12 May 2011
Posted in NatureWorks

National Geographic reports that exotic plants may make your yard look beautiful but in the long run they will cause harm to our ecosystems. Dr. Doug Tallamy an entomologist (insect expert) at the University of Delaware explains why having only plants native to your area is so important.

Ever since non-native people started to arrive on America's shores, they've carried along with them trees, flowers, and vegetables from other places. Now there are so many of those outside plant species that they are crowding out the native plants that have lived here since before settlers arrived. This may not seem like too much of an issue until you consider the fact that the type of plants has an impact on other living things in the environment, like insects and animals.

Think of it as a web, which starts with the plants, goes to the insects, and ends with birds. Almost all the plant-eating insects in the United States—90% of them—are specialized, which means they eat only certain plants. When those certain plants aren’t available for the bugs to eat anymore the insects die off. In turn, insects are the food source of birds and when the insect population drops so does the bird population.

Dr. Tallamy points out that, "we cannot let the plants and animals around us disappear," and, "the way to preserve them is to give them food to eat. But when we plant non-native plants, we are clobbering the food web, because then we don't have the insects the birds need to live."

What can you do to help this situation? It’s simple! "Just Google 'native plants' and your location, and you can find out which plants really belong where you live," says Tallamy. He also suggests getting your children involved with the planting process or even having them, “adopt a bird species in trouble and see if [they] can't plant some things that will attract the insects they need."

Photo Above: Milkweed is a flower native to Central Florida. Monarch butterfly caterpillars dine on Milkweed. A small milkweed patch planted in Spring can produce beautiful Monarch butterflies in the Summer!

23 March 2011
Posted in NatureWorks

Have you ever heard of a churkey or a turken? It sounds like a mix of a chicken and a turkey but National Geographic reports that it is actually a genetically mutated chicken that appears turkey-like due to a lack of neck feathers. The random mutation was first spotted in Romania hundreds of years ago. In these particular chickens a feather-blocking molecule called, BMP12,  is over produced. The reason only the neck losses its feathers is because the neck is actually the most sensitive part of the chickens skin due to an acid derived from Vitmain A being present there.

Most other genetic mutations cause harm but in this case the BMP12 mutation helps keep these chicken cool! Chickens bred in hot climates do not produce the same quality of meat and eggs that chicken bred in cooler climates do, that means featherless necks not only keep the chicken happier but, the farmers and consumers as well. Due to this fact the churkey trend in catching on! In a case where weird is wonderful, producers in the poultry industry who reside in hot climates such as Mexico, are purposefully breeding these genetically mutated barenecked chickens and seeing lots of benefits but doing so!

14 March 2011
Posted in NatureWorks

Two new species of freshwater stingrays have been discovered in the Amazon rain forest! They are being called “Pancake stingrays” because they look like pancakes with tails. The last new Amazon stingray found was in 1987. Researchers have also found a new species of catfish that has a pattern that resembles a jaguar’s spots. This just shows that there are so many species on Earth we have yet to discover!

Don’t forget that we have daily stingray feedings here at the Orlando Science Center, so stop by and watch our local stingrays enjoy a meal and learn more about these interesting creatures!

Misty is an Animal Care Technician at the Science Center and is found in NatureWorks. Animals and Ecology are her passions and she jumps at every opportunity to talk about it. Stop in and say Hello!

22 February 2011
Posted in NatureWorks

Forest habitats are home to 80 percent of the earth’s plants and animals but only cover 30 percent of the planet’s surface. National Geographic reported the result of a report that was compiled by the nonprofit organization Conservation International for the United Nations’ International Year of Forests. The most threatened areas included have lost 90 percent or more of their original habitats.  The following is a sample of some the threatened areas.

• Indo-Burma Region- Spanning two million kilometers of tropical Asia, six new mammal species have been discovered there in the past 12 years but only 6 percent of the region is protected by environmental law.
• New Caledonia- A small set of islands, about the size of New Jersey, located in the very extreme South Pacific, east of Australia, home to five native plant families. Although 22 percent of the land here is protected, 83 percent of the threatened species are not in the protected land.
• Sundaland- About 17,000 islands in the western half of the Indo-Malayan archipelago, this area includes Borneo and Sumatra, two of the world’s largest islands. Animals such as tigers, monkeys, and turtles are not safe here due to hunting. Also, two species of the Asian Rhino, almost extinct, are found in this hotspot on the islands of Java and Sumatra.
• The Philippines- Comprised of 7,100 islands in the westernmost Pacific Ocean, the Philippines are known as one of the world’s most biologically rich countries.  However, conservationists fear that the forests of the Philippines are on the brink of extinction due to logging.
• Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands- These islands off the coast of Africa are home to 8 plant, 4 bird, and 5 primate species that live nowhere else in the entire world. A whopping 50 species of lemur also call this forest hotspot home, including the undeniably cute mouse lemur. Although extensive efforts toward conservation are being made, especially on Madagascar itself, poverty and population growth are threatening the environment through activities like logging, mining, and hunting.

Click Here to learn more about other threatened environments and how you can help.