Maritime coast range ponderosa pine forest: Difference between revisions

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The maritime coast range ponderosa pine forests, also known as ponderosa sand parklands and ponderosa pine sandhills, are a rare temperate forest community consisting of open stands of a disjunct population of ponderosa pine growing on sandy soils in the Santa Cruz Mountains of north central coastal California. Limited to approximately 200 acres (81 ha), the only two known occurrences of this type are near the towns of Ben Lomond and Bonny Doon in Santa Cruz County.

Description

This forest type is restricted to very sandy Zayante soils that are isolated pockets of decomposing sandstone from the Miocene terraces of the coastal range, distinct from the volcanically formed rocks which make up most of the Santa Cruz Range. These soils are deemed to be relicts of once larger expanses found when this region was geologically even younger, and hence had more evidence of the sandstone erosion of the ancient uplifted ocean floor. Estimated to originally cover 6,000 acres (2,400 ha), 40% of this type has been lost, mostly to sand quarrying and development.

The forests occur on less than 200 acres (81 ha), consisting of open stands of Ponderosa Pine with occasional Knobcone Pine and Santa Cruz Cypress.

Fire historically played an important role in this habitat.

One of these three forests is located atop a ridge that straddles the Carbonera Creek and Zayante Creek watersheds^[1] of Santa Cruz County within the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The forests are home to three endemic insects and four endemic plants.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

References

^ USGS Quadrangle Map (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1980).
^ USFWS. Determination of endangered status for two insects from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Federal Register January 24, 1997.
^ "Plant Communities". Santa Cruz County California Native Plant Society.
^ "The Santa Cruz Sandhills". Sandhills Alliance for Natural Diversity.
^ Griffin, James R. (April 1, 1964). "Isolated Pinus Ponderosa Forests on Sandy Soils near Santa Cruz, California". Ecology. 45 (2): 410–412. Bibcode:1964Ecol...45..410G. doi:10.2307/1933863. JSTOR 1933863.
^ Fahey, Marilyn (April 13, 2012). "The Rare Santa Cruz Sandhills and the People who Love Them". Bay Nature.

External links

U.S. listing document for two endangered insects within maritime coast range ponderosa pine forests

37°04′01″N 122°03′13″W / 37.0670°N 122.0535°W / 37.0670; -122.0535

[1] USGS Quadrangle Map (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1980).

[fws-2] USFWS. Determination of endangered status for two insects from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Federal Register January 24, 1997.

[3] "Plant Communities". Santa Cruz County California Native Plant Society.

[4] "The Santa Cruz Sandhills". Sandhills Alliance for Natural Diversity.

[5] Griffin, James R. (April 1, 1964). "Isolated Pinus Ponderosa Forests on Sandy Soils near Santa Cruz, California". Ecology. 45 (2): 410–412. Bibcode:1964Ecol...45..410G. doi:10.2307/1933863. JSTOR 1933863.

[6] Fahey, Marilyn (April 13, 2012). "The Rare Santa Cruz Sandhills and the People who Love Them". Bay Nature.

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+{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
-'''Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forests''' are rare temperate forest assemblages associated with a limited range portion of the [[California]] [[Northern Coast Ranges]].  There are only three known small forests of this type, all situated in [[Santa Cruz County, California]]; moreover, the dominant tree species is the [[Ponderosa Pine]].  This sparse forest type thrives on very sandy [[Zayante]] [[soil]]s that are isolated pockets of decomposing [[sandstone]] from the [[Miocene]] terraces of the coastal range.  These forests are deemed to be [[relict]]s of once larger expanses found when this region was geologically even younger, and hence had more evidence of the [[sandstone]] [[erosion]] of the ancient [[uplift]]ed [[ocean]] floor.  One of these three forests is located atop a ridge that straddles the [[Carbonera Creek]] and [[Zayante Creek]] [[Drainage basin|watershed]]s<ref>USGS Quadrangle Map, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1980).</ref> of [[Santa Cruz County, California]] within the western slopes of the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]].  The forest in the Carbonera Creek watershed is also home to two [[endemism|endemic]] [[insect]]s whose narrow range is closely associated with the Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forests.<ref>[http://www.epa.gov/docs/fedrgstr/EPA-SPECIES/1997/January/Day-24/e1674.htm U.S. Federal Register listing for two endangered insects within Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forests]</ref>
+The '''maritime coast range ponderosa pine forests''', also known as '''ponderosa sand parklands''' and '''ponderosa pine sandhills,''' are a rare temperate forest community consisting of open stands of a disjunct population of [[ponderosa pine]] growing on sandy soils in the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]] of north central coastal California. Limited to approximately {{convert|200| acres}}, the only two known occurrences of this type are near the towns of [[Ben Lomond, California|Ben Lomond]] and [[Bonny Doon, California|Bonny Doon]] in [[Santa Cruz County, California|Santa Cruz County]].
+==Description==
+This forest type is restricted to very sandy [[Zayante soil]]s that are isolated pockets of decomposing [[sandstone]] from the [[Miocene]] terraces of the coastal range, distinct from the volcanically formed rocks which make up most of the Santa Cruz Range. These soils are deemed to be relicts of once larger expanses found when this region was geologically even younger, and hence had more evidence of the sandstone erosion of the ancient [[Tectonic uplift|uplift]]ed ocean floor. Estimated to originally cover {{convert|6000| acres}}, 40% of this type has been lost, mostly to sand quarrying and development.
+The forests occur on less than {{convert|200| acres}}, consisting of open stands of Ponderosa Pine with occasional [[Knobcone Pine]] and [[Santa Cruz Cypress]].
+Fire historically played an important role in this habitat.
+One of these three forests is located atop a ridge that straddles the [[Carbonera Creek]] and [[Zayante Creek]] watersheds<ref>USGS Quadrangle Map (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1980).</ref> of Santa Cruz County within the western slopes of the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]].
+The forests are home to three [[endemism|endemic]] insects and four endemic plants.<ref name="fws">USFWS. [http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr3039.pdf Determination of endangered status for two insects from the Santa Cruz Mountains of California.] ''Federal Register'' January 24, 1997.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Plant Communities |url=https://cruzcnps.org/plant-communities/ |website=Santa Cruz County California Native Plant Society}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Santa Cruz Sandhills |url=https://santacruzsandhills.com/overview.html |website=Sandhills Alliance for Natural Diversity}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Griffin |first=James R. |date=April 1, 1964 |title=Isolated Pinus Ponderosa Forests on Sandy Soils near Santa Cruz, California |journal=Ecology |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=410–412|doi=10.2307/1933863 |jstor=1933863 |bibcode=1964Ecol...45..410G }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahey |first=Marilyn |date=April 13, 2012 |title=The Rare Santa Cruz Sandhills and the People who Love Them |url=https://baynature.org/article/the-rare-santa-cruz-sandhills-and-the-people-who-love-them/ |website=Bay Nature}}</ref>
 ==See also==
-*[[Endangered arthropod]]
+*[[Ponderosa pine forest]]
+*[[Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve]]
+*[[Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park]]
 *[[High conservation value forest]]
+*[[Endangered arthropod]]
-*[[Ohlone]]
-*[[Zayante sandhills]]
 == References==
+{{Reflist}}
-<div style="font-size:90%;">
-<references />
-</div>
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.epa.gov/docs/fedrgstr/EPA-SPECIES/1997/January/Day-24/e1674.htm U.S. Listing document for two endangered insects within Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forests]
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010417231038/http://www.epa.gov/docs/fedrgstr/EPA-SPECIES/1997/January/Day-24/e1674.htm U.S. listing document for two endangered insects within maritime coast range ponderosa pine forests]
+{{Coord|37.0670|-122.0535|display=title}}
-{{coord missing|Santa Cruz County, California}}
 [[Category:Plant communities of California]]
 [[Category:Natural history of the California Coast Ranges]]
 [[Category:Geography of Santa Cruz County, California]]
-[[Category:Plants by habitat]]
 [[Category:Forests of California]]
 [[Category:Natural history of Santa Cruz County, California]]
-[[Category:Plant communities of the West Coast (U.S.)]]
+[[Category:Santa Cruz Mountains]]
-{{California-geo-stub}}