Abstract The paper describes how fire is an important part of the coastal sage scrub habitat. The paper further discusses how frequent high intensity fires, combined with the invasion of non-native plants, may affect the habitat's ability to restore itself. The paper examines the effects of frequent high intensity fires on an area of coastal sage scrub habitat in the Voorhis Ecological Reserve, Cal Poly Pomona. The paper analyzes how fires in this area reduced the number of plant species, reduced the layers of vegetation, and opened the land to invasive exotic species that take over from local plant species. The paper concludes that the combination of frequent fires and invasive species may have increased the recovery time of the coastal sage scrub in this area.
From the Paper "Coastal Sage Scrub is one of the major habitats in Southern California. It is located on the coastal cliffs, plains, and foothills of the Pacific coast of Southern California and Northwestern Mexico, at elevations below 1000 feet. In many places, Coastal Sage Scrub is contingent with Annual Grassland, Coastal Oak Woodland, and Chaparral. (Becker 1988, Minnich 1983)"
Tags: california, chaparral, ecology, invasive, native, plants, southern, species
