Elfin Forest Natural Area
The Elfin Forest Natural Area is a nature preserve protecting a unique plant community in Los Osos-Baywood, San Luis Obispo County, central California. It consists of prehistoric sand dunes, rising above southern Morro Bay, on the north of Los Osos-Baywood.
Description
The Elfin Forest Natural Area covers that have been acquired by The Los Osos / Morro Bay Chapter of Small Wilderness Area Preservation since 1988. The land was accepted by and now belongs to San Luis Obispo County Parks and California State Parks. The transfer's acceptance by the agencies was based on ongoing active stewardship by SWAP, which continues to the present day under the new name of Friends of El Moro Elfin Forest. The nature preserve opened to the public in 1994.Natural history
The native Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) trees compose an elfin forest, in a naturally harsh location with poor soil conditions, salt spray, and constant winds, that have stunted and directed their growth. They now compose a woodland of trees, with the largest between 200 and 400 years old, and range from a height of in sheltered areas to a low of near the tallest ridge line.There are several other native plants of pygmy forest scale in the nature preserve, also adapted to the harsh habitat, including the locally endemic Morro manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis).
Habitats in the nature reserve, within the California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion, include:
- Coastal sage scrub
- Coastal brackish marsh
- Riparian woodland fringe
- Pygmy oak woodland
- Maritime chaparral
- Coastal dune scrub
- Oak and manzanita complex.