Month: October 2019 (Page 3 of 4)

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/10/groundwater-pumping-killing-rivers-streams/

Interesting article regarding the sustainability and health of rivers across the world. The article mentions how issues of unregulated, excessive water removal from under ground aquifers affects rivers such as the Ganges. Its startling, how research predicts that by 2050, between 40 and 70% of all rivers would have reached an ecological threshold that we may not come back from. The biggest issue with excessive groundwater removal is that in cases like the San Pedro River in Arizona, much of the water’s volume actually comes from aquifer resources, which are then replenished by rain, runoff, etc. Thus, the more we pump out, the less water is available to sustain the rivers flow, and if the water levels drop enough, habitats and marine life are in serious danger. This article I think is somewhat fitting, given that we had the presentation for the DRBC and have had discussions regarding river health.

When I went downtown to watch a performance of Vanity Fair last weekend, I thought the river seemed lower than usual when I passed by the curtain. The water was at least a foot below the bottom buoy, and many of the larger rocks on the bottom of the riverbed were exposed and visible.  According to the National Weather Service, this region has received slightly more than average rainfall for the year-to-date, but over the last 2 months, it has received less rainfall than usual, anywhere from .5 to 1 inch less than usual. This may have contributed to the river seeming lower than it usually is.

The image above is of the Asian Carp, an invasive species. The Asian Carp is originally from China, they were brought over to the U.S. to filter pond water in fish farms in Arkansas. They quickly spread across the U.S. They have no real natural predators and female Asian Carp lay about half a million eggs each time they spawn. These fish pose as a huge threat to boaters as the fish can leap out of the water if startled by boat engines often colliding with people and causing injuries.

This is a picture of the canal that runs parallel to the Delaware River.  Construction for this canal began in 1829, and was used for many years. Mules would pull coal barges down the river. When we went on our float trip down the river, we were able to see the canal. I find it interesting that not that long ago, this was an effective form of transportation.

As though the introduction of the spotted lanternfly wasn’t enough, Pennsylvania may be facing another invasive species epidemic.  The northern snakehead, a fish more common in Asian countries, has recently been found in the Monongahela River.  Only one has been found so far, and the hope is that there aren’t any more.  The northern snakehead serves as a predator to many fish native to Pennsylvania.

I spotted this cool creature in my common room a few nights ago, and although I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, after a bit of research I concluded it was probably a Katydid. It’s hard to see the bug clearly in the picture I took , but I included a more clear picture of what these bugs look like. Katydids are mostly nocturnal, and in the daytime, they have a unique defense mechanism to protect them while they rest. In the 2nd picture you may have noticed that the bug kind of looks like a leaf. When Katydids rest in trees they unfold their wings to lay flat, and in doing so they look almost identical to a leaf, so they are left alone by most predators.