Observation #7

Site: Elk Refuge
Date: May 28
Time: 6:36
Temperature: 53 degrees
Weather: Rainy, wet
Soil: Wet
Today I was observing the plant life on the Elk Refuge. Again the grass is looking super green. I looked on www.fws.gov, and it said that there are about 33 different plant species on the refuge. The sagebrush is the most predominant, which is why it was the only one I could see before. Near the marshy areas there were sedges, rushes, cattails, and bulrushes. Everywhere else there were mostly sagebrush and willow. Sedges just look like normal grass, they are green and tall and spout out at the top, and rushes have brown fuzzy tops. The thistle, which is the most common weed, looks like it could be a pretty flower because of its pretty purple top, but is actually noxtious and spreads over the refuge.
There have been 30 fires on the elk refuge, which have mostly been started by lightning. Besides causing less coniferous forests and sagebrush, these fires have had a pretty positive effect. They create more habitat diversity, and do well for the soil. As a result of the healthy soil, future plants grow even greener, and larger than before. The fires create a blank slate so the soil is usable, which creates more biodiversity.