fall

In fall, most life in the Garden is winding down in preparation for the upcoming winter. Cooler temperatures, little precipitation, and shorter day length provide the cues needed for species to begin this change of season. However, there is a second pulse of life in the fall. This includes a second bloom season for plants, and the activity of the next generation of animals born that summer or early fall. The second bloom season elongates the diversity and abundance of pollinating insects and herbivores. The young animals, known as young of the year, are maximizing the time spent foraging, which means they are commonly observed this time of year. By foraging as much as possible, the young of the year are maximizing their growth to best ensure their survival for the long, and often harsh, winter.

PLANTS

Fall is the second, and much smaller, bloom season in the Great Basin Desert. The most familiar plants of the Great Basin- sagebrush and rabbitbrush- bloom in fall. This minimizes their competition for limited resources with other flowering species, but also ensures pollinators have a food source later into the season. For most other species who flowered during spring or summer, the lack of springtime water, cooling temperatures, and shorter days are the signals that cue the plants to begin preparing for dormancy. One of the most familiar signs of fall is the shedding of leaves in deciduous species, such as cottonwoods and aspens. Several types of chlorophyll are found in leaves, including green, orange, red, and yellow. Most leaves are green because this chlorophyll dominates, while the other chlorophyll colors are masked until fall. Green chlorophyll pigments are the first to deteriorate at the onset of cooler temperatures and shorter day length. This is when other leaf colors are revealed, first orange, then red, then yellow, before the leaves are shed.

This year's crop of seeds are generally dispersed both near and far, depending on the species. Many seeds will serve as important late-season food resources for animals. Those seeds that do persist will remain dormant in the seed bank, which will provide seedlings in the years to come. The seed bank also provides an important food source for granivore species such as American robins and finches. 

Here, the most common native species to grow and flower in fall include rabbitbrush, sagebrush, and broom snakeweed. Russian sage, a non-native plant that is popular among the pollinators, also continues to bloom into the fall months.

INSECTS

As you walk through this pollinator garden, notice the plants that are seasonally blooming. It is here that you will most probably find insects. The insects are not only amazing pollinators, they also serve as a food source for many of the birds and insects that are also attracted to this garden.

You may also find insects up on trees, or active deep in the soil, flying day and night, or crawling on the ground. And as winter approaches, our garden will not be pruned, for the hollow stems of many plants will serve as a cavity for the insects to hide in. During fall and winter many insects and other arthropods will go into diapause (a period of suspended development). This will assist many species to endure the harsh winters here, and emerge in spring.

OTHER SPECIES

Fall is a time of transition for most life in the Great Basin desert. This includes birds, reptiles, mammals, non-arthropod insects, and fungi who are all preparing for the end of their life cycles or winter dormancy.

You are likely to see a unique diversity of bird species compared to spring or summer, as many birds will migrate to and from the Great Basin. 

In addition to spring, fall is another common season to observe the fruiting bodies of fungi. Fall also brings the most important cues needed for fungi to fruit: precipitation and cool temperatures. Some species generally only fruit in the fall, so it's likely you will see different fungi species than in the spring when climate conditions are similar. Look for the fruiting bodies in moist, shaded areas where there is much organic debris, such as decaying plants. Visit the Spring Walking Guide to learn more about the life cycle of a fungus!