underneath rocks. They may not be as charismatic as butterflies or bees that help pollinate flowers, but they are just as important.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230228113750.htm
Chives are a natural insect repellent
The Latin name for chives is Allium Schoenoprasum, which means “rush-like leek.” They are a member of the onion family, a native perennial, and have been cultivated for thousands of years for their culinary and medicinal uses.
The most used part of chives in cooking is the long, slender green stems. Its flowers are edible, great as a garnish or in salads, and have a more intense onion flavour than the stems. Traditional medicine uses chives to treat digestive problems, high blood pressure, colds and flu.
They are a favourite of bees and other pollinators and attract beneficial insects to the garden. Chives are also a natural insect repellent and can deter pests such as aphids, snails, slugs, mosquitoes and Japanese beetles. https://www.gardenia.net/plant/allium-schoenoprasum-chives
Can woodpeckers live peacefully in cities
Wildlife habitats become fragmented as forests are replaced by new construction in densely populated areas. This poses a threat to animals like the pileated woodpecker that rely on specific habitat conditions for their survival.
These birds prefer mature woodlands with dead timber, which provide a home for grubs and other preferred food sources. While pileated woodpeckers are currently considered a species of low conservation concern, their particular habitat needs render them vulnerable to human development.
This bird’s population saw a huge decline in the late 18th & 19th centuries when a lot of forest was converted to agriculture. But when reforestation started, it recovered. But it is not just about planting more trees. The birds need mature forest, so it could take 30 to 50 years to replace their habitat.
Pileated woodpeckers create cavities in trees for their nests annually, generating valuable living spaces for other animals like fox squirrels and screech owls. They make new nests every year. They will not reuse old ones. Other animals depend on them. https://www.earth.com/news/can-woodpeckers-live-peacefully-in-cities/
Big Island Provincial Park
Kyle Schole photo taken July 11, 2022
Comment or contribution
Please note that articles may not reflect the position of NSRVCS. River Valley News is meant to be a clearinghouse for the wide variety of opinions and ideas about Edmonton’s River Valley. Email river valley photos, event information, comments, or questions to nsrivervalley@gmail.com
Sincerely yours,
Harvey Voogd
North Saskatchewan River Valley Conservation Society
780.691.1712