A Tapestry of Life
Cave Loop – Lava Beds National Monument
Commissioned by the Crater Lake Institute and painted by Larry Eifert in 2006.
Species list for the key drawing:
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
- Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
- Townsend’s Big-eared Bat Corynorhinus townsendii
- Blue Elderberry Sambucus nigra.
- Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
- Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena
- Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina
- Purple Sage Salvia dorrii
- Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
- Black-tailed Jack Rabbit Lepus californicus
- Desert Paintbursh Castilleja linariifolia
- California Needlegrass Achnatherum occidentale ssp. californicum
- Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
- Mariposa Lily Calochortus macrocarpus
- Kangaroo Rat Dipodomys californicus
- Arrow-leafed Balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata
- Western Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis
- Least Chipmunk Eutamia minimus
- Wolf Lichen Letharia vulpina
- Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
- Mountain Quail Oreortyx pictus
- Pika Ochotona princeps
- Yarrow Achillea millefolium
- Carpet Phlox Phlox caespitosa
- Alligator lizard Gerrhonotus coeruleus ssp. shastensis
- Juniper Titmouse Baeolophus ridgwayi
- Long-tailed Weasel Mustela frenata
- Mountain Mahagony Cercocarpus ledifolius
- Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica
- Northern Checkerspot Chlosyne palla
- Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Aglais milberti
- Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana
- Coyote Canis latrans
- Blue Grouse Dendragapus obscurus
- Western Juniper Juniperus occidentalis
- Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
- Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor
- Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
- Black Sage Artemisia arbuscula
- Bobcat Lynx rufus
- Lava Tube
- Collapsed Lava Tube
- Indian Petroglyphs at lava tube opening
- Tule Lake
A Tapestry of Life
Cave Loop Area – Lava Beds National Monument
Lava Beds National Monument has the largest concentration of lava tube caves in the United States. The monument lies on the northeastern flank of the Medicine Lake shield volcano, the largest volcano (measured in total area covered) in the Cascade Range. At almost 5,000 in elevation, the Cave Loop area of the Monument near the Visitor Center lies atop the lava flows near Crescent and Hippo buttes, and provides a fantastic view of the park.
However, there is more here than spectacular cinder cones and lava flows. This land is filled with a complex living association of animals, birds and plants—all interwoven to form a broad tapestry of life. Nature is like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Many pieces are tangled together to form one large ecosystem–or single picture. At first glance we think all these pieces should go together easily, but we quickly come to realize that each separate piece, each animal, bird or plant, is unique and fits into only one place relative to the whole picture. Leave out one of these pieces and the entire ecosystem, or puzzle, is incomplete.
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