Foothill Woodland
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California oak woodland is a
plant community A plant community is a collection or Association (ecology), association of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighboring patches of different vegetation types. The comp ...
found throughout the
California chaparral and woodlands The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of southwestern Oregon, northern, central, and southern California (United States) and northwestern Baja California (Mexico), located on the west coast of North America. It is a ...
ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...
of
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and northwestern
Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
in
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. Oak woodland is widespread at lower elevations in
coastal California Coastal California, also known as the California Coastline and the Golden Coast, refers to the coastal regions of the U.S. state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by cultural, economic ...
; in interior valleys of the
Coast Ranges The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States; ; ) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Althoug ...
,
Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of Southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie within Santa Ba ...
and
Peninsular Ranges The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Pacific Coast Range ...
; and in a ring around the
California Central Valley grasslands The California Central Valley grasslands is a temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion in California's Central Valley. It a diverse ecoregion containing areas of desert grassland (at the southern end), prairie, savanna, riparian ...
. The dominant trees are oaks, interspersed with other broadleaf and
conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...
ous trees, with an understory of
grasses Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in ...
, herbs,
geophyte A storage organ is a part of a plant specifically modified for storage of energy (generally in the form of carbohydrates) or water. Storage organs often grow underground, where they are better protected from attack by herbivores. Plants that have ...
s, and
California native plants California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century. California includes parts of at least three phytochoria. The largest is the California Floristic ...
.
Oak savanna An oak savanna is a type of savanna (or lightly forested grassland), where oaks (''Quercus ''spp.) are the dominant trees. It is also generally characterized by an understory that is lush with grass and herb-related plants. The terms "oakery" or ...
s occur where the oaks are more widely spaced due a combination of lack of available moisture, and low-intensity frequent fires. The oak woodlands of
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
and coastal
Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
are dominated by coast live oak (''
Quercus agrifolia ''Quercus agrifolia'', the California live oak, or coast live oak, is an evergreen live oak native to the California Floristic Province. Live oaks are so-called because they keep living leaves on the tree all year, adding young leaves and sheddi ...
''), but also include valley oak ( ''Q. lobata''), California black oak ( ''Q. kelloggii''), canyon live oak ( ''Q. chrysolepis''), and other California oaks. The foothill oak woodlands around the Central Valley are dominated by blue oak ( ''Q. douglasii'') and gray pine (''
Pinus sabiniana ''Pinus sabiniana'' (sometimes spelled ''P. sabineana'') is a pine endemic to California in the United States. Its vernacular names include towani pine, foothill pine, gray pine, ghost pine, and bull pine. The name digger pine was historically ...
'').


California oak-woodland communities

* Oregon oak woodland is found in Northern California's
Klamath-Siskiyou The Klamath Mountains ecoregion of Oregon and California lies inland and north of the Coast Range ecoregion, extending from the Umpqua River in the north to the Sacramento Valley in the south. It encompasses the highly dissected ridges, foothi ...
, Northern Coast Ranges, and southern
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
. These woodlands are composed primarily of Oregon oak ( ''Q. garryana''), interior live oak ('' Q. wislizeni''), and coast live oak, together with California black oak, canyon live oak, blue oak, Pacific madrone (''
Arbutus menziesii ''Arbutus menziesii'', or Pacific madrone (commonly madrone or madrona in the United States and arbutus in Canada), is a species of broadleaf evergreen tree in the family Ericaceae. It has waxy foliage, a contorted growth habit, and flaky bark ...
''), California bay (''
Umbellularia californica ''Umbellularia californica'' is a large hardwood tree native to coastal forests and the Sierra foothills of California, and to coastal forests extending into Oregon. It is the sole species in the genus ''Umbellularia''. The tree's pungent leaves ...
''), incense cedar (''
Calocedrus decurrens ''Calocedrus decurrens'', with the common names incense cedar and California incense cedar (syn. ''Libocedrus decurrens'' Torr.), is a species of coniferous tree native to western North America. It is the most widely known species in the genus, ...
''), coast Douglas fir (''
Pseudotsuga menziesii The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is the tallest tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native plant, native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Dougl ...
'' var.'' menziesii''), Coulter Pine and ponderosa Pine (''
Pinus ponderosa ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine, is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is th ...
''). * Blue oak woodland is found in the inner coast ranges and the Sierra Nevada foothills, surrounding the Central Valley. It forms "one of the largest ecosystems in California". Primary species are blue oak ( ''Q. douglasii'') and interior live oak (or on west facing slopes facing the exterior ranges, particularly in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, coast live oak takes interior live oak's place), together with valley oak, canyon live oak, California scrub oak ('' Q. berberidifolia''), gray pine, California buckeye (''
Aesculus californica ''Aesculus californica'', commonly known as the California buckeye or California horse-chestnut, is a species of buckeye native to California and southwestern Oregon. Description Aesculus californica is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, u ...
''), and western redbud (''
Cercis occidentalis ''Cercis occidentalis'', the western redbud or California redbud (syn. ''Cercis orbiculata'' — Greene), is a small tree or shrub in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is found primarily in Northern California, with other populations in parts of U ...
''). * Coast live oak woodland is widespread in northern and southern California, and is dominated by coast live oak ( ''Q. agrifolia''), together with California buckeye, Pacific madrone, California bay, and California walnut (''
Juglans californica ''Juglans californica'', the California black walnut, also called the California walnut, or the Southern California black walnut, is a large shrub or small tree (about ) of the walnut family, Juglandaceae, endemic to the Central Valley and the Co ...
''). * Interior live oak woodland is found in north and south mountain ranges of California. It is dominant by interior live oaks (''Q. wislizeni),'' blue oaks, foothill pine, and shrubs in common with blue oak woodland. * Valley oak woodland is found in the interior valleys of northern, central and southern California, and is dominated by valley oak ( ''Q. lobata'') and coast live oak, together with gray pine and Coulter pine ('' Pinus coulteri''). * Island oak woodland is found on the
California Channel Islands The Channel Islands () are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. They define the Santa Barbara Channel between the islands and the California mainland. The ...
, and is made up primarily of island oak ('' Q. tomentella'') and coast live oak, together with canyon live oak, MacDonald scrub oak (''Q. berberidifolia'') hybridized with valley or other oaks), Catalina ironwood (''
Lyonothamnus floribundus ''Lyonothamnus'' is a monotypic genus of trees in the Rosaceae, rose family containing the single living species ''Lyonothamnus floribundus'', which is known by the common name Catalina ironwood, and the subspecies ''L. f.'' ssp. ''aspleniifolius ...
''), and
bishop pine ''Pinus muricata'', the bishop pine, is a pine with a very restricted range: mostly in California, including several offshore Channel Islands, and a few locations in Baja California, Mexico. Stands of Bishop Pine are also found in Point Reyes Nat ...
(''Pinus muricata''). * Engelmann oak woodland is found in a few locations in the northern
Peninsular Ranges The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Pacific Coast Range ...
of
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
, including the
Santa Rosa Plateau The Santa Rosa Plateau is an upland plateau and southeastern extension of the Santa Ana Mountains in Riverside County, California. It is bounded by the rapidly urbanizing Inland Empire, California, Inland Empire cities of Murrieta, California, ...
and
San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains () are a mountain range located in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert ...
foothills. It consists mostly of Engelmann oak ('' Q. engelmannii'') together with coast live oak.


Examples of occurrence

The headwaters area of Yulupa Creek in
Annadel State Park Trione-Annadel State Park is a state park of California in the United States. It is situated at the northern edge of Sonoma Valley and is adjacent to Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa. It offers many recreational activities within its p ...
is cited as one of the best examples of California oak woodlands. Much of this woodland is a relatively pristine
ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...
with considerable
biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
. An unusual characteristic of this Annadel forest is the high content of undisturbed
prehistoric Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins  million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
bunch grass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennia ...
understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the Canopy (biology), forest ca ...
, testifying to the absence of historic
grazing In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to free range (roam around) and consume wild vegetations in order to feed conversion ratio, convert the otherwise indigestible (by human diges ...
or other
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
. The
Morro Bay Morro Bay (''Morro'', Spanish for "Hill") is a seaside city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast of California, the city's population was 10,757 as of the 2020 census, up from 10,234 at the 2010 ...
watershed, located in Central California, is an example of a coast live oak ecosystem. This sub-category of California oak woodland consists primarily of coast wild oak and are predominantly found in coastal regions, but can extend to foothill ecosystems.


Ecology of California oak woodlands

The composition and characteristics of California oak woodlands varies across the state, but are defined by three main oak species throughout coastal regions: coastal live oak, Englemann oak, and
Oregon white oak ''Quercus garryana'' is an oak tree species named for Nicholas Garry, deputy governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. It is commonly known as the Garry oak, Oregon white oak or Oregon oak. The species is found in the Pacific Northwest, with a rang ...
. The concentration of each of these oak species correlates with the location of the woodland throughout California. In the
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
range, oak woodland is found on western slopes at elevations of in the northern part of the range, in the central part, and in the southern part. Annual precipitation in the oak woodland range is , with little precipitation in the summer. Growing season is 6–10 months. Temperatures range in the summer, and in winter. The woodlands in the Sierra are characterized by a dominant overstory of Foothill Pine (''
Pinus sabiniana ''Pinus sabiniana'' (sometimes spelled ''P. sabineana'') is a pine endemic to California in the United States. Its vernacular names include towani pine, foothill pine, gray pine, ghost pine, and bull pine. The name digger pine was historically ...
''), Blue Oak (''
Quercus douglasii ''Quercus douglasii'', known as blue oak, is a species of oak endemic to California, common in the Coast Ranges and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is California's most drought-tolerant deciduous oak, and is a dominant species in the b ...
''), Interior Live Oak (''
Quercus chrysolepis ''Quercus chrysolepis'', commonly termed canyon live oak, canyon oak, golden cup oak or maul oak, is a North American species of evergreen oak. Its leaves are a glossy dark green on the upper surface with prominent spines; a further identificati ...
''), California Black Oak (''
Quercus kelloggii ''Quercus kelloggii'', the California black oak or Kellogg oak, is an oak in the red oak section (genus ''Quercus'', section ''Lobatae'', series ''Agrifoliae'') native to western North America. Description ''Quercus kelloggii'' grows from one ...
''), California Buckeye (''
Aesculus californica ''Aesculus californica'', commonly known as the California buckeye or California horse-chestnut, is a species of buckeye native to California and southwestern Oregon. Description Aesculus californica is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, u ...
''), and understory plants including ''
Ceanothus ''Ceanothus'' is a genus of about 50–60 species of nitrogen-fixing shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). Common names for members of this genus are buckbrush, California lilac, soap bush, or just ceanothus. ''"Ceanothus" ...
spp.'', Toyon (''
Heteromeles arbutifolia ''Heteromeles arbutifolia'' (, more commonly by Californian botanists), commonly known as toyon, is a perennial shrub native to Coastal California. It is the sole species in the genus ''Heteromeles''. Description Toyon typically grows from , r ...
''), Dogwood (''
Cornus ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods or cornels, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous ...
spp.''), and Redbud (''
Cercis occidentalis ''Cercis occidentalis'', the western redbud or California redbud (syn. ''Cercis orbiculata'' — Greene), is a small tree or shrub in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is found primarily in Northern California, with other populations in parts of U ...
''). It is often found on north facing slopes there is more moisture in the soils from protection from the sun (
slope effect In physical geography and physical geology, aspect (also known as exposure) is the compass direction or azimuth that a terrain surface face (geometry), faces. For example, a slope landform on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, Rockies to ...
). In southern and central areas, the predominant oak species is coastal live oak which grow on coastal valleys and foothills. In drier regions within this range, coastal wild oak is associated with foothill pine,
valley oak ''Quercus lobata'', commonly called the valley oak or roble, is the largest of the California oaks. It is endemic to the state, growing in interior valleys and foothills from Siskiyou to San Diego counties. Deciduous, it requires year-round grou ...
and
blue oak ''Quercus douglasii'', known as blue oak, is a species of oak endemic to California, common in the Coast Ranges and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is California's most drought-tolerant deciduous oak, and is a dominant species in the b ...
; whereas wetter areas are defined by
tanoak ''Notholithocarpus densiflorus'', commonly known as the tanoak or tanbark-oak, is a broadleaf tree in the family Fagaceae, and the type species of the genus ''Notholithocarpus''. It is a hardwood tree that is native to the far western United Sta ...
, canyon live oak and California bay. Coastal live oak woodland found in Southern California is associated with valley oak similar to drier northern sites, but also sees
interior live oak ''Quercus wislizeni'', known by the common name interior live oak, is an evergreen oak, highly variable and often shrubby, found in western North America. Description It is a large shrub or tree growing to tall, although where it is common in ...
,
Coulter pine Coulter pine (''Pinus coulteri''), or big-cone pine, is a conifer in the genus ''Pinus'' of the family Pinaceae. Coulter pine is an evergreen conifer that lives up to 100 years. Horton, Jerome S. 1949. Trees and shrubs for erosion control of sou ...
and California black walnut. Outside of the southern ranges of coastal wild oak are small areas of oak woodland characterized by Englemann oak. These sites can coincide with coastal live oak, however they can also occur as stands composed almost entirely of Englemann oak. Northern, wetter regions of California are populated with oak woodlands formed from Oregon white oak. These woodlands are associated interior live oak and canyon live oak similar to coastal live oak woodlands, but differ with
Pacific madrone ''Arbutus menziesii'', or Pacific madrone (commonly madrone or madrona in the United States and arbutus in Canada), is a species of broadleaf evergreen tree in the family Ericaceae. It has waxy foliage, a contorted growth habit, and flaky bark ...
and
California black oak ''Quercus kelloggii'', the California black oak or Kellogg oak, is an oak in the red oak section (genus ''Quercus'', section ''Lobatae'', series ''Agrifoliae'') native to western North America. Description ''Quercus kelloggii'' grows from one ...
. The variety of
canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...
density which results from the diversity of tree species found in different woodland regions causes a wide range of understory grass and shrub density, and plant type. An example of this can be seen by the commonality of annual grasses in open woodlands, a phenomenon that is not seen in dense woodland areas. All three oak species which characterize California oak woodlands can be defined as "long-lived, slow-growing trees." The frequent fires seen within the region have resulted in species such as coastal live oak and Englemann oak (which grow in drier, more fire prone regions) to have developed a resistance to low-intensity fires. This resiliency has resulted in coastal live oak emerging as the predominant species in cleared regions, as the trees have higher fitness to survive compared to less resistant, deciduous oaks. The same cannot be said for Oregon white oak, which populate traditionally wetter, less fire-prone regions, resulting in the trees having little built-up fire resistance. Because of the lack of fires in these northern regions, white oaks can have the threat of being outgrown by
conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...
s growing in the understory. California oak woodland habitats contain some of the most wildlife in California. More than half of the species of terrestrial vertebrates in California are found in oak woodlands. This includes more than 120 species of mammals, 147 species of birds, and 60 species of amphibians or reptiles. The most diversity occurs when there is both multiple levels of vegetation heights and varied spacing between vegetation to create complex habitat structure both vertically and horizontally because there are more places for species that live in different layers of the vegetation.Archived
on 2022-10-22.
Among these species, the
California quail The California quail (''Callipepla californica''), also known as the California valley quail or Valley quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. These birds have a curving crest, '' plume'' or topknot made of six fea ...
(''Callipepla californicus''), Beechey ground squirrels (''Spermophilus beecheyi''), Botta pocket gopher (''Thomomys bottae mewa''), Audubon cottontail (''Sylvilagus audubonii vallicola''), deer (''Odocoileus'' spp),
bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...
(''Lynx rufus californicus''),
coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...
(''Canis latrans'') and the Pacific rattlesnake (''Crotalus viridis oreganus'') can commonly be found in California oak woodlands. Aspects of the California oak woodland that are important for wildlife of these habitats are habitat corridors, snags and downed wood. Natural vegetation create habitat corridors that connect the patches of habitat that host species. Habitat corridors provide protection and food for animals that migrate between patches such as deer, mountain lions, bobcats, or gray foxes. Snags are the standing wood that is left when trees die and are home to wood-eating insects that are food for animals such as birds. Snags provide temporary refuge for small birds, bats, swallows, salamanders, and lizards. Similarly, downed wood provide refuge for animals that require moist areas, such as amphibians, cover for nesting of multiple species of birds, and areas for dens for larger snags.


Status and future of California oak woodlands

Blue oak woodlands cover about of the state, and of this area about 79%, or , shows no evidence of past cutting of trees. Recent research by the
University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...
Tree-Ring Laboratory has studied several unlogged stands of blue oak woodlands, and suggests that the state may harbor over of such
old growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...
s. This would make California's oak woodlands some of the most extensive old growth forests left in the state. However, most oaks of full tree size are more than one hundred years old, and few saplings are ever produced, because cattle often tear the plants to pieces. The Oaks 2040 survey estimates that of California oak woodlands are seriously threatened by 2040 as a burgeoning state population makes ever more use of the wildland. This comprehensive survey includes oak woodland maps and inventory data for the ten oak types found in California. By evaluating this new information against current State of California economic growth projections, the location and extent of oak woodlands most at risk of development are identified. Management practices, such as the
grazing In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to free range (roam around) and consume wild vegetations in order to feed conversion ratio, convert the otherwise indigestible (by human diges ...
(or the lack thereof) can lower
soil fertility Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to sustain agricultural plant growth, i.e. to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality.
and nutrient level. A study performed by the
University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...
found that the prominent presence of oak trees in California oak woodlands creates areas of soil that are optimal for new growth. The
Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
partnered with the California Biodiversity Council to carry out the Agreement on Biological Diversity, started in 1991, to protect and expand the following oakland wood areas: King Range National Conservation Area, Cache Creek Management Area,
Yuba River The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sierra Nevada and eastern Sacramento Valley, in the U.S. state of California. The main stem of the river is about long, and its headwaters are split into three major forks. The Yuba ...
Watershed in Inimim Forest, Consumes River Preserve, and
Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay on the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...
. The methods used to ensure a healthy future for the California oak woodlands include maintenance and restoration of
old-growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...
s,
watershed management Watershed management is the study of the relevant characteristics of a watershed aimed at the sustainable distribution of its resources and the process of creating and implementing plans, programs and projects to sustain and enhance watershed f ...
and improvement, protection of
water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...
, protection of wildlife species that have cultural and environmental value to the area, restoration of
valley oak ''Quercus lobata'', commonly called the valley oak or roble, is the largest of the California oaks. It is endemic to the state, growing in interior valleys and foothills from Siskiyou to San Diego counties. Deciduous, it requires year-round grou ...
s, and the habitat maintenance of "special status botanical species" and select endangered species. Due to residential and commercial development, 64% of California counties reported a decrease of greater than 5% in oak woodland area.


See also

* * * * * * *
Dehesa A ''dehesa'' () is a multifunctional, agrosylvopastoral system (a type of agroforestry) and cultural landscape of southern and central Spain and southern Portugal; in Portugal, it is known as a ''montado''. Its name comes from the Latin ''defe ...
, a type of managed oak ecosystem in Spain


References

{{reflist


General bibliography

* Dallman, Peter R. (1998). ''Plant Life in the World's Mediterranean Climates.'' California Native Plant Society–University of California Press; Berkeley. * Gaman, Tom and Firman, Jeffrey (2006). ''Oaks 2040: The Status and Future of Oaks in California.'' Published by the California Oak Foundation, Oakland. * Pavlik, Bruce M., Pamela C. Muick, Sharon G. Johnson, and Marjorie Popper (1991). ''Oaks of California.'' Cachuma Press and the California Oak Foundation;
Los Olivos, California Los Olivos (; Spanish language, Spanish for "the olive trees") is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tourism is popular in this rural area ...
. * Schoenherr, Allan A. (1992). ''
A Natural History of California Allan A. Schoenherr (February 6, 1937 – May 31, 2021) was a Californian author, ecologist, and naturalist. He is the author of the widely used reference book, '' A Natural History of California''. He received his PhD in zoology at Arizona State ...
.'' University of California Press; Berkeley.


External links


Californiaoaks.org , Oaks 2040: The Status and Future of Oaks in California

UCanr.org , University of California Oak Woodland Management Program
California chaparral and woodlands Plant communities of California * *Oak *Oak *Oak C