Semi-desert Chaparral

Background

Description and distribution  Description and distribution. Chaparral is composed mainly of evergreen woody shrubs, and is adapted to drought and fire, passing endlessly through cycles of burning and regrowth. It forms the most highly valued watershed cover of any vegetation in the state. Climatic factors generally operative in chaparral lands are mild temperatures, limited winter rainfall typically occurring in a few intense storms, and hot summers accompanied by prolonged drought. The overriding geographical factors that influence chaparral development are slope aspect, coastal-desert exposure, elevation, substrate, and fire. Brushland soils are highly porous and rocky in texture and are notoriously low in essential plant nutrients. In mountainous terrain, chaparral stabilizes rocky slopes. Nine types of chaparral are recognized in California, of which semi-desert chaparral is one. This community consists of shrubs between 1.5 and 3 meters in height, and is somewhat more open than most chaparrals. Some of the dominant taxa, Juniperus californica, Eriogonum fasciculatum, and Opuntia spp., are not broad-leaved sclerophylls. Semi-desert chaparral is less fire-prone than other chaparrals because of the lower fuel loads. This community is distributed from the inner coast ranges from San Benito County to Kern County, extending into northern Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and on the interior slopes of the transverse and peninsular ranges. It is most common between 2,000-5,000 feet elevation. Approximately 22,619 acres of this community occurs in the Plan area, in the San Jacinto, Santa Rosa and Little San Bernardino mountains. Approximately 90% of it currently occurs on public land or private conservation land. Associated covered species. The species associated with this community are Peninsular bighorn sheep, gray vireo, and triple-ribbed milkvetch.