Fall 2015 Weather Report

The hopeful, whispered rumors of an El Nino-driven wet winter grow louder as multiple rain events have swept across our parched hills. And what a memorable prelude to the winter it has been, with dramatic floods making the national news, low elevation snow keeping mountain drivers on their toes, and a thrilling flush of green in our grasslands emerging even before local holiday decorations. 

A tinge of green lightening the drab of all dormancy in Tunis Canyon. Photo courtesy of Scot Pipkin.

Whether you live locally or not, you probably heard about our brief but intense October rainstorm which sent torrents of water down adjacent steep slopes, ripping open ephemeral drainages, and cementing both Interstate 5 and Highway 58 (and hundreds of travelers) in thick mud flows up to 6 feet deep. Here at the Conservancy headquarters where our proximity to the roar of the interstate requires shouting outside our office, windows and doors were left wide open to hear… Silence. Bird song. Our quiet respite didn’t last long, and luckily nobody was hurt in the flooding, but it was a sharp reminder of the power of weather to quickly transform business as usual. 

Curiously, our eight weather stations recorded only a small blip in precipitation during that regionally significant event. We constantly marvel at the characteristically uncharacteristic patterns of precipitation on Tejon Ranch. With such variable terrain scaling over 6,000 feet elevation and at such a unique topographical nexus between the arid southern San Joaquin Valley, the wedged tail of the massive Sierra Nevada Mountains, the dynamic edge of the very active Transverse Ranges, and the western apex of the Mojave Desert, how a raindrop intercepts this landscape and where it travels is as wildly dynamic and unpredictable as our diverse systems seem to be. 

Above is a schematic illustration of the elevation of our eight weather stations, averaged across the three geographic regions of the Ranch. Below the weather station data is synthesized into three tables, organized by month.

Averaging data from our eight weather stations by geographic region (see illustration and data tables above), it is evident that most of the Ranch intercepted some rain this fall with November, not October, providing the bulk of overall precipitation. Although the singular mid-season deluge appeared significant, the almost weekly storm events throughout the month of November have succeeded in depositing almost triple the amount of precipitation in the San Joaquin Valley—so fascinating! No wonder we are already observing the fresh emergence of plants here—popcornflowers, bluedick lilies, filaree, and grasses. If the trend continues through the winter, as is hopefully projected, we shall keeping our fingers crossed for a memorable wildflower season this spring and a critical boost for our severely drought-stressed natural communities. Here’s to a long cool drink this winter and to the promise of a colorful spring!



Special thanks to Richard and Lisa Chapleau for managing the weather stations and data, and to Richard for analyzing the giant data set! You guys are the best!

Much Ado About Manzanitas, by Scot Pipkin Public Access Manager

A stately big berry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca) grows in the southern foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains

As a native San Diegan, people I meet often assume that I am a surfer. It’s not true. During my formative years, I was more likely found hiking the hills of “East County” SD than getting barreled off the Point. Part of what attracted me to the granite-studded mountains was the fantastic chaparral vegetation that grew in between rock piles. In particular, I was always struck by the stark beauty of manzanitas (Arctostaphylos sp) with their ribbon-like bark making intricate patterns on their branches. Anyone throughout the West who has tried bushwhacking in manzanita country has certainly developed a healthy respect for these plant’s toughness. 

Leaves and flower buds of A. glandulosa gabrielensis

Like many other taxonomic groups, California boasts an incredible diversity of manzanitas. Of an estimated 109 species worldwide (Encyclopedia of Earth (http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150218/), California is home to about 62 and many subspecies (http://alturl.com/6yno3). Looking at the evolutionary history of Arctostaphylos, it appears to have evolved around 15 million years ago, with a big diversification occurring 1.5 million years ago (http://www.cnps.org/cnps/publications/fremontia/Fremontia_Vol35-No4.pdf#page=10). The recent explosion in California manzanita species seems to be associated with shifts in statewide geology due to faulting and volcanism (ibid). The Mediterranean climate of California has probably further supported the success of this group as their leathery leaves, hairs, and other features support water retention during long dry periods. 

This time of year, naturalists can observe firsthand why spring technically occurs in California in fall. Manzanitas are currently setting their nascent flowering structures, timed to the historic start of California’s rainy season: October/November. Apparently, these structures are a definitive tool for accurately identifying California manzanitas (J. Keeley, pers comm). Indeed, a quick survey of manzanita species of the region reveals extremely diverse flowering structures.  

 

Leaves and flower buds of A. glandulosa cushingiana

Leaves and flower buds of A. glauca

Sandy soils tend to be better habitat for A. glandulosa cushingiana than other species

On Tejon Ranch, there are five (potentially six) different manzanitas including: A. glandulosa cushingiana, A. glandulosa gabrielensis, (and possible A. glandulosa mollis), A. glauca, A. parryana parryana, and A. viscida viscida. With the help of Dr. Brandon Pratt from Cal State Bakersfield and Dr. Jon Keeley of the USGS, the Conservancy recently identified that two subspecies, and possibly a third, of A. glandulosa are on the property. This is particularly exciting, because San Gabriel manzanita (A. glandulosa gabrielensis) one of the subspecies confirmed on the Ranch is listed as a rare plant by the California Native Plant Society.  

Habitat for A. glandulosa gabrielensis and A. glauca in the Antelope Valley on Tejon Ranch

Members of Arctostaphylos like life on the margins. From the well-known bearberry/kinnikinik/Arctostaphylos uva-ursi in the polar and alpine regions, to the extremely dry mountains of North America’s deserts, manzanitas are hearty survivors. Here in California, fire appears to have a major influence on species morphology and ecology as well as arid climate conditions. Generally, there are two types of responses that plants can have to successfully perpetuate after a fire. Some are “seeders” meaning future propagation of the plant is dependent on successful germination from the seed bed. In certain cases, the seeds of these plants can lie dormant for decades until the heat or chemical changes of a fire activate the germination process. Other plants are “resprouters” after a fire, meaning they have a dense root ball or burl that creates new growth following a fire. 

Big berry manzanita (A. glauca) is a "seeder" and tends to have a trunk

In manzanitas, both strategies are employed. Some species, such as the widespread big berry manzanita Arctostaphylos glauca, rely on the seedbank for reproduction. After a fire, most mature A. glauca individuals are likely to be scorched. New individuals will germinate from seeds in the ground and the plant’s survival in that area will be assured. In contrast, other species such as Arctostaphylos glandulosa form underground structures that survive the fire and allow the plant to resprout following the disturbance. A great deal of work has been done to better understand the ecological and evolutionary implications of these two strategies, which are quite fascinating. http://www.werc.usgs.gov/OLDsitedata/seki/pdfs/amn1.pdf, http://www.werc.usgs.gov/OLDsitedata/seki/pdfs/amn4.pdf

A. glandulosa is a "sprouter" and has a burl at its base

 

On Tejon Ranch and throughout southern California, work is being done to better understand drought response in chaparral plants. Being dominant members of these habitats, manzanitas play a significant role in these studies. As it turns out, the two growth strategies of Arctostaphylos have implications for plant survival during drought. Seeders tend to have more shallow root systems and appear to be more susceptible to drought effects, whereas sprouters have more well-developed root systems and tend to buffer drought more effectively (B. Pratt, pers comm). 

Right now, researchers and students from Cal State Bakersfield and Pepperdine University are looking at chaparral plants on Tejon Ranch (and throughout the region) to better understand how different life history strategies respond to drought. Hopefully, this information will help land managers like Tejon Ranch Conservancy understand the complex dynamics of these systems and ultimately provide us with insight about managing them in the face of climate change. 

References:  

Calflora. "Arctostaphylos" 2 December, 2015

<http://calflora.org/cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?countylist=any&namesoup=arctostaphylos&plantcomm=any&format=photos&orderby=taxon>

Hogan, Michael C. "Arctostaphylos" 2 December, 2015

<http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150218/>

Keeley, Jon E. and Zedler, Paul H. "Reproduction of Chaparral Shrubs After Fire: A Comparison of Sprouting and Seeding Strategies" American Midland Naturalist 99, no. 1 (1978): 142-161

Keeley, Jon E. and Keeley, Sterling C. "Energy Allocation Patterns of a Sprouting and a Nonsprouting Species of Arctostaphylos in the California Chaparral." American Midland Naturalist, no. 1 (1977): 1-10

Parker, Thomas V. "Diversity and Evolution of Arctostaphylos and Ceanothus." Fremontia 35, no. 4 (2007): 8-11

About the Author:

Scot Pipkin is the Public Access Manager for Tejon Ranch Conservancy. He lives in Pine Mountain Club with his wife and two-year-old daughter, and enjoys natural history, art, music, and riding bicycles.

Confessions of a Conservancy Docent, by Dr. Richard Chapleau

Hello, my name is Richard Chapleau and I’m a first-year volunteer with the Tejon Ranch Conservancy.  It has been an incredible year, and I’ve been honored to be a part of a group of remarkable people.

So what is it like to be a new naturalist/docent/volunteer with the Tejon Ranch Conservancy?  I’m learning to ask new questions.  I’m gaining new eyes for nature after a lifetime of teaching high school Chemistry, Biology, and Physics.  My wife and I are finishing our first year helping out the team of professional wildlife scientists who work here at the Conservancy. 

 Lisa and Richard Chapleau at the Michener weather station on Tejon Ranch.

Each docent (or in our case, a pair of docents) helps out as they can, and the Conservancy staff members work hard to find projects that align with a volunteer’s interests.  We are both retired science/math teachers, and are comfortable working with computers and analyzing data sets.  So it was a natural fit for us to take over the weather station program at the Tejon Ranch.

Other docents perform a wide variety of tasks.  For example, some volunteers help count the pronghorn (I’ve learned there are no antelope in North America), monitor burrowing owl colonies, clear out old fencing, battle invasive weeds, and lead wildflower viewing hikes. 

At 270,000 acres, the Tejon Ranch is a big, big place.  Every three weeks or so, Lisa and I are privileged to drive out to remote spots and download the data from eight weather stations.  From a low of 562 feet above sea level on the San Joaquin Valley floor to over 6100 feet at Martinez Ridge, we see a variety of environments.  We’ve recently added one more shiny brand new station at the Conservancy office in Lebec. This one hosts a live feed of weather that can be checked online: (http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KCALEBEC6#history).

 

Lisa Chapleau hard at work in the Antelope Valley.

 School teachers are no strangers to working with little money and lots of hand-me-downs.  We wrote multiple grant applications for our schools and classrooms through the years, and it’s much the same here for the folks at the Conservancy.  Although we have eight stations out there, five of them are older models that need a loving touch.  Now and then they might decide to take a few hours off, and we sometimes see “holes” in our spreadsheets when we return to do the analysis.  But we’re upgrading weather stations as funding permits.

That’s a little of what we do here, but to be honest, what I enjoy the most is the different people I meet here and listening to the stories of their conservation work.  How can you not fall in love with a pristine place, full of brilliant poppies, soaring condors, bubbling springs, and breathtaking views?

 

A stormy view down Tunis Canyon, San Joaquin Valley.

One of Lisa's beautiful Tejon-themed quilts, hanging in our office.

Dr. Richard Chapleau is a retired science teacher who lives in the Antelope Valley, neighboring Tejon Ranch. He and his wife Lisa Chapleau, a retired math teacher and quilting extraordinare, have been invaluable contributors to Conservancy programs for more than a year. Their combined efforts have involved overseeing weather station maintenance and complicated data sets, managing data for our volunteer program, assisting with tours and service projects, and sharing their skillful proclivities in creating live music, artful quilting, and homegrown delicious eggs with our office on a regular basis. We couldn't ask for more generous, talented, and kind-hearted neighbors! Truly extraordinary!