Horse Mountain

On Horse Mountain there are extensive serpentine areas and outcrops. The dominant vegetation is a Jeffrey pine woodland with Pinus jeffreyi and some Western white pine, Pinus monticola, and sugar pine, Pinus lambertiana. There is also a stand, the southernmost, of Port Orford cedar, Cupressus lawsoniana. A portion of the area is montane chaparral which intergrades with the forest and includes such species as huckleberry oak, Quercus vaccinifolia, Garrya buxifolia, Arctostaphylos sp., Ceanothus prostratus and Ceanothus pumilus. The populations of the Ceanothus may be intregressing.

Two rare plants are found here, Antennaria suffrutescens and Lomatium tracyi, and this site is the type locality for the latter. There is also an excellent population of Cypripedium californicum.

Animal life is varied and is typical of the montane populations of the Sierras and Klamaths. Birds nesting here include Townsend's solitaire, Myadestes townsendi, green-tailed towhee, Chlorura chlorura, and the hermit warbler, Dendroica occidentalis.

Integrity: There is a microwave station atop the mountain, with an access road that also leads to a nearby ski area. There has been mining in the area; however, most of the forested portion is relatively undisturbed.

Use: Research, educational, observational. Some private.

August 1977