McAfee Research Natural Area Establishment Record

McAfee Research Natural Area (MRNA) is part of the largest continuous alpine steppe in California and the Great Basin, and is the most accessible large alpine area in California. It is unique due to the long history of research activities in the area. With the adjacent scientific facilities of WMRS and the concentration of scientific interest, the MRNA can be used as a control area for research done in the surrounding region and is valuable as a scientific research site for local (such as high-altitude environment and physiological processes related to reduced oxygen and increased ultraviolet levels) and global ecosystem studies (such as plant genetics, speciation, global warming, etc.)

Another unique aspect of this region is the rainfall level. Rainfall in the MRNA area is, on average, lower than in many other high elevation alpine ecosystems due to the rain-shadow effect of the Sierra Nevada.