Great Valley Grasslands State Park
Encyclopedia
The Great Valley Grasslands State Park, in central Northern California
-U.S., preserves one of few intact original remnants of the formerly extensive and predominant native
grassland
s on the floor of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin Valley
s, in the California State Park
system of protected area
s. They are in the California Central Valley grasslands ecoregion
of the Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
biome
values. The GEA represents the largest remaining contiguous habitat block of Grassland
s and Wetlands remaining in all California. The GEA is is north of the Grasslands Wildlife Management Area
.
Several rare
and endangered plant and animal species
inhabit the Park.
Great Valley Grasslands State Park was one of the 48 California state parks proposed for closure in January 2008 as part of a deficit reduction program. However to date the Park has remained open.
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
-U.S., preserves one of few intact original remnants of the formerly extensive and predominant native
California native plants
California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s on the floor of the Sacramento
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
and San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
s, in the California State Park
California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 278 parks and 1.4 million acres , with over of coastline; of lake and river frontage; nearly 15,000 campsites; and of hiking, biking, and...
system of protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s. They are in the California Central Valley grasslands ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of the Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a terrestrial biome whose predominant vegetation consists of grasses and/or shrubs. The climate is temperate and semi-arid to semi-humid....
biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
Grasslands Ecological Area
The park is part of the larger Grasslands Ecological Area—GEA of federal, state and private lands all managed for wildlife refugeWildlife refuge
A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...
values. The GEA represents the largest remaining contiguous habitat block of Grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s and Wetlands remaining in all California. The GEA is is north of the Grasslands Wildlife Management Area
Grasslands Wildlife Management Area
Grasslands Wildlife Management Area lies within the San Joaquin River basin and supports the largest remaining block of wetlands in the Central Valley, containing of private wetlands and associated, and surrounding of state and federal lands...
.
Flora and fauna in Park
- See also: California Native grasses
Several rare
Rare species
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered" or "threatened species" but not "extinct"....
and endangered plant and animal species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
inhabit the Park.
- In the grasslands habitatHabitat* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
and plant community they include:- Alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides)Sporobolus airoidesSporobolus airoides is a species of grass known by the common name alkali sacaton. It is native to western North America, including the Western United States west of the Mississippi River, British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, and northern and central Mexico...
— a nativeNative plantNative plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
California bunchgrass, - Delta button celery (Eryngium racemosum)Eryngium racemosumEryngium racemosum is a rare species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name delta eryngo, or delta button celery.-Distribution:...
— an endemic and state listed endangered speciesEndangered Species ActThe Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
- Alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides)
- In the flood plain of the San Joaquin RiverSan Joaquin RiverThe San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
and in vernal pools, from biologistBiologistA biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
s' reports, they include:- California Tiger salamander - Ambystoma californienseCalifornia Tiger SalamanderThe California tiger salamander is a vulnerable amphibian native to Northern California. Previously considered to be a Tiger Salamander subspecies, the California tiger salamander was recently designated a separate species again...
— an amphibianAmphibianAmphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
native-endemic to Northern CaliforniaNorthern CaliforniaNorthern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, a listed vulnerable speciesVulnerable speciesOn 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
. - Vernal Pool fairy shrimp - Branchinecta lynchi — a fairy shrimpFairy shrimpAnostraca is one of the four orders of crustaceans in the class Branchiopoda; its members are also known as fairy shrimp. They are usually long . Most species have 20 body segments, bearing 11 pairs of leaf-like phyllopodia , and the body lacks a carapace...
endemic to the vernal poolVernal poolVernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
s of Oregon and California, a listed endangered species. - San Joaquin tadpole shrimp - Lepidurus packardiLepidurus packardiLepidurus packardi is a rare species of tadpole shrimp known by the common name vernal pool tadpole shrimp. It is native to California and southern Oregon, where it lives in an endangered type of habitat, the vernal pool, and other freshwater aquatic habitats. It is a federally listed endangered...
— a tadpole shrimpNotostracaThe order Notostraca comprises the single family Triopsidae, containing the tadpole shrimp or shield shrimp. The two genera, Triops and Lepidurus, are considered living fossils, having not changed significantly in outward form since the Triassic. They have a broad, flat carapace, which conceals the...
endemic to California, endangered because of its limited distribution and habitat destruction.
- California Tiger salamander - Ambystoma californiense
Visitors
Springtime wildflower displays, fishing and wildlife watching attract visitors to this undeveloped park, which also encompasses the former Fremont Ford State Recreation Area.Great Valley Grasslands State Park was one of the 48 California state parks proposed for closure in January 2008 as part of a deficit reduction program. However to date the Park has remained open.
See also
- Grasslands of California
- Wetlands of California
- Marshes of California
- California native plantsCalifornia native plantsCalifornia native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
- Native grasses of California
- Environmentally Sensitive Habitat AreasEnvironmentally Sensitive Habitat AreasAn Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area is a designated protective area within the Coastal Zone of California, United States, as described in the California Coastal Act and Certified Local Coastal Programs for local government....