GeographyandNaturalHistory

landformationscontributetoecologyofbiome
CoastalSageScrubandChaparralhabitats

TherearefourcommunitytypesofscrublandonPointLoma:southerncoastalbluffscrub,
maritimesucculentscrub,Diegancoastalsagescrub,andsouthernmaritimechaparral.
Thesecommunitiesofferahometoawiderangeofplantspeciessuchassnakecholla,
pricklypearcactus,Mojaveyucca,Shawsagave,Californiacoastpoppy,Indianpaintbrush,
Californiabuckwheat,Californiasagebrush,andlemonadeberry,andanimalspeciessuchas
velvetants,scorpions,shrews,mice,lizards,snakes,redtailedhawks,foxes,andcoyotes.

Duringtheprolongedhot,drymonthsbetweenAprilandOctober,coastalsagescrubplants
areabletostoremoistureandreducemoistureloss,byconservingwaterbyspecializedleaf
structuresorbymeansofdormancy.Therearedifferentwaysthatplantshaveadaptedtothe
lackofwaterintheirenvironment.Liketheleavesofthelemonadeberryshrub,tough,
leathery,waxcoveredleaveshelpkeepwaterfromescapingthroughleafpores.Sunlightis
reflectedbyminutewhitehairstokeepleaftemperaturesdown.Thereisalsoareductionin
moisturelossbyslowingdrywinds.Thesescrubspecieshaveadjustedtoanunique
ecosystemwhichhardlyeverfreezesinthewinterandonlysometimeshastemperaturesover
90degreesFduringthedryCaliforniasummer.Manyoftheplantsmayappeartobedeadin
thedrysummerbuttheyareinfactdormant,becominggreenandvibrantagainwiththe
winterrains.Rootsystemscanbeextensive,withtherootsanchoringtheplants,holdingsoil
inplaceandreducingrunoffduringwinterandspringrains.
Evolution
ThissagescrubenvironmentevolvedwithintheMediterraneanclimate,whichgetsabout10
to20inchesofrainfallayearandgetonlyoccasionalfrosts.Theseareasusuallyhavewinter
rainsanddrywarmsummerswithafairlyconstanttemperature.
ThecoastalsagescrubandchaparralassociatedwithMediterraneanclimatesevolveddueto
climaticchangesstartingroughly14millionyearsago.Intheselatitudes,averagerainfall
decreasedabout70inches.
CoastalSageScrubhabitatsarebothdroughtandfireadapted.Fireisactuallyahealthyand
necessarypartoftheircycleoflife.Shrubsrespondinseveralwaystorecurrentfires,suchas
resproutingfrombothcrownandroots,andproduceseedsthatarebothfireresistantand
dependentforgermination.Firecreatesahealthyplantmosaicofdifferentagesandspecies.

http://www.nps.gov/cabr/learn/nature/coastalsagescrubandsouthernmaritimechaparralco
mmunities.htm


HumanHistory
DiscoveryLakeDam
Roads/trailsgoingthrough/aroundit
Housinglotsofgrowthinmid1900s
Firescanbecausedbyhumans,May2014

Animals
PrayingMantis
Theycomeinmanydifferentcolorssuchasbrown,green,white,
pink,yelloworamixofallcolors.Themostcommoncolorsaresimplygreen,brownor
sandycolored.Theyeachhavesixlegs,twowingsandtwoantennae.Theirarmsare
verystrongandequippedwithpointyspikestohaveafirmgripontheirprey.Most
often,theadultprayingmantidshavewings,thoughsomespeciesdonot.
HoneyBees
Theyareusuallyabout3/4ofaninchlong.Allhoneybeesarereddish
brownandblack,withorangishyellowringsontheabdomen(backpartofbody).The
head,antennae,andlegsareblack.
Ladybugs
Theadultisovalshaped,convexandbrightlycolored.Theirheadsare
smallandturneddownward.Theyhaveshortlegs.Oneachwing,theconvergent
Ladybughas6blackspots.
VelvetAnts

Plants
LaurelSumac(
Malosmalaurina)

LaurelSumacsarelargeroundedevergreen
shrubsorsmalltreesgrowing10'to15'tall,withreddishleafveins,petiolesand
stems.Theleavesareabout4simple,somewhatleatheryandfoldedalongthe
midrib,with11/4"longpetioles.Theflowersgreenfivelobedsepalsandfivewhite
petals.
LemonadeBerry(
Rhusintegrifolia)

LemonadeBerryisanevergreenshrub.The
berriesmaybeusedforlemonade.Thisplanthelpswithforerosioncontrol,especially
oncoastalbluffs.Usuallybetween26feettalland118feetwide.Theyhavetightly
groupedclustersofsmallflowerswhicharewhitetorosepink.
Chamise(
Adenostomafasciculatum)

Chamiseisamuchbranchedshrubgrowing
upto12'tallandisamainplantofthechaparralcommunity.Ithasreddishto
graybrownbark.Theleavesarelinear,from3/16"to3/8"long.Therearewhite
flowersthatarecrowdedindensepaniclesattheterminalendsofthebranches.
ScrubOak(
Quercusilicifolia)
ScrubOakisanintricatelybranchedornamental
shrub,about20feettall,withhollylikeleaves,aswellashavingmanysmall,striped
acorns.InthewestaretheCaliforniascruboak(
Q.dumosa
),anevergreenshrub
about8feettall,withleaves1inchlong.
WhiteSage(
Salviaapiana)
&BlackSage(
Salviamellifera)

Whitesageisafive
footevergreen,withflowersemerginginsummerandarewhitewithalittlelavender.
Whitesageleavesstartoutasacrinklygrey/green,becomingsmoothwhite.Black
SageisathreefootevergreenshrubwithwhitetolightblueflowersfromMarchto
July.
CaliforniaBuckwheat(Eriogonumfasciculatum)
Thisplantisanativeevergreen
shrubabout12to39incheshighand28to51incheswide.Theyhavemanyslender
andflexiblebranches.Theleavesareeggshaped,1.5to3.8incheslongandless
thanhalfaninchwide,beingsmoothorfuzzyaboveandfuzzybeneath.Theflowers
arewhiteorpink.


ScavengerHunt
Findatleast
3nativeplants
and
2nativeanimals
listed.Youmaygoasagrouptogetyour
plantsamples,buteachpersonmusthavetheirownsample.
Foreachplant:
Youcantakeapictureontopofthis,butnotinstead.
DrawaroughsketchinyourBioComp.Bookoftheplantasbestyoucan.
Writeyourownshortdescriptionoftheplantyousee
Foreachanimal:
Takeapictureoftheanimal(tryasbestyoucan)
DrawaroughsketchinyourBioComp.Bookoftheanimalasbestyoucan.
Writeyourownshortdescriptionoftheanimalyousee