My Experience With English Ivy

On July 8th, I volunteered with HandsOn Geater Richmond to help manage Hedera helix, commonly known as English ivy. I was with a group that consisted of around ten volunteers, led by Catherine Farmer of Richmond Tree Stewards. We worked for about 3 hours on Belle Isle, mainly hand pulling and clipping the invasive from trees. When pruning ivy on trees, it is essential not to pull the ivy from the tree, as this can damage the bark.

                                        

*note that all of the plants that are low to the ground in the third picture are Hedera helix. 

Highlighting the Invasive Plant Task Force in Richmond, VA

James River Dendrology: Trees of the Wetlands

Invasive Plants of the James River in Richmond

 

Mobile Plant Identification Apps

I experimented with three different mobile apps for plant identification on Belle Isle in Richmond, VA: iNaturalist, LeafSnap, and Plant Identify. I did not use Seek by iNaturalist. 

I used pictures of seven different plants/trees: English Ivy, Tree of Heaven, Privet, Pawpaw, Wild Carrot, Saw Greenbrier, and Rubus. 

All three apps are free to use. However, Plant Identify only allows a certain number of free pictures to be uploaded. It is unclear how many free uploads a user is allowed, though. Users can either pay $1.50 for a week of unlimited uploads, $4 for 1 month, or $30 for 1 year; these are not subscriptions and can be cancelled at any time. There are also additional features that can be accessed with a payment. The app was recently upgraded with advanced artificial intelligence and allows free users more uploads than it previously did, but the free version was enough for this assignment. A great plus about Plant Identify is that the identification works extremely fast and all of my pictures were accurately identified on the first attempt. 

iNaturalist and LeafSnap also work well for accuracy, but LeafSnap comes with many, many ads. A neat feature in iNaturalist is that if one possibly misidentifies a plant, another user can make a recommended correction. Users can also comment on identifications. These features can be helpful for people who are not exactly experts but motivated citizens or hobbyists. One positive that LeafSnap has is that it's also easy to use for identification of tree bark, fruits, and flowers.

If I could only choose one app, though, this would be my order of preference: 

1) Plant Identify

2) iNaturalist

3) LeafSnap

I chose Plant Identify despite not having unlimited free uploads because the app is very quick and accurate, and the amount of free uploads seems sufficient for most users. If one wishes to pay, the prices are cheap and can be cancelled at any point.  

Web Soil Survey of the James River

 

The first map represents the James River in Richmond, from the edge of Henrico county to Chapel Park. The green colored sections are areas that have potentially favorable conditions for aerobic organisms. However, it is important to recognize that frequent flooding causes these areas to be classified as only somewhat favorable. The orange "W" on the left side of the area of interest represents the wetlands of James River; it is one such example of an area's aerobic soil that may not see its full productive potential due to flooding. The soil surrounding the wetlands and most of the James River consists mainly of Chewacla, Chastain, Johnston, and Toccoa loam. Additionally, the river's whole soils have a mid-level susceptibility to sheet and rill erosion; this measurement is known as the K factor. Flooding can be detrimental to soil productivity, which can harm plant and wildlife. In the context of James River, sometimes trash and human/animal waste can be carried by the flood waters and cause further damage. However, it is possible to better protect soil productivity and biodiversity if plants grow in species-rich communities. Thus, any opportunity that is taken to combat invasive plant species that suppress native plant life can have a positive effect on the surrounding biodiversity. 

   

The second graphic is a closer look at the Wetlands and Pony Pasture, where we can see some of the general areas of various types of soils. As we can see, Chewacla series is the main soil found in the area. Interestingly, Chewacla soil can be used for the production of certain foods such as corn and small grains. In wooded areas, it can stimulate the life of plants such as the native sweetgum, which can provide fruit for local wildlife. 

As a first time user of the Web Soil Survey, I was surprised at the amount of information that is available from this single source. The WSS provides detailed information on the soils in any location and how to interpret the represented data. This can be an excellent tool for city planners, conservationists, and students looking to get a better understanding of a study area. 

If anyone wishes to get a closer look at the soil data related to the James River, I have saved the link here.   

Climate Change & Richmond's Future

Under climate change, increased temperatures and floods are two of the more significant threats to Richmond locals and the James River. While the average temperature of Richmond has seen a minimal increase over the last few decades, the future is predicted to be a different story. The city's website contains a simple graphic that shows various weather changes expected to occur due to climate change. For example, the average temperature of Richmond may very well increase from the current seventy degrees to seventy-five degrees from 2041-2060. Additionally, the state's capital will experience more extended heat waves, and people will find themselves waking up to more 95-degree days. 

Climate change will also bring more rainfall and storms to the city, accompanied by more intense flooding. The James River Association issued a press release detailing the risks of such extreme weather changes to residents. Among these risks is discharged toxic chemicals from damaged infrastructure, which could endanger the residents' health and the James River's ecology.

It is essential to understand the expected changes that Richmond will undergo to protect the city's residents and the James River. While the NOAA contains an excellent weather source, I find the projection tool on climate.gov to be more simple. Using the projection tool, one can get a good idea of the potential temperature changes that Richmond will see under different emissions scenarios.