Yosemite Nature Notes – 16 – Sky Islands

Yosemite Nature Notes – 16 – Sky Islands

Woman: IF YOU EXPLORE THE CREST
OF THE SIERRA NEVADA OR LOOK AT A MAP
OF THESE MOUNTAINS, YOU WILL SEE THAT
THERE ARE HIGH PLATEAUS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT
THE RANGE. IN YOSEMITE, AT PLACES LIKE
MT. EXCELSIOR, KUNA CREST,
PARSONS PEAK, WE FIND THESE HIGH, FLAT
PLATEAUS UP AT ELEVATIONS
AROUND 12,000 FEET. Woman: RIGHT ALONG THE CREST,
YOU HAD THESE PLATEAUS THAT
STUCK OUT ABOVE THE GLACIERS. AND SO, ACTUALLY, THE GLACIERS
WERE CARVING AROUND THEM. SO THEY’VE ENDED UP
BEING KIND OF THESE… ISOLATED ISLANDS, WHERE WE FIND
UNUSUAL PLANT SPECIES THAT DON’T OCCUR
ANYWHERE ELSE. Woman: WHEN YOU DRIVE UP THE
TIOGA ROAD AND YOU LOOK UP
AT THE PEAKS AROUND YOU, YOU SEE WHERE
THE FOREST ENDS, AND THEN IT LOOKS
LIKE ALL ROCK AND ICE. BUT IF YOU TAKE THE TROUBLE TO
GET UP ONTO THAT ROCKY SUMMIT, IN BETWEEN THE ROCKS IS JUST
THE MOST INCREDIBLE ROCK GARDEN
OF WILDFLOWERS OF EVERY COLOR,
OF EVERY SHAPE. THE PLANTS ARE VERY SHORT. THEY MIGHT ONLY BE A FEW
INCHES IN DIAMETER, BUT MOST OF THEM WILL COUNT
THEIR LIVES IN DECADES. AND SOME OF THE LARGER ONES
WILL VERY LIKELY COUNT THEIR
LIVES IN CENTURIES. THE DIVERSITY AND THE VARIETY
AND THE SHEER ESTHETIC BEAUTY OF
IT IS JUST OVERWHELMING. UM… OH, ONE MORE
ANDROSACE IN THERE. SO, TODAY, WE’RE JUST
GONNA DO A COUNT, A SURVEY OF THIS TINY LITTLE
PRIMROSE UP HERE. AND WE’LL ALSO TAKE GPS
COORDINATES, WHERE IT IS, MAP IT SO WE’LL KNOW
WHERE IT IS, AND THEN ALSO TRY TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE
ASSOCIATED SPECIES ARE THAT IT LIKES
TO GROW WITH. SO, ONE KIND OF PLANT
WILL OFTEN CO-OCCUR WITH
ANOTHER KIND OF PLANT. AND THAT CAN BE
AN INDICATOR OF WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT
YOU’RE LIKELY TO FIND IT IN. Woman: WE’RE WORKING
ON A PROJECT FUNDED BY
THE YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY TO INVENTORY THE PLANTS
FOUND IN THESE SKY ISLANDS– HOW MANY PLANTS THERE ARE,
WHERE THEY’RE FOUND, WHAT HABITATS THEY
PREFER TO LIVE IN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS
TO UNDERSTAND HOW
THESE PLANT COMMUNITIES MAY CHANGE OVER TIME. Woman: WELL, ONE OF THE SHOWIEST
FLOWERS THAT WE HAVE UP HERE IS THE SKY PILOT. AND IT’S BRIGHT PURPLE-BLUE. THE COLOR’S REALLY HARD
TO DESCRIBE, ACTUALLY. BUT IT’S FUNNY, ’CAUSE YOU’LL
BE WALKING UP THESE SLOPES, AND YOU’LL JUST THINK,
“OH, MY GOSH, IT’S ALL ROCK.” AND THEN YOU GET UP
A LITTLE CLOSER, AND YOU START SEEING THIS
BRILLIANT BLUE-PURPLE
COLOR EVERYWHERE. Woman: WE’VE GOT SEVERAL SPECIES
OF ALPINE BUCKWHEAT UP HERE. IT’S A CLASSIC CUSHION
PLANT WITH VERY DENSE
HAIR-COVERED LEAVES. SO THESE ARE WHITE-FLOWERED,
TURNING RED ONCE THEY’VE
BEEN POLLINATED. BUT ONCE A POLLINATOR LANDS,
THERE’S A LITTLE SIGNAL HERE, LIKE, “OH, THIS IS THE FLOWER
THAT STILL HAS NECTAR, STILL HAS POLLEN,
STILL WANTS TO BE POLLINATED.” Woman: THE OTHER REALLY
NICE ONE ARE THE ALPINE GOLD. IT’S A DAISY. THE BIGHORN SHEEP
LIKE TO GRAZE ON IT, BUT THAT’S A REALLY SPECIAL
PLANT IF YOU GET A CHANCE
TO SEE THAT ONE. Woman: THESE PLANTS
THAT WE SEE UP HERE ARE ADAPTED TO LIVE IN THIS
COLD, DRY, WINDY WORLD. WE FIND THEM ONLY
IN THESE HIGHEST PLACES. IF THE CLIMATE CHANGES,
THEY CAN’T GO ANY HIGHER, AND THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE
TO ADAPT FAST ENOUGH. SO WE WANT TO LEARN AS MUCH AS
WE CAN ABOUT THESE PLANTS WHILE THEY’RE STILL HERE. Grossenbacher: I WAS EXPECTING
THE PLANT DIVERSITY UP HERE
TO BE PRETTY LOW, MAYBE LIKE 25,
40 SPECIES OR SO, BUT RIGHT NOW, WE’RE AT
AROUND 100 SPECIES
UP AT THIS SITE, SO THE DIVERSITY HERE
IS REALLY SURPRISING TO ME. BIOLOGICALLY SPEAKING, THE
FRONTIER’S STILL ALL AROUND US. THERE’S STILL A LOT
TO BE DISCOVERED. WHO KNOWS. WE’LL FIND LOTS
OF THINGS UP ON THIS MOUNTAINTOP WE DIDN’T EXPECT
TO FIND HERE. IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF
CAREFUL, CLOSE OBSERVATION. WE GET UP HERE
AND WE WALK AROUND AND WE GET DOWN ON OUR
HANDS AND KNEES AND LOOK VERY CLOSELY
AT THE FLORA, AND WE FIND
ALL KINDS OF STUFF THAT NOBODY HAD ANY IDEA
WAS UP HERE.

Throughout the Sierra Nevada, high flat plateaus are found at elevations around twelve and thirteen thousand feet. These isolated sky islands are the home to unique plant communities that are found nowhere else. For an audio described version of this video, go to https://youtu.be/OD-zoF57h-U.