Glossary

In ecology, a pulse is a brief, concentrated burst of biological activity or resource availability — such as a bloom, a hatch, or a fruiting event — that wildlife depend on during critical seasonal windows. Pulses are time-limited and predictable, shaped by seasonal timing. Missing one can mean the difference between successful breeding and failure for species whose life cycles are synchronized to these events.

In the San Lorenzo Valley, the February bloom of Pink Flowering Currant is a pulse — arriving precisely when pollinators are most energy-depleted and colony founding is most at risk. The midsummer fruiting of Blue Elderberry is another — berries stripped clean within days by birds fueling up during the dry season.

« Back to Glossary Index