chaparral vs. coastal sage scrub

taller, stiff, evergreen, waxy-

leaved shrubs

chaparral

Woody growth form

chaparral

Deep to moderately deep

roots, often with root crown

chaparral

deeper soils at higher elevations

chaparral

Rainfall usually > 400 mm

chaparral

Low photosynthetic rate

chaparral

High water use efficiency

chaparral

animal dispersed seeds

chaparral

low, soft-leaved, aromatic

shrubs

coastal sage scrub

Semi-woody subshrubs

coastal sage scrub

Shallow roots, no root crown

coastal sage scrub

Drier, shallower soils near the coast

coastal sage scrub

Dry areas <400 mm rainfall

coastal sage scrub

High photosynthetic rates

coastal sage scrub

Moderate water use efficiency

coastal sage scrub

Wind dispersed seeds

coastal sage scrub

Crassulacean acid metabolism

CAM photosynthesis

carbon fixation pathway that evolved in some

plants as an adaptation to arid conditions

that allows a plant to photosynthesize during

the day, but only exchange gases at night.

CAM photosynthesis

one of three known photosynthetic

processes of carbon fixation in plants.

C4 fixation is an addition to the ancestral and

more common C3 fixation.

C4 carbon fixation or the Hatch–Slack pathway

Key Feature: Mixing of

freshwater and saltwater

(brackish).

Location: River mouths.

Dynamics: Faster water flow

with distinct tidal influence.

Estuaries (Mixing Zone)

Key Feature: Shallow, often

separated from the ocean by barrier

beaches/sandbars.

Location: Parallel to the coast.

Dynamics: Sluggish, slow-moving

water. Can be highly saline

(hypersaline) due to high evaporation.

Lagoons (Sheltered Pool)

Key Feature: Wetlands dominated by emergent, soft-stemmed vegetation.

•Location: Often found on the edges of estuaries, bays, and lakes.

•Dynamics: Frequently or permanently flooded; acts as a nursery for marine life.

Marshes (Grassy Wetland):

Threatened status:

•Habitat for >200 plant and animal

species listed as endangered,

threatened, or of special concern

•Widespread habitat loss &

fragmentation with < 10% of

original extent remaining

•Particularly threatened in NW Baja

Conservation priority