Western Skunk Cabbage

The Western Skunk cabbage is also known as the Swamp Lantern its scientific name is the Lysichiton americanus.
The Western Skunk Cabbage is located in the Pacific Northwest from southern Alaska to central California it has been found as eastward as Montana.
The Western Skunk Cabbage is found in marshy swampy wet areas, and needs partial light and partial shade.


The skunk cabbage is in the Arum family. It can grow up to five feet tall and two feet wide. The flowers are yellow-green and have an outer spathe. The skunk cabbage gets its name from its unpleasant odor. The skunk cabbage uses this odor to get pollinated by flies and beetles. The skunk cabbage is very unique in that it can generate its own heat up to 35 degrees Celsius above the outside temperature. They also have contractile roots that pull the plant deeper and deeper into the mud or marsh. They develop massive root systems that go very deep. Because of these contractile roots many sources including Steve Schimmrich a professor in New York state, claim that the skunk cabbage could live for hundreds of years as long as the area around it stays wet. Generally speaking the skunk cabbage is the first to bloom in the spring some time from early march to mid April. The flower is not usually eaten by humans, it contains poisenous oxalate crystals that are pretty disruptive to the digestive tract. Many Native tribes used the flower and leaf to store salmon. The roots however are eaten regularly by a variety deer and bear. Historically the skunk cabbage been used to treat burns, arthritus, athsma and even to induce abortions. Today skunk cabbage extract is used to treat bronchitis.



References
http://hudsonvalleygeologist.blogspot.com/2011/04/skunk-cabbage.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=zz_mk5A2jSEC&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=western+skunk+cabbage+roots&source=bl&ots=T2zV3r1QJI&sig=gyIM4Ck9yynbeUTQ-k7DMMQXRlM&hl=en&ei=yBvPTfzxFYfAsAP4rb2_Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=western%20skunk%20cabbage%20roots&f=false
http://books.google.com/books?id=zz_mk5A2jSEC&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=western+skunk+cabbage+roots&source=bl&ots=T2zV3r1QJI&sig=gyIM4Ck9yynbeUTQ-k7DMMQXRlM&hl=en&ei=yBvPTfzxFYfAsAP4rb2_Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=western%20skunk%20cabbage%20roots&f=false
http://nature.ca/plnt/popups/pop0099_e.cfm
The above image is from this site

Duck Flats

Duck Flats

Time: 5:30- 9:30
Date: Thursday 12 May, 2011
Place: Bike Path and Duck flats
Temperature: 50's. Mostly 52
Climate: Bright sunny day. Little cloud cover, with a light breeze reaching 19 mph at times. Moon was out and waxing.

Plants:
Horsetail- Equisetum arvense
Fireweed- Epilobium angustifolium
Salmon Berries- Rubus spectabilis
False Indian Corn- Veratrum viride
Pyrola- Pyrola americana
Sitka Alder- Alunus viridis
Skunk Cabbage- Lysichition americanus
Common Dandy Lions- Taraxacum officinale
Bed Straw- Galium verum
Wild Irise- Iris missouriensis
Rockweed- Fucus vesiculosus
Parsley Ferns- Cryptogramma crispa
Ostrich Ferns- Matteuccia struthiopteris
Goats Beard- Aruncus dioicus
Shooting Star- Dodecatheon pulchellum



Animals:
Porcupine- Erethizon doratum
American Robin-Turdus migratorius
American Widgeon-Anas americana
White Wing Scooter- Melanitta fusca
Arctic Turn- Sterna paridisia Anas
Mallards- Anas platyrhynchos


I really enjoyed this first trip. It was a nice way to smoothly introduce us to the way that the trips will run, and it was a very comfortable place that we have all seen many many times. I had some trouble identifying the foul, but that was mostly because they were too far away to see properly. All in all I would say this was a very nice trip.

Duck Flats 3/12/2011

I had a wonderful time out on the Duck Flats we saw many interesting things. Below I will list some of the organisms that our class saw and identified.

Cow Parsnip- Heracleum lanatum
Fireweed- Chamerion angustifolioum
Salmon berry- Rubus spectabilis
Pussy Willow- Salix spp
Porcupine- Erethizon doratum
Wild Celery- Angelica lucida
Skunk Cabbage- Lysichiton americus
American Robin- Turdus migratorius
Shooting Star- Dodecatheon pulchellum
Gadwell Duck (male and female)-
Rockweed Kelp- Fucus spp.
Soft Shell Clams- Mya arenaria
Artic Turn- Sterna paridisia
White wing Scooter- Melanitta fusca

The Duck Flats Trip

Valdez, Ak
5/12/2011
5:30-9:30pm

Clear sky warm air with light breeze. The moon was half visible.

Creatures
Porcupine.
American Robin.
Herring Gull.
Mew Gull.
Mallard Ducks Male&Female.
Arctic tern.
Blue Mussels.
Soft-shelled clam (Shell only).
Caterpillar - Black Head, Brown Body.
Spider - Red Legs, Black Body.
Barnacles.
White Wing Scoter.

Plants
Horse tail (SP).
Fireweed.
Cow Parsnip.
Salmon Berries.
Willow (SP).
Parsley Fern.
Wild Celery.
Yellow Skunk Cabbage.
Common Dandelions.
Bed Straw.
Shooting Star.
Goats Beard.
Indian Corn.

It was a nice trip on a sunny day and being in a class thats focus is like this made me focus on the animals, bugs and plants that I would normally just walk by. Getting to walk out onto the duck flats was also something that I have kind of always wanted to do too, it was interesting to look at all the things we saw besides all the trash. It was fun and I am exited to go on our other trips to see what we might find.

Field Trip Summary

The Duck Flats

Thursday, May 12th, 2011, 5:30 pm-8:30 pm
Sunny, cloudless blue skies, cool breeze, and no precipitation.
Temperature: 52 degrees Wind Speed: 19 mph
Low tide; grassy, muddy flats with small water ways.

Plants:
Fire weed- Epilobium angustifolium
Cow parsnips- Heracleum maximum
Salmon berry- Rubus spectabilis
Sitka alder- Alnus viridis
Parsley Fern- Cryptogramma crispa
Ostrich Fern- Matteuccia struthiopteris
Skunk Cabbage- Lysichiton americanus
Common Dandelion- Taraxacum officinale
Rockweed- Fucus vesiculosus
False indian corn- Veratrum viride
Goats Beard- Aruncus dioicus

Animals:
Porcupine- Erethizon dorsatum
American robins- Turdus migratorius
Mallards (males & Females)- Anas platyrhynchos
Artic Turns- Sterna paradisaea
Gadwalls (males & females)- Anas strepera
American Wigeon (males & females)- Anas americana
Soft shell clams- Mya arenaria
Blue mussels- Mytilus edulis
White winged scoter- Melanitta deglandi
Mew Gulls- Larus canus


The day was absolutely perfect. Bright warm sunshine and a breeze to keep the bugs away. The duck flats were everything that I had expected. I have wanted for some time now to explore the flats and now I am very glad to have had the opportunity. I was able to see many plants and animals because of this field trip and I am confident to know that I can positively identify the organism well. I cannot wait to explore more of the Alaskan environments and become very knowledgeable about the wildlife.

After the Duck Flats trip

The tide was up on my way home last night-all those ducks we were trying to see were right by the road! There were 6 Dusky Canadian Geese in the flats right by Loop road. The Dusky is a subspecies of the Canada goose with a pretty restricted range and breed almost entirely in the Chugach.

Here's an interesting link about the Dusky Canada Goose