Name:
Artemisia californica - Salvia mellifera - Salvia apiana Coastal Scrub Group
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This group includes mixed coastal shrublands from Marin County, California, south into Baja Norte, Mexico. It is dominated by drought-deciduous shrubs but at times can have characteristic (constant but not dominant) resprouting, deep-rooted sclerophyllous shrubs. It occurs below 1000 m (3000 feet) elevation and may extend inland from the maritime zone in hotter, drier conditions than northern (less fog-drenched) shrublands (e.g., areas with 10-60 cm of annual precipitation). Soils vary from coarse gravels to clays but typically only support plant-available moisture with winter and spring rains. Most predominant shrubs include <i>Artemisia californica, Salvia mellifera, Salvia apiana, Salvia leucophylla, Encelia californica, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Eriogonum cinereum, Lycium brevipes, Lycium californicum</i>, and <i>Opuntia littoralis</i>. On recently disturbed sites, such as after fire, <i>Diplacus aurantiacus, Lotus scoparius</i>, and <i>Lupinus albifrons</i> can be dominant. Characteristic (constant but not dominant) resprouting, deep-rooted sclerophyllous shrubs include <i>Malosma laurina, Rhus integrifolia</i>, and <i>Rhamnus crocea</i>. Fire frequency was historically low, but in recent years, with adjacency to urban and suburban areas, the fire frequency has increased (a result of arson or cigarette ignition) resulting in type conversion to non-native and ruderal annual grasslands. <i>Malosma laurina</i> and <i>Rhus integrifolia</i> are also increasing in abundance because they can continually resprout after repeated fires. In places, <i>Opuntia littoralis</i> may proliferate and cover entire slopes in dry rocky areas with repeated fires that have killed the scrub taxa, while <i>Opuntia littoralis</i> can resprout and spread to cover large patches.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40036-{2F512A3C-F981-4FEE-AA79-009D025ADEE7}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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