Ken's Backyard (8/31/02)

[Mark Walker]

Wow - as if my life isn't complicated enough.  I started a weird multi-leg
trip that will start in Salt Lake City, where I will leave my vehicle for a
later rendezvous - an upcoming backpacking trip planned for Wyoming.  On
Saturday, August 31, I left Oceanside at 5:00 a.m., and planned to meet Ken
Davenport at a Burger King in Inyo County.  This is the sort of thing you do
when one lepidopterist goes to meet another.  The host lepidopterist gets to
show the visitor around their backyard.  Ken Davenport has a very big
backyard.
 
We made an outrageous loop between Walker's Pass, Kennedy Meadows, and the
desert lowlands in between.  This is some incredible butterfly habitat, with
many phenotypically distinct subspecies.  Our primary purpose on this trip
was to meet one another, share some secrets, and enjoy some 10 hours of
non-stop bug talk.  The fact that we managed to see a few bugs just frosted
the cake.
 
Apodemia is one of Ken's specialties.  It turns out that there are many
interesting distinctions within this historically lumped genus.  It's gotten
to the point where I just plan on vouchering this gorgeous bug whenever I
find it.  The one currently flying on Walker's Pass is Apodemia cythera
tuolumnensis.  There are several others that fly in the same or surrounding
areas - some in overlapping time periods.
 
Ken was also looking for any sign of the fire that had been raging through
the Southern Sierra during most of July and August.  It looked as though the
fire was finally out - but the damage was severe, and quite visible from the
Chimney Peak and Kennedy Meadows area.  The road through Sherman Pass is
still closed, Bald Mountain stands charbroiled on the horizon, with many
beloved locations to be sorely missed until the area recovers.
 
Interesting thing, wildfires.  When you witness them in person, you begin to
get an understanding of how the whole thing works.  The mountain habitats in
Southern California are designed (yes, I said designed) for fire - with many
of the species equipped to actually promote fire.  This assures that they
secure an optimal position in the severely competitive post-fire
environment.  So the scenario goes something like this:  The pine trees
provide plenty of accessible fuel in the form of pine needles, kindling, and
thick bark.  When the fire burns, they stand and endure the pain - knowing
that many of the annoying bushes and shrubs that have been inching their way
into the forest will soon be dust.  The trees, with their strong root
systems and a protective bark to shield the fire, will likely survive the
ordeal.  They'll be wounded, for sure, but they will emerge and all the
stronger.  Meanwhile, the fire causes the temperature-triggered cones to
explode and release their seed to the freshly cleared and fertilized forest
floor.  The result - a very successful ecosystem dominated by pine species
that rarely give way to competition.  Occasionally, small sections of trees
get completely destroyed by flames - providing an opportunity for diversity.
But these areas make up a small fraction of the overall woodland.
 
And then there are the fires of 2002.  Hot, huge, and out of control.  There
are parts of this National Forest that don't look like they will recover at
all.  But then, the planet IS resilient, after all.  I remember doubt over
whether Mt. St. Helens would recover before the planet freezes (or cooks).
It's truly lamazing how fast things fight to reestablish themselves.  But
still, this won't be for several seasons.  In the meantime, we'll have to go
to another section of the backyard.
 
 
Our list:
 
Apodemia cythera tuolumnensis (Tuolumne Metalmark)
Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulphur)
Plebejus acmon (Acmon Blue)
Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady)
Adelpha bredowii (California Sister)
Nymphalis antiopa (Mourning Cloak)
Phyciodes pratensis (Field Crescent)
Cercyonis sthenele (Great Basin Wood Nymph)
Heliopetes ericetorum (Large White Skipper)
Hesperia juba (Juba Skipper)
Ochlodes sylvanoides (Woodland Skipper)
 
Did I miss any Ken?
 
Mark Walker
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