Author: pocarlson

Lab 8: Independent Field Excursion and Species Account

Pearce Carlson

Professor Stabile

Ecology 210L-13

1 April 2020

Lab 8: Independent Field Excursion and Species Account

 

Date of Excursion: April 1, 2020

Location: La Quinta, California

-Latitude: 33.685

-Longitude: -116.290

-Altitude: ~5m

*Part of my backyard*

 

About the Site: Since all of the hiking trails around my home were closed, I was confined to my backyard. My home is located in La Quinta, California and backs up to a golf course. There are several different species of plants in my backyard ranging from succulents to annuals. Some of the plants are currently flowering. The weather today was 87 degrees and sunny with no clouds in the sky. My backyard is flat as we live in a valley in the desert.

 

3 Signs of Spring: One sign of spring where I live is that some of the plants in my backyard are flowering. This is a sign of spring because the plants are beginning to reproduce (as evident with the flower and reproductive structures). Another sign of spring is the outside temperature and weather pattern. The temperature is moving into the upper 70s-80s from the 60s-70s.  There has also been less precipitation in the last few weeks, signaling that spring is here. Lastly, there are many Monarch butterflies that are flying north (presumably from the south). These are all signs that spring is here.

 

3-5 Leaf Descriptions:

  • This leaf is a green/brown color. It has a drip tip at the end, and it has a sort of cordate shape to it. There are also pink flowers with a white stamen. The leaves did not appear to have a thick, waxy coating to them.

  • This leaf is a vibrant green color. There are no flowers on this plant at the time the photograph was taken. The leaf itself is thick with a sort of shiny waxy coating on it. The leaf’s shape is orbicular

  • This leaf is also a vibrant green color. There were orange/yellow flowers at the time I took this photograph. The leaf’s shape is obovate. The leaf did not appear to have a thick or waxy coating to it.

 

  • This leaf has a green-brown color to it. At the time I took this photograph, there were yellow flowers from the plant. The leaves were thicker and had a thick, waxy coating to them.

 

 

Narrative: Due to the fact that the county shut down all hiking trails, I was forced to find plants around my house/yard and my neighborhood. I went outside around 5pm and found several species of plants in my backyard. The weather today (and when I went outside) was 87 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. There were no clouds and no breeze. There was nothing notable when I went to look for these plants. I was a bit surprised though by how many plants had flowers considering how early it is in the spring season. This is probably due in part to the amount of rain we received during the winter season, the current temperatures, and the sun exposure.

 

 

 

Lab 7: Independent Field Excursion and Species Account.

Pearce Carlson

Professor Stabile

Ecology 210L-13

25 March 2020

Lab 7: Independent Field Excursion and Species Account

 

Date of Excursion: March 21, 2020

Location: La Quinta Cove to Lake Cahuilla Trail

            -Latitude: 33.634

            -Longitude: -116.303

            -Altitude: ~5m-279m

Trail Map:

            *Approximately 6.60 miles*

About the Site: This hiking trail is located in La Quinta, California (near my home). The landscape is a desert biome. The landscape mixes both flat land and slopes. There are lots of rocks and gravel. The general habitat is a desert biome.

Species #1: Desert Bighorn Sheep, Ovis canadensis nelson

            A medium/medium-large mammal, ranging from 52-127kg (iNaturalist), and had tan/brown color hair/wool. The Desert Big Horn Sheep was on the top of a mountain/clearing looking around the landscape. This was the only Desert Big Horn Sheep that I saw in on the trail.

            The time of year that I went on my hike, it was mating season, so half of the trail was closed off. I looked around for another Big Horn Sheep because a friend told me that typically when there is one, there is another nearby. However, I did not see another Big Horn Sheep. We saw the sheep about halfway through our hike. It is important to note “both genders develop horns soon after birth, with horn growth continuing throughout life” (iNatrualist). Mating practices include “males fighting to determine who is dominant and who will gain access to the ewes (females)” (iNatrualist).

*Below is a photo of the Desert Bighorn Sheep from the internet as I was not able to take a good, clear photo of the Desert Bighorn Sheep that I saw*

Species #2: Adam’s Tree, Fouquieria diguetti

           

   

Species #3: Notch-Leaf-Scorpion Weed, Phacelia crenulate

           

 

Species #4: Gander’s Cholla, Cylindropuntia gander

           

 Species #5: Creosote Bush, Larrea tridentate

           

           

 Narrative: My family and I went for a hike on the La Quinta Cove to Lake Cahuilla Trail on Saturday, March 21 around 11:00 am. We completed the 6.60-mile hike of the trail and that took just shy of 3 hours. The weather was sunny with no clouds in the sky and the temperature was around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, or 24 degrees Celsius. There were no notable events that occurred during our hike. I was, however, was very surprised at how many different types of desert plants there were along our trail. This may have been due in part to the large amounts of rain that we have been receiving down here in Southern California. Overall, this was a good hike.

Bibliography

Binkly, Gail. “Public Comment Period Open for Desert Bighorn Sheep Management Plan Near Dolores      River.” ksjd.org, 27 Nov. 2017, www.ksjd.org/post/      public-comment-period-open-desert-bighorn-sheep-management-plan-near-dolores-river#stream/0.      Accessed 25 Mar. 2020.

“Desert Bighorn Sheep.” inaturalist.com, www.inaturalist.org/taxa/145539-Ovis-canadensis-nelsoni.

     Accessed 25 Mar. 2020.

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

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