Weekly Journal 8: Exploration of the East Cascades

 

Exploration of the East Cascades

Location: Yakama Canyon, Umtanum Ridge, waterfall trail

Time: 10 am-5 pm 

Weather: sunny, warm, breezy  

I attended the Saturday field trip last weekend to the East Cascades. We traveled to the Yakama Canyon, Umtanum Ridge, and a waterfall trail. At the Yakama Canyon, I observed several interesting species and geomorphology that is very distinct from the communities I’ve observed this quarter west of the Cascade mountains. At the Yakama valley, much of the vegetation was small and shrubby though I did observe some familiar tree species. I found alder species that were different from the alder found in Western Washington and Cottonwood that was similar to the trees I’ve found at the Union Bay Natural Area this quarter. There were also several differences in the vegetation. The large conifer species that dominated the region was the Ponderosa Pine, which was easily spotted by the long, clustered, protruding needles. The canyon trail was filled with tall grasses and varieties of sage brush. The Tall Sage Brush, a common plant seen in the landscape was well adapted to the dry desert climate conditions. The sage brush has shallow, widespread root systems that allow the vegetation to thrive for long periods of time despite the harsh conditions. Short, shrubby vegetation in this area is well suited to the dry soil because the shallow roots can efficiently capture water when it reaches the soil during the periodic times of rainfall and conserve the water during dry periods in the canyon. Another species observed that was well adapted to the dry conditions,

were the Fragile Prickly Pear cactus. The cactus structure can easily conserve water during the dry periods as well. I also noticed several bird species in the Yakama Canyon. A species that is only seen in a few regions, one being the East Cascades. The Yellow-Breasted Chat, was seen flying between the taller trees in the canyon. It had a bright yellow belly and greenish head and rode the wind between trees. Another unique species, the Lazuli Bunting, a bright blue and orange bird, was seen flying around this area. I saw many Barn Swallows occupying a unique habitat under the bridge. Huge flocks of swallows were seen flying to and from perches under the bridge. They could have been using the bridge for as a space for nests and gather food for their young.These beetles could be pollinator species for the small flowering plants in region including the cactus I found throughout the canyon. I also saw a number of butterflies, the Boisduval’s Blue butterfly by the river’s edge. I was surprised by their behavior because a

large cluster of butterflies were flying and stopping on a particular point along the rocky river edge. I found it curious that all of the butterflies flocked to this particular location along the river and wondering what environmental factors or food sources could draw them all to this region.

Another environment we visited was the Umtanum Ridge. This natural area has a unique, dry soil type which is well suited for a variety of wildflowers, reptiles, and small shrub species. The Tall Sage Brush and Bitterbush were seen in the region as well as several other interesting plant types. The Bitterroot wildflower, Northern Mule’s Ear, and Silky Lupin, colored the area. Most plants were short, with wide root systems much like the species at the Yakama

canyon, as this area does not receive much rainfall either. I heard the call of a Western Meadowlark  at this site, though I could not spot the bird flying around. Many of the species in this area were well concealed by the short, brush vegetation. My classmates spotted Horned Lizard which camouflaged into the rocks and soil in the area, making it hard to find. Turning over rocks, I found a small Northern
Scorpion who also appeared to be a master of staying

hidden. These adaptations to the landscape help these species avoid predation and harsh climatic conditions while there is not much tree cover in the region.
After visiting the Umtanum Ridge, we hiked to different elevation and vegetation conditions near the waterfall trail. Given the slope aspect and elevation conditions near the waterfall, this region received much more moisture than the previous two sites and thus has different species cover. While species of alder and Ponderosa Pine were still plentiful in this area, in contrast to the Yakama Canyon, other tree species like Quaking Aspen and Douglas Fir. The Quaking Aspen bordered the river system and Douglas Fir was seen at higher elevations on the slopes, opposite of the dry rocky cliffs with similar conditions to the Umtanum Ridge.I also noticed a variety of plants that were similar species to ones seen at the Union Bay Natural Area. Small trees like the Red

Osier Dogwood were seen along the trail while a species similar to the Yellow Pond Iris, the Rocky Mountain Iris was spotted in the moist trail environment. One of the most exciting parts of the waterfall trail was when me and my classmates spotted a bird in the Aspen trees with brown, black, and white coloring. At first we thought it was a Spotted Towhee, but the call was different and it did not have red eyes. After consulting our field guides, we determined that the bird was actually a Black-headed Grosbeak.