Leavenworth, Washington: May 12, 2012

Location: Leavenworth, Washington, USA (Lat: 47.5880241394, Long: -120.6678085327)

Date: May 12, 2012

Time: 1:20 PM – 3:20 PM

Weather Conditions: Sunny, temperatures in 70’s (°F)

Summary of Observations: Hiked up through a grassy woodland (so, very sparse trees) with numerous granite outcroppings. Trees primarily Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Firs. We could see evidence of the big fires that swept this area on the Douglas Firs: their big, low branches are not well adapted for fire. We discussed how Douglas Firs would dominate this region if the occasional wildfire did not sweep through.
On our climb up the hill, we saw primarily grasses, wildflowers and small shrubs. Specifically, saw Northern/Arrowleaf Buckwheat, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Checker Lilies, Peonies, Ocean Spray, Oregon Grape, Field Chickweed, Death Camas, a yellow flower in the genus Lomatium, Lewis's Mock-orange, Indian Paintbrush and Trillium petiolatum. It was more heavily wooded at top of climb, but still much less so than the temperate rainforests we stopped at on the Western side of the Cascades. Understory plants here included (in addition to many listed above) Saskatoon, Snowberry, and Elderberry. Also saw a few Western Fence Lizards and Orangetip butterflies near granite outcroppings on grassy/shrubby hillside.
Abiotic forces contribute significantly to the difference in this landscape from that of the previous stops on our fieldtrip. Leavenworth is on the Eastern side of the Cascades, and therefore is situated in the rainshadow of the Cascades. Warm, moist air from the Pacific Ocean is swept inland by the prevailing winds (over the Northern United States, these travel from West to East). As the air rises over the Cascades, it cools, and is consequently able to “hold” less water. So, the water condenses and falls, making the Western side of the Cascades very wet and rainy. As the air continues back down the Eastern side of the Cascades, it warms, and is able to “hold” more water, making the Eastern side of the Cascades home to higher evaporation rates and generally sunnier, drier conditions.

Species List

1. Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir)
2. Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine)
3. Eriogonum compositum (Northern/Arrowleaf Buckwheat)
4. Balsamorhiza sagittata (Arrowleaf Balsamroot)
5. Fritillaria affins (Checker Lily)
6. Paeonia brownii (Peonies)
7. Berberis aquifolium repens (Oregon Grape)
8. Holodiscus discolor (Ocean Spray)
9. Cerastium arvense (Field Chickweed)
10. Zigadenus venenosus (Death Camas)
11. Genus Lomatium (yellow flowers)
12. Philadelphus lewisii (Lewis's Mock-orange)
13. Castilleja hispida (Indian Paintbrush)
14. Trillium petiolatum
15. Amelanchier alnifolium (Saskatoon)
16. Genus Symphoricarpos (Snowberry)
17. Sambucus cerulea (Elderberry)
18. Anthocharis sara (Sara Orangetip)
19. Sceloporus occidentalis (Western Fence Lizard)

Posted on June 4, 2012 06:33 PM by sophiejhart