GEOG/ES&P 330

California Ecosystems

Sepulveda Dam Basin Species Student Experts

I would like each of you to become the experts on five species we may encounter at the Sepulveda Dam Basin on Sunday the 6h. This entails learning about your species by clicking on their links in the species list at https://home.csulb.edu/~rodrigue/geog330/SepulvedaDamSpecies.html, figuring out the 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 five 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.

What if you absolutely cannot go out to the Sepulveda Dam with everyone else and have reconciled yourself 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 five species. Since you can't go out, I'd like you to prepare your field cheat sheet and fifteen photos for your colleagues by October 3rd 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?

• 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 olve green, light green, greyish)

• How are they arranged? 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?

• 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:

• Ms. Aguilera: Baccharis pilularis, Baccharis salicifolia, Rosa californica, Rubus ursinus, Vitus californica

• Ms. Agustin: Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea, Populus fremontii, Populus trichocarpa, Quercus agrifolia, Quercus lobata

• Ms. Allen: Salix exigua, Salix lasiolepis, Salix laevigata, Baccharis salicifolia, Acer negundo

• Ms. Carr: Salvia apiana, Salvia leucophylla, Salvia mellifera, Artemisia californica, Marrubium vulgare

• Mr. Clemons: Euthamia occidentalis, Typha latifolia, Schoenoplectus acutus, Lemna minor, Arundo donax

• Mr. Díaz: Erigeron canadensis, Helianthus annuus, Heterotheca grandiflora, Rumex crispus, Rosa californica

• Mr. Guerra: Rhus integrifolia, Rhus ovata, Malosma laurina, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Baccharis pilularis

• Ms. Galilea: Rumex crispus, Conium maculatum, Marrubium vulgare, Quercus agrifolia, Quercus lobata

• Ms. Hernández: Sonchus oleraceus, Lactuca serriola, Urtica dioica, Peritoma arborea, Erigeron canadensis

• Mr. Levy: Malacothamnus davidsonii, Asclepias eriocarpa, Frangula californica, Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea, Rosa californica

• Ms. Liang: Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Ailanthus altissima, Washingtonia robusta, Salsola tragus

• Mr. Lopez Torres: Salix exigua, Salix lasiolepis, Salix laevigata, Baccharis salicifolia, Acer negundo

• Mr. Macdonald: Populus fremontii, Populus trichocarpa, Juglans californica, Platanus racemosa, Acer negundo

• Mr. Mora: Lemna minor, Persicaria lapathifolia, Ludwigia peploides, Schoenoplectus acutus, Typha latifolia

• Ms. Mora: Arundo donax, Typha latifolia, Schoenoplectus acutus, Baccharis salicifolia, Baccharis pilularis

• Ms. Morales: Salix exigua, Salix lasiolepis, Salix laevigata, Baccharis salicifolia, Artemisia douglasiana

• Mr. Nagaoka: Salvia apiana, Salvia leucophylla, Salvia mellifera, Artemisia californica, Marrubium vulgare

• Mr. Olivarria: Pinus ponderosa, Fraxinus uhdei, Fraxinus velutina, Heterotheca grandiflora, Helianthus annuus

• Ms. Oliveira: Populus fremontii, Populus trichocarpa, Juglans californica, Platanus racemosa, Acer negundo

• Mr. Pham: Quercus agrifolia, Quercus lobata, Baccharis pilularis, Fraxinus velutina, Washingtonia robusta

• Ms. Porras: Artemisia californica, Artemisia douglasiana, Ribes aureum, Rosa california, Malacothamnus davidsonii

• Mr. Reynoso: Peritoma arborea, Malacothamnus davidsonii, Rhus ovata, Malosma laurina, Ribes aureum

• Mr. Stangle: Ribes aureum, Rosa californica, Rubus ursinus, Baccharis salicifolia, Baccharis pilularis

• Ms. Steudle: Baccharis pilularis, Baccharis salicifolia, Rosa californica, Ribes aureum, Artemisia douglasiana

• Ms. Swihart: Rhus integrifolia, Rhus ovata, Malosma laurina, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Baccharis salicifolia

• Ms. Vivanti: Baccharis pilularis, Baccharis salicifolia, Rosa californica, Rubus ursinus, Vitus californica

Document maintained by Dr. Rodrigue
First placed on web: 02/19/17
Last revision: 09/24/19