The Golden Gate Biosphere Network (GGBN or the Network) is a voluntary coalition of federal, state and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and private partners within the Golden Gate Biosphere region (along the western portion of the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

). The Network aims to protect the region's

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

and conserve its natural resources. The Network has been part of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme since 1988.GGBN is also part of th
US Biosphere Network
as well as EuroMAB. It is recognized by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

for its "significance for biological diversity conversation" and organizational efforts involving municipal authorities and private interests. The Network periodically submits reports to UNESCO on current land-management issues related to the region's biodiversity and its connection to people. Recent efforts have focused on outreach to potential collaborators and promoting research on biodiversity and

climate change adaptation Climate change adaptation is the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change, both current and anticipated.IPCC, 2022Annex II: Glossary[Möller, V., R. van Diemen, J.B.R. Matthews, C. Méndez, S. Semenov, J.S. Fuglestvedt, A. Reisinger ...

About the Golden Gate Biosphere Network

The Golden Gate Biosphere network is a coalition with the goal of conserving the environment of the San Francisco Bay Area. It was recognized by UNESCO in 1988 for ecological and cultural diversity. In 2017, a periodic review brought renewed interest to the Golden Gate Biosphere Network and also expanded the boundaries of the GGB region by more than 26,000 square miles.“Golden Gate Biosphere Periodic Review.” 2016. UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. Since 2017, the Network has focused on expanding its collaborative partnerships to improve connections among regional agencies, organizations, and nonprofits, enhancing the stewardship of natural resources. As of 2021, the Network is made up of 20 partners representing multiple jurisdictions and sectors of the region. These include: # Audubon Canyon Ranch # Bodega Marine Reserve, UC Davis, Bodega Marine Reserve # Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve # Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary # Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary # Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge #

Golden Gate National Recreation Area The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is a U.S. National Recreation Area protecting of ecologically and historically significant landscapes surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. Much of the park is land formerly used by the Unite ...

# Fort Point National Historic Site #

Muir Woods National Monument Muir Woods National Monument ( ) is a National monument (United States), United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service and named after naturalist John Muir. It is located on Mount Tamalpais near the Pacific Ocean, Pacific ...

Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore is a park preserve located on the Point Reyes, Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County, California. As a national seashore, it is maintained by the US United States National Park Service, National Park Service as an ...

Marin Municipal Water District The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) is the government agency that provides drinking water to southern and central Marin County, California. Chartered in 1912, it became California's first municipal water district. It serves 191,000 customers ...

Mount Tamalpais State Park Mount Tamalpais State Park is a California state park, located in Marin County, California. The primary feature of the park is the Mount Tamalpais. The park contains mostly redwood and oak forests. The mountain itself covers around . There are ...

# Samuel P. Taylor State Park # Tomales Bay State Park #

Pepperwood Preserve Pepperwood Preserve is a 3,117-acre plot of land owned by the Pepperwood Foundation, located in the Mayacamas Mountains in the coast ranges of California near the towns of Santa Rosa and Healdsburg in Sonoma County. The preserve includes the h ...

# Presidio Trust # San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Peninsula Watershed #

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is a nonprofit cooperating association that supports park stewardship and conservation in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area—the most visited national park in the U.S. Recognized as one of the ...

# Point Blue Conservation #

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

Regional Office (Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, 12)

Biosphere Regions

As recognized by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, there are currently 738 biosphere regions in 134 countries around the world. Regions are recognized for containing a large variety of ecological systems representative of major biogeographic regions, significant biodiversity, and their ability to explore and demonstrate approaches to sustainable development at the regional scale. Biosphere regions serve three functions: to foster relationships between humans and nature that allow for

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

, to contribute to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, and species of flora and fauna, and to provide support for research, monitoring, and education within the region.

Golden Gate Biosphere Region Geography

The Golden Gate Biosphere region consists of of which 94% is marine habitat.“Golden Gate Biosphere Periodic Review.” 2016. UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. This marine area covers whilst the terrestrial area covers . The Region extends through the North-Central California coastal region from the

Bodega Marine Reserve Bodega Marine Reserve is a nature reserve and marine reserve on the coast of northern California, located in the vicinity of the Bodega Marine Laboratory on Bodega Head. It is a unit of the University of California Natural Reserve System, admi ...

in the north to Jasper Ridge in the south and includes the

Farallon Islands The Farallon Islands ( ), or Farallones (), are a group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. The islands are also sometimes referred to by mariners as the Devil's ...

, Angel Island, and includes

Alcatraz Alcatraz Island () is a small island about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate Strait. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fo ...

within the

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...

. The biosphere region is situated on both sides of the

San Andreas Fault The San Andreas Fault is a continental Fault (geology)#Strike-slip faults, right-lateral strike-slip transform fault that extends roughly through the U.S. state of California. It forms part of the tectonics, tectonic boundary between the Paci ...

. Each side has a completely different type of bedrock, and the western side of the rift is moving northward. Core areas, otherwise known as protected area, are legally constituted core areas devoted to long-term protection. The core areas of the Golden Gate Biosphere region are of sufficient size to serve the three functions required of biosphere regions mentioned previously. Marine protected areas within the biosphere include the following conservation units: * Gualala (8,260 ha) * Stewart's Point (6,227 ha) * Jenner (11,955 ha) * Bodega Head (2,431 ha) * Tomales Point (6,393 ha) * Cordell Bank Reef (10,374 ha) *

Point Reyes Point Reyes ( , meaning 'Cape of the Kings') is a prominent landform and popular tourist destination on the Pacific coast of Marin County in Northern California. It is approximately west-northwest of San Francisco. The term is often applied ...

and

Drakes Estero Drakes Estero is an expansive estuary in the Point Reyes National Seashore of Marin County on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States, approximately northwest of San Francisco. Location and description Situated at , the ...

(12,932 ha) * Duxbury Reef and Bolinas Lagoon (10,746 ha) * North and South

(12,764 ha) Terrestrial protected areas include the following conservation units: *

(137 ha) *

- Phillip Burton Wilderness (10,014 ha) * Audubon Canyon Ranch (421 ha) * Farallon National Wildlife Refuge (85 ha) * San Francisco Peninsula Watershed ( San Francisco Public Utilities Commission) (7,446 ha) * Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (413 ha) In addition to these protected areas, the Golden Gate Biosphere region includes buffer zones and transition areas. Buffer zones, also known as managed use areas, are clearly identified and surrounding or contiguous to the core area or areas, where only activities compatible with conservation objectives and sound ecological practices can take place. These areas help reinforce scientific research, monitoring, training, and education. Transition areas, or areas of partnership and cooperation, are outer areas where the greatest activity is allowed. Sustainable resource management practices are promoted and developed in these areas in an effort to foster sociologically, culturally and ecologically sustainable economic and human development.

Ecology

The biosphere is considered a

biodiversity hotspot A biodiversity hotspot is a ecoregion, biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in ''The Environmentalist'' in 1988 and 1990, after ...

, as human habitation threatens its high biodiversity. With over 3000 terrestrial and marine plant and animal species,“Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting.” 2017. UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. https://nmsfarallones.blob.core.windows.net/farallones-prod/media/archive/manage/pdf/sac/17_05/ggbr_presentation.pdf. the Golden Gate Biosphere includes marine, aquatic ecosystems and terrestrial ecosystems such as evergreen forests (including the endemic

Coast Redwood ''Sequoia sempervirens'' ()''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995: 606–607 is the sole living species of the genus '' Sequoia'' in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly treated in Taxodiaceae). Common names include coast redwood, coast ...

), oak woodlands, chaparral, coastal scrub and prairies, rare serpentine grasslands, as well as coastal and offshore islands. It also contains four Ramsar Wetlands of international importance: the Laguna de Santa Rosa Wetland Complex,

Tomales Bay Tomales Bay is a long, narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Marin County in northern California in the United States. Geography Tomales Bay is approximately long and averages nearly wide, with relatively shallow depths averaging 18 ft, eff ...

, Bolinas Lagoon, and San Francisco Bay Estuary. These habitats are threatened by human activities and settlement within the region. A diverse range of marine, coastal, and upland

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s of the

California chaparral and woodlands The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of southwestern Oregon, northern, central, and southern California (United States) and northwestern Baja California (Mexico), located on the west coast of North America. It is a ...

and

Northern California coastal forests Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ...

ecoregions An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecology, ecological and Geography, geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of la ...

may be found, including mixed evergreen forests,

forests,

Douglas-fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is the tallest tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Or ...

forests,

Bishop pine ''Pinus muricata'', the bishop pine, is a pine with a very restricted range: mostly in California, including several offshore Channel Islands, and a few locations in Baja California, Mexico. Stands of Bishop Pine are also found in Point Reyes Nat ...

forests,

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

forests, woodlands and savannas,

northern coastal scrub Northern coastal scrub is a diverse scrubland plant community found along the Pacific Coast from Northern California to Southern Oregon, as well as some offshore islands. It frequently forms a landscape mosaic with California coastal prairie, coast ...

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

coastal dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

, coastal strand,

tidepool A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. These pools typically range from a few inches to a few feet deep and a few feet across. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only ...

kelp forest Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on E ...

s, coastal grasslands, and marshes. The associated

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

is also rich with

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

Tule elk The tule elk (''Cervus canadensis nannodes'') is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast. The subspecies name derives from the tule (), ...

California sea lion The California sea lion (''Zalophus californianus'') is a coastal eared seal native to western North America. It is one of six species of sea lions. Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of Califo ...

elephant seal Elephant seals or sea elephants are very large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus ''Mirounga''. Both species, the northern elephant seal (''M. angustirostris'') and the southern elephant seal (''M. leonina''), were hunted to the brink of ...

s, and many shorebirds. Under the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting and conserving imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of e ...

, the Bay Area is home to over 90 endangered or threatened animal and plant species.“San Francisco Bay Area and Delta Protection.” n.d. Center for Biological Diversity. Accessed August 13, 2021. https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/san_francisco_bay_area_and_delta_protection/. Endangered land animals found here include the California red-legged frog, Alameda whipsnake,

California tiger salamander The California tiger salamander (''Ambystoma californiense'') is a vulnerable amphibian native to California. It is a mole salamander. Previously considered to be a subspecies of the tiger salamander (''A. tigrinum)'', the California tiger sala ...

. Endangered fish include Central California Coast

steelhead trout Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or Columbia River redband trout (''O. m. gairdneri'', also called redband steelhead). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacif ...

coho salmon The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family (biology), family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon (or "silvers") and is often ...

, and southern green sturgeon. Endangered birds and butterflies include the Western snowy plover,

Brown pelican The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth ...

Mission blue butterfly The Mission blue (''Icaricia icarioides missionensis'') is a blue or lycaenid butterfly subspecies native to the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. The butterfly has been declared as endangered by the US federal government. It is a s ...

, and

Bay checkerspot butterfly The Bay checkerspot (''Euphydryas editha bayensis'') is a butterfly endemic to the San Francisco Bay region of the U.S. state of California. It is a federally threatened species, as a subspecies of '' Euphydryas editha''. Since the 1980s the p ...

. Endangered plants include the Contra Costa goldfields, Suisun thistle, yellow larkspur, San Francisco Wallflower, and

Clarkia franciscana ''Clarkia franciscana'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name Presidio clarkia. It is endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where it is known only from two populations at the ...

Public Use

The Golden Gate Biosphere region is unique for having marine, coastal, and upland resources adjacent to a major metropolitan area, thus providing easy access to outdoor education and recreation for the inhabitants of the San Francisco Bay metropolitan area. The Biosphere region provides important economic opportunities to the San Francisco Bay Area and annually receives 26.5 million visitors. Many recreational activities such as sport fishing, hiking, bicycling, whale watching, sightseeing, backpacking, picnicking, kayaking, surfing, boating, swimming, scuba-diving, snorkeling, cultural activities, museums, dining, and overnight lodging are available. Agricultural activities within the GGB region are limited to beef and dairy ranching within

and the northern district of

. Approximately 28,000 acres of land are permitted for ranching. The

and ranchers collaborate on issues of importance to maintaining biodiversity within the biosphere, including water quality, archaeological site preservation, ranch diversification, weed management, historic structure and landscape maintenance, sustainable agricultural practices, and habitat restoration.

Stewardship and Research

The GGBN works collaboratively on projects related to stewardship, science, and education. Partners cooperate on tidal pool monitoring and public education in the area of

. Another joint activity is the

Coho salmon The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family (biology), family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon (or "silvers") and is often ...

restoration project, which requires habitat inventorying and mapping of several critical watersheds. Within the last decade, collaborative projects within the 1,492 acres of the

Presidio A presidio (''jail, fortification'') was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire mainly between the 16th and 18th centuries in areas under their control or influence. The term is derived from the Latin word ''praesidium'' meaning ''pr ...

site involved the removal of six landfills. Those locations were subsequently restored with native habitats including one creek, three dune systems, one riparian system, two serpentine sites, and one Colma site, leading to increased habitats and populations of the endangered species San Francisco Lessingia and Franciscan Clarkia. The Network also cooperates with the Iroise Biosphere Reserve of France in a comparison of coastal ecosystem recovery after human use changes. Research covers topics such as: the management of commercially important resources such as fisheries; threats to ecosystems such as

oil spill An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into th ...

s, pollutants, and

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

; and episodic events such as

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

s and climate extremes.

Gallery

File:Icaricia icarioides missionensis 3.jpg, The endangered

found in

Marin Headlands The Marin Headlands are a hilly peninsula at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, United States, located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, which connects the two counties and peninsulas. The entire area is p ...

File:Coho salmon pair.jpg,

are threatened by rising sea temperatures and poor stream conditions File:Male Western Snowy Plover (2433435148).jpg, The Western snowy plover populations are closely monitored by researchers File:Brown Pelican, Pelagic Boat Trip.jpg, The endangered

brown pelican The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth ...

lives on the coasts of the Golden Gate Biosphere File:Redwood Creek at Muir Beach Hugh Kuhn WInter 2011.jpg, Redwood Creek supplies water to the

Redwood Sequoioideae, commonly referred to as redwoods, is a subfamily of Pinophyta, coniferous trees within the family (biology), family Cupressaceae, that range in the Northern Hemisphere, northern hemisphere. It includes the List of superlative tree ...

trees of

File:Clarkia franciscana (2).jpg, Rare

plants can be found in

Presidio Park Presidio Park is a city historic park in San Diego, California. It is the site where the San Diego Presidio and the San Diego Mission, the first European settlements in what is now the West Coast of the United States, were founded in 1769. The ...

, San Francisco File:San Francisco Wallflower 02 (4715609124).jpg, The San Francisco wallflower is a rare

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

plant found in dune habitats File:Bull kelp.png, Bull kelp beds are an important habitat for marine wildlife in Duxbury Reef

Sources

References

{{San Francisco Bay watershed Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Biosphere reserves of the United States Nature reserves in California Parks in the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco Bay Environment of the San Francisco Bay Area