Bear Basin Butte Botanical Area

Located in Six Rivers National Forest, this botanical area contains a rich mosaic of vegetation types and species, some at or near their range boundaries. The mixture of California and Pacific Northwest montane species gives the area its unusual character. There is a variety of age classes for some types, ranging from early and mid-successional stages to near climax stands. Thirteen conifer species are found in this small area. Weeping spruce, Picea breweriana, and stands of mountain hemlock, Tsuga mertensiana, are found at the unusually low altitude of below 1,525 meters (5,000 ft.).

On the steep north slope of Bear Basin Butte there is a forest of mountain hemlock and noble fir, Abies procera. On the east slopes a mixed forest dominated by Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, but including white fir, Abies concolor, noble fir, Port Orford cedar, Cupressus lawsoniana, sugar pine, Pinus lambertiana, Western white pine, Pinus monticola, mountain hemlock, weeping spruce and Western yew, Taxus brevifolia, is more extensive.

On southerly exposures knobcone pine, Pinus attenuata, is found in a montane chaparral association which includes huckleberry oak, Quercus vaccinifolia, deer oak, Quercus sadleriana, tobacco brush, Ceanothus velutinus, bitter cherry, Prunus emarginata, cream bush, Holodiscus discolor, and the Western service berry, Amelanchier alnifolia. There are areas of white fir, weeping spruce, Western white pine and incense cedar, Calocedrus decurrens, representing early successional change from brush to forest, scattered in other areas of montane chaparral.

Local populations of weeping spruce occur on the open ridges where the montane chaparral species form the understory. This woodland also includes ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa, Jeffrey pine, Pinus jeffreyi, incense cedar, noble fir, white fir and Douglas fir. There are meadows in Bear Basin.

Integrity: This area is presently designated as a special use area in the Gasquet District, Six Rivers National Forest management plan. There is a low quality road through the area. Timber sales and cuts have already occurred adjacent to the area.

Use: Research, educational, light recreational.

January 1975