2019 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

The upper altitude range of Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida extends up to approximately 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) on Peavine Ridge. This species, too, is often seen mixed within the dense stand of Indian Manzanita. This situation leads to a fascinating variety of characteristics within the Manzanita populations.



As I explored the Manzanita covered slopes there were often beautiful vistas of the American River Canyon and the snow covered Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance.


 
In some places the soil on the Mehrten Formation andesite is extremely thin. During the winter/spring months the soil is frequently water logged then turning bone dry during the summer/autumn season. The plant life in such areas is limited and often very specialized.



This andesite slope was vegetated with Buck Brush, Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus and Manzanita. This is the upper elevation limit of this species in this region.



The previous evening about 2 inches of snow fell. As I explored the slope a few remnants of this snow persisted in the shade of the larger shrubs.

[Hoy]

Hi Trond,

Mimulus (Diplicus) douglasii is very small, 3 mm to 40 mm for the exceptionally large ones. Soil type governs their size to a degree. As I wrote, the plants I encountered were growing on Gabbro based soil. They were all tiny, in the 3-5 mm range, not including the flower. The flower is often larger than the other above portions of the plant. I encounter the same tiny plants when I find this species growing on serpentine.

Thank you for the information regarding the drought conditions in the Chile-Argentina region where you traveled. I have my hands full staying current with the "goings on" right here in our portion of California. I am still keenly interested in climatic variations in other regions of the world, so thank you for this piece of information. The drought in this regions seems severe. Was there anyway to determine the impact, if any, on the native flora?
......

Robert,

3-5mm isn't much. I would need a magnifying glass to admire the Mimulus!

It is difficult to say much about the drought impact on the vegetation as I haven't seen it as it was, but a friend of mine who walked the same path 20 years ago says it was much greener and more flowering plants. I noticed huge patches of dead plants (both annuals and perennials) which seemed to have died without reaching mature size and they were all without seeds. Much of the area depends on winter snow to feed the rivers and many rivers was shallow or completely dry. Obviously the snow cover has been at a minimum several winters.


Arctostaphylos spp are still exciting! The Bear Clover looks great also.

[Robert]

Peavine Ridge

El Dorado County, California

Part II

The bulk of the winter snow cover recently melted from this site. Many of the perennial species were just starting to break dormancy. The first of the new season green leaves were starting to emerge from this clump of Aspidotis densa, Lace Fern.



This portion of Peavine Ridge is at the upper elevation limit for Goldback Fern, Pentagramma triangularis. This plant was tangled with a clump of Lace Fern, Aspidotis densa.



It was a bit early in the season to see much in the way of vascular plants, however there were plenty of lichens to see. This rock was colonized by Bright Cobblestone Lichen, Acarospora socialis (Lemmon Yellow), Common Goldspeck Lichen, Candelariella vitellina (Golden Yellow), and Blistered Rock Tripe, Umbilicaria hyperborea (Dark almost Black).



Xanthoparmelia species were also frequently seen on rocks.



Wolf Lichen, Letharia vulpina, is a widespread species on Peavine Ridge generally seen on Incense Cedar, Calocedrus decurrens. Other lichen seen: Western Shield Lichen, Parmelia hygrophila, Staghorn Lichen, Evernia prunastri, and Forked Tube Lichen, Hypogymnia imshaugii

[Robert]

I spent a considerable amount of time exploring the previous slope, before moving on to a new site. This site was very wet with much more lingering snow in the vicinity.



I was very pleased to find a new colony of Primula hendersonii at this site. The forms of this species from Peavine Ridge bloom 4 to 6 weeks later than the low elevation forms. They maintain this characteristic when all the different forms are grown together in our Sacramento garden. Primula hendersonii has the top priority in my selective breeding program.



Except for newly germinating seedlings and a few emerging Themidaceae species (most likely Dichelostemma multiflorum and others) there was not much to see at this site. Calyptridium monospermum was one of the few perennial species seen.



Forms of Calyptridium monospermum that maintain red foliage throughout the winter are worth seeking out from a batch of seedlings.



It was a bit enigmatic to find this Aspidotis densa in full leaf at this site. There was considerable snow nearby and the other plants in the vicinity were either still buried in snow or just breaking dormancy.

[Robert]

There was a considerable amount of snow in the very close vicinity.



Within eyeshot a fairly thick snow cover still covered the soil.

The convective cloudiness had been building all day and now it started to lightly snow. The surface temperature was in the low 40’s, but within the out flow boundary the temperature was near freezing.

I had limited time for this outing but was very pleased with what I was able to accomplish.

Until next time…

[Robert]

Robert,

3-5mm isn't much. I would need a magnifying glass to admire the Mimulus!

It is difficult to say much about the drought impact on the vegetation as I haven't seen it as it was, but a friend of mine who walked the same path 20 years ago says it was much greener and more flowering plants. I noticed huge patches of dead plants (both annuals and perennials) which seemed to have died without reaching mature size and they were all without seeds. Much of the area depends on winter snow to feed the rivers and many rivers was shallow or completely dry. Obviously the snow cover has been at a minimum several winters.


Arctostaphylos spp are still exciting! The Bear Clover looks great also.

Hi Trond,

Thank you very much for the information regarding the drought conditions in the Chile-Argentina region where you traveled. Here in California, we depend on the snow pack for our summer water supply. During severe drought conditions our reservoirs theoretically could run dry. This has not happened yet, but given the rampant development and gross over population of California, it is only a matter of time until such an event occurs no matter what preventive measures are taken.

Yes, I agree our Arctostaphylos species are very  There is a great potential within the Genus that has only been partially tapped.

Mimulus (Diplacus) douglasii is one of my priority species that I am currently working with. There are number of challenges that need to be overcome, yet significant progress is being made. In a few years I hope to have some good preliminary results to share. The project is extremely challenging, which for me makes it fun and interesting 

[Robert]

3 April 2019
1230 UTC

I brought my camera with me when I went to town the other day. The foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains are filled with blooming wildflowers. I did not have much time to look around but I was able to stop and photograph a few things.



It was windy, so photography was challenging. Large sheets of Foothill Poppy, Eschscholzia caespitosa, were blooming.



Lomatium utriculatum is a low growing species. This species is a member of the Apiaceae Family.



Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum is always the first geophyte to start blooming in our foothill area.



Now that spring has arrived, the butterflies are out. In one location I found a large group of Spring Azures, Celastrina laden (pictured). The beautiful Sara Orangetip, Anthocharis sara, were seen at another nearby site.

I would love to get out again soon, however I have to work whenever anything comes my way. I will see what the future brings.

[Hoy]

Very nice, Robert!

[ArnoldT]

Robert:

Here's the first rush of water down the Oroville spillway.  1.5 billion dollar project.

[Robert]

Hi Arnold,

Yes, the repaired spillway is a big deal for the locals in the area. Two years ago it was a near disaster for many of the residents in the Oroville, Gridley, Marysville-Yuba City areas. For 1.5 billion, let's hope it indeed works! 

Yesterday, parts of the city of Chico, California suffered flooding. This is a direct result of the Camp Fire burn scar (This is the fire that burned down the city of Paradise, California last November). Of coarse, it did not help that a thunderstorm with heavy rain moved through the area. With adequate vegetation, the flooding would have been ameliorated. I hope that I can get up there one of these days and have a look around and see what happened first hand.

I was able to get up to Peavine Ridge today. I did not have much time, but I was able to check on the far west end of the ridge. I will have a small report on this brief outing (like 30 minutes    ). After that, I actually have some work to do. The unfortunate result of this is, I have no idea when I will be able to get out again. Spring is here and moving forward. Oh well, things are just the way they are. Gamen! 我慢  -  がめん

[Robert]

I was up on Peavine Ridge yesterday for a brief period of time. The seasons are shifting quickly. 5 days prior I measured 41.00 cm of snow on the ground with a liquid equivalent of 5.60 inches (142.24 mm). At the same site on this day, I measured only 20.00 cm of snow cover with a liquid equivalent of 3.38 inches (85.85 mm). During this time period high temperatures ranged from 64 F (17.8 C) to 43 F (6.1 C), with lows running from 38 F (3.3 C) to 27 F (-2.8 C). On clear days solar radiation can be fairly strong, peaking at over 900 W/m². There was 2.18 inches (55.37 mm) of precipitation (mostly, if not all, as rain), much of which fell on 2 April.

The current forecast models indicate continued periods of precipitation over the next 7 days. Snow levels are expected to be above 5,500 feet (1,676 meters). If the forecast holds, I expect all the snow cover to be gone at this elevation in 7 days.



I had a bit of time that I wanted to put to good use, so I traveled out to the west end of Peavine Ridge to check on one of the King Fire burn sites. This portion of the ridge is perched at 4,625 feet (1,410 meters) over Silver Creek flowing in the canyon below.



Mehrten Formation andesite caps much of this portion of the ridge. This geologic formation often has a dramatic impact on the flora. Pictured is a stand of stunted White Leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida, growing from the andesite rubble.

Very little vegetation grew in the open areas surrounding the Manzanita. I was able to identify seedlings that germinated in this area. Madia glomerata, Mimulus (Diplicus), and the invasive Cynosurus echinatus were the most common.



In a nearby forested area, I spotted the first Viola purpurea emerging for the season. Subspecies integrifolia is encountered most frequently on the andesite barrens, however in this forested setting this plant was most likely subspecies purpurea. Peavine Ridge is a great place to see a number of native Viola species.



Wolf Lichen, Letharia vulpina, is frequently seen on Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) bark, although it can also be found growing on other species.

[Robert]

Silver Creek Canyon is a great place to explore. There are a few dirt tracks that descend into the canyon as well as the paved road to the Jay Bird power station. My preference is to follow game trails and other rarely/never used routes. This area is one of the few locations to experience the little seen, little disturbed lower mid-elevation flora of this region.



It is completely unthinkable for me to capture and/or kill butterflies for any reason. I always photograph them or view them through “close up” binoculars. I found a group of dead Painted Lady Butterflies, Vanessa cardui, trapped in a pool of water and decided to save a few. This is a view of the underside. The four distinctive “eyes” on the rear wings are diagnostic of this species.



The upper wings of Painted Ladies are quite colorful. This species is one of the first species to become active on Peavine Ridge each spring. I noticed the first flight few weeks ago.

There was not much that I could accomplish in 30 minutes, however I was pleased with the results and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

[Hoy]

Wolf lichen is not uncommon here. Usually it is found on old often dead pine trees in swampy areas or old pine forests.

What had caused the butterflies to try to drown themselves? Drinking? I often find small butterflies in ponds but rarely larger ones.

Here at the mountain cabin we are still in the grip of winter!

[Robert]

Hi Trond,

Great to hear from you! 

I appears that there is still a fair amount of snow in your mountains. Tomorrow will be a long snow survey day for me. I will be checking most of my data loggers. Next week I will be checking the data loggers at the highest elevations. Tomorrow, I will also start installing soil temperature data loggers. Understanding heat conductivity, etc., both under snow cover as well as without snow cover will provide useful data regarding the plants species growing at each site. The snow is basically gone from sites below 5,000 feet (1,524 meters). Above this elevation there is still a great deal of snow, especially above 6,000 feet (1,829 meters). Below 5,000 feet the early spring wildflowers are already starting to bloom. It is very fascinating to observe how the plants respond to 120 days of snow cover vs. 60 days at the same site from one season to the next. The characteristics of each altitude specific ecotype can be very revealing and provide important information helpful to growing alpine species in our low elevation gardens.

[Robert]

I had a great outing yesterday in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

I will be reporting on this outing as I can. 

This was plenty of snow, however there were newly emerging plants to see.