Dendrology Field Trip - Northern New Mexico Master Naturalist 2023

Little Tesuque Creek Trail - Hyde Park Rd., Santa Fe, NM
September 9, 2023; 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Led by: Monica Harmon, Santa Fe County
Co-facilitator: Christie Collins, Santa Fe Botanical Garden
Co-facilitator: Meghan Baker, Randel Davey Audobon Center

Overview
This lab marked the first field trip for the 2023 Northern New Mexico Master Naturalist Program cohort. The goal of the lab was to introduce the concepts of dendrology and local tree identification. The field trip took place along the Little Tesuque Creek Trail on Santa Fe County property along NM 475. The start time for the lab was approximately 9:00 AM and concluded at 12:30 PM. A variety of bird species were observed during the walk including northern Flicker, mountain chickadee, and juniper titmouse. The weather was mild to warm under the canopy with clear skies and high UV.

Highlighted botanicals included:

Pinyon pine (Pinus edulis)
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila)
Coyote Willow (Salix exigua)
Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
Box elder (Acer negundo)
Narrowlead cottonwood (Populus angustifolia)
Rocky mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)
One-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma)
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Apache plume (Fallugia paradox)
Currant (Ribes sp.)

A variety of galls and plant pathologies were also observed during the presentation walk. These were photographed in situ and identified utilizing the gallformers.org online resource with reference to the host plant species. Non-gall plant pathology identification was made using the available university factsheet resources and applicable scientific literature. Other interesting observations from the walk are also included and were identified by the author. All uploaded observations are attached to this journal entry.

Interesting observations
A beautiful variety of gall forms were observed during the trail walk and included gall-forming species that affected willow, cottonwood, oak, and a Prunus sp.(?). These included insects from the groups Diptera:Cecidomyiidae (Gall and forest midges) and Lepidoptera:Geometridae (Geometer moths), as well as the willow gall mite, Aculus tetanothrix (Acari:Eriophyidae). Several other observations are pending further ID review and/or community assistance.

The orange blemishes observed on the currants towards the end of the field trip were caused by white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola). This species of fungus is native to Asia and is an invasive plant pathogen in North America. Per its namesake, the fungus is primarily associated with white pine species but infects Ribes sp. as a secondary host.

Finally, a couple of amazing caterpillars were observed on a willow along our trail walk.

Posted on September 19, 2023 08:16 PM by mjwcarr mjwcarr

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 10:06 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 10:08 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Kiewerleken (Order Coleoptera)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 10:12 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 10:47 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Gall and Forest Midges (Family Cecidomyiidae)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 11:03 AM MDT

Description

https://gallformers.org/gall/4127

On Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)

Photos / Sounds

What

Arthropoden (Phylum Arthropoda)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 11:12 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Bellflowers (Genus Campanula)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 11:33 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Willow Bead Gall Mite (Aculus tetanothrix)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 11:14 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Bristly Beard Lichen (Usnea hirta)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 11:38 AM MDT
Insects

Photos / Sounds

What

Insekten (Class Insecta)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 11:36 AM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Life (Life)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 11:36 AM MDT

Description

On Salix exigua (suspected)

Photos / Sounds

What

Life (Life)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 12:28 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Life (Life)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 12:27 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Life (Life)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 12:44 PM MDT

Description

On Salix exigua (suspected)

Photos / Sounds

What

Life (Life)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 12:45 PM MDT

Description

On Salix exigua (suspected)

Insects

Photos / Sounds

What

Insekten (Class Insecta)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 12:45 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Io Moth (Automeris io)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 01:04 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Spotted Tussock Moth (Lophocampa maculata)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 01:07 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Thrips (Order Thysanoptera)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 01:34 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 01:37 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 02:01 PM MDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Gall and Forest Midges (Family Cecidomyiidae)

Observer

mjwcarr

Date

September 9, 2023 11:36 AM MDT

Description

On Salix exigua (suspected) - Dasineura sp?

leaf curl

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