Flora and Fauna of Lassen Volcanic National Park

     

Wildflowers are abundant in the park in the spring and early summer months. Vibrant wild iris, spotted coralroot, pyrola, violets, and lupine surround the hiking trails and offer brilliant views throughout these conifer forest communities. Wildlife at this elevation include rubber boas and garter snakes, California ground squirrels, yellow pine chipmunks, skunks, pine martens, red foxes, golden-mantled ground squirrels, and Columbia black-tailed deer. Nestled in the treetops you may see pygmy and great horned owls, white-headed and downy woodpeckers, golden-crowned kinklets, and stellar jays. The Manzanita Lake area maintains a chaparral community characterized by dense manzanita growth, ceanothus, and chinquapin. This area supports large populations of fox sparrows, brush rabbits, deer, coyotes, and an occasional mountain lion.

Above the conifer forest communities at elevations of 6,500 to 8,000 feet are the red fir forests. You will find many animals from the conifer forests also occupy the red fir forests. The addition of black-backed three-toed woodpeckers, blue grouse, and snowshoe hare adds variety as does the song of the elusive hermit thrush. This community of plantlife is somewhat less diverse with red fir, western white pine, mountain hemlock, and lodgepole pine dominating the scene. Stands of old-growth red fir trees which grow to heights of 175 feet with diameters of 30-50 inches and with lifespans of more than 300 years, are a valuable and diminishing resource. They provide shelter, food, and space for rare animals like the spotted owl and northern flying squirrel which can survive only in old-growth forests. These old-growth forests, such as the red firs in Lassen Park, add diversity to large ecosystems and offer a strong "natural safety net," shielding this ecosystem from disease, fire, volcanoes, and even human’s invasion of the forest.

Subalpine forest communities begin at about 8,000 feet elevation and extend up to treeline with bare patches of land creating a harsher environment where animals and plantlife are more sparse. Snowdrifts in Lassen at this elevation can reach 30-40 feet high with a dry,wind-blasted region close by. The twisted branches of whitebark pines indicate the effects of these strong winds and they manage to grow in these rocky, poor mountain soils. Magnificent groves of mountain hemlock grow close together, providing support for each other against the strong winds. Colorful wildflowers like the Indian paintbrush, Brewer Mountain heath, rock spirea, lupine, and radiant penstemon provide vibrant beauty to this rugged forest community. An occasional wolverine may be seen crossing the high mountain terrain.

Elevations of over 8,500 feet and up to 10,000 feet sustain the alpine communities consisting of thin soil, intense sunlight, gusty winds, and bitter cold temperatures similar to the arctic regions. Water is in short supply or frozen and yet some plants can still exist. Plantlife adapts by growing low to the ground and often forming mats or "cushions" to conserve water and heat. They often grow wedged between rocks to avoid the forceful winds at this high elevation. The perennials have chemically adapted to withstand the intense ultraviolet radiation that exists at these alpine altitudes. Some of the plant species that have adapted to the harsh alpine environment are fremont groundsel, buckwheat, phacelia, skunk leaf polemonium, and dwarf hulsea with a few rare plants like golden drabe and smelowskia, which grows only on Lassen Peak. The short summers support gray-crowned rosy finches, rock wrens and pikas while majestic golden eagles, falcons, and other hawks soar through the clear mountain skies. An unexpected and delightful sight is the abundance of California tortoise-shell butterflies found on the highest peaks, lifted by the thermal updrafts.