Sycamore Alluvial Woodland is a rare open

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...

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 ...

, or

vegetation type Vegetation classification is the process of classifying and mapping the vegetation over an area of the Earth's surface. Vegetation classification is often performed by state based agencies as part of land use, resource and environmental management ...

, dominated by California sycamore ''

Platanus racemosa ''Platanus racemosa'' is a species of plane tree known by several common names, including California sycamore, western sycamore, California plane tree, and in North American Spanish . ''Platanus racemosa'' is native to California and Baja Califo ...

'', existing only in small parts 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 ...

.Introduction to California Plant Life,

Robert Ornduff Robert Ornduff (1932–2000) was an American botanist. He was Director of the University and Jepson Herbaria, Director of the University of California Botanical Garden, Executive Director of the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, an ...

, Phyllis M. Faber, Todd Keeler-Wolf, California Natural History Guides No. 69, University of California Press, Ltd., 2003, It exists only in small areas of California in the foothills of the southern

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 and the California Coastal Range. It is rare as a plant community, even though California sycamore is a common component of other vegetation types where it is not dominant. It exists at the base of flat valleys having deep

alluvial Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

gravel, where water from the hills hit the flat valley floor having an intermittent stream and large seasonal fluctuations in the water table. It is a habitat type defined by broad-leafed woodland and stable levels of groundwater.San Francisco Estuary Institute-Aquatic Science Center and H.T. Harvey & Associates. 2017. Sycamore Alluvial Woodland: Habitat Mapping and Regeneration Study. Prepared for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Local Assistance Grant Program. A Report of SFEIASC’s Resilient Landscapes Program and H.T. Harvey & Associates, Publication # 816, San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, CA. Sycamore Alluvial Woodland is identifiable through open savanna

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...

structures, with wide floodplains.

Geography

Loss of habitat over the past two centuries has greatly limited the ability of sycamore alluvial woodlands to distribute and regenerate. Changes in sediment and flow levels due to dams have likely caused its diminishing presence.San Francisco Estuary Institute-Aquatic Science Center and H.T. Harvey & Associates. 2017. Sycamore Alluvial Woodland: Habitat Mapping and Regeneration Study. Prepared for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Local Assistance Grant Program. A Report of SFEIASC’s Resilient Landscapes Program and H.T. Harvey & Associates, Publication # 816, San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, CA. Only 17 habitats have been mapped along streams in California with a total recorded area of 2000 acres. Due to its rarity and its susceptibility to influence by human modifications, Sycamore Alluvial Woodland is a priority for many conservationists.

Ecology

Fauna

Sycamore Alluvial Woodlands are home to a variety of vulnerable wildlife species, such as '' Actinemys marmorata'' (Western Pond Turtles) and '' Oncorhynchus mykiss'' (Rainbow Trout). These habitats provide adequate nesting and roosting conditions for a plethora of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

species and additionally providing large quantities of insect and seed due to significant amounts of dead wood that make it a preferred habitat for bird diets.

References

Flora of California {{ecology-stub