Point Reyes Ecosystems Field Trip

Introduction

The Point Reyes Peninsula juts out into the Pacific Ocean greeting the Gray Whales that pass by on their annual migration between December and April. Located just 30 miles north of San Francisco in Marin County, California, the geography of the peninsula is characterized by the earth's slow moving plate tectonics; human impact on the land; its mild Mediterranean climate; seasonal ocean currents; extreme microclimates; and, finally, time has played a critical role in carving out this mysterious fog drenched landscape (Evens 1993).

The Peninsula primarily consists of the Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales Bay State Park, privately owned dairy ranches, and the Town of Inverness. Situated at approximately latitude 38º N, it comprises over 100 square miles of biologically rich diversity including 60 plant species not found in the rest of Marin County (Evens 1993). It is defined by its distinct geographic boundaries, most notably, the San Andreas Fault and Inverness Ridge that run along its eastern flank.

In the following pages, we will examine the biogeography and natural history of the Point Reyes Peninsula. Starting with an overview of the Peninsula's geography including its geology, climate, distribution of plant communities, and its historical land use. From there, we will continue with our ecosystem field trip and visit the Bishop Pine forest, Douglas Fir forest, coastal scrub, prairie, beach and strand communities, marsh habitat, as well as, look at the damage caused by the 1995 fire. But, first, we will stop at Samuel P. Taylor State Park and explore the coastal Redwood forest just 5 miles east of Point Reyes National Seashore.