In article
,
a wrote:

On Dec 24, 6:27*pm, Monk wrote:
I stumbled across this earlier today. *Below is the quote and link to
picture.

Although I've seen several areas with similar holes, this particular
set is right next to Bastrop Bayou, near the bridge where CR 227
crosses over it. Approximate lat/long is N29.094 W95.290.

Usually the holes are near a body of water: a river, stream, bayou,
canal, etc. And they are always water filled.

Any ideas?

http://www.texas-flyer.com/LightFlyer/holes.jpg

These look remarkably like what one sees when when is culturing
bacteria on a petri dish, except on a different scale. It would appear
the only difference is vegetation is not growing in the 'hole' -- it
seems to be defined by an absence of leaves, rather than something
going on under the surface. I'd suspect some kind of leaf eating
insect, or an underwater plant that deprives the floating ones of
roots.

If you look at growth in the deserts, you see pretty much the opposite
of this -- cactii grow spaced because their roots spread out and
prohibit other plants from growing nearby by depriving them of water.

More than that, some cactus and other desert plants secrete chemicals
that actively suppress seed germination of potential competitors.

SInkholes would seem unlikely to affect growth on the surface.