Date: Wednesday April 30, 2013
Weather: Drizzling
Temperature: 60-65 degrees F
Time: All Weekend
Location: Olympic National Forest
Southern Mexico excluded, the old growth forest here has the most resplendent of greens that I have had the pleasure to lay eyes upon.
I am comfortably situated upon large stone located on the bank of Barnes Creek near Crescent River, all situated within the northern half of the Olympic Peninsula. I have just finished hiking a short trail leading to this point (and beyond), and was able to conduct some plant identification along the way. Various species that I have been able to identify or have been informed of are review from our Ravenna Park excursions in Seattle, but are of greater size and effect. Initially, identification proved a difficult task due to the high elevation of the forest canopy, however, I have since become more acquainted with the different traits and patterns of tree bark. Foremost, the deeply furrowed, gray bark of the Douglas Firs (psuedotsuga menziesii) here, which are of considerable size. The Douglas Fir is often a member of the canopy, though at the end of its lifespan it becomes a nurse log to many other species at ground level, which provides opportunity for understudy Western Hemlocks (tsuga heterophylla) to become members of the canopy. The Hemlock produces somewhat smoother bark and does not have the potential to reach the size that Douglas Firs may achieve. Birds were also abundant in the forest, I however had a difficult time spotting them. Near the Marymere Fall I was able to observe what I believe to be a Brown Creeper on a thin branch chirping animatedly, and earlier the class was visited by a Raven, most likely scavenging for crumbs. I anticipated that I would observe more wildlife outside of plant life than I actually did in the forest, but am nevertheless fortuitous to have seen these two birds.
However, the plant life here is nothing short of exquisite. Beginning our trek into the forest we were shown some Lettuce Lichen (lobaria oregana) which has 'dragon's skin,' green lobes, and white where mold has grown. It falls to the forest floor to be consumed by other species in order for them to obtain nutrients. The forest also had many Western Red Cedars (thuja plicata) which have distinctive red bark and drooped branches. Among other large trees was the Big Leaf Maple (Acer Macrophyllum), a deciduous tree with palmately 5-lobed leaves, and the Grand Fir (Abies grandis) which has flat needles in two rows and cylindrical greenish cones.
Some of the flowers found the Olympic National Forest were also very beautiful, such as the Western Trillium (trillium ovatum), a flower with three white petals, and three sepals. I also noticed an abundance of Red Huckleberry (vaccinium parvifolium), which is a shrub with tiny, elliptical, green leaves and green bark.
There was also quite a bit of the Vanilla Leaf (Achlys triphylla), which is very small and has three leaves, shaped like fans, per stem. I found the Vanilla Leaf particularly charming due to its elegant fan shape!
Next, I cannot exclude the False Soloman's Seal (smilacina racemosa), which has long, elliptical, parallel-veined leaves. It was a favorite of the weekend, or so it seemed. There were also many sightings of Elderberry (sambucus racemosa), a tall shrub with long, opposite, pinnately compound leaves, and 5 or 7 lanceolate leaflets. As well, pointed out by our professor on the first day was Devil's Club (Oplopanax horridum), which has tall, thin stems with many poisonous spines. Later, looking over the Elwha River were more Devil's Club which included large, green, blooming leaves with a palmate shape (though they were too far away to further observe). Finally, I want to mention Salal (Gaultheria shallon). It was something that I first became aware of during the hikes, it has large, ovate, fine-toothed leaves which are shiny and dark green in color.
Between all of the species observed in the Olympic National Park there was a great amount of clear, observable competition and facilitation. My earlier description of the Douglas Firs and Western Hemlocks competing to be members of the canopy is one of them. The smaller Western Hemlock cannot become part of the canopy because the large Douglas Firs secure space and sunshine for themselves which allows them to grow to their full potential, leaving the Hemlocks as understudies. Facilitation is also commonplace with Douglas Firs, whose ability to provide nutrients and homes to other species in the forest when they die allows for these many different species to thrive. We were also able to locate some disturbance in the environment. It was visible by looking closely at the trees. The tops of many of the Douglas Firs at Hurricane Ridge had been broken, hanging horizontally creating right angles with the vertical trunks due to wind damage. There is also predation, which does not always have to be owls eating mice (which I did not observe), but also something as simple as the moss on a tree. Some mosses practice symbiotic relationships, however, the are also many which continuously profit from the tree without contributing to the tree's well-being. This is relationship can be deleterious to the tree if it is not receiving nutrients, water, or other necessary materials for life.
Between all of the species I listed and the interactions between them it becomes clear that the ecological patterns here involve continuity and sustainability. Clearly facilitation and symbiosis are not damaging to the ecosystem, however neither is predation nor disturbance. Predation, a natural element in the ecological pattern is not an interruption unless an invasive species is introduced and creates a relationship with unrecognizable features. The health of some of the native species is compromised when those who are invasive cannot be counteracted or 'kept in check' by other biological forces. Disturbance, not being a hazard, is natural as well. Wildfires, wind storms, and floods occur in different ecosystems and these ecosystems have evolved to withstand such disturbances. As an example, forest fires remove many species yet do not completely eradicate them, leaving room for re-population. As to windstorms, which do not leave damage that cannot be undone. The Douglas Firs on Hurricane Ridge were still thriving, undeterred by the forceful winds' disturbance to their crowns.
Largely, the experience was gratifying. The opportunity to explore an unknown region, become acquainted with the various species, and familiarize myself with their interactions has allowed for a greater appreciation of natural history. Not being an environmental science major, and embarrassingly not having taken an environmental science class previous to this one, I was overwhelmed with the abundance of enthusiasm for nature, and charmed by nature's wholehearted response.
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