Province M262
California Coastal Range
Open Woodland - Shrub - Coniferous Forest - Meadow
M262A
Central California Coast Ranges
Ecology
The Central California Coast Ranges are found between the central California
coast and the central California valley. Much of the vegetation is Oak
Woodland or Foothill Woodland, but in southern ranges, Coastal Sage Scrub
and Lower Chaparral are important, particularly on south-facing slopes.
Throughout the Coast Range, the predominant community is Foothill Woodland,
in which the dominant tree species include blue oak and gray pine. Other
oaks include coast live, interior live, and valley. Mixed Evergreen Forest
is restricted to north-facing slopes at higher elevations. True Yellow
Pine Forests are on only a few high peaks such as Figueroa Mountain in
Santa Barbara County, where Jeffrey pine is the dominant species. Coulter
pine, gray pine, bigcone Douglas-fir, canyon live oak, blue oak, coast
live oak, and interior live oak can also be found.
Forest Health Issues
Livestock grazing, fuelwood harvesting, and urbanization have affected
and will continue to affect oak woodlands. Trees left during urbanization
are often adversely affected by site disturbance and incompatible landscaping
practices, such as summer irrigation. Pathogens have caused the decline
and death of many summer-irrigated oak species.
Blue oak. The decline and mortality of mature blue oaks on the
Los Padres National Forest is mostly associated with long-term infection
by cankers and trunk rot fungi. Oak canker rot is the most common. Decline
of blue oak would bring about an important vegetational change because
it typically dominates harsh sites with thin soils, low precipitation,
and high temperatures.
Jeffrey pine. Infections of dwarf mistletoe have caused decline
and mortality of Jeffrey pines on the Mount Pinos and Ojai Districts, Los
Padres National Forest. Heavily infected trees can die prematurely when
stressed by drought or injury. Trees sometimes die even without attacks
by bark beetles.
Various oak species. Recreation areas throughout the lower elevations
on the Los Padres National Forest are dominated by several oak species
including coast live,
canyon live, interior live, black, valley, and blue oaks. Oaks as a
group have been responsible for more accidents or near accidents in California
recreation areas than any other type of tree. Over the years, oaks have
sustained root and bole damage along with poor pruning. The wounds have
allowed canker and decay fungi to enter trees and cause hazardous trees
in some recreation sites.
Air pollution. The Los Padres National Forest established 20
plots with 5 trees each to ascertain the location and severity of ozone
damage to Jeffrey and ponderosa pine on the Forest. The most severe damage
was found in the Tecuya Mountains on the Mount Pinos District, which is
adjacent to the San Joaquin basin. The least damage was found adjacent
to the Pacific coast on the Monterey District.
Current Forest Health Activities
Campgrounds in the coniferous forests of the Central California Coast Ranges
have sustained heavy losses from continuous dwarf mistletoe infections.
The Pacific Southwest Region has set up a Five-Year Dwarf Mistletoe Suppression
Program in federal forest recreation areas in southern California to maintain
and enhance forest health in southern California (Allison
1993). This program includes pruning of mistletoe brooms and plants
to reduce the moisture and nutrient drain from the infected trees, thereby
increasing their longevity (fig. 25). It also includes thinning trees to
reduce intertree competition and reduce the spread of dwarf mistletoe.
The Mount Pinos and Ojai Districts are participating in this suppression
program.
Figure 25 — A climber rappels from a pruned pine during training
(left); a pine pruned of most of its dwarf mistletoe infections (right).
Two additional activities are planned for 1996. Hazardous trees will
be surveyed on the Monterey District, Los Padres National Forest, and the
Forest will install additional permanent plots to monitor ozone damage.
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