San Bernardino National Forest
IUCN Category VI - Protected Area with Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
The San Bernardino National Forest is a U.S. National Forest, which lies in the two counties of Riverside County and San Bernardino County in Southern California. It has a total area of over 3333 square kilometers. It consists mainly of two mountain ranges, the San Bernardino Mountains to the north than the southernmost part of the Transverse Ranges of mountains and the San Jacinto Mountains and the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south as northern parts of the Peninsular Ranges mountain chain. The height of the terrain varies 600-2500 meters.
In addition to headquarters in San Bernardino there are offices for individual districts in Fontana, Idyllwild and Skyforest.
Geography
According to the scientific authority of the United States Geological Survey of the National Forest is divided into two major areas; the southern and the northern area.
At the west end of the National Forest, the Angeles National Forest adjoins. The western boundary runs nearly 16 miles of Interstate 15 away. The largest northern - west extension in the northern part is approximately 90 km to the north- south length of this part is about 40 kilometers long. In this part of the forest are the San Bernardino Mountains. The area stretches from west of Mount San Antonio as well as the community of Wrightwood. In the south, bordering the northern part of the reserve of the Cahuilla Indians north of the town of Cabazon.
The approximately smaller southern part of the National Forest measuring about 40 km in the north - south length and 50 km in the east- west extension. The 2657 meter high peak Toro and the reservation of the Santa Rosa - column of Cahuilla Indians are in the south of this area. The village of Idyllwild - Pine Cove is located here, surrounded by the area of the forest.
In the National Forest are located beyond the Bonita Falls, a waterfall, and a research station of the University of California. In addition, the forest about eight so-called total reserves, ie areas that are protected from human intervention and largely left to natural development features. They are part of the state nature reserve class Wilderness Area. Two of these total reserves are also in the area of the Angeles National Forest. In addition, the Big Bear Lake is located in the National Forest.
Vegetation
The mountain scenery of the National Forest are crisscrossed by many different tree species, especially from the class of Coniferopsida. So here are yellow pine, Jeffrey pine, sugar pine, Coulter pine, coastal pines, leaved pines and pines of the Pinus attenuata to be found. The Colorado fir, incense cedar, or the American West juniper grow here, as well as the oak species Quercus chrysolepis, the California black oak, or Nuttall's flowering dogwood.
About 350 square kilometers of the forest are regarded as primary forest, ie a human to date (probably) unaffected forest area.