Post Oak Continued: Changes on the Hilltop

 Full size view of the Post Oak.

Each time I visit my Oak I am reminded that winter is approaching because the leaves have become more brown and spotted. The weather is finally cooling off and I believe it has caused my spot to become very popular to the students of St. Edwards. I often would come up on someone perched on the bench reading a book or sitting under the tree chatting on the phone. Whenever I managed to grab a spot under the tree, I would watch the breeze rattle the fragile leaves until they finally let go and fall to the ground. The soil felt even more dried out and several cracks had been added to the already massive dried patch. However, the ants seemed more active than ever, climbing sporadically through the cracks in the bark, perhaps trying to prepare as much as possible for winter. My butterflies I used to notice have now trickled away and left the Post Oak and probably Texas all together. Moreover, for the first time ever I saw a squirrel in the branches of the Post Oak. When I first walked up he was moving his tail up and down and producing some sort of chirping noise. My immediate reaction since I was fully aware my Oak did not produce any acorns yet, was to say out loud “what are you doing here little guy?” He then turned his head and looked right into my soul, he seemed furious as he began to move closer to me through the branches. I backed up a bit, I did not have much experience with handling squirrels so he honestly frightened me. We starred off for a while, until I walked away, I did not want to get attacked by this hungry squirrel.

Alongside the random squirrel, several birds visited my Oak throughout my observation period, most likely this was because of their praying on the insects crawling along the tree. The University of Texas lists that the tree being a nesting site and attracting insectivorous birds is one of the many benefits of the Post Oak (University of Texas, 2017). Some other wildlife benefits include feeding mammals, birds, rodents, and deer with the acorns on the Oak (University of Texas, 2017). While the human benefits are as simple as the tree provides shade and is attractive. A fun fact about the Oak according to Flora of North America is that Native Americans used to use the Oak “medicinally” for issues such as indigestion, mouth sores, chapped skin, and a wash for fever and chills (Wangenheim, 1986).

Besides the birds and a confused squirrel, the main focus of my observations were the leaves that changed with the season. The leaves started as this deep dark green color and as time went on they began to lighten up and become covered in spots. I took interest in the spotted leaves and decided to do a little more research, apparently the cause of the spots could be a fungal disease called anthracnose. The University of Minnesota says that anthracnose is tree specific and typically does not cause any permanent damages to the tree but can cause “leaf spots, blotches or distortion” (Grabowski 2017). Anyway, the leaves stay on the tree some time after becoming spotted, most of the leaves did not actually start falling until the beginning of November.I think I will continue to keep an eye on the tree after this project, because I am curious about how long it takes for all of the leaves to fall.

The interesting spots all over the leaves.

Observing my precious Post Oak has been a learning experience to me not only scientifically, but psychologically. I have learned that there is so much more to this world than what meets the eye by observing my tree because it allowed me to notice a kingdom of ants working together to store food, several birds flying in and out of the branches to hunt and rest, and a confused squirrel viciously searching for acorns in the tree. These creatures and their actions would usually go unnoticed by me, but now that I am aware I feel like I have a better appreciation and respect for nature. My Post Oak is my new spot, I can’t wait to visit it again.

-Catherine Williams

Grabowski, M. (2017). Anthracnose. Retrieved November 17, 2017, from http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/trees-shrubs/anthracnose/

Texas, U. (n.d.). Plant Database. Retrieved October 10, 2017, from https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=qust

Wangenheim, B. (1986). Flora of North America. Retrieved November 17, 2017, from http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501087

 

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