1. Habitat and Scenery

Habitat and Scenery

A few sights to see...
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Cypress Swamp Sunset
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Cypress Swamp Sunset

One of my favorite events to witness in Everglades National Park is the mass dispersing of airplant seeds. Featured in the photo is Tillandsia fasiculata, the Cardinal bromeliad. The seven species of airplants that call this cypress dome their home share a similar natural history and reproductive strategy. Post pollination seed development comes to a halt when the seed pods burst open to reveal thousands of minuscule seed capsules that are connected to fluffy white diaspores. They are then blown away from the parent plant in true shotgun style and the lottery begins. Land somewhere suitable for growth and the next stage of life begins; land in the water and perish. In this image, seeds and their cottony dispersal mechanism can be seen glowing in the waining sunlight. They are not only on the main cluster of bromeliads, but clinging to almost every nearby surface.

nikonnikon d750nikon 16 35mm f4fullframewide angleNikon wide anglecypress domeswampwetwatersunsetmagentacolorevergladesEverglades National ParkFloridaRainforestDonbiologynatural historyseedsdispersalairplantair plantbromeliadepiphyteflowerwarmback lightingnaturenature photographytillandsia fasiculatacardinal air plant

  • Ancient Live Oak
  • Cypress Swamp Sunset
  • The storms were really rolling in that day. We spent the morning and afternoon weaving through this front as we made our way through the cypress domes and finally into Florida Bay.
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  • Untitled photo
  • Untitled photo
  • Sabal palm frond in late afternoon light
  • A dwarf cypress tree in the Florida Everglades
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  • One of the many stream crossings along Sendero Sirenia. This 2km research trail was created by myself and two others for the purpose of connecting the Vencejo waterfall to another trail at Rara Avis. The trail has not yet been thoroughly explored, but initial surveys have turned up some very interesting species. 
This trail received its name due to its abundance of Arboreal Manatees (<i>Trichechus dendrobates</i>); it holds perhaps the highest concentration in all of Central America.
  • Cecropia tree along Pipeline Road in Gamboa, Panama, home to the ferocious <I>Azteca ants.
  • Cloud forest epiphytes<br />
<br />
These myriad epiphytes are a small testament of the cloud forest's potential for harboring epiphytic life.<br />
Cerro Dantas, Costa Rica
  • A high gradient quebrada on the continental divide in Costa Rica<br />
Cerro Dantas, Costa Rica
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  • Water lilly from the Grassy Waters Nature Center<br />
Palm Beach, Florida
  • Untitled photo
  • 360° view of both coasts from the mirador in Parque Nacional Omar Torrijos, El Cope, Panama
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