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Biological Impacts
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You are El Nino Administrator. |
| 2. Is there good news out there? |
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Item 2 11-MAR-1998 16:52 Susan E Yoder (syoder)
So much bad news has been kicked around about the effects of El Nino, I would like to start a discussion on the possible beneficial effects of El Nino on wildlife. Here is one - try to add some good news of your own!
The long wet winter is going to bring an absolutely fabulous spring wildflower display to the Southwestern US. This is a good spring to visit our deserts.
Apparently the deserts are all in bloom already, is that right?
Also I aw yesterday that the wet winter is creeating abundant feed for the buffalo in yellowstone.
Is the wet and warm winter an el nino related effect?
Well, for every good thing there's an equal and opposite effect -- isn't that Newtonian? So...all the wildflowers AND POLLEN. Today alone, four people have complained to me about their allergies. And, because there seems to be little dramatic weather news about El Nino, the media is reporting on the potential for health hazards, from allergies caused by pollen to even dengue fever caused by so much standing water after heavy rains.
Comment on Susan Yoder about the wildflower.
Descanso gardens says they will be bloom in one week or so.
Also the Owens Valley should be beautiful this year.
Maybe I'll take Thursday off and go to the Huntington
Gardens.
The additional rain in Sonoma County , Ca. has caused the grasses to grow with vigor and speed. At Bouverie Preserve the grasses seem to be competing with the wild flowers and the grasses are winning. Normally by now we would have masses of lupines, popcorn flower, shooting stars, etc. Currently we have some flowers but not the huge show that we sometimes get. The grasses are quite lush...(allergy sufferers beware when they bloom!!) The cows and sheep of Sonoma County really are enjoying the fresh lush green grass.
Hi this is Sue Yoder. In response to your comments on good news about El Nino...
Whether or not we get a preponderance of grasses over flowers depends on how the storms hit us. If it is cool and wet with less sun during the winter this seems to favor grasses over wildflowers. If there are warm sunny periods between the storms, this favors flowers.
Here is some more good news to relate. I read in the Los Angeles Times newspaper a few days ago that some species of marine birds, surf scoters I think it was, are stuffed to the gills with a warm water pelagic crab which has made its way up to the Channel Islands off L.A. Some marine animals are doing well
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