Dwarf forest

An elfin forest in Sumatra's Gunung Leuser National Park

Dwarf forest, elfin forest, or pygmy forest is a rare ecosystem featuring miniature trees, inhabited by small species of fauna such as rodents and lizards. They are usually located at high elevations, under conditions of sufficient air humidity but poor soil. There are two main dwarf forest ecosystem types, involving different species and environmental characteristics: coastal temperate and montane tropical regions. Temperate coastal dwarf forest is common for parts of Southern California. Montane tropical forests are found across tropical highlands of Central America, northern South America and Southeast Asia. There are also other isolated examples of dwarf forests scattered across the world.

Coastal temperate elfin forest

Pygmy Forest at Salt Point State Park in northern California

Elfin forests of California are the primary example of coastal temperate dwarf forests. They are expansive, and cover most of the mountains in the southern half of California, extending into Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona.^[1] Other expanses of elfin forest are found throughout the state, in the northern and central regions.

In northern California, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is home to an elfin forest with Mendocino cypress (Cupressus pigmaea), and Sargent's cypress (Cupressus sargentii), which is partially within a section of the Zayante Sandhill Area. On the Central Coast of California, on the southeastern shore of Morro Bay, Los Osos contains the El Moro Elfin Forest Natural Area. The area is approximately 90 acres. It derives the “elfin forest” title from the short California live oaks, which range in height from 4 – 20 feet, compared to the typical 30–80 feet. This region also contains the federally endangered Morro shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta walkeriana). At a higher altitude, on Cuesta Ridge, the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County manages the San Luis Obispo Elfin Forest of dwarf cypresses (Cupressus)

Factors such as soil moisture, solar radiation, and rockiness of soil influence species composition along an elevational gradient, resulting in certain shrub species, such as Adenostoma fasciculatum and Arctostaphylos glauca, being present in elfin forest habitats.^[2]

Fire occurs at low-moderate frequency with high severity. Many plants have adapted to this by having serotinous seeds that open to germinate only under high heat.^[2] Because of this, they are often the first to colonize a new area.

Pygmy Coast live oaks in Elfin Forest, California

Flora

Given that chaparral areas can be waterlogged in the winter, and arid and desert-like in the summer, native plants in these dry elfin forests have adapted accordingly, and are generally much shorter, smaller, and compact than related plants elsewhere. Diminutive plants commonly found in Californian elfin forests include Portulacaceae such as Mount Hood pussypaws (Cistanthe umbellata) and Alkali heath (Frankenia salina), and species of Aeonium and bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus). Trees and shrubs, such as chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), manzanita (Arctostaphylos), ceanothus, sumac (Rhus), sage (Salvia officinalis), and scrub-oak (Quercus berberidifolia) rarely grow more than 20 ft (7m) tall in these communities.^[1]

Fauna

Californian elfin forest fauna includes many species of deer mouse (Peromyscus spp.), harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys spp.), California vole (Microtus californicus), California pocket mouse (Chaetodipus californicus), kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spp.), and several species of spiny lizards (Sceloporus spp.), along with other small vertebrates.^[3]^[4] Invertebrates include the common scorpion (Scorpiones spp.), burrowing scorpion (Opistophthalmus spp.), and various species of spider (Araneae) and tick (Parasitiformes).

Seasonal variations

The Californian climate usually exhibits wet winters and dry summers. Variation in these patterns can cause devastating damage to numerous plant communities. Plants found in elfin forests have adapted to grow during winter months, and become dormant during the summer due to drought stress. Plant communities deal with low, seasonal rainfall by relying on fog interception and taking in moisture from the air.^[5]

Formation

Trail signs at Salt Point alert hikers they are entering a Pygmy forested region

Formation of coastal elfin forests in northern California and Oregon, began with a series of marine terraces. A combination of uplift and changes in ocean level formed a system of terraces, resulting in an “ecological staircase,” with each terrace approximately 100,000 years older than the one below it and supporting a distinct association of soils, microbes, plants, and animals. A dune being pushed farther away from the coast by fluctuating sea levels solidified and slid under the one before it, raising the terraces. Pioneer plant communities colonized and took over the young terrace. The succession of plant communities that repeated on each terrace eventually formed a very specific podzol known as the Blacklock series,^[6] which offers an inhospitable environment for species and greatly stunts further growth on the terrace. Part of this soil profile includes an underlying clay or iron hardpan. Each terrace is relatively level and many are footed by paleo-dunes. Drainage is poor at best on these stairs and plants sit in a bath of their own tannins and acids for much of the wet season. Plant communities on this terrace have reacted to limited root mobility and acidic soil by evolving stunted forms. Remnants of ecological staircases doubtless exist, however most have been destroyed for development or logging.

Analyses of pygmy forest soils show low levels of macro- and micro-nutrients, and high levels of exchangeable aluminum, which limits the ability of plants to grow. Low pH conditions support formation of an iron hardpan, preventing the trees from setting deep roots and preventing internal drainage of soil water.

As a result, the pine trees in the area are rarely more than three or four feet high, in a sort of natural bonsai effect. Many of the tree trunks, though only an inch thick, contain 80 or more growth rings. Only yards away, but with younger soils, the same species of tree grows many dozens of feet high.

Examples

Examples of high-terrace podzol pygmy forests include:

Mendocino Pygmy Forest in Mendocino County, California, for example, is an oligotrophic community caused by podzolized (nutrient-poor, highly acidic) soils. The forest flora is dominated by dwarfed Bishop pine, Bolander pine (a variety of shore pine), and Mendocino cypress. The latter two species are endemics to the pygmy forest. Bishop pine occurs in both dwarfed and full size form, the latter being trees whose roots have broken through the hardpan layer into the more fertile soil beneath. This forest is found in several discontinuous areas, with significant portions on the following public lands:
- Jug Handle State Natural Reserve, where it is the feature of the highest portion of the Ecological Staircase Trail. Adjacent, to the east, is the Pygmy Forest National Natural Landmark.^[7] within Jackson Demonstration State Forest.
- Russian Gulch State Park.
- Jackson Demonstration State Forest includes a large pygmy forest area east of the towns of Mendocino and Casper.
- The Hans Jenny Pygmy Forest Reserve, co-managed by the University of California Natural Reserve System and The Nature Conservancy.^[8]
- Within the Van Damme State Park is the Charlotte M. Hoak Pygmy Forest,^[9] located along the northern border of the park. A second pygmy forest location on the southern border has a self-guided nature trail built entirely on an elevated walkway forming a short loop through the site.^[10]
Salt Point State Park in Sonoma County, California has a much smaller pygmy forest and a fifth terrace prairie ranging from 900 to 1000 feet and formerly supporting elk populations. Like the Mendocino forest, the dominant trees are also Bishop pine, Bolander pine, and Mendocino cypress. Most of Salt Point is on the northernmost portion of the Salinian Block and the terrace staircase drops suddenly into the gulch that lies over the San Andreas fault.
SFB Morse Botanical Reserve in the Del Monte Forest of the Monterey Peninsula is centered on the small Huckleberry Hill pygmy forest of Bishop pine and Gowen cypress, in the middle of a more extensive forest of native Monterey pine. Bishop pine, which tolerates extreme podzol conditions better than Monterey pine, is found in the most heavily podzolized areas, with a zone of Bishop pine/Monterey pine hybrids dominating the less heavily podzolized area.

Pygmy forest on northwest slope of Mount Hood

Other examples of California pygmy forests include:

Elfin Forest Natural Area - El Moro Elfin Forest — 90 acre State Nature Reserve of 'pygmy oaks' (Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia ). Located on the southeastern shore of Morro Bay, in Los Osos of coastal San Luis Obispo County. A raised wooden boardwalk loops through and around the forest, with viewing platforms.^[11]
Cuesta Ridge Elfin Forest — in the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Special Interest Area, on western Cuesta Ridge of the Santa Lucia Range, in San Luis Obispo County. A pygmy Sargent Cypress (Cupressus sargentii) forest, where serpentine soil stunts growth. Protected within the 1,334 acre Cuesta Ridge Botanical Special Interest Area, in the Santa Lucia Ranger District of the Los Padres National Forest.^[12]^[13]
Dwarf Cupressus Preserve — a second West Cuesta Ridge grove of the pygmy cypress forest (Cupressus sargentii), managed by the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County.^[14]
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park — select pygmy forest locales in the Santa Cruz Mountains, near Santa Cruz, in Santa Cruz County.
Mount Tamalpais dwarf forest — a forest of small Cupressus pigmaea trees. The mountain's serpentine soil stunts the growth of these trees, causing them to mature when only a few feet tall. On Old Stage Road, 0.5 miles northeast of the Bootjack Picnic Area.^[15]
San Geronimo Ridge — just south of Whites Hill in Marin County.
Hood Mountain — near Santa Rosa in Sonoma County. A pygmy cypress forest dominated by Sargent's Cypress (Cupressus sargentii) and Arctostaphylos species can be found on the northwest slopes.

High-altitude tropical dwarf forest

Elfin forest on Mt. Kemiri, Sumatra, at an altitude of about 3000 m

High-altitude tropical locations in cloud forests contain mossy wet elfin forests due to high-altitude precipitation. These regions are characterized by low rainfall, with most of the water in the form of mist and fog. The water supplied is primarily available during the night, when clouds move from the ocean over the mountains, and are intercepted by the vegetation. During the day, water demands are increased as clouds rise over the mountain peaks without dissipating into available forms of precipitation.^[16]^[17]

The forests are characterized by small trees (5-8m), with shallow root systems, and abundant epiphytes.^[17] The epiphytes make up a large portion of the canopy, with greater abundances in high-altitude tropical elfin forests than what is found in other, non-elfin, tropical forests.^[18]

Dwarf forests should be more commonly found on isolated mountains due to the Massenerhebung effect. The Massenerhebung effect is a phenomenon where treelines are typically higher among mountains in close proximity to other mountains. The mountains in close proximity affect the rate of wind and heat retention, decreasing the negative effect of climate. When the treeline is lower, on isolated mountains, the climatic effects are more severe.^[19]