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Chickering |
Contact Information
James Kirchner
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
479 McCone Hall
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-4767
Phone: 510-643-8559
kirchner@geomorph.berkeley.edu |
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Location
Placer County, 5 mi SE Donner
Pass on N. Fork of American River. Access is 11 mi past the town of Soda
Springs on a dirt track, a drive of
approximately one hour. Map Quest |
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Facilities
None; the site is best suited for day use. |
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Databases
Inventory of vertebrates on the reserve; list of all plants on Box Springs Mountain. |
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Personnel
Faculty reserve manager on campus; no on-site personnel. |
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Size
6,829 ha (16,875 acres) |
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Elevation
Reserve: 1,830 to 2,470 m (6,000 to 8,100 ft)
NFA land: 1,463 to 2,682 m (4,800 to 8,800 ft) |
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Average Precipitation
125 cm (49 in) per year |
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Average Snowfall
850 cm (332 in) per year |
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Average Temperatures
January min: -14°C (7°F)
July max: 30°C (86°F) |
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 Transect
Articles
specific
to Chickering |
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 Mathias
Grant Research
specific
to Chickering |
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Site Spec Sheet (PDF) |
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<••• •••> |
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American River Reserve |
Established in 1975 |
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 Located in the headwaters basin of the North Fork of the American River, the
Chickering American River Reserve is the only NRS site set on the windward
western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. This rugged site has thin soils and a variety of
mountain habitats, including black oak woodlands, montane and subalpine coniferous
forests, aspen groves, willow thickets, mixed riparian woodland, wet and dry
subalpine meadows, montane chaparral, alpine lake margins, and fell fields. The
basin also has scattered soda water springs, which contain a variety of minerals,
primarily calcium bicarbonate.
Rich in flora and fauna, the site harbors one thousand plant species. It also lies within
the habitat ranges of a variety of mammals, including pika, yellow-bellied marmot,
marten, fisher, mule deer, black bear, and mountain lion. One hundred bird species,
including northern goshawks and California spotted owls, are among the other
inhabitants, along with more than fifteen reptile and amphibian species, including
the yellow-legged frog, a declining species. Significant petroglyphic sites thought to
be of the people of the Martis complex may date back 3,000 years or more. |
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Selected Research
Since 1975, when the Chickering family
granted this land in a long-term
conservation easement to the UC NRS,
UC work on site has included a botanical
checklist, pollination ecology studies,
and wolverine surveys. Wasp-mite
symbiosis is currently being studied.
A broad plant survey was conducted
over several decades by landowner
Sherman Chickering, along with an
investigation of multiple phenotypes in
the lily Fritillaria atropurpurea. A plant
list synthesized from the works of
Chickering and others will be available
in spring 2003, along with a bird list
now in preparation. |
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Photo Gallery |
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Research Conditions
Heavy snow during winter months generally restricts the research season to June through October. An absence of facilities and the distance from campus make this site best suited for day use. Camping is possible, though limited to 72 hours and to particular locations. This site is specified for environmentally sensitive research. The research area may be extended, through a specific use-agreement, onto 6,000 acres of adjacent land held by the North Fork Association (NFA). No more than six researchers may be working at the reserve at any given time. |
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