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Plants of Younger Lagoon Reserve
When Younger Lagoon was first afforded protection, it was separated from the adjacent activities at Long Marine Lab by construction of an earthen berm which was planted with native bush Lupine (shown here). Unfortunately it has also been severely impacted by invasion of Poison Hemlock (shown below), an alien weed brought in with our agriculture.

Several UCSC student projects have taken a look at questions of the ecological impact of exotic "pioneer" species at Younger Lagoon and methods for recovering a more native set of species and resisting further invasion.  Our plant list is probably still incomplete but is the result of several years of study.

Yellow Lupine
Lupine
Vegetation Zones

Younger Lagoon Reserve has several different vegetation zones that are based mostly on the presence of salt or fresh water and on the slope of the zone. Click on a zone in the map below to see a description of the plant species found in that area.
Vegetation Zones Coastal Scrub zone Coastal Scrub zone Riparian zone Coastal Scrub zone Coastal Strand zone Saltwater Marsh zone Freshwater Marsh zone Riparian zone Coastal Scrub-Grassland zone Coastal Scrub zone Coastal Scrub zone Coastal Scrub zone Coastal Scrub zone Coastal Scrub zone Coastal Scrub zone Coastal Strand zone Saltwater Marsh zone Saltwater Marsh zone Riparian zone Freshwater Marsh zone Freshwater Marsh zone Coastal Scrub-Grassland zone Riparian zone Riparian zone Riparian zone Riparian zone Riparian zone
Poison Hemlock
Poison Hemlock
Morning Glory
Morning Glory
Mail comments to fusari@ucsc.edu