Alethea Cheng Definition: California Central 9/28/2020

Engl363 Valley Grassland

Dr. Bruce

Introduction to the Central Valley Grassland:

The Central Valley pastures are characterizing by the Mediterranean climate at a low-
elevation biome, dominated by the small, short-lived annual herbs. Hence, it also goes by the name,
California Annual Grassland. Historically, the perennial plants made up most of the valley habitat's
residency until the introduced plant species (Kie, J. 2005). The Mediterranean climate has a hot,
dry summer with higher precipitations during the wintertime (Welsh, H.H. et al. 2005; Bartolome
et al. 2007).
Climate and Geographical Distribution:
An entire Central Grassland is adjacent to the San Francisco Bay area along the Pacific
Ocean coast, encompassing from Redding, Sacramento, Fresno, and Bakers Field. The Grassland
environment constitutes the outskirt of other wetland habitats, such as Aquatic and Riparian. This
location experienced a Mediterranean Climate—a warm, dry summer and a cool, wet winter. Many
native plant species are dependent on this type of microclimate (Bartolome et al. 2007; Lenihan,
2003).

Figure 1 & 2. Left: the geographical range of the Central Valley Grassland (Photo Credit:
Matthew T. 2004). Right: California Mediterranean Climate (Lenihan et al. 2003).

Soil and Nutrients:

A significant characteristic of this ecosystem is the low nitrogen content and nutrient-
poor, with clay-containing soil. Nitrogen is essential for plant tissue growth. The soil
composition transitioned from dry and unproductive during summer droughts to moist and fertile
Alethea Cheng Definition: California Central 9/28/2020
Engl363 Valley Grassland
Dr. Bruce

after the winter rainfall. The infertile, nutrient-deficient soils had been the foundation for the
success of native, perennial plants. However, with an increased nitrogen disposition due to
urbanization, shifting the nutrient-deficit environment to a nutrient-rich habitat. Consequentially,
transforming the vegetation mosaic from favoring the development of the slow-growing, native
plants to the fast-growth exotic, introduced species (Vallano et al. 2012).

Figure 3. Central Grassland distribution from the pre-colonization period to after 1990
(Blankenbuehler P. 2016).
Dominant non-native Plant Species:
The non-native, invasive annuals are the predominant vegetations in the grassland
ecosystem (Bartolome et al. 2007). An invasive species is like virus-related diseases; the virus
infects and displaces the healthy cells with the ill-cells that contains its progenies. Then, it can
spread quickly throughout the body. Non-native plants first invade, multiplied uncontrollably,
and replaced the originals plants from the area.
Non-native invasive plants, such as Great bromegrass (Bromus diandrus), are not
endemic to California. They disrupt the natural flow of the ecosystem and nutrient cycling. They
have the appearance of a small size with some purple coloration on its broom tips. As the body
dries up, they became the kindle for the spread of wildfire.
Alethea Cheng Definition: California Central 9/28/2020
Engl363 Valley Grassland
Dr. Bruce

Figure 4. Great Bromegrass (Joseph DiTomaso, Cal-IPC).

Furthermore, the red-stem stork's bill (Erodium cicutarium) is a common non-native,
annual herb, introduced by the early European settlers. The green leaves are in a rosette,
prostrated arrangement with a small purple flower extended from the plant's middle. They gained
a more competitive advantage through rapid regeneration and survived the moderate fire, which
decimates most native species.

Figure 5. Red-stem stork's bill (Erodium cicutarium) (Morse K, Calflora).

Native Grassland Plant Species:

Why is it vital to conserve native plants? Endemic plants help enhance and sustain
regional biodiversity by supporting various other organisms uniquely adapting to this habitat,
including numerous species of amphibians, insects, birds, mammals, and so forth (Welsh et al.
2005; Kie 2005). Many other animals evolved alongside these native plants to depend on them
for food, shelter, and resources (Welsh et al. 2005). An example of the coexistence between
native plant species and bees, the yellow carpet plant (Blennosperma nanum), is within the daisy
family that forms an interconnected mutualism with the native bee species, mining, Vernal Pool
Andrenid Bee (Andrena blennospermatis). The bees relied solely on the daisy plant for food (i.e.,
honey) and helped the plants to pollinate in exchange.
Alethea Cheng Definition: California Central 9/28/2020
Engl363 Valley Grassland
Dr. Bruce

Figure 6. An Andrenid, mining Bee covered in the Yellow Carpet pollen (photo credit: Jim
Rathert, by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation).

Figure 7. An Andrenid bee landed on top of the yellow carpet plants (photo credit: Lewis K.,
2014. INaturalist).
Alethea Cheng Definition: California Central 9/28/2020
Engl363 Valley Grassland
Dr. Bruce

References:
Andrenid Bee (Mining Bee) On Flower. Photo by Jim Rathert, MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri
Department of Conservation. https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover nature/field-
guide/andrenid-bees-miner-bees.
Andrena blennospermatis. Photo by Lewis K. https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/92251976.
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Blankenbuehler, P., 2016. The Disappearing Wetland in California's Central Valley. High
Country News, Panoia, CO.

Bartolome et al., 2007. Valley Grassland. In M.G. BARBOUR editor, T. KEELER-WOLF

editor,
& A. A. SCHOENHERR editor (Eds.). Terrestrial Vegetation of California, 3rd Ed (pp.
2-28). University of California Press.

Bromus diandrus. Joseph DiTomaso. www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/bromus-diandrus-profile/

Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research, and conservation, with data
contributed by public and private institutions and individuals, including the Consortium
of California Herbaria. [web application]. 2020. Berkeley, California: The Calflora
Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/ [Accessed:
Sept 23, 2020].

Kie, J.G., 2005. Annual Grassland. California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System California
Department of Fish and Game California Interagency Wildlife Task Group.

Lenihan, J.M., et al. 2003. Climate Change Effects on Vegetation Distribution, Carbon, and
Fire In California. Ecological Applications, 13(6), 1667-1681.

Thorp R. W. & Leong J. M. 1998. Specialist Bee Pollinators of Showy Vernal Pool Flowers.
Alethea Cheng Definition: California Central 9/28/2020
Engl363 Valley Grassland
Dr. Bruce

Vallano et al., 2012. Simulated nitrogen deposition enhances the performance of an exotic grass
relative to native serpentine grassland competitors. Plant Ecol (2012) 213:1015–1026.

Welsh, H.H. et al. 2005. Influences of the vegetation mosaic on riparian and stream
environments in a mixed forest-grassland landscape in "Mediterranean" northwestern
California. ECOGRAPHY 28: 537 /551.