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California is Special

California is Special. How Topography, Geology & Climate Combine…. …to Create California’s Remarkable Biological Diversity. Land forms. Coastal forests N. Coast Ranges Klamath Mtns. Interior Coast Ranges Foothills Central Valley (Great Valley, Sacramento and San Joaquin)

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California is Special

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  1. California is Special

  2. How Topography, Geology & Climate Combine…

  3. …to Create California’s Remarkable Biological Diversity

  4. Land forms Coastal forests N. Coast Ranges Klamath Mtns. Interior Coast Ranges Foothills Central Valley (Great Valley, Sacramento and San Joaquin) Cascade & Sierra Nevada Mountains Modoc Plateau Southern Deserts

  5. Rainfall Winter storms come in from the Pacific Winter storms bring rain Mountains capture the rain First the Coast Ranges Next the western slopes of the Cascade/Sierra Not much left for the eastern edge of California Summers are dry, even on coast, although there is fog

  6. More native plants than any other state One quarter of native plants of North America are found in California About 6000 kinds --species and varieties 1500 endemics --found nowhere else, only in California All groups of vascular plants: conifers, flowering plants, ferns

  7. Plants: largest, smallest, oldest Coast redwood: tallest tree at 369 ft plus Giant sequoia: most massive tree Smallest plants: duckweeds, dime-sized poppy Longest-living tree: 4,500-year-old bristlecones Shortest-living plants: spring puddle (vernal pool) species with life cycle of a few weeks

  8. Most varied plants of anywhere on earth Why? Varied landforms (mountains, valleys) Complex geology (different soil types) Varied climate varied across the state varied through time

  9. California Geology—It’s Complicated

  10. The Dry Summer Subtropical climate is also known as the "Mediterranean" climate because the land that borders the Mediterranean Sea is a type locality for this climate. The wet winter/dry summer seasonality of precipitation is the defining characteristic of this climate. Summer drought places a great deal of stress on the local vegetation, but plant structures have evolved to adapt to it. Mediterranean or Dry Summer Subtropical Climate

  11. Mediterranean Climate zones of the World

  12. Precipitation & Temperature in Mediterranean Climates

  13. What do different Mediterranean climates share? Wildfires, vineyards, vacationers, retirees, and plant diversity

  14. Photosynthesis—how it relates to California vegetation and climate Oxygen Water Carbon Dioxide Sugar

  15. What Factors Affect Photosynthesis? • Temperature—the Goldilocks Effect • Light • Water Availability Summer drought + Heat = dormancy

  16. Varied Climate Rain: 160 inches at Monterey 0 inches in Death Valley 20-80 inches depending where in Whiskeytown NRA Temp: -45 degrees F in Boca (near Truckee) +134 degrees F in Death Valley Growing Season: 365 days along the central coast less than 100 days in mountains

  17. Each area has different plants! Conifer forests of coast Conifer forests of coastal mountains Oak woodlands of foothills Grasslands of valley Streamside trees along rivers Conifer forests of interior mountains Deserts

  18. California Climate Thru Time When North America was flatter, the west coast of North America used to have a climate more like today’s east coast. With the gradual rise of the mountain ranges, west slopes got wetter, interior valleys got drier, and summer rain decreased.

  19. Topography, Geology & Climate Combine…

  20. …to Create California’s Remarkable Botanical Diversity

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