GEOG/ES&P 330

California Ecosystems

Sepulveda Dam Basin Species Student Experts

I would like each of you to become the experts on six species we may encounter at the Sepulveda Dam Basin on Sunday the 3rd. This entails learning about your species by clicking on their links in the species list at https://homeweb.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/geog330/SepulvedaDamSpecies.html, figuring out the similarities and differences between them, and bringing along a few photos of them so you can spot them in the field. Having a go-to person along will speed up transecting and quadratting quite a bit.

The species list takes you to the Calflora taxon report for each species, where you can find a map of the species, and dozens of vouched photographs (Wikipedia often has a few nice photos, too). Go through these images and pick three photos for each of your six species: (1) an image showing the whole plant in the landscape so you can recognize its growth and life form; (2) a close-up image showing its leaf shapes and stem arrangements in detail, and an image showing its flowers, inflorescences, and/or fruits. You can put them into a Writer or Word document, labelling each, and including notes on how you would tell it from the others, and then print that and bring it to the field as your personal cheat sheet.

A couple of you have already arranged with me that you absolutely cannot go out to the Sepulveda Dam with everyone else and have reconciled yourselves to the prospect of watching lots of pigeons. Since the object of this trip is to get everyone familiar with field skills they'll need in group field projects later this semester, you should also learn your six species. Since you can't go out, I'd like you to prepare your field cheat sheet and eighteen photos for your colleagues by September 30 and hand it in. Your notes and photos will go on the field trip and be used by your colleagues.

With these resources, figure out answers to the following:

• What life form is your species? Tree, shrub or subshrub, vine, herb (forb or grass), or aquatic plant?

• What is its size range?

• Are its leaves simple or compound?

• What are the leaf margins like? Entire (smooth edged), lobed, toothed, spiny)?

• What color are they? (dark or olive green, light green, greyish)

• How are the leaves arranged on the plant? Are they in a basal rosette or are they cauline (along stems and branches)? If the latter, are they alternate, opposite, or whorled?

• Might we see them flowering in early October?

• If they might be flowering, what are the flowers or inflorescences like? (color, number of petals, number of anthers and pistils)?

Without further ado, here's who gets which group of plants:

https://homeweb.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/geog330/SDstudentexpertsF21.pdf

Document maintained by Dr. Rodrigue
First placed on web: 02/19/17
Last revision: 09/22/21