San Emigdio Mesa

(Parikh 1993a, Phillips 1998e)

Location
This established RNA is located on Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County. It is approximately 83 miles (133 km) from Santa Barbara. The RNA lies within the Chumash Wilderness of the Mount Pinos Ranger District. Its boundaries include portions of sections 7, 8, 12, 13, and 18 of T8N, R22W (34°48'N., 119°15'W.), USGS Apache Canyon and Sawmill Mountain quads (fig. 147). Ecological subsection ­ Northern Transverse Ranges (M262Bb).

Target Element
Pinyon-Juniper Woodland

Distinctive Features
The pinyon-juniper woodland type is rare within the Region 5 RNA network. Dwarf oak (Quercus turbinella ssp. californica) occurs with the pinyon-juniper woodland throughout the RNA and can be considered a co-dominant species in many areas. Most of the vegetation of the RNA is located on a large alluvial fan in a transition zone between cismontane and desert communities in S. California. Some of the species occur outside their typical ranges.
In addition to the pinyon-juniper woodland, the RNA supports a variety of other habitats including cushion-plant lower montane flats, a mesa, rocky canyons, washes, creeks, alluvial terraces, and a wetland spring and meadow area.

Rare Plants: Lemmon¹s xerasid (Syntrichopappus lemmonii) (CNPS List 4) occurs in the RNA, 75 miles (121 km) outside its previously documented range. The California jewel flower (Caulanthus californicus) (CNPS List 1B) has been reported in nearby canyons but was not sighted in the RNA.

Rare Fauna: The RNA falls within the breeding region of the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus), a Federally- and State-listed endangered species.

Archeological: Open-air campsites and historic rock-art sites occur on the slopes below San Emigdio Mesa and at lower elevations in Apache Canyon and nearby washes.
Fire History: No major fires have been recorded since 1912. Risk of major damage due to fire is currently low because understory is sparse and fuel load is low in the stands.

Physical Characteristics
The area covers 1200 acres (486 ha) with an elevation of 4500-5800 ft (1372-1767 m). Most of the RNA in the E. part is composed of an alluvial fan dissected by many intermittent streams and gullies. The RNA is part of the Transverse Ranges in the South Coast Drainage Basin. It is bordered on the E. by the Mount Pinos region and on the W. by Cuyama Valley.

The RNA is bounded by faults on its N., S., and W. sides. It is composed of Mesozoic Era (Jurassic Period or older) granitic intrusive igneous and metamorphic rocks and Cenzoic Era nonmarine sedimentary rocks and alluvial deposits. The top of the mesa is made up of Quarternary Period surficial sediments (coarse fan gravel of granite and metamorphic rocks embedded in a sandstone matrix). The area along the W. boundary is composed of folded rock (alluvial gravel, sand, and some clay) from the lower part of the Morales formation. Portions of the S. boundary area are composed of clays, sandstone, and conglomerates of the Quatal formation.

Soils belong mainly to the Morical-Supan-Green Bluff families association (10-60 percent [6-31°] slope, 0-7 inches [0-17.8 cm] deep, dark brown to dark grayish brown gravelly or sandy loam). The remaining soils fall into the Los Robles-Trigo families-Orthents association (30-60 percent [17-31°] slope, 0-10 inches [0-25.4 cm]deep, light yellowish brown sandy to gravelly loam) and the Orthents-Fluvents complex (0-15 percent [0-9°] slope, 0-14 inches [0-35.5 cm] deep, pale brown to light yellowish brown coarse sandy loam).

Two nearby weather stations, Apache Camp and Chuchupate Ranger Station, have mean annual precipitation (1951-1960) of 8.7 inches (22.0 cm) and 11.1 inches (28.1 cm), respectively. Temperature data are not available. Nevertheless, for the pinyon-juniper woodland region, the mean summer maximum temperatures range from 88 to 95 °F (31-35 °C), and the mean winter minimum temperatures range from 20 to 30 °F (-7 to -1 °C), with 150-250 frost-free days per year.

Association Types
Pinyon-Oak-Juniper Woodland (72210/72220): The RNA is almost exclusively dominated by this association type (fig. 148), containing a homogeneous distribution of even-aged, open stands of low trees with shrubs in between. One-needle pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) is the dominant tree species. Pinyon pines range from 6 to 65 ft (1.8-20 m), but most are 10 to 30 ft (3-9 m) tall. Dbh values vary from about 1 to 30 inches (3-76 cm), the average being about 7 inches (18 cm). Mean basal area is 0.43 ft2/acre (0.10 m2/ha). Density of adult pinyon pines is about 91 trees/acre (225 trees/ha), with the basal cover being 40 ft2/acre (9.3 m2/ha).

The major shrub species are dwarf (scrub) oak and California juniper (Juniperus californica). Dwarf oak is the dominant shrub at high elevations and on N. exposures. Juniper occurs more at lower elevations and on W. and S. exposures. Juniper heights range from 6 to 16 ft (1.8-5 m), and density is 17 trees/acre (42 trees/ha). Very few juniper saplings were counted, and no seedlings were found. In contrast, oaks had the highest number of saplings and seedlings.

Other major understory shrub species found on flat alluvial washes and terraces include Artemisia tridentata, Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. hololeucus, and Haplopappus linearifolius. The understory in most places also is dominated by perennials such as Lupinus excubitus var. austromontanus, L. formosus, Eriogonum fasciculatum ssp. polifolium, E. wrightii ssp. subscaposum, and Penstemon centranthifolius. At higher elevations at the top of the mesa, low cushion plants such as Eriogonum kennedyi and Astragalus purshii var. tinctus are found in gravelly or rocky soil.

Wetland Meadow (45100): This association type occurs in a small area at Cienega Spring in the NW. part of the RNA. It is composed of species from both wetter and drier wetland habitats. The dry-meadow wetland community is dominated by Juncus spp. and Carex spp. The wetter areas contain Scirpus spp., Eleocharis spp., Mimulus guttatus, Veronica americana, and Ranunculus cymbalaria.

Plant Diversity
One hundred six species of vascular plants are listed.

Conflicting Impacts
The entire RNA lies within the Apache Canyon grazing allotment, which is currently grazed between June 1 and October 31. Grazing is the only major disturbance in the W. section of the RNA; it is most intense in the Cienega Spring meadow area and at the base of the nearby washes. Wetlands are rare in the RNA, but they contain a unique assemblage of desert transitional and lower montane plant species. Grazing should be discontinued or severely restricted to protect and preserve this habitat.

Nettle Spring Campground (approximately 1 mile [1.5 km] W. of the RNA) is the only campground in the vicinity that is open to the public. Only light recreational activities associated with camping and some hunting and target practice go on immediately outside the RNA. Recreation within the RNA is limited largely to off-trail hiking and bird watching.
74. San Joaquin Experimental Range (no ecological survey, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station 1971)

Location
This established RNA is on the San Joaquin Experimental Range, near the town of O¹Neals, Madera County, approximately 28 miles (45 km) N. of Fresno. It is within the E1/2 of section 6 T10S, R21E MDM (37°06'N., 119°43'W.), USGS Millerton Lake West quad (fig. 149). Ecological subsection ­ Lower Granitic Foothills (M261Fc).

Target Element
Blue Oak-Foothill Pine (Quercus douglasii-Pinus sabiniana)

Distinctive Features
The blue oak-foothill pine woodland (71410) is representative of the vegetation type typical of most of the granitic foothills on the E. side of the San Joaquin Valley from Madera County southward. This RNA has been maintained as a research area since 1934 and has been associated with research studies on the Experimental Range since that date. From 1935 to 1965, 192 publications relating to research done on the Experimental Range were released. The Range scientists maintain a zoological collection as well as an herbarium. Basic weather data have been collected since 1934. The RNA provides opportunities for studying the impact of livestock grazing and fire on annual plants. Permanent photo stations and vegetation sampling transects (installed in 1992) exist at the Range.

Physical Characteristics
The area covers 70 acres (28 ha). Its topography consists of rolling hills with gentle slopes. Elevations range from 1065 to 1200 ft (325-366 m). The soil is mostly Ahwahnee coarse sandy loam with small inclusions of Hanford coarse sandy loam and Visalia coarse sandy loam. Mean annual precipitation is 19 inches (4835 mm), and mean monthly temperatures vary between 41.9 and 80.4 °F (5.5-26.9 °C).

Association Types
Foothill Pine-Oak Woodland (71410) and Non-Native Grassland (42200): Vegeta-tion cover of the RNA is open woodland (foothill pine, blue oak, and Quercus wislizenii) with shrub and annual plant understory (fig. 150). Ceanothus cuneatus, Arctostaphylos mariposa, Bromus mollis, B. rigidus, Festuca megalura, and Erodium botrys are among the more important nontree species. There is no map of vegetation cover.

Fire History
The last fire occurred in the area around 1929.

Grazing History
In the late 1800s, domestic livestock grazed the area heavily. The RNA has not been grazed since 1934.

Plant Diversity
Three hundred and nineteen species are identified for the whole San Joaquin Experimental Range. There is no specific plant list for the RNA.

75. Sawmill Mountain (Parikh 1993b)

Location
The Sawmill Mountain recommended Research Natural Area is on Los Padres National Forest in N. Ventura and S. Kern counties. It lies immediately W. of Mount Pinos, SE. of Cerro Noroeste (Mount Abel), just W. of San Emigdio Mesa, and occupies parts of sects. 25 and 36 T9N, R22W; sects. 30 and 31 T9N, R21W; sects. 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, and 14 T8N, R22W; and sects. 7 and 17 T8N, R21W MDBM (38°48'N., 119°10'W.), USGS Sawmill Mountain quad (fig. 151). Ecological subsection ­ Northern Transverse Ranges (M262Bb).

Target Element
Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi) Forest

Distinctive Features
The flora here is mainly derived from the Sierran forest of the West American element of the Arcto-Tertiary geoflora. The pine belt in S. California is similar to the S. Sierra Nevada: many of the high-elevation, montane species with disjunct distributions have affinities with the Sierran flora. Many other species present here are transitional between drier, interior desert flora and montane flora from wetter, cooler regions.

Rare Plants: Monardella linoides ssp. oblonga is on CNPS List 1B; Delphinium parishii ssp. purpureum (D. parryii ssp. purpureum in Hickman [1993]), Frasera neglecta (Swertia n. in Hickman [1993]), and Lupinus elatus are all on CNPS List 4.

Rare Fauna: The region is a part of the breeding habitat of the Federally- and State-listed endangered species California condor (Gymnogyps californianus).

Physical Characteristics
The area encompasses about 3800 acres (1539 ha). Elevations range from 6250 feet to 8750 feet (1905-2667 m) at the summit of Sawmill Mountain. Although many small peaks, high ridges, and rocky outcrops are included, the rRNA consists mainly of steep slopes, narrow drainages, seeps, springs, meadows, and some drier, wider washes. Grouse Mountain, W. of the summit, is also included. The rugged slopes of Sawmill Mountain drain N. to San Emigdio and Cuddy creeks and W. by way of Dry and Apache canyons to the Cuyama River. To the S., they drain by Lockwood and Piru creeks into the Santa Clara River.

The Mount Pinos mountains are granitic intrusive igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Mesozoic and, perhaps, the Precambrian eras. The northernmost edge of the rRNA is composed of Precambrian to Mesozoic Pelona schists, and the N. slopes of Sawmill Mountain and its summit are made up of gneissic rocks of similar age, primarily banded biotite-quartz-feldspar gneiss with some granitic rocks. A vein and small outcrop of mylonitic rocks of the same age have been mapped in the N. part of the rRNA. These metamorphic rocks are covered in places by Quaternary landslide rubble of Pleistocene or recent Holocene epochs. Mesozoic or older granitic rocks are present in most of the area S. of the summit and in a small section N. of the summit.

The granitic bedrock has decomposed in most areas to form slightly acidic soils. Bedrock outcrops are evident on ridges, rises, and actively eroding sites. Soils belong to the Hades-Ginser-Ola families association, the Kilburn-Wrentham-Supan families association, and the Los Gatos-Kilburn-Panamint families association.

No climate data are available from the rRNA. Average precipitation in the S. California montane coniferous forest region ranges from 35 to 60 inches (89-152 cm), and the growing season is 3-7 months. Snowfall occurs at higher elevations and is often heavy; summer thundershowers also occur. Summit snow-depth records maintained by the Forest Service report averages of 32.4 inches (82.3 cm) of snow on March 1 and 18.2 inches (46.2 cm) on April 1. Average annual temperature in the area ranges from 50 to 60 °F (10-15 °C), with a large range in annual temperature.

Association Types
The point-centered quarter method was used to sample forest vegetation types.
Jeffrey Pine Forest (85100): No acreage is given. The target vegetation type, Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) forest, occurs as a fairly homogenous, dense distribution of large trees (particularly large on slopes adjacent to drainages) with a varied understory at different locations (fig. 152). This species dominates drier slopes and S., E., and W. exposures, which receive more sunlight. Heights of trees range to 131 ft (40 m). Soils are generally finer than the denuded gravelly soils near the summit. White firs may occur rarely. Understory varies in density, and typical components are Chrysothamnus vicidiflorus, Lupinus elatus, Ribes cereum, and Symphoricarpos parishii. Annual species are present in spring and summer.

White Fir Forest (85320): No acreage is given. Fine and moist soils with a thick litter cover on steep and shady N. slopes are covered by white fir (Abies concolor) forest, with a lower, denser, and more closed crown cover than the Jeffrey pine forest. Tree height ranges up to 98 ft (30 m). The understory is generally not dense; it is composed of species such as Delphinium parishii ssp. purpureum, Erysimum capitatum, Ribes cereum, Viola purpurea, and a host of summer annuals.

Jeffrey Pine-White Fir Forest (85210): No acreage is given. Less steep N. slopes with E. and W. exposures are dominated by a mixed forest of Jeffrey pine and white fir. One or the other species dominates locally depending on soil moisture and exposure. The understory appears to be dominated by species from the Jeffrey pine forest type. Although limber pine (Pinus flexilis) occurs relatively frequently and with some abundance at Mount Pinos on N. slopes, it is found only occasionally at higher elevations in the Sawmill Mountain rRNA, on gently sloping, relatively open summit flats, outcrops, and ridges. Limber pine appears to be absent where overstory is dense and can be considered a rare component of both white fir forest and mixed Jeffrey pine-white fir forest at Sawmill Mountain.

Montane Meadow (45100): Montane meadow vegetation is found in washes, drainages, springs, seeps, depressions, and concave slopes in the Sawmill Mountain rRNA. The meadows vary in size depending on microtopography, generally contain fine soils, and are covered with Juncus spp., Carex spp., and Eleocharis spp. Creeks at lower elevations are edged with a plant association made up of Cercocarpus ledifolius, Lupinus latifolius, and Salix lasiolepis. Montane meadows of both wet (45110) and dry (45120) subtypes occur within the rRNA. Species occurring in the dry meadow habitats include Equisetum laevigatum, Helenium bigelovii, Iris missouriensis, and Sisyrinchium halophilum. Plants found in wet meadow, spring, and seep habitats include Mimulus guttatus, M. moschatus, M. primuloides, and Potentilla glandulosa ssp. reflexa. The overstory in most of these areas is dominated by Jeffrey pine.

Southern California Fell-Field (91130): No acreage is given. At the highest elevations near the summit of Sawmill Mountain where overstory tree species are very sparse, low subalpine fell-field cushion vegetation is found in gravelly or rocky soil on gently sloping, open flats. Species include Astragalus purshii var. tinctus, Calochortus invenustus, Eriogonum kennedyi, and Sitanion hystrix, with scattered shrubby plants such as Chrysothamnus vicidiflorus.

Most locations in the Sawmill Mountain rRNA have an understory of scattered elements of rabbitbrush scrub and montane chaparral. Some species found here include Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. mohavensis, C. vicidiflorus, Ribes cereum, Eriogonum spp., Lupinus elatus, Penstemon speciosus, Castilleja applegatei, Achillea millefolium var. lanulosa, Eriophyllum confertifolium, and Ceanothus cordulatus. At elevations below 8000 ft (2438 m), scattered canyon live oaks (Quercus chrysolepis) begin to appear in the overstory of the Jeffrey pine forest. The oaks increase in abundance with decreasing elevations, where occasional one-needle pinyon (Pinus monophylla) also are found. This forest vegetation type of Jeffrey pines mixed with oaks and pinyon pines is particularly prevalent below 7500 feet (2286 m).

Plant Diversity
Ninety-three taxa are listed.

Conflicting Impacts:
The region has been mined for borates and gypsum in the past, but in general the potential for the presence of undiscovered mineral and petroleum resources is very low. The steep, rugged slopes of the rRNA probably preclude grazing altogether, and most recreational activities are restricted to the two main trails. Adverse impacts have not been observed at the area¹s two primitive campgrounds. An increase in mountain biking has been observed and should be discouraged in the area.

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