miriamm's Journal

1. regular flowers - Western Wallflower, Erysimum capitatum
2. irregular flowers - Indian Warrior, Pedicularis densiflora
3. monocot - unidentified grass
4. dicot - Bigberry Manzanita, Arctostaphylos glauca
5. pea family - Chick Lupine, Lupinus microcarpus
6. gymnosperm - unidentified gymnosperm
7. terrestrial (non-seed) - Ferns, Phylum Pteridophyta
8. pinnate leaves - Buckbrush, Ceanothus cuneatus
9. opposite leaves - Black Sage, Salvia mellifera
10. sunflower family - unidentified flower

Most of my observations were from our field trip to Pillar Point. I don't know that any of the organisms that we saw are seasonally there because they can't really migrate in and out of tide pools. There might be seasons where there are more or less of a certain organism if they have a specific breeding seasons. The flower that I saw on campus is a good representation of spring because it probably only blooms in the spring. I think everything is blooming earlier this year because it has been so warm.

1. Wild Turkey eating insects
2. Insect pollinating flower
3. Honey Bee pollinating flower

1. Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) - I actually found this organism, as his name indicates, on a brick fence. This lizard probably enjoys chaparral because it is dry, open and often warmer than other habitats. Being open and free of most tall vegetation allows for rocks on the ground to get heated and provide a place for this reptile to warm its body. Also chaparral is a ecosystem that is full of insects and spiders that the western fence lizard can eat.
2. Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) - I found this organism in a open area with only low scrub bushes around it. This is a good place for this flower to live because it only opens its flowers to get pollinated when the sun is out so it would not do well in a shady location.
3. Jerusalem Cricket (Family Stenopelmatidae) - I found this organism in the middle of the path while walking on the fire trails behind Clark Kerr. It is known the live in a variety of climates but it doesn't like very hot weather which is why one reason why Berkeley is a good place for it to live.
4. Yellow Flowering Plant (Genus Marah) - I found this organism is the chaparral area growing with other shorter plants. It can grow in lots of different conditions but requires seasonally moist soil which the Berkeley hills definitely have.
5. Tree with small orange fruits (Kingdom Plantae) - This was one of the few tall trees I found in the chaparral area. I haven't been able to identify it yet but it is probably able to grow successfully here because there are hardly any other tall trees for it to compete with.

I walked the lower Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail to find organisms of moist evergreen forest.

1. Millipedes (Class Diplopoda) - I found this organism under a rotting log. It is well suited for moist evergreen because it seems to thrive in moist dark places which are abundant under the shadows of the trees and the layers of rotting plant material on the ground.
2. Beard Lichens (Genus Usnea) - I found this organism growing on the branch of a dying tree. This is typical of bearded lichen that grow on dying trees with less foliage so they have access to more light for photosynthesis. Also the moisture in a moist evergreen forest probably allows it to flourish despite the fact that its host is dying and drying out.
3. Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) -This organism was found growing in the strawberry creek canyon. It has big leaves which make it productive in a shady climate because it can absorb as much sunlight as possible. This plant can live in both moist shady regions and more dry open regions which is why it is so abundant in the Berkeley and Oakland hills which have both of these climates.
4. Unidentified plants (Kingdom Plantae) - This organism was found growing on the fire trails. One person on inaturalist thinks that it is some type of geranium but it is hard to tell because it was not flowering. It looks like a plant that can live successfully in soil that is covered with lots of rotting plant material and has big leaves to take in as much sun as possible.
5. Unidentified Mushroom (Kingdom Fungi) - This organism was found right near the Clark Kerr track field. It was growing in the shade and partially under a log. It loves moist atmosphere and wet soil which and does very well in a moist evergreen forest.

Mollusk - California Banana Slug

Fungi - Unidentified fungus growing on scat

Amphibian - California Slender Salamander

Plant - Blackberry bush

Bird - Wild Turkey

Blackberry Bush - leafed out but without flowers

Tall unidentified trees - bare of leaves

Unidentified plant with blue flowers - with flowers