Opal Creek Wilderness Annotated Checklist Project

At Opal Creek, our goal was to collect, identify, and synthesize a list of as many known Opal Creek species as we could in the four days we were there, as well as potentially record species previously not known to inhabit this particular old growth forest. Because of the age and health of old growth (compared to other, younger forests), many rare lichen and bryophyte species occur in abundance in this forest. Especially because of its position in Cascadia (the bioregion of the Pacific Northwest including Washington, Oregon, and parts of Canada), Opal creek has some of the most diverse moss flora in the world (Henkel, 110).

This process included taking guided tours to sites with ecologically varying habitats and collecting bryophyte and lichen samples, recording important diagnostic information such as location description, GPS coordinates, substrate, elevation, and personal collection ID number.  Once we were back at the main campsite, we used keys, microscopes, and other lab tools to identify our collected samples in the commissary building. On our final lab day, we put together a master list of every species collected and identified at Opal Creek.

 

The housing lodge at Opal Creek

 

The class split into eight groups. Each group was responsible for collecting and identifying several species of one group of bryophytes and one group of lichen. In the mornings at Opal Creek, the groups would split up to go on collecting hikes and expeditions (locations according to the habitat needs of each moss/lichen type). Hikes were led by experts on the species present at Opal Creek, many of which were Evergreen graduates. Having knowledgeable professionals present was incredibly helpful in identifying trickier species.  Keying and identification went smoothly back at camp, until our second day in the lab.  Shortly after setting up on Wednesday, we lost power to the commissary building where the lab equipment was set up. Because the commissary relies on solar panels, reliable power was not a luxury we could take for granted. For the rest of the day we were without direct power to that building.  During the down time, students went on more collecting trips, studied their species, and worked on drawing and descriptions for their collections.

 

My personal monograph of Nephroma bellum

 

After a few hours, power was rerouted from the lodge (which runs on hydroelectricity) to the commissary via extension cords, and we were back in action. At the end of the day, a master list of every lichen and bryophyte collected was created.  A species list was not the only thing we took away from Opal Creek. As well as learning about the vast biodiversity of bryophytes and lichens at the site, students were able to acquire important field skills such as sight recognition, search methods (based on target species), time management, preparation, team work and being able to improvise when things go wrong.  Spending four days straight at Opal Creek gave us a feel of what it’s like to be a field biologist,
and we were able to encounter and overcome some of the same obstacles a professional might.

The only other notable setback was our lack of time at Opal Creek. Four days was
barely enough to scratch the surface of the bryophyte and lichen biodiversity present at Opal Creek. If we had several more weeks, or even a few more days, we could have accomplished so much more. However, I think it’s safe to say that the Evergreen State College Bryo and Lichens of the PNW program achieved its goals, as well as collectively gained several important field skills. Our time at the beautiful, pristine Opal Creek was definitely not wasted.

 

References

Henkel, William B. “Cascadia: A State of (Various) Mind(s).” JSTOR. Chicago Review, Vol. 39, No. 3/4, A North Pacific Rim Reader (1993). Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

 

Henriksson, Elizabeth. “Nitrogen Fixation by Lichens”. JSTOR. Oikos, Vol. 22, No. 1 (1971). Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

Will Uriu-

It has been noted that many species of lichens and bryophytes are hypersensitive to the effects of pollution; particularly through air quality and watersheds (Gilbert, 606). Upon arriving at the site it was clear Opal Creek had a pristine environment in which vegetation flourished and a mass amount of diversity could be found (especially in comparison to the Evergreen Woods found back at school). Abandoned mining equipment and vehicles scattered throughout the area interestingly served as great platforms for the growth of a diverse range of bryophytes and lichens. Our class was divided into groups to most effectively attempt to complete an annotated  checklist of known bryophytes and lichens within the region.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/49580580@N02/22465355192

 

The search proved to be difficult as several species required very specific conditions in which they could thrive, such as Leptogium rivale, a lichen that can only be found in streams that have little natural disturbances and remain unpolluted (Stone, 2). Other specimens simply were unavailable due to the season, specifically the hornworts. The location had several different microhabitats in which we could explore; a montane region that had several abandoned mines that followed Battle Ax Creek, the high elevations at the summit of Mount Whetstone, and lastly a rocky trail that led to Cedar flats . Due to limited time at the site, our groups had to decide which area would yield the most intended species to complete our portions of the checklist.

Figure 1:This graph displays where successfully identified specimens were collected for both bryophytes and lichens. It should be noted that unidentified lichens were worked on back in the labs at school, making their numbers higher than the bryophytes.

My group surveyed the Battle Ax Creek region for a variety of lichen from the genus Peltigera and a number of different types of leafy liverworts. This area was ideal as there were many rocky cliff edges cut out for the construction of the mines. This made for perfect grounds for the Peltigera, as several of them thrive in disturbed, rocky, moist areas (McCune, 234). For the liverworts, this offered a large flow of groundwater and they are found in extremely wet areas. In the end the class identified over 112 different samples and had a large remainder of unidentified collections transported back to the school labs for further examination. Some of our samples had previously never been identified on site which means we were able to contribute several new species to the checklist!

 

Works Cited:

McCune, Bruce, and Linda Geiser. Macrolichens of the Pacific Northwest. 2nd ed. Corvallis: Oregon State UP, 2009. Print.

O.L. Gilbert. “Further Studies on the Effect of Sulfur Dioxide on Lichens and Bryophytes.” Department of Botany,  The University, Newcastle upon Tyne, 20 Oct 1969.

Stone, Daphne. “Leptogium Rivale Species Fact List.” Http://www.blm.gov. 1 Mar. 2009. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.