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| Stormy weather and wild lenticular clouds over the Tehachapi Mountains of Tejon Ranch. |
We are obsessive weather watchers
here in the arid west, and this winter has been of particular interest in hopes
of easing our desperate drought worries. Here on Tejon Ranch, we have seven
weather stations that document precipitation, temperature, and wind speed: two
in the San Joaquin Valley, two in the Tehachapi Mountains, and three in the
Antelope Valley. This data gives us a discrete glimpse into the specific conditions
on the Ranch, and is an important tool to our understanding of patterns in
biological responses. For example, this year we are seeing an unexpected influx
of a nasty invasive species, Brassica
tournefortii (Saharan mustard), in areas with few or no previous
observations. Early rainfall and warm temperatures coupled with very little
January and February rainfall (traditionally our wettest months) may have
provided favorable growing conditions for this arid-adapted invader, and has
prompted us to quickly organize work parties to remove these already maturing
plants in areas of special concern. In future when weather patterns again
appear favorable for this species, we will spend extra time monitoring these
areas early so that we can plan our treatments more efficiently. Thus,
monitoring weather data can offer us a little more information about how to
proceed with effective seasonal conservation management on the Ranch, and in
these uncertain times every useful tool is valued!
Below is a synopsis of the recorded
temperature and precipitation values from the San Joaquin Valley, Tehachapi
Mountains, and Antelope Valley regions of the Ranch for November through
January. Stay tuned for regular seasonal updates.
