2012 March 6

2012 March 6 16:45

47*04'40.69"N 122*58*17.71"W 158ft

Location: The forest off of the NE corner of Parking Lot F. Just walk straight into the woods. The are open.

Animals: people and cars. I was here a couple of days ago and I saw a caddisfly on Kindbergia. I only know it is a caddisfly because someone in this class pointed one out, the other day, at the giant ACMA where John Vilella stopped to lecture.

Vegetation: THPL, PSME, some ALRU. VAOV, POMU, and MANE understory.

Species of Moss seen: Plagiothecium undulatum and Hypnum circinale.

General Observation: The understory is sparse so that it's easy to see the mounds made by fallen logs that are past recognition in their decay. I wonder if the understory is sparse because it is drier because of the nearby parking lot and road, or because it is disturbed for the same reasons. Despite all the log mounds, the forest is dark, with few canopy gaps, so low light may be responsible for the sparse understory.

Discussion and question: When I walked into this part of the forest a few days ago, the Kindbergia was glowing it was so green. I remember thinking the same thing a couple weeks ago when I saw what I now know is Claopodium crispifolium on an ACMA trunk. Is the same thing that makes the new growth of Kindbergia spp. and C. crispifolium appear to glow the same that makes Schistostega pennata do the same thing?

Posted on March 7, 2012 01:38 AM by homeformosses