identify a habitat is to characterize its dominant vegetation (for example Oak Riparian) (Holland and Kiel, 1995). However, the vegetation is not to be equated with the habitat; rather habitat reflects the underlying features—the soils, subsurface geology, hydrology, aspect, and slope—that comprise the habitat. Where appropriate, we indicate in brackets those related policies that are set out in Part IV, the Stewardship section of this Plan.

Willow Riparian
1.1 acres of Willow Riparian habitat occur primarily along Cieneguitas Creek. (See Map 3, Vegetation.) Arroyo Willow dominates here, whereas Red Willow is rare and scattered in other wet areas of the property. Streamside settings are degraded by free-ranging cattle. By foraging, defecating, and cooling themselves in the creek bottoms, cattle crush stream banks, displace vegetation, promote down-cutting (incision) of the channel bottom, and alter stream water chemistry. Thus, the extent of willows, as well as many of the snakes, amphibians, birds, and mammals we would expect in riparian habitats, are poorly represented. Support is, therefore, limited to the species most tolerant of cattle’s effects: Bushtit, Black Phoebe, Song Sparrow, Western Scrub Jay, and Bewick’s Wren. Our first recommended actions, if ownership or management authority comes to the San Marcos Foothills Coalition, would be to exclude cattle from most streamside areas and repair the incised channel of Cieneguitas Creek. [Policies Gen-1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4; Eco-2.5, 2.9; Water-3.1, 3.4, 3.7]

Oak Riparian
41.6 acres of Oak Riparian occur along the creeks of San Marcos Foothills. This habitat is especially well-expressed along Atascadero Creek and its tributaries and the unnamed creek (hereafter referred to as No Name Creek). Western Scrub Jay, through its harvesting and stashing of acorns in the ground, is responsible for most of the planting of acorns and is, therefore, the principal agent of oak regeneration. Although the number of oaks has slightly diminished in the last 70 years (see 1928 aerial photo), the canopy cover seems to have increased as those same individuals have aged. Most importantly, very few areas show new oaks reaching maturity despite the fact that many hundreds of acorns germinate on SMF in the spring following years of acorn production. Thus, the population structure of the oak community is skewed and this does not bode well for Oak Riparian in the decades ahead as the remaining trees die off.

In all creeks where oaks dominate, their roots serve to stabilize the creek bed. Where oaks have been removed along the lower portions of Atascadero and Cieneguitas creeks, erosion of the stream bed has stripped this habitat of the wetland features associated with it and the essential support roles that occur in healthy riparian habitat.

Oak Riparian supports more species than any other habitat on San Marcos Foothills. The high quality of this Oak Riparian habitat is indicated by the species that rely on it: Cooper’s Hawk, Western Screech-Owl, and Phainopepla. Other nesting and denning species include Great Horned Owl, Acorn Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, Coyote, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Western Wood Pewee, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Oak Titmouse, Hutton’s Vireo, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lark Sparrow, Merriam’s Chipmunk, Striped Skunk, and Dusky-footed Woodrat.

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