Migration and Compaction-10/31

   I went back to my landscape today, and just as I expected for the most part it looks identical to when I visited a few days ago. Something that has become a repetitive occurrence this month that I haven’t mentioned until now is the presence of birds in the area. When I first started to come to my landscape it was usually quiet other than some animals running around in the grass, but now the silence is filled with the chirping of birds. The influx of birds I’ve noticed is most likely due to them flying south to the tropics to stay in warm weather where they will continue to thrive. Due to the favorable conditions, amount of trees, and resources within my landscape this is a prime area where birds can find shelter, food, and water while on their journey south. This means many birds and various species of birds will reside in my landscape area for a little while before taking to the skies and continuing their migration.








In the photos above, some show a dirt path that leads into my observation area. Grass surrounds the path on all sides and some within the path. So, why hasn’t the entire path been succeeded by grass? This is due to soil compaction, which is the result of animals and humans constantly walking over the soil, thus leaving a noticeable imprint on the terrain. If the soil wasn’t compacted, grass most likely would have taken over the current bare dirt. Soil compaction results in reduced poor space which limits water infiltration and air circulation which means limited root growth. This overall results in difficulty for plants to absorb the nutrients and the moisture they need to survive. This is why there isn’t grass within the entire path.


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