The last three weeks have been filled by looking for grasses. The grasses we have been looking for are Orcuttia tenuis and Tuctoria greenei, both species are listed as federally endangered. These species exist in areas known as Vernal Pools. Vernal Pools are wetlands which only have water in them seasonally, as in winter or spring, and then become dry during the summer. They form in depressions, which have no access to an inflow of water or groundwater generally.

We have been looking for these grasses in the region known as the Gerber Block, which is just a bit southeast from Klamath Falls, OR, and also extends into California.  The Gerber Block has many different kinds of vernal pools and also many associated species of plants which also grow with the grasses. Surprisingly, Orcuttia tenuis has been found on the California side of the GB, but have somehow been undetected on the Oregon side. This is the main reason that these surveys are needing to be conducted is because we are not sure if it has just not been looked very hard for in Oregon, or if it really does not occur in the state. However, because the state line is completely arbitrary, there is not really a good reason the grasses should not exist in Oregon, being that the habitat is the same.

So, the surveys being conducted are following a previous study performed in 2010 and 2011, which covered a good chunk of the block and contained 118 different sites of various vernal pool habitats; from intermittent streams, to vernal meadows, actual vernal pools, and stock ponds. The surveys are only presence/ absence of either grass species and also we were helping BLM survey for a species of mint, Pogogyne floribunda, and Disappearing Monkeyflower, Mimulus evanescens.

We have now completed the surveys, and we did not find either species of grass. We were able to survey 74 of the 118 sites. We tried to hit the spots which were considered “better” habitat, and also we tried to hit the spots which had the most relevant species, which would be in areas where ORTE is currently found.

It was definitely an interesting couple of weeks looking for mysterious species of grasses, and I was really pretty happy that in the last week and a half the temperature starting getting to a more enjoyable level for surveying. I believe that these were the last plant surveys of the summer, and now onto more fishy days 🙂

We are well into the swing of things here in Meeker. My feet are blistered from hiking (both for work and personal enjoyment), my pants have acquired permanent layers of dirt, and I have more freckles than I could possibly think to count. It’s turning out to be a very productive and fun field season. Fortunately, the juniper gnats have died down for the season, making some of our field days far more tolerable.

My coworker and fellow CLM intern, Vanesa, enjoying the view on a hike to our plot.

A collared lizard struttin’ its stuff

Time is truly flying by this season. I feel I can measure how long I’ve been here by how many plants I recognize when doing our vegetation monitoring. Every week, I recognize more and more specimens, which is a very empowering feeling. I like the idea of inching closer to truly understanding a place and all the diverse components that make up a functioning ecosystem. As the season wears on, it becomes more difficult to identify many annual plants, as many tend to dry out in the heat. And naturally, it is difficult to identify plants without diagnostic characteristics like flowers. Luckily, our mentor is a near-expert on the flora of Colorado, making it easy to learn. Of course, some days we observe aspects of dysfunction, like monocultures of the highly invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Other invasive species like Alyssum desertorum and Lepidium perfoliatum are also extremely abundant on BLM land. Although our team does not do any work relating to eradicating or managing invasive species, it is my hope that the data we collect can help derive management plans for areas that are overrun by invasive annuals.

A particularly beautiful Wyoming sage plot in Dinosaur National Monument.

A few highlights from this last month include seeing a flock on approximately 100 Pinyon Jays whilst on a grueling hike from our plot. One day we were able to go out in the field with a stream assessment crew to do aquatic invertebrate sampling. We also had the privilege of taking a riparian plant identification class this past week, taught by two highly knowledgeable botanists from Colorado State University. Although we predominately work in sagebrush and Pinyon-Juniper ecosystems, it was exciting to learn many riparian and wetland plants in Colorado, as wetlands are of the utmost importance for the overall health of the ecosystem.

Cheers,

Coryna Hebert

BLM, Meeker, CO