Rainforest Revelations

Archive for July, 2007

I recently chanced upon a curious flourescence out the corner of my eye, beneath the movement of a small black invertebrate. Upon closer inspection, I was delighted to see the Northern Jewelled (or Spiny) Spider, weaving its egg-sac. Read the rest of this entry »

On the 7th May 2000, the (then) Minister for Mines and Energy authorised an amended electricity policy for the area north of the Daintree River and without any right of appeal, the extension of mains electricity supply was opposed and, as an alternative, the use of stand-alone power systems was to be supported.

A stand-alone power system (by way of definition) is not connected to a supply network; it is rather supplied with electricity from one or more of a number of sources including a photo-voltaic array, a wind generator, a micro-hydro generator and an engine generator set. Read the rest of this entry »

The sophistication of the various strategies for concealment and evasion and their hundreds of millions of years of adaptive refinement are not the only obstructions to revealing the secrets of this ancient rainforest. Indeed, one of the greatest difficulties of late has been entirely software related, with this weblog’s refusal to allow registration.

It would seem that the problem has (hopefully) been resolved and we eagerly await evidence of this resolution through an influx of comments.

In the meantime, the parasitic angiosperm Balanophera fungosa (below), has emerged from its subterranean concealment to flower and its it just a matter of time before a species of spider-mimicking ants carry the pollens throughout the forest on a nocturnal tour de force.