cdiversityferguson's Journal

For our third and final field assignment, I explored the Marshland at Radke Regional Shoreline in Martinez. From an abiotic standpoint, a handful of conditions were noted. The temperature was a mild 54*. There was a slight breeze of less than 5mph. Most of the sky had cloud cover. The humidity was 73%. The trail and surrounding air were moist. The biotic conditions consisted of plants such as marsh reeds and gum plants. Lastly, the wildlife spotted included a variety of birds including a black-necked stilt, Canadian geese, pigeons, and mallards.

For the second field assignment, I settled on Mt. Diablo State Park. My partner and I entered on the Clayton side of the mountain. (Hot tip: There is free parking at the end of Mountaire Pkwy.) The Mt. Diablo ecosystem can best be described as an Inland Oak Woodland. I observed several abiotic conditions. The temperature was approximately 70 degrees. The creeks had swelled over parts of the trail. The sun was shining with a light layer of clouds near the top. The forest canopy was open in many areas. When it comes to biotic conditions many were observed. The grasses and foliage covering the mountain were a lush green. The trees tended to be oak. Possibly, Blue Oak and Coastal Live Oak. A single pine was observed as well as one buckeye. The stages of growth observed were old and new. Fallen trees were also seen. Many open fields of grasses were noted as well as pockets of Oak shaded forest. There were various plants observed including wild lettuce. Lastly, two fungi were spotted; Hairy Curtain Crust and Coyote Brush Rust.

For the first field assignment I chose Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. More specifically, the fall creek portion. These Coastal Redwoods can be classified as an evergreen ecosystem. At the very beginning of the trail there were Manzanita trees and shrubs which could be classified as a chaparral ecosystem. There were several abiotic conditions observed. The humidity level was The forest canopy was extremely dense which created shade over most of the forest. The humidity level was 56%. Which made for a very moist environment. The San Lorenzo River was flowing and seemed relatively full. The rocks consisted of granite and limestone. In fact this forest was known for the mining and processing of lime in the early 1900’s. As far as biotic conditions, many were observed. First and foremost the exquisite Redwoods. There was old growth, new growth, fallen leaves and massive fallen trees. There was a variety of plants, fungi, moss, trees, and a few animals-including the honorary Banana Slug (UCSC Mascot). Please see the photos I shared for individual pictures.