State 1
1.1 Chamise Chaparral

Community 1.1
1.1 Chamise Chaparral

This chaparral community is dominated by chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum). Other common plants are bigpod ceanothus (Ceanothus megacarpus), California brittlebush (Encelia californica), Eastern Mojave buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), purple needlegrass (Nassella pulchra), sugar sumac (Rhus ovata), San Luis purple sage (Salvia leucophylla), black sage (Salvia mellifera), and chaparral yucca (Yucca whipplei).

The fire frequency and season of burn may affect the species composition. More frequent fires may favor bigpod ceaonthus. Fires in spring and summer have a higher mortality rate for chamise than in fall. This is because the carbohydrate storage in the lignotuber has been depleted due to the spring growth, and is replenished during the summer. Therefore by fall there is sufficient carbohydrate storage in the lignotubers to produce new shoots after a fire (McMurray, 1990). If fire does not burn through this area, bigpod ceanothus may start to decline in cover because it is an obligate seeder after fire. Some studies suggest that fires used to be in the summer months and would burn slowly in relatively small areas. Only occasionally would these fires last until fall and be fanned by the Santa Anna winds, which cause the fires to race across the mountains burning thousands of hectares a day (Keeley and Fotheringham, 2001).

When fire does occur in this chaparral community, it usually burns the canopy of the entire stand, following pathway 1.1a in the state and transition model, which leads to stand regeneration (Community 1.2).

State 2
1.2 Native perennial and herbaceous species

Community 2.1
1.2 Native perennial and herbaceous species

This community is dominated by native forbs and grasses, along with resprouting shrubs and shrub seedlings. This phase is short lived because the shrubs rapidly regain dominance in a couple of years. In the first year after a fire thousands of chamise, bigpod ceanothus, black sage and Eastern Mojave buckwheat seedlings will be present. Many of these die by the second year. Chamise and black sage increase in cover from the new shoots sprouting from the surviving lignotubers.

There are several annual and perennial fire followers that may be present at this stage. Many of these species have stored dormant seeds in the soil, which will not germinate until heat from the fire, sunlight from the removal of the canopy, or nitrogen from the charred wood leachate cue germination. Some common fire followers are whisperingbells (Emmenanthe penduliflora), largeflower phacelia (Phacelia grandiflora), black sage (Salvia mellifera), yellow bleeding heart (Ehrendorferia ochroleuca formerly Dicentra ochroleuca), bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida), Coulter's snapdragon (Sairocarpus coulterianus formerly Antirrhinum coulterianum), golden eardrops (Ehrendorferia chrysantha formerly Dicentra chrysantha), western poppy (Papaver californicum), and windpoppy (Stylomecon heterophylla) (Thanos and Rundel, 1995; Dagit, 2002). Many of these fire followers are only present the first year or two after a fire.

The primary pathway for this community is 1.2a to the young chaparral community. Pathway 1.2b is uncommon, but could happen with a quick recovery of the shrubs.

State 3
1.3 Young mixed chaparral

Community 3.1
1.3 Young mixed chaparral

This community is a young mixed chaparral community still in the growth phase following a fire. The young shrubs are beginning to shade out the understory and are beginning the self thinning process. Black sage may be dominant at this time, before the chamise and bigpod ceanothus regain their height and dominance over the smaller shrubs.

The primary pathway for this community is 1.3a to continue with the growth and development of the shrub species. This phase may last from 2 to 30 years, before regaining its potential cover and composition.

If fire burns this community during this stage (initiating pathway 1.3b) it will return to the regeneration phase.

State 4
State 2

Community 4.1
State 2

This state develops with an altered fire regime and/or with the introduction of non-native plant species. Increased fire frequencies and low intensity fires can be detrimental to chaparral and woodland regeneration. This altered state has similar plant communities to the reference state, but non-native species, particularly the annual grasses, such as oats (Avena spp.) and bromes (Bromus spp.) are present. The overall cover of the chaparral and woodland species has declined, with more openings in the canopy. Subshrubs such as black sage and buckwheats may increase in cover It is difficult to determine the effect on the chaparral species compositon during this state, but some species may be better adapted to shorter fire intervals than others.
Non-native species are often introduced after a fire or other disturbances such as grazing road building, or foot traffic. The non-native grasses can increase fire frequency because the grasses create an easily flammable and continuous fuel source. Frequent fire may cause a transition to state 3 (T2a) .

Once the non-native species become established it is extremely difficult to eliminate them from the area. Restoration efforts should focus on eliminating non-native species, and if possible keep the fire return interval to greater than 70 years (R2a).

State 5
State 3

Community 5.1
State 3

When fire repeatedly burns through a chaparral community, before the species reach maturity, the presence of the chaparral species may decline. Since most of the dormant seeds in the seed bank germinate the first year after a fire, there are very few seeds left to germinate after subsequent fires. Time without disturbance is needed for the shrubs to mature and produce seeds. Frequent fires also affect the ability for the resprouting shrubs to send up new shoots by depleting the carbohydrate storage in the root systems. In the absence of shrub seedlings and resprouting lignotubers, non-native annual grasses become dominate and self-perpetuate the frequent fire cycle. The minimal amount of time needed for the chaparral species to recover is not known, but some reports say that 20 to 40 years may be too short.

Non-native species listed by Dagit are the common non-native grasses (Avena fatua, Bromus sp., Cynodon dactylon, Festuca sp., Hordeum murinum, etc.) and mustard (Brassica nigra), followed by a variety of thistles (Centaurea melitensis, Salsola iberica, etc.).

Once the non-native species become established and the chaparral species have been eliminated it is extremely difficult to restore this area. Restoration efforts should focus on reintroducing native species, eliminating non-native species and reducing the fire frequency (R2a).