Please e-mail Frank Wihbey, Editor: menature@maine.maine.eduVol. 2, no. 15 Tuesday, April 15, 1997
Quick jumps: | This week's reports | Question and Answer on "The Smell of Spring" |Downeast Birdline -- discontinuation announcement | Meeting of new group: Greater Portland Naturalists Forum | Publication announcement: Biological Diversity in Maine: An Assessment of Status and Trends in the Terrestrial and Freshwater Landscape |
You are invited to participate. Your reports are always welcomed!
Please e-mail Frank Wihbey, Editor: menature@maine.maine.edu
This week's reports
Report format = Day, date, [time]. Location (Maine Atlas Map number) Report text. Initials of correspondent.
Tuesday, April 8. Phippsburg (Map 6) Morse Mountain Preserve. Heard wood frogs in a little pond on the way in to Seawall Beach today. I walked out to the edge of the ice to get a look at them with my binoculars. Also, on the way in, tree swallows were flying in the sun, low over the marsh, fighting the gusty winds. There were about 100 in all about half of which, at any one time, were perched on the telephone wire. While eating lunch on the beach I started throwing crumbs to a gull, trying to see how close I could entice it. About 3 feet away was as close as it came. At this distance it would come in slowly, grab the crumb, and then swoop away making a quiet but strong sound--a quick short exhalation--whooo. A.G.
Saturday, April 12. Mount Desert (Map 16) Sargent Mountain. Some trails on Mount Desert Island, even those on South-facing slopes, still have snow and ice, making climbing a bit treacherous. The mountain summit is bare and has temporary ponds from snowmelt. Even with just this slight warming trend (+40 F.) insects have begun to stir. I saw mosquitoes, a black fly, a species of wasp, and even a butterfly (yellow swallow tail?) F.W.
Tuesday, April 15. Eddington (Map 23) Maple sap is running at a varied pace at our small home operation. Fri. 4/11 20 gals.; Sat. 4/12 10 gals.; Sun. 4/13 nothing; Mon. 4/14 nothing; Tues.4/15 closing up for the season. L.C.
Tuesday, April 15. Garland (Map 32) Recent maple sap runs: Thurs. 4/10 nothing; Fri. 4/11 85 gals.; Sat. 4/12 105 gals.; Sun. 4/13 18 gals.; Mon. 4/14 nothing. M.J.
Question and Answer on "The Smell of Spring"
Jon:
I had a natural history question that might fall in your area of expertise. In
very late winter and very early spring, as soon as the ground is thawed for an appreciable
amount of time, there is in the air a sour, earthy smell. It seems to vanish as the season
progresses. After accounting for other possibilities (not the paper mill, not the
spreading of manure by the U.Maine Farm, etc.) this seems to be an annual phenomenon
caused by Nature. Also, it seems I remember this in Connecticut, too. My guess is that it
is due to soil microbes that can flourish at these low temperatures, until the temperature
rises and others crowd them. Do you know if I am on the right track?
Frank Wihbey, Maine Nature News
Frank:
You are definitely on the right track. There are hundreds of odorant-type chemicals that
are released by the microbes of the soil and litter when microbial activity increases in
the spring. Butyric acid is one of the odor-compounds that can be produced. This is an
unpleasant pseudoseptic tank smell that can emanate from wet soils. The common
"earthy" smell of garden soil and the smell of spring is usually due to a
compound called geosmin.
Sincerely,
Jon Connolly, U.Maine Plant Biology and Pathology Department
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