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Robert's Crystal Range Project - Year 3, 2021
Robert:
Many Manzanita species, Arctostaphylos, regenerate from burls after the tops have been burned to the ground by fire. This specimen of Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka, Indian Manzanita, grew vigorously after the fire.
This is another view of Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka sprouting from the burl.
Arctostaphylos patula, Green Leaf Manzanita, produces burls that generate new growth after a fire.
In this area, Arctostaphylos patula is at the lower end of its altitude range. Other Manzanita species grow more abundantly. White-leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida, is at its upper elevation limit in this region. I did not observe any at this specific site; however they are often seen in this vicinity. Arctostaphylos viscida does not produce burls; however mature plants often produce fruit abundantly. The seeds of this species can remain dormant in the soil for many years and will germinate prolifically after a fire.
Deer Brush, Ceanothus integerrimus var. macrothyrsus, is yet another example of a California native species that will sprout new growth from dormant below ground vegetive buds after a fire.
Robert:
The fire occurred last season sometime during the summer, well after the soil became dry. These seedlings of Ceanothus integerrimus var. macrothyrsus most likely germinated and started growth before the fire. They likely escaped the most intense heat of the fire. Vernalization and other variables will also impact the germination of dormant seeds.
Quercus chrysolepis, Canyon Live Oak, is very picturesque. The trunk and large branches often appear jet-black and arch majestically out over the steep slopes of canyons, their preferred habitat.
This species too, will sprout new growth from the base of the trunk after a fire. Even a small seedling, such as this, will sprout new growth after a fire or being damaged in some other fashion.
I will end this posting with a chart of the snow depth near the crest of the Crystal Range, 8,600 feet (2,621 meters). The blue line is the snow depth, in inches, through February of last year. The red line is the current season’s snow depth. My hope is to see the snow depth increase significantly during the next few weeks. A snow depth in excess of 144 inches will help ameliorate the critical hydrological issues our portion of California faces, at least for this season.
Until the next time…
Robert:
We have had quite the shift in our weather. The persistent weather pattern in the northern Pacific Ocean that brought us extremely dry weather and above average temperatures (for the most part) finally changed. We experienced one night of sub-freezing temperatures (nighttime low temperatures below 32 F (0 C) are becoming less common in our area!), and then a shift to stormy conditions with very low snow levels. The first major storm was accompanied by 53 mph winds, with 57 mph gusts, followed a few days later by an atmospheric river which resulted in high rainfall totals for the foothills and abundant snowfall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
This chart plots the snow depth this season to date (red line) vs. last year (blue line) through the end of February. The elevation of this site is 6,700 feet (2,042 meters). The snow depth looks impressive; however, there are other methods to interpret the data that give a completely different perspective.
This chart plots the same snow amounts as liquid equivalents. The green line is this year’s total to date; the red line last year’s totals, and the dashed blue line the 15-year average. Although the storms brought a great deal of precipitation, we are still woefully below average.
Here is another look at snow depth in my study area. This site is located at an elevation of 8,600 feet (2,621 meters).
Low elevation snow was more common in the past. This site is situated at an elevation of 3,625 feet (1,005 meters). There is currently a fair amount of snow on the ground at this site. Last year at this site, there was no snow for entire month of February.
This chart compares precipitation to date (red line) versus the 38-year average (blue line) at the Placerville farm. This chart gives the most accurate depiction of our current-season hydrological situation.
Anomalous weather patterns, such as these, create excellent opportunities to study their impacts on plants and plant communities. I hope to be out again soon when the weather clears.
Until next time…
Hoy:
Robert,
Interesting to see how plants regenerate after fire or other kind of damage in your area. This shows fire has been an important ecological factor there for a long time.
Glad to see you got some precipitation. Hope you get more :)
We still have very dry and cold weather and it seems it will last at least a couple more weeks. We had two days with temperatures close to 0C and got 10 cm of snow. I wished for more as the snow cover protects the plants against the low temperatures. We have down to -10C during the nights.
Robert:
I will be starting another habitat restoration project in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The primary objective will be to restore the oak savannah – native bunch grass/native annual and perennial forb ecosystem on a 5.5 acre plot. My brother and I will be setting up a automated field weather station that can be monitored remotely. With this project I will have an opportunity to visit many familiar sites in our foothill region. I will have more information as the process evolves.
Until next time…
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