Introduction to the Plant Life of Southern California: Coast to Foothills

California Natural History Guides #85

by Philip W. Rundel, Robert J. Gustafson (Illustrator)

Field guides often provide little ecological information, or context, for understanding the plants they identify. This book, with its engaging text and attractive illustrations, for the first time provides an ecological framework for the plants and their environments in the coast and foothill regions of Southern California, an area that boasts an extremely rich flora. It will introduce a wide audience―from general readers and students to natural history and outdoor enthusiasts―to Southern California's plant communities, their ecological dynamics, and the key plants that grow in them.

Coastal beach and dune habitats, coastal and interior sage scrub, chaparral, woodlands, grasslands, riparian woodlands, and wetlands all contribute unique plant assemblages to Southern California. In addition to discussing each of these areas in depth, this book also emphasizes ecological factors such as drought, seasonal temperatures, and fire that determine which plants can thrive in each community. It covers such important topics as non-native invasive plants and other issues involved with preserving biodiversity in the ecologically rich yet heavily populated and increasingly threatened area. * 327 color photographs provide overviews of each plant community and highlight key plant species

* Describes more than 300 plant species

* Covers the counties of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, western Riverside, San Bernardino, and the Channel Islands

* Includes a list of public areas and parks for viewing Southern California's plant communities

Genres: Environment

316 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2005

Reviews

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly handy and a great way to see the specifics of Southern California vegetation

[Dennis Littrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take it along in your backpack

This is the latest in a series of books on the flora and fauna of California published by the University of California Press. The books are characterized by beautiful photography, authoritative authorship, and succinct descriptions. In this book the authors, Philip W. Rundel, Professor of Biology at UCLA's Department of Ecology and Ecological Biology, and Robert Gustafson, who is the manager of the Botany Department at the Natural Museum of Los Angeles County, go a bit beyond the usual as they describe the ecology of the various plant ecosystems in Southern California.

The first chapter is on the biogeography of Southern California (from Point Conception to the Mexican border) with a comparison to other Mediterranean-type climates throughout the world, including those in South Africa and southern Australia as well as in the Mediterranean itself.

The other chapters, 12 in all, concentrate on various habitats, including coastal beaches, dunes, bluffs, terraces, and on other distinct plant communities found in SoCal, including woodlands, grasslands, riparian woodlands, and wetlands. There's a chapter on the flora of the Channel Islands. Throughout the authors are careful to tell the reader which species are native and which are not. Two of the chapters are on the chaparral and its unique ecology and how the plants adapt to the frequent fires that the chaparral forest is prone to. I love the chaparral and it was fun to discover the names and habits and to see the color photos of the plants that one sees on hikes along the trails.

Finally there are chapters on "Invasive Alien Species" and the threats they pose, and on "Preserving Biodiversity." There's a table that lists public parks and preserves by characteristic plant communities such as the Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County, Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County, and many others. And there's a good index.

This works especially well as both an introduction, as the authors intended, and as a handy reference for the hiker and camper.

--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”

[Terry Freedlander · Rating 5 out of 5]

good guide book for plant identification. small size fits well in backpack for hiking.

[Maris · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I added a field guide(ish) to this site!
Great intro and overview of SoCal plants, divided up by community. This is by no means a comprehensive plant field guide, but each section highlights dominant trees, shrubs, and "other." I especially appreciated tidbits about a plant's extra-special functions (e.g. photosynthesis or nitrogen-fixing), as well as the occasional history & anthropology lessons.
I wish this were more relevant to my current locale, but I'm cursed with living in a remote & transitional region.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had this out before, maybe 3 years ago, but only skimmed. Looks promising....

But it's not that pertinent to the Central Coast, SLO County anyway. Returned when due.