TREES ON AND AROUND
SLATE MOUNTAIN

Here are the trees I identified during a  hike in June, 2005:

1. Digger Pine/ Pinus sabiniana
2. Ponderosa Pine/ Pinus ponderosa
3. Sugar Pine/ Pinus lambertiana
4. Douglas-fir/ Pseudotsuga menziesii
5. Incense-cedar/ Libocedrus decurrens
6. White Alder/ Alnus rhombifolia
7. Tanoak/ Lithocarpus densiflorus
8. California Hazel/ Corylus cornuta californica
9. California Black Oak/ Quercus kelloggii
10. Canyon Live Oak/ Quercus chrysolepis
11. Bigleaf Maple/ Acer macrophyllum
12. Pacific Dogwood/ Cornus nuttallii
13. California Buckeye/ Aesculus californica
14. Pacific Madrone/ Arbutus menziesii

It's interesting to compare this list with the one I made for my earlier home at Laurel Hill Plantation near Natchez. That list bore over 60 species -- nine just of oaks. Well, this much smaller number reflects two basic ecological generalisms when all other variables remain the same and no extremes are involved:

• The cooler it is, the less the species diversity
• The drier it is, the less the species diversity

By the way, that tree list for Laurel Hill is at www.backyardnature.net/trees-lh.htm