Diario de ericandersen

I took my a few hikes over a number of different days. I took what I think are some really cool microscopic photos of organisms living in water runoff from a horse stable in a park near my house. I had difficult identifying them, and I think it would be really useful if iNaturalist had a platform for identifying microscopic organisms. The rest of my pictures I took in between classes on the UC Berkeley campus. It's crazy how much wild biodiversity exists in a place as heavily trafficked as the Cal campus. I think the campus' biodiversity is a testament to how much the administration and students care to not disturb and/or displace wild plants and animals around campus.

Coast Redwood

French Broom

Common Vetch

Greater Periwinkle

Common Dandelion

Daisy

Coast Live Oak

During spring break, I hiked through Hahamongna Watershed Park, which is located in the north side of Los Angeles County near Caltech and the Rose Bowl. I saw and identified more than 25 taxa. During my hike, I was surprised by how many plants and animals could live in the park despite its poisoned groundwater. Hahamongna Park is a NASA superfund site and is located adjacent to a NASA-Caltech facility, from which dangerously high quantities of poorly-contained perchlorate and volatile organic compounds seeped into the groundwater. Despite the high concentrations of toxic chemicals in the water, the area flourishes with native Californian plants and animals. In fact, because of the site's superfund status, development projects are prohibited within the park's boundaries. Perhaps this reason is why such biodiversity exists: a lack of suburban and urban development provides a safe haven for plant and animals species that would otherwise be pushed out by human encroachment. For the time being, the park serves as a wash for the nearby Devil's Gate Dam which, although mostly unused and archaic in comparison to the alternative plans to channelize the area, provides a primary function to the human communities downstream.

I went up into the Berkeley Hills this weekend and found some interesting plants:

1) A plant with irregular flowers: Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)

2) A plant with regular flowers: Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis pescaprae)

3) A monocot: Grass variety from the family Poaceae

4) A dicot: Bear's Breeches (Acanthus mollis)

5) A plant in the pea family (Fabaceae): A legume with purple flowers from the family Fabaceae

6) A Gymnosperm: Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

7) A terrestrial plant that is not a seed plant: California Shield Fern (Polystichum californicum)

8) A plant with pinnate leaves: Green plant from the genus Jasminum

9) A plant with opposite leaves: Bottlebrush Tree (Callistemon citrinus)

10) A plant in the sunflower family (Asteraceae): Dandelion from the genus Taraxacum

The following are some recent observations of animals I found throughout the San Francisco Bay area:

1) Monkey-faced prickleback eel (Cebidichthys violaceus): Someone was fishing for these eels in the tide pools at Pillar Point.

2) White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

3) Whelk (Buccinum undatum)

4) Hairy Hermit Crab (Pagurus hirsutiusculus)

5) Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca)

I found all these observations on March 7, when I went to Pillar Point to check out the tide pools there. What I found most interesting about my trip was the incredible number of predator-prey relationships in such a geographically small area. The whelks and limpets fed on black turban snails. The starfish varieties all preyed on the California mussels. An elusive octopus somewhere in the tide pools was feeding on a variety of animals. The anemones seemed to eat anything that fell into their mouths (I personally checked this fact). The numerous predator-prey relationships existing in such a small area and across such a small elevation range contrasts with the relationships I'm used to seeing on land. The terrestrial predator-prey relationships I'm most used to are raptor's relationships with their prey. When I see hawks around my home in Los Angeles, I see them soar high in the sky above a wide area of land and swoop down to catch rabbits, snakes, and other small creatures to eat. Seeing predatory behavior up close when searching the tide pools was enjoyable and eye-opening for me.

I found some plants and animals interacting with each other.

1) This turkey tail fungus is growing on a dead oak tree trunk.

2) These bumble bees are pollinating a ceanothus.

3) This dodder, a parasite, is deriving its sustenance directly from the plant it is wrapped around. The dodder is not green because it has no chlorophyll, which is not necessary for the plant because the plant does not undergo photosynthesis.

4) This mistletoe is growing intertwined with oak tree trunks. Mistletoe is a parasite that also undergoes photosynthesis.

5) This wild turkey is aggressively charging a canis lupus familiaris.

I found an earthworm in the compost pile. I am told that the reason that the compost pile is steaming and that the dirt is so warm is because of the energy that is released when the earthworms decompose the plant material dumped into the pile.

Here are some interesting facts about the plants and animals I observed in many different habitats I visited during yesterday's trip to Pepperwood Preserve:

Chaparral -- Many of the plants and animals in the chaparral are quite hardy and live across many different biomes in addition to the chaparral. Those described below find the chaparral to be at least one of the many habitats they call home.

1) Turkey vulture (cathartes aura): Turkey vultures tend to inhabit and soar over large, open areas that are nearby forested regions. Their wide wingspan let them take advantage of rising currents of warm air that are particularly common to the temperature-varying zones at the borders of chaparral and oak woodland areas of Pepperwood Preserve. With respect to the length of its body, the turkey vulture's wingspan is quite large in contrast to other birds, such as jays and crows. Similar to the dynamics of a glider (e.g., DG-800) versus those of a jet fighter (e.g., F-15), the turkey vulture can stay aloft for long periods of time while expending little energy (i.e., infrequently flapping its wings). As a result, the turkey vulture can look for food to scavenge for extended periods of time over large expanses of chaparral.

2) Red-tailed hawk (buteo jamaicensis): The red-tailed hawk can inhabit a wide range of habitats in addition to chaparral. Over chaparral, the red-tailed hawk uses the same strategy as turkey vultures: soar over rising warm air currents for long periods of time while searching for prey. In contrast to the turkey vulture, the red-tail hawk does not rely on scavenging to find food; rather, the hawk prefers to hunt its prey and eat it fresh. A raptor, the red-tailed hawk has binocular vision which, combined with superior visual acuity, permits the bird to locate and judge the distance of prey.

3) Western fence lizard (sceloporus occidentalis):

Less interesting: To regulate its internal body temperature, the western fence lizard likes to sun itself on rocks under direct sunlight. The result of lying conspicuously in the open for long periods of time, the lizard is vulnerable to predators, such as birds. As a defense mechanism, the lizard can detach a large portion of its tail in order to confuse a potential predator from eating the rest of the lizard. Its detachable tail helps the lizard make a life in the otherwise hostile chaparral.

More interesting: A protein in the western fence lizard's blood kills the bacteria that cause lyme borreliosis (i.e., lyme disease). Fleas carrying lyme disease that also consume the lizard's blood are effectively cured of the disease, thereby reducing the incidence rate of lyme disease in humans in areas where the lizard lives.

4) Coyote brush (baccharis pilularis): Coyote brush has small, waxy leaves which minimize the amount of moisture lost to transpiration and the air. Coyote brush is drought tolerant, a quality which serves it well in the chaparral, particularly in chaparral regions of Southern California where there is infrequent rain. The coyote brush's wide-reaching root system permits it to intake rain from a large area of land.

5) California scrub oak (quercus berberidifolia): The california scrub oak has small, leathery leaves that minimizes the plant's moisture lost to the air. The plant is drought resistant, so it can deal with minimal rainfall and low-moisture conditions of the chaparral.

Moist Evergreen Forest -- Looking at the Pepperwood Preserve general map (accessed via: http://www2.santarosa.edu/f/?31477), the closest habitat I could find to a "moist evergreen forest" is the "douglas fir forest". As I recall, the flora in Redwood Canyon is very similar to that along the Tanglewood Path.

1) Ensatina (ensatina eschscholtzii): Ensatinas prey on arthopods, among other small animals. Arthopods, such as millipedes and centipedes, are among the ensatina's favorite foods and are quite prevalent in the moist, forested areas that ensatinas inhabit. The ensatina also eats worms, which can be quite common in the dirt under moist logs where the ensatina also lives.

2) Millipede (diplopoda): By eating dead leaves and wood, millipedes help decompose the decaying plant matter abundant on the moist woodland floor where the millipedes live. Their diet complement the plants around the millipede, making the arthropod well suited for moist evergreen forests. The millipedes speed up the decomposition process of dead plant life and help regenerate the soil with nutrients that would otherwise take longer to become usable if the plant matter had to decay without a catalyst.

3) Giant chain fern (woodwardia fimbriata): The giant chain fern is common in moist woodlands and coniferous forests. The fern can grow well in shade, which suits it well to low-light conditions of moist evergreen forest.

4) California shield fern (polystichum californicum): The California shield fern, similar to the giant chain fern, thrives in moist evergreen forests. The fern is well adapted to growing on the floor of moist woodlands because it can grow well in complete and/or partial shade.

5) Turkey tail (trametes versicolor): Turkey tail frequently grows on the bark of dead logs. Dead logs are abundant on the floor of moist evergreen forests. Turkey tail helps catalyze the decomposition processes. The abundance of its "food" as well as its ecological "job" make it well suited to the moist, thick-foliage conditions of the moist evergreen forest.

Marsh

1) Pond damselfly (coenagrionidae): Many species of pond damselflies live near small- to medium-sized bodies of freshwater. They are adapted to living in marshes where they can lay eggs nearby large populations of small insects that serve as a food source.

2) Sierran treefrog (pseudacris sierra): An amphibian, the sierran treefrog is well-suited to living in marshes, where the frog can lay eggs and where its tadpoles can develop. Additionally, large populations of insects in marsh areas help sustain the sierran treefrog's diet.

3) Northern rough skin newt (taricha granulosa): The northern rough skin newt resides in ponds and in areas near freshwater marshes. The newt produces a particularly strong neurotoxin, called tetrodotoxin. Highly toxic to consume, the newt is relatively safe from harm by most would-be predators. As a result, the newt has little problem with reproducing in the open waters of freshwater ponds, where predation by snakes, birds, or other animals would otherwise hamper living.

4) Pennyroyal (mentha pulegium): Pennyroyal occurs most often in moist soils, such as those nearby freshwater marshes. Pennyroyal can grow both in partial shade and in absence of shade, making it ideal for growing near marshes where it may face competition for light from taller plants. Its oils also repel many rodents and insects, which are abundant near marshes.

5) Horsehair worms (nematomorpha): Horsehair worms are prevalent in freshwater habitats, such as marshes. Larvae are parasitic and will live inside insects, particularly orthopterans (e.g., grasshoppers, locusts, etc.), where the larvae will absorb nutrients from a host's body. Horsehair worms are apt to live in marshes where their vectors are in ample supply.

I've observed species from across 5 different iconic taxa.

1. Plants: Least exciting to me is the Coast Live Oak. The tree is in the plants taxa and is a member of the kingdom plantae.
2. Birds: Nearby a group of sleeping sea lions, I found a Western Gull trying to rest as well. The gull is in the birds taxa.
3. Mammals: The California Sea Lion, seen here drying itself on San Francisco's Pier 39, is a member of the mammals taxa. The sea lions I saw were very cool and interesting to observe.
4. Insects: I found a water strider in Strawberry Creek. It was very hard to take a good picture of the water strider as I was photographing it in very low light conditions with a pocket camera. The water strider is an insect.
5. Chromista: Most interesting was the instance of phytophthora ramorum, the progenitor of sudden oak death. P. Ramorum is a member of the chromista taxa, a taxa of which I have not seen many examples.

I have included a number of photos (beyond the minimum 2-4) to show the different stages of leaf and flowering phenology.

In regard to the former, I found trees in three different stages. First, I found a tree in the "bare" stage, having no leaves, fruit, or flowers. I did not know the name of this tree, so I labeled it under "Kingdom Plantae." Second, I found a tree that was beginning to sprout buds, which will later grow into leaves. I didn't know the name of this tree either, so I also labeled it "Kingdom Plantae." Third, I photographed a Coast Live Oak to show how a tree appears when it is full of leaves. The Coast Redwood is another good example of this. Even more, the olive tree exemplifies a full-leaved phenology and a bare flowering-phenology.

I found a number of plants to demonstrate the different stages of flowering phenology: bare, flowering, and producing fruit. The olive tree is bare; it has neither flowers nor fruits/olives. The daisies and the Shepherd's Purse are both flowering. The Toyon and the European Holly are producing fruit; and, unless I'm mistaken, they will produce flowers later this year.