Given the current access to this habitat by cattle, most oak seedlings succumb to grazing or trampling in the first one to three years following germination. One exception to this trend appears near lower Cieneguitas Creek where a group of 25- to 35- year old individuals occur. The initial actions we propose, to remove cattle from most riparian habitat, would facilitate a lateral expansion of oaks and an increased rate of oak regeneration along creeks. [Policies Gen-1.2, 1.4; Eco-2.5, 2.6; Water 3.7]

Chaparral
33.15 acres of Chaparral occur in the northern portions of the property and are contiguous with more extensive chaparral connected to the Los Padres National Forest. Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral share some plant species, so drawing lines between the two habitats is difficult. It is not clear to what extent Chaparral has changed over the years. On San Marcos Foothills, Chaparral is characterized by the presence of Chamise, Toyon, Mountain Mahogany, Greenbark Ceanothus, Redberry, Lemonade Berry, Laurel Sumac, or sparse oak cover. Chaparral is fire dependent, meaning that its vigor and species richness depend upon periodic burning (very infrequent on San Marcos Foothills) from which it begins to recover almost immediately. Unlike some forms of Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral is not compatible with constant grazing pressure. Chaparral grazed soon after a burn will frequently be replaced by grassland or non-chaparral shrubby species. Chaparral tends to persist on San Marcos Foothills only where some other elements of the landscape, such as rocky outcrops often associated with steeper slopes, tend to repel cattle.

Animal species associated with Chaparral include Merriam’s Chipmunk, Dusky-footed Woodrat, Wrentit, and Bewick’s Wren. The techniques of Chaparral restoration are not well-developed. However, expanding Chaparral where it may have formerly occurred on San Marcos Foothills would provide an opportunity within our education programs to discuss its role in the array of foothills vegetation types. [Policies Gen-1.2; Eco-2.5, 2.8]

Grasslands
204.57 acres of Grasslands occur. (See Map 4, Grasslands.) Ten species of grasses are native to the property; 16 species are introduced, and most of these originated in Europe. (See Table 1, next page.) Because additional grassland area is associated with Oak Savannah, Oak Riparian, and Coastal Sage Scrub habitats, all grassland assessments have underestimated the total acreage of Grasslands at San Marcos Foothills.

Almost all the large Grasslands on San Marcos Foothills rest on soils deposited as an alluvial flow that occurred some time in the Pleistocene epoch. The waterways that deposited these coarsely-sorted materials have long since cut below the level of the deposits; the mesas have lifted above the surrounding landforms, leaving formations known as ‘‘fanglomerates” (Dibblee, 1966). Similar formations locally occur east of San Marcos Foothills to the Riviera in Santa Barbara and west to San Jose Creek in Goleta. However, in both directions from San Marcos Foothills, all other representations of these rare and ancient landforms have been covered, altered, or fragmented by urban development or avocado farming. This is the only significant remaining fanglomerate landform in the South Coast sufficiently intact for teaching and study.

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