2017 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[hamparstum]

Robert, I was awaiting your postings from much above in altitude! I'm just delighted. Your last pic shows a conifer closeup of possibly a fir( Abies) of which I suppose occur more than one species.Concolor perhaps ? magnifica ?. The forest seems to have moved to a more diverse canopy of conifers with different leaf patterns beyond the long needled pines. I would also expect spruces ( Picea) and Oregon spruce ( Pseudotsuga). All of which are my beloved genera grown here at my farm.
A second  general question is land use. It would seem that the first meadows are still grazed. It would be convenient if that practise is still maintained. Otherwise the meadows might revert to shrubby forest and the grassy open species will disappear. Are there any large herbivores there (i.e Pronghorn, deer  ? ) that could keep the meadows open?. Is hunting allowed there? Beyond my instinctive dislike, I'm trying to figure out how the full ecosystem is operating.

Maggi, I minor question, does one have to ask regularly to be notified? because a couple of times this thread of which I received notifications previously, no longer does seem to do so.

Later Robert I will add questions about some of the herbaceous plants.

[Maggi Young]

Arturo, I have changed your profile setting to send you all notifications, not only for the first reply, as you had specified. 

[hamparstum]

Maggi! Thank you! As you can realize, I'm quite dull with forums and e devices. I still prefer real people and plants...Arturo

[Robert]

Arturo,

I regret the delay, however I had some work deadlines that needed to be met.

Your questions regarding the forest communities and habitats in the Lyon's Creek Basin are interesting questions.

First, the forest community at the lower end of the Basin is a typical moist California/Sierra Nevada, Canadian Life Zone conifer forest. By far the dominate species is Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana. Occasionally there are Red Fir, Abies magnifica var. magnifica. At times the Red Fir grow in thick stands, however this is generally on drier and higher ground. Much of the moisture is subterranean where the Lodgepole Pine is found. From my recent outing to the Loon Lake area, I will have photographs demonstrating this phenomenon. In addition, occasionally a Western White Pine, Pinus monticola is seen, however they are generally seen at higher elevations in this area.

As for the second question, there is no livestock grazing allowed in this area. This is a thing of the past. The "grass" looks short because the snow has just melted. In some cases this has just occurred within days (I will have photographs demonstrating this too as I continue with the report on the Lyons Creek outing). Early in the season much of the "grasses" are actually Carex species. There are deer in this area, however they are the only large native herbivore in this area. There were once Pronghorn in the Sacramento Valley, however they have long since been exterminated from this part of California. Black Bear are fairly common in the Lyons Creek Basin. In season, hunting is allow for both Deer and Black Bear.

Even in this area that has been designated as wilderness or borders the wilderness, the natural ecosystem has been altered by a wide variety of factors, some local, some from beyond the region. One example is migratory song bird populations. On Wednesday on the slopes above Loon Lake, I spotted a Wilson's Warbler. This migratory species was once considered "common" but is now quite rare. Destruction of their winter range forest habitat south of the U.S.A. is the primary cause of their decline. Locally there are other factors that are altering the ecosystem in detrimental ways. This can range from air pollution from the Sacramento Valley and beyond, to the introduction of new or past noxious-invasive plant species. I have to admit that I feel very protective of the area. Ignorant and destructive activities such as illegal gathering of firewood for camping, incorrect disposal of human waste, and trampling of sensitive areas are some of the prime onslaughts much of the Sierra Nevada faces. Awareness needs to be heighten and proper monitoring needs to be done.

In a few days I will have considerable slack-time and my writing will continue. Part II of Lyon's Creek, as well as my report from the Loon Lake area will be coming soon. 

Once again, I apologize for the delay.

[hamparstum]

Robert, thank you for the above explanation. However, as it would be natural more questions arise. Apart from pronghorn I remember in my studies the existence of mountain sheep. Most probably they are gone by now. There used to be a subspecies of Bison in the Rockies, different from the plains species. The other natural grazing stock could be the large rodents such as prairie dogs.  I'm puzzled to understand what are the causes that keep those meadows visibly open country. At a distance in general views of your pics, those patches appear at the bottom part of valleys in disjunct pattern. I wonder if they respond to underground change of geology. If so then the top vegetation of those patches will be distinct. In general Carex ( a sedge) is associated with partly flooded areas. Also Carex is much more gritty, with higher silicon content than Poaceae which makes it less palatable and restricts the the range of  grazing animals. Fascinating interactions of plants with animals which eventually results in specific ecosystem patterning. To that unique space use the flying creatures ( ie. your warblers) set their foraging territories.
In terms of habitat restoration, one of the problems that conservation ecology has discovered is that areas previously used by human activities do not revert directly to natural habitat when the activity is stopped. Sometimes never if appropriate action is not taken. Is there any action in progress in that sense?
Please take your time about my questions above.
Thank you again for your explanations which are of great interest.
Arturo

[Robert]

Arturo,

These are all extremely interesting questions that I too am trying to unravel.

Human activity in the Lyons Creek Region started sometime after the last Ice Age ended some 12,000 years ago. Artifacts, remains, etc. indicate that there has been human activity in the Lyons Creek area for at least 7-8,000 years. 4,000 years ago people known as the Martis left remains of hunting equipment in the area.

There is archaeological evidence of summer camps, but no permanent villages in the area. The region is much too high in altitude for permanent settlement. The Washoe, perhaps the descendants of the Martis, used the area fairly extensively. Permanent Washoe villages were located at the base of the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada. Seasonal summer hunting and gathering camps were located in the Sierra Nevada. There is evidence that the Nissenan Maidu from the lower western slopes of the Sierra Nevada (3,000 feet and below) may have traded with the Washoe in the Lyons Creek area.

The first known Euro-Americans to pass through the area (or at least close by - i.e. the South Fork of the American River) was the exploration party led by Captain John C. Fremont and guided by Kit Carson, in February of 1844.

The California Gold Rush changed the situation dramatically. The route between Placerville (called Hangtown at the time – El Dorado County, California) and Genoa (Mormon Station at the time – Nevada) was first used by John Calhoun (Jack or Cock-eyed) Johnson in 1848. This route became known as Johnson’s Cut-off and as early as 1849 emigrants in Conestoga wagons and pack trains were using the route. Traffic increased during the Gold Rush as a flood of travelers moved westward on Johnson’s Cut-off. There are a number of colorful figures associated with the route including “Snowshoe” Thompson, the Pony Express, etc. At its height, there were at least 3-4 parallel toll routes that traversed the canyon of the South Fork of the American River. Needless to say all of this human activity had an impact on the Lyons Creek area. The establishment of the “Bud” Wilson homestead (already partly discussed) in the Lyons Creek area in 1863 directly affected the region.

At this time I am uncertain about the original range of mountain sheep in the Sierra Nevada. As of today there is still a remnant population in the Southern Sierra Nevada. Disease passed by domestic sheep pastured in the high meadows of the Sierra Nevada decimated their populations. The California Brown Bear (Grizzly) is on the state flag of California. They were hunted to extinction. The last one died in a California Zoo in the 1900’s. In California, Wolves were hunted and trapped to extinction too, however they have recently made their way back into the northern mountains of California.

On my botanical outings I record the distribution of invasive species and any seasonal population shifts and changes that I might be able to determine. In the Lyons Creek Basin as well as other parts of the western slope of the Crystal Range that have been used as rangeland, Sheep Sorrel, Rumex acetosella, is one of the most persistent of the invasive species. Sadly, new noxious species such as perennial pepperweed, Lipidium latifolium, are making inroads. To date I have not observed this species in the Lyons Creek Basin, however it is moving closer.

In the Sierra Nevada many Carex species appear to be pioneer species. I have observed a number of Carex species that quickly recolonize disturbed sites such as road cuts. In California, there are Carex species that are hydric, mesic, and xeric in nature. Carex subnigricans is an extremely common xeric species in the subalpine areas of the western slope of the Crystal Range. They are often the dominant species in seasonally moist meadows that become parched dry by autumn. The same is true of the Genus Juncus. There are hydric and mesic species, however species such as Juncus parryi grow under extremely xeric conditions.

As far as I know there are management practices and habitat restoration efforts in the Crystal Range area of El Dorado County. The U.S. Forest Service seems to be the prime mover in these directions, however I am sure that other organizations such as the California Native Plant Society are also involved. I have observed some of these efforts while out on my outings, however I am completely out of the loop in this regard. Most of my information in this regard comes from direct observation or second, third, or forth hand information. I do know that some positive management and restoration efforts are being made, but that is about it.

Arturo, many of your questions are of prime importance, at least to me. I know that I have written a lot, however this is an abbreviated version. If necessary, I will be more than happy to elaborate as I can.

[Robert]

LYON’S CREEK

Part II

There was still a considerable amount of snow in the higher terrain. With warm weather the snow was melting quickly and Lyons Creek was a ragging torrent. Hikers need to use caution when crossing creeks under these conditions, especially in the morning. Water level can vary considerably from early morning to afternoon. A creek that seems reasonable to cross in the morning can be a raging torrent by afternoon as the snow starts melting very quickly. One can easily become stranded on the “wrong” side of a creek.



At this point there was no need to cross Lyons Creek. The meadows were lush with new growth and a variety of early blooming species were beginning their flowering cycle. Valeriana californica is a common, early blooming species in the lower meadows of the Lyons Creek Basin.



In shady, to somewhat sunny locations, Thalictrum fendleri grows abundantly in moist locations. In my mind, the male plants of this dioecious species are very attractive and I enjoy seeing them in bloom.



The yellow flowered umbels of Ozmorhiza occidentalis are very subtle to the human eye. For insects, especially Hymenoptera, the flowers are a nectar magnet. There was considerable insect activity around the blooming plants.



Drymocallis glandulosa ssp. glandulosa is a very common species in the Lyons Creek area. In the sunniest and most protected sites, some of the plants were starting into their bloom cycle. Good forms of this species are very showy and are very easy to please in the garden.

[Robert]

Most of the low elevation sections of the trail were dry and free of mud, puddling, and running water, however as one can see in this photograph, it was not that long ago that there was running water in the trail.



There are many small tributary streams that flow into Lyons Creek. Those that are perennially moist are lined with thickets of the shrubby Alder, Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia.



Viola glabella can generally be found growing in shady nooks near the tributary streams.



The flowers of Viola glabella are fairly small, however some plants bloom profusely and are very showy. This species is always found growing in mesic situations.



Braken Fern, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens, is a common fern species throughout the Sierra Nevada. This species can be found growing in the lower foothills region of the Sierra Nevada, with its range extending well into higher montane areas.

[Robert]

 Sanicula tuberosa.



Hairy Wood Rush, Luzula subsessilis, is another early blooming species. This species is very similar to L. comosa var. laxa. The two species differ in that the inflorescense of L. comosa var. laxa is peduncled while the inflorescense of Luzula subsessilis is more or less sessile. One can also measure the length of the style, however an accurate determination to species can generally be made just by looking at the plants.



Quaking Aspen, Populus tremuloides, are always found where there is a constant supply of moisture. Often the soil surface can appear dry, however moist soil can always be found a short distance below the surface. They are often found growing in dense groves. A large grove of 50 “trees” might be only 2 or 3 clones, as this species easily grows new shoots from adventitious buds on their roots. Their bright golden autumn foliage is spectacular.



The subtle flowers of Ribes roezlii var. roezlii are actually very attractive and interesting. The round and very spiny fruit turn red in the autumn and are good to eat if one carefully avoids the spines.



Dicentra uniflora emerges quickly after the snow melts and comes into bloom quickly. This plant had already flowered and set seed.  I was hoping to find plants in bloom this day, but I did not have any success.

[Robert]

Ligusticum grayi can be found is semi-shady forested sites between the meadows. This white flowered Apiceae will come into bloom a bit later in the season.



There were many butterflies out. They can be challenging to identify as they flutter about, and even more challenging to photograph, as they often do not stay in one place for long. I did get a photograph of this Hoary Comma, Polygonia gracilis. Other adult Lepidoptera seen were: Morning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), Mormon Metalmark  (Apodemia mormo), and Greenish Blue (Plebejus saepiolus).



As I slowly gained altitude, there was much more running water. Everywhere!



In places even the trail became a stream of running water. In addition, more patches of snow started to appear.



At 7,150 feet (2,179 meters) I started to encounter large blocks of snow on the trail.

[hamparstum]

Robert! I'm still puzzled about the meadow patches that one can see at a distance in your various scenery pics. The one that looks towards Lake county has quite a few. My first impression would as a photointerpreter, forest cleared land. Are those areas present homesteads? Or are they former homesteads that have to revert to full cover canopy of trees. The edges of those patches seen like clear cut lines ( possibly fence lines). From an ecological point of view the biodiversity of the area will depend on a proportion of forest free areas within the general forested scene. Prior to human settlement those areas were naturally created by forest fires ( most common) and many geomorphological phenomena such land slides and snow /mud avalanches. Also I suspect of some seismic activity. With the fragmentation of land use and upgraded human activity no longer the full natural processes occur undisturbed so unless there is deliberate environmental management silent extinctions can easily occur.
The question about mountain sheep is particularly interesting since they live in small flocks of about 10/12 ewes and a dominant ram plus yearlings and lambs. They have traditional route paths and destination meadows that learn from predecessors. Until they are taught they may get lost in up/down seasonal migration. That poses further challenges when trying to restore the larger mammals into a general restoration scheme . The larger herbivore mammals have the greatest impact in maintaining the grassiness of open areas and cull the upcoming shrubs and trees. Deer are mainly browsers feeding largely on tender shruby shoots more than grasses. So they can keep forest edges trimmed.
     Since massive human activity is fairly recent and the curtailment of such activity is even more, I ask myself what one can see at present is whether just a phase "moving" towards something else. Are there any untouched forest stands left in the area that could serve for comparison? Usually very unique infrequent species pay the toll in large scale human disruption. In that sense herbaceous plants could be very good indicators for monitoring.
     Of these I was attracted by your Collinsia torreyi and Nemophila maculata, have you tried them out in your garden? Also the perennials Lupinus albifrons and Sanicula tuberosa look like promising rock garden additions.
    I'm  assuming that as the snow recedes your outings will rise in elevation. How high up do you reach before weather sends back down again? Do you include above tree line hikes. I'm most curious about what can be found high up ( which I really have no idea how high up is there). In my place tree line is somewhere above 1300 mts. asl. But you already have mentioned that you were beyond that elevation. That's one of the differences of the northern continental large land masses in comparison with our largely oceanic southern hemisphere.
    Thank you very much for your report.
    Arturo
 

[Robert]

Arturo,

Much of the area near and around Snow Mountain geologically is part of a large serpentinite ophiolite tarrane. Many of the "clearings" off in the direction of Lake County are geologic features where highly weathered serpentine rock is exposed at the surface of the ground creating a "bald" where plant growth is very limited. On my last outing to Snow Mountain I was able to visit one such "bald" for a limited amount of time. Such ecosystems create habitat for some very interesting plant species. Such sites are well worth visiting.

As you know, human interaction with the natural ecosystem is extremely complex. In my last post I tried to illustrate how human interaction with the natural environment has changed over time in the Lyons Creek area. Clearly there were huge natural changes to the California ecosystems when the last Ice Age ended. In North America, human involvement began shortly after the Ice Age ended. In California, human impact on the natural ecosystems has accelerated in the last 150 years. Coming up with an appropriate management program is extremely challenging for many reasons. In El Dorado County, I do not think that there is even a fragment of a natural system that has not been altered by the activities of humans in some way. The general, the idea of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle makes certain aspects of appropriate management impossible to know, however with wisdom positive progress can be made.

As for Collinsia torreyi, I have never tried cultivating this species. I think that Sanicula tuberosa would be an excellent species for a garden, especially a rock garden. Unfortunately I have not had any success cultivating Sanicula tuberosa, or Nemophila maculata. Nemophila maculata is most likely easy to cultivate, I just need to try again. Lupinus albifrons thrives in our Sacramento garden. I just needs to be kept dry during the summer. It is an extremely xeric species.

Snow has prevented my access to the highest terrain. I am quite eager to get above tree line which is about 9,000 feet in the Crystal Range (El Dorado County). In the Central and Southern Sierra Nevada are higher in elevation. Evolution Valley on the headwaters of the San Joaquin River is 11,000 feet and is treed, however Evolution Basin at 12,000 feet is above tree line. I have plans to return to both the Ebbetts Pass and Sonora Pass regions this year - hopefully soon.

I was a bit rushed this morning - please ask again for more details! 

[hamparstum]

Thank you Robert, those bald areas caught my attention. Needless to say that if they are some kind of geologic relicts, their plant communities will be quite probably quite unique. In those cases one could look at the biology of plant spatial distribution as if each bald area were an island within an "ocean" of forest. Those islands should be managed under special insular conservation strategy. Since I don't have any idea of what grows uniquely there and what could be the threats, mine is a far away curious look and would love to know more about what specific conservation strategies are envisioned, or actually in practise. The smaller units might require a monitored reintroduction project on site. Thus home grown native wildflowers could become a source of material for restoration purposes.
    I just compared Lupinus albifrons var albifrons from L.a.collinsiae. The variety you grow in your garden is which? The former also very ornamental would suit better in a border while the latter seems much shorter good for a rock garden.
    Thanks to your survey reports I've detected three Collinsias for possible use in gardens. C.heterophylla which is already in horticulture, but also C.greenei and C sparsiflora. Do you consider any garden worthy?
    I'll get back to your earlier reports of 2016 surveys to search for more plant material. I will post there, although my interest is general and not associated with a particular year of survey. If I'm asking about plants already described in earlier survey threads please forgive me. I'm making special notes in my pc folders so as to avoid duplication of information request. I'm supposing that your reports reach the land management agencies because what you are doing is invaluable systematic monitoring. The wealth and breadth of information contained could keep quite a bunch of researchers busy if it used on a long term perspective!
    At one point I want to focus on the pteridophytes. We have some bracken growing here ( but different species =Rumohra adiantiformis that is quite summer drought tolerant) and some minute very cold hardy species like Blechnum penna marina. Also Blechnum auriculatum and in wet areas Adiantum magellanicum the local maiden-hair fern. So sometime once I did my research and study about their horticultural potential I'll get back to you .

[Robert]

Arturo,

I grow both Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons and var. collinus in our Sacramento garden. As a side note, I have found Lupinus albifrons to be an excellent companion for our low elevation Castilleja species. There is much more to do in this regard, but the preliminary results are excellent.

I might have an odd way of assessing a species potential. I have no idea what is hiding in the Collinsia genome, but if past experience is any indication there is much more than what might be expected. My method is to work with a species in a systematic way for a number of generations. Inbreeding can often uncover hidden recessive traits that might be interesting or of value. For me obstacles are fascinating to deal with. I encounter "off types" frequently on my outings. Personally, I would try just about anything.

After providing hospice and care to my father to his passing, I am finally getting myself back "to speed". I take and record a great deal of information on all of my outings and record it all in hand written journals (this connects me with the information much better than using a computer). I sometimes make line drawings, and this too connects me to the information better than a photograph. I am starting to amass a goodly amount of data on the flora of the west slope of the Crystal Range, El Dorado County, California. This includes the Loon Lake area (including Gerle Creek where we had a mountain cabin from the 1960's to fairly recently), Tells Peak in the north, to Pyramid Peak, the southern most peak of the Crystal Range. It has been 12 years since my wife Jasmin and I went to Red Peak (just south of Tells Peak and Silver Peak), however before then I hiked there on a regular basis. So there is a bit of a gap in my data (Maybe I ought to return in a week or two?  ). Anyway, no one has ever expressed an interest in any of my information (which also includes some information on geology, birds, insects, etc.). My guess is that everything is already well documented, and there is a plethora of experts. I have lived my whole life in this general area, however I am more or less invisible to society. This suits my personally perfectly!    I operate like the folks in the 1938 Frank Capra film "You can't take it with you". I'm with my sweetheart, and I try not to get too worried about "Mr. Kirby". 

[Robert]

LYON’S CREEK

Part III

As I continued up the trail, I encountered an increasing amount of snow cover. Where the snow had recently melted new growth was quickly emerging from the newly exposed soil.



The progression of new growth is quite evident in this meadow.



The new shoots of Veratrum californicum can be quite dramatic as they emerge from the ground.



Micranthes aprica is another species that emerges from the ground quickly after the snow melts. This tiny member of the Saxifragaceae produces a central head-like cluster of flowers. The flowers are not particularly interesting, however the rosettes of gray-green foliage are quite attractive.



With much patience, I captured this photograph of male and female Greenish Blue butterflies. There are a number of different species of Blues that inhabit the Sierra Nevada. Correct identification of the “Blues” can be very challenging as they flutter around and rarely stay put for long.