University of California, Irvine's (UCI) Ecological Preserve Irvine, California Page 1 of 3 (GENERAL LANDSCAPE)

"The 60-acre UCI Ecological Preserve consists of several small hills and surrounding flatlands bearing remnants of coastal sage scrub flora and associated fauna. The Preserve is located on the campus and is set aside for teaching, research, and use by the campus community. Additional information is available from the Office of Natural Reserves; telephone (949) 824-6031. Publications and species lists are available at http://nrs.ucop.edu/" — 2007-08 UCI General Catalogue, p. 10 "The Preserve is primarily a westerly facing slope of the San Joaquin Hills, and about 25 acres (10 hectares) are Venturan-Diegan transitional coastal sage scrub, with the other 37 acres (15.4 hectares) being grassland.... The Preserve is the northernmost fragment of the San Joaquin Hills, and the four hills on the Preserve range from 22 to 44 degrees in slope, with a maximum elevation of 346.5 ft. (105 m) above sea level." — VAS, Bowler & Bramlet. I did my best to identify the photos using the following references: VAS = Vascular Plants of the University of California, Irvine Ecological Preserve. Peter A. Bowler and David Bramlet. Paper, 2003(?). NAS = National Audubon Society, Field Guide to California. Peter Alden et al. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. ASIS = The Audubon Society, Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders. Lorus and Margery Milne. 6th printing. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989. BH = The Butterfly Handbook. Dr. Jacqueline Y. Miller and Dr. Lee D. Miller. London: Quarto (for Barron's), 2004. SPI = Spiders of the World. Rod and Ken Preston-Mafham. Reprint, New York: Blandford Press, 1988. TAS = Trees and Shrubs of California. John D. Stuart and John O. Sawyer. Illus. Andrea J. Pickart. Berkeley: Univ. of Calif. Press, 2001. PB = The Plant Book. 3rd ed. Reprint, Random House Australia, 2003. Related Links • Las Pilitas Nursery: Coastal Sage Scrub • Calflora: "Information on wild California plants for conservation, education, and appreciation." • Wildflowers and Other Plants of Southern California. Photographs by Michael L. Charters. • San Diego Natural History Museum: Field Guide for the Californias • The Living Desert botanical gardens and conservation center, Palm Desert, CA • What's That Bug? fun site Photos copyright © 2008 Kat Avila Table of Contents: Page 1: General landscape Page 2: Bees, butterflies, spiders Page 3: Cactus, flowers Date of Photos: throughout the month of August 2008 Weather: Hot, with occasional breezes. Camera: Canon SD1000			trail sign
GENERAL LANDSCAPE
entrance from Broadcom Corp.	ecological preserve sign	benchmark ORANGE COUNTY SURVEYOR ROCK, RM 5, JAN 1976 Ensures that a leveling rod could be placed in the same position again.	looking southwest toward 73 toll road (east side)
looking down the hill toward Broadcom	looking up the hill toward UCI faculty/staff housing		Dried-up tree with low twisting branches
looking northwest toward Fashion Island Shopping Center & Newport Beach	looking northward at Broadcom Corp.	looking northeast toward UCI	looking eastward at Los Trancos Dr. & UCI faculty/staff housing
Who lives in these burrows? Botta's pocket gopher? Thomomys bottae POCKET GOPHER FAMILY	Maybe a coyote was here. They eat berries.	What's left of a hapless bird. A few telltale feathers were in the area.	looking south toward the 73 toll road (west side)
looking northeast toward UCI (east side of preserve)	Sounds of the preserve: Rustling of dry grasses as the wind passes over and through them... ...the occasional kitten-like mewing of a California gnatcatcher.

Copyright © 2008 Kat Avila. All rights reserved.