WAP - South Coast - Overview

California's South Coast Region encompasses more than 8 million acres, extending along the coast from the middle of Ventura County in the north to the Mexican border in the south. Inland, the region is bounded by the Peninsular mountain ranges and the transition to the Mojave and Colorado deserts on the east and by the Transverse mountain ranges on the north. It is an area of strikingly varied landscapes, ranging from wetlands and beaches to hillsides, rugged mountains, arid deserts, and densely populated metropolitan areas.

The region's coastal habitats include coastal strand, lagoons, and river-mouth estuaries that transition from riparian wetlands to fresh and saltwater marshes. California least tern, Western snowy plover, light-footed clapper rail, California brown pelican, and other waterfowl and shorebirds depend on these habitats. Moving inland, the predominant hillside and bluff communities are coastal sage scrub and chaparral. Southern California's coastal sage scrub is composed of a mix of drought-resistant shrubs and forbs found no place else in the country, commonly including California sagebrush, bush monkeyflower, buckwheat species, and black, purple, or white sage. Chaparral plant communities, also drought tolerant, are characterized by a greater component of woody species, including chamise, manzanitas, California lilac, and scrub oaks. Inhabitants of sage scrub and chaparral communities include the coast horned lizard, rosy boa, California gnatcatcher, San Diego cactus wren, and Quino checkerspot butterfly. Isolated grasslands and vernal pool habitats are interspersed in the coastal landscape and support unique and endemic species such as Stephens' kangaroo rat and fairy shrimp species. Low- to mid-elevation uplands often feature oak woodlands, including Engelmann oak. Higher-elevation mountainous areas are dominated by coniferous forests, including Jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, big-cone Douglas fir, and white fir, and support sensitive species such as the San Bernardino flying squirrel and long-eared and long-legged myotis bats. Along the Peninsular mountain range, coniferous forests transition to the western edge of the Colorado and Mojave desert ecosystems.

The region's largest river drainages include the Tijuana, San Diego, San Luis Rey, Santa Margarita, Santa Ana, San Gabriel, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, and Ventura rivers. Pine forests occur along high-elevation stream reaches, and mountain drainages host mountain yellow-legged frog, California red-legged frog, Santa Ana sucker, and Santa Ana speckled dace. Lower-elevation river reaches support riparian vegetation species, including cottonwood, willow, sycamore, and coast live oak, which provide habitat for such riparian bird species as the least Bell's vireo, southwestern willow flycatcher, Swainson's thrush, and yellow warbler, as well as the arroyo toad. In urbanized coastal areas, many sections of the region's river corridors are channelized with concrete.

The region is recognized as one of the world's hotspots of biological diversity and is home to a total of 476 vertebrate animal species, approximately 38 percent of all the vertebrate species found in California. It is also distinguished by the tremendous population growth and urbanization that have transformed the landscape since the 1940s. This intersection of biological resources and urbanization has made the South Coast the most-threatened biologically diverse area in the continental U.S. (USGS 2003). More than 150 species of vertebrate animals and 200 species of plants are either listed as protected or considered sensitive by wildlife agencies and conservation groups (Hunter 1999).

Despite the region's rapid growth and subsequent loss of habitat, Southern California retains some large and valuable natural lands, including the national forests, which form an interconnected system of wildlands flanking the coast's metropolitan areas. Wide-ranging species, including the mountain lion, coyote, and golden eagle, can still be found in these large habitats.

On the outskirts of Los Angeles, hiking trails traversing canyons in the Santa Monica Mountains pass through the range of the mountain lion and golden eagle. Only from the mountaintops, where the view reveals the Los Angeles metropolis spreading to the ocean, is it clear that these natural lands exist within one of the world's most urbanized regions. This juxtaposition of urban landscapes with remaining significant natural areas is one of the defining characteristics of the South Coast. The ongoing pressures of growth and urbanization require substantial and timely efforts to preserve the region's remaining wildlife diversity.