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| Administering Campus | UC San Diego |
| Established | 1965 |
| Location | Western San Diego County, within the cities of Carlsbad and Vista; 48 km (30 mi) north of San Diego. |
| Size | 94 ha (235 acres) |
|
Elevation |
67 to 179 m (220 to 587 ft) |
|
Latitude: |
33° 08' 30" N |
|
Longitude: |
117° 15' 20" W |
|
USGS Maps: |
San Luis Rey 7.5', San Marcos 7.5', Oceanside 15' |
| Average Precipitation | 21 cm (8 in) per year |
| Average Temperatures | September
maximum: 23°C (73°F) January minimum: 7°C (45°F) |
| Facilities | Trailer with laboratory on site; library, laboratory, and dormitory support available on San Diego campus. |
| Databases | Aerial and historic photo archive; plant-recovery records from post-fire monitoring since 1982; species lists for vascular plants, birds, mammals; reserve-based publications since 1995; preliminary archaeological survey report. |
| Personnel | Reserve manager and academic coordinator on San Diego campus; no personnel on site. |
| NRS Publications | Reserve brochure published 1989. |
| Contact Information | Isabelle
Kay Natural Reserve System APM Prime Room #2802 9500 Gilman Drive University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA 92093 Phone: 858-534-2077 E-mail: |
Flowing through the bottom
of the Dawson Los Monos Canyon Reserve is Agua Hedionda Creek, one of the
few perennial streams in Southern California, as it winds its way through
the San Diego county foothills to the Pacific Ocean. Along the stream banks
of the canyon floor grows a lush riparian woodland, which gives way to dense
chaparral spreading up the steep north- and south-facing slopes. The wide
upper canyon opens out onto old pastures of introduced annual grasses, the
result of a century of grazing. Other reserve habitats, some of which were
once common throughout Southern California, include coast live oak woodland,
inland sage scrub, and a mixed grassland of native bunchgrasses and introduced
annuals. Downstream from the reserve’s western boundary lie the coastal wetlands
of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, which are preserved through state and federal
legislation. These neighboring protected lands enable the movement of species
between open spaces, which in turn encourages diversity and helps keep the
reserve from becoming an isolated natural island in this growing region.
The varied landscape of Los Monos Canyon supports a rich fauna, with more
than 75 species of birds, including several pairs of nesting black-shouldered
kites.
Selected Research
Special Programs
Restoration ecology: Stream
bank restoration.
Fire ecology: Old-growth
and post-burn chaparral monitored since a 1982 fire.
Field courses: Site
visits by university courses in ecology, human biology, and natural history;
facilities are expanding to enhance teaching use.
Public
outreach: The
San Diego Natural History Museum collects plant specimens.
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