Diario de keenan44

3/31- Pack Forest
Weather Conditions: Gray skies, off and on rain, chilly, probably mid 40’s.
Roughly 12 pm: We arrived at Pack Forest and immediately set off for a hike into the surrounding woods. Initially the entire class went as a whole about 10 minutes into the forest along a very muddy path. As one of the grad students pointed out (Kat?) the lichen are far more abundant away from the urban areas due to the decreased air pollution. She explained that this was because the lichen are composite organism pairs, with symbiotic either cyanobacteria or green algae combining with fungi. These were primarily visible as epiphytes growing on the trees throughout the region.
As we climbed, various plants were pointed out. A short list of the trees observed includes the western white pine, Douglas fir, red alder with its catkins (reproductive organs), western hemlock, lodgepole pine, as well as a subalpine pole.
Many lichen were also pointed out, including usnea- a fuzzy green type of lichen, everina- white branchy type, parmelia- a folios type of lichen, crustos lichen, xanthoria- orange lichen (possibly candelaria), and hooded bone, with a hollow tubery dark underside.
Various other shrubs and ferns and small ground cover plants included deer fern, sword fern, scotch broom (fabacaea), trailing blackberry, evergreen blackberry, red flowering currant, tall Oregon grape, dull Oregon grape, salal, Indian plum.

In the evening we gathered around the specimen tables and attempted to sort out the various collections from the day. ID’s were made through the use of books like Dr. Pojar’s Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. The specimens were primarily conifers, which also made them the most difficult to differentiate. The differences mostly lie in their needles and cones. Differences between needle count, length, feel are strong indicators, as well as characteristic traits of the cones, such as the “squirrel tail” of the Douglas fir.

After a while we then headed out for a night hike to see some of the nocturnal life Pack forest. Unfortunately, we had no luck with owls or other birds, most likely due to the noise of our party’s footsteps through the trail. However, we did come upon a pacific tree frog in a puddle.

4/1-
Weather: Another overcast day, however without rain as the day before had been. Very cold in the morning, probably around 40 degrees, but warmed up a good amount later in the day. However, being that we went higher into the snowy region and then spent the rest of the day down by the water of Nisqually did not allow for much warmth.
After a quick breakfast and lunch production, we headed farther north from Pack forest and closer to Mt. Rainier into the Longmire Trail Here we hiked through snow covered trails to see a number of other conifers. While we did see other specimens, like some interesting algae and lichen in or near the hot sulfurous water that bubbled up at one point in the trail, along with hearing some chirpy birds high up in the trees, we saw little besides the conifers because most plants were still several feet below the snow.

After leaving Longmire, we went toward the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge for a day of bird watching. While it took some time to get out of plant ID mode (we still spent the first few minutes at the back of the group trying to identify a number of trees and shrubs), we eventually got into the habit of spotting birds and identifying key characteristics. We saw owls, chickadees, yellow rumped warblers, spring sparrows, robins, great blue herons- one with adult mating plumage with an all blue head and one sporting juvenile plumage with a simple white head, a bald eagle, a barn owl(?), a harrier hawk, a big black cormorant of some kind and numerous others I forgot to write down. It was really quite remarkable how much we were able to see in a relatively short time. The most striking observations for me were the bald eagle, which was spotted from across an entire lake sitting in a tree, but was spotted exactly because it was such a massive figure that even way off in the distance, perched in a leafless tree, the bird managed to stand out against the sky as a large dark lump. Additionally, the great blue heron population was pretty significant, as we saw both the adult and juveniles up close, as well as a couple others across the water. In addition to those, we managed to see a garter snake slithering through the rushes along the shore, a black pacific chorus frog and some more plants like the elderberry growing along the boardwalk.

4/3- Botany Greenhouse
Beginning with Josh at a station looking at the questions of how and why do plants alter their competition. We began the discussion with the use of the sensopollen miracle berry, which alters the taste buds of the eater to block sour receptors, allowing sour fruits and other substances like lemons to be eaten without as much difficulty. Analyzing the reasons behind this are complicated and not entirely known, but presumably it, like any trait, has evolved from a competitive advantage derived from the trait. This could be something to do with seed dispersal, as animals that might eat the berries might then be more prone to eating more because of the effects it has on their taste buds, thereby allowing the spread of its seeds far and wide. However, one problem with this theory is that it does not seem consistent with the fruit of the miracle berry itself, as it is not itself very sour, so its effect is mostly on the taste of other plant’s fruits, which would seem contrary to its own biological goal of reproduction.
Another example examined is the peppers of South America. Capsasin is the primary chemical surrounding chili seeds that makes them taste hot by triggering the neurons in the trigenial gland, which are responsible for the reaction to burns in our bodies. Some peppers have significant amounts of capsasin, such as the ghost chili, which contains roughly 7% capsasin. This is an energetically expensive characteristic, so what makes it biologically worthwhile? Potentially a defense mechanism, potentially the opposite, as some organisms greatly enjoy chilies. However, some of the primary seed dispersers of any kind of plant, birds, are incapable of feeling the capsasin when they consume chilies, so it’s effect is lost entirely on that market of dispersers. More questions are raised when it is considered that in parts of Bolivia where many chilies are found, some superficially identical or very similar at least species of chili are growing side by side, however some species contain capsasin, while others have none. There seems to be no particular bias toward one or the other’s growth and productivity, however the differences exist and are stark considering the trademark of chilies has been its capsasin production. Worth noting that chilies are an evolutionarily young family of plants.
We moved on to look at a variety of exotic plants that were grown in the greenhouse. These included monstera deliciosa, dischidia, eichornia, water lilies, and many others. The plants that were shown all shared common characteristics of extreme adaptability. Some were massive with dominating rain collecting capabilities, some were epiphytes which would sap the strength and use the trees in its surroundings to get ahead in life. Others were carnivorous and had developed ways of luring in their prey through sweet smelling puddles of biological product, and subsequently trapping them in a slippery valley of death. There were some really amazing and somewhat frighteningly well-adapted plants.
With Susan we looked at more adaptable traits, however these were more about survival than dominance as in the other exotic plants. Going to the desert room of the greenhouse we found a large sprawling plant called the welwitchia, which when found naturally in the Nambian desert can get as little as 25mm of rain per year. It had characteristics of reflective leaves to keep sunlight from drying and evaporating its little water stores, and examples of welwtichia have lived up to 2000 years old. However, this particular individual is uniquely massive due to its stable and abundant source of water. It is theorized that it was pushed to the extreme desert because it could not compete elsewhere with other plants, however because it was well adapted or became well adapted to the extreme drought, it was capable of becoming the sole dominator of the region. Another plant is the peperomia, which contains translucent windows in its sides to allow sunlight in for photosynthesis, but not needing to open stomata like other plants, which would subject it to the potential evaporation of its water stores. Another trait found in the desert rooms plants was with the haworthia, which camoflauged itself as a rock to avoid being eaten.

4/5- Class Day
Today we listened to a speaker talk about the geographical history of Washington state’s various components. This was a very unique talk because I had not known about the diverse geological history that divides Washington into such differing regions. These differences come from the fact that parts of eastern Washington are of the original North American continent, while many of the lands farther west have arisen from a variety of geological processes. Plate tectonics result in the release of magma and the creation of mountains and new land masses. This is some of the history of central and western Washington. Because of the various geological histories of our state, these regions have many varying environments. East of the Cascade Mountains, Washington becomes immediately wetter (finding the temperate rainforests) and then drier (as the “sponge” of clouds has been wrung out). This leads to very different vegetation make ups. The true alpine forests are found near the Cascades, while west of the Cascades Washington is primarily lowland forests. However, also due to the logging industry and urbanization of the western part of the state, nearly 70% of the lowland forests were lost between 1970 and 1999, and surely this number has grown significantly in recent years.
Farther east, where the serpentine barrens and other drier climates exist, competition for poor soil nutrition and low rainfall has weeded out many of the species that exist in western Washington.
The terms flora and vegetation are technically distinct in these discussions. The flora of an area is essentially a list of plant species in an area. When capitalized as “Flora”, it is a published catalogue of the extant species. Vegetation has to do with the ratio of plants in a region, dominance, abundance, etc.

4/10- Class
Today we met Maria Coryell Martin, an expeditionary artist who specializes in making field drawings of animals, landscapes, and various other natural settings and characters. She has to make do with very limited resources out in the field, generally no more than a pencil, pen, paper, and a portable brush with some small paint canisters to serve as her palate. Her work has taken her to Greenland to draw seals, to remote islands to draw sea birds and the rocky landscapes, in close contact with polar bears, and various other locales that have provided her with ample opportunity to draw.
The pros and cons of drawing in a field book as opposed to taking a picture are interesting to consider. The pros are that it can most accurately portray particular moods or settings, however this leaves them susceptible to physical inaccuracies. However, with drawings or paintings, one can also portray a certain aspect of motion that is often not captured in the rigidity of photography.
My opinion on the matter is that it is a good skill to have for practical purposes, as being out in the field one would likely find themselves without a camera, unless expecting such events. However, with ample drawing ability, one could capture the moment visually and be far more capable of providing an accurate description for future identification of an organism or something. However, I believe that its importance has been significantly nullified by the invention of portable and instant cameras. However, drawing from memory is a key skill that can be essential in providing an image for a fleeting glimpse of some particular organism.
I will contain my drawings in class either as a picture attachment later or as part of the physical journal.

4/12- Union Bay Natural Area
Today we met out in the Union Bay Natural Area to exercise our drawing skills and techniques acquired from Maria Coryell Martin, the expeditionary artist we met in class on Tuesday. Our mission was to sketch one plant and one critter in great depth, then make 4 related thumbnail sketches, and then draw and note weather observations. These are all in line with the Grinnell method of field observation. While it was a rather cold day and I was underprepared for the weather, it was a fun and gratifying experience. I do not even remember the last time I tried my hand at sketching seriously, and I was pleasantly surprised by my ability to draw flowers, leaves, and trees in general. My hummingbird was less satisfying, however it was decent given the great distance from which I observed it rapidity with which it departed.
I will attach the pictures later in a scanned form.

4/14- Silver Lake
I went south on a family outing to Silver Lake, Washington, near Mt. St Helens and decided to capture some of the local vegetation and wildlife for the inaturalist project. On Saturday the 14th, we stayed at a bed and breakfast very near Silver Lake off the Spirit Lake Highway. The trail around Silver Lake was unfortunately very short, amounting only to about a mile and a half, as it was only a partial trail around the nearest portion of the lake to the highway. However, I managed to see numerous organisms that I had not seen elsewhere in the quarter like on the field trip to Mt. Rainier. I took pictures of many plants, most notably the skunk cabbage and fairy-slipper along this trail. Additionally, I managed to see a red-winged blackbird. The environment of the Silver Lake trial was surprisingly diverse given its limited expanse. Parts were densely forested by large Douglas firs and other conifers, and it is here where I found plants like the fairy slipper and some lichens. However, as the forest canopy opened up approaching the lake, there were swampy, muggy areas where plants like the skunk cabbage and tufted hair grass were found. Finally, it opened up to full on water, including a brief boardwalk connecting the bank to a narrow strip of land slightly further out on the water. In the water were arrowheads, along with some willows I believe that served as perches to numerous birds. It is here that I saw the red-winged blackbird, Canada geese, mallard ducks, and heard many others but could not get accurate pictures.

4/15- Toutle River Sediment Retention Dam and Coldwater Lake Trails
Farther along the Spirit Lake Highway moving toward Mt. St Helens, we came across a road with a small trail at the end called the Toutle River Sediment Retention Dam trail. Here I saw some redwood sorrel, palmate coltsfoot, and herb Robert, along with significant amounts of moss or lichens coating the trees. It was very interesting how thick the moss or lichens were on the trees, as it hung like fur from the tree structures. We climbed the side of the hill until we reached the clearing where the dam stood, and we walked to the end and looked out over the Toutle River.
Later, we drove further down the Spirit Lake highway to Coldwater Lake, where the Lakes trail loop went around the lake. We walked just about a mile and a half around the trail, then headed back in the interest of time. However, on that short stretch we saw some very interesting plants. The climate in this region, for whatever reason, which I would most likely attribute to the 1980 eruption of Mt. St Helens, is very dry. The large trees have been slow to return, so the climate is small shrubs and brush. Most of these are very dry and the animals I found in the area, a bird and a butterfly, were both well camouflaged to the dusky, brown-red setting.
We then drove just a few more minutes down to the head of the Hummocks Trail, which was far more woody, but still crossed through portions of dry land that was reeling from the volcano’s impact. However, here there was also a lake where we saw some black and white ducks, evidence of many beavers and even saw a beaver swimming from afar. There was also a toad, numerous birds, and deer droppings.

4/24- Burke Museum
Today class took place at the Burke Museum, where we looked at the collections of organism the curators and biologists of the museum have acquired over many decades of research. We went down to the taxidermist in the basement first to see how the animals are studied and skinned, and whose constituent parts like bones and fur are studied. Then we looked at the extensive bird collection, which contains specimens from as much as about 100 years ago. One interesting practice is that the birds are placed in identical positions when stored, so they do not reflect the actual stature of the birds in life, but are instead a uniform upright position.
Characteristics of birds:
Breast plate width denotes flight capability. Birds with thinner breasts tend to have smaller and therefore weaker muscles, so they are often more terrestrial birds. Birds with thicker breastplates are much more suited for flying.
Molting is the process by which birds replace the feathers of their body. Canada geese lose all their flight feathers after making their long migration, and are landlocked until the feathers are grown back.
Albatrosses replace just 3 feathers at a time to conserve energy, as creating these feathers are energetically expensive, and as seen with the Canada geese, potentially “crippling”. While the Canada goose has adapted to living for a portion of its time terrestrially, fewer birds follow this same pattern, and therefore probably follow patterns closer to the albatross where only a few feathers are replaced each molting period in order to conserve energy and maximize utility.

A marbled murrelet collection has been in progress at the Burke Museum for many years, with the earliest specimen being found in 1890 and continuing until present day specimens are found. Through this extensively collected species, biologists can analyze changes in the behavior of the birds by taking samples from their feathers and decoding their chemical makeup, which reveals the diet of the birds at the time of their death. Through analysis of specimen throughout the last 120 years, it was determined that the diets of the marbled murrelets of 1890 was quite different from both the marbled murrelets of the mid 20th century, and the marbled murrelets of today.

4/24- U-District and Ravenna Walk
Weather: cool, gray, light sprinkling on and off but nothing significant. Weather low-mid 50s, in stark comparison of the weather over the past several days which was in the 70s and sunny.

Walking with fellow classmate Kara and my dog, we north along 17th Ave , down to University Way on 55th, then down to Ravenna Park, through the park, and back the way we came. Along the way we spotted numerous plants in various yards, as well as a mushroom which I believe we identified as amanita pantherina. Many plants are used in the medians and along the sidewalks of 17th Avenue, and many of these are native to the area, so they do not seem horticulturally grown. Some primary examples of these are the big leaf maples that adorn medians, as well as rhododendrons that are often found in the yards of residents. However, many yards in the area are unkempt and have allowed numerous flowers like dandelions, daisies, and bluebells to pop up all around their lawns.
At Ravenna Park, we immediately were surprised by the pacific bleeding hearts just at the edge of the parking lot. These are some of the most unique plants I have ever seen, and the flowers are very pretty and distinctly resemble a heart. Further along in the park we saw many plants, particularly Oregon grapes both tall and dull, vine maples, bracken ferns, Indian plum and others. We also saw on two occasions a very large, fuzzy yellow bumblebee that managed to evade my camera.