Rock Creek Butte Research Natural Area Establishment Record
| Published: | December 10, 2007 |
Abstract
This RNA occurs along the crest of the southern Siskiyou Mountains in extreme western Siskiyou County. It lies approximately two air miles (3 km) east of the eastern boundary of the Siskiyou Wilderness. Rock Creek Butte (RCB) is a northeast-southwest trending ridge, which is now bisected by the Gasquet-Orleans Road.
The RCB RNA has an exceptionally good representation of Brewer spruce on northwest-facing slopes. The Rock Creek Butte Brewer spruce stands are healthy, covering about 138 acres (55.9 ha) and are represented by several age classes ranging from seedlings up to trees 48 in. (122 cm) dbh4 and 130 ft (39.6 m) tall. Brewer spruce is also represented in different seral stages and slope exposures. Particularly notable are the young Brewer spruce recolonizing areas which were burned about 50-100 years ago on both northwest and, more surprisingly, east and southeast exposures.