High temperatures and drought are the forecast for what is normally a wet season on the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. When there would usually be rain and snow, there are temperatures reaching into the 60s.
The unseasonable weather does not go unnoticed by the environment. Plants that are typically lush and green are struggling to sprout anything at all, and the creek that normally flows freely is as low as it ever gets. December and January are typically the months with the highest rainfall, but the area has experienced little to no rain. The farmers in the area are much more affected by dips in the rainfall than this resilient environment. The frogs and salamanders that would normally be around are either hibernating longer to compensate or finding moisture elsewhere.
Drought is simply a naturally occurring phenomenon, and although the native species may not flourish the way they usually would, they are sure to bounce back in the coming years. A dry spell does not necessarily constitute a tragedy in a natural area like the BCCER. The native populations that are already a part of this environment are doing just fine.
In fact, in some ways, the native plants are doing better than fine. The drought has prolonged what is called the burn season, and as odd as that may sound, native bunch grasses really respond well to fire (we’ll talk more about that in the next blog). More acres have been burned than ever this year, and this bodes well for the future of the reserve. Native Americans spent a great deal of time using fire as a tool within the environment, and after thousands of years these plants actually depend on fire for survival. As the phoenix is said to rise from its ashes, these lands – and the plants native to them – do the same.
Although the drought may not have lasting impacts to the environment now, it is hard to tell what will occur if dry conditions continue. Certainly, humans are impacted because they rely on water supplies for everyday living, but the natural environment may not suffer as much in the short term. Species native to the BCCER can stay dormant for an extended period of time, and while the populations may decrease, they are likely to thrive in another year.
Less water is often assumed to be negative, but it is certainly not always the case, especially on a native landscape like the Reserve. For a land like the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, a drought now and then is exactly what these native species are adapted to survive. Fire and drought are just as much a part of nature as rain, and these natural processes offer their own benefits for the survival of the native species.
