5/28/12 Applying Natural History Knowledge to Northern California

Latitude:37.524047
Longitude: -122.333393
I am from San Mateo, California and have spent my entire life living in the San Francisco, Bay Area. I was home for the weekend and was curious as to whether or not I would be able to recognize any tree or plant species that I also frequently see in the Puget Sound region.
The primary species that I observed and took note of were lichen species. I was able to observe Old man's beard (Usnea hirta) and Ramalina farinacea. I also observed a lichen species that I believe to be in the genus Platismatia, as it closely resembles Platismatia glauca. I was able to take samples of these lichen and put them in my field journal and that was exciting for me because I had never been able to extract a sample of lichen before.
I also observed a bight yellow lichen that I believe to be Caloplaca. I also observed what I believe to be Orchrolechia pallescens, which is a meber of the crustose lichens. I identified the specimen as Orchrolechia pallescens because of its encrustations and slightly concave fruiting bodies, which were a bight yellow shade with whitish rims. I was also able to observe clot lichen (Mycoblastus sanguinarius) that was a dark blackish color and grew in isolated circular "clots."
I also observed a pine tree of some sort, with needles growing in clusters of 30-50 and with a needle shape and upward growth direction most closely resembling a Western White Pine (Pinus monticola).
This experience of venturing out into the field in Northern California enabled me to see the breadth of native Pacific Northwest species of lichen and trees. I was excited by my ability to recognize species that I had seen in the Puget Sound region and I was also extremely interested to see such an abundance of lichen in a park that was located so close to my house. Overall, this experience made me realize all the progress I have made throughout the quarter in terms of my ability to identify species and recognize reoccurring species within the ecosystems around me.
Species List:
Caloplaca
Orchrolechia pallescens
Clot Lichen (Mycoblastus sanguinarius)
Western White Pine (Pinus monticola)
Old man's beard (Usnea hirta)
Ramalina farinacea
Platismatia glauca

Posted on June 3, 2012 02:27 AM by laurars13