The ‘Vertically Challenged” Trees
of Mendocino’s Pygmy Forests
Although the Mendocino Coast is noted for its
towering redwood groves, patches of pygmy forest can
be found in locations between the Navarro River and
the Noyo River. In the most stunted pygmy forests,
mature Mendocino cypress and Bolander’s pine trees
are only 8-10 feet tall. Pygmy Mendocino cypress is
the “indicator species” for habitat to be designated as
pygmy forest.
These little trees show signs of die-back and are festooned with lichen. The pygmy forest is also a habitat
for rhododendron, Bishop pine, huckleberry, Labrador
tea, dwarf manzanita, salal, wax myrtle and many species of lichens including the pale green reindeer lichen,
popularly called “fairy fuzz”, found on the forest floor.
Pygmy forest occurs in a section of the coast which
was formed by uplifted marine terraces. The first terrace is coastal headlands grassland, then the second
NANCY BARTH
terrace is forested with fir, pine, and Redwood. Pygmy
forest is found 1. 5 or more miles east of the coast on the Local Naturalist Pam Huntley explains one of the interpretaive
3rd, and 5th terraces with pine, fir, and redwood forest panels at the Pygmy Forest to some visitors.
between successive terraces.
Why are pines and cypresses, which can grow to be
100 or more feet tall in nearby forests, stunted in the pygmy forest, where a 50 year old tree may have a trunk only 1 inch thick?
Vegetation growth is constrained by acidic soil conditions and an
underlying hardpan layer which limits root growth and prevents
drainage. Trees which can grow roots no deeper than 2 feet cannot
grow tall. In the most constrained parts of the pygmy forest, few
trees are over 10 feet tall, however individual taller trees can be
found where roots break through the hardpan barrier.
The best trail for learning about the coastal terraces begins at
Jughandle State Reserve, located on Highway 1, 3 miles south of
the Highway 1- Highway 20 intersection. This 2. 5 mile trail starts
at the parking lot just past the Jughandle Bridge and goes through
terraces 1-3 with interpretive material to describe the geologic
history and vegetation of the each terrace. The hike, which takes
about 3 hours, ends with a boardwalk trail through pygmy forest
on terrace #3.
Families with small children and visitors with limited time enjoy
the interpretive trail using Van Damme State Park’s boardwalk,
which is hospitable to strollers and wheelchairs. Motorists should
turn east just south of Little River on Little River Airport Road, go
3. 5 miles and turn left at the “Pygmy Forest Parking” sign.
Another advantage of a boardwalk trail is that hikers do not
have to bring waterproof footwear for winter hikes. Because of the
poor drainage of pygmy forest soils, fall rains may leave portions of
the pygmy forest flooded.
Another access in Van Damme State park is located on the
Comptche-Ukiah road. Turn left just south of the Big River bridge
and drive 2. 5 miles where there is a small parking area on the right
and a “trail” sign. The Charlotte M. Hoak trail is primitive, but is a
good place to see and photograph blooming pygmy rhododendron
in May and June. Along the trail, visitors should look for reindeer
lichen on the ground.
Visitors to the pygmy forest will seldom see deer, but may see
gray foxes, jackrabbits and wood rats. Birds do nest in the pygmy
forest, but are best detected by listening rather than watching.
Spider webs are frequently seem in the stunted trees.
One question which new visitors ask is, “Will a pygmy cypress
grow tall if it is transplanted into fertile soil?” The answer is, yes, it
will. Transplanted pygmy cypresses moved to other soils grew tall
until they were moved to artificial “infertile” soil with a hardpan
barrier created with concrete.
Although a stunted forest is found east of the South Mendocino
Coast between Point Arena and Gualala, the habitat seen between
the Noyo River and the Navarro River is found nowhere else in the
world.
Before the coast was settled by Europeans in the 19th Century,
native Pomos burned the pygmy forest every few years to stimulate
growth of huckleberries, an important food source. For many years,
settlers considered pygmy forest “worthless”, and the County airport and the Caspar dump were located in the pygmy forest. During the 1960’s, soil scientists and botanists began studying pygmy
forest and urging preservation of undisturbed pygmy forest habitat.
For information about guided tours of the pygmy forest, go to:
www.mcn.org./1/mendoparks/ index.htm or call (707) 937-5840.
