Diario de sophiejhart

Location: East of Index, Washington by a few miles, in Snohomish, Washington, USA (47.82338333129883, -121.51809692382812)

Date: May 12, 2012

Time: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Weather Conditions: Sunny, temperatures in mid 60’s (°F)

Summary of Observations: Stopped along Highway 2 in a temperate rainforest comprised of primarily Spruces, Western Red Cedars, and Bigleaf Maples- also some Vine Maple. Saw lots of mosses and epiphytic ferns growing on the Bigleaf Maples- specifically, lots of Licorice Fern. We discussed how these epiphytic relationships are fostered by abiotic forces: this region gets at least two times more rainfall than Seattle, which creates a nice, moist habitat on the trees for moss to grow on, creating a good habitat for ferns.
Understory primarily Salmonberry, Elderberry and Ribes bracteosum. Groundcover of ferns (Sword, Lady, and Wood), as well as Pacific Bleedingheart, False Lily of the Valley, Hookers Fairybells, Stinging Nettle, Piggyback Plant and Devils Club. The Devil’s Club was greener and had more growth than the species I saw on Cougar Mountain in April. Dominant Trillium Ovatum in tree gaps.
Also saw a colony of Artists Conch growing on a fallen tree log. We discussed how this fungi produces a huge number of spores, and in some regions can live up to twenty or thirty years old. You can tell the age of this fungi by looking at the pore layers; a similar technique to using rings of growth on a tree.
We also heard some Pacific Wrens while exploring, and saw Rufus Hummingbirds.

Species List

1. Acer macrophyllum (Big Leaf Maple)
2. Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar)
3. Acer circinatum (Vine Maple)
4. Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry)
5. Sambucus racemose (Elderberry)
6. Ribes bracteosum (Stinking Currant)
7. Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern)
8. Athyrium felix-femina (Lady Fern)
9. Polypodium glycoriza (Licorice Fern)
10. Dryopteris expansa (Wood Fern)
11. Dicentra formosa (Pacific Bleedingheart)
12. Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley)
13. Disporum hookeri (Hookers Fairybells)
14. Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle)
15. Tolmiea diplomenziesii (Piggyback Plant)
16. Oplopanax horridus (Devils Club)
17. Trillium ovatum (Western/Pacific Trillium)
18. Ganoderma applanatum (Artists Conch)
19. Troglodytes pacificus (Pacific Wren)
20. Selasphorus rufus (Rufus Hummingbird)

Location: Moneycreek Campground, Washington, USA 98224 (Lat: 47.7500991821, Lon: -121.4398651123)

Date: May 12, 2012

Time: 11:20 AM – 12:00 PM

Weather Conditions: Sunny, temperatures in mid 60’s (°F)
Summary of Observations: Walked through old growth temperate rainforest: saw huge Douglas Firs, also smaller, younger Western Red Cedars and Western Hemlock. Discussed how this forest won’t be dominated by Douglas Firs forever, because young Doug Fir seedlings cannot survive under large, established parents. Understory comprised of abundant Devil’s Club, and Ferns (including abundant Sword Fern, common Licorice Fern, and rare Maidenhair Fern). Groundcover of False Soloman’s Seal, Vanilla Leaf, Yellow Violets (especially along the edges of the trail), Water Forget-me-nots, Western/Pacific Trillium and Wild Ginger. We saw the Western/Pacific Trillium flowering in multiple colors and discussed how the flower changes color with age, after pollination.

Comments/Questions: Saw the shell of some type of fly on the trunk of a cedar- a stonefly?

Species List

1. Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir)
2. Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar)
3. Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock)
4. Oplopanax horridum (Devil’s Club)
5. Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern)
6. Polypodium glycorhiza (Licorice Fern)
7. Adiantum pedatum (Maidenhair Fern)
8. Maianthemum racemosum (False Solomon’s Seal)
9. Achlys triphylla (Vanilla Leaf)
10. Viola glabella (Yellow Violets)
11. Myosotis scorpioides (Water Forget-me-nots)
12. Trillium ovatum (Western/Pacific Trillium)
13. Asarum caudatum (Wild Ginger)
14. Order Plecoptera (Stonefly)

Location: Leavenworth, Washington, USA (Lat: 47.5880241394, Long: -120.6678085327)

Date: May 12, 2012

Time: 1:20 PM – 3:20 PM

Weather Conditions: Sunny, temperatures in 70’s (°F)

Summary of Observations: Hiked up through a grassy woodland (so, very sparse trees) with numerous granite outcroppings. Trees primarily Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Firs. We could see evidence of the big fires that swept this area on the Douglas Firs: their big, low branches are not well adapted for fire. We discussed how Douglas Firs would dominate this region if the occasional wildfire did not sweep through.
On our climb up the hill, we saw primarily grasses, wildflowers and small shrubs. Specifically, saw Northern/Arrowleaf Buckwheat, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Checker Lilies, Peonies, Ocean Spray, Oregon Grape, Field Chickweed, Death Camas, a yellow flower in the genus Lomatium, Lewis's Mock-orange, Indian Paintbrush and Trillium petiolatum. It was more heavily wooded at top of climb, but still much less so than the temperate rainforests we stopped at on the Western side of the Cascades. Understory plants here included (in addition to many listed above) Saskatoon, Snowberry, and Elderberry. Also saw a few Western Fence Lizards and Orangetip butterflies near granite outcroppings on grassy/shrubby hillside.
Abiotic forces contribute significantly to the difference in this landscape from that of the previous stops on our fieldtrip. Leavenworth is on the Eastern side of the Cascades, and therefore is situated in the rainshadow of the Cascades. Warm, moist air from the Pacific Ocean is swept inland by the prevailing winds (over the Northern United States, these travel from West to East). As the air rises over the Cascades, it cools, and is consequently able to “hold” less water. So, the water condenses and falls, making the Western side of the Cascades very wet and rainy. As the air continues back down the Eastern side of the Cascades, it warms, and is able to “hold” more water, making the Eastern side of the Cascades home to higher evaporation rates and generally sunnier, drier conditions.

Species List

1. Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir)
2. Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine)
3. Eriogonum compositum (Northern/Arrowleaf Buckwheat)
4. Balsamorhiza sagittata (Arrowleaf Balsamroot)
5. Fritillaria affins (Checker Lily)
6. Paeonia brownii (Peonies)
7. Berberis aquifolium repens (Oregon Grape)
8. Holodiscus discolor (Ocean Spray)
9. Cerastium arvense (Field Chickweed)
10. Zigadenus venenosus (Death Camas)
11. Genus Lomatium (yellow flowers)
12. Philadelphus lewisii (Lewis's Mock-orange)
13. Castilleja hispida (Indian Paintbrush)
14. Trillium petiolatum
15. Amelanchier alnifolium (Saskatoon)
16. Genus Symphoricarpos (Snowberry)
17. Sambucus cerulea (Elderberry)
18. Anthocharis sara (Sara Orangetip)
19. Sceloporus occidentalis (Western Fence Lizard)

Location: Burke-Gilman Trail near Botany Greenhouse, University of Washington Seattle Campus, Seattle, Washington, 98105, USA

Date: May 21, 2012

Time: 12:00 PM – 3:20 PM

Summary of Observations: Today I spent a few hours looking at different samples of mosses under the dissecting microscope at the UW Botany Greenhouse. I collected my samples from the Burke-Gilman bridge just adjacent to the Botany Greenhouse. I am still by no means an expert on mosses, but after examining these samples, I believe I was looking at: (1) Red Roof Moss, (2) Lyell’s Bristle Moss, (3) Black-Tufted Rock Moss and (4) a species in the Genus Plagiomium.
Looking at a few different field guides, I learned that when trying to ID a moss, you should consider: (1) Is it a liverwort, lichen, or moss? The best way to tell these apart is by the presence of capsules. In mosses, the capsule enlargement/maturity takes place after seta elongation (so, capsule develops after stem grows up). Further, the capsule usually has one end to let spores out. In liverworts, capsule matures and splits into segments, then the seta elongates. However, capsules are only present in both groups during the spring. So, you can also look under a microscope: the leaves of all these groups look very different.
I also learned a few different tools to figure out what species of moss your specimen is, once you have determined that it is indeed a moss. You should consider: (1) Where it is growing: recognizing if it is growing on a rocky substrate, and if so, if the substrate is acidic or basic, or an organic substrate like tree or soil, and if so, if it is growing on a coniferous or deciduous tree. Acidic rocks are igneous rocks that have a relatively high silica content (like granite and rhyolite). Basic rocks have low silica content, like basalt. These are important to understand because different mosses prefer different substrates. (2) The presence/characteristics of the sporophyte, which often has a distinguishing shape and/or color. (3) The structure of the actual plant: is it branched or un-branched? Occurring in clumps or as single stems mixed in with other mosses? (4) Finally, the best way is to look at the species under a microscope. Here, you should examine the leaves (especially look at leaf shape) and sporophyte (the shape can be difficult to discern without a microscope). A good tip I learned was to put the moss under hot water first, causing it to expand and loosen its leaves.
I used all of these tips to determine which species I was looking at today. I expected one sample was the Red Roof Moss because I found it all over the bridge, and this moss commonly grows in a variety of usually inhospitable habitats (like sidewalks). Further, it had the distinctive coloring of the Red Roof Moss. However, I wasn’t completely confident that I was looking at Red Roof Moss until I examined the sporophyte under the dissecting microscope, and recognized the distinctive shape of its capsule. I identified another species as Lyell’s Bristle Moss by its distinctive shape and brown-green color gradient, but also by its irregularly branched growing pattern. The third sample I identified as Black-Tufted Rock Moss because it was dark, almost black on the bottom and brighter green on the top and was un-branched. Also, because this species likes periodically wet rocks. The last sample I identified down to the genus Plagiomium because of the growth pattern of the leaves: looking straight down onto the sample, looked like a flower. Also looked at the shape of the leaves: it had wide, egg-shaped leaves.

Comments/Questions: I learned that the leaves of a moss are only one cell thick, making them pretty cool to look at under a microscope.

Species List

1. Ceratodon purpureus (Red Roof Moss)
2. Orthotrichum lyellii (Lyell’s Bristle Moss)
3. Racomitrium aciculare (Black-Tufted Rock Moss)
4. Genus Plagiomium

Location: Carkeek Park, Seattle, Washington, 98177, USA (Lat: 47.703616, Lon: -122.363752)

Date: June 3, 2012

Time: 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Weather Conditions: Cloudy, temperature in the high 50s to low 60s (°F)

Summary of Observations: Followed the Piper’s Creek Trail from the 103rd St entrance down to the Wetland Trail and back up. The trail begins in a grassy neighborhood park, winds down through a temperate rainforest and follows Piper's Creek down to a wetlands and, eventually, a beach. The trail was pretty busy today; I saw a lot of families, runners and dogs.
Temperate rainforest here dominated by Red Alders and Bigleaf Maples, also some Douglas Firs, Western Hemlocks and Western Redcedars. I also saw what I have identified as a Lodgepole Pine near the start of the trail. I identified this a lodgepole due to its clustered pollen cones and egg-shaped seed cones.
For the majority of the trail, understory was comprised of very abundant Salmonberry that had gone to fruit. Also a lot of Vine Maple, Devil’s Club, Horsetails, Sword Fern, Lady Fern and Bracken Fern. Thimbleberry (flowering), Red-Osier Dogwood (flowering), also common, though less abundant. Even less common were Snowberry (not flowering) and Indian Plum (not flowering). For a short stretch of the trail near Piper’s Orchard, Black Twinberry (gone to fruit), Nootka Roses (flowering), Dull Oregon Grape and Pacific Ninebark (flowering) dominated the understory vegetation.
Lots of groundcover wildflowers in bloom right now: including two species having small yellow flowers, which I identified as Creeping Buttercups and Large-Leaved Avens, as well as Youth-on-Age (Piggyback plant). Also lots of English Daisies flowering in the grassy field at the trailhead. In addition to the more common plants here, I saw a very large Skunk Cabbage in the muddy ground near Piper’s Creek. Also, saw a colony of Artists Conch on a fallen log- I think it was a Western Redcedar log. Lastly, I saw evidence of Spittlebugs on the Horsetails and Large-Leaved Avens. Until recently, I had no idea those foamy deposits were made from bugs.

Comments/Questions:
• I noticed a lot of invasive English Ivy on the slopes at the start of the trail (near the parking lot of 103rd St), and some climbing up the Alders near these slopes. However, I didn’t see much ivy as I made my way down to the beach. I’m guessing there has been a lot of restoration work done to remove the ivy along the creek. Since the lower entrance to the park (where I began on the trail) directly borders a neighborhood, and a lot of the ivy I noticed was near what looked like an apartment complex, I’m wondering how being so close to private property in an urban setting affects restoration efforts.
• After my hike, I looked up a bit about the park’s history. The old-growth forest was clear-cut in the early 1900s (explaining the mature Maple-Alder succession present today), before Carkeek Park was a park. Most of the park was acquired by the city in the 1920s, though it served a variety of different purposes before evolving into the park we see today. Because Carkeek Park is mostly in a ravine, it was never very highly developed, but parts of it were used as farmland, pasture, outdoor venue space, and a sewage treatment plant. It wasn’t really until the 1970s that it became a true park.

Species List

1. Alnus rubra (Red Alder)
2. Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple)
3. Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock)
4. Thuja plicata (Western Redcedar)
5. Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir)
6. Pinus contorta (Lodgepole Pine)
7. Acer circinatum (Vine Maple)
8. Rubus spectabilis (Salmonberry)
9. Symphoricarpos albus (Common Snowberry)
10. Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry)
11. Lonicera involucrate (Black Twinberry)
12. Cornus sericea (Red Osier Dogwood)
13. Physocarpus capitatus (Pacific Ninebark)
14. Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian Plum)
15. Mahonia nervosa (Dull Oregon Grape)
16. Rosa nutkana (Nootka Rose)
17. Oplopanax horridus (Devils Club)
18. Polystichum munitum (Western Sword Fern)
19. Athyrium filix-femina (Western Lady Fern)
20. Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken Fern)
21. Genus Equisetum (Horsetails)
22. Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup)
23. Geum macrophyllum (Large-Leaved Avens)
24. Tolmiea diplomenziesii (Piggyback Plant/Youth-on-Age)
25. Bellis perennis (Daisy)
26. Ganoderma applanatum (Artist's Bracket)
27. Lysichiton americanus (Western Skunk Cabbage)
28. Philaenus spumarius (Meadow Spittlebug)
29. Hedera helix (Common/English Ivy)