California coastal sage and chaparral

The California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion covers about of coastal terraces, plains, and foothills between Santa Barbara, California and northeastern Baja California. This includes the southwestern slopes of the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges, the entirety of the Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains, the Channel Islands, Guadalupe Island, and Cedros Island. Major urban centers located within this ecoregion include Greater Los Angeles, San Diego-Tijuana, Ensenada, and Tecate. ==Climate==

The climate is Mediterranean, with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Almost all of the daily maximum temperatures lie between . Mean annual precipitation is generally below , although can be as high as in the Santa Monica Mountains and hills around the Los Angeles Basin. ==Flora==

The plant species of the California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion are diverse, with high endemism. Endemic and/or rare plants include buckwheats (Eriogonum spp.), oaks (such as island oak—Quercus tomentella), Catalina ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus), and Dudleya species restricted to these islands. One subspecies of meadow-foam, Limnanthes alba ssp. parishii is only found in the ephemeral wetlands of the Laguna Mountains (and also away in the Klamath Mountains). Wildfires are part of the natural fire ecology throughout the ecoregion. Habitats of this hot, dry coast must survive and revive following the regular forest fires, and the dominant plant species have adapted to recover from fires. ==Fauna==

roaming the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains The coastal sage and chaparral of California are home to a variety of small mammals, such as deer mice, desert woodrats, and desert shrews. Predators include mountain lions, coyotes, grey foxes, and bobcats. Lizards of note include side-blotched lizards, western fence lizards, sagebrush lizards, and the San Diego subspecies of the coast horned lizard. Resident snake species include large carnivores such as common kingsnakes, gopher snakes, rosy boas, and western rattlesnakes. Invertebrates of note include the cheese-weed moth lacewing (Chrysoperla species). The Hermes copper and Quino checkerspot butterflies among the 200 butterfly species found here. Vernal pools in the ecoregion are home to Riverside fairy shrimp (Streptocephalus woottoni). Birds Typical birds of the region include scrub jays, wrentits, and rufous-sided towhees. Predatory birds include great horned owls and red-tailed hawks. The California gnatcatcher is a small bird, endemic to this coastal ecoregion, which has been protected as its habitat is now designated an Important Bird Area. Other birds found here are the endemic Nuttall's woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii) of the oak woodland, and the coastal populations of the protected cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus). The island scrub jay (Aphelocoma insularis) is endemic to Santa Cruz Island. Important Bird Areas in Mexico include Isla Guadalupe and Isla Cedros, and parts of Sierra de Juárez and Sierra de San Pedro Mártir. ==Threats and preservation==

This attractive coastline is highly vulnerable to urban, recreational, and agricultural development and only 15% of original habitat is intact. Habitats are vulnerable to livestock grazing, which has removed much native vegetation on the Channel Islands, such as Santa Cruz where sheep were grazed for over 100 years. Another threat, ironically, is fire control, which only allows the amount of dry material in the forest to build up, resulting eventually in massive fires. However, in many chaparral regions such as the Santa Monica Mountains, increased fire frequency is the larger concern because fire return intervals in mature chaparral communities should be 30–150 years, unlike much of the region which often has return intervals of 20 years or less. There are patches of coastal sage scrub in Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the Santa Monica Mountains, the San Joaquin Hills near Laguna Beach, and the Irvine Ranch in Orange County, California. Additional patches of coastal sage scrub exist in Southern California in the Angeles National Forest. Protected areas A 2017 assessment found that 1,925 km2, or 6%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include Channel Islands National Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Point Mugu State Park, Malibu Creek State Park, Topanga State Park, Griffith Park, Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, Ballona Wetlands State Ecological Reserve, Chino Hills State Park, Crystal Cove State Park, the Santa Rosa Plateau Reserve, and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. In Baja California, the chaparral ecology of Guadalupe Island, Isla Todos Santos, and the Coronado Islands are protected within the Baja California Pacific Islands Marine Conservation Area. ==See also==