Monte Bello Ridge and Stevens Creek
Map SatelliteThis large area is a prime example of the communities typically found on the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It includes one of the highest peaks in the range, Black Mountain, as well as a portion of the San Andreas Rift Zone. Chaparral, mixed evergreen and redwood forests, grasslands and riparian associations are found in the region.
Mixed evergreen and redwood forests with Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, and redwood, Sequoia sempervirens, the respective dominants, together with bay, Umbellularia californica, and madrone, Arbutus menziesii, cover most of the area. There are excellent riparian stands along Stevens Creek and some of its tributaries, with sycamore, Platanus racemosa, big-leaf maple, Acer macrophyllum, and white alder, Alnus rhombifolia, the main elements.
Five oak--scrub, coast live, valley, interior live and canyon, Quercus berberidifolia, Quercus agrifolia, Quercus lobata, Quercus wislizenii and Quercus chrysolepis--are found in the region, the first being one of the major chaparral constituents. The rare Ceanothus ferrisae is found in the serpentine chaparral.
Animal life is abundant.
In the rift zone there are sag ponds, pressure ridges and other related features. The ridge is composed of rocks of Franciscan formation which here includes some fine-grained limestones. Southwest of the fault the rocks are lower Miocene marine sedimentaries, primarily sandstones and shales of the Vaqueros formation, with some Miocene volcanics.
There are five year-round springs in the area.
Integrity: Portions of the area have been logged or grazed. However, much of the area is virtually undisturbed. It is bounded by Skyline Boulevard and there are several buildings in the area. A cement plant is located nearby.
Use: Research, educational, observational, present. Substantial portions are private.
Ref: Thomas, J. H. 1961. Flora of the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif., 434 pp.
April 1977
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman