On a trip with other ecology graduate students, I visited the northern shore of Mono Lake near Lee Vining, California. The sandy dunes were perfect for being able to see the pattern of growth of salt grass (Distichlis spicata). Mono Lake is very saline, and its watershed was a water source for the LA basin in the past. Water levels dropped so drastically that a moratorium on water use was implemented in 1994 due to rising salinity levels, and will be in place until water levels return to a level that allows the salinity to decrease enough for brine fly and brine shrimp populations to increase. These invertebrate species support a huge influx of migrating birds each year. Due to the harsh salinity in the lake and ground water as well as the low precipitation in the area, local flora are limited to a few hardy salt and drought tolerant species, such as greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus and C. viscidiflorus), saltbush (Atriplex canescens), and sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). Other info can be found at www.monolake.org.
