My Native Backyard, an Overview.

I reside in Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, Arizona, at an elevation of roughly 4500 feet. I am located in the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Level III Ecoregion and the Madrean Lower Montane Woodlands Level IV Ecoregion. The Park averages 20 inches of rain per year and less than 1 inch of snow, although there are heavy (5-20+ inches) snow years every 4-5 years. 40% of the Park's annual precipitation occurs during the monsoon.

The foliage of my yard includes a canopy of Arizona Singleleaf Pinyon (Pinus spp. Var. fallax), Oneseed Juniper (Juniperus monosperma), Emory Oak (Quercus emoryii), and Arizona Cypress (Cupressus glabra). The dominant tree in my yard is the pinyons, which attract a variety of wildlife, including Arizona Gray Squirrels, Cliff Chipmunks, and various species of birds.

Below the Canopy is an understory of Chaparral Species. The tallest of these is the Common Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata). The dominant shrub species is the Sonoran Scrub Oak (Quercus turbinella). Other shrubs found in the chaparral layer of my yard include Eastern Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus breviflorus var. breviflorus), Mojave Ceanothus (Ceanothus pauciflorus), Red Barberry (Berberis repens), Hollyleaf Redberry (Rhamnus ilicifolia) and Pointleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens).

Gaps in the Chaparral allow for the growth of grasses, herbs, forbs, and allies. This includes (as of 8/28/2022):
Shrubby Deervetch – Acmispon rigidus
Silver Wormwood - Artemesia ludoviciana
Sideoats Grama - Bouteloua curtipendula
Wright’s Buckwheat - Eriogonum wrightii
Broom Snakeweed - Gutierrezia sarothrae
Oak Creek Ragwort- Packera quercetorum
Toadflax Penstemon - Penstemon linarioides
Mexican Hat - Ratibida columnifera
Silverleaf Nightshade - Solanum elaegnifolium
Dakota Mock Vervain – Glandularia bipinnatifida

There is a species of Globemallow and a species of beardtongue I have not yet identified but hopefully, with further research and the iNaturalist community’s assistance.

Publicado el 30 de agosto de 2022 a las 04:59 PM por rangermicah rangermicah

Observaciones

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Encino Prieto (Quercus emoryi)

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 2022

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Chaparro de Sonora (Quercus turbinella)

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 15, 2022 a las 07:01 AM MST

Fotos / Sonidos

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 16, 2022 a las 08:06 AM MST

Descripción

Most, If not all Pinyons at the park are var. fallax. Please note that var. fallax is still a highly debated taxon. The scientific community keeps flopping back and forth between calling it a variety of P. monophylla, P. edulis, and P. californicum.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Palo de Zorrillo (Ceanothus pauciflorus)

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 16, 2022 a las 08:13 AM MST

Descripción

What species of ceanothus this is has been a subject of debate for Park Rangers. We lean towards Desert Ceanothus.

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Palo Zorrillo (Ptelea trifoliata)

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2022 a las 08:43 AM MST

Fotos / Sonidos

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2022 a las 08:47 AM MST

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Hierba de San Nicolás (Gutierrezia sarothrae)

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2022 a las 08:48 AM MST

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Flor de Borrego (Eriogonum wrightii)

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2022 a las 09:31 AM MST

Descripción

Growing out from under a ceanothus alongside some toadflax penstemon

Fotos / Sonidos

Autor

rangermicah

Fecha

Agosto 19, 2022 a las 09:35 AM MST

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