Site Description

Location: Eaton Canyon
Habitat Type: Chaparral
Dimensions: about 400 m by 100 m.

The area we were in was the old dried up river. The area was around 40000 square feet. the tallest things in that area were the Agave Trees. There were many shrubs and bushes with sharp leaves. The feel of the area was dry but full of small life.  There were few flowers There were many different birds, bugs and lizards.  There were many rocks. There were a lot of dried up leaves.

bird's eye view

Animal List for Eaton Canyon

There are many animals that live in Eaton Canyon. They all fall into the following classes Invertebrates, Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals.

The list for Invertebrates are as follows:

Porifera (Sponges)
Cnidaria (Jellyfish, Coral, Sea Anemones, etc.)
Platyhelmintha (Flatworms)
Nematoda (Roundworms)
Mollusca (Snails, Clams, Mussels, Squids, Octopi, etc.)
Annelida (Segmented Worms)
Arthropoda (Insects, Arachnids, Crustaceans, etc.)
Echinoderma (Sea Urchins, Starfish, etc.)
The list for fish: 

There are no naturally occuring fish in Eaton Canyon, but a man imputted fish is the mosquito fish

The list for Amphibians:

Black-Bellied Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps nigriventris)
Monterey Salamander (Ensatina eschscholzii eschscholzii)
California Newt (Taricha torosa)
Western Toad (Bufo boreas)
California Treefrog (Hyla cadaverina)

The list of Reptiles:



Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipipes ) Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) Western Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus tigris) Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria multicarinatus) California King Snake (Lampropeltis getulus) Striped Racer (Masticophis lateralis) Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer) Two-striped Garter Snake (Thamnophis hammondii) Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) List of Birds:   There are no naturally living birds in Eaton Canyon List of Mammals: Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) Western Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus hesperus) Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) Audubon's Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) California Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) Gray Tree Squirrel (Sciurus griseus) Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) - Introduced species. Merriam's Chipmunk (Eutamias merriami) Botta's Pocket Gopher (Thomomys bottae) California Pocket Mouse (Perognathus californicus) Agile Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys agilis) Dusky-footed Woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes) Coyote (Canis latrans) Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) Raccoon (Procyon lotor) Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) Bobcat (Felis rufus) Mountain Lion - (Puma concolor) Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus

List Of Plants in Eaton Canyon

There will be the common name on top and the scientific name on bottom

Agave
Agave americana

White Alder
alnus rhombifolia

Fleabane Aster
Erigeron foliosus

California Brickelbush
Brickellia californica

Nevin's Brickelbush
Brickellia nevinii

California (Flat-topped) Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum

Coastal Prickly Pear
Opuntia littoralis

Castor Bean
Ricinus communis

Chasmine
Adenostoma fasciculatum

Holly-leaft Cherry
Prunus ilicifolia

Calidornia Coffeeberry
Rhamnus californica

Black Cottonwood
Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa

California Croton
Croton californicus

Wild Cucumber (Manroot)
Marah macrocarpus

Golden Currant
Ribes aureum var. gracilimum

Deer Weed
Lotus scoparius

Dodder (Witch's Hair)
Cuscuta spp.

Mexican Elder Berry
Sambucus Mexicana

Felt-Leaf Everlastin
Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum

Green Everlasting (California Poppy)
Gnaphalium californicum

California Fuchsia
Epilobium canum

Pine Goldenbush
Ericameria pinifolia

Horehound
Marrubium vulgare

Horseweed
Conyza canadensis

Bush (Sticky) Monkeyflower
Mimulus aurantiacus

Creek (Common) Monkeyflower
mimulus guttatus

Mugwort
Artemisia douglasiana

Mule Fat
Baccharis salicifolia

Black Mustard
Brassica negra

Mountain Mohagany
Cercocarpus Betuliodes

Purple Nightshade
Solanum xanti

White (Douglas') Nightshade
solanum douglasii

Coast Live Oak
quercus agrifolia

Poison Oak
toxicodendron diversilobum

Showy Penstemon
penstemon spectabilis

Phacelia
phacelia spp.

Matilija Poppy
romneya coulteri

Holly-leaf Redberry
rhamnus ilicifolia

Little-leaf Redberry
rhamnus crocea

Black Sage
salvia mellifera

White Sage
salcia apiana

California (Coastal) Sagebrush
artemisia californica

Scale-broom
lepidospartum squamatum

Creek Senecio
senecio flaccidus var. douglasii

Spanish Broom
spartiun junceum

Sugar Bush
rhus ovata

Laurel Sumac (Taco Plant)
malosma laurina

Bush (California) Sunflower
encelia califonica

Western Sycamore
platanus racemosa

Telegraph Weed
heterotheca grandiflora

Tree Tobacco
nicotiana glauca

Toyon (Hollywood Plant)
heteromeles arbutifolia

California Black Walnut
juglans californica

Red Willow
salix laevigata

Yerba Santa
eridictyon crassifolium

Whipple Yucca
yucca whipplei ssp. parshii

Pictures

Date 10/29/12 Time 1130 View of dried river in Eaton Canyon, facing east. This picture shows the basic habbitat for the organisms in Eaton Canyon, high average temperatures and low amounts of water.

Date 10/29/12 Time 1050 A Western Fence Lizard on a rock using the sun as an energy like source to heat his body and keep him from slowing down.

Date 10/29/12 Time 1102. A Western Fence Lizard also sitting on a rock but in the shade to cool down as the temperature is about 95 degrees in the sun.

Date 10/29/12, Time 1045. Whipple Yucca, 10-12 feet tall, 1 of few within 1/2 a mile. This tree is one of the tallest on the riverbed as there is not enough water to support most plant life

Date 10/29/12 Time 1120. This is a dried up California Fuchsia. As you can see the drought that has occured in southern California has left plants like this on the riverbed with little water which in turn causes the plant to dry up and lose its color, ability to make food through photosynithesis, and its shape which makes it almost impossible to recognize.

Ryan Observations

Date 10/29/12

Time: 11:25
Sunny, slight breeze
birds chirping
around 95 degrees

Time:11:44
decreased wind
small increase of temperature
we hear a beetle
Birds still chirping

Time 11:49
I see a blue jay
no change in temperature

Time 11:53
Breeze increases
same sounds
environment no change
small temperature increase

Observation Noah Sisson

Eviroment: wind coming from east, Temperature 95 degrees ferihieght, on dried river shore

10min in.    Facing north west towards water fall
                 Sounds: crow and other birds sqawk, insects buzz around my head, the disturbance of bushes as people move around.

20 min in.    Facing north west towards waterfall
                  Wind has decreased and the heat has increased
                 Sounds: all. the sounds have become louder and another insect that sounds like a sort of cricket has increased in volume more than the others

30 min in.   Facing north west towards water fall
                 Wind has gone back to original strength and the heat has increased again
                Sounds: There are few changes to the sound enviroment and the addition of a four legged animal running through the shore line. Can not see the animal though.