Vegetation Time Traveling
(Plant Succession) – 2/12/2025
Ann Elliott
Understanding plant succession helps to explain how vegetative landscapes change and function.
Plants first establish themselves on new land or exposed rock, as after a volcanic eruption. They can re-establish themselves in an area that has been disturbed by fire, floods, or land use.
In San Geronimo Valley, Kurt Rademacher pointed out a variety of successional stages. Pioneer species: the first plants to colonize an area, often annual plants. Perennials and grasses: follow the pioneer species. Shrubs and softwood trees: follow the perennials and grasses. Hardwood trees and shrubs: follow the shrubs and softwood trees. Climax community: A stable community of plants that has developed over time. The climax community for each location depends on a variety of factors: soil, water availability, slope, and aspect to sun.
In Roy’s Redwoods we wandered through stands of California bay laurel climax stands and saw first hand how coast redwood trees adapt to successive fire and flood events.
vegetation “mosaic” in San Geronimo Valley Kurt Rademacher
vegetation “mosaic” in San Geronimo Valley Kurt Rademacher
common manzanita Ann Elliott
common manzanita Ann Elliott
hounds tongue Roy’s Redwoods Ann Elliott
hounds tongue Roy’s Redwoods Ann Elliott
fungus Roy’s Redwoods Ann Elliott
fungus Roy’s Redwoods Ann Elliott
willow wattle erosion control at Roy’s Redwoods Ann Elliott
willow wattle erosion control at Roy’s Redwoods Ann Elliott
Kurt showing fire-resistant bark on redwoods Ann Elliott
Kurt showing fire-resistant bark on redwoods Ann Elliott
Kurt’s drawing of successive redwood root formation after silt layers from flooding Ann Elliott
Kurt’s drawing of successive redwood root formation after silt layers from flooding Ann Elliott
actual successive redwood root formation after silt layers from flooding Ann Elliott
actual successive redwood root formation after silt layers from flooding Ann Elliott
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
Winter Wonderland Walk – 2/18/2025
Caroline Christman
Samuel P. Taylor State Park Winter Wonderland Walk was pushed back due to heavy rains, but we certainly appreciate what this good rain year means for plants! The rescheduled day of our walk was sunny and perfect cool hiking weather in the shade of the redwoods. One of our main goals for the day was to observe, and smell, the fabled fetid adder’s tongue (Scoliopus bigelovii). We thought we would need to search high and low for this small redwood understory plant, but we found our first cluster just over the bridge from the main parking lot and then hundreds more along our route!
Continuing on the Pioneer Trail we were serenaded by the tinkling song of the Pacific wren and surrounded by new, green growth. We saw a wonderful assortment of early spring bloomers including wake robin (Trillium ovatum), redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregana), redwood violet (Viola sempervirens), and milk maids (Cardamine californica). We also were treated to a medley of ferns from the tiny goldback fern (Pentagramma triangularis) to the largest fern in North America, the Giant Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata).
Anthoxanthum occidentale vanila grass Caroline Christman
Anthoxanthum occidentale vanila grass Caroline Christman
catkins Ann Elliott
catkins Ann Elliott
Fetid Adders Tongue s
Fetid Adders Tongue Stacey Pogorzelski
five-finger fern Ann Elliott
five-finger fern Ann Elliott
fungus Ann Elliott
fungus Ann Elliott
gold back fern Ann Elliott
gold back fern Ann Elliott
hounds tongue Ann Elliott
hounds tongue Ann Elliott
Oxalis oregana Ann Elliott
Oxalis oregana Ann Elliott
pipevine SP Taylor SP Ann Elliott
pipevine SP Taylor SP Ann Elliott
polypodium fern Ann Elliott
polypodium fern Ann Elliott
salmon sculpture at Lagunitas Ck. bridge Ann Elliott
salmon sculpture at Lagunitas Ck. bridge Ann Elliott
Stacey smells the fetid adder’s tongue Caroline Christman
Stacey smells the fetid adder’s tongue Caroline Christman
Trilium ovatum Stacey Pogozelski
Trilium ovatum Stacey Pogozelski
Viola sempervirens Caroline Christman
Viola sempervirens Caroline Christman
wood fern Ann Elliott
wood fern Ann Elliott