Observation: While hiking the Bear Creek Canyon Trail in La Quinta, California (CA) on Friday, March 10, 2017, I observed several flowering cacti and other flowering plants I had not seen during previous visits to the area. I spoke with several fellow hikers and residents of the area who indicated that these cactus and desert plants have been blooming all over the region for the first time in several years, due to extensive rainfall ending a drought which plagued the area for nearly a decade. While out on the trail, I also noticed a large number of Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii).
Figures 1-4 show the flowering desert plants encountered during the hike.
Background: The Bear Creek Canyon Trail (also referred to as the Bear Creek Oasis Trail) is located within the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountain region in the Coachella Valley, CA. Elevated precipitation (rain and snow) in this area contributes to the lushness of this mountain range relative to a generally dry surrounding desert (Bureau of Land Management [BLM], n.d.). The attached link provides an interactive map of the area (Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains Map). The trail itself climbs an elevation of approximately 590 meters (m) (ranging from approximately 105 m to 695 m) over an approximately 6.7 kilometer (km) distance. Increased rainfall and cooler temperatures during the 2016-2017 winter season and rapidly warming temperatures in the early 2017 spring might explain the blossoming cactus and desert plants in La Quinta, CA.
Additionally, evapotranspiration (ET) is influenced by plant properties (e.g. type, density, height), soil characteristics and weather conditions (California Irrigation Management Information System [CIMIS], 2017). Reference evapotranspiration (ET°) is a measurement standard of environmental conditions that influences the water use of plants (Coachella Valley Water District [CVWD], n.d.). ET° values for the CVWD are based on weather station data from the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS). Information contained within the CIMIS database may assist researchers with analyzing relationships and patterns of climate conditions and the proliferation of desert fauna.
In response to the proliferation of flowering cactus and desert vegetation, an increase in observations of ecological components such as insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals would be expected. The habitat of Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii) includes cactus and shrub-lands, and these birds scratch for food beneath cactus and shrubs, feeding on cactus flowers and grasses (All About Birds, n.d.). The extensive cactus and vegetation observed, and the frequent encounters with quail indicates a correlation between these two ecological components. Therefore, shifting climate conditions, along with prevailing environmental conditions of the region, may have cascading effects for a greater network of plant and animal species native to the region.
- Melissa Graham, Student, Royal Roads University, The Biosphere and Sustainability (EECO 586).
Consult: Melissa invited Kevin R. Hultine, Ph.D. Plant Physiologist/Ecophysiologist, University of Arizona, based on his expertise in plant responses to environmental stress in desert ecosystems, and his research in areas of plant physiology and morphology relative to climatic conditions, plant resource allocation and stress response, and population adaptations to changing environmental conditions.
References
All About Birds (n.d.). Gambel’s Quail. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Bureau of Land Management [BLM] (n.d.). Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument: Interactive Map
BLM (n.d.). Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument: Geologic Resources
California Irrigation Management Information System [CIMIS] (2017). CIMIS Overview: Data Collection, Transmission and Processing
Coachella Valley Water District [CVWD] (n.d.). ET Information
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Observations From Members 