Every raindrop brings an eruption of life around you; every raindrop brings enormous possibilities. Rain is a big contributor to the existence of life on land. Rain can mean different things to different people.Â
For those living in cities, with problems like water-logging and the tremendous struggle for commuting to destinations, rain may not be as appealing as it is for those living in villages and the countryside. To me, something more beautiful than rain is the smell in the atmosphere after it. Water itself does not have any smell of its own, so what is the mystery behind this exquisite aroma?
If you've ever wondered what's that earthy smell is after rain, it's Petrichor! Soil-dwelling bacteria known as actinomycetes release spores in the dry soil. After rain, these spores are displaced into the atmosphere and the moist air carries it throughout. Which is why we're able to smell them.Â
I currently live in Delhi, a city bustling with vehicles and pollution. The rains did reduce a lot of pollution from the air this summer but what instilled in me a sense of joy was the revival and creation of certain sprouting of elements in nature which I thought was highly unlikely for someone to find in urban sectors.
I discovered this strange jelly-fungus sort of a thing in my backyard which I had never seen before. Thanks to Google lens, I learned that its called Calocera cornea also known as Club-like tuning fork. It usually grows on decaying wood, especially after heavy rains. They fall under the group of jelly fungi i.e. Dacrymycetes. It is more commonly found in temperate forests in places such as North America and Eurasia. After rains, one should be alert to observe such strange elements in nature.
Walking through the neighborhood park, I also discovered a tree with Splitgill mushroom on it. These are usually creamy yellow and pale white in colour. They are mainly found in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Madagascar, Nigeria and Northeastern India. Splitgill mushrooms are usually spotted in the wild on decaying wood after rains. However, I chanced to discover this one in the middle of a metropolitan city.
If one were to observe the ground closely after rain, you'd usually find mud balls, especially in India. Mounds of soil are a result of these worms' eating and processing detritus and organic debris which then surface on the ground. They are habitually visible after the rains,
The one thing that was extremely fascinating to me after the monsoon ended was this broken branch of a tree near my house. The power of the rains brought this dead branch back to life. Looking closely you'll observe new tendrils sprouting from the dead wood. The broken branch was neither in the soil nor had any roots. This an evidence of how rain is crucial for the environment and has the power to bring back life into dead (plants... usually).
The rains have numerous minute impacts on our environment.
We only need to look around our neighborhoods and try and spot such fascinating things!
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All the images in this particular blogpost were taken by the author of the blogpost in Delhi NCR, India.
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