kat14's Journal

The two ecosystems I visited were a grassland and a salt marsh at the Berkeley Marina. The grassland contained mostly flowering, leafed out and bare plants. I also spotted many lady bugs crawling on leaves. Since this grassland was out in the open and next to the freeway, its environment has been more harsh for these organisms. They must have adapted to withstand high amounts of natural and urban influences such as direct sunlight, wind, fog, rain, animals, exhaust and smog. The plants had characteristics such as thick stems, sharp leaves, and other thorny, bristle-like features. The biodiversity in the salt marsh adapted to different environmental factors. The seaweed and ice plants must have had to develop sturdy stems and leaves to withstand high amounts of salt water. Mollusks developed shells to help protect themselves from predators in the low tides. The plants here were not as directly exposed to the sun and thus have had to adapt to a more shady and sheltered ecosystem.

On a walk up into the Lime Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek I was lucky to capture a picture of a lizard before it darted under the rock. It had rough-looking skin that camouflaged with the surrounding rock landscape. Its long toes must help it grip onto rough, uneven surfaces such as rocks and trees. I also discovered a handful of new plants with interesting features. One had a large round leaf that wrapped around the thin stem. Another had long spiky-looking buds popping out of the top. Additionally, an abundance of moss was growing on most oak trees I walked past. The purple flowers had delicate petals with about 6 petals per stem. A few days prior I spotted a wild turkey, whose large talons and long neck must help it to catch prey. Lastly, I have spotted an abundance of squirrels around Berkeley campus, some of which I noticed had a particularly prominent black mark on their faces.

The Wild Turkey is native to North America. It is also the same species as the domestic turkey, which originated from a southern Mexican subspecies. Although the the turkey is native to North America, research speculates that it got its name due to domesticated turkeys that were imported to Britain in ships coming from the Eastern Mediterranean region. The British had associated the Wild Turkey with the country Turkey, so the name stuck. There are strong physical and behavioral differences between male and female turkeys. The male is quite larger and has feathers that are shades of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold. The feathers can change colors with the turkey's mood, with a white head meaning it is most excited. Males are polygamous and mate with as many female hens as they can. They do this by "strutting", where they puff out their feathers, spread out their tails and drag their wings. Females have duller feathers in shades of brown and gray. Despite their heavier weight compared to other birds, turkeys can still fly, but do so closer to the ground and only for up to a quarter mile. The habitats they prefer are hardwood and mixed conifer-hardwood forests that have access to pastures, fields, orchards and seasonal marshes. Turkeys are able to adapt to any dense native plant habitat as long as coverage and openings are widely available. Wild turkeys are omnivores and feed on acorns, nuts, trees, berries, roots, insects, and occasionally amphibians and small reptiles such as lizards and snakes. They are not afraid to forage for food where ever it is available and have have been observed feeding in cow pastures and back yard bird feeders. Their ability to forage for different types of food enables populations to reach large numbers in small areas.

An interesting note is the large role Wild Turkeys play in Native American cultures across North America. It has been a central part of their diet and a favorite meal, especially in Eastern tribes. They facilitated its habitat by burning down portions of forests to create artificial meadows which would attract mating birds so that they would be easier and more abundant to hunt. Additionally, the feathers of turkeys were often used in rituals and in the headgear of many tribes.