Coyote Ridge
MAP
Satellite
Coyote Ridge supports an unusual combination of White Mountain and Sierra plant species. It is on one of the better developed Sierran landscapes east of the crest which is probably the remnant of an ancient landscape.
Alpine fell fields form the dominant plant community over most of the ridge. On the slopes below there are lodgepole and whitebark pine forests,
Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana and Pinus albicaulis, with specimens of both offering fine examples of timberline adaptations. On the exposed lower ridges there are foxtail pines,
Pinus balfouriana.
Of particular interest on the ridge and adjoining area are the number of
Fabaceae (Leguminosae) present, 4 genera and 14 species. Eight species of lupine have been identified in the area, making it one of if not the outstanding assemblage of these plants in the State. Among those found here are Lupinus pratensis, and the rare species Lupinus lepidus var. culbertsonii,
Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus, and Lupinus argenteus var. montigenus. Also found is Trifolium macilentum var. dedeckerae.
On the west fork of Coyote Creek and the other creeks in the area there are streamside associations. There are several lakes in the area. The scenery is outstanding.
The flat supports a unique insect population including a beetle, Pleocoma ssp., which is here found at
3,000 m. (10,000 ft.), its highest known elevation.
Integrity: Coyote Ridge lies entirely within the Inyo National Forest. No development has taken place on the ridge, though the flats below are used for grazing and the United States Air Force has built a high-altitude landing strip. There are a few scattered and inactive mining claims in the area.
Use: Research, educational, observation
January 1975
Inyo
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2005 Steven Louis Hartman
