Kate Marianchild - Secrets of the Oak Woodlands: Plants and Animals Among Californias Oaks

SECRETS OF THE OAK WOODLANDS

A western screech owl roosting during the day in an Oregon oak

Plants and Animals among Californias Oaks

Kate Marianchild

Illustrations by Ann Meyer Maglinte

Heyday, Berkeley, California

The publisher wishes to thank California Oaks, a project of the California Wildlife Foundation, as well as the Moore Family Foundation and the Giles W. and Elise G. Mead Foundation for their generous support of this project.

2014 by Kate Marianchild

All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Heyday.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

Print paperback isbn: 978-1-59714-262-5

Kindle isnb: 978-1-59714-373-8

E-pub isbn: 978-1-59714-372-1

Cover Art: Ann Meyer Maglinte www.annmaglinte.com

Cover Design: Ashley Ingram

nterior Design/Typesetting: Rebecca LeGates

Orders, inquiries, and correspondence should be addressed to:

Heyday

P.O. Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709

(510) 549-3564, Fax (510) 549-1889

www.heydaybooks.com

To my mother, Marian Roberts: singer of songs, swimmer of seas, and watcher of birds;

To my father, Bill Roberts: twinkle-eyed storyteller, meticulous scientific thinker, and master laugher;

To my brother Don Roberts, and to my dear friends Gabrielle Welford, Steve Grams, and Joe Clopton: you live on in these pages.

Michael Charnes, for deep companionship, musical inspiration, and sage counsel.

My siblings Don, Judith, David Roberts, and Marsha Rose, for laughter, listening, and backrubs.

Marisela de Santa Anna, Helen Menasian, and Cathy Monroe, for stimulating explorations of all things botanical and zoological.

Claude Steiner, for my nest on the land that gave birth to this book; Phil Cool, for stewardship of that land and for help deciphering biospeak; Artemis DiMartino, for sparkling wisdom and unstinting affection; and the rest of the Round Mountain band for the teamwork that keeps our community going.

My other dear friends and relatives, for support and camaraderie through the years. I wish I could name every one of you!

Wayne Anderson, for guiding my recovery from Lyme disease, and Jane Kennedy, for fine-tuning my ongoing health: without you, this book might not have happened.

Special thanks to the following scientists and experts, who have patiently answered multiple queries over months and years and generously reviewed and edited chapter content: David Arora, mycologist (California chanterelle); Dave Bengston, Mendocino County Agriculture Commissioner, ret. (oak titmouse); Edmund Brodie Jr., Utah State University (California newt); Nicola Clayton, University of Cambridge (western scrub-jay); Todd Dawson, UC Berkeley (manzanita, California bay laurel); Brian Gall, Utah State University (California newt); Joyce Gross, UC Berkeley (oak galls); Kerry Heise, botanist (California buckeye, California bay laurel, manzanita, toyon); Ken Hickman, wildlife researcher/photographer (woodrat, California newt); Robert Keiffer, Hopland Research and Extension Center (manzanita, western fence lizard, California ground squirrel); Jon Klein, naturalist/ photographer (too many species to mention); Walt Koenig, Cornell University (acorn woodpecker); John Koprowski, University of Arizona (western gray squirrel); Robert S. Lane, UC Berkeley (western fence lizard); Adam Leach, University of Washington (western fence lizard); David Lukas, naturalist, writer (multiple species); Eduardo Mendoza, University of Michoacn (California buckeye); Adina Merenlender, UC Berkeley (Introduction); James Patton, UC Berkeley, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (woodrat); Ron Russo, naturalist/biologist (oak galls); Arthur Shapiro, UC Davis (California sister); Suzanne Simard, University of British Columbia (mycorrhizas); Sherrie Smith-Ferri, Grace Hudson Museum (Native Californian relationships with plants and animals); Darlene Southworth, Southern Oregon University (mycorrhizas); Michael C. Vasey, San Francisco State University (manzanita).

Deep appreciation to the following people for consultations, articles, resources, and/or other forms of assistance: Robert Allen, pollination ecologist; Jeffrey Caldwell, naturalist; Carla Cicero, UC Berkeley, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology; Joe Clopton, Santa Rosa Junior College; Janice L. Dickinson, Cornell University; Deborah Stanger Edelman, California Naturalist Program; Diane Erwin, UC Museum of Paleontology; Shane Feirer, Hopland Research and Extension Center; Brett Hall, UC Santa Cruz Arboretum; Janet L. Howard, USDA Forest Service; Geri Hulse-Stevens; Teresa Iglesias, UC Davis; Frank Lang, Southern Oregon University; Marjorie Matocq, University of Nevada; John Schmitt, naturalist; W.David Shuford, Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory; Stephen Shunk, naturalist/ woodpecker expert; Robbin Thorp, UC Davis; Jan Timbrook, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History; Robert Timm, Hopland Research and Extension Center; Stephen Wilder, paleotechnologist; Tamara Wilder, paleotechnologist; Bert Wilson, Las Pilitas Nursery; Celeste Wilson, Las Pilitas Nursery; Jim Xerogeanes, Mendocino College.

Additional thanks for observations, ideas, book loans, literary inspiration, editorial assistance, encouragement, and other forms of support: Jim Armstrong; Jack Booth; Mary Buckley; George Chaniot; Michael Charnes; Mark Collins; Carol Charlton; Phil Cool; Marisela de Santa Anna; Artemis DiMartino; Joan Dunning; Bill English; John Gilman; Steve Grams; Lani Kask; James Kerr; Jon Klein; Krissa Klein; Marigold Klein; Susan Knopf; Sandra Linn; Ron LeValley; David Lukas; David Menasian; Helen Menasian; Cathy Monroe; Judith Roberts; Don Rowe; Dave Shuford; Sherrie Smith-Ferri; Rebecca Solnit; Chuck Vaughn; Vishnu; Mary Waters; Gabrielle Welford; John Wilder. Gratitude to Marilyn Waits for her long-ago suggestion that I approach Heyday.

Photographs and illustrations: Kudos and heartfelt gratitude to Ann Meyer Maglinte for the exquisite watercolors and line drawings that illuminate this book. In addition to using photographs taken by me, Maglinte worked from photographs or parts of photographs taken by the following photographers: Kim Cabrera (acorn woodpecker); Marlin Harms (California newt); Douglas Herr (California ground squirrel); Ken Hickman (western gray squirrel, coyote); William Ketterer (cedar waxwing, toyon chapter); Jon Klein (woodrat, western screech owl); Adam Leach (western fence lizard); Ron LeValley (California buckeye); Dan Mitchell (western bluebird); Ed Post (California quail); Michael Spencer (California newt); Sparky Stensaas (western scrub-jay); John Wall (western gray squirrel); Ron Wolf (California chanterelle). We were inspired by the work of several unnamed photographers as well, and my appreciation goes to all of them.

For sensitive guidance of this book (and me!) over the course of several years: Gayle Wattawa of Heyday.

For astute editing informed by deep knowledge of plants, animals, and Native Californians: Jeannine Gendar of Heyday.

For believing in this book and taking a chance on me: Malcolm Margolin, Publisher.

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I have made changes to some chapters after they were reviewed by experts, so I am solely responsible for their content