June 29th, 2013 Illahee State Park
Location: Illahee State Park, Bremerton WA
Weather: Sunny, Blue skys, mid 80's
Habitat: Coastal Temperate Forest.
Vegetation: Mainly Conifers, with some flowering trees, as well as the typical undergrowth for the northwest temp forest.
Species Seen: Red Cedar, Nipplewort, salal, big leaf maple, doug fir, red alder.
Interactions:
-Craggy bark of fir trees give insects hiding places and in turn birds have chipped away at the bark to get at the bugs.
-The raised roots of cedar trees seem to be a place that small animals or birds have found shelter.
-Competition for sunlight has made many tree species skirt themselves of their lower branches seemingly to conserve resources.
Questions:
-How do trees tell their lower branches to stop growing/ photosynthesizing?
-What advantage would cedars strip bark give it compared to other types?
-How does ivy "choke" other plants if they are still able to photosynthesize?
-What kind of nutrients do nurse logs give off as they break down?
