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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Grassland

Grasslands usually mix with coastal scrub along the slopes of the Santa Lucia Range. In the drier interior, they grow alongside arid thickets of chaparral on oak- and pine-studded hillsides. Grasslands also thrive along marine terraces and coastal bluffs, including El Sur Ranch north of Andrew Molera State Park, where cattle continually graze.

Those who believe the central coast to be void of seasonal changes have not taken a stroll through the grasslands of Big Sur. Following winter rains, vibrant green grasses sprout from the damp earth. This annual growth cycle may end before summer if little rain falls in spring. By late May, the rolling hills turn golden as the grasslands fade and lay dormant until the following winter’s rains.

Most grasses responsible for these seasonal bursts of color are exotic species to the California landscape. In the mid 19th century, settlers brought in invasive annual grasses to feed livestock. These species quickly outcompeted native perennial grasses and thrived in areas ravaged by grazing, fire, or landslides.