The Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve is a 1,200 acre (5 km²) plot of land owned by Stanford University, located at 37°24′29″N 122°13′39″W / 37.408°N 122.2275°W / 37.408; -122.2275^[1] on Sand Hill Road near Interstate 280 in Portola Valley, California. It is used by students, researchers, and docents to conduct biology research, and teach the community about the importance of that research. The preserve encompasses Jasper Ridge and Searsville Lake (actually a reservoir) and the upper reaches of San Francisquito Creek.

Contents 1 Geological history 2 Global change experiment 3 Argentine ant invasion 4 Bat monitoring 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Geological history

Serpentine (Serpentinite) is the California State Rock. It was formed from deep sea or mantle rocks. This rock was squeezed toward the surface by tectonic plate movement, and thus feels greasy, as it has been polished over millions of years.

Graywacke Sandstone after crossing Leonard's Bridge. This sandstone was part of the Franciscan formation 138 M years ago.

Some rocks found at the preserve include: Greenstone, Chert, Serpentinite, Sandstone.

[edit] Global change experiment

The Global Change Experiment studies the response of California annual grassland to global change, including elevated atmospheric CO₂, temperature, altered precipitation, and increased nitrogen deposition.

[edit] Argentine ant invasion

This project studies and tracks the Argentine ants, an invasive species.

[edit] Bat monitoring

A station near the lake monitors bats at night, by converting and recording bat sounds (ultrasonic echolocation).

[edit] References

1. ^ USGS GNIS: Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve

[edit] External links

• Jasper Ridge main website