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Modoc
Bioregion
Sometimes
referred to as "sagebrush steppe" country, the
high and dry Modoc region ecologically belongs more to the
Great Basin desert bioregions to the east than to California’s
other zones.
Vegetation
Juniper and sagebrush cover much of the eastern, desert
side of the Modoc bioregion.
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| Lava
Beds National Monument |
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Yellow
and Jeffrey pine, white fir, mixed conifer, cedar, and aspen
are common in the mountainous and forested areas of the west.
Rare plants: Yellow arrowleaf, balsam root, long-haired star
tulip, spiny milkwort, Ash Creek ivesia, Raven’s lomatium,
and woolly stenotus.
Climate
Hot, dry summers and cold, damp winters with snow at higher
elevations are the norm in the Modoc bioregion.
Major natural features and areas
The geography of this sparsely populated bioregion is varied.
To the west lie forests, mountains, volcanic lava fields and
barrens and wetlands. To the east lies high desert, which
borders Nevada. Lassen Volcanic National Park is dotted with
lakes and crowned by 10,457-foot Lassen Peak. The region is
bordered by Tule Lake and Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuges,
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park and Lava Beds National Monument
on the western side and desert alkali lakes, Honey Lake Valley
and Modoc National Wildlife Refuge to the east.
The Modoc bioregion includes the Modoc and parts of Lassen
and Klamath National Forests. Its largest lakes are Lake Almanor,
Eagle Lake, Lower Klamath Lake, and Goose Lake. The Pit River
flows southwest from the rugged Warner Mountains across the
Modoc Plateau and into the Sacramento River. |
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Wildlife
Among the wildlife of the Modoc region are ospreys, Canada
geese, black-crowned night herons, cinnamon teal, northern
pintails, sage grouse, hummingbirds, great horned owls, goshawk,
mule deer, muskrats, marmots, black bears, coyotes, porcupine,
pronghorn antelope and rainbow trout.
Threatened and endangered species: bald eagles, greater sandhill
cranes, Swainson’s hawks, bank swallow, Lost River sucker,
Modoc sucker and Shasta crayfish.
Threats
Industrial logging– Logging, including in the bioregion’s
national forests, poses all-too-familiar threats to the area’s
wildlife and waterbodies. Some logging also takes place on
the publicly owned LaTour State Forest.
Overgrazing– Overgrazing is one of the major environmental
issues in this bioregion, where ranching is widespread. Cattle
denude soil, hasten erosion, pollute creeks, and trample sagebrush,
reducing food and shelter for many species. |
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| Black
bear |
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FORESTS
FOREVER
San
Francisco
50 First Street, Suite 401 • San Francisco, CA 94105 •
phone 415.974.3636 • fax 415.974.3664
mail@forestsforever.org
© 2008 Forests Forever
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