Klamath Mountains
| Klamath Mountains | ||
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 Trinity Alps near Granite Lake in July 2005 |
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| Highest peak | Mount Eddy ( 2750 m ) | |
| location | California , Oregon (USA) | |
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| Coordinates | 41 ° 19 ′ N , 122 ° 29 ′ W | |
The Klamath Mountains , sometimes referred to as the Salmon Mountains , are a rugged, sparsely populated mountain range in the United States that stretches from northwestern California to southwestern Oregon . The Siskiyou Mountains form their northernmost part . The highest peaks of the Klamath Mountains are Mount Eddy (2750 m) in Siskiyou County , Thompson Peak (2744 m) in Trinity County and Mount Ashland (2296 m) in Jackson County . They are characterized by changing geological conditions, in larger areas by serpentine and marble . In terms of climate, they are characterized by moderately cold winters with heavy snowfalls and warm summers with little rain. The special geology has led to the formation of a unique plant community known as the Klamath-Siskiyou Forests . This includes a number of endemic or nearly endemic tree species, such as Lawson's cypress ( Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ), foxtail pine ( Pinus balfouriana ssp. Balfourinana ), Brewer Spruce ( Picea breweriana ) and Kalmiopsis ( Kalmiopsis leachiana ) co one of the richest conifers -Gemeinschaften educate worldwide. The area is also home to a rich fauna, including nine species of salmonids , as well as bears, big cats and eagles.
Forest and protected areas and tourism
Large parts of the Klamath Mountains are national forests of the US Forest Service , which together comprise several million hectares: Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Siskiyou National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest and Mendocino National Forest.
In addition to forests used for forestry , mainly on the Californian side, seven large nature reserves of the Wilderness Areas type are embedded in them, the strictest protected area category in the USA. They were established in 1964 and 1984 and together cover more than 5430 km² in which there is no infrastructure such as roads, buildings or other facilities. Hiking trails are sometimes rudimentary maintained, hiking is also the only permitted method of transportation in the areas, vehicles of all kinds, including mountain bikes , are prohibited. However, hunting and fishing are permitted within the legal regulations .
In particular in the area of the Russian Wilderness , established in 1984 with an area of almost 50 km², there are more conifer species than at any other location worldwide. Other largely untouched and natural areas by humans are the Trinity Alps Wilderness (second largest wilderness area in California, 1984, 2130 km²), Siskiyou Wilderness (1984, 740 km²), Marble Mountain Wilderness (1964, 980 km²), Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness (1964, 730 km²), Red Buttes Wilderness (1984, 80 km², on both sides of the border between California and Oregon) and Kalmiopsis Wilderness (1964, 730 km², entirely in Oregon).
The transition zone between the southernmost Klamath Mountains, the Cascade Range and the desert region of the Great Basin has been designated as Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management since 2000 . It is the first and so far only national monument that has been placed under protection mainly because of its biodiversity . The contact between the three major ecological regions makes the area of around 215 km² so extraordinarily rich in species.
The Klamath Mountains have an extensive network of hiking trails (including the Pacific Crest Trail through these mountains), recreational areas, and both natural and well-equipped campsites.
Important rivers
The most important rivers include the Eel River , Van Duzen River , Klamath River , Trinity River , Mad River , Smith River , Salmon River , Rogue River and Scott River .
fauna
fishes
The river network of the Klamath Mountains forms important spawning grounds for a total of nine species of trout and salmon , but the population of some species, especially salmon, has declined dramatically in the last 50 years. This is mainly due to the construction of dams, but also to excessive clear cutting . The logging on the steep slopes leads to the entry of large amounts of fine alluvial material into the river beds, which affects the spawning grounds as the fish need exposed gravel to spawn. In addition to king salmon and silver salmon , important fish species are rainbow trout , brown trout , sockeye salmon , brook trout , crappie , blue sunfish , catfish , largemouth bass and black bass .
Other animal species
The extensive forest areas in connection with the sparse human settlement offer numerous animal species favorable living conditions. Mammals include puma , American black bear , bobcat , lynx , raccoon , marten , fishing marten , beaver , gray fox , red fox , northern flying squirrel and abundant red deer . Among the birds there are golden eagles , bald eagles , helmeted woodpeckers , scaled- necked pigeons , various types of hawk and several large owls , including the spotted owl . Earlier also arrived in the area Grizzly , Wolf and Roosevelt elk before. The latter two there are plans to reintroduce, especially when considered less problematic applicable Wapiti . There have been reports of Bigfoot sightings from the remotest regions ; these also play a role in Native American legends.
flora
The Klamath Siskiyou Forests form a coniferous forest ecoregion of the temperate zone between northwest California and southwest Oregon, and cover approximately 50,300 km² in the mountainous region known as "Klamath Knot". The ecoregion is home to a high biodiversity with several different plant communities, including temperate rainforests, humid inland forests, oak forests and steppes, mountain forests and alpine grasslands. Thirty conifer species (including seven endemic) are found in the region, making the Klamath Mountains one of the world's most species-rich coniferous forest regions. In the area there are also several plant communities that are adapted to specific soil conditions, especially serpentine.
The conifers include Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ssp. Menziesii ), Lawson's cypress ( Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ), yellow pine ( Pinus ponderosa ), sugar pine ( Pinus lambertiana ), mountain hemlock ( Tsuga mertensiana ), Colorado fir ( Abies concolor ssp. lowiana ), Pracht-fir ( Abies magnifica ssp. shastensis ), Brewer spruce ( Picea breweriana ), coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ), Thuja plicata ( Thuja plicata ) and Pacific yew ( Taxus brevifolia ).
Typical species of the Trinity Alps are for example Douglas fir, yellow pine, magnificent fir, Colorado fir, California black oak , Quercus chrysolepis , Arbutus menziesii , Oregon maple , Aesculus californica , incense cedar and Jeffrey pine . California's northernmost locations of the white pine ( Pinus sabiniana ) are at the south fork of the Salmon River.
