Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve
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Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve is part of the
University of California Natural Reserve System The University of California Natural Reserve System (UCNRS) is a system of protected areas throughout California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents acros ...
. The reserve is located along the coast of
San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo. Junípero Serra founded the Miss ...
at the south end of the town of
Cambria, California Cambria () is a seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California State Route 1 (Highway 1). The name Cambria, chosen in 1869, is the Latin name for Wales. Cambr ...
. It is named for Kenneth S. Norris, a University of California professor, renowned naturalist, and founder of the UC Natural Reserve System. It is operated by the university under a use agreement, as it is privately owned and funded. There is no public access.


History

Native Californians obtained shellfish along the shore, fished, and gathered acorns and other plants here for food as far back as 5,000 years ago. Reserve lands were part of the land grant of Rancho Santa Rosa that were given to Julian Estrada by the governor of Mexico in 1841. Swiss dairymen grazed cattle on what are now reserve lands, and Chinese seaweed farmers lived here from 1900 to 1960, burning intertidal rocks in winter to encourage new sea lettuce (''Ulva'' sp.) growth. The site joined the UC Natural Reserve System in 2001.


Geography

Reserve lands lie between the Cambria and offshore San Gregorio-Hosgri faults within the San Andreas Fault Zone. An uplifted marine terrace known as the Cambria Slab drops into the ocean at a sea cliff, while the eastern edge of the reserve rises steeply to in elevation. Nine coastal drainage systems flow from the ridge into the ocean on reserve property, dropping sediments onto alluvial fans. Two are dammed to provide drinking water for cattle as well as habitat for fish and frogs. Two are designated blue line streams by the Army Corps of Engineers.


Habitats

The reserve has of Monterey pine
Monterey pine ''Pinus radiata'' ( syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California and Mexico ( Guadalupe Island and Cedros island). It is an evergreen conifer in the f ...
forest, at the southern end of one of the state's three remaining original stands. Adjacent to reserve lands lies White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area. Kelp beds support southern sea otters as well as a wealth of fishes and rocky intertidal species. Coastal terrace prairies and coastal scrub habitats are also found on the reserve. The reserve has an active cattle grazing program.


Science

Th
Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans
(PISCO) monitors the health of the kelp forests, rocky shoreline habitats, and coastal current ecosystems of the reserve. Th

has intertidal sites here, and

is also located on the reserve.
long term study of the demography of Monterey pines
was started in 2001

are ongoing.


References

{{Reflist University of California Natural Reserve System Cambria, California Protected areas of San Luis Obispo County, California 2001 establishments in California Protected areas established in 2001