Plant Communities

• Redwood forest with rich understory
• Douglas fir forest
• Azalea patches
• Chaparral with manzanita, ceanothus, and huckleberry
• Mixed evergreen forest wth oak/madrone

The seep zone area of the CNR is located in the upper central campus, above Science Hill and Colleges 9-10. The 1/2 mile-long interpretive trail, located here, guides us through the array of habitats in the area--including redwood forest with good understory habitat, Douglas fir forest, seep vegetation, chaparral and mixed evergreen forest .

*For information about guided tours of the interpretive trail: click here

Seeps-how do they work?

The geology of this section is also of interest. The upper layer of soil is sandy and allows fast drainage of rain water producing a relatively dry surface habitat. Below the sandy soil lies a layer of mudstone. The water cannot penetrate this "table" so it runs along the mudstone layer and forming seeps in several areas where it comes up to the surface. The seeps running through the area support a diverse number of moisture-loving biota. Special features of this zone include an Azalea bog and the only extensive example of wetlands redwood forest on campus.

Brochures about the interpretive trail are available from the CNR office