|
Valley
Grassland
consists
of both
annual
and
perennial
grassland.
Grasslands
are open
habitats
with
herbaceous
vegetation.
Many
types of
foothill
habitats
have
grassland
as
understory.
Annual
Grassland
Good
examples
of
annual
grassland
can be
found on
the
hillside
along
the
lower
Kern
River,
along
Rancheria
Road in
the
Greenhorn
Mountains,
on the
western
slope of
the
Sierra
Nevada,
and
throughout
the Kern
River
Valley.
Annual
Grassland
habitat
occurs
mostly
on flat
plains
to
gently
rolling
foothills.
Changes
in
annual
grassland
vary
from
year to
year
depending
on
rainfall.
Spectacular
variation
in
colors
between
shifting
seasons
and from
year to
year,
are
characters
of this
habitat.
The
Mediterranean
weather
pattern
of hot
dry
summers
and cold
wet
winters
creates
the
optimum
condition
for
early
germination
of
annual
plant
seeds
resulting
in rapid
blooms
and
short-lived
plants.
During
abundant
rainfall
years,
sensational
wildflower
displays
are
common.
Yet,
with
several
years of
above
normal
rainfall
the
number
of
wildflowers
diminishes
with the
overgrowth
of
introduced
annual
grasses.
This
overgrowth
is
controlled
by
selective
grazing
of
allotments
throughout
the
forest.
Annual
Grassland
consists
chiefly
of
exotic
annual
grasses;
this
grassland
has
experienced
significant
change
since
the
arrival
of
people
of
European
descent
in the
early
1800's.
Dominant
species
now
include:
wild
oats,
soft
chess,
ripgut
brome,
red
brome,
wild
barley,
and
foxtail
fescue.
Common
forbs
include
broadleaf
filaree,
redstem
filaree,
turkey
mullein,
true
clovers,
bur
clover,
popcorn
flower,
and many
others.
Common
animals
found in
Annual
Grassland
include:
the
western
fence
lizard,
common
garter
snake,
western
rattlesnake,
black-tailed
jackrabbit,
desert
cottontail,
California
ground
squirrel,
Botta's
pocket
gopher,
deer
mouse,
kit fox,
and
coyote.
Common
breeding
birds
include:
burrowing
owl,
savannah
sparrow,
horned
lark,
and
western
meadowlark.
Common
birds
which
forage
in
grasslands
include:
turkey
vulture,
northern
harrier,
American
kestrel,
white-tailed
kite,
and
prairie
falcon.
Annual
Grassland
occurs
throughout
the
central
valley
and Kern
River
Valley
and
along
the
foothills
of the
Sierra
Nevada
from sea
level to
about
1200 m
(3900
ft) in
elevation.
Perennial
Grassland
Annual
Grassland
habitats
occupy
what was
once a
pristine
native
grassland
that had
large
tracts
of
perennial
grass
where
the
rainfall
or
runoff
supported
it.
Perennial
grasses
are
becoming
rarer
and
rarer in
the San
Joaquin
Valley
and
Sierra
Nevada.
Perennial
grassland
is most
common
where
the
rainfall
exceeds
60
inches
per
year.
This
type of
grassland
can be
found in
mountain
meadows
and
along
streams
and
rivers
in the
mountains
and
valleys
of the
Sequoia
National
Forest.
This
habitat
grows in
moist,
lightly
grazed,
or relic
prairie
areas.
A unique
type of
perennial
grassland
is the
vernal
pool,
which is
a small
depression
with a
hardpan
soil
layer.
Vernal
pools
contain
many
rare
perennial
grasses
and
wildflowers.
Perennial
plants
generally
bloom
later in
the
spring
than
annuals
and
continue
to bloom
throughout
the
fall.
California
poppy,
the
State
flower,
is found
in both
annual
and
perennial
grasslands.
Many
types of
sunflowers
flower
until
the
first
frost of
winter.
Typical
plants
of
perennial
grassland
include:
purple
needlegrass,
chess,
filaree,
brome,
and
Idaho
fescue.
Threats
to
perennial
grassland
include
the
introduction
of
non-native
annual
plant
species,
grazing
pressure,
elimination
of
frequent
fires,
and
agriculture.
Perennial
Grassland
supports
many
grassland
dependant
species
even
better
than
annual
grasslands.
Species
which
live
within
this
habitat
include:
common
garter
snake,
western
terrestrial
garter
snake,
Northern
Harrier,
Barn
Owl,
Burrowing
Owl,
Western
Kingbird,
Say's
Phoebe,
Barn
Swallow,
Western
Meadowlark,
Savannah
Sparrow,
Grasshopper
Sparrow,
broad-handed
mole,
Botta's
pocket
gopher,
western
harvest
mouse,
and
California
vole.
Other
species
using
Perennial
Grassland
mostly
for
foraging
include:
California
Condor,
Turkey
Vulture,
Red-tailed
Hawk,
American
Kestrel,
Peregrine
Falcon,
Western
Bluebird,
big
brown
bat,
striped
skunk,
spotted
skunk,
coyote,
black-tailed
jackrabbit,
desert
cottontail,
brush
rabbit,
and mule
deer. |
