Re: February Yosemite Forum

"On the distribution and abundance of pikas in Yosemite" Joseph Stewart, PhD Candidate, University of California, Santa Cruz

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) has become a symbol of climate change impacts on alpine species. In California and the Great Basin, pikas have begun to disappear from low elevation historical sites, apparently as a result of climate warming. Species distribution models predict pikas will experience dramatic range collapse over the 21st century. So how are pikas faring in Yosemite and how should we expect them to respond over the coming century? Join Joseph Stewart for a research presentation on the present status and possible future fate of Yosemite’s pikas. Tuesday, February 11 from noon to 1 pm in the East Auditorium, Yosemite Valley.

If I was not an east coaster that is a talk I would love to attend. August 2013 was the first time I actually saw pikas at a distance in the upper end of Spiller Canyon. It would seem these little devils have pretty much confined themselves to high altitude locations. Has anybody seen them recently in Yosemite below 9,000'? Chick-on?

I've seen one at Olmsted Pt. Was quite surprised about that.
Z Perret may have seen them lower. Where he at?

---

I will be in the park, but I doubt my 2 year old and 4 year old will sit for an hour to listen.

I saw one at Olmstead Point also. EDIT (Opps wrong spelling)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2014 05:55PM by parklover.

The one I saw was at Olmsted, not Olmstead.

---

Quote
chick-on
The one I saw was at Olmsted, not Olmstead.

Opps, I am having a spelling issue today. LOL

paaklova,
Obliviously not a huge deal. But it's just gotta be the most mis-spelled feature...
I think so much so that at one point a sign coming from the east said "Olmstead"... whereas
the one from the west said "Olmsted". Last I looked they were all correct tho.
It's named after http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Law_Olmsted,_Jr.
Looking back at old posts... I dooz da same thing. Mostly mispell on porpoise. Not dis won.

---

For some reason that "a" sometimes slips in. Just like my memory sometimes does. LOL

I have a friend whose last is spelled Olmstead, I'll occasionally misspell it Olmsted.

Too confusing.

Pika-ture



This guy was near Evolution Lake (11,000 ft) last September. Only other one I have ever seen was at 8500 feet in Desolation Wilderness. Never seen one in Yosemite that I can recall.

Looks like a marmot that's been to Disneyland.