Southern Oregon Coast Range

Geology

As with the Oregon Coast Range as a whole, the Southern Oregon Coast Range likely began as an ocean island chain that collided with the continental tectonic plate of North America more than 60 million years ago. In the Southern Range the 64-million-year-old Roseburg Volcanics that formed this section are the oldest portions of the entire range. The range is part of a forearc basin that has slowly rotated about 51 degrees since the Eocene period. Much of the mountain structures are pillow basalt formations created during the volcanic period and then uplifted with the collision into the North American Plate. Other geologic features are mainly the result of erosion and weather forces carving steam beds and valleys out of the rock formations.

Flora and fauna

The Oregon Coast Range is home to over 50 mammals, 100 species of birds, and nearly 30 reptiles or amphibians that spent a significant portion of their life cycle in the mountains. Birds living in the Southern Coast Range include a variety of smaller and larger bird species.{{cite journal | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200219145829/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7d3e/e6882af73bcb38e22426e63a04c23a76cbd7.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2020-02-19 These include northern goshawks, peregrine falcons, pileated woodpeckers, olive-sided flycatcher, and western bluebirds. The northern spotted owl, listed as a threatened species by the United States also inhabit the mountain forests. Aquatic life includes river lamprey, Pacific lamprey, coastal cutthroat trout, Millicoma longnose dace, Umpqua chub, red-legged frogs, southern seep salamander, western pond turtles, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and others. Other small animals include shrews, moles, deer mice, and ermine.

Plants include large stands of Douglas-fir trees, western hemlock forests, cedar trees, with portions of these forests including old-growth stands. Portions of the range are in the Elliott State Forest.

Location and climate

The range begins around the Umpqua River with the Central Oregon Coast Range to the north. Oregon Route 38 is the general divide between the two sections. On the southern end the Coquille River's middle fork provides the general dividing line between the Central Range and the Klamath Mountains to the south and east.

The climate of the mountains is of the mild maritime variety. It is characterized by cool dry summers followed by mild and wet winters. Most precipitation falls in the form of rain, with snow during the winter months at the higher elevations. Annual precipitation varies from 60 to, with more in the higher elevations. The average high temperature in January is 36.3 F, and the average high in July is 61.9 F with temperature also varying by elevation.

Peaks

All peaks in the range are over 3000 ft in elevation.

Rivers

The following rivers have portions of their headwaters in the Southern Oregon Coast Range:

• Drains to Pacific Ocean:
  • Coos River
  • Coquille River
  • Umpqua River

References

References

1. {{cite gnis. 1138413. Bone Mountain
2. Orr, Elizabeth and William Orr, and Ewart Baldwin. Geology of Oregon. Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1992, 4th edition.
3. [http://www.reo.gov/ecoshare/Publications/documents/FieldGuides/Coast/Coast%20Wildlife.pdf Field Guide to the Forested Plant Associations of the Northern Oregon Coast Range: Wildlife Habitat Relationships for the Coast Guide.] {{webarchive. link. (2007-09-27 (PDF) ECOSHARE. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.)
4. [http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/05-9223.html Notice of intent, to conduct scoping meetings. Federal Register: May 9, 2005, pages 24450-24452. (Volume 70, Number 88).] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.
5. Carey, Andrew B., Janice A. Reid, and Scott P. Horton. [http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/journals/pnw_1991_carey001.pdf Spotted Owl Home Range and Habitat use in Southern Oregon Coast Range. Journal of Wildlife Management. 54(1):11-17.] (PDF) U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.
6. Other wildlife includes fringed myotis bats, long-legged myotis bats, Townsend's big-eared bat, [[Fisher (animal)
7. Aubry, Keith B., Mark J. Crites, and Stephen D. West. [http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr285/gtr2855d.pdf Regional Patterns of Small Mammal Abundance and Community Composition in Oregon and Washington.] (PDF) U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.
8. Other flora include [[Sitka spruce]], [[salmonberry]], [[salal]], tanoak, and western azalea.Tarrant, Robert F. and Chris Maser. [http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/hardtoget/jk-64-html/introduction.html From the Forest to the Sea: A Story of Fallen Trees: Introduction.] Tree Dictionary. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.
9. {{cite gnis. 1122703. Kenyon Mountain
10. {{cite gnis. 1118421. Buzzard Rock
11. {{cite gnis. 1117389. Bear Mountain