Читать книгу 101 Hikes in Southern California. Exploring Mountains, Seashore, and Desert онлайн

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A touch of the southern oak woodland and riparian woodland communities is present in the Santa Monicas and sparsely distributed nearly everywhere else in coastal Southern California. The Santa Monica Mountains include the southernmost stands of the valley oak, a massive, spreading tree that is as much a symbol of the Golden State as are the redwoods farther north. The southern oak woodland is very parklike in appearance, especially in the spring when attended by new growth of grass and wildflowers. Riparian (streamside) vegetation includes trees such as willows, sycamores, and alders that thrive wherever water flows year-round—typically along the bottom of the larger canyons. Strolling through the riot of growth in riparian zones is the nearest thing to a jungle experience you can have in arid Southern California. Both types of habitat have declined all over California as a result of urbanization and agricultural development, and the attendant exploitation of water resources.

Wildfire plays a dominant role in the ecology of the Santa Monica Mountains, and indeed almost everywhere else in coastal Southern California. Sage scrub and chaparral vegetation readily renews itself after fire. Before modern times wildfires would incinerate most hillsides every 5–15 years, and thick stands of chaparral seldom developed. Over the past century, however, the active prevention and suppression of fires has led to longer growth cycles and abnormally large accumulations of deadwood. Once started, today’s wildfires in chaparral zones are often difficult or impossible to control.