Pygmy forest ecological staircase: description ... - State of California

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Introduction Along the coast of northern California, about 160 miles north of San Francisco, occur well-developed marine terraces that were carved by the sea ages ago and that have since been gently up lifted by geologic forces. The plateaus are scattered between Fort Bragg and Navarro River at various elevations in step-like fashion, but there is no better sequence than the five terraces that make up the Pygmy Forest Ecological Staircase along Jug Handle Creek. It has become a Mecca for naturalists, botanists, ecologists, pedologists (soil scientists), geographers and nature-oriented laymen. It is being praised as the best preserved ecological showplace of coastal landscape evolution anywhere in the northern hemisphere. It has been explored scientifically in many directions. The presentation here given follows the outline of topics proposed by the National Park Service for evaluating a Registered National Landmark. Location The Staircase is about five miles south of the city of Fort Bragg, and about the same distance north of the town of Mendocino. During summertime it is accessible by way of Gibney Lane (4.3 miles south of Fort Bragg) which traverses its entire length in winding course. During the rainy season the middle portion of Gibney Lane is not passable and the eastern portion of the Stair case is reached via Simpson Lane (2.3 miles south of Fort Bragg) and Mitchell Creek Road. 1.
----- Fig. I The five marine terraces south of Fort Bragg (5). Insert shows position and altitude of terraces along Jug Handle Creek (in red) where all five are well represented and preserved.
Page 2 and 3: A description aDdinterpretation pre
Page 4 and 5: Acknowledgement The Northern Califo
Page 8 and 9: Size The Staircase follows Jug Hand
Page 10 and 11: -
Page 12 and 13: as well as its extention into the c
Page 14 and 15: has already been offered for sale;
Page 16 and 17: t.. ::':":'.:..'.:::':;.~'~~UUI 1 n
Page 18 and 19: Fig. 4 Wave action near mouth of Ju
Page 20 and 21: common origin: the Graywacke sandst
Page 22 and 23: logging and agriculture had barely
Page 24 and 25: ) Ecosystem genesis on dunes When a
Page 26 and 27: Fig. 8 Old, highly weathered dune (
Page 28 and 29: As podsolization advances, the regi
Page 30 and 31: Fig. 10 Cane-like pygmy cypress wit
Page 32 and 33: Fig. 12 Left (check): barley seedli
Page 34 and 35: Fig. 14 Pyf!J!fYforest during rainy
Page 36 and 37: Fig. 16 Lushious vegetation in bott
Page 38 and 39: soil profile in his Arbor Day, and
Page 40 and 41: (13) Odum, E. P., 1972. Fundamental
Page 42 and 43: Species List of Pyf!JJlYForest incl
Page 44 and 45: Variations in depth to hardpan with
Page 46: podsolization (p. 14), the process

Pygmy forest ecological staircase: description ... - State of California

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?