Bernie Townsend Tripblog 2

Bernie Townsend Tripblog #2

Location 1: King Penguin Reserve Tierra del Fuego (CONS)

At this location, we were able to witness many different conservation methods being practiced. The guest lecture was especially helpful in explaining these methods. For example, one of the main methods used is limiting the amount of tourism to the park. As of now, only 100 visitors are allowed per day, and no large groups are allowed to visit at one time. The number of visitors is still suboptimal, however if tourism is completely stopped, the directors of the park fear the penguins will face more threats from humans. The director of the park said that the best strategy is "to have the enemy close". This makes sense as before the creation of the park, humans would sneak into the colony and steal the penguins.

The park has been a great success since its creation in 2011, as the penguin colony has grown since then. This past year, the penguins had a very successful breeding season, with there now being over 20 new chicks. The success of the park can be attributed to other factors as well. The small groups are always accompanied by a guide, who ensures the tourists are well behaved. There is also a light system and watchdogs that prevent local foxes from attacking the penguins. Despite the foxes, humans are still the greatest threat to the penguins. Green hydrogen has become an increasing threat to the park, however no projects have been approved yet. Not only will this park harm the penguins, but all of the energy will go to Europe, making it increasingly problematic. Overall, the conservation methods used at the park seem to be very successful, and the park seems to be thriving. However, external threats from industry could harm the park in the future.

Group of mature king penguins at the park (Figure 1)

Location 2: Vega Castillo Wetland (ECO)

At the Vega Castillo wetland, we were able to birdwatch in small groups spread across the wetland. In groups of 4, we oriented ourselves so we could see all 360 degrees around us. Being careful to not count the same birds twice, we were able to observe the wetland twice, each for 20 minutes. Our group was able to spot 15 different species (Figure 1). We were also able to spot an upland goose nest with 7 healthy eggs. These numbers indicate that the wetland's ecosystem is doing well.

One reason that could be contributing to the good health of the wetland is its remote location. Tourism to the area is highly limited, making humans a less robust threat. At the wetland, I don't think I saw a single piece of litter on the ground. Some potential threats to the birds could be predation, as my group saw a South American grey fox (Lycalopex griseus). One thing the estancia could do better to help the health of the watershed is to increase signage for the limited tourists who travel there. I did not see a single sign the entire time I was there. Another more substantial change that could be made is to keep cattle out of the wetland area. Overgrazing can harm the health of the vegetation and soil, leading to degradation of the habitat. Since many of the species keep their eggs in nests on the ground, cattle in the area can also trample these eggs. One solution would be to add a fence.

Spreadsheet of Birds observed (Figure 1)

Upland geese nest (Figure 2)

Watershed near the wetland (Figure 3)

Location 3: Sierra Bagaules Range (CLIM)

On this field expedition, we hiked on the Baguales Range. The view was very amazing, however inclement weather limited our time to find fossil species (Figure 4). Despite the weather, we were still able to find many great specimens. For example, Figure 1 shows a full angiosperm leaf from the Rio Leona formation. This fossil is terrestrial and is a Nothofagus species. It was formed about 25 million years ago. During this time, the land was dominated by forests and peatlands. Not only was this a perfect environment for Angiosperms, but a perfect environment for fossil preservation, as it had low energy. There was also a lot of volcanic activity, and the volcanic ash was able to cover the fossils and protect them.

Figure 2 shows bivalve fossils from the Rio Turbio formation. This fossil is very different than the angiosperm in figure 1, as the specimen in figure 2 is from a shallow water, marine environment. This fossil is also 40-45 million years old, which is much older than the angiosperm. During this time, the land was covered by shallow oceans and other low energy environments. Similar to the angiosperm in Figure 1, this environment is very beneficial to fossil preservation. This is because low energy in both formations did not disrupt the fossilization process. Some parts of the environment at this time also had low oxygen levels, which also led to less disruption of the fossilization process.

Figure 3 shows a large cluster of bivalves and mollusks from the Dorotea formation. The environment during this time was a mix of continental and marine, however the fossils shown in Figure 3 are marine species. The fossils are very different than the ones in Figures 1 and 2 as they were formed 72-65 million years ago. The fossils are well preserved because, similarly to the fossils in Figure 2, they were in low oxygen environments.