Bountiful BioBlitz! for Birders
Well, we knew the Great Salt Plains was the place to see a diversity of birds during the fall migration and we were not disappointed. The ornithologists had a very good weekend, finding 115 species of birds during the 24-hour inventory. This was the first time in BioBlitz! history that more than 100 species of birds were counted. Non-bird biologists were not disappointed either — a total of 939 species were found within the BioBlitz! boundaries which included both the Great Salt Plains State Park and Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge. Over 20 species were found for each the mammal, reptile and amphibian, fungi, and fish groups. Josh Cooper, a graduate student focusing on diatoms, identified 74 of those unicellular species. As usual, the big winners were the entomologists with over 350 terrestrial species and over 50 aquatic species.
Although BioBlitz had to be rescheduled due to flooding in Alfalfa County, over 100 volunteer scientists attended to join in the species tally. Students and faculty from several Oklahoma universities attended, as well as students from Norman High School, Oklahoma home schoolers, and members of several regional Audubon Societies. Many attendees took advantage of the activities led by experts throughout the weekend. The "Snakes of Oklahoma" presentation, owl calling, seining for fish, and night-time insect ecology talk were big hits and we plan to offer similar activities next year. So, mark your calendar for BioBlitz! 2009 at Robbers Cave State Park and Wildlife Management area on September 18-19.
photo by Steve Metz
|
Taxa
|
Number of Species
|
| Mammals |
21
|
| Birds |
115
|
| Amphibians & Reptiles |
21
|
| Fish |
20
|
| Aquatic invertebrates |
52
|
| Terrestrial invertebrates |
350
|
| Fungi |
31
|
| Diatoms |
74
|
| Vascular Plants |
239
|
| Terrestrial Snails |
12
|
|
GRAND TOTAL
|
935
|
photo by Steve Metz
We thank the many volunteers who made our 8th BioBlitz a success. Special thanks to the staff of state park and national wildlife refuge for their efforts.
Organizations Represented
University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
United States Fish and Wildlife Services
Oklahoma State University
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
University of Central Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Community College
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Cameron University
Lake Thunderbird State Park
McLoud High School
Oklahoma Native Plants Society
Botanical Society of America
Tulsa Community College
Sutton Avian Research Center
Oklahoma Natural Areas Registry
Saint Gregory's University
