"Fog and Wind" - Cloud Forests of Santa Rosa Island

Fog and wind are ever present on Santa Rosa Island -- one of the Channel Islands offshore of Los Angeles and southern California. Fog condenses on twigs and leaves of island woodland plants, dripping and soaking into the ground. These "cloud forests" harvest the fog and provide critical water for wildlife and the ecosystem.

But grazing in decades past nearly eliminated the native woodlands and changed the fog ecosystem and island hydrology. Now, USGS scientist Kathryn McEachern is working with Channel Island National Park scientists and other collaborators to restore the cloud forests of Santa Rosa Island. As they return, the forests will again harvest water for the island, returning moisture to soils, springs and streams.