Plant Galls - Discover Their Hidden World

Discover the hidden world of plant galls—fascinating structures formed by plants in response to insects, mites, and fungi—with a close-up look at the rich biodiversity of Mount Diablo State Park. This presentation explores the unique relationships behind these natural marvels, their hosts, and organisms that depend on them, highlighting local host species like blue oak, canyon live oak, and coyote brush, along with the distinct gall-makers that call Mount Diablo home, including apple galls, jumping galls, and urchin galls. Attendees will gain a fresh perspective on the park's oak woodlands and chaparral ecosystems, learning how to spot and identify these miniature inhabitants on their next hike.

Joyce Gross does web and database development for the UC Berkeley Natural History Museums. She has been chasing plant galls for 20 years in the Bay Area and many other parts of California -- and sometimes beyond. She is a co-author of the 2020…