Bibliography

"Baylands Trail Map." Baylands Nature Preserve. City of Palo Alto, n.d. 12 May 2013.

<http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/6117/>

Environmental Volunteers. Palo Alto Baylands Site Guide. San Jose, CA: Environmental

Volunteers, 1998. Http://www.evols.org/. Magellan West LLC. 12 May 2013. <http://www.evols.org/uploads/PDF/Guides/Baylands Site.pdf>

"GGNP Endangered Species Big Year." California Clapper Rail. Wild Equity Institute, n.d. 28

May 2013. <http://wildequity.org/species/4>

"Google Maps." Google. Google, n.d. 12 May 2013.

<https://maps.google.com/maps?q=google+maps&aq=f&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wl>

"History of Baylands Nature Preserve." City of Palo Alto. City of Palo Alto, 7 June 2007. 12

May 2013. <http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=466>

"Pickleweed." Aquarium of the Pacific. Aquarium of the Pacific, n.d. 12 May 2013.

<http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/pickleweed>

Taylar, Ingrid. "California Clapper Rail Study by the USGS." BirdNote. BirdNote, 24 Jan. 2013.

28 May 2013. <http://birdnote.org/blog/2013/01/california-clapper-rail-study-usgs>

Endangered Species: California Clapper Rail

     The California Clapper Rail is one of three subspecies of birds that came to be as a result of geographic isolation.  The bird itself is a rusty brown color with splashes of gray and white on its wings.  This makes allows it to easily find refuge in cordgrass and pickleweed.  Before 1900, hunters killed thousands of rails each week.  With continued growth of urbanization and diking, creating a land barrier to prevent flooding, the habitat of the rails has been greatly decreased.  Today only 15% of San Francisco’s marshland remains, much of which has become fragmented.  The introduction of invasive species, including Norway rats, red foxes, and feral cats, has only worsened the situation.  The bird was only identified as an endangered species by the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1970.  Currently, residents are encouraged to keep their cats indoors to prevent unnecessary predation of the clapper rail (Wild Equity Institute, rec 28 May 2013).  As far as conservation methods go, the USGS, or US Geological Survey, launched 10 habitat islands at Arrowhead Marsh in Oakland, California.  The islands are constructed from palm screens or recycled materials and are even equipped with plastic avoidance spikes to keep out predators.  Thus far, the islands have received heavy use by the California Clapper Rail, especially during times of rising tides when there are fewer safe places to rest in the marshland.  These islands are predicted to become very useful in the management of the California Clapper Rail population (Taylar, rec 28 May, 2013).

Further Study

Distance from Salt Water (in meters)	Pickleweed Growth (in centimeters)										Mean Pickleweed Growth (in centimeters)
	Trials
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
0 meters (control)
3 meters
6 meters
9 meters
12 meters

Conclusion

            Overall, this has been a really enriching experience.  Although I didn’t see that many animals per se, it was interesting for me to look for signs of them.  I mainly chose an estuary to carry out my field study because I felt it would have the most diverse set of organisms.  I also wanted to observe a place that would have a lot of fowl because I used to bird watch with my grandmother.

            I might’ve looked for a more diverse region for my field study.  I had chosen a region that was relatively close to the parking lot.  However, I did not want to hike out further than I had to since I was already making a 40 minute drive round-trip to reach my field study site.  I collected my data for the abiotic and biotic factors relatively close to each other (within 2 weekends).  The majority of my measurements for the plants and wildlife had to be estimated since the animals were constantly in motion and did not appreciate me even being within their territory and many of the plants were aquatic and not feasible for me to actually measure as they were below water. 

            The site as a whole remains at a cool temperature between 68-73 degrees Fahrenheit with no water flow.  All organisms have no trouble existing in these conditions.  The clear sky also allows for maximum photosynthesis as plants will have no barrier between their leaves and the sun.  The soil switches between dry and moist depending on precipitation levels.  Due to the plants living in a saline environment, they are apt at dealing with both conditions.   Wind can be a problem as it erodes soil, however, plants, such as pickleweed, help anchor the soil and prevent erosion and overall soil degradation.  The lake’s lack of flow or current can lead to eutrophication, however, the salt and cord grasses combined with other bushes and pickleweed help buffer and divert any pollutants that could enter the stagnant water.

            Since this field site does contain part of the hiking trail, it is inevitable that humans have affected this region.  Futhermore, the Baylands Nature Preserve is literally right next to the Palo Alto airport.  Small 4-person planes are constantly flying overhead.  While the noise does not really seem to disturb the animals as they have become used to it, the exhaust from the gasoline needed to power the planes could inhibit plant growth and pollute freshwater sources.  Humans also litter quite frequently.  From harmless orange peels and apricot cores to cigarettes and paper wrappers these are unnecessary and unwelcome additions to an organism’s habitat.  While the fruit will eventually decompose and provide more nutrients to the soil, the cigarette butts and other non-biodegradable items could be accidently consumed. 
            Surprisingly, the region of my field study stayed the same throughout my observation time period.  Since there was little rainfall, the lake that existed in my field study receded rather than increasing in size.  The region was also a lot more colorful in the autumn due to the pickleweed.  With the receding water, the pickleweed did not absorb as much salt and were merely green in color instead of their usual red tips.  Overall, drought is causing more organisms, especially plants to die in this biome.

Food Web

Adaptations: Pickleweed

            The pickleweed is a common succulent found in salt marshes.  One of the major adaptations of pickleweed is its ability to withstand such a highly concentrated environment of salt.  Growing in the low to middle tide zones of salt marshes, it is both a salt excluder and a salt accumulator.  Sodium-potassium pumps within the cell membranes of the plant work to emit salt either through the roots or through the tips of the leaves.  In the latter method, salt is transferred to vacuoles in cells at the tips of the leaves.  Once the vacuoles are at capacity, the cells will decompose and die causing the outer segments to turn red and fall off of the plant.  Pickleweed is, thus, highly suited to its saline environment.

            The plant has also developed special structures to aid reproduction.  Pickleweed requires pollination from a male to a female plant in order to reproduce.  From August to November, flowering occurs and the wind pollinates the flowers.  The resulting seeds are dispersed by the tides and precipitation.  They have developed tiny little hairs on the seeds to allow the seeds to latch onto objects in addition to trapping air bubbles.  The seeds can then float or attach themselves to floating debris if deposited in water and eventually end up on shore where they can germinate.  The seeds have a much higher survival rate and likelihood to mature with this adaptation.

            Moreover, the leaves of pickleweed have developed to become the stem of the plant.  The plant itself is extremely low growing as it can be submerged in water for part of the year.  Pickleweed growing in marshes would have lost many of its leaves to wind, water, and herbivory.  As a result, the plants’ leaves developed into the short segments that now make up its stem.  The energy conversion of the plant is much easier and more efficient as its entire surface area has the ability to perform photosynthesis.  Since pickleweed requires vast quantities of sun to perform photosynthesis, the plant has adapted to best suit its saline environment.

            The pickleweed provides a great habitat and nesting materials for sparrows.  Since it's a low-lying plant and many individual organisms grow in close proximity, it forms a bush-like covering.  It is a great refuge and hiding spot for the tiny birds.  The plant itself also provides food for the bird.  The fallen red leaves are also used for nesting material in the spring.

Data Tables B1 and B2

Data Tables A

Detailed Site Description

            In my field site, the majority of my area is covered in brush.  I estimate a total of 75% of the marshland is covered with common vegetation, such as pickleweed (35%), cord grass (25%), and salt grass (15%).  Approximately 7% of my area is covered by the two coyote bushes.  My area contains no trees and only a small portion has a small rivulet at its edge (constituting about 3%).  The only man-made structure is found at the edge of my study site where wooden posts are stuck in the ground (making up about 5%).  The remainder of my site (10%) is merely bare ground.
            Though I did not see many animals there were several rather prominent signs that they were living in my site area.  The first sign I noticed was scat.  Littered across the ground was a scattering of small round pellets.  They appear to belong to a rabbit, possibly jack rabbit.  This would make sense since I had discovered a hole underneath some pickleweed and cord grass on a previous visit.  In addition, I found an empty mussel shell among the pickleweed.  The shell was still intact, however, since it was empty, I can assume that some sort of organism had eaten it.  The most likely predator is a seabird, probably a duck, goose, or seagull.  Finally, I found a crushed snail shell along with a cracked egg shell.  The snail was probably eaten by a goose or seagull.  The crushed egg shell indicates either an extremely old hatched egg or that an organism had eaten the egg and the baby bird within.  I suspect the latter mostly because the egg shell was relatively clean.
            For the most part the soil is relatively muddy.  While there is a sandy quality to it, the soil is damp because it is near a water source.  The soil is likely home to many detritus organisms.  Since it has a high content of water, it has a high carrying capacity for detritivores, who require soil with plenty of water to convert the decaying matter into viable nutrients.  As a result there are copious amounts of pickleweed, cord grass  and salt grass since they have access to a larger amount of nutrients.  Since there are more plants, there is a higher rate of primary productivity, which will, therefore, be able to sustain a greater number of organisms.  This is one of the reasons that the marshland has such a high diversity and abundance of waterfowl.
            Since this area of the marsh is located at a point at which freshwater meets saltwater, it is considered an estuary.  The estuary causes the surrounding soil to be moist and damp, perfect for detritivores.  There will be a larger number of plants surrounding the rivulet because the organisms living in the detritus, such as beetles, mites, and worms, all contribute to the nutrients within the soil.  The water will be home to organisms that have adapted to the varying salt concentrations of the water.  Since the tide seasonally flows and recedes, organisms must have specific adaptations, such as gills, to absorb freshwater without intaking excessive amounts of salt.  As the water is composed of both fresh and salt water, certain regions of it may be drinkable for waterfowl and other organisms, for instance, rabbits and foxes.
            The area is completely flat up until the last couple meters where it dips down to enter the water source.  The incline provides a perfect area for digging burrows.  If well hidden behind a group of pickleweed or cord grass vegetation, as the burrow I found was, it would provide plenty of shelter from predators, such as foxes, if they weren't paying enough attention.  In addition, the incline would also allow water to easily runoff into the rivulet.  Any organisms living within the rivulet, including any shrimp, clam, and flounder, would then have a larger habitat.  They would be more likely to survive in a bigger area and produce more offspring.  The great amount of these secondary consumers will in turn contribute to a higher number of secondary consumers, such as ducks, geese, and seagulls, and also tertiary consumers, such as foxes.
            The climate has been generally temperate thus far.  Temperatures range from 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit on each of the three visits.  The sky has been a clear blue up until the last visit where it was partly cloudy.  It is only recently that it has rained at all.  The rain provides optimal conditions for detritus organisms.  The detritivores likely thrive in winter and spring when rainfall is heaviest.  During the summer, the dry climate and warmer temperatures would decrease the population of these detritivores, thus, leading to a decrease in primary productivity and available nutrients.  There would likely be more intraspecific as well as interspecific competition between vegetation in addition to waterfowl.

Personal Map

Published Maps

Journal Entry #5

Journal Entry #4

Journal Entry #3

Journal Entry #2

Journal Entry #1

Photo Collage

Here are 2 pages of photos that I included with my project.  I still have many more to post.

Site Overview

            My site is part of a marsh located at Baylands Nature Preserve in East Palo Alto.  It is just off to the right of the sailing dock.  My area is a portion of the marsh across from the Harriet Mundy Marsh and several feet from the sailing dock.  The site is near and almost encompasses a small rivulet of water.  The rivulet is mostly muddy with a small amount of water, which will hopefully increase once the rainy season starts.  It is just off the gravel trail from the parking lot.  The area is approximately a rectangle of 10 by 14 meters.  Its length is 10 meters while its width is 14 meters.  The area of the site is 140 m². 

            Where do pollinators (such as bees and butterflies) get their food when flowers aren’t in season?  How do plants adapt to extremely hot or cold weather?  How do organisms living in streams that exist only during parts of the year survive in the summer when the streams dry up?

My study area is littered with numerous different species.  The area is relatively flat with a slow 1 foot incline and immediate 3 foot decline after.  The soil is mostly dry and rocky until reaching the rivulet where it turns muddy and standing water appears.  The area contains two bushes; both are most likely coyote bushes.  Pollinators, for example, wasps, yellow jackets, honey bees, and butterflies, like the small green flowers on the bushes and usually exist in abundance in areas around the plant.  The rest of the ground is littered with pickleweed.  The cactus like substance is not prickly but contains multicolored tubes of red, yellow, and green as stalks/stems.  In addition the area contains salt grass or possibly cord grass with brown and sometimes yellow stalks.  Song sparrows like to perch on these stalks as well as hide out in the coyote bushes. Pygmy Blue, a small type of butterfly, like to perch on the grass and sometimes the pickleweed but it is uncertain what they eat.  Pillbugs crawl through the brush and can occasionally be seen in openings in the grass.  Underneath a large pickleweed is an old hole in the ground.  This hole might have been a home or nesting ground for a burrowing owl or jack rabbit.  The water source is a small rivulet not quite extending into the study area.  The ground is mostly muddy with a small puddle of water.  The area’s climate appears to be temperate and could possibly become wet in the winter with frequent rainfall.

            From Sequoia High School’s senior parking lot, turn right onto Elwood Street.  At the stop sign turn right onto Brewster Avenue.  Drive 0.6 miles on Brewster and make a left onto Veterans Boulevard.  Drive 0.3 miles down Veterans and make the second right onto Whipple Avenue.  Make a slight right to merge onto US-101 S towards San Jose.  Drive 6.8 miles on the 101 S.  Take the exit to Oregon Expressway and make a right on Embarcadero Road.  After 1 mile make a left towards the Palo Alto Airport to stay on Embarcadero.  Continue past the Duck Pond and Nature Preserve.  Park in the 3^rd (last) parking lot by the sailing station.  Travel along the gravel path towards the right of the sailing station for about 20 feet to my designated field study site (beyond the sign).  

Cover Page