Speciation at Spittal Pond
What happens when a species of plant or animal arrives in Bermuda?
Long before humans came on the scene, many organisms inhabited our island, and others arrived here by natural means (ocean currents, birds, storms, etc.). Organisms that arrived here without human help are considered native species.
Some of these species, however, have adapted to our environment since they arrived, and have changed so much from their ancestors that they are now considered a new species that is endemic to Bermuda. This is process is called "speciation".
Another category of organisms on our "evolving shores" is called introduced, which means that it arrived here thanks to human help and/or mishap. Many of these species are now considered invasive, as they endanger the existence of our native and endemic species of plants and wildlife.
Spittal pond is a nature reserve in which many of the above (native, endemic and introduced) species thrive. Read on to find out more about them.
Long before humans came on the scene, many organisms inhabited our island, and others arrived here by natural means (ocean currents, birds, storms, etc.). Organisms that arrived here without human help are considered native species.
Some of these species, however, have adapted to our environment since they arrived, and have changed so much from their ancestors that they are now considered a new species that is endemic to Bermuda. This is process is called "speciation".
Another category of organisms on our "evolving shores" is called introduced, which means that it arrived here thanks to human help and/or mishap. Many of these species are now considered invasive, as they endanger the existence of our native and endemic species of plants and wildlife.
Spittal pond is a nature reserve in which many of the above (native, endemic and introduced) species thrive. Read on to find out more about them.
Rouge Plant
Scientific Name: Rivinia humilis L.
Country of Origin: South U.S. and Tropical America
Flower Color: Pink, White
Flowering Season: Summer, Fall
Height: To 39 inches (1 m) tall or more
Description: The flowers are in slender terminal racemes. The individual flowers are small and have 4 rounded, pink, white, or green sepals. The round, red berries contain a red dye and are often present at the same time as the flowers. The leaves are green, and triangular in shape. The stems are slender.
The rouge plant is a species that was introduced to the island of Bermuda. Introduced species have been brought to Bermuda by man. Once the rouge plant arrived in Bermuda, it began to spread. This is achieved by adapting to the new environment, which allows the species to survive and reproduce passing on their favorable adaptations to their offspring.
Scientific Name: Rivinia humilis L.
Country of Origin: South U.S. and Tropical America
Flower Color: Pink, White
Flowering Season: Summer, Fall
Height: To 39 inches (1 m) tall or more
Description: The flowers are in slender terminal racemes. The individual flowers are small and have 4 rounded, pink, white, or green sepals. The round, red berries contain a red dye and are often present at the same time as the flowers. The leaves are green, and triangular in shape. The stems are slender.
The rouge plant is a species that was introduced to the island of Bermuda. Introduced species have been brought to Bermuda by man. Once the rouge plant arrived in Bermuda, it began to spread. This is achieved by adapting to the new environment, which allows the species to survive and reproduce passing on their favorable adaptations to their offspring.
Spanish Bayonet
Scientific Name: Yucca aloifolia
Country of Origin: Spanish bayonet is native to coastal areas, including sand dunes, shell mounds and shorelines, from North Carolina to Mexico and in the West Indies. It is widely cultivated and naturalized throughout much of the southern US.
Flower Color: White
Flowering Season: Late Spring/Early Summer; Mid Summer; Late Summer/Early Fall
Height: Average height of 10 feet.
Description: Drought tolerant plant. Growth is slow. Stiff, dense leaves are medium green with sharp points. It tends to bloom when under stress situations. Extended 2-foot pinnacles of cream white flowers appear in summer. Leaf margins are smooth.
The Spanish bayonet is a native to the island of Bermuda. Native species arrived in Bermuda without the aid of man. Native species enter Bermuda by means of wind, ocean and bird.
Scientific Name: Yucca aloifolia
Country of Origin: Spanish bayonet is native to coastal areas, including sand dunes, shell mounds and shorelines, from North Carolina to Mexico and in the West Indies. It is widely cultivated and naturalized throughout much of the southern US.
Flower Color: White
Flowering Season: Late Spring/Early Summer; Mid Summer; Late Summer/Early Fall
Height: Average height of 10 feet.
Description: Drought tolerant plant. Growth is slow. Stiff, dense leaves are medium green with sharp points. It tends to bloom when under stress situations. Extended 2-foot pinnacles of cream white flowers appear in summer. Leaf margins are smooth.
The Spanish bayonet is a native to the island of Bermuda. Native species arrived in Bermuda without the aid of man. Native species enter Bermuda by means of wind, ocean and bird.
Asparagus Fern
Scientific Name: Asparagus densiflorus
This “fern” is an invasive species and is not actually a fern, for it reproduces by seed. Its mode of entry into Bermuda could be through the habits of fruit-eating birds spreading its seeds.
It is a sophisticated competitor in many environments, as its dense mat of root nodules smothers the roots of other plants and prevents the regeneration of the other species around it, including canopy species.
Scientific Name: Asparagus densiflorus
This “fern” is an invasive species and is not actually a fern, for it reproduces by seed. Its mode of entry into Bermuda could be through the habits of fruit-eating birds spreading its seeds.
It is a sophisticated competitor in many environments, as its dense mat of root nodules smothers the roots of other plants and prevents the regeneration of the other species around it, including canopy species.
Bermuda Cedar
Scientific Name: Juniperus bermudiana
Bermuda cedar is an endemic juniper species whose closest relatives are j. virginiana and j. silicicola of the southeastern United States. The “cedar” we have today has evolved in Bermuda to become its own species. In 1609, when the island was settled, huge numbers of the tree were cut down for building supplies, but despite centuries of felling, the tree was able to survive. However, in the 1940s, two species of scale were accidentally introduced, and, unable to deal with this foreign pest, 95% of Bermuda’s cedar trees were killed.
The 5% of trees who survived the blight were found to be resistant to the scale. These have been propagated since then, and the Bermuda cedar survives today.
Unfortunately the cedar was Bermuda’s main tree cover up until the blight, with little diversity to fill the void when the trees died off. Thus, some species who depended on and thrived in its branches, such as bluebirds and white-eyed vireo became critically endangered along with it. Others, such as the endemic cicada went extinct without it.
Scientific Name: Juniperus bermudiana
Bermuda cedar is an endemic juniper species whose closest relatives are j. virginiana and j. silicicola of the southeastern United States. The “cedar” we have today has evolved in Bermuda to become its own species. In 1609, when the island was settled, huge numbers of the tree were cut down for building supplies, but despite centuries of felling, the tree was able to survive. However, in the 1940s, two species of scale were accidentally introduced, and, unable to deal with this foreign pest, 95% of Bermuda’s cedar trees were killed.
The 5% of trees who survived the blight were found to be resistant to the scale. These have been propagated since then, and the Bermuda cedar survives today.
Unfortunately the cedar was Bermuda’s main tree cover up until the blight, with little diversity to fill the void when the trees died off. Thus, some species who depended on and thrived in its branches, such as bluebirds and white-eyed vireo became critically endangered along with it. Others, such as the endemic cicada went extinct without it.