Editing Point Arena, California (section)

==Ecology==
{{see also|Northern California coastal forests}}
A variety of fauna and flora occur in the Point Arena area which is a range demarcation for occurrence of some species. For example, the [[California giant salamander]] occurs to the south while the [[Pacific giant salamander]] occurs to the north.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Good |first1=D. A. |title=Hybridization and cryptic species in ''Dicamptodon'' (Caudata: Dicamptodontidae). |journal=Evolution |date=1989 |volume=43 |issue=4 |pages=728–744 |doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.1989.tb05172.x |pmid=28564189 |publisher=The Society for the Study of Evolution |language=en|doi-access= }}</ref>  It is also the type locality for the Point Arena [[mountain beaver]], ''Aplodontia rufa nigra'', which is federally listed under the [[Endangered Species Act]] as endangered, and is considered a mammalian species of special concern by the State of California.<ref>{{cite web |title=Point Arena Mountain Beaver Aplodontia rufa nigra |url=https://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnBeaver/mtnbeaver.html |website=AFWO |publisher=U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Office |access-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref> According to the [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]], the habitat for this subspecies of mountain beaver lies only within a {{convert|24|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}} area around Point Arena. The biggest threat to the PAMB is loss of habitat, and it was officially listed as an [[endangered species]] on December 12, 1991. Much local folklore revolves around this mysterious creature.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/mammals/mtnBeaver/mtnbeaver.html |title=Point Arena Mountain Beaver Species Profile |publisher=Fws.gov |access-date=July 16, 2013}}</ref>

The [[Point Arena State Marine Reserve & Point Arena State Marine Conservation Area]] are two [[marine protected area]]s that extend offshore from Point Arena. [[Sea Lion Cove State Marine Conservation Area]] and [[Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area]] lie south of Point Arena. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Sound levels in Point Arena are relatively quiet, with many locations at night-time dominated by natural sounds, such as those of the surf. The firm of Earth Metrics Inc., who prepared the ''Noise Element of the Point Arena General Plan'', found that, even considering the presence of logging trucks on main city streets, composite sound levels rarely exceed 55 L<sub>eq</sub>.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20111005061541/http://www.cityofpointarena.com/General%20Plan-LCP/General%20Plan/08-Noise%20TR.pdf ''Noise Element of the Point Arena General Plan '', Earth Metrics Inc]}}</ref> The maximum acceptable sound level specified in that General Plan Element is 60 [[Sound level meter#LAT or Leq: Equivalent continuous sound level|L<sub>eq</sub>]] for residential areas.