- Chopaka Mountain Natural Area Preserve (dnr.wa.gov)
This high-mountain preserve encompasses 2,764 acres at elevations ranging from 4,400 to 7,882 feet in the Eastern Cascades. The site protects 11 state-listed plant species, including gentians, cinquefoils, moonwort, willow, and others. Mountain goats range the rocky ridgetops on the preserve’s highest peaks (Chopaka also supported the last native herd of bighorn sheep in Washington, which was hunted out in the 1920s). The preserve also includes fine examples of low-growing alpine turf communities, subalpine forests and shrub-steppe, creeks, ponds and meadows abundant with mountain wildflowers.
- Algae (Wikipedia)
Algae (UK: /ˈælɡiː/, US: /ˈældʒiː/; singular alga /ˈælɡə/) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular microalgae, such as Chlorella, Prototheca and the diatoms, to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelp, a large brown algae which may grow up to 50 metres (160 ft) in length. Most are aquatic and lack many of the distinct cell and tissue types, such as stomata, xylem and phloem that are found in land plants. The largest and most complex marine algae are called seaweeds, while the most complex freshwater forms are the Charophyta, a division of green algae which includes, for example, Spirogyra and stoneworts.
