Here is a descpription of this project from the Point Reyes National Seashore website.

"When coho salmon and steelhead trout were placed on the threatened species list, the National Park Service initiated a five-year project to identify, evaluate, restore, and enhance coho and steelhead populations and their habitat within three West Marin parks, Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Muir Woods National Monument. The Coho and Steelhead Restoration Project is focusing on Pine Gulch, Redwood, Olema, and Lagunitas creeks and their watersheds.

The project has the following six objectives:

• To learn what may influence the reproductive success of coho and steelhead by looking at present stream conditions.
• To investigate past stream conditions and how these have affected populations of salmon and steelhead.
• To assess current coho salmon and steelhead abundance and distribution.
• To develop and implement a plan for restoring and monitoring the fish and their habitat.
• To inform the public and other resource managers.
• To encourage community involvement through education and restoration of the watersheds.

The benefits of this program extend far beyond these salmonids. Healthy streams and riparian systems in West Marin will protect habitat for a myriad of other aquatic and land creatures such as river otters, California freshwater shrimp (an endangered species), California red-legged frogs (a threatened species) and migratory songbirds that nest in creekside bushes and shrubs.

The success of this ambitious program depends on the active participation of the public, local community conservation organizations, adjacent landowners, and public agencies. By working together, we will lay the groundwork for sustainable and healthy streams, riparian zones, and watersheds."

My Salmon Fishing Experience

In the past I have fished for salmon off of the Point Reyes Peninsula. Back in the day the salmon were plentiful and within a few hours everyone on the boat would have caught his/her limits. (Limits for sport fishing were two 24’’ or larger fish per person per day.) The salmon often are found farther out in the earlier summer when the cool nutrient-rich water is off shore, during the l
ater months of the summer and into the fall, the salmon could be caught right off the beach where they fed. In the last couple of years people have been catching fewer and fewer salmon. This is due to a dramatic decrease in salmon populations, which has resulted in a ban on salmon fishing for the 2008 season.

Research Summary Salmon Populations

For the first time ever there is a complete ban on salmon fishing along a 200-mile stretch of the Oregon and California coast. This closure will last until April 2009 and was instated by Fish and Game officials. The ban followed steep decreases in the salmon population. The spawning salmon population in the Sacramento River has dropped from 800,000 six years ago to only 68,000 last year. Although it is not clear what is causing such a drastic decrease some of the blame can be placed on the fishing industry. The governor of California has appropriated $5.3 million this year to salmon and steelhead fishery restoration projects, but it might take more than money to save the salmon.

WWW.SACBEE.COM/378/V-PRINT/STORY/889235.HTML

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Bridge Status Update

Last Wednesday night the Park Service and county officials met at the Point Reyes Dance Palace to discuss the proposed trail and footbridge that would run from Point Reyes Station to Inverness Park and cross Papermill Creek near White House Pool. They also discussed an alternative plan that would involve widening the Levee Road. The non-vehicular bridge discussed is a 200 foot truss bridge and would extend 150 feet from one side of the creek to the other. The bridge would be able to withstand a 50-year flood and would be eight feet high, with 20 feet of ramp for every foot of height so that it would comply with the American Disabilities Act. The cost for the construction of this bridge would be at least $1.75 million. However, according to county officials the cost of widening the Levee Road would be much greater. In order for the road to be widened by 17 feet, the power poles would need to be moved, and the four existing bridges would need to be widened. Not only would this be more expensive, it would have more of an environmental impact on the marsh, which is traversed by the Levee Road. The project is currently in Phase One, which includes moving the current trail to the northern side of the creek 100 feet from the water and planting 16,000 new native plants.

Blum, Andrea. Thru the marsh. May 15 2008. West Marin Citizen
Francine Allen Interview, 5/14/08

To Build a Bridge

For the last 100 years, the southern end of Tomales Bay has been diked and used to graze cattle. Recently, the Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS) purchased these 600 acres from the Waldo Giacomini family so that this area could be restored into wetlands. Since the end of 2007, the Seashore has been working towards total restoration of the wetlands. This includes tearing down the dikes and barns, and taking the cattle off the land.

The southernmost edge of the wetlands is skirted by Papermill Creek which plays host to countless species including the endangered red-legged frog, White-tailed kite, Northern Harrier, and Short-earred owl, river otters, sturgeon and salmon during spawning season. The Seashore hopes that the removal of the cattle will promote the growth of native plant species that will provide habitat for the animals that populate the wetland region.

Walking trails through the marsh have long surrounded Papermill Creek. The creek parallels the section of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. that connects Inverness Park to Point Reyes Station. Paths on the south side of the creek run from Inverness Park to the center of the levee road. So, in order to walk to Point Reyes from Inverness Park, one has to walk the last half along the narrow shoulder of a dangerous roadway. Children who walk or ride their bikes to West Marin School are forced to endanger their lives daily if they want to avoid being shuttled by automobile.

Whether or not PRNS should extend these trails and create a bridge across Papermill Creek to make possible travel from Inverness Park to Point Reyes without walking or biking on the roadway has become a major controversy among Pt. Reyes citizens and the Park. The major points of the conflict include:
--those who want “To provide a safe route to school and our town services…a pathway apart from the road” (Lisa Luzzi, Inverness Park, in a letter to the editor of the Pt. Reyes Citizen 3/27/08)
--“those who feel the new bridge and trail would seriously undermine the restoration…dogs and bikes would flush birds and scare wildlife. A thoroughfare through such a sensitive area creates a much wider impact zone than the path itself occupies.” (Ellery Akers, Point Reyes Station, in a letter to the editor of the Pt. Reyes Citizen 3/27/08)

One proposed alternative is to widen the shoulder along the levee road to provide more room for bicyclists and pedestrians. Although this plan might help, it will not completely eliminate the danger of cars, nor will it satisfy the community. As Nancy Stein puts it in a guest column in the Pt. Reyes Citizen entitled: Build the Bridge, “The levee road could be improved for bicycles but it will never serve the needs of the handicapped, the elderly, and people with strollers or children on bikes, and it will never meet the need of those who would like to take a quiet stroll to town.”

At 9:30 am on Sunday, March 31, nearly 100 activists on both sides staged a walk along Papermill Creek to show their strength in numbers and solidarity. Local photographer Art Rogers recorded the event. The Park Service has scheduled an event at the Point Reyes Dance palace for May 15 and it is expected that some sort of agreement will be made. According to a document written by park officials, “Engineering analysis of the section of road near White House Pool showed that the creek is actively eroding towards Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, and repairs should be completed before constructing facilities to accommodate public access.” If this park holds this opinion, it is unlikely that the bridge will be built in the near future if at all. Many people feel that if a bridge were built it would scar the natural beauty of the Giacomini Wetland. Still others feel that it would allow them to be close to nature and enjoy its beauty. This issue, it seems, will be resolved slowly as there are many good reasons for the bridge to be built, and many good reasons why it shouldn’t be.

The Elephant Seal Life Cycle

Elephant Seals spend 80% of their lives in the open ocean and range from Mexico to Alaska in search of food. One seal that was tagged in Point Reyes was even seen in Russia. Not only do they spend almost all of their time at sea they spend 90% of the time at sea underwater in search of food, resting, or just moving from place to place. Elephant seals dive deeper than most marine mammal diving an average of 1000 to 2000 feet and sometimes as deep as a mile. This dive lasts up to ninety minutes and is followed by about ten minutes resting on the surface breathing. The seals prefer the depths because they are below the radar of their natural predators. Although no one knows for sure it is speculated that they are able to feed the deeply because they have no competition, and their large eyes and the bioluminescence of their prey allows them to easily find food. It is also speculated that their whiskers, which are up to eight inches long also help them search for rays, rockfish, ratfish, and other delicacies on the ocean floor. Elephant seals are able to dive this deep because they carry the oxygen they need to survive in their muscles rather than in their lungs. After breathing, the seal exhales and collapses its lungs. As they begin to dive their fat also compresses allowing them to dive quickly with little effort.(Sarah Allen Interview) The seal are able to spend so much time under water because they have the ability to slow their heart rate from 55-120 beats per minute down to 4-15 beats per minute. The seal’s blood pressure remains normal because it is able to cut off blood supplies to its extremities supplying mainly its brain and vital organs.(Nps.gov/pore) During adult migrations the male and female seals travel thousands of miles apart and follow different feeding patterns. The males often return to the Aleutian Islands to feed each year, while the females generally feed in small eddies in the northwest Pacific and off the Hawaiian Islands. However the seals often break this pattern, sometimes feeding in the north Pacific Gyre. Males dive deeply and repeatedly for food for the first three weeks, females also dive deeply, but tend to travel deeper during the day. Generally the females tend to feed mostly on squid in the mid-water, while the males feed mostly on bottom fish and octopus. They have gastroliths in their stomach, small rocks that serve to break down bone matter. The seals feed, diving repeatedly for four to five months of the summer and fall. The seals do not sleep but rather take catnaps as they dive. They spend the majority of their lives under water and therefore are rarely seen in the open ocean. Currently there are about 500 elephant seals that have been tagged with GPS units that also record water temperature and depth.(Nps.gov.pore) This provides “3 dimensional imaging of what the seals are doing” and can be viewed at http://www.topp.org/species/elephant_seals. There is still much to be discovered about these fascinating creatures.

Point Reyes Seal Colony

Elephant seals are some of the most interesting and unusual creatures that can be found on the Point Reyes Peninsula. During the 1800’s there were countless thousands of these marine mammals ranging from Baja Mexico, to Point Reyes California. Not unlike whales the seals were hunted nearly to extinction for their oily blubber. Being extremely large one bull elephant seal will yield almost 25 gallons of oil. Although it is unclear how many elephant seals there were in the past it is believed that there were only 1000 left by 1910. In 1922 the Mexican government put a ban on hunting the animals in the attempt to protect them, and shortly after this United States followed suit. Thanks to government protection, and the fact that the animals spend almost all of their lives at sea the population has risen to an estimated 150,000.(Nps.gov/pore) In the 1970s, after being gone for almost 150 years, the seals were sighted again on the sandy beaches of Point Reyes. The first breeding pair was discovered near Chimney Rock in 1981.(Nps.gov/pore) Since then there has been a drastic increase in population with an annual average increase of 16%. The estimated seal population of Point Reyes is now between 1500 and 2000.(Npss.gov/pore) Dispersing from the original breeding spot the seals have formed several new colonies and continue to spread out onto popular beaches. Including the formation of a new colony last breeding season on Drakes Beach that included three females.(Sarah Allen Interview)

Elephant Seal Tagging

Today I hiked to North Drakes Beach with Sarah and three other park employees to tag elephant seals. While tagging it was important to walk lightly on the sand and stay downwind from the animals so that they would not wake up. I was surprised to see how many animals had left the beach. Over the course of the breeding season there had been over 200 females on this beach, today there were only four. The majority of animals on the beach were weined pups. These were the animals we focused on tagging, in order to identify their birth place. I played the roll of data recorder and tag dispensor. Between the tagging of the animals I would tally, record tag numbers, and tag placing on the flipper. All together we tagged 33 pups that will be able to be indentified by these plastic tags for the rest of their lives. We were not able to tag all the pups on the beach because they began to awake after a while. I am excited to do more tagging in the future and I better recognize the benefits due to the fact that I have done many surveys in the past.

Elephant Seal Survey

Today we drove almost to the Point Reyes Lighthouse at the end of the point. We hiked down an extraordinarily steep ravine to end up on the south side of South Beach. Sarah Pointed out the extent of invasive iceplant which now covers the hillsides which the park is now trying to remove. We walked along a creek in a narrow gorge to open up onto the beach where there was a small colony of elephant seal. On the beach to the left of the stream were about six immature males. To the right of the stream were seven females with their pups and at each end of the females the alpha and males positioned themselves. hgcd The alpha male was enormous and Sarah estimated his age to be eight years plus because of his fully developed nose and chest shield. All the elephant seals were sleeping peacefully as Sarah and John looked for flipper tags. They can tell by the color of the tag where these seals were tagged. Using the spotting scope was futile so Sarah had to get close to the animals in order to record their numbers from the tag. We then walked down the beach and spotted nine or ten more random seals. We made our way back to the car.

Today I braved the rain with Sarah Allen to investigate a new colony of Elephant Seals farther south along Drakes Beach. New colonies are often formed when lone males group together on new beaches. Eventually their activity attracts females, and if the spot they have chosen is preferable for breeding they will settle down and pup. On my last visit to the headlands Sarah and I spotted a large group of males farther down the beach. We tried to determine the presence of females with a spotting scope but the distance was too great. Today Sarah and I hiked the beach in order to survey these animals more closely. The males that we spotted earlier are now accompanied by pups and females. Hopefully this colony will continue to grow. It is situated on a wide sandy protected beach, which is in some ways preferable than the current main colony, although not as secluded. Given the chance and freedom these animals will continue to spread south along Drakes Beach.

Elephant Seals Surveys

Today I went on a survey with Heather Jenson and Sarah Allen. I surveyed North Drakes Beach, the Chimney Rock Loop, and Dead Seal Beach. A large majority of the animals had moved from the main colony to North Drakes Beach because of the protection it provides during the worst winter storms in which sand is often washed away from the main colony, leaving exposed rocks and nowhere for the animals to rest. I was amazed at how many more animals there were on the beaches, and I learned that the peak of the breeding season is the last week in January. We counted 50 pups from north drakes beach, which is considerably different than my last survey in which there were no pups being born yet. Along the chimney rock loop there were few animals scattered here and there, but I counted 7 pups at Gus' Cove, which is situated near the end of the point. Lastly we counted dead seal beach, which was made difficult by dense fog.

Elephant Seals Surveys

Today I went to the headlands with Dave Press and Heather Jensen in order to survey several elphant seal colonies. The first colony that I surveyed was the south end of Drakes Beach. This was made difficult by 50 mile per hour winds. Next we made our way to the tip of the point to in order to post a sign and survey two smaller beaches near chimney rock. Neither beach had any animales on it; probably due to the high tide. Lasty we counted the sealions at sealion overlook. I was surprised how much the number of animals on the beach fluxuates from week to week. Last friday there were 104 animals, and today we only counted 28.

Elephant Seals Surveys

Today I participated in a seal survey. I met with Dave Press and two other park workers and drove out to the tip of Point Reyes. I surveyed three separate sites for elephant seals on the point including Drakes Beach Elephant Seal Overlook, Dead Seal Beach, the southern tip of south beach. I also surveyed sea lions at the sea lion overlook on the south side of the point. For the sea lion survey they were merely counted. The elephant seal surveys were a little more complicated. With binoculars I first got a total count for the number of animals on the beach. Next I divided the animals into several categories. This is somewhat easy at this time of year due to the fact that only males are present on the beach. The males are divided into the category of yearling, juvenile, sub-adult one, sub-adult two, sub adult three, sub-adult four, or adult depending on the size of its body, chest shield, and nose. This information is gathered yearly in order to monitor flux in the seal populations, and potential problems.

Website Work

I started today by reading about Dreamweaver, the program that I used to create the web pages. Then I got a tutorial from Dave Press the web designer at the Park. After the tutorial I received word documents that I then transformed into web pages. I did this by understanding basic HTML code for operating Dreamweaver, and by using tables in order to incorporate graphics into the page. I finished converting two of the documents into web pages, and was able to add them into a list so that they can be easily navigated to from the Parks page on fish. The next step will be to finish converting this rest of the files into web pages, and then I will create links to them so that they can be seen my the general public.

Giacomini Wetland Monitoring

Today I got to go to the Giacomini Wetland for fish monitoring along with five other assorted biologists from the park. This monitoring was realated to the restoration of the Giacomini Wetland. For the last half of the 20th century the Giacomini Wetland has been diked, and used for cattle grazing. Recently the park recovered the land and has been restoring it to its natural state. The dikes are being removed, and the barns have already been taken out. Giacomini wetland is home to an incredible amount of wildlife. By netfishing several different sites we saw such species as Stickleback, Top Smelt, Starry Flounder, Sculpin, Yellowfin, and the nationally endangered Tidewater Goby. We measured, weighed, and counted all the fish that we found. By this continued monitoring the park is able to gain knowledge about how the restoration of the wetland has affected the wildlife present.

Computer Training

Today I worked on the the computer at the park headquarters. I was able to complete a computer training program in order to be certified to use government computers. I also met with David Press to discuss working on the website for the park. Lastly I read several packets on government regulations for their websites.

Bear Valley Fish Monitoring 10/9/07

Bear Valley Fish Monitoring

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Davis Allen

Purpose: The fish project is designed to monitor the fish in the Point Reyes National Seashore watershed. For this specific survey twenty percent of the pools in Bear Valley Creek (a tributary of Paper Mill Creek) were e-fished. This particular survey is completed once a year in Olema Creek, Pine Gulch Creek, Redwook Creek, and Cheda Creek in order to count all the juvenile fish. The idea is that the pools are home to the vast majority of fish living in the creek; therefore, by getting the tallies therefore by getting the tallies for resident fish in a portion of the pools one can project the total number, and what species of fish are in the creek.

Hypothesis: If the vast majority of the fish population actually do inhabit the pools then it is probable that the projections for the types and number of fish will be approximately accurate. Following strict procedures, and taking multiple surveys will help to create a solid theory of fish populations in the Bear Valley Creek.

Procedure: A net is placed at the bottom downstream side of the pool that is to be fished. Water measurements including dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity, and salinity are taken and recorded for the pool being fished. Next a net is placed at the upstream end of the pool being fished, effectively shutting off all escape routes for the fish in the pool. Next the electric probe is calibrated for the conductivity of the water. Once the shocking begins the probe is moved in a methodical motion from bottom to the surface covering the entire pool. Two netters stand on either side of the shocker in order to scoop up the fish being shocked. The fish are put in buckets, then they are identified, weighed, and measured. All information is recorded. The procedure is then repeated for all the sites being sampled.

Observations: The fish we recorded in the creek included Stickleback, Steelhead, Sculpin, and Cojo Salmon fry.

Conclusion: Working on a larger project does not bring immediate closure, but rather helps to gather knowledge for a future conclusion or finding. Most excitingly was the finding of a Cojo fry in Bear Valley Creek. This was the first Cojo seen in the creek in at least the last three years. Although one fish isn’t enough to draw the conclusion that salmon are now spawning there, it is an interesting finding, and deserves future inquiry.

Reading Summaries

The Natural History of Point Reyes: Chapter One Summary

Prologue:
The prologue introduces what the author wants to talk about for the book. It starts by interpreting a quote about the Point Reyes peninsula, and moves on to incorporate the history of the region, and some of its special characteristics. It highlights the importance of understanding the history of a place to understand it in the present.

Chapter One:
The author starts by introducing the characteristic wind and fog of the Point Reyes Peninsula. He breaks the weather patterns into seasons. The Coastal Miwok who naturally inhabited this area broke the year into 13 seasons according to what food was available at the time. The author argues that it would be perfectly reasonable to break the year into two seasons, the wet season and the dry season, but for the purposes of this book he wishes to break the weather into the four seasons in order for reader comprehension.

Maritime Influences
The north Pacific High is a mass of air that sits 1000 miles off the California coast at about that latitude of Point Reyes. This mass of air moves north and south seasonally, and directly affects the local weather pattern. As winter approaches this pressure system moves northward to 38N. Its movement north creates the spring winds, but once the pressure system is in place it creates a block for storms headed for the coast. As winter progresses the system moves south again exposing the coast the later winter storms. Three major movements of water along the coast are the Upwelling Period occurring in spring and summer, the Oceanic Period that occurs in September and October, and the Davidson Countercurrent that predominately happens in the winter.

Winter: The Rainy Season
The Point Reyes Peninsula has a short winter and a long dry summer, this is known as a Mediterranean climate. However, the wind and fog of Point Reyes moderate this pattern. The timing rainy period is fairly reliable, usually starting in November, and ending in March, but there is a vast variation in the annual amount of rainfall. Sometimes the Pacific High stays in place, creating a drought year, but this is fairly rare. In February the flowers begin to bloom, and the days begin to lengthen.

Spring: The Windy Season
As winter dissipates the Pacific High once again moves northward to protect the coast. Low-pressure systems tend to develop in the central valley causing average daily winds of 35mph, and peak winds of 80mph along the Point Reyes Peninsula. These winds combined with the Coriolis Effect cause the costal upwelling that brings cold nutrient rich water to the surface. Spring is generally one of the longer seasons, sometimes starting as early as January.

Summer: The Foggy Season
Winds saturated with water vapor from the warmer offshore water are driven onshore, across the cold costal water. As the water cools the air it reaches “dewpoint” and becomes fog. Fog is defined as “condensed atmospheric water in sufficient concentration to reduce visibility by 3,280 feet.” The visibility on a foggy summer day is often reduced to 150 feet at the lighthouse. When the water temperature is not cold enough to instantly make fog the cold air rises to meet the hills and turn into gray overcast. Fog movement through the trees on the point, and along the Inverness ridge provide around 12 inches of fog drip during the summer, providing them with water that they might not otherwise get until winter.

Fall: The Subtropical Season
By mid August the fog begins to lessen and the browned hills are visible. Costal temperatures raise, and it can even get up to 80 degrees at the lighthouse. Most wildflowers and perennial plants die leaving only the green of the evergreen trees. In the tidal flats of Drakes Estero, Tomales Bay, and Drakes Bay, ducks and arctic seabirds have begun to arrive. In late October winter begins to show itself in the turning leaves of willows and alders along the creeks. Gray Whales are often sighted from the lighthouse in late fall.

Anomalous Patterns.
The Point Reyes Peninsula has a relatively reliable weather pattern, but anomalous weather patterns sometimes can help to disrupt it. Floods are often associated with an “El Niño” year. El Niño often occurs once a decade every 3-10 years, but is not well understood by scientists. It is a warm countercurrent that results in southeasterly trade winds, warmer waters, and the migration of new species. In the El Niño year of 1983, Barracuda, Roughtoothed Dolphin, and Striped Dolphin were all found in The Gulf of the Farralones, these are all species that are usually found much farther south. Drought is another irregularity that is not well understood, although it is known that it is the result of air masses, ocean currents, and water temperatures. Luckily droughts are almost always proceeded by flood years.

Chapter Two Summary:

Geology:
The author begins by comparing the Point Reyes Peninsula to a gray whale, and pointing out several similar attributes. The geology of the peninsula is as old as 225 million years, although the exact age can only be guessed. The peninsula is constantly creeping northwest at as much as 2.15 inches per year. Occasionally there is a major shift in the fault such as the 1906 earthquake when the peninsula jumped 13 feet. The granite outcrops of Inverness Ridge have replaced metamorphic rocks of the peninsula.

The San Andreas Province:
The San Andreas Fault separates Point Reyes from the North American Plate. The Peninsula has similar vegetation to that of the North American Plate, but geologically it is very separate. Most of the rocks found west of the San Andreas fault are from the Tertiary period. The Granite on the Inverness Ridge is slightly older dating back around 136 million years. The Peninsula as a whole can be broken down into three geologic regions, the granite Inverness Ridge, The Point Reyes Headlands, a granite body overlaid in conglomerate, and the area in between, and basin of sediments.

Metamorphic Rocks:
Metamorphic rocks including schist, quartzite, and limestone are the oldest rocks of The Peninsula. They occur mostly along the Inverness Ridge although lots of them are embedded in granite. The metamorphic rocks found on The Peninsula are also found in Santa Cruz, Santa Lucia, and Gabilan.

Granitic Bedrock:
The piece of granite bedrock that the Inverness Ridge is part of stretches east, and also south all the way to southern California. It is thought that the granite is older than the Franciscan formation that it borders. The top of the Inverness Ridge reaches 1300 feet above sea level.

Tertiary Rocks:
The Point Reyes Conglomerate dates back about 65 million years and the maximum thickness of the layer is about 700 feet. The conglomerate is mostly made up of granite rocks embedded in granite sand along with chert.

Miocene Rocks:
Laird Sandstone, a younger coarse-grained rock, overlies the western side of the Inverness Ridge. Monterey Shale overlays some parts of the granite base. The shale is made up of cherts, sandstones, and organic shales containing many single celled organisms.

Pliocene Rocks:
The basin between the Inverness Ridge and the Point Reyes Headlands is filled with marine sediment that is as young as 8 million years. Greensand makes up the Drakes Bay formation and is a fossil rich medium.

Soils:
The Soils of the Peninsula are also different from that of the mainland east of Tomales Bay. The soil types reflect the geologic patterns of the area.


Chapter 3: Plant Communities

Bishop Pine Forest:
Although bishop pines were once common now they only occur in the humid coastal range of California from Humboldt to Santa Barbara. On the Point Reyes Peninsula bishop pines are restricted to the north end of the Inverness Ridge, they almost all occur in soils of granitic origin. Other trees are sometimes mixed in with the pines but are usually secondary members of the community. Bishop pines are a type of close-coned pine. This means that they are dependent on fire for reproduction.

Douglas Fir Forest:
Douglas Fir is the primary tree on the southern end of the Inverness Ridge. The firs survive in Monterey shale, and get about 30 to 42 inches of rain per year. Although many of the trees were logged in the late 1950s, many original growth trees still stand in the more isolated areas. Some Douglas Firs rival redwoods in height and size.

Coastal Strand:
What is known as the coastal strand is the strip of land directly along the ocean. Much of the coastal strand is made up of sand dunes and dominated by invasive beach grasses and ice plant. The strand is broken up into three subhabitats: the foredune, the central dune, and the hinddune. The largest dune system on the peninsula borders the great beach. Most of the plants find refuge in the hinddune.

Coastal Rangeland:
Treeless rolling pastures dominate the western and northern sections of the peninsula. Most of this land is designated for agriculture. The areas left ungrazed are mostly covered by perennials. Many of the grassland wildflowers are hard to see and covered by grass most of the year; however, in winter and spring there is an abundant native bloom. These grass lands also are home to the Swamp Harebell, a rare plant that only occurs along the coast in shady canyons.

Northern Coastal Scrub:
The northern coastal scrub is a narrow strip that extends from Southern Oregon to Monterey County. This strip is predominately coyote bush and bush lupine which both have extensive communities on the Inverness Ridge. In the drier areas California Sagebrush is found with the coyote bush. On the coastal slope of the Inverness Ridge, Pink Flowering Currants bloom starting as early as February. One of the more rare California grasses, called California Bottlebrush-grass, also is part of this habitat.

Marshlands:
The marshlands on the Point Reyes Peninsula have been mostly destroyed by agriculture. The marshlands that remain can be broken into two categories: salt marshlands and freshwater marshlands. There are about 1,000 acres of salt marshland on the peninsula. The vegetation in the salt marshes is almost identical to that of San Fransisco Bay marshes. Freshwater marshes are scarce on the peninsula. These marshes are mostly covered by Rushes, and the Marsh Monkeyflower.

Intertidal Plant Communities:
Almost all marine plants are algae, which lack true flowers, leaves, or roots. There are three existing types of marine algae: green, brown, and red. The color used to classify each plant is not necessarily recognizable to the human eye. The only marine plants that have adapted to the ocean enough to flower are eelgrass and surfgrass, which both occur in Point Reyes. Extensive kelp beds border sculpted beach and play host to short kelp, stalked kelp, bull kelp, and California kelp.



Chapter 4: From the Ocean's Edge to the Serpent's Lair

Marine Invertabrites:
The tide pools and other subtidal areas of the peninsula house an amazing amount of marine life. This habitat can only be viewed on a serious minus tide. The distribution of invertebrates depends mostly on the temperature of the water. The cold to warm water transition in California occurs south of Point Reyes at Point Contraception. The subtidal habitat of Pont Reyes can be divided into three zones, sany beaches, rocky shores, and bays or estuaries.

Eelgrass Beds:
Eelgrass beds serve as an excellent habitat for many marine species. Eelgrass is widely known as the only flowering underwater plant. The eelgrass beds promote the growth of algae, diatoms, and bryzoans. These are eaten by seaslugs and snails.

Fishes:
There are three main events that happen annually. These include the migration of the salmon upstream, the migration of gray whales past the headlands, as well as the herring run in Tomales Bay. Herring group in large school in early winter and migrate inshore to spawn in estuaries and bays. The fish lay there eggs on the vegtation, namely eelgrass in tomales bay, because it makes up 75% of the underwater vegetation. Silver salmon were also once abundant in this area. Sadly they have been overfished throughout the years, and the creeks that they spawn in have habitat issues.

Amphibians:
There are six types of salamanders native to the Point Reyes Peninsula. As it rains these salamanders make it to the nearest puddle or stream to mate. Later on in the winter when the rains have saturated the ground frogs can be heard in many ponds and marshes. The peninsula is home to the red-legged frog, a nationally endangered amphibian.

Reptiles:
The only turtle that occurs on the peninsula is the western pond turtle. However lizrds and snakes are abundant. There are four species of lizard on the peninsula most abundant are the Alligator Lizard, and the Western Fence Lizard. There are several species of snakes that live on the peninsula also, including the Western Rattlesnake.


Chapter 5: Birds the Sky People

Shorebirds:
Winter provides the largest amount of food for birds. A variety of different birds feed in the park within the winter, some all the way from Alaska or Canada, and some residents of a park. Different bodies of water in the park provide 18 square miles of estuarine habitat; there are also 25 miles of sandy beaches. Abbott’s Lagoon, being the only estuary not affected by the tide plays host to multitudes of birds whenever the tide is high.

Seabirds:
Seabirds can survive a variety of habitats. Seabirds feed mostly on fish and follow their migrations. Many birds follow the herring into Tomales and consume 56-99% of the spawn that they produce. Thousands of birds gather on the water and can be seen in Drakes Bay, Tomales Bay, Drakes Estero, and many other places.

Raptors:
Winter is also the best season to see raptors, or birds of prey. The most common are red-tailed hawks and American Kestrels. The number of raptors varies greatly year to year due to global weather patterns and the abundance of food. When there is a mild winter the birds may choose to stay farther north in the Pacific Northwest or the Great Basin. Other times an abundance of prey prompts a population explosion of raptors.

Landbirds:
In late September and early October the landbirds make their way to the Point Reyes peninsula. Some species remain year round to breed here are some migrate for the winter months. The number of berries that can be scavenged during the winter months attracts many of the birds. Some wintering species return some years and not others.

Pelicans:
Brown Pelicans winter in Point Reyes, usually arriving from Baja in May or June and staying through December. The migration is due to the changes in fish populations in different regions though out the year. The pelicans later breed in the Gulf of California often off the Channel Islands. The White Pelican also winters in Point Reyes. It is extremely rare for the two species to co-exist and Point Reyes is on of the only places where this is seen. In Point Reyes the Brown Pelican arrives earlier in the season and in more abundance. Historically both species of pelican are on the decline. Many died off as a result of the chemical DDT. Populations are beginning to rise but white pelicans remain rare.


Chapter 7 Summary: Marine Mammals

Marine Mammals
The area that extends from Tomales Point out into the Gulf of the Farallones has a rich variety of marine life. A combination of upwelling and shallow water attracts herds of whales and pinnapeds. Before whaling and hunting stations were set up there must have been multitudes of marine mammals in this area. Sadly marine mammals suffered greatly in the 19th century, but recently numbers have been in the rise particularly in the elephant seal and blue whale populations.

Sea Otter
Sea otters once bred at Point Reyes, out on the Farallon Islands, and in other near shore locations in California, Otter pelts were greatly sought after in the 18th century and they were hunted nearly to extinction. By the early 1900s sea otters were displaced from the entire California coast. Later a small population was discovered south of Monterey and since the species has been under protection. Recently the population has been on a rise although they are still considered an endangered species in California. Otters have a relationship with kelp beds and since the decline in the otter population kelp beds in California have also been dwindling.

Pinnapeds: Seals and Sea Lions
Over 2500 harbor seals have been counted around Point Reyes making it the most abundant stretch of California coast. Harbor seals tend to be shy of people,which helps them survive in close proximity to civilization. Harbor seal hall-outs are scattered around the Point Reyes Peninsula, and contribute to 25% of pups born in California. Seals tend to forage for food at high tides and at night, using the middle part of the day and lower tides to haul-out and rest. Harbor seals are small (generally 150 to 200 pounds) and walk awkwardly on land.

Northern Elephant Seal
Elephant seals are considered one of the most fascinating animals in the park for several reasons. Like sea otters elephant seals were once hunted as a natural resource. This time it was for the use as their blubber. In 1868 elephant seals were though to be extinct but by 1892 a small population was found on an island of the coast of Baja. Since the elephant seal populations have been protected and they have become increasingly prolific. Animal size differs greatly in the males and females. Point Reyes is the northern most breeding site for the elephant seal and many of the beaches and coves around the point host breeding colonies for the seals.

California Sea Lion
California Sea Lions can be seen from the sea lion overlook near the lighthouse or swimming in Drakes Bay. Although the sea lions venture as far north as British Columbia the Farallon Islands are the northern most established breeding colony. Sea Lion Populations have been on a general rise in the last 50 years including a rise of three-fold in the population in four years.


Northern Sea Lion
Northern sea lions have a shortly lighter coat and shorter nose than their relative the California seal lion. In contrast to the change in population of the California sea lion the northern sea lion population has slowly decreased over the last 50 years. Northern sea lions can often be seen halled-out at the headlands.

Northern Fur Seal
Between 1810 and 1812 70,000 fur seals were hunted from the Gulf of the Farallones. Sightings are rare and are usually adult females or juveniles. There have been sightings along the Cordell Bank and as far north as Alaska.