paleh3's Journal

After revisiting these historic specimens, I came across Greater Periwinkle, Daisy, Miner's Lettuce, California Poppy, and French Broom again!

For these observations, I went back to the Chaparral. I see that many of the plants blossomed and the environment seems less dry and arid.

I actually found nine of the most common plants in Alameda County such as Toyon, Common Dandelion, Greater Periwinkle, Red-flowering Currant, French broom, Western Swordfern, California Poppy, Daisy, and Eschscholzia californica!

For this spring break assignment, I went on the field trip to Jasper Ridge!
Something interesting that I observed was the Indian Warrior plant. I learned that this plant is a parasitic plant. This means that it does not have a green chlorophyl and does not use photosynthesis to gain nutrients. Instead, the Indian Warrior survives by absorbing nutrients and water from the roots of other plants around it.

Also, while I was on UC Berkeley's campus, I saw a Striped Skunk for the first time in my life. I made sure that I was very careful in keeping my distance to not frighten the Striped Skunk, but I knew I had to capture the moment!

I have observed:

1. A Bombus californicus
2. A Sciurus niger
3. Melozone crissalis

I have observed the following:

1. A plant with regular flowers
2. A plant with irregular flowers
3. A monocot
4. A dicot
5. A plant in the pea family (Fabaceae)
6. A Gymnosperm
7. A terrestrial plant that is not a seed plant
8. A plant with pinnate leaves
9. A plant with opposite leaves
10. A plant in the sunflower family (Asteraceae)

The plants in spring are extremely interesting. In many of the plants that I came across, they had two different colors on them. The process of them growing and changing colors are very captivating. From the colors you can differentiate between which parts of the plants adapt faster or slower to the weather. Some of the plants are great indications into phototropism. It's great to capture these plants in their beautiful process!

It seems that all of these plants adapted to the dried environment and are very small in size because of the amount of water available to them.

These observations represent five 'iconic taxa':
Image of mushroom is part of fungi family
Image of Cytisus tree is a plant
Image of Common Earthworm is an animal
Image of Turkeys is part of the bird family
Image of California Banana Slug is in the mollusk family

This flowering plant exemplifies flowering phenology because it has blossomed flowers and unblossomed flowers on one plant. In one part of the plant, the unflowered part is accompanied by other unflowered parts. On the other end of the tree, more flowered parts are blossomed. I wonder if the different timing of blossoming has something to do with the movement of the sun and the potential intensity it may have on one side as opposed to the other.