NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



197 



California. Perhaps the most con- 

 spicuous trees are various species of 

 Eucalyptus and Acacia from Australia 

 and the pepper tree (Schoenus molle) 

 from South America. A wide variety 

 of forage plants have been introduced 

 and many of them are now considered 

 weed pests, for example Johnson grass 

 (Sorghum halapense) and Bermuda grass 

 (Cynodon dactylon), 



Among exotic vertebrates now thor- 

 oughly acclimated are three species of 

 rats, the house mouse, Tennessee opos- 

 sum, English sparrow, and ring-necked 

 pheasant, the latter purposely intro- 

 duced as a game bird. The opossum 

 introduced by accident in both south- 

 ern and central California is already 

 becoming a serious pest. Many at- 

 tempted introductions of game species 

 have proved failures. 



In the streams and lakes are to be 

 found many introduced species of 

 fishes, including two kinds of black bass, 

 the striped bass, calico bass, crappie, 

 ringed perch, blue-gilled sunfish, shad, 

 carp, two kinds of catfish and four kinds 

 of trout eastern brook, mackinaw, 

 lock leven and brown. Topminnows 

 have been widely distributed in recent 

 years as a means of controlling mos- 

 quitos. Many predatory insects have 

 been introduced as controls on insect 

 pests of citrus groves. The accidentally 

 introduced Argentine ant is proving 

 one of the worst of pests. 



The areas within the national parks 

 probably come nearest to being pre- 

 served in a natural state for no hunting 

 is allowed, grazing and flower picking is 

 restricted and there is but a slight 

 amount of timber cut. 



The National Forests of the State 

 furnish considerable protection to fauna 

 and flora. (See accounts in National 

 Forests of California, page 216.) 



IV. NATURAL AREAS 



Middle Eastern California 



*Yosemite National Park (B2 I). 

 Area, 1125 sq. mi.; elevations 2000 to 

 13,090 ft.; includes granite-walled Yo- 



semite Valley of world-famed beauty; 

 lofty cliffs; romantic vistas; many water- 

 falls of extraordinary height; glacial 

 evidences; ravines, canyons, mountains; 

 coniferous and mountain forest, chapar- 

 ral; three groves of big trees (Sequoia 

 gigantea), including the Mariposa Grove. 

 Mule deer and black bear commonly 

 seen. Includes type locality of Yo- 

 semite toad (Bufo canorus}, Mt. Lyell 

 salamander (Hydromantes platycephala) , 

 Yosemite pocket gopher (Thomomys 

 alpinus awahnee), Yosemite vole (Micro- 

 tus montanus yosemite), Yosemite cony, 

 Yosemite mole, High Sierra bat, Yo- 

 semite fox sparrow. 



190 mi. east of San Francisco by Big 

 Oak Flat Road and 225 mi. east of San 

 Francisco by Wawona Road. Southern 

 Pacific R. R. or Sante Fe R. R. to 

 Merced; Yosemite R. R. to El Portal 

 and Yosemite Transportation Company 

 stages to Yosemite Valley. W. F. 

 Bade. 



* Devil Post Pile National Monument 

 (B2) . Area of 800 acres at the upper end 

 of the San Joaquin canyon containing a 

 spectacular mass of hexagonal basaltic 

 columns like an immense pile of posts. 

 Administered by the United States 

 Forest Service. Madera County, South- 

 ern Pacific R. R. to Laws thence by 

 stage to Mammoth, thence by trail. 

 Also reached by trail from Yosemite 

 Valley. E. N. Munns. 



* Sequoia National Park (B2). Cre- 

 ated 1890. Area, 252 sq. mi. 12,000 

 sequoia trees over 10 ft. in diameter, 

 some 25 to 36 ft. in diameter; towering 

 mountain ranges; steep precipices; cave 

 of considerable size. 



72 mi. east of Visalia, California, 

 Southern Pacific R. R. Good auto- 

 mobile roads. 



*General Grant National Park (B2). 

 Area, 4 sq. mi. Created to preserve 

 the celebrated General Grant Tree, 35 

 ft. in diameter 6 mi. from Sequoia 

 National Park. 



71 mi. east of Fresno, California, 

 Southern Pacific R. R. 



49 mi. east of Visalia, California, 

 Southern Pacific R. R. 



