Around the Mound

There is a mound, a rather large mound of dirt, a few feet off the trail north of the soccer park. Many times have I passed this mound and mused at its size (several feet across, maybe a couple of feet tall?), wondered what manner of creature would construct such a mound, but never have I dared approach the mound to examine it. Until now. 

It did not take a very close inspection to see the mound was alive with activity: hundreds of ants hauling, pushing, carrying twigs, leaves, bits of plant material or dirt. They were handsome ants, with shiny black abdomens* and russet heads, with the antennae rakishly cocked. Their activity was mesmerizing; so many ants, doing so many things!

From photos, iNaturalist helpfully suggested they belonged to the genus Formica ("Wood, Mound, and Field Ants"--that certainly made sense), with further suggestions narrowing the species to the Allegheny Mound Ant, Formica exsectoides.

These ants will construct mounds above ground, with tunnels throughout and extended below the ground's surface. Each colony can have several queens taking care of the reproductive aspects of the colony, with workers doing the construction, maintenance, and care. The large mounds above ground are thought to take advantage of the warmth of the sun to keep their nurseries--the eggs and the larvae--warm and also allow an early start in the spring as the mound may stay warmer than its surroundings.  

The worker ants will forage outside the nest, hitting up extrafloral nectaries such as those on Partridge Pea, as well as honeydew from aphids. They will also hunt other arthropods, and in defense of their mound they can bite ferociously while also producing painful formic acid as an added deterrent. 

The mound colonies can persist for years, and additional mounds can be established nearby as colonies split off. 

Who knew there was a little ant city going about its business right next to the trail?

Sources/Additional Resources:

• Tiny camera explores ant colony
• AntWiki: Formica exsectoides
• BugGuie: Species Formica exsectoides - Allegheny Mound Ant
• Wild About Ants: Allegheny Mound Ants, Formica exsectoides

*I discovered that ant anatomy is a bit more complex than the basic insect anatomy I'd learned about: this hindmost part of an ant is technically called the "gaster", which, along with the narrow "petiole" that connects it to the forward parts of the body, comprise the "metasoma". The abdomen consists of segments, the first of which in ants is actually fused to the thorax; the petiole is the second abdominal segment, and the gaster includes the remaining abdominal segments. 

A Clean Water Act for the 21st Century?

Our Iowa River, with stormwater outlets

Earlier this month marked the 50th anniversary of the passage of the federal Clean Water Act, the very successful piece of legislation that regulated "point source" water pollution; that is pollution that is discharged from specific locations like factories, municipal wastewater facilities, and other industrial sources. 

It does not, however, cover "non-point sources" such as stormwater runoff (including agricultural runoff), which has led to the persistent poor quality of Iowa's rivers and streams, with impacts downstream as far away as the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico. Think of everything applied to farm fields, lawns, streets and highway--manure and fertilizer, pesticides, salt and other chemicals--all flowing into our river and points beyond. Seems like quite an oversight when talking about "Clean Water," doesn't it?

Green infrastructure systems like the Sycamore Greenway help mitigate this runoff by collecting water from surrounding neighborhoods and letting it infiltrate into the ground--the water seeps in and pollutants are filtered out before the water reaches larger streams and rivers. A small-scale example can be seen with bioretention cells or rain gardens, like the one at the Johnson County Administration building. Individuals can construct small-scale rain gardens to help capture runoff from residential properties.

At a much larger scale, agricultural buffer strips planted along waterways perform a similar function, capturing and slowing runoff into our streams as they filter out pollutants. Because there is no Clean Water Act for non-point pollution much of these mitigation tactics are voluntary, with mixed results (to put it mildly). 

Is it time for such a thing? Over a decade ago Iowans voted overwhelmingly for the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund to establish permanent funding for water and soil quality improvements as well as outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat yet it remains unfunded. Iowans know how important water is, and we want it to be protected. 

Legislators, however, fail to understand how water connects us all. There is no such thing as private property when it comes to water: what you put on your land will inevitably flow to someone else's land (if you stockpile manure, for example, and it washes into a stream after a heavy rain...that manure isn't just your problem but a problem for everyone downstream of you). The success of Clean Water Act in controlling point-source pollution shows what can be done when the will is there.

Our waterways haven't been receiving much attention this election season. Who will advocate for them if not us? Ask candidates what they will do to protect our waterways. Hold them accountable. Let's get a Clean Water Act for the 21st century. 

New Neighbors in the South District

If you've been driving or walking around the South District west of the Greenway, down Langenberg and Russell, you've probably noticed some new neighbors being moved in. Dozens of them! 

The city has been planting trees in the right-of-way (the space between the sidewalk and the curb) along those two streets and surrounding neighborhoods, with nearly 100 trees in a variety of species that will create a rich, diverse canopy to shade the community for decades to come. 

The project is aligned with the Parks Department's goal of increasing our tree canopy coverage in order to develop and enhance our parks and open spaces, with one measurable objective being increasing the number of trees planted in the city right-of-way. Last year over 1000 trees were estimated to have been planted in right-of-ways, and this year another 750 are estimated to be planted. 

In addition to the trees being planted in the South District, the city will plant other right-of-way trees on the west side of town along Kennedy Parkway, and to the north along Prairie du Chien. It is a significant investment in the quality of life for Iowa City residents, but the dividends are equally significant.

The city Climate Action & Outreach service is also again offering the Root for Trees program, which gives residents a 50% discount on trees to be planted on properties in the city, so if you are not one of the lucky homes receiving a right-of-way tree, you can purchase a tree yourself at a deep discount.

Trees provide services to neighborhoods by shading our houses from the hot sun in the summer, and screening us from strong winds with the branches. Their strong roots stabilize the soil and prevent runoff, and they provide habitat and sanctuary for the birds and other wildlife that enhance our lives in so many ways. 

**Be sure to water young trees their first couple of years as they get established! The city will care for the trees they have planted, but it can be difficult to keep up with so many trees when nature doesn't always cooperate with regular, refreshing rains. I suspect the city wouldn't be offended if you offered a newly-planted sapling in your area a little extra drink every once in a while.

 Sources/additional information:

• Iowa City Park Projects | City of Iowa City (icgov.org)
• Iowa City FY2023 Adopted Budget