The deciduous oak forests on Bell Springs Mountain include Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) and California black oak (Quercus kelloggii). These forests undergo dramatic seasonal changes. For about half the year, the trees stand dormant and leafless, revealing a thriving community of mosses, lichens, and mistletoe growing on their trunks and branches. In spring, colorful yellow, orange, and red leaves emerge as the surrounding grasslands burst into vivid shades of green. By summer, the woodland forms a canopy of new leaves, casting dappled light over the wildflowers on the forest floor below. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow and brown as the trees prepare for winter dormancy.
All photographs copyrighted. © Doug Zimmerman