12 February 2012

Drove over to the Blue Creek public access trail at 0800 hrs to go on a fishing trip for bryophytes this time. The air temperature was 43 degrees Fahrenheit and the latitude is 46 30' 32.91" N. and the longitude is -122 40' 46.81" W. This riparian ecosystem revealed that bryophytye, liverwort, lichen and higher plant and tree biodiversity was rich in this biome. The liverwort genus that was collected from a tree base appears to be Herbertus aduncus and another specimen such as Climacium dendroides was collected from a tree branch. I also observed several other species of moss such as Neckera douglasii and brachythecium frigidum.

I observed that open areas along this trail tended to harbor fewer bryophyte species, but when I went back into areas with dense over story cover, bryophytes generally became more diverse. It is clearly understood that the majority of bryophytes (Not all of them) are shade and moisture loving. This was especially the case with the liverwort species in this ecosystem. Overall, this ecosystem supports a wide variety of other life species such as Ravens, Stellar Jays and waterfowl. The Cowlitz River ecosystem also supports several species of salmonids such as winter run steel head, summer run steel head, spring and fall run Chinook salmon and various species of trout.

The soil was was variable at this site, which ranged from sandy clay, humus to moist organic soil. These soil types clearly supports a wide variety of plant species, thus the wide assortment of bryophyte life forms. I also noted two species of lichens in this area and these species are known as, Lobaria pulmonaria and Evernia prunastri. Therefore, this ecosystem supports diverse forms of lower and higher plant life. Next trip will be in or around the Mossyrock area and should reveal yet more bryophyte biodiversity.

Posted on February 12, 2012 08:50 PM by serhardt25