The Annual Moss Issue - 2016

Back by popular demand, it's the annual Moss issue! Don't worry, this post is not about Kate Moss, the U.K. fashion model who's been on more magazine covers than the leaders of the free world - it's about that short green stuff that grows all over western Oregon in the winter shade - a.k.a., Bryophyta.

Moss in the Headlines: Most folks don't get too excited about our moss, but one important role of moss came to light recently in our area. The Oregon DEQ and U.S. Forest service were checking local moss for presence of metals as part of a larger study. High levels of cadmium and arsenic were found in the moss and the air near a small glass factory in S.E. Portland. This has led to a much larger investigation and increased concern for residents in the affected area. Regulatory agencies are taking a second look at existing metal rules in light of these indicators. See link below for more information. Hats off to that moss!

Meanwhile, it looks like another banner year for moss here in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to the lingering El Niño weather pattern, we've got more rain and warmer days than typical - the ideal growing conditions for the tiny green rain forest plants. These Bryophyta members thrive in our local forested parks, with a bit of sunlight and an abundance of dampness. I won't repeat the fascinating details of their role in the big nature picture; but you can visit our prior Moss Editions for more info (see links below).

For me, the moss season presents all the elements of a good photo challenge: rich color (mostly green of course), abstract patterns, and the beauty of nature all rolled into one. Not to mention that blooming wildflowers are scarce-to-none this month.

We had the driest summer and fall on record last year, but that did not seem to affect this year's moss growth. Each of the locations I visited to get these photos seemed awash in good, healthy moss. Here's a few more photos, but as before, use the link below for the complete collection!

     

     

Links:

Portland Moss Metals Detection News

Full 2016 Moss Gallery

Last Year's Moss Issue

For the Team

A recent bout with some kind of flu bug in our home left me grounded for a couple of weeks. I was bleary-eyed and needing at least one good nap a day. Hopefully, the nasty virus died off here at home and the unwilling host (me) will somehow benefit from the ordeal. Once the worst was over, I caught up on some reading and TV, including the obligatory Groundhog Day movie on that day. In my half-baked condition this movie was more enjoyable than usual. Meanwhile, at our local zoo, Velda the African pygmy hedgehog predicted an early spring. A few days later, after all that excitement, I ventured outside for a short walk.

My first impression was cautionary - "what happened to winter?!"  The day was fairly warm, the yellow crocus in our yard were blooming, and the daffodils are about eight inches up and the buds are swelling. Velda was right - at least for now - it seems more spring-like than winter.

Next day I managed to get to a local park and walk a mere half mile loop while my support staff ran errands. It turns out my slow pace on this little outing was beneficial, as I spotted some odd fungus and a tiny newt along the way (photos below).

Newts are semi-aquatic amphibians that are part of the salamander family. The Rough-skinned newt I found on this day is common in western Oregon and usually lives near water and rotting wood. They are colorful, yet can blend in well with the ground cover. These newts have an interesting adaptation with their main predators: garter snakes. The newt has a toxic secretion on its skin that keeps other predators away. But the garter snake has developed a tolerance to the toxin and will eat the newts anyway. Fear not, the tiny newt has the last laugh. Once eaten the newt's toxin gives the snake a specific chemical signature, which in turn can be detected by other newts, allowing them to flee. Of course the newt that was consumed has to take one for the team!

We'll see if the early spring will last - in the mean time watch your step on the riparian trails - the newts are out and about!

This Rough-skinned Newt is the only "non-slimy" salamander
in western Oregon. This one is only about four inches long but
can grow to eight. The skin secretes a toxin for protection.

Nearby, several clumps of Palomino Cup (Peziza repanda)
fungus are poking up out of the decaying wood and leaves.
To me, they resemble wontons, but they are inedible.

Crocus blooming on January 28.

The Frozen Edition

This would be a great time to insert a video of our skeleton crew belting out a robust version of Let it Go. Lucky for you loyal readers, the crew has been under the weather and that singing voice  now resembles an elderly camel's snore, after a long walk across the desert. So keep your earplugs in the drawer - we promise never to auto-run karaoke videos on this blog!

Both evergreen and non-evergreen plants have the remarkable ability to withstand winter's lower temperatures. I won't go into the details here, but suffice to say in late fall plants begin to alter their solutes (mostly sucrose) and proteins to prevent the liquids within their cells from freezing. They can also alter their cell membrane lipids to better tolerate the cold. As we know from observation, in some winters damaged plants or extreme cold can bring on crystallization, thus killing the plant. But overall, the "antifreeze" strategy has evolved to be successful.

Meanwhile, we did manage to get out and about during that first week of January when our region got a shot of frozen precipitation to bring in the new year. We don't get it every year and it's rarely more than a few inches, for which I am truly thankful. But for us blogger-photographers, it's a nice twist at the least or a man vs. nature challenge at the most.

It is an El Niño year here again, so we expected above average precipitation, and that we got in December and January, but it was all liquid. But in early January conditions were right for some frozen stuff: we got an inch or two of snow late on Jan. 2nd. The next day was mostly below freezing and then on the early morning of Jan. 4th we got a dandy mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain as warmer air arrived from the west. We did not venture far on this day as the roads were quite slick. But the late morning brought some clearing while the ice was still around, making for some good photo ops.

A few days later on January 8 temps were well above freezing here, but still very cold out in the Columbia Gorge, which makes a nice recipe for frozen waterfalls. So the skeleton crew packed up our cameras and survival gear and rolled out. Thankfully we didn't need the survival gear since the Espresso cart was open at Multnomah Falls, but we did load up a memory card with icy images.

The "Frozen" slideshow below should load up in less than 30 seconds. Let us know if you have any trouble viewing it.

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