Pacific Northwest Natural Areas
 

 

 


 

Oregon Gulch Research Natural Area

Medford District , BLM

Klamath Mountains Ecoregion

Cell(s):

  • Douglas fir-Ponderosa pine forest with poison oak, hairy snowberry or Piper's Oregon grape understory
  • White fir, moderately dry site forest with baldhip rose, hairy snowberry and starflower

Oregon Gulch Research Natural Area

 

  The 424 ha Oregon Gulch RNA protects slopes and riparian reaches of Oregon Gulch in the Jenny Creek watershed, approximately 40 km east of Ashland in Jackson County, Oregon. Elevations range from 970 to 1250 m. Vegetation includes western juniper/Oregon white oak (Juniperus occidentalis/Quercus garryana) scrubland, Oregon white oak/wedgeleaf ceanothus (Ceanothus cuneatus) bunchgrass or scrubland, Oregon white oak/ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest, mixed conifer/California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) forest, and riparian communities. The RNA supports two Bureau sensitive plants, Limnanthes floccosa ssp. bellingeriana and Calochortus greenei, as well as one Bureau watch species, Perideridia howellii. The temperate climate has warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Annual precipitation averages 76 cm. Soil series include Bybee-Tatouche complex, McMullinRock outcrop complex, McNull loam on south slopes, McNull-McMullin gravelly loam on south slopes, McNull-McMullin complex on north slopes, McNull-Medco complex, Skookum very cobbly loam and Skookum-Rock outcrop-McMullin complex. About 60% of the oak/grassland habitat contains rock outcroppings. The RNA is part of an active grazing allotment. A pond next to the heliport near the top of Rosebud Mountain is surrounded by non-native species.

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Access by gravel BLM roads