California coastal prairie, also known as northern coastal grassland, is a

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

plant community A plant community is a collection or association of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighboring patches of different vegetation types. The components of each plant ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

and

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

in the

temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The predominant vegetation in this biome consists of grass and/or shrubs. The climate is temperate and ranges from semi-arid to sem ...

biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...

. It is found along the

Pacific Coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western or southwestern border, except for Panama, where the P ...

, from as far south as

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

to southern Oregon.

Description

California's coastal prairies are the most

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

-rich grassland types in North America (Stromberg et al. 2002) with at most, 26 species present per square meter. Coastal prairie is also the single most urbanized major vegetation type in the US; 24% of the

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

has been lost to pavement. Wind, salt spray, fire, and grazing are evolutionary disturbances which affected shrubs and tree growth maintaining more open grasslands. In the absence of grazing and/or fire, many areas of coastal prairie are being lost to shrub and tree encroachment. The accumulated organic matter from centuries produce a rich, dark

prairie soil Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

(''mollisol''). Coastal prairie often forms a landscape mosaic with the

Northern coastal scrub Northern coastal scrub is a scrubland plant community of California and Oregon. It occurs along the Pacific Coast from Point Sur on the Central California coast in Monterey County, California, to southern Oregon. It frequently forms a landscape mo ...

plant community. Coastal prairies also often form coastal terraces which can occur without a major successional event such as fire or grazing. These terraces are often used for human services such as agriculture and can be seen in areas such as Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo.

Characteristic species

Characteristic species of this community include: * Perennial bunch grasses: :'' Bromus carinatus'' :''

Calamagrostis foliosa ''Calamagrostis foliosa'' is a species of grass known by the common name leafy reedgrass. It is endemic to northern California, where it grows in the forests and scrub on the coastline. Description ''Calamagrostis foliosa'' is perennial bunchgr ...

'' :''

Danthonia californica ''Danthonia californica'' is a species of grass known by the common name California oatgrass. This plant is native to two separate regions of the Americas, western North America from California to Saskatchewan, and Chile. Description ''Danthonia ...

'' :'' Deschampsia cespitosa'' :''

Festuca californica ''Festuca californica'' is a species of grass known by the common name California fescue. This fescue species is native to the U.S. states of California and Oregon, where it is a member of many plant communities, including chaparral and oak wo ...

'' :''

Festuca elmeri ''Festuca elmeri'' is a species of grass known by the common names coast fescue and Elmer's fescue. It is a bunchgrass native to the US states of California and Oregon, where it often grows in wet, shady areas in coastal counties. Description T ...

'' :'' Festuca idahoensis'' :'' Hordeum brachyantherum'' :''

Nassella pulchra ''Nassella pulchra'', basionym ''Stipa pulchra'', is a species of grass known by the common names purple needlegrass and purple tussockgrass. It is native to the U.S. state of California, where it occurs throughout the coastal hills, valleys, an ...

'' *Other plants : Bracken fern - ''Pteridium aquilinum'' : Douglas iris - ''Iris douglasiana'' : Blue dicks - ''Dipterostemon capitatus'' : Blue-eyed grass - ''Sisyrinchium bellum''

Endangered species

Many of the rarest plant species in the coastal prairie exist mainly on land currently being grazed by livestock. These species have been disappearing when land is set aside for conservation and the livestock are removed. The entire coastal prairie biome can be completely restored, even after the plants seem to have disappeared for decades after grazing end, by unearthing their dormant native seeds in the soil, that are still viable underneath the weeds. Between 1992 and 2000, at 300 Byers Lane, La Selva Beach in Santa Cruz County, 70 acres of habitat went from 99% weed-covered to 95% native covered in only eight years, without sowing any seeds.(Dremann with Shaw 2002) Rare and endangered species found in the coastal prairie include: *Flora : Santa Cruz tarweed - ''Holocarpha macradenia'' — found in limited locations :San Francisco popcornflower - '' Plagiobothrys diffusus'' :Robust spineflower - '' Chorizanthe robusta robusta'' : Artist's popcornflower - ''Plagiobothrys chorisianus'' :Pt. Reyes meadowfoam - ''

Limnanthes ''Limnanthes'', the type genus of the family Limnanthaceae, consists of annual herbaceous plants commonly known as the meadowfoams. The seven species are all native to coastal and adjoining regions (inland valleys, foothills and mountains) of wes ...

sp.'' :Santa Cruz clover - ''

Trifolium buckwestiorum ''Trifolium buckwestiorum'' is a rare species of clover known by the common name Santa Cruz clover. Distribution It is endemic to California, where it is known from nine or ten small occurrences in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma Counties. It ...

'' : Indian clover - ''Trifolium amoenum'' :Gray's clover - ''Trifolium grayii'' :San Francisco owl's clover - '' Triphysaria floribunda''. *Fauna : Ohlone tiger beetle - ''Cicindela ohlone'' —

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to Santa Cruz County : San Francisco garter snake - ''Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia''

Endangered habitat

Unlike many other

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

grasslands, the mostly perennial

bunch grass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perenni ...

es stay green all summer, which makes the coastal prairies attractive for grazing cattle and sheep. Other effects to this plant community include agriculture and development. California's coastal prairie, like most other California grasslands, has been greatly affected by the invasion of non-native species, including earthworms, snails, slugs, pill bugs, earwigs, and annual Mediterranean grasses. Most recently, invasive perennial grasses are the greatest threat. These include velvet grass (''

Holcus lanatus ''Holcus lanatus'' is a perennial grass. The specific epithet ' is Latin for 'woolly' which describes the plant's hairy texture. Common names include Yorkshire fog, tufted grass, and meadow soft grass. In North America, where it is an invasive ...

''), tall fescue (''

Festuca arundinacea ''Festuca arundinacea'' (syn., ''Schedonorus arundinaceus'' and ''Lolium arundinaceum'') is a species of grass commonly known as tall fescue. It is a cool-season perennial C3 species of bunchgrass native to Europe. It is an important forage gra ...

''), and Harding grass ('' Phalaris aquatica''); the impact of these species can be somewhat ameliorated by well-planned livestock grazing, which can reduce these species' cover and allow native species to persist. Woody species also pose an invasion threat. These include ''

Hypericum perforatum ''Hypericum perforatum'', known as St. John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae and the type species of the genus '' Hypericum''. Possibly a hybrid between '' H. maculatum'' and '' H. attenuatum'', the species can be found ...

'', gorse, and broom. California's coastal prairies are protected by the California Coastal Act, which considers these habitat types to be

Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas An Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA - pronounced ē'-sha) is a designated protective area within the Coastal Zone of California, United States, as described in the California Coastal Act and Certified Local Coastal Programs for local go ...

(ESHA). Akin to the endangered species act for habitat types on California's coast, ESHA protections disallow any harm to so designated habitats, except where such harm is necessary to otherwise restore the habitat as a whole (e.g., prescribed fire, grazing). Coastal Prairies of California are classified as critically endangered with the following stressors causing the most impacts: invasive species, low nutrient soils, urbanization, and unregulated recreational activities. There are also a number of abiotic factors which make this environment extremely hard to tolerate from a plant’s perspective such as constant sun exposure, high salt deposits, strong winds, and abrasion damage or complete submersion from sandy dunes or beaches. Both impacts of high winds and salinity are damaging to plants, acting as an accelerated corrosive agent to those who are especially not fit or adapted for such conditions. Historically, applications for sand stabilization resulted in positive feedbacks within the system, thus spurring an optimal habitat for invasive species to flourish.

References

Bibliography

* Dremann, C., with M. Shaw. 2002
An Innovative Approach to Restoring a Coastal California Ecosystem. Ecological Restoration
20(2):103-107. * Ford, L. D., and G. F. Hayes. 2007. Northern coastal scrub and coastal prairie. in M. G. Barbour, T. Keeler-Wolf, and A. A. Schoenherr, editors.

Terrestrial vegetation of California Allan A. Schoenherr (February 6, 1937 – May 31, 2021) was a Californian author, ecologist, and naturalist. He is the author of the widely used reference book, ''A Natural History of California''. He received his PhD in zoology at Arizona State ...

. University of California Press., Berkeley * Hayes, G., and K. D. Holl. 2003. Cattle grazing impacts on annual forbs and vegetation composition of mesic grasslands in California. Conservation Biology 17:1694 - 1702. * Loveland, T. R., and H. L. Hutcheson. 1995. Monitoring Changes in Landscapes from Satellite Imagery. Pages 468-473 in U. S. G. Society, editor. Our Living Resources: A Report to the Nation on the Distribution, Abundance, and Health of U.S. Plants, Animals, and Ecosystems. U.S. Department of Interior, National Biological Service, Washington, D.C. * Ornduff, Robert. (2003) ''Introduction to California Plant Life''. Revised by Phyllis M. Faber and Todd Keeler-Wolf. University of California Press.
Plant Communities of Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz Chapter, California Native Plant Society. * Stromberg, M. R., P. Kephart, and V. Yadon. 2002. Composition, invasability, and diversity in coastal California grasslands. Madroño 48:236-252.

Notes

{{Reflist

External links

CNGA: California Native Grasslands Association website
California chaparral and woodlands Grasslands of California Grasslands of Oregon Plant communities of California Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands in the United States Ecoregions of California * *Prairie Prairies