Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Nature reserve in California

Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Copeland Creek with basalt armor in channel, Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Location| Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County, California, United States
Area| 450 acres
Elevation| 411 to 701 meters above sea level
Established| 1972
Governing body| Sonoma State University

The Fairfield Osborn Preserve is a 450-acre nature reserve situated on the northwest flank of Sonoma Mountain in Sonoma County, California. There are eight plant communities within the property, oak woodland being the dominant type.[1] Other communities include chaparral, Douglas fir woodland, native Bunch grass, freshwater marsh, vernal pool, pond and riparian woodland. The flora is extremely diverse including many native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, lichens and mosses. A diverse fauna inhabits this area including black-tailed deer, coyote, bobcat and an occasional mountain lion; moreover, there are abundant avifauna (including some neotropical migrants), amphibians, reptiles and insects.

Copeland Creek and its tributaries drain the Preserve as they wend their way down steep ravines toward eventual discharge to the Laguna de Santa Rosa. The property was originally a Spanish Land Grant holding, devolving to private ownership and eventually given to The Nature Conservancy; the preserve is now owned and managed by Sonoma State University as a research and education site. An understated natural trail system weaves through the property to provide access to creek canyons, ridges and marshy areas. The preserve is situated at elevations 1,350 to 2,300 feet (411 to 701 meters) above sea level and features a landscape riddled with basalt exposures that betray the volcanic prehistory of Sonoma County.[2][3] The climate at the Preserve is mild, with most rainfall occurring in the winter months and with some influence of the Pacific Ocean providing moderating temperatures and some marine fog on early summer mornings.[4]

## Soils

[edit]

Northwest flank of Sonoma Mountain with Fairfield Osborn Preserve at upper left of image

The steep slopes of Copeland Creek have a predominant occurrence of Goulding clay loam soils, with a typical soil depth of only 16 to 20 inches (41 to 51 centimeters).[5] These are generally areas of 15 to 45 percent slopes that support dense mixed oak woodland, with large percentages of California laurel and Bigleaf maple. On the higher drier slopes, there are terraces of Raynor clay, which are associated with seeps and higher moisture retention known to the Turtle Pond and Cattail Marsh areas of the Preserve. Both soil types are known to support grazing when woodlands are cleared. In the late 19th century, the site was used for sheep and cattle grazing and the woodlands were cut for firewood, which was taken by wagonload down the mountain to Petaluma.

## Hydrology

[edit]

Partially submerged Pacific giant salamander larva, Copeland Creek

Copeland Creek and its tributaries drain this property; moreover, all of these streams rise on Sonoma Mountain and eventually discharge to the Laguna de Santa Rosa, which discharges to the Russian River. The Copeland Creek watershed is the southernmost drainage in the Russian River drainage basin. All creeks south of Copeland, beginning with Lichau Creek, are part of the San Francisco Bay watershed. Precipitation within the Copeland Creek watershed is considered moderate within the state of California; in fact, the maximum intensity for an historic one-hour rainfall is classified as below average (at about 1.90 inches (48 millimeters) per hour).[6] Since many of these upper reaches of Copeland Creek involve steep slopes, often above 50 percent, the momentum of streamflow in winter months is high. Even though soils in the watershed are moderately erosive, the extensive basaltic armoring of Copeland Creek minimizes sedimentation and produces an outcome of stream waters lacking in significant turbidity.

## Ecology

[edit]

Turtle Pond with surface duckweed, Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Principal plant communities within the Preserve include the dominant California oak woodland savanna, and also consist of chaparral, marsh, native Bunch grass, douglas-fir woodland and riparian woodland. Within the oak woodland the main tree species are Coast live oak, Oregon oak, California black oak, Canyon live oak and California bay laurel. The woodland understory exhibits toyon, coffeeberry, poison oak and, in the higher exposed areas with ecotones to chaparral, containing chiefly coyote brush.[7] This community sometimes gradates to small grassland savannas between the oak groves, which are rich with grasses and annual wildflowers. Example plants in this community are the yellow hayfield tarweed, Hemizonia congesta spp. congesta and the hayfield tarweed, Hemizonia congesta spp. luzulifolia, which are seen blooming in the late autumn.[8]

The freshwater marsh was formed by massive land movement along the Rodgers Creek Fault. The two ponds on the property are manmade, having been created in the early 20th century. These wetland communities are important habitat for many species including sora and Virginia rails, western pond turtles, and the federally listed endangered Red-legged Frog. Moreover, natural seeps feed these locations and the outcome is climax vegetation that has stabilized. Turtle Pond has a layer of duckweed on the water surface that is consumed by a variety of fauna. Riparian zones of Copeland Creek have a very high percentage population of California bay laurel, but also provide habitat for a rich variety of amphibians, newts and other fauna. The Pacific giant salamander, one of the largest known species of salamander is observed hunting for prey in Copeland Creek. Other amphibians seen in riparian habitats include the Pacific treefrog, Hyla regilla, Rough skinned newt, Taricha granulosa, and California slender salamander, Batrachoseps attenuatus. A number of plants are particular to the deeply shaded riparian zone including snowberry and the uncommon California ginseng, Aralia californica.

## History

[edit]

The California Ginseng plant growing above Copeland Creek

Archeological surface surveys indicate that the site was used as a seasonal hunting and gathering ground by Pomo, Miwok, and Wappo people, who traveled extensively to forage and barter. The earliest historical records show the property was within a Spanish Land Grant in the 1860s. During the latter part of the 19th century, agricultural uses intensified, especially in the form of grazing, although the extent of ecological damage was not as severe as the lower grazed slopes of Sonoma Mountain. By the 1890s the land was a working sheep and cattle ranch held by the Duerson family. In the 1950s, the land was purchased by William Matson Roth for use as a summer family retreat. William and his wife Joan transferred the land to The Nature Conservancy in 1972, with the resulting preserve being named for Joan's father, conservationist and author Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr. In 1977, The Nature Conservancy leased the preserve to Sonoma State University (SSU), which conducts environmental education field trips for as many as 4,000 school children a year.[9]

In 1997, ownership was transferred to SSU, which continues to use it for research and environmental education.[10] In 2004, 190 adjacent acres (76 ha) were added to the preserve by gift of William and Joan Roth.[11] Both parcels are managed under conservation easements from The Nature Conservancy and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. In 2009 SSU established a unit within the School of Science and Technology named Field Stations and Nature Preserves, which manages both the Fairfield Osborn and the Galbreath Wildlands Preserves. The director is Dr. Claudia Luke [1]. Program coordinator for the preserves is Suzanne DeCoursey.[12]

## Practical aspects

[edit]

The Preserve is open for research and educational programs, and public visitation is permitted by guided tour only. While most docents are students from Sonoma State University, many derive from the community at large.[13] Tours are offered at 10 am on Saturdays during the fall and spring. In addition to the nature hike guided tours by trained naturalists, there are periodic special workshops taught by Sonoma State University faculty and other scientists, covering such special topics as geology, mycology and amphibians.

The Preserve lies between Petaluma and Santa Rosa, California; access may be achieved from Petaluma Hill Road, and thence to Roberts Road and Lichau Road. On route along Roberts Road, one can obtain glimpses of the channel restoration work on lower Copeland Creek conducted during the late 1990s; this work featured erosion control, native riparian planting and eliminating access by cattle. The paved access route also features a stretch of gravity hill, an optical illusion which makes the motorist feel like a stretch of roadway appearing to be uphill, in fact, is a downhill extent.

## See also

[edit]

* Basalt
* California Coast Ranges

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Larry Serpa and Lynn Lozier, Fairfield Osborn Preserve: Natural History and Ecology (1981)
2. ^ Santa Rosa Quadrangle, Fifteen minute series, USGS Quadrangle Map, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC (1958)
3. ^ "Geologic Map of the Santa Rosa Quadrangle". State of California, Department of Conservation. 2007.
4. ^ Environmental Impact Report for the Petaluma General Plan, Earth Metrics Inc. for the city of Petaluma and California State Clearinghouse (1986).
5. ^ Soil Survey, Sonoma County, California, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, Government Printing Office, Washington DC, May 1972
6. ^ Rainfall Depth-Duration-Frequency for California, State of California, Department of Water Resources, February, 1981
7. ^ Vascular Plants of the Fairfield Osborn Preserve
8. ^ Linda H. Beidleman and Eugene N. Kozloff, Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region, University of California Press (1983)
9. ^ Tobias Young, "SSU in line to own nature preserve," Santa Rosa Press Democrat, September 8, 1996.
10. ^ George Lauer, "Nature's haven," Santa Rosa Press Democrat, February 3, 2000, pp. D1, back.
11. ^ "Roth Family Donates 190 Acres to Nearly Double of SSU Nature Preserve on Sonoma Mountain". Press Release. Sonoma State University. September 2004. Retrieved October 9, 2006.
12. ^ "2009 Highlights," SSU Field Stations & Nature Preserves, October 2009.
13. ^ Trail Companion: Farifield Osborn Preserve

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
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Protected areas of California

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Natural Reserves|

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Historic Parks|

* Anderson Marsh
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Beaches|

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Recreation Areas|

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Vehicular
Recreation Areas|

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* Prairie City

Other|

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and Recreation Areas|

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State Forests

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National Wildlife Refuges

* Antioch Dunes
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State Wildlife Areas

| Wildlife
Areas|

* Antelope Valley
* Ash Creek
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* Hill Slough
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* Kelso Peak and Old Dad Mountains
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* Knoxville
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* Los Banos
* Lower Sherman Island
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* Marble Mountains
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* Miner Slough
* Monache Meadows
* Morro Bay
* Moss Landing
* Mouth of Cottonwood Creek
* Napa-Sonoma Marshes
* North Grasslands
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* Pine Creek
* Point Edith
* Putah Creek
* Rector Reservoir
* Red Lake
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* San Pablo Bay
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* South Fork
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* Sutter Bypass
* Tehama
* Truckee River
* Upper Butte Basin
* Volta
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* Waukell Creek
* West Hilmar
* Westlker River
* White Slough
* Willow Creek
* Yolo Bypass

|

Ecological
Reserves|

* Albany Mudflats
* Alkali Sink
* Allensworth
* Atascadero Creek Marsh
* Bair Island
* Baldwin Lake
* Batiquitos Lagoon
* Blue Sky
* Boden Canyon
* Boggs Lake
* Bolsa Chica
* Bonny Doon
* Buena Vista Lagoon
* Butler Slough
* Butte Creek Canyon
* Butte Creek House
* Buttonwillow
* By Day Creek
* Calhoun Cut
* Canebrake
* Carlsbad Highlands
* Carmel Bay
* Carrizo Canyon
* Carrizo Plains
* China Point
* Clover Creek
* Coachella Valley
* Coal Canyon
* Corte Madera Marsh
* Crestridge
* Dairy Mart Ponds
* Dales Lake
* Del Mar Landing
* Eden Landing
* Elkhorn Slough
* Estelle Mountain
* Fall River Mills
* Fish Slough
* Fremont Valley
* Goleta Slough
* Indian Joe Spring
* Kaweah
* Kerman
* King Clone
* Laguna Laurel
* Loch Lomond Vernal Pool
* Lokern
* Magnesia Spring
* Marin Islands
* Mattole River
* McGinty Mountain
* Morro Dunes
* Morro Rock
* Napa River
* North Table Mountain
* Oasis Spring
* Panoche Hills
* Peytonia Slough
* Phoenix Vernal Pools
* Pine Hill
* Piute Creek
* Pleasant Valley
* Rancho Jamul
* Redwood Shores
* River Springs Lakes
* Saline Valley
* San Dieguito Lagoon
* San Elijo Lagoon
* San Felipe Creek
* San Joaquin River
* Santa Rosa Plateau
* Springville
* Stone Corral
* Sycamore Canyon
* Sycuan Peak
* Thomes Creek
* Tomales Bay
* Upper Newport Bay
* Watsonville Slough
* West Mojave Desert
* Woodbridge
* Yaudanchi

Marine
Protected
Areas|

* Abalone Cove and Point Vicente
* Anacapa Island SMCA
* Año Nuevo
* Arrow Point to Lion Head Point
* Batiquitos Lagoon
* Big Creek
* Bodega Head
* Bolsa Chica
* Cambria
* Campus Point
* Carmel Bay
* Cat Harbor
* Crystal Cove
* Dana Point
* Duxbury Reef
* Edward F. Ricketts
* Elkhorn Slough
* Estero Americano
* Estero de Limantour and Drakes Estero
* Estero de San Antonio
* Fagan Marsh
* Famosa Slough
* Farnsworth Onshore and Offshore
* Goleta Slough
* Greyhound Rock
* Lovers Cove and Casino Point
* MacKerricher
* Marin Islands
* Morro Bay
* Naples
* Pacific Grove Marine Gardens
* Painted Cave
* Piedras Blancas
* Point Arena
* Point Buchon
* Point Dume
* Point Reyes
* Point Sur
* Portuguese Ledge
* Pyramid Point
* Robert E. Badham
* Robert W. Crown
* Russian Gulch
* Russian River
* Salt Point
* San Diego-Scripps
* San Dieguito Lagoon
* San Elijo Lagoon
* Saunders Reef
* Sea Lion Cove
* Sonoma Coast
* Soquel Canyon
* South La Jolla
* South Point
* Southeast Farallon Island
* Stewarts Point
* Swami's
* Tijuana River Mouth
* Upper Newport Bay
* Van Damme
* Vandenberg
* White Rock (Cambria)

Bureau of Land Management National Conservation Lands

| National Monuments|

* Berryessa Snow Mountain
* California Coastal
* Carrizo Plain
* Cascade–Siskiyou
* Fort Ord
* Mojave Trails
* Sand to Snow
* Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains

|

National
Conservation Areas|

* California Desert
* King Range

Wilderness Areas|

* Argus Range
* Big Maria Mountains
* Bigelow Cholla Garden
* Bighorn Mountain
* Black Mountain
* Bright Star
* Bristol Mountains
* Cadiz Dunes
* Carrizo Gorge
* Chanchelulla
* Chemehuevi Mountains
* Chimney Peak
* Chuckwalla Mountains
* Chumash
* Cleghorn Lakes
* Clipper Mountain
* Coso Range
* Coyote Mountains
* Darwin Falls
* Dead Mountains
* Dick Smith
* El Paso Mountains
* Fish Creek Mountains
* Funeral Mountains
* Garcia
* Golden Valley
* Grass Valley
* Headwaters Forest Reserve
* Hollow Hills
* Ibex
* Indian Pass
* Inyo Mountains
* Jacumba
* Kelso Dunes
* Kiavah
* Kingston Range
* Little Chuckwalla Mountains
* Little Picacho
* Machesna Mountain
* Malpais Mesa
* Manly Peak
* Matilija
* Mecca Hills
* Mesquite
* Newberry Mountains
* Nopah Range
* North Algodones Dunes
* North Mesquite Mountains
* Old Woman Mountains
* Orocopia Mountains
* Otay Mountain
* Owens Peak
* Pahrump Valley
* Palen/McCoy
* Palo Verde Mountains
* Picacho Peak
* Piper Mountain
* Piute Mountains
* Red Buttes
* Resting Spring Range
* Rice Valley
* Riverside Mountains
* Rodman Mountains
* Sacatar Trail
* Saddle Peak Hills
* San Gorgonio
* Santa Lucia
* Santa Rosa
* Sawtooth Mountains
* Sespe
* Sheephole Valley
* South Nopah Range
* Stateline
* Stepladder Mountains
* Surprise Canyon
* Sylvania Mountains
* Trilobite
* Turtle Mountains
* Whipple Mountains

National Marine Sanctuaries

* Channel Islands
* Chumash Heritage
* Cordell Bank
* Greater Farallones
* Monterey Bay

National Estuarine Research Reserves

* Elkhorn Slough
* San Francisco Bay
* Tijuana River

University of California Natural Reserve System

* Angelo Coast Range
* Año Nuevo Island
* Blue Oak Ranch
* Bodega Marine
* Box Springs
* Burns Piñon Ridge
* Carpinteria Salt Marsh
* Chickering American River
* Coal Oil Point
* Dawson Los Monos Canyon
* Eagle Lake Field Station
* Elliott Chaparral
* Emerson Oaks
* Fort Ord
* Hans Jenny Pygmy Forest
* Hastings
* James San Jacinto Mountains
* Jepson Prairie
* Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh
* Landels-Hill Big Creek
* Lassen Field Station
* McLaughlin
* Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland
* Motte Rimrock
* Philip L. Boyd Deep Canyon Desert
* Point Reyes Field Station
* Quail Ridge
* Rancho Marino
* Sagehen Creek Field Station
* San Joaquin Marsh
* Santa Cruz Island
* Scripps Coastal
* Sedgwick
* Stebbins Cold Canyon
* Steele Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert
* Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains
* Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert
* Valentine Eastern Sierra
* White Mountain
* Younger Lagoon

Private Conservation Land Trusts

* Agua Hedionda Lagoon
* Arastradero Preserve
* Arroyo Conejo Open Space
* Audubon Canyon Ranch
* Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
* Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area
* Bluff Lake
* Big Sur Land Trust
* California Rangeland Trust
* Catalina Island Conservancy
* Claremont Canyon Conservancy
* Cosumnes River Preserve
* Fairfield Osborn Preserve
* Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County
* Pacific Forest Trust
* Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
* Peninsula Open Space Trust
* Pepperwood Preserve
* Sanctuary Forest
* Santa Cruz Island
* Santa Lucia Preserve
* Sempervirens Fund
* Sierra Nevada Alliance
* Sogorea Te Land Trust
* The Nature Conservancy
* Trust for Public Land
* The Wildlands Conservancy

Heritage registers
National Natural Landmarks

38°20′36″N 122°35′41″W﻿ / ﻿38.34338°N 122.59479°W﻿ / 38.34338; -122.59479
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