Natural Resources of California

CA Natural Resources
Natural Resources of California
By Cynthia Kirkeby
Mar 17, 2006, 01:17 PST

California Natural Resources
Explore the natural resources of the great state of California, including state parks, national parks, deserts, wetlands, and more.

California State Parks
Learn more about the hundreds of California State Parks.
Source: California Department of Parks and Recreation

California National Forests
California boasts 18 national forests containing an incredible array of outdoor recreational opportunities. Millions of visitors and citizens vacation in these areas every year and many industries thrive within the boundaries of California's National Forests.
Source: CERES

California’s Desert Resources
“California's 25,000 square miles of desert can be divided into two basic zones; the Mojave, or high desert, and the Colorado, or low desert. Each of these areas contains unique fauna and flora, as well as other natural resources that make them an important part of California's present and future. California's deserts are home to two National Parks (Death Valley and Joshua Tree), a National Reserve (East Mojave), and California's largest state park, Anza- Borrego.”
Source: CERES

California Coastal Forests
“Ecologists recognize at least 13 major tree communities within California. Five of these are associated with the coastal regions. There are approximately 129 species of native trees in California, 63 of which are endemic. It is estimated that another 1,000 have been introduced from all over the world, but most of these are limited to private gardens.”
Source: CERES

San Francisco Gold Rush Resources
Browse your way through the history of the San Francisco Gold Rush with this great collecton of articles and timelines.
Source: The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco

California’s Coastal Mountains
California's coastal mountains trace a sinuous 800-mile course from the northwest corner of Del Norte County south to the Mexican border. Except for a break in the chain at the Golden Gate, they form a continuous series of ranges and valleys, separating the coast from the Great Central Valley and the deserts of the interior. This mountainous barrier has a dramatic effect on California's climate: storms originating over the Pacific Ocean bring rain to the western slopes, while the eastern slopes remain relatively dry.
Source: CERES

California’s Coastal Wetlands
“Coastal wetlands include a number of natural communities that share the unique combination of aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial habitats that results from periodic flooding by tidal waters, rainfall, or runoff. Wetlands provide a habitat for a vast array of organisms, including many endangered species. During peak annual migration periods, hundreds of thousands of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway descend upon these coastal wetlands in search of refuge and food.”
Source: CERES

Wildlife Photo Gallery
The following photographs represent a cross-section of the biodiversity present in the Golden State of California. There are also audion files that allow you to hear the sound of a howling wolf, a cougar, a bullfrog, and a canyon wren.
Source: State of California