Home is where you long to be. As the saying goes, home is where the heart is.
Home is landscape. It is a sense of place.
Home is being with family and friends. It is unconditional love.
Home is beauty. It is whatever stirs the heart.
Home is wonder. It is whatever intrigues the mind.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Second Growth

capitolforest_20100215_2882_DSC_4485

Capitol State Forest has been worked over (i.e., logged) pretty heavily over the years. This is an example of a nice, naturally regenerating stand that is developing some vertical structure.

Wrapped

capitolforest_20100215_2886_DSC_4489
Western hemlock hugging a neighboring tree.

Northern Rocky Mountain Stream

LakePendOreille_20091022_453_DSC_2211

Selkirk Mountains, northeastern Washington

Forest Interior

0907_MtRainier_154

An old growth western hemlock/Douglas-fir forest in Mount Rainier National Park. One of the characteristics of old growth is diverse vertical structure which is apparent here.

Rainier Heights

0907_MtRainier_146

An old growth western hemlock/Douglas-fir forest in Mount Rainier National Park. These trees are not the largest I've seen but they are super tall and straight.

North Cascade Meadow

IMG_2326

Near Washington Pass there is this beautiful meadow (most of it is actually a fen) that is surrounded by beautiful peaks of the North Cascade Mountains.

Bitterbrush Shrub Steppe

IMG_1603

Most “shrub steppe”; is dominated by sagebrush. However, in the Columbia Basin of eastern Washington, bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) can also be a dominant (near background), especially near lower treeline along the eastern base of the Cascade Mountains. The dominant grass here is bluebunch wheatgreass (Pseudoroegeneria spicata)

Columbia Basin Skies

Shrub-steppe, Art trip-Fes ida, Dyer Haystacks, Joe Rocchio
In the northern portion of the Columbia Basin, three-tip sagebrush (Artemisia tripartita) dominates along with Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) and a diversity of grasses and forbs. Despite the presence of sagebrush, some ecologists consider this a type of grassland.

Withrow Moraine Shrub Steppe

IMG_0542

Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) is the dominant grass in the northern portion (and on north slopes in other parts) of the Columbia Basin. Also here is Wyoming sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis).

Beezley Shrub Steppe

shrub steppe

Wyoming sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis) and bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegeneria spicata) are the common components to shrub steppe in the central portion of the Columbia Basin. This site is in the Beezley Hills near Ephrata, Washington. The 'red' colored hillside to the right is a south-facing slope. The extra sunlight (which means warmer and drier environment) results in a different plant community, thus the color change.

Gotcha!

P8120040

Roundleaf sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) popping up through Sphagnum moss and grabbing a damselfly.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Forest Enchantment

enchanted_20100228_3414_DSC_5018_2

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Small Cascade

enchanted_20100228_3186_DSC_4790

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Don’t Weigh Me Down

enchanted_20100228_3228_DSC_4832

The temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest support an incredible amount of biomass...most noticeable is the incredible abundance of  moss growing everywhere!

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Bunch Falls

enchanted_20100228_3195_DSC_4799

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Green Blanket

enchanted_20100228_3307_DSC_4911_2

These downed logs are slowly being engulfed by proliferating moss.
Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Shine A Light On Me

enchanted_20100228_3545_DSC_5149

As I was walking through an especially dark part of the forest, the sun popped out and lit up the moss-drenched tree in the background.

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Forest Carpet

enchanted_20100228_3410_DSC_5014

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Gavin’s Creek

enchanted_20100228_3396_DSC_5000

As far as I could tell, this was an unnamed creek. I hereby proclaim it to be Gavin Moss Puckett's Creek.
Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Hillside Fir

enchanted_20100228_3353_DSC_4957

Large Douglas-fir 'holding-up' the hillside. Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Mid-Canopy Greens

enchanted_20100228_3344_DSC_4948

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Quinault Green

enchanted_20100228_3424_DSC_5028

The various hues of green in this scene seemed endless, especially with late afternoon light poking through.
Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

To The Land of Enchantment

enchanted_20100228_3439_DSC_5043

Pony Bridge, along the trail to Enchantment Valley. Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Onward

enchanted_20100228_3444_DSC_5048

Pony Bridge. Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Quinault Blue

enchanted_20100228_3453_DSC_5057

Emerald blue waters of the Quinault River. Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Falls From Pony Bridge

enchanted_20100228_3447_DSC_5051

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Rainforest Canopy

enchanted_20100228_3564_DSC_5168_2

Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Western Hemlock/Western Redcedar Forest

enchanted_20100228_3568_DSC_5172

Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and western redcedar (Thuja plicata) dominate the Quinault Rainforest. Large Douglas-fir and Sitka Spruce are also found in these forests.
Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Downed But Not Dead

enchanted_20100228_3579_DSC_5183

Fallen dead trees in the rainforest teem with life. This downed tree supports numerous mosses and serves as a "nurse" log for western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) seedlings
Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Riparian Forest

enchanted_20100228_3611_DSC_5215

Red alder (Alnus rubra) and slough sedge (Carex obnupta) lined creek.
Quinault Rainforest, Olympic National Park