Ulf MehligDec 15
The municipality of Bragança is planning a conservation area around the headwaters of a small river running through the city. The forest is severely degraded, and we were initiating weed and liana management to enhance tree recovery. However, a couple of days ago somebody decided that the dry vegetation will be great for starting a jolly little wildfire. The firefighters were not able to control the flames, and recovery-wise, we're back to zero.
#Amazonas #wildfire #conservation #BragancaPA
Ulf MehligOct 27
Yesterday our son returned from playing with friends at a nearby creek all upset because they observed a guy pouring gasoline at the base of trees in the forest and then putting all on fire. Today I had a quick look at the site. Fortunately, the damage is limited but the area is already so strongly affected that any loss of trees is too much. Of course Brazilian laws prohibit such actions but enforcing the laws is a completely different story, it appears.
#BragancaPA #deforestation #Amazonia
Ulf MehligApr 26, 2025

What I enjoy especially about the City Nature Challenge is the opportunity to have a closer look at the living beings that are not on my "normal" to-do list. However, I definitely can do without those mosquito bites ...

#iNaturalist #CityNatureChallenge #Aedes #Ipomoea #Concolvulaceae #Cookeina #BragancaPA #Amazonas

Ulf MehligApr 20, 2025
Many climbing Aroids can be easily taken into cultivation by making a stem cutting. We do that sometimes when finding sterile specimens during floristic surveys, and make herbarium vouchers later when the inflorescences appear. However, one has to be patient ... This Syngonium from the inundated forest along the Caeté river in the coastal Amazon region was collected in 2018 and started flowering now.
#BragancaPA #herbarium #HBRA #Amazonas #Araceae #Syngonium #floodedForest
Ulf MehligApr 16, 2025

In little more than a week starts the 10th City Nature Challenge (https://www.citynaturechallenge.org/). Bragança here in the coastal zone of the Amazon region will participate for the first time ... Teachers of the local schools are collaborating, starting to train their students to use the iNaturalist app. I hope we can kindle some enthusiasm about observing nature!

#iNaturalist #CityNatureChallenge #BragancaPA #Amazonas #CitizenScience

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Ulf MehligMar 24, 2024
Epiphytes are not that abundant close to the Amazon coast near Bragança, possibly due to a more pronounced dry season and to deforestation, which started very early over here. However, we manage to cultivate a couple of native epiphytes like bromeliads and aroids, mainly from the remaining inundated forests. By squishing the fruits and putting the sticky seeds in cracks in the bark of trees, we even manage to propagate them.
#Amazonas #BragançaPA #garden #epiphytes #Bromeliaceae #Araceae #botany
Ulf MehligFeb 12, 2024
Crateva tapia L. (Capparaceae, caper family) is a tree occurring from Mexico to Argentina. The species is capable of occurring in dry habitats but here in the coastal Amazon region it is often observed in flooded habitats. The rather small specimen in the photo is from a seasonal coastal wetland near Bragança. The plant has various uses in popular medicine and the fruits are at least occasionally eaten.
#Amazonas #wetlands #Capparaceae #trees #botany #BragancaPA
Ulf MehligOct 29, 2023
Another plant of the Amazon coast seasonal freshwater wetlands: Sagittaria rhombifolia Cham. Its long, narrow leaves can be easily mistaken for those of a sedge from a distance, but the white, showy flowers clearly indicate that it is not. I collected this plant for our herbarium – there are two older records (1955, 1977) from the same region in other collections, and I'm glad that the plants are still thriving here.
#Amazonas #Alismataceae #botany #herbarium #HBRA #BragançaPA #wetlands
Ulf MehligOct 15, 2023
The aquatic plant Bacopa reflexa (Benth.) Edwall (Plantaginaceae) is sometimes considered the only species of genus Benjaminia, due to its submerse, finely divided leaves and calyx characteristics. In our region of the Amazon coast it had already had been collected almost 70 years ago, and we were able to confirm that it is still around in ponds and flooded seasonal marshland near Bragança-Pará.
#Plantaginaceae #aquaticPlants #marshland #Amazonas #botany #flower #herbarium #HBRA #BragancaPA
Ulf MehligSep 24, 2023
Another aquatic plant occurring in the coastal Amazon region: Mayaca fluviatilis Aubl. This is one of two species from a small, monogeneric monocot family we find in ponds and flooded wetlands around Bragança. Its very soft aquatic shoots decay quickly after the ponds dry out but while water levels are decreasing, aerial shoots with more rigid structures develop. The tiny flowers developing on these shoots are quite beautiful.
#Amazonia #aquaticPlants #BragancaPA #botany #Mayacaceae #flowers