Week 4: A Weekend Outing!

Date: Saturday, April 27, 2013

Weather: Light rain, sun, and partly cloudy

Temperature: ~40-45ºF

Time: All afternoon!

Location: Olympic National Park (NatureBridge, Port Angeles, WA)

A change in pace for this week’s post! I got the pleasure of visiting the Olympic National Forest for the first time! It was a lovely break from the rigidity of the usual academic schedule. My class stayed at NatureBridge, a learning resource center, and explored the wonders of an Old-Growth Coniferous Forest.

Left, NatureBridge, the location of our overnight stay at the Olympic National Park. Right, enjoying Marymere Waterfall with a few of my classmates.

My observation “site” for this week is specifically the area surrounding the Storm King Trail. Because of the 1500 foot elevation gain in this hike, I was able to appreciate a broad range of ecosystems.

The base of the trail is in the Old-Growth Forest. The area is dominated by Douglas Firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Grand Firs (Abies grandis), and in the wetter regions, Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata). Many plants benefited from the shade and coverage provided by the gigantic Douglas Firs. Lady Slipper Orchids (Cypripedium acaule), Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia), Vanilla Leaf (Achlys triphylla), Rock Tripe/Lettuce Leaf Lichen (provides nitrogen for the understory plants!), and Pacific Trillium (Trillium ovatum) are just a few examples of the beautiful understory flora I was able to observe. Not only were these plants receiving shade from the canopy, but the trees also provided nutrients to the understory plants. An accumulating organic layer of soil is found on the tops of many trees and falls when the tree is disturbed.

Pacific Trillium, one of the many plants seen in the forest understory.

My favorite example of facilitation was the nurse logs. These logs provide structural diversity since many plants can thrive of these logs. During my visit in the Olympic National Park, I saw that the nurse logs were home to young Western Hemlocks (Tsuga heterophylla) who were taking advantage of higher habitat, but also racing against time to generate a strong root foundation before the nurse log decomposed. The nurse log was also home to Red Huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), and Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza). Another resident of the nurse log was the Stair-step Moss (Hylocomium splendens), which can also provide moisture to the trees.

The nurse log provides a diverse habitat for many plants, such as the Western Hemlock, to grow.

As I began my ascent on the trail, the landscape immediately began to change. There was a stark transition from a forest ground covered with endless Sword Ferns (Polystichum munitum) to a sudden prevalence of Salal (Gauitheria shallon). This was an important indicator that the soil had changed from being very nitrogen rich to nitrogen poor. I also noticed the plants along the path had changed as well, especially since the trail faces the south. Besides the now familiar Dwarf Oregon Grape, there were many Pea Plants, a fingertip small yellow Mimulus flower, Twinflower (Linnaea borealis), Stonecrop (Sedum), and a myriad of mosses. All of these different plants created a colorful mosaic on the rocks along the side of the trail, but the image is deceiving. It is conceivable that there is actually intense competition going on between each of these plants in order to establish its own niche and keep other plants out. Every surface area on the rocks with exposure to sunlight was covered. Many Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii) also flourished as the canopy disappeared, which provided a perfect spot for a Band Tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) to rest. My hiking group also spotted a Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria biflora) and an intriguing black Millipede.

In addition, there appeared to have been some disturbance in the area. As we climbed higher, we seemed to be following a path of Douglas Firs that had charring on their trunks, which indicates a history of fire disturbances in the area. Not to mention, there were also areas cleared of undergrowth, which may have been a result of the fire. Disturbances are simply the way of life in nature and provide many new niches to be filled. I imagine that a forest succession will occur in the area over time.

As we hiked up our last switchback, we saw some native Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus) and a native Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglassii) quickly dodging off of the path. Beyond some Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), there was also an interesting example of predation. The parasite, Douglas fir dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium douglasii), was siphoning water and nutrients off of the Douglas fir. Because this parasite can only disperse seeds in the near vicinity, my guess is that all of the nearby Douglas firs are in danger.

By the time we got to our viewpoint, we began to see some Pacific Silver Fir (Abies amabilis), which means that we may have entered a new vegetation zone.

Hidden among the trees was a beautiful view of Lake Crescent.

It was an exciting and fruitful hike! I leave you with a view of the intimidating Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) that I often found disturbed as a result of deer consumption and another gorgeous view from the area we stayed at.

Left, Scary Devil’s Club that is actually a food source for deer and elk. Right, at the base of the Marymere Waterfall.