There are many different ways a Riparian Zone affects streams. Among them, Riparian zones can reduce the risk of erosion. The root systems of trees and shrubs reinforces cohesion into the soil and by providing a protective surface matting. Also, trees use the water from the stream to increase the drainage in the soil, which reduces the risk of bank failure.
Golden chanterelles are popular edible mushrooms. The main reason why they do not grow around Bowker Creek is because chanterelles like forested area, and moist undergrowth with lots of organic decaying matter. They also like to grow underneath salal. Bowker Creek doesn't meet these requirements.
These are hare’s foot inkcaps. They are common garden mushrooms that have delicate caps with edges that turn upward with age. They have hollow, frail stalks so they usually last no longer then a day or two. Their gills are very thin and spaced out, with inky black spores. They can be found growing in soil, wood chips, or leaf litter.
These are flat-topped agaricus. They were growing in Monteith riparian ecosystem, underneath dogwood and blackberry, in a shaded, damp area. They have gills, which are free from the stalk and slightly pink. Their stalk is mostly white, with a thick base and a ring. Their cap is tan and has small, brown “scales” that radiate outward from the middle.
Chitons are a type of Mollusc that are common around Victoria. Chitons are usually covered by a shell that consists of 8 plates. They move around using a muscle commonly referred to as the foot. There are many species of Chitons with sizes ranging from 1 centimeter to 30 centimeters. They are commonly found at beaches and in tide pools.
The Brittle star is a creature that is closely related to the sea star. They often eat plankton, small crustaceans, and worms. There are about 1500 species of Brittle star and they are around 500 million years old. Brittle stars are able to easily regenerate lost limbs, sometimes using this ability to escape predators.
The Sculpin is a small fish that belongs to the Cottidae Family. There are around 300 species, however the ones found on Victoria beaches are quite small. Some Sculpin can reach 25 pounds! They usually live to 7 years. They mostly eat small fish, crabs, and worms. Sculpin do not have scales, they have smooth skin covered with small rigid spines.
The Umbrella Crab is a small crab with a unique shaped shell, Its carapace can be any color from gray, red, orange and purple. They usually grow to 5 to 10 centimeters. They are carnivores and mostly eat algae and small organisms. The Umbrella Crab is perhaps the rarest creature on this playlist, and very few people have found them in Victoria.
