ABSTRACT Sedgwick Reserve (SR) has about 160 km of ranch roads that traverse almost 400 vertical meters. Many of the roads are inaccessible to ,passenger cars and even 4- wheel drive vehicles, especially during the rainy winter months. Year-round access to many parts of the Reserve is limited to alternative vehicles, such as all-terrain-vehicles (ATV's), and foot traffic. Research opportunities at the Reserve would be significantly enhanced by having ATV's available to researchers. Much of the area currently inaccessible by truck is the topographically rugged northeastern corner of the Reserve. Ecologically significant features of the area include several small streams and tributaries of Figueroa Creek and vernal pools. Additionally there are steep canyons with dense riparian vegetation including Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontia) and dry ridges with scrub oak (Quercus berberidifolia) chaparral which occur no where else on the Reserve. These communities are not, without ATV's, readily accessible to researchers and consequently are the least known areas of the Reserve. A fertile area of investigation in this part of the Reserve is the habitat connectivity of these streams and riparian areas to the bordering Los Padres National Forest Figueroa Mountain Recreation Area. With ATV access, researchers could more easily investigate headwater stream processes and the use of riparian habitat corridors by wildlife.
