Hitchiti Experiment Forest

The scientific name for wild ginger is Hexastylis arifolia. It is native to Georgia and grows best in shady areas with average soil. The leaves are heart-shaped and it has a “spicy” aroma.

http://www.dunwoodynature.org/do/plantsale/plantsale07.html

Leaf litter decomposition:

“Stage 1 shows recently added dead material.

By stage 2 much of the material has broken into smaller pieces and some of the easily degradable cell materials such as sugars and starches have been assimilated by microorganisms.

At stage 3 you need to look closely to recognize small plant fragments and the appearance of dark colored organic matter is obvious.

By stage 4 there is no recognizable plant materials and the dark colored organic matter has been incorporated into soil aggregates”

http://agcal.usask.ca/slsc240/modules/module9/om_res.html

The scientific name for the southern pine beetle is Dendroctonus frontalis. They are common in the southeastern United States, and they feed on various forms of pine trees. They can destroy acres at a time, especially in outbreaks of the species. They are the most destructive insect in Georgia and cost millions of dollars in annual losses.

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/so_pine_beetle/so_pine.htm

http://www.forestpests.org/georgia/pinebarkbeetles.html