{"id":19972,"date":"2012-02-22T13:45:51","date_gmt":"2012-02-22T18:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nybg.org\/plant-talk\/?p=19972"},"modified":"2012-02-23T16:21:52","modified_gmt":"2012-02-23T21:21:52","slug":"from-the-field-bill-buck-in-cape-horn-day-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/2012\/02\/science\/from-the-field-bill-buck-in-cape-horn-day-12\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 31, 2012; Isla Gordon, Bah\u00eda Romanche, 54\u00ba57’S, 69\u00ba30’W<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The engines started at 7 a.m. as we headed toward our morning collecting site, Ventisquero Alemania (ventisquero<\/em> is an archaic Spanish term<\/a> for “glacier,” and this one is located at approximately 54\u00ba53’S, 69\u00ba25’W). The weather seemed to want to remind us that we were in the sub-Arctic; it was cold and rainy. When we arrived, the weather caused some hesitation amongst our group about heading out, but in the end we all suited up and were soon on our way.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A wet, frozen, but happy Matt von Konrat dispalys a bag full of great liverworts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I had planned to collect at a site featuring large, moss-covered boulders and an open Nothofagus<\/em><\/a> woodland that I had previously seen a photograph of, but I made a logistical error. When the Zodiac left me on the shore, I soon realized that I was not in the site I had seen in pictures, but that, rather, I was trapped on a steep, densely vegetated hill. Laura had gotten off the Zodiac with me and neither of us wanted to stay where we were. We returned to the beach and tried signaling for an early pick-up.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But sadly we could see that neither of the two Zodiacs had returned to the ship yet. So we waited on the gravel beach, and waited some more; the rain turned to snow and sleet. We hunkered down to wait. Finally one of the Zodiacs came by, picked us up, and took us to another forest. This forest was very different. It was dominated by Drimys<\/em> winteri<\/em><\/a> (canelo or winter’s bark) and was very open. The most exciting difference was that the forest floor was carpeted mostly with mosses, not slippery, slimy hepatics<\/a> (say hallelujah!).<\/p>\n

Although we found little of real interest, all the usual characters were present. After so many visits to the region, I find it easy to become jaded when I don’t find any really interesting species; I must fight against boredom. I can tell when I’m getting bored because the percentage of hepatics and lichens in my collection increases, and it certainly doesn’t help when the rain essentially makes my eye glasses and hand lens useless!<\/p>\n

For the afternoon we returned to Bah\u00eda Romanche, this time as an intentional collecting site as opposed to as a source of water<\/a> or place of shelter<\/a>. We went to the very bottom of the bay, as far into Isla Gordon<\/a> as the bay goes. Once again, the near continuous wind and rain forced us to hesitate before heading into the field.<\/p>\n

I chose a flat area (leaving the steep hillsides to the youngsters) at the junction of a wetland and a southern beech forest, with a few small waterfalls cascading their way through the habitat. A small, relatively recent landslide offered an additional microhabitat. As soon as I hit the beach I realized this was a special spot and instantly, I started finding interesting mosses. I wondered if the hour and a half I had given myself (in order to be the first back to the ship, and thus the first to use the limited hot water to bathe) would be enough time.<\/p>\n

I scrambled amid fallen tree trunks around the stream. Next I explored the small landslide with its large expanse of bare soil–an attractive habitat to early successional bryophytes. I soon realized this site was more treacherous than it seemed–unstable rocks underfoot kept sliding down the slope, trying to take me with them. However, with persistence and care, I made it to the top of the landslide, crossed over, and worked down the other side. I was rewarded with numerous interesting mosses. I did find, though, when I got back to the ship that I had lost a collection of what appeared to be a very interesting liverwort. Is there a message here for me to keep focused on mosses?<\/p>\n

And not only did I find an interesting, inspiring collection site today, I was also still the first back to the ship, allowing me first access to a hot shower. At times there is nothing quite so wonderful as a good shower, especially in such a remote spot.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow we’re scheduled to head to the P\u00eda Fiord and glacier. Can fieldwork get any better?!<\/p>\n

Ed. note: NYBG scientist and Mary Flagler Cary Curator of Botany, Bill Buck<\/a> is currently on expedition to the islands off Cape Horn, the southernmost point in South America, to study mosses and lichens. Follow his journeys on Plant Talk<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Bill Buck\u2019s Previous Reports From the Field:<\/strong><\/p>\n

2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

January 30, 2012; Isla Gordon, Bah\u00eda Romanche, 54\u00ba57?S, 69\u00ba30?W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 29, 2012; Canal O\u2019Brien, on the way to the Brazo Noroeste of the Beagle Channel, approximately 54\u00ba55?S, 70\u00ba35?W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 25, 2012; Isla Darwin, Caleta Virginia, approximately 54\u00ba57’S, 70\u00ba10’W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 24, 2012; Unnamed sound off Isla Whittlebury, in Bahia San Jorge, west of Isla Hoste, approximately 55\u00ba16?S, 70\u00ba00?W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 23, 2012; Arm of Estero Webb, SW coast of Isla Hoste, approximately 55\u00ba14’S, 69\u00ba41’W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 22, 2012.; Unnamed sound on Isla Gordon behind Cabo El Gorro, approximately 55\u00ba02’S, 69\u00ba48’W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 21, 2012; Isla Hoste, Estero Fouque, 55\u00ba1’S, 69\u00ba35’W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 20, 2012; Isla Hoste, Estero Fouque, approximately 55\u00ba11’S, 69\u00ba35’W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 19, 2012; Chile, unnamed sound on north-central coast of Isla Hoste, approximately 55\u00ba00’S, 69\u00ba12’W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 18, 2012; Canal O\u2019Brien, just south of Isla O\u2019Brien, 54\u00ba55’S, 70\u00ba35’W<\/a><\/p>\n

January 17, 2012; Punta Arenas, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

2011<\/strong><\/p>\n

July 15, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia<\/a><\/p>\n

July 14, 2011; Pyengana, Tasmania, Australia<\/a><\/p>\n

July 13, 2011; Weldborough, Tasmania, Australia<\/a><\/p>\n

July 12, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia<\/a><\/p>\n

July 11, 2011; Hobart, Tasmania, Australia<\/a><\/p>\n

February 8, 2011; Punta Arenas, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

February 5, 2011, unnamed sound northwest of Isla Georgiana<\/a><\/p>\n

February 4, 2011, unnamed sound directly east of Seno Mama, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

February 2, 2011, Seno Courtenay, northern arm, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

February 1, 2011, Seno Courtenay, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 31, 2011, Canal between Isla Georgiana and Isla Clementina,, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 30, 2011, Unnamed sound on south side of Brecknock Peninsula, NW of Isla Georgiana, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 29, 2011, Isla Aguirre, Seno Quo Vadis, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 26, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 24, 2011, Seno Chasco, just north of isthmus to Brecknock Peninsula, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 23, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Puerto Consuelo, Seno Chasco, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 22, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Brujo, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 21, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Brujo, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 20, 2011, Isla Grande de la Tierra del Fuego, Seno Bluff, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 18, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n

January 16, 2011, Punta Arenas, Chile<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The weather decides to remind the team that they are in the sub-Arctic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":20135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1208,1206,46],"tags":[4665,2186,2187,1211,1210,4621,1207,4648,2188],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/matt.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph0lU-5c8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19972"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19972"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20237,"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19972\/revisions\/20237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/blogs\/plant-talk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}