Читать книгу Hiking & Backpacking Big Sur. Your complete guide to the trails of Big Sur, Ventana Wilderness, and Silver Peak Wilderness онлайн

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The cool, damp climate allowed redwoods to take root in narrow, deep canyons along the coast. Fog encroached inland in dry months, supplying much-needed moisture to northern species. Thunderstorms became commonplace, as moist air rose abruptly to form thick cumulonimbus clouds, or thunderheads. These clouds arrived in summer, when temperatures were at a maximum and moisture at a minimum. Lightning sparked regular wildfires, and fire-adapted plant species thrived.

Drought-tolerant species also had an advantage. As the range continued to rise, coastal lands received the lion’s share of precipitation, depriving eastern slopes of moisture. The steep topography also meant accelerated erosion, preventing mature soils from developing. The resulting shallow, primitive soils held considerably less ground water. But the hardy vegetation that populated these slopes shrugged at the arid conditions.

Low tide reveals diverse inter-tidal life.

Today, drought-tolerant plants still thrive on arid slopes, moisture-loving species grow along creeks and rivers, and shade-seeking plants retreat to the deep canyons and ravines. To categorize these patterns, botanists devised the concept of plant communities. A plant community is a group of species that grow together in a particular environment. Although it’s possible to break these down into more detailed divisions, following is a basic breakdown of Big Sur’s primary plant communities and their resident animals: