Modoc National Forest

The Modoc National Forest is a 1654392acre national forest in northeastern California.GeographyThe Modoc National Forest protects parts of Modoc (82.9% of acreage), Lassen (9.4%), and Siskiyou (7.7%) counties. Most of the forest was covered by an immense lava flow millions of years ago.The eastern part of the forest east of Alturas contains a spur of the Cascade Range to the north known as the Warner Mountains. The Warner Mountains drop steeply on the eastern slopes, whereas the western flank has a more gentle topography.EcologyDue to the elevation and precipitation differences, the forests hosts a large number of plant species. The western side of the brushy foothills consist mostly of bitterbrush and curl-leaf mahogany. As elevation increases, forests of ponderosa pine, white and red firs, incense cedar, and aspen give way to lodgepole and western white pines sprinkle towards the summit. Some 43400acre of the forest have been identified as old growth, with lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, incense cedar, and red fir being common constituents.