Meadow Loop Trail

Fire history of Mt. Lemmon, both from Fire Lookout and view of burned area

Historic fire frequency based on tree rings was 10-15 year small fires
This removed small seedlings and kept the forest open
Fire suppression from European colonists led to increasingly thick and brushy forests, which contributed to the elimination of bighorn sheep, and led to dense fire loads that burned larger and bigger when it did burn in 2003
Effects of the 2003 Aspen Fire visible on the landscape
Much of Summerhaven was destroyed in that fire

Urban development and growth (from fire lookout)

Military history of site

Water sources and springs

We pass the spring on the trail that feeds the SkyCenter
Snowpack is a major source of water for the mountain and for desert riparian areas like Sabino Canyon
All MLSC water pumped from this spring
Water eventually flows down to Tucson via Lemmon Cyn

Giant trees

smell a tree
How old are these trees? What has happened during their life?
How many people does it take to circle the giant tree? How many rings do you think it has?
defensive adaptations to fire (puzzle piece or thick bark), serotinous cones (only open after fire, out-competing other species with seeds destroyed by fire)

Common tree species

Ponderosa pine (puzzle piece bark, sweet smelling bark, serotonious palm-sized cones, long needles in bundles of three
Limber pine (short needles in bundles of five)
Subalpine fir (corky bark, needles flattened along stem, somewhat bluish looking needles)
Douglas fir (thick grayish bark, resin pods on bark when young, needles all around stems, egg-sized cones with small tails) - not actually a fir but rather Pseudotsuga
White fir (smoother gray bark, branches in distinct strata, large long cones, needles in plane along stem and very long)
Englemann spruce (smooth gray bark, bluish needles surrounding stem, very pointy needles)
Aspen (white bark with black branch scars, spade-shaped broad leaves - grows clonally, rarely flowers)

Lichens, ferns, mosses

Lichens are symbiosis between a fungus and a blue-green algae or cyanobacteria (see lichen guide by ASU under "other resources")
Some lichens used for food, dye, poison
Young fern fiddleheads of some species can be eaten
Fern roots (bracken) edible after processing and were common food source, but associated with higher levels of stomach cancer

Animal camouflage

Play predator prey game
What strategies made a successful prey, and how do prey in nature use those same strategies?
What strategies made a successful predator, and how do real life predators use those?

Charcoal painting

Ten minutes of silence

Landmarks nearby

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