The state has 12 geomorphic ("earth form") provinces. These boundaries are defined as areas that have consistent climates and topography, which in turn influence the animals and plant species found in the vicinity.

Sierra Nevada (jagged range)

The Sierra Nevada mountain range is approximately 400 miles long and 50 miles wide. The range is composed of granitic rocks know as batholith. In geological terms, the Sierra Nevada range is very new and is still rising above the central valley below. It is estimated that the majority of the range has been uplifting for the last 10-12 million years. However, most of the mountains were created in the last three million years.

The majority of the uplifting is occurring on the eastern slopes with the top of the old granitic rocks located on the western slopes. Mount Whitney is tallest peak (14,496 ft) in the Sierra Nevada range and it is the tallest mountain located in the lower 48 states.

Most of the vegetation on the Sierra Nevada Mountains is found on its western slopes. This is because the majority of the rainfall is wrenched from the clouds before it reaches the eastern side of the mountains. As the weather fronts, from the Pacific Ocean, hit the Sierra Nevada they must rise to clear the range. As the air masses rise they condense and allow precipitation to fall on the western slopes. This reaction is called "rain shadow." The heavy rains on the western slope support large coniferous forests including trees like the Ponderosa Pine, White Fir, Sugar Pine, and Red Fir.

Many large rivers flow down the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range. These rivers are tapped and become the water supply for the central valley and the San Francisco Bay area. Additionally, the rivers that flow down the eastern slope are seized and diverted to the Los Angeles area.

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains are located in the northwest portion of California. The area is deeply divided by the Smith, Klamath, and Trinity rivers. Its highest mountain is Thompson Peak at 8,936 feet. An interesting factor pointed out in the reading, is that the range was once part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, but detached approximately 130 million years ago due to the movement of earth's crust. There are several subunits of the Klamath Mountain range, which include the Siskiyou, Salmon, Marble Mountains, and the Trinity Alps. The Trinity and Klamath rivers drain the mountain range. The lower reaches of the rivers have never been dammed and are the last free-flowing rivers in California.

Cascade Mountains

The Cascade Mountains are largely located in Washington and Oregon. However, the southern portion of a mountain range reaches into northern California. Like the Sierra Nevada they also block most of the rainfall east of the range. Between the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade an area known as the "Great Basin Desert" occurs, which will be discussed later. The two major peaks of the Cascade Mountains within California are Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta. It is estimated that the Cascade Mountains are even younger that the Sierra Nevada range at only five million years old.

Coast Ranges

The Coast Ranges are more than 500 miles long and rise up from the Pacific Ocean to almost 6,000 feet in height. Most of the rivers associated with the Coast Ranges flow northward and empty into the Pacific Ocean well north of where they began. The majority of the rocks found in the Coast Ranges are made up of ocean sediments. One of these rocks known as serpentine, which is green in color, has been designated as the state rock. What once were coastal terraces can now be observed on the Coast Ranges. Due to the extreme distance of the Coast Ranges the vegetation runs the gambit from the water loving Coast Redwood in the north to the drought tolerant chaparral in the south.

Transverse Range

The Transverse Range lies on an east-west axis, unlike most of the other ranges in California. The predominant ranges of the Transverse Mountains are the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, and the San Bernardino mountains. Again they are relatively new, forming mostly within the last three million years. However, the San Gabrils contain some of the oldest rocks in North America estimated to be 1.7 billion years old. Due to high the evaporation of the 30-40 inches of rain the mountains receives a year, only drought resistance plants survive in these mountains.

Peninsular Ranges

This range is located at the northern most ends of Baja California. It was once part of mainland Mexico, but broke off due to activity generated by the San Andreas Fault. The area is currently approximately 200 north of where it once began. It is being dragged along by the action of the San Andreas Fault as the western coastline moves north. The structure of the Peninsular Ranges compares to the formation of the Sierra Nevada. The western side is lusher due to higher rainfall and the eastern slope is steeper and drier. The main rivers that drain the ranges are the San Gabriel, Los Angeles, and the Santa Ana Rivers. All of the waters from these rivers provide water to the Los Angeles area. Fog, haze, and smog develop in the Los Angeles basin as the mountains trap the air masses.

Great Basin Desert

The Great Basin lies mainly in Nevada, but reaches into California on the east side of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges. The Great Basin in California is made up of two geomorphic provinces - the Modoc Plateau and the Basin-Range Province. The northern most part of the Great Basin in California is the Modoc Plateau, which is located east of the Cascades. The Basin-Ranges lie south and east of the Modoc Plateau. These areas are categorized as deserts as less than 10 inches of rainfalls each year. Some rare species grow in the mountains of the Great Basin. One such species is the Washoe Pine, which only grows in California and a small area of Nevada. The ranges of the Great Basin contain trees that are thought to be the oldest living things - the Bristlecone Pines in the White Mountains.

Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert is located in the southeastern portion of California. The San Andreas and Garlock faults border it. As the average elevation in the Mojave Desert is 3,500 feet, it is called the "high desert." However, Death Valley, the lowest point in the United States, is located in the Mojave Desert. The Joshua Trees, which are not present anywhere else naturally, are located on the upper slopes of the mountains of the desert. Also found in the Mojave Desert is the Creosote Bush. This bush is the most common shrub in California. One of these shrubs maybe the oldest living thing and it has been tentatively dated at 11,700 years old.

Colorado Desert

On the other end of the spectrum in elevation is the Colorado Desert, called the "low desert." The Salton Trough is located in the Colorado Desert. The trough is 274 feet below sea level. The Salton Sea is found at the lowest level of the trough, which is the largest inland body of water in California. The Colorado Desert has the distinction of being the warmest desert in California.

Great Central Valley

The Great Central Valley lies between the Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada range. It is over 500 miles long and 40 miles wide. Sediments deposited by the run off of the many rivers passing though to the Pacific is said to be thousands of feet deep. Within the Great Central Valley the delta once created by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers has been drained and now represents one of the richest agricultural region in the world. Since the Great Central Valley is basic a desert, water must be pumped in to irrigate this huge 750-square mile area. The ecological impact of converting the desert land to farmland is still being calculated.

The basic overview of chapter 1 includes the topography and geomorphic regions that are characteristic of ten different landscapes; they are as follows: Sierra Nevada, Klamath Mountains, Cascade Mountains, Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin Desert, Mojave Desert, Colorado Desert, and the Great Central Valley. Each of these landscapes are different, and describe the natural changes effected by climate and how climate influences effect the distribution of plants and animals.

California is made up of many regions. There are mountains, desert, ocean, and hill side each with unique plants, animals, and a story to tell. The topography (place picture) and geomorphic (earth form) vary between regions in California creating a diverse landscape and mountain regions unique to our beautiful state.

Sierra Nevada

The words mean jagged, snowy range and is the highest peak in the 48 contiguous

states. Along its western slope there are faults that have created a major

source of gold

and silver. This mountain range is where both the ⤜Mother Lode Countryâ¤*

where rich

gold mining has been lucrative. Near this gold country is the ⤜Mother Lode

Faultâ¤*. The

Western slope receives considerably more precipitation than the Eastern

Slope. Owens Valley is the westernmost part of the desert region known as the Great Basin

which

extends all the way to the Rocky Mountains. Large rivers flow down from the

Sierra

Nevada mountain and provide water to the Great Central Valley and the San

Francisco

Bay Area and Southern California. This great, scenic, and beautiful mountain

range and

water resource is the provider of water for California and its wealth. This

water resource

has made California agriculture and industry successful. The economy is

based on the

water that comes from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Another unique aspect of

this range

is its un-ventured terrain. Because much of the mountainside is rugged it is

not possible to

bring vehicles and as such is only open for hiking and horse back riding.

With so much of

California pavement and steel it is nice to know that the Sierra is

protected. Living in the

streams in his area is a unique fish. The golden Salmon is the California

fish and can only

be found in the Sierra streams that escaped glaciation.

Klamath Mountains

This mountain range is probably the least accessible and least known

mountain

range. There are three river systems that flow through this mountain range:

the Smith,

Klamath, and Trinity Rivers. The geological region has a similar picture to

that of the

Sierra Nevada Range. There is heavy precipitation, fog and mild temperatures

that make

forests comparable to that of Alaska and Canada. Parts of the Klamath and

Trinity are the

only places in California left for Salmon and Steelhead to spawn because the

lower

regions have not been blocked by damns. This region of mountains is another

amazing

addition to California and its wildlife.

Cascade Mountains

These mountains are the end of a long range of volcanic mountains.

Mountains

like Shasta and Lassen make up this area and their towering heighth creates a

major

barrier for the flow of moist air and is responsible for the rain shadow on

the Great Basin.

Mount Lassen and Shasta both have bald peaks surrounded by coniferous forests

mainly

ponderosa pine. It is a fairly young group of mountain only dating back

about five million

years. Run off from the mountain flows into the pit river which now feeds

Shasta

reservoir providing water to parts of California.

Coast Ranges

These mountains run NW to SW along the coast with he Northern and

Southern

ranges separated by the San Francisco Bay. Serpentine (the state rock) can

be found in

these ranges. This unique rock as it degrades gives rise to many unique

plants and animals

that can only live where the ground is specialized and impoverished.

Combination of

changing sea levels and tectonic forces has produced the step like appearance

along this

range. Heavy fog creates an environment characteristic of plants including

those that

require fire to open cones and promote seed dispersal. The north facing

sloped are cooler

and have oak woodlands where as other areas have Redwoods (the state tree).

These

mountains are what has created the environment in the valley that is

conducive to growing

large crops of grapes and creating some of the worlds best wine.

Transverse Ranges

San Andreas fault has caused uplift in these regions. There is reduced

erosion

from smaller amounts of precipitation. The Santa Monica, San Gabriel, San

Bernardo,

and the Channel Islands are all in this region. These mountains in this

range are the

southernmost glaciers in California. Another interesting fact about

mountains in this range

is that it contains some of the oldest rocks in North America. The sides of

these

mountains are covered with Chaparral (a drought tolerant scrub vegetation)

because

evaporation is so extreme even great perception still does not allow much of

the water to

percolate into the ground. Dry brushlands in this region cause extreme fire

hazard but are

necessary for the organisms living in this region.

Peninsular Ranges

Transmontane (on the other side of the mountain) is what most of this is

to many

people living in California. The San Andreas fault runs near this range

impacting the

terrain here. Before human activities were undertaken to prepare the area

for

⤜developmentâ¤* most of the marshy grassland was not conducive to civilization

as we

know it now. Beneath the basin are parallel faults making this area ⤜

Earthquake Countryâ¤*

The basin traps many pollutants including byproducts of fuel combustion that

create photo

chemical smog visible from the tops of the mountains.

Great Basin Desert

Deserts are regions that receive less than ten inches of precipitation

per year.

Northernmost of the three deserts and made up of the Modoc Plateau and Basin

Range

Province. The Modoc Plateau was formed by a series of lava flows from 25

million years

ago. The White Mountain is in this region and is the third highest in the

state. Owens

Valley is the trough between the Sierra Nevada and the White Mountain peaks

towering

about two miles on wither side of the valley. Sage brush is the primary

shrub and

overgrazing has altered the area because the compact soil has made it

impossible for water

to percolate through the ground. Along with the grazing, mining has also

altered the

environment causing unalterable changes and pollution that only with time

will we see a

possible recovery.

Mojave Desert

This is the high desert. An interesting plant in this area is the

Creosote Bush that

over many thousands of years have formed rings. The Joshua Tree national

Monument is

in this region as well as the limestone in the Mitchell Caverns and the Kelso

Dunes (the

highest fields of sand in North America make this region a very unique one.

Colorado Desert

Salton Trough is a deep valley in this region running 274 feet below sea

level. The

Salton Sea is the largest inland body of water in the state. This region,

like many in

California, runs near the San Andreas Fault. The painted Gorge near El

Centro has deeply

eroded lake bed formations from many years ago. These formations were made

when he

rivers changed direction. Cacti and trees in this area consist of the smoke

tree which is a

greyish, leafless and stalk like shrub with long spiny whiplike branches. It

outlines the

Sonoran Desert and is a Octillo. This desert is the warmest in California

and contains the

Anza Borrego Desert State Park.

Great Central Valley

500 miles long and 40 miles wide this valley contains oil wells and

aqueducts that

carry water from the Sacramento River and San Juaquin Rivers to create a rich

agricultural region. Because of the water this region has been transformed

from dry grass

land to production cotton, rice, alfalfa, olives and many other crops. Low

precipitation in

this region may classify it as a desert but fog due to air at night from

nearby mountains

keep this area fresh. Overgrazing in this area has also impacted the area

and native

vegetation has been replaced by weds. The contaminated bodies of water from

mining as

well as population growth has had an impact on the lives of animals living in

this region.

California is made up of so many unique regions it is upsetting the

damage we

have caused to the natural environment we live in. It would be ideal if we

could live in an

area and rather than harvest the earth live with it in a mutually beneficial

relationship.

Chapter One in the book, A Natural History of California is an attractive explanation of California's diverse natural regions. It is amazing to

think of all the diversity between the ten regions of California, from the mountains to the desert. It is hard to believe one state can have so

many regions that are completely different from each other, from their climates to living organisms. One of the most fascinating things I learned

about California is it holds the highest mountain in the contiguous 48 states (Mt. Whitney in the Sierra Nevada's) and the lowest point in the U.S.

(Mojave).This fact showed me that California holds many diverse natural wonders.

California is a complex geographic unit. It is a mixture of mountains and valleys cut through by major faults. It has more climatic and topographic

variation than any other region of comparable size in the US. California also has great range of climates (24 different climatic zones), and the

range in temperature is also extreme.

California has more endemic species than any area equivalent to size in North America. It has 5000 native plants, 1/3 of which occur naturally

nowhere else. California in addition to having the greatest number of unique organisms has the highest number of threatened species. About

608 kinds of plants are considered to be threatened with extinction

The Sierra Nevada Range:

In 1872 the fault on the eastern wall of the Sierra Nevada Range experienced one of the largest earthquakes in the history of this area.The

western slopes receive much precipitation as the pacific air lifts to cross the range. As the air lifts it cools to turn into water droplets before it can

make it across the range. Most of the water used in Southern California comes from the Sierra

Nevada. The trout that now inhabit the lakes of Sierra Nevada are not native. The western slopes of the Sierra Nevada have ponderosa pine,

white and red fir. It also cantains 13 peaks higher than 14,000 ft including Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the 48 contiguous states.

The Sierra Nevada, due to its geologic history, is unique among mountain ranges of the world. It is a large, jagged, glacier carved mass of

granite. The Sierra Nevada and its water provide California with not only beauty, but much needed water for agriculture, especially in southern

California. Due to its ruggedness large portions of the range are inaccessible to motor vehicles. The federal government has set aside tracts of

land that are only accessible by foot or horseback and created 3 national parks, Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon.

Klamath Mountains:

This is a vast area populated by Douglass fir. The three main rivers that chart the Klamath Mountains are the Smith, Klamath and Trinity. The

western most distance of these rivers are free flowing to allow the returning and spawning of salmon.The Klamath mountains are one of the

least known and least accessible mountain regions in the state and has been cut deeply by 3 river systems, the Smith, Klamath, and Trinity. The

geological picture of the Klamath Mountains is similar to that of the Sierra Nevada.

Cascade Mountains:

Both Lassen and Shasta Mountains are surrounded with Ponderosa pine. The tops of these mountains are covered with snow most of the

year.Cascade Mountains are the southern end of a long range of volcanic mountains. Its peaks Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta are 2 of

California's major peaks. Serpentine is found here. As serpentine deegrades it makes a specialized impoverished soil that is responsible for

supporting a unique assortment of plant species and diversity in Ca.

Transverse Ranges:

The southern slopes of these southern California ranges have a lot of Chaparral, a type vegetation that is very prone to catch fire. These lopes

get on average 30 - 40 inches of rain per year, but evaporation is so high here that plants that depend on high amounts of water to live, do not

exist here. The north facing slopes get even less rain because of the shadow effect, but evaporation is not as high and snow melts at lower

rate, which in turn gives way for other types of vegetation, such as a

coniferous one. These mountains lie on an east/west axis as opposed to North/south.

Peninsular Ranges:

Defined by active fault lines. The main waterways have been dammed to prevent flooding. These and the Transverse ranges surround the Los

Angeles Basin.

Great Basin Desert:

The great basin covers a large are of California and its main vegetation shrub is the Sage Bush. The climate here is different than in other parts

of California because of the snowfall. There are sub-alpine pinion pines, ponderosa and juniper pines here. The migration of humans to areas

of the desert have made considerable changes to the land with the existence of cattle that form trails that end up as arrollos formed by water

runoff. These deep scars in the land did not exist before man arrived here with

domesticated animals.The Great Basin Desert is the northernmost of the 3 eastern deserts. It is the largest in North America. Some of the

highest mountains in California are in the ranges of the Great Basin, and its climate differs from that of other California deserts because a large

proportion of its precipitations falls as snow.

The Mojave Desert:

The Mojave Desert is known for its Yucca or Joshua tree. There are a lot of Creasote bush in the flats and pine tree from which pines nuts

come in the higher parts of the desert. The Mojave Desert is a wedge shaped area lying between the San Andreas and Garlock faults. The area

extends eastward to southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. A large portion of desert terrain includes some of the most spectacular

geologic formations in North America.

The Colorado Desert:

Some of the vegetation here in the Colorado Desert in the same as in the Mojave such as Creasote bush. But in the upper slopes there is a

mixture of drought-deciduous shrub and succulent plants. Colorado Desert is called the "low desert" because it occupies the Salton Trough, a

valley which is 274 feet below sea level. The Colorado Desert is a subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. The Colorado Desert is California's

warmest desert. "Painted canyons" here show signs of old water lines and minersl sediments.

The Great Central Valley:

This is a large are used for agriculture of all kinds crops. The water used for irrigation come from the Sierra Nevada Ranges. Much of this area

gets thick layer of dense fog at night. Because of the use of pesticides and importation of exotic plant and animals to this area, it has made

irreparable changes. Natural resources are disappearing as a result of the unwise use of the land in this area. The soil is no more fertile without

the aid of fertilizers and pesticides to get rid of unwanted weeds.There are petrolium and natural gas deposits located underground here. I

found it very appropriate for the authors to end this chapter with the Central Valley. My reasoning is the powerful information they give on

human interference with the natural environment. This valley may contain many of California's agricultural resources, but something must be

done about the symptoms from overgrazing and the many toxins irrigation has produced within this region.

 All the regions contain many different species from each other even though they are in the same state a fact that is unbelievable to me.

When I travel within the state I am amazed at all the different plant and animals I see, from the coastal redwoods in the Coastal Regions, to the

sagebrush in the Great Basin Desert. Another aspect of California's regions that fascinate me is the many different Mountain ranges. When I

head towards Mt. Shasta or the Trinity Alps I am amazed at the different formations of the mountains compared to ours which are soft and

flowing. My family spent a week on a houseboat on Trinity Lake this summer. Every morning I would wake up to the Trinity Alps with spots of snow on them, quite different from waking up in Ukiah to hot brown rolling mountains.

   

      

         Dave Gebhard and the Konocti
         Krowd
      
   

Ecology describes organisms and their relationships with the environment

Literally ecology means house

• 24 climatic zones in California
• California Natural Heritage Section recognizes 300 communities
• Department of Fish and Game 178 major habitat types
• Munz and Keck 1959, recognizes 35 terrestrial communities
• 15 aquatic communities

5,000 native plants in California, one third are endemic

1,000 native vertebrate animals

540 birds, 214 mammals, 77 reptiles, 47 amphibians, 83 freshwater fishes (65 endemic),

The Nature Conservancy reports that 25% can no longer support its original plants and

animals

Since 1900, 65% of wetlands have been dredged, filled, or drained

608 kinds of plants are threatened to extinction

12 geomorphic provinces by California Division of Mines & Geology by rock type and

topography

Topography = place picture

Geomorphic = earth form

Sierra Nevada Range is 400 miles by 50 miles wide, one of the largest in the world

Sierra means saw or jagged range in Spanish

The Sierras are made up of a granite called Batholith and is a relatively new range and

still rising.

The uplift created the Sierra Nevada Range in the Sierra Nevada fault zone

The youthful Mother lode fault yielded the Gold Rush

Pacific air masses rise above the slopes of the ranges, cooling with elevation and

condensing water vapor. Therefore the western slope receives lots of precipitation.

The Eastern Sierra is a dry desert, ex: Owens Valley the western part of the Great Basin

The large rivers created by the runoff from the western side of the Sierras feeds several

river systems

The California Aqueduct feeds water from the Sacramento River and supplies both

farmers and the Los Angeles area through over 500 miles of canals.

The Los Angeles Aqueduct drains Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra to fill swimming

pools in La, La land

Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon parks, and the Western Sierra contain coniferous

forest: Ponderosa Pine, White Fir, Red Fir, Sugar Pines are the tallest pines in the world

The Redwood forests are the largest organisms that ever lived.

The high country along the Sierra crest contains bighorn sheep, ground squirrels,

marmots, pikas, and salamanders.

A colored descendent of the rainbow trout and is the state freshwater fish as it is the only

native species of trout. The Golden Trout existed in southern Sierra streams that escaped

glaciation.

Three river systems, the Smith, Klamath, and Trinity cut The Klamath Mountains

Rivers.

Heavy precipitation in the Siskiyou Mountains encourages the Douglas Fir.

• Alaskan Cedar and Silver Fir thrive because of the abundant rainfall. Extending

• Foxtail Pine are related to the Bristlecone Pine which grows on mountaintops of

• The Klamath and Smith rivers are the last of the free flowing rivers in California where the salmon can swim unimpeded without the aid of fish ladders to reach spawning grounds.
• These wild and scenic rivers include parts of the Eel, American, Tuolumne, Kings, and Kern Rivers.

The Cascade Mountains have two of the three highest mountains in California, going from the towering Lassen and Shasta, to Sutter Buttes, the miniature range in the central valley, which is the southernmost of the Cascade volcanoes.

• The mountains, Lassen and Shasta contain coniferous forests dominated by Ponderosa Pines.
• The cascade range is very young
• Snowcaps cover Lassen and Shasta all year long, Shasta has a spectacular glacier.
• The Cascades are drained by the Pit River, which now empty into the California Aqueduct.

The Coast Range extends 500 miles from the Oregon Border to the Santa Barbara area where they meet the Transverse Range. The Coast Range rises from near the coast to nearly 6,000 feet in places. The rivers flow northward into the Pacific ocean.

• San Francisco Bay cuts the Southern from the Northern ranges.
• Formed of ocean sediments in various stages.
• The Franciscan Formation is made up of various rocks, with green Serpentine which is now the state rock and supports the serpentine endemics.
• The southern coastal range has a granite core terminating in the Farallon Islands
• Northern displacement has moved the Franciscan along the San Andreas Fault.
• Coastal terraces are created by wave cut beaches by the rising of the sea.
• Age, soil, and climatic differences make these terraces distinct
• On the western slopes, cold water offshore creates a damp fog that nourishes the Redwood Forests.
• Impoverished soils nourish closed cone pines such as Bishop, Monterrey, and Knobcone, require periodic fires to open their cones and disperse their seeds making their dispersal extremely localized.
• Southern Coastal ranges exhibit chaparral dominating south facing hot slopes.
• Northern facing, cooler slopes are covered with evergreen-oak woodlands
• Southern California has a Mediterranean climate with hot, long dry summers.
• Encircling the great central valley are Blue Oaks and Digger Pines. This is the Foothill Woodland, which is characterized by a grassland understory. Much of this has been converted to ranchland and vineyards.

Transverse Ranges are recent batholiths, similar to the Sierra Nevada, but a series of faults created them east to west along the San Andreas.

• These are actually separate ranges due to faults separation, there are the Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and the Santa Monica mountains, which actually end at the Channel Islands.
• The Santa Barbara Channel is actually a drowned valley.
• Chaparral is drought resistant and faces southward receiving lots of sun.

   

• Slope effect is the evaporation due to the long-hot summers.

   

• Northern slopes are covered by coniferous forest, though receiving half the rainfall, it is in the rain shadow.
• Fire is necessary for the health of the chaparral and the wildlife that lives there, regretfully, people insist on building homes there.
• Floodplains and unstable slopes are often used for housing.

The Peninsula Ranges are located in Baja California just west of the San Andreas Fault which formed the Gulf of California, the Colorado Desert and the Salton Trough through continental drift.

Cismontane or this side of the mountains, includes the Los Angeles Basin is made up of the coastal side of the Peninsula and Transverse Mountains.

Transmontane or the other side of the mountains is made up of the desert slopes.

• Southern California is criss-crossed by active earthquake faults
• The Los Angeles Basin has always trapped fog, now smog and petrochemicals are swirling there unable to escape.

Great Basin Desert, deserts receive less than 10 inches of rain per year. \

• Two geomorphic provinces are included in the Great Basin, the Modoc Plateau and the Basin-Range.
• The Modoc Plateau was formed by lava flows about 25 million years ago.
• At four to five thousand feet, this is truly high desert.
• Overgrazing by cattle and sheep have altered the biotic nature of the plateau, because the plant cover is stripped thereby allowing the water to runoff instead of percolating down to the water table.

The Mohave Desert is a geomorphic province between the San Andreas and Garlock faults.

• At 3500 feet, it is also a high desert,.disregarding that its almost continguous with Death Valley, the lowest spot in the U.S.
• The surrounding mountain ranges contain Pinyon Pines and white firs on the peaks. Snow is not uncommon in the winter on the peaks.
• Desert Joshua Trees are yucca like and are endemic, not existing anywhere else.
• At lower elevations the most common shrub is the Creosote bush, named for its odor.
• The Creosote Bush grows in rings and just may be the oldest living thing having germinated at the end of the last Ice Age. Snow kills them…

The Great Central Valley is 500 miles long and 40 miles wide containing thousands of feet of sediments from the surrounding mountains.

• The 750 square mile Delta has some of the most arable soils in the world.
• The Delta has been drained and dyked for agriculture, ala Holland.
• The groundwater from the Delta is shipped to Southern California via the California Aqueduct .
• By virtue of Delta water the Great Central Valley desert has been stripped of its grasslands and converted into an exporter of cotton, rice, alfalfa, almonds, olives, and raisins.
• The Valley acts as a bowl to hold in fogs and smog.
• Ecologically, the valley is losing soil to erosion, wetlands are disappearing, salts and toxic minerals are accruing from animal waste and pesticides.
• San Francisco Bay has been accumulating a buildup of chemicals without the flushing that the natural flow from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers should bring.

Chapter 1 The Blue Herons Eugenie Steinman, Danielle Gobert, Stacy Holland , and Ann Mason

Sierra Nevada

The Sierra Nevada is one mountain range that extends for four hundred miles. Means snow covered jagged range. The range is made of granite that was sculpted by glacier action. John Muir and Ansel Adams made the scenery famous. Peaks along the crest of the range go up to 14,ooo feet. The Western slope of the Sierra receives over eighty inches of rain yearly. The eastern slope is drier and leads to the Owens Valley desert. Large rivers flowing down the western have been used to provide water for the great Central Valley agriculture industry. The High Sierra or what is called the high country sounds so beautiful and a place we would love to visit. A road goes through Yosemite then alpine meadows and thousands of lakes. Wild sheep marmots and other animals live in this area.

Klamath Mountains

The height is five thousand to seven thousand feet. Three rivers have gauged out form. They are Smith Klamath and Trinity. Forest is dense with Alaskan Cedar, Silver Fir Douglas Fir, which is lumbered. Three rivers drain into the Trinity. These rivers are the only ones where salmon can swim freely upstream. Wild and scenic status has been assigned to these rivers therefore no human activity can legally reduce their flow

Cascade Mountains

The Cascade mountains are in Northern California.. The two main peaks are Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta . These mountains are snow-covered all year round. The range in geologically young, many peaks younger then 5 million years and Mt. Lassen may only have emerged ten thousand years ago. Some of the rivers drain into the a Reservoir which is a commercial water project

Coast Ranges

The coast ranges go from the Oregon Border to the Santa Barbara area. Many rivers of the range flow north into the Pacific.Serpentine is one type of rock. Found in the range. It is distinctive because of it's silvery green color. There are high wave cut beaches along the coastal range. Fog drip waters the redwoods along the range. Fog drip helps too preserve the closed cone pines that depend on fire to open their cones and release the seeds. The hot southern slopes are covered with chaparral. The interior valleys are now pastures or agricultural lands.

Transverse

This range forms the Northern Border of the LA. basin. The snow-covered peaks can be seen in the city area. They are actually three ranges called, Santa Monica, San Gabriel and San Bernardino. There is also the San Inez range, which parallels the coast. These ranges lie on an east west access that is unusual for n. america..The north side gets very little rain and the brush that grows there bursts into flame very often.

Peninsular Ranges

These are the San Jacinto, Laguna and Aqua Tibia. The San Gabriel and Los angles rivers drain the mountains. As does the Santa Ana.They have all been dammed to protect the cities from flooding.

The Great Basin Desert

A desert, by definition, gets ten inches or less of precipitation per year. The great basin is the most north of the three eastern deserts in California.The Basin Range Province is south east of the Modoc Plateau. The Warner Mts. on the eastern part of the Modoc plateau can be over ninety five hundred feet. Here is found Mahogany Obsidian, which is a richly colored rock of browns black and orange. The Native Americans for manufacture of spear and arrow points prized this. This is one of the few deserts in California where snow is not uncommon. The most common shrub is Great Basin sagebrush. The Bristle cone pine in the White Mountains of the desert is over 4,000years old.

The Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert lies between the San Andreas and Garlock faults. It is referred to as the high desert as it is 3500 feet in elevation on an average. He basin extends to Death Valley, which is the lowest elevation in the U.S. There are Pinion Pines, which produce a type of pine nut. The Joshua Tree is endemic to this area and outlines the Mojave deserts. In lower elevations the Creosote Brush dominates. The Joshua Nationals monument is a Park that seems like one to visit. The scenery is supposed to be spectacular.

The Colorado Desert

This is a low desert that lies 274 feet below sea level. The Salton sea lies at the lowest point. This sea filled up in 1905 when an irrigation canal burst along the southern border. Irrigation runoff caused the sea to continue to expand and it now is the largest inland body of water in California.The painted Canyon and the Painted Gorge exhibit colorful layers of clay and silt. This is California's warmest desert. Succulent plants and deciduous shrubs grow in a Cactus Scrub. The desert in spring displays an exquisite exhibition of wild flowers.

Great Central Valley

The floor of this valley is composed of literally thousands of feet of runoff from the surrounding mountains. This sediment makes for very fertile soil that is perfect for many types of agriculture. The Sanguine and the Sacramento rivers join before entering the San Francisco Bay. This forms a delta that has been drained and converted to a rich agricultural area. In this way the arid areas of California have been converted to very successful agricultural lands. Native vegetation has been replaced and oveer grazing have been of ecological concern.

The Mama's and The Papa's: Tami Davenport, Paul McGuire, Tom Rawles, Shawna Todd

CA divided in to 12 geomorphic provinces.

Topography and Geomorphic refer to the shape of the land.

Shape of the earth influences climate. Climate influences the distribution of plants and animals.

Sierra Nevada is one of the largest single mountain range. Granitic rocks known as batholith

Mt. Whitney is the highest mountain at 14,496 ft. in the contiguous states.

Western Slope abundant precipitation. Dense coniferous forest. Sierra Redwoods which occur nowhere else in the world.

Eastern slope much drier

Owens Valley to the east, desert and in the Sierran "rain shadow". Owens Valley is the westernmost part of a vast desert region known as the Great Basin.

Three national parks in the Sierra Nevada: Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon

State freshwater fish is Golden trout and originated in the S. Sierra……..saw one of these fish and the yellow color is very distinct compared to other trout!

Klamath Mountains least accessible and least known mountain regions in the state.

Three river systems: Smith, Klamath, Trinity. Salmon and Steelhead are able to swim freely upstream int eh Klamath and Trinity. These rivers have a wild and scenic status.

 Dense forest trees listed pg. 5.

Cascade Mountains run north/south through WA, OR, and northern CA. A young range compared to others.

 Helps to form the "great stone wall" with the Sierra Nevada and together they are responsible for the rain shadow that has caused the Great Desert Basin.

 Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta are found here. Treeless peaks, surrounded by coniferous forest dominated with Ponderosa Pine, a prime importance for wood products.

 Sutter Buttes, a volcanic outcrop and the only structure of its kind in the Great Central Valley.

 Coast Ranges extend over 500 miles from near the OR border to the Santa Barbara area. The SF Bay separates the north and

south ranges from each other.

 Geologically very diverse. Serpentine found…..the state rock.

 The coastal side has a step-like appearance. Heavy fog. Plants depend on the fog drip for survival. ie: Coast Redwood/ the state tree. Other trees include cone-bearing types, which need fire in order to promote seed dispersal. (Pg. 7)

 S. Coast Range has chaparral due to hot weather. Long, dry summers/Mediterranean climate.

 N. Coast Range has evergreen oak woodland.

 Interior to the range is more woodland with well-spaced trees and a grassy understory. They have been converted to pasture and agriculture lands.

Transverse Ranges unique in that they lie in an east-west axis.

 Geologically complex. Ecologically unique.

 Form the northern border of the LA Basin. Visible from the basin are the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, and San Bernardino mountains.

 Mt. San Gorgonio is the highest peak in So. CA and found in the San Bernardino range, as well as Lakes Arrowhead and Big Bear.

 The San Gabriels contain some of the oldest rocks in N. America.

 Extension of the Santa Monica Mountains are the Channel Island.

 Santa Ynez Range is also a transverse range.

 Ecology: The Transverse Range is covered with chaparral (drought-tolerant) in the area that gets the greatest amt. of precipitation. This is because the slope faces south and receives direct sunlight>>> high evaporation. Known as "slope effect" Pg. 9.

 Northern side: coniferous forest extends almost to desert floor>>>rain shadow effect, but moister side of the mountains.

Peninsular Ranges form the northern end of the long peninsula known as Baja CA.

 Terms: cismontane/coastal side
transmontane/desert side

 North to south are the Jacinto Mtns., Santa Rosa Mtns., and Laguna Mtns.

 Mt. San Jacinto is the second highest peak in S. CA.

 The Peninsular ranges resemble the Sierra Nevada in shape.

 Western slopes have more vegetation and moisture. The eastern slope is steep and dry.

 Sediment in the LA Basin comes from runoff of the rivers in the Peninsular and Transverse ranges. The LA Basin is unstable in itself due to a series of parallel faults that run underneath it. The Basin is known as "Earthquake Country"

 The main rivers that drain into the LA basin are: San Gabriel, Los Angeles, and Santa Ana. Pg. 10

 Fog and Haze are trapped in the basin due to the surrounding mountains.

 Great Basin Desert is the largest desert in North America. Deserts will receive less than 10 inches of rain a year. The climate

in this desert differs from others in that it receives most of its precipitation from snowfall.

 Two geomorphic provinces are included in the Great Basin: The Modoc Plateau and the Basin-Range Province.

 The Modoc Plateau was formed by a series of lava flows. The Basin-Range Province is composed of a series of north/south valleys and mountain ranges associated with land movement.

 The Warner Mnts., on the eastern edge of the Modoc Plateau are significant in that mahogany obsidian is found there as well as the Washoe Pine. This is the only known location of this species of tree in CA.

 Most common shrub in the Great Basin is the Great Basin Sagebrush.

 Mojave Desert is referred to as the "high desert" due to the avg. elevation being 3500 ft. This desert extends into Death Valley which contains the lowest point in the United States.

 It lies between the San Andreas and Garlock faults.

 The Joshua Tree/ a treelike yucca is found in the upper gravel slopes of this desert. They outline the Mojave Desert and occur nowhere else naturally.

Creosote Bush, known for its distinct odor is found in lower elevations. It is a dominant shrub of warm deserts and probably the most common shrub in CA. One of the oldest living Creosote plants, dating back 11,700 yrs. was recently documented in the Mojave Desert.

Colorado Desert area in CA is called the "low desert". 274 ft. below sea level is the Salton Trough. At its lowest point is the

Salton Sea/alkaline water exists.

 The Salton Sea is the largest inland body of water in the state of CA

 California Fan Palms are present in the desert terrain.

Cacti and trees of the legume family ie: smoke tree are seen also.

 CA warmest desert.

 Best known for the spectacular displays of wildflowers in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

 Great Central Valley is located between the Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada. Approx. 500 miles long x 40 miles wide.

 Petroleum and natural gas deposits are found below the sediments of the valley floor.

 The confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers has formed a 759 sq mile delta. The draining of the delta has formed a rich agricultural region. Water is now diverted and pumped into the region to accommodate the farming practices.

 Ecologically there has been an impact to this desert area. The conversion of desert area to pasture and farmland has brought many changes; some good, some bad and these changes are still under debate.