2015 - Robert's adventures in the Northern Sierra Nevada - California

[Robert]

    The correct photograph - second photograph down on posting #643.

[Hoy]

2014 was record warm here also and 2015 started warm but mid April it got colder. The cold weather lasted until end July. The last month has been 3.1C warmer than a normal year.

Robert, do you think many trees will die?

[Robert]

Robert, do you think many trees will die?

During the drought, about 5-10% of the stressed oaks have died so far. It is very noticeable! This year there is a greater number of stressed oaks, so I expect the number of dead oaks to increase. Also, the current heat-wave is forecast to be the longest and hottest heat spell of the season. During the last heat-wave there was a marked increase in the number of stressed oaks. So I will see what happens.

Other tree species are being stressed too. The ground water is being depleted and many of the Willows, Cottonwoods, and Aspens are defoliating. This is a occurring in a patch work fashion too, as in some areas the ground water is being depleted more than in other areas.

At the mid-elevations the Ponderosa Pines are taking the biggest hit from the drought. Many are dead and dying from bark beetle infestations. Here the percentage of dead and dying trees is greater, maybe 10-15%. This may not seem like a big difference, however it is very noticeable.

The good news is that the ecosystem will recover quickly once the drought ends. During the severe drought of 1976-1977, we had a very similar situation. 10-15 years later it was hard to see any lasting effects from that drought. Also, the dead trees be home for a variety of wildlife, both standing and when they fell to the ground.

[Hoy]

Thanks Robert.

It is almost what I thought. Let us hope the drought will end soon and not last for years!

The few times I have experienced real drought here (not like yours though) it has been very sad to see dead trees although some life forms benefit.

[Robert]

WRIGHT'S LAKE

Friday, 11 September 2015

Weather: Smoky
Temperature, High:100 F (38 C),  Low:68 F (20 C)



Wright's Lake is surrounded by many meadows. There were a few hours available this day that I could take advantage of, so perhaps I could accomplish something productive. Gentiana newberryi is an old friend in this area, however today I was hoping to get lucky and find G. calycosa, and the annuals Gentianella amarella and Gentianopsis simplex.

I started this day at 6,982 feet (2,128 meters) and never move above 7,000 ft. (2,134 meters).



Nearby in the Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta var. murrayana, and Red Fir, Abies magnifica, forest the autumn color change had already started. Here and there Dogbane, Aconogonum androsaefolium, provided a patch work of bright gold on the forest floor.



In other places there were hints of the change to come, such as a few colored leaves on Sorbus californica.



Dwarf Bilberry, Vaccinium caespitosum, can have spectacular autumn displays, especially when accented against its frequent neighbor Phyllodoce breweri. In a few locations they too had started to change color.



It did not take long to see that there was much stress on the environment from the current heat wave and four years of drought. Near the entrance to Wright's Lake the flow of the creek was low and sluggish.

[Robert]

Farther upstream the creek bed was dry or reduced to a few stagnant pools of water. I have never seen this stream dry before. I hope that the trout escaped down stream into the Lake.



More indication of stress - Bracken Fern, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens, does turn gold in the fall, however these were mostly burned dry from the current heat wave and a lack of moisture in the ground.



Those open to the sun and unprotected from the elements, but finding moisture near this rock, were still green.



My timing was good as I did find Gentiana newberryi in bloom this day.



Gentiana newberryi is most often white on the inside of the petals, however I have found forms that are blushed with blue. I appreciate the dark-light contrast on the outside of the petals.

[Robert]

There were Gentians in bloom, but not as many as usual.



Most were highly stressed as you can see from this photograph. I will want to return next year to see if they have survived.



The views of the high peaks of the Crystal Range are superb, even on this day as smoke from the Butte Fire started to fill the mountain air.



I quickly ran out of time and needed to return to the truck. I decided to return via the meadow and forest margin where the barren granite slopes descend from the higher terrain.



Conditions were incredibly dry.

[Robert]

Everywhere there were signs of stress. I wondered if this Cryptogramma acrostichoides ever ripened its crop of spores? It looks as if it dried up as the spore baring fronds had just emerged.



Pellaea bridgesii is one of our tough, drought tolerant rock ferns. This time of year they are generally still green. There was not one green rock fern of any species to find anywhere and there were many to check on.

Sadly, I had limited time and needed to return to the farm. I had a good chance of finding both Gentianella amarella and Gentianopsis simplex in this location but never saw a trace of them. I have always found Gentiana calycosa at higher elevations so finding it today was a long shot. Needless to say I did not see a trace of this species either.

I was still pleased with what I accomplished in a few hours - 56 species logged this day and some good observations made.

[astragalus]

A productive day, indeed, but how sad to see the effects of the long drought.

[Hoy]

Hope the plants survive! It is always saddening to see drought-ridden landscape.

It is easy to understand why the wildfires spread so quickly.

Gentiana newberryi looks very nice though.

[Robert]

Today, Monday, I was able to do a reconnaissance down One Eye Creek to Rock Creek. This is all low elevation forest 800 to 450 meters. The forest is very dry but holding up fairly well. I will be posting photographs soon.

Gentiana newberryi is beautiful and fairly easy for me to grow, however G. calycosa is a gem. I have not had any success growing it so far.

[Robert]

ROCK CREEK

Monday, 14 September 2015

Weather: Cloudy
Temperature, High:82 F (28 C),  Low: 63 F (17 C)



I had a few hours on Monday and decided to check on the up stream canyon of Rock Creek. This was more of a scouting mission to ascertain the area's potential for future outings in the spring. I started at the ridge top at 2,688 feet (819 meters). Here the forest was the typical Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest found at this elevation.



I like to gather clues to past events by observing the vegetation, and other items. Ericameria arborescens is a good indicator of past fire activity.



These were tall and leggy. It has been awhile since this area had a fire.



Other indications of fire are multi-trunked oak trees. The trunks on this Canyon Live Oak, Quercus chrysopelis, have a good size. It has been many years since it stump sprouted.



Along the ridge the forest became dominated by Ponderosa Pine. They all were generally of the same size and there was very little under-growth. Most likely, this area was replanted after a fire and any regrowth of the native shrubbery was removed.

[Robert]

There were certainly signs of stress on this forest. Bark Beetles have attacked some of the Ponderosa Pines. The brown needles cling to the dead branches.



The dominant under-story species was Chamaebatia foliolosa, Bear Clover. Here and there I found a few poor specimens of Ceanothus tomentosa (pictured). The underside of the leaves is very distinctive.



Other signs of stress on the forest were the drooping leaves of the Madrone Trees, Arbutus menziesii.



This forest giant (Arbutus menziesii) may have been spared in the fire.



Soon I found the trail down to Rock Creek. Here it descends through a tunnel of large Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida.

[Robert]

There was not much of interest along the tail until it started to drop down into the canyon into an older growth forest.



Here in the older growth, the forest was much more robust. There was much more species diversity. Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana), Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and many other species grew with the Ponderosa Pines and Black Oaks.



Here and there I found small trees of California Nutmeg, Torreya californica. I found some at the elevation of 1,772 feet (540 meters). It is unusual to find this species at such a low elevation in this area. Down stream I have found other species that reach down to an unusually low elevation. Rhododendron occidentale, and Lilium pardalinum are two species that I have found below 1,000 feet (305 meters) in the Rock Creek Canyon.



After a steep downward hike I arrived at Rock Creek, elevation 1,693 feet (516 meters).



I was very pleased to see a good flow of water in the creek.

[Robert]

Near the creek there were a few species still in bloom. Mimulus cardinalis is frequently seen near creeks at this elevation.



Also near the creek, Hosackia (Lotus) oblongiflolia had a few remaining flowers.



Sericoarpus (Aster) oregonensis ssp. californicus flowered in mounds here and there among the rocks.



In sunny areas, the rock outcroppings above the creek were brightened by California Fuchsia, Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium.

I was hoping to go down stream a short distance to see the waterfall, however there was a tremendous amount of Poison Oak. It would take me far to long to move around this mess, so this was a good time to return back to the truck.

This was an interesting area and may have some potential for a return visit this coming spring.

For the most part the blooming season is over both at the low elevations as well as the higher elevations. The end of the bloom season is not the end of the outing season for me. It is more like the beginning as I scout out new sites to visit.