|
Map Satellite On the northern slope of the San Gabriel Mountains, facing the Mojave Desert, the broad, open canyon of Mescal Creek supports a variety of habitats including an unusual juniper woodland. Here a disjunct population of the Utah juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, is found in close association with the California juniper, Juniperus californica. These plants occur in the lower elevations. In the higher elevations there is a mixed conifer forest with three pines, pinyon, Jeffrey and ponderosa, Pinus monophylla, Pinus jeffreyi and Pinus ponderosa, respectively, and the big-cone Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga macrocarpa, as the dominants. Bordering the creekbed is a sagebrush scrub community. Among the characteristic plants are the sagebrushes Artemisia tridentata, Artemisia arbuscula ssp. nova, blackbush, Coleogyne ramosissima, rabbit brush, Chrysothamnus nauseosus, saltbushes, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex canescens, antelope brush, Purshia glandulosa, and Tetradymia axillaris. Animals are abundant and include, among others, badger, Taxidea taxus, ringtail, Bassariscus astutus, grey shrew, Notiosorex crawfordi, desert night lizard, Xantusia vigilis, and the California legless lizard, Anniella pulchra. Integrity: There are no roads or trails within the area and off-road vehicles are excluded. Use: Educational, research, observational. September 1975
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2008 Steven Louis Hartman
|
