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Sierra
Nature Notes Archive
The Online Journal of Natural History News In the Sierra Nevada
With
Recovery Efforts Underway, Danger still exists for the frogs But now the bad news: while efforts to restore habitat in some lakes and streams is meeting with great success, a new disease is emerging which threatens those tenuous gains. The Chytrid fungus is wiping out populations throughout the Sierra and not much is known about how it's killing frogs. |
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Twentieth
Century Glacier Change in the Sierra Nevada, California Several hundred permanent ice fields and glaciers dot the Sierra Nevada. All of them began to form during the Little Ice Age when the Sierra's climate began to cool in the 1300s. They reached their maximum in the 1850s. In the last few decades most have begun to shrink rapidly. Researcher Hassan Basagic introduces us to the Sierra's glaciers and the direction his research will take. |
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Sierra
Nevada Climate With recent news reports of pikas disappearing from their former range and lower elevation critters moving up in elevation, what does it mean relative to long-term climatic change in the Sierra? Scott Stine compares then and now. |
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2006
Report on Analysis of Lakes and Streams in Kings Canyon National
Park for Coliform Bacteria and other Microorganisms What's that foam hikers see at some lake outlets? Although Dr. Derlet again reports good news about Sierra water in tests he conducted in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, he expresses concern about algae growth and foam on some lakes and streams. |
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The
Mountain Yellow-legged Frog is Recovering in Sequoia and Kings
Canyon National Parks |
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Winter
Wildlife in Tuolumne Meadows |
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Partners
in Protection
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Local
habitat is related to the broader geographic ranges of plants |
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Using
bat assemblages as a measure of ecosystem health Quick: how many species of bats in Yosemite? What's the second largest order of mammals in North America? Why do we know so little about them? Bats are a critical part of the Sierra ecosystem and, because they eat insects, also play a vital role in indicating the health of an ecosystem. |
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“Live
fast, die young” also applies to forests How might global climate change affect forests? How fast a forest renews itself may affect how fast it will respond to the climate changes expected in the future. Environmental changes that increase forest productivity may also increase forest turnover rates, with the potential for cascading effects on wildlife, biodiversity, and forest carbon storage.
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When
is the best time to cross a mountain stream? Gnarly old rangers will tell you to cross spring streams early in the morning when the water is lowest. As T.H. Huxley once observed, there is nothing more tragic than “the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.” Jessica Lunquist has been studying snowmelt in the Sierra for several years and finds that such expert advice ain't necessarily so.
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High
Sierra Water: What is in the H20? After decades of too often shrill warnings about Sierra water, Dr. Derlet continues to lower the panic level considerably with actual research. Although filters are probably not a bad idea, our Sierra streams and lakes are much, much better than we seem to think.
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Sierra
Nevada Earthquake History From Lichens In Yosemite Valley, one morning about two o'clock I was aroused by an earthquake; and though I had never before enjoyed a storm of this sort, the strange, wild thrilling motion and rumbling could not be mistaken, and I ran out of my cabin, near the Sentinel Rock, both glad and frightened, shouting, “A noble earthquake!” feeling sure I was going to learn something. So John Muir described the violent Lone Pine quake (7.6) of March 26, 1872. Prehistoric earthquakes are difficult to date, especially the more recent ones. Bill Bull describes a very promising method measuring lichen growth on the rockfall often generated by such sublime events. It's also an exciting technique interested amateurs can do with just a few basic tools. |
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A
Walk Through the Hydroclimate Network in Yosemite National Park:
River Chemistry The core of a healthy Sierra ecosystem is water. Hydroclimatologists are now measuring critical components of Sierra water as it makes its way from winter clouds to snow, rivulets, streams and — at last — makes its way to the Pacific in California’s great river systems. What is gained and what is lost on this journey to the Golden Gate? This article is in PDF format and is viewable with Adobe Reader which is a free download from Adobe. |
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New
Threat to Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs? Work continues to find the causes for the precipitous decline of the Sierra's Mountain Yellow-legged frog. Recent work suggests that, in addition to introduced non-native fish, a fungus may be also be a serious threat. Once more intrepid biologists wade through icy mountain lakes and streams in search of answers. |
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Restoring
the Giant Sequoias at Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park
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Airborne
Pollutants in National Parks: Sequoia Park joins Large Study
Effort Toxic chemicals such as mercury and the long US-banned DDT are showing up in the Sierra. They are coming from as far away as China and even Europe, borne on upper level winds and deposited thousands of miles from their source in Sierra streams and lakes. A huge research effort has begun throughout the West to determine the extent of the problem and begin international efforts towards a solution. |
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An
Analysis of Human Pathogens Found in Horse/Mule Manure Along
the John Muir Trail in Kings Canyon and Sequoia and Yosemite
National Parks Each year, thousands of horses and mules leave tons of manure along Sierra trails. What are the potential health risks to people drinking from Sierra streams? The answers are encouraging for both horse owners and backcountry hikers. |
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Preservation
of a Healthy Black Bear Population in the Sierra Nevada Mountain
Range through Interagency Cooperation Keeping one step ahead of bears intent on getting your food is a job now being carried out cooperatively by several Sierra land management agencies. Their goal is to get bears out foraging for roots and grubs, rather than your backpack or ice chest. The guiding principle of the Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group is to never underestimate an animal you can teach to ride a bicycle... |
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Starry,
Starry Night All across the country — and the world — the stars are winking out. Increasingly, the glow of city lights make it too difficult to see the Milky Way and a significant number of stars that would otherwise be visible to the naked eye. The National Park Service is joining a growing effort to determine the extent of the problem and implement solutions so we can continue to enjoy “the profoundly moving beauty” of a moonless night. |
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Persistence
of pikas in two low-elevation national monuments in the western
United States |
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Mountain
Lion and Human Interactions in Yosemite National Park A dramatic rise in puma sightings and apparent changes in puma behavior raise concerns about increased risks to visitor safety in Yosemite National Park. How much time are pumas spending in developed areas and what are they doing while they are there? Update (11/03): Park biologists had to euthanize two Mountain lions in Yosemite Valley because of possible danger to visitors. The lions were hunting raccoons — attracted by food left by campers — in heavily used areas. Full Story. |
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Family
Nature Explorations — A Resource Kit Children have a natural curiosity, which constantly leads them into discoveries. Parents, grandparents, and other adults who explore nature with kids can support youthful inquiry by being equipped with some handy resources. |
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The
Naming of Beetle Rock at Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park:
How the Rock got a Name, The World Discovered an Insect, and
An Enthusiastic Amateur Entomologist Started a Career Meet, at long last, the Beetle of Beetle Rock: a naturalist launches a nationwide search for the elusive Trachykele opulenta Fall, 1906, that gave Sequoia Park's Beetle Rock its name. |
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A
vegetation transect along the Sierran Pacific Crest Trail |
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Yosemite
Falls—A New Perspective Upper Yosemite Fall now leaps from the hanging valley of Yosemite Creek. In the not-too-distant geologic past its water cascaded down through the prominent ravine immediately to the west (left). |
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How
has climatic variation influenced treeline dynamics in the
past? For most of the past 3,500 years, Sierra treeline was higher than it is today. From treerings and remnant stands of ancient Foxtail pines, scientists are able to reconstruct the climatic conditions that cause treeline to fluctuate as well as how global warming might influence treeline in the future. |
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Do
trails fragment meadows more than we think? A bug's view. The authors investigate the effects of hiking trails on insects and other invertebrate populations in Sierran meadows. Become acquainted with this diverse — but almost unknown — community beneath the grasses. |
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Good News For Sierra
Sheep |
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The
Great Droughts of Y1K Two severe decades-long droughts, ending about AD 1100 and AD 1350, caused major ecological changes in the west. We can still see evidence of that time in, for instance, the tips of trees showing in Yosemite's Tenaya Lake — their roots still attached under 70 feet of water. Can such droughts return? |
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The
Soundprints Of Science The sounds of wilderness — or their lack —are a vital part of not only our experience as visitors but, as new evidence is showing, critical to the life cycles of animals. Elizabeth van Mantgem describes the recent work of Dr. Bernie Krause working to quantify the deterioration of the biophony, or natural orchestras, in our National Parks.
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The
Sierra Wave One of the most dramatic examples of the "poetry of clouds" Sierra visitors are often lucky to see, are lenticular clouds forming over the Sierra Crest. Beth Pratt explains the science — and poetry — of their formation.
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FOLLOWING
THE FROGS For over a million years, generations of mountain yellow-legged frogs have sunned themselves on the shores of Sierran lakes. In the last 20 years, their population has been crashing. Biologists have now visited almost 8000 lakes, including all lakes of Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks, to establish a definitive survey of their numbers and range. |
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Fire
Regimes Fire is a vital part of the Sierra forest ecosystem. Tree-ring analyses allows scientists to date the frequency and intensity of natural fires to better understand the role between climate cycles and fire frequency.
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Sierran
Treeline Dynamics in a Changing Climate Hikers on the John Muir Trail might wonder at the expanses of wind blasted snags far above the present living forest. When did those trees live? How did they die? What does global warming mean for Sierran forests?
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| Sierra
Nevada Bighorn Sheep: a Brief History by John Wehausen, PhD President, Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Foundation “Were granite to come to life, it would undoubtedly look like a bighorn sheep, so perfectly do they blend into that habitat” writes Dr. Wehausen of the endangered Sierra bighorn sheep. Numbering no more than 100 individuals only a few years ago, the scattered and isolated bands may be inching back from extinction. Update 1/23/03: See Current Events. |
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Giardia
Lamblia
and Giardiasis Is Giardia
lamblia really the scourge of hikers in the Sierra backcountry?
Test question: statistically, which would help more in prevention of
giardiasis, a water filter or soap?
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Search
for Rare Furbearers Leads CSERC Staff into Remote Corners of the Forest |
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Monitoring
snow from the beach in San Diego: Frostbitten fingers may be a thing of the past for snow researchers: technology now makes it possible to monitor the Sierra snowpack from sunny San Diego—or anywhere else you can plug in a computer. Still, there is some shovel work on the road to this brave new world...
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Tapping
the Sierra Nevada Reservoir Do you know where your drinking water comes from? Follow the long journey of snow melting at 12,000 feet on the Sierra crest to your kitchen faucet. A huge, complex and expensive maze of dams and aqueducts work in the background so water is there for you at a twist of the handle. What are the costs to California's riparian habitat as a result? |
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Looking
for the Past in the Higher
Elevations of Kings Canyon National Park For thousands of years, Native Americans lived and traded in the harsh environment along the crest of the Sierra Nevada. Two archeologists describe their recent finds in Kings Canyon's alpine zone. |
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A
Summer Spent Saving Frogs: Based on
recent research in the Sierra, restoring the habitat of the endangered
mountain yellow-legged frog has become critical to their survival. Biologist
Ryan Peek describes his summer spent fishin'. |
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Estimated
Ages of Some Large Giant Sequoias:
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Understanding
Smog in the Sierra We think of our National Parks as the last islands of clean air and healthy ecosystems. Think again. The good news, though, is that the situation is reversible.
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Searching
for Slender Salamanders: Always the sign of a good job: getting paid to be a kid. Come with John as he searches for the elusive and cuddly Batrachoseps.
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| Mapping
Sequoia & Kings Canyon's Vegetation: From Muhlenbergia filiformis to Sequoiadendron giganteum By Laura Pilewski Vegetation-mapping crew field botanist, Sequoia National Park Follow a small band of botanists as they roam alpine peaks mapping and inventorying the flowers and plants of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. |
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The
Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog: |
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Vernal
Pools - Ephemeral Oasis of the Foothills |
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A
White Spring in the Mountains You may be mountain biking on dusty trails already or checking out conditions for wind surfing, but the mountains are still locked in snow. A former winter backcountry ranger in Yosemite listens to spring's arrival at 10,000 feet.
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Grazing
and Yosemite's Meadows:
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