this was a great day for scouting for the first field trip for a new natural history course. Sunny, cool, spring melt is in full swing. Most observations were in two seral stages of cedar, doug fir, hemlock forest; the first site (site 1) was in and around the Pack Forest Experimental Station (the sequoia was clearly planted, the other observations were in the forest, along trails). Trails were in a mixed second growth stand dominated by Hemlock and Douglas Fir, with a bit of cedar, and large stands of bigleaf maple in moist areas. The understory was primarily Salal with a bit of sword fern in dryer areas, mostly sword fern under the maple. The second site (site 2) a late successional stand just inside the boundary of Mt. Rainier National Park. Here, the stand was oldgrowth, dominated by hemlock and cedar, I did not see any Doug Fir, but we did see subalpine fir.
The Bobcat was a locky spot near the road on the way out of the park (see observation notes). I ran into plenty of fungi and bryophytes I'd love some thoughts on, as well as a couple of plants.
Species List (aside from plants in the observation list)
Site one (just listing dominants)
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Western red cedar (Thuja plicata)
Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) - leaf buds forming, no leaves
understory
Salal (Gualtheria shallon)
Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium)
Cascade Oregon Grape (Berberis nervosa)
Red Huckleberry (Vaccinum parvifolium)
Indian Plum (Oemleria cerasiformes)
Site two (just listing dominants)
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Western red cedar (Thuja plicata)
Cones from Grand fir / sub-alpine fir...
Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) - leaf buds forming, no leaves
understory
Devil's Club (Oplopanax horridum)
growing near Pack Forest station. Scales are really unique...
I don't know this one. Growing in a bog, and flowering now. Flowering head is about 4cm wide
relatively common in forest around Pack Forest. Mostly in open areas
growing at base of rock by trail in big-leaf maple cove, very moist habitat.
On rock, some sporophytes, looks a bit like a goose-necked moss
This moss covers this alder. It is common, but I did not get a close look under a hand lens. Growing with sword fern
some kind of large bracket / shelf fungus growing on side of snag in old growth cedar / hemlock stand. These are about 30 cm across, some a bit larger.
Old growth stand just inside park boundary. Snow still on the ground, lots of cones down, melting beginning
bobcat hunting in a field by the road. Sunny day, mid 50s (F), bobcat waiting for prey at what might have been a mole hole, then moving to another location to do same. Field of ~ 5 ha, north side of road, boardered by deciduous trees (big leaf maple) against side of Mt. Rainier, with conifers climbing slope behind the deciduous semi-circle of deciduous trees
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