Life On The Summit - San Jose, CA - Flora and Fauna Information Signs on Waymarking.com

"Welcome to the summit of Mount Umunhum. At an elevation of 3486 feet, this peak has been shaped over millions of years by powerful forces of geology and climate, offering a diverse canvas for many plants and animals. The environment here has also been modified repeatedly by humans over the centuries. Native Americans tended the mountain for over 10,000 years. In 1850, it was part of California very first mining claim, and from 1957 to 1980 the summit was the site of Almaden Air Force Station.

The climate here can be baking hot or bitterly cold. Winds can reach over 100 miles an hour and 10 inches of rain can fall in a single day. These conditions, and the rocky, low nutrient, serpentine spoils, makes it difficult for most plants to endure. However some heary species have adapted to find a home within the protected cracks of the rocky summit. Together, these rocks and plants form rock gardens. These rock gardens are a haven for busy lizards, ants, grasshoppers, and beautiful displays of butterflies that converge at the summit to display and find mates. Birds seek this open rocky area to easily find plants and animals on which to feed. Biologists have documented many different plant and animals species on the summit so far. How many do you see?

Mount Umunhum, one of the highest peaks in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is in dose proximity to the San Andreas Fault. The turbulent seismic activity, uplift, and erosion have created this mountain's most striking features, sharp ridges, and extremely deep valleys. In the spring and summer, the jutting rock outcrops of the exposed summit and slopes are spotted with color from unique wildflowers growing out of crevices that collect moisture in the winter and provide some protection from the wind."

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