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Draft. A draft ecological site description is either incomplete or has not undergone quality control and quality assurance review.
Classification relationships
Coast Sage Scrub vegetation class.
Similar sites
R019XD047CA Coastal Terrace 14-16" p.z.
Coastal Terrace 14-16" p.z. is located on the coast and has level topography.
R019XD041CA Shallow Coastal Scrub 14-16" p.z.
Shallow Coastal Scrub 14-16" p.z. is located on coastal mountains.
R019XD053CA Coastal Bluff 14-16" p.z.
Coastal Bluff 14-16" p.z. is located on the coast with giant coreopsis in the plant community.
R019XD032CA Shallow Loam 18-22" p.z.
Shallow Loam 16-20" p.z. is a less productive site and dominated by buckwheat.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub (1) Salvia leucophylla
(2) Artemisia californicaHerbaceous (1) Eriogonum cinereum
(2) Malacothamnus fasciculatusPhysiographic features
This site is found on the uplands of the coastal hills and mountains. Slopes range from 9 to 75 percent, but slopes between 30 and 75 are more common. The elevation range is from 100 and 3500 feet, but the primary range is from 1250 to 1800 feet. It is generally on northerly aspects.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Hill
(2) Mountain
Flooding frequency None Ponding frequency None Elevation 100 – 3500 ft Slope 9 – 75 % Aspect N, NE, NW Climatic features
This site receives slightly more annual rainfall than the more coastal sites due to movement of hot and cold air masses and pressure systems influenced by the ocean and surrounding mountains. Roughly 94% of yearly precipitation falls form November through April. The driest months are June, July and August, with those months historically receiving trace amounts of rainfall. The average annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 24 inches. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 60 to 64 degrees F.
There are no reliable climate stations for this specific ecological site. The two stations listed (Oxnard and Los Angeles Civic Center) are on the extreme northwest and southwest of the area.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 350 days Freeze-free period (average) 0 days Precipitation total (average) 20 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
This site is not influenced by wetland or riparian water features.
Soil features
This ecological site is associated with the Los Osos Soil Series. The Los Osos series consists of moderately deep, well drained soils that formed in material weathered from sandstone and shale. The surface texture is loam to 14 inches. From 14 to 24 inches is a clay, between 24 and 32 inches is a clay loam. A C horizon from 32 to 39 inches has a sandy loam texture, with fractured sandstone below 39 inches.
This ecological site has been correlated with the following map units and soil component within the Santa Monica Mountains Soil Survey Area (CA692):
Map Unit Component Percent
330 Los Osos 25
330 Los Osos(steep) 1
331 Los Osos 7
332 Los Osos 4
350 Los Osos 85Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Loam
Family particle size (1) Clayey
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Slow Soil depth 20 – 40 in Available water capacity
(0-40in)4.35 – 5.94 in Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)5.6 – 7.3 Ecological dynamics
The reference community for this ecological site is dominated by San Luis purple sage (Salvia leucophylla), California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), Eastern Mojave buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), and Mendocino bushmallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus).
This community is similar to the California sagebrush communities, but San Luis purple sage is dominant species, and there is a fair amount of bare ground. There is not enough information about this community to determine the ecological dynamics for this site. It seems that this community may be an altered state of a California sagebrush community, or maybe even a chaparral community. Grazing or fire may have permanently or temporarily altered the species composition. Grazing in the mid 1800’s may have reduced the cover of California sagebrush, or this area may be in recovery after a more recent fire. More data or research is needed to determine the historic plant community in this area.
Whatever the historic community may have been, San Luis purple sage has allelopathic characteristics that may be inhibiting other species from becoming established (Nishida, et. al, 2005).
San Luis purple sage (Salvia leucophylla) is a California endemic shrub. It is multi-stemmed and drought deciduous. It can resprout after fire like California sagebrush and Eastern Mojave buckwheat. It prefers dry open slopes.
State and transition model
More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective textEcosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
San Luis Purple SageCommunity 1.1
San Luis Purple SageThis plant community is dominated by San Luis purple sage (Salvia leucophylla). Other common associates are California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), Eastern Mojave buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum), and Mendocino bushmallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus). Annual forbs add additional 160 lbs/acre.
Figure 3. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Additional community tables
Table 5. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Shrub/Vine1 Shrubs 680–2025 San Luis purple sage SALE3 Salvia leucophylla 315–945 – Mendocino bushmallow MAFA Malacothamnus fasciculatus 135–405 – coastal sagebrush ARCA11 Artemisia californica 135–405 – Eastern Mojave buckwheat ERFA2 Eriogonum fasciculatum 90–270 – Interpretations
Animal community
There is very little information about the animal community associated with San Luis purple sage, but it may be similar to the California sagebrush community because there is a fair amount of California sagebrush in this site.
California sagebrush provides shade and nesting habitat for small birds, mammals, amphibians, and arthropods (Hauser, 2006).
California sagebrush provides habitat for Bell's sage sparrow, a bird species listed as a Species of Special Concern, and the California gnatcatcher which is found almost exclusively in California sagebrush-dominated communities (Hauser, 2006).
Other products
San Luis purple sage is an aromatic shrub often planted as an ornamental.
California sagebrush was used by Chumash Indians for a variety of purposes. They used branches for firesticks and arrow foreshafts. Poultices were made for treating headaches. California sagebrush was used for many sacred rituals. Spanish settlers made tea to treat bronchial problems and used it externally as a wash for wounds and swellings (Hauser, 2006).Supporting information
Other references
Allen E.B.; Eliason, S.A.; Marquez V.J.; Shultz, G.P.; Storms, N.K.; Stylinski, C.D.; Zink, T.A.; and Allen, M.F. What are the Limits to Restoration of Coastal Sage Scrub in Southern California? 2nd Interface Between Ecology and Land Development in California. J.E. Keeley, M.B. Keeley and C.J. Fotheringham, eds. USGS Open-File Report 00-62, Sacramento, California. In press.
Bowler, P.A. 2000. Ecological restoration of coastal sage scrub and it's potential role in habitat conservation plans. Environmental Management, vol. 26, supplement 1: pgs S85-S96.
Eliason S.A. and Allen, E.B. (1997). Exotic Grass Competition in Suppressing Native Shrubland Re-establishment. Restoration Ecology, September 1997, vol. 5, no.3 pp. 245-255. Blackwell Publishing.
Hauser, A. Scott. 2006. Artemisia californica. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2007, December 19].
Keeler-Wolf, Todd (1995). Post-Fire Emergency Seeding and Conservation In Southern California Shrublands. Brushfires in California Wildlands: Ecology and Resource Management. Edited by J.E. Keeley and T. Scott. 1995. Internatitional Association of Wildland Fire, Fairfield, WA.
Keeley, Jon E (2003). Fire and Invasive Plants in California Ecosystems. Fire Management Today, Volume 63, No. 2
Keeley, Jon E. (2002). Native American Impacts on Fire Regimes of the Pacific Coast Ranges. US Government, Journal of Biogeography, 29, p. 303-320. Blackwell Science Ltd.
Keeley, J.E. (2001). Fire and invasive species in Mediterranean-climate ecosystems of California. Pages 81–94 in K.E.M. Galley and T.P. Wilson (eds.). Proceedings of the Invasive Species Workshop: the Role of Fire in the Control and Spread of Invasive Species. Fire Conference 2000: the First National Congress on Fire Ecology, Prevention, and Management. Miscellaneous Publication No. 11, Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL.
Keeley, Jon E. and Keeley Sterling C. (1984). Postfire recovery of California Coastal Sage Scrub. American Midland Naturalist, Vol. 111, Issue 1 (Jan. 1984) pp. 105-117
McMurray, Nancy E. 1990. Salvia mellifera. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer).
Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [2007, October 23].
Minnich, Richard A. and Scott, Thomas A. Wildland Fire and the Conservation of Coastal Sage Scrub. Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Riverside.
Nishida, Nami; Tamotsu, Satoshi; Nagata, Noriko; Saito, Chieko; and Sakai, Atsushi. 2005. Allelopathic Effects of Volatile Monoterpenoids Produced by Salvia leucophylla: Inhibition of Cell Proliferation and DNA Synthesis in the Root Apical Meristem of Brassica campestris Seedlings. Journal Journal of Chemical Ecology. Publisher Springer Netherlands . Issue Volume 31, Number 5 / May, 2005. Pages 1187-1203.
Westman, Walter E., 1987. Implications of ecological theory for rare plant conservation in coastal sage scrub. Pages 133-140 in T. S. Elias, editor. Conservation and management of rare and endangered plants: proceedings of a California conference on the conservation and management of rare and endangered plants. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, California.
White, Scott D 1995. Disturbance and Dynamics in Coastal Sage Scrub. Fremontia, Volume 23, No 4. California Native Plant Society.
Contributors
Curtis Talbot, Marchel Munnecke
Rangeland health reference sheet
Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.
Author(s)/participant(s) Contact for lead author Date Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
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Presence of water flow patterns:
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Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
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Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
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Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
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Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
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Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
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Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
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Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
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Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
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Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):
Dominant:
Sub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
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Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
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Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
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Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
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Perennial plant reproductive capability:
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