California Floristic Province facts for kids
The California Floristic Province (often called CFP) is a unique natural area on the Pacific Coast of North America. It has a special Mediterranean climate, which means it has hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. This climate is similar to places around the Mediterranean Sea.
This region is known as a "biodiversity hotspot." This means it's a place with many different kinds of plants and animals, especially those found nowhere else. The CFP is home to the huge giant sequoia trees and the tall coast redwoods.
In 1996, the CFP was named a biodiversity hotspot. This put it among 33 other special places in the world. To be a hotspot, an area must have many species that are endemic. This means they live only there and nowhere else. The California Floristic Province has over 3,000 types of plants. About 60% of these plants are found only in this province.
The CFP covers about 293,803 square kilometers (113,438 square miles). It includes most of California, parts of southwestern Oregon, a small bit of western Nevada, and northern Baja California in Mexico. It borders other natural regions like the Great Basin Floristic Province to the east and the Sonoran Desert to the south.
This hotspot is very important because it has so many unique plants. There are about 8,000 plant species in the wider region. Over 3,400 of these are found only in the CFP itself. Sadly, over 70% of its original natural areas have been lost. This makes the plants and animals here more at risk. The biggest dangers come from large farms and growing cities. In 1998, a group called Conservation International suggested focusing on areas most affected by humans. This helps protect the region better. Other threats include too many people, losing natural homes, using resources too fast, and new species that don't belong there.
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Climate and Land
The California Floristic Province is one of five biodiversity hotspots with a Mediterranean climate. This climate brings hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Along the coast, the ocean helps keep temperatures cooler. Ocean fog is common, especially in summer. This fog helps giant redwood forests and other plants grow.
In California, the province includes most of the state. It does not include the Modoc Plateau, the Great Basin, or the deserts in the southeast. In Oregon, it covers the coastal mountains south of Cape Blanco. It also includes most of the Rogue River area.
In Baja California, the province includes the forests and chaparral areas of the Sierra de Juárez and Sierra de San Pedro Mártir mountains. It also covers coastal areas south to El Rosario and Guadalupe Island.
In Nevada, the CFP includes the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe. The border with the Great Basin is close to Reno and Carson City.
Many mountain ranges are part of this province, including:
- The Klamath Mountains
- The Cascade Range
- The Coast Ranges
- The Sierra Nevada
- The Transverse Ranges
- The Peninsular Ranges (going into Baja California)
The Great Central Valley in California is also part of the CFP.
California's Plant Groups
Scientists have worked hard to group the many types of plants found in California. They have created different "plant communities" or "vegetation types." This helps us understand where different plants grow and why. For example, some plants grow on the "this side of the mountain" (Cismontane) where it's wetter. Others grow on the "other side of the mountain" (Transmontane) where it's often a dry rain shadow.
Some common plant groups you might find include:
- Coastal areas: Places like Coastal Strand (sandy beaches), Coastal Prairie (grassy areas near the ocean), and Coastal Salt Marsh (wetlands with salty water).
- Shrublands: Chaparral (dense shrubs with tough leaves) and Coastal Sage Scrub (softer, fragrant shrubs).
- Forests: Closed-Cone Pine Forest (pines that need fire to open their cones), North Coastal Forest (like redwood and Douglas-fir forests), and Oak Woodland (areas with many oak trees).
- Grasslands: Valley Grassland (open grassy plains).
- Mountain areas: Montane Coniferous Forest (pine and fir trees in the mountains) and Subalpine Forest (trees that grow high up, just below the treeline).
- Desert areas: Pinyon-Juniper Woodland (small pine and juniper trees), Sagebrush Scrub (shrubs common in dry areas), and Joshua Tree Woodland (where Joshua trees grow).
Unique Plants and Ecosystems
The California Floristic Province has many plants that are endemic, meaning they are found only here. Out of over 7,000 types of plants in the hotspot, more than 2,100 are endemic. This means they grow nowhere else in the world! Today, only about 24.7% of the original natural plant areas are still in good condition.
The six largest plant families in California are:
- Asteraceae (like sunflowers and daisies)
- Poaceae (grasses)
- Fabaceae (peas and beans)
- Scrophulariaceae (like snapdragons)
- Brassicaceae (mustards)
- Cyperaceae (sedges, grass-like plants)
This province is famous for its giant sequoia forests and redwood forests. It also has many California oak woodlands. Almost all native oak trees in these woodlands are endemic to California. Other special places include sagebrush steppes, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and different types of mountain forests. You can also find coastal dunes, mudflats, and salt marshes here.
Some of the plants found only here are also endangered species. This means they are at risk of disappearing forever. For example, the Baker's larkspur and the Santa Cruz tarplant are two such rare plants.
Threats to the Hotspot
The California Floristic Province faces many dangers. Farms and growing cities are taking over the natural homes of plants and animals. California's large farms produce half of all agricultural products eaten in the United States. This high demand leads to the loss of natural resources. California also has a very large human population. This makes it one of the most damaged natural areas in the U.S.
Other threats include:
- Invasive species: New plants or animals that don't belong here can take over.
- Mining and oil extraction: These activities can destroy habitats.
- Air pollution and soil contamination: These make the environment unhealthy.
- Livestock grazing: Too many animals eating plants can harm the land.
- Wildfires: Fires that are too hot or happen too often can damage ecosystems.
- New buildings and roads: These take away natural land.
Global warming is also a big future threat. Scientists believe that rising temperatures might cause some animals, like the pika, to move to cooler places or even disappear from certain areas. To fight global warming, we need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil.
Protecting the Hotspot
Biodiversity hotspots are very important because their unique plants and animals cannot be found anywhere else. However, conservation efforts often don't get enough money to protect these special places. So, it's important to decide where to focus our efforts first.
In 1988, a British scientist named Norman Myers found ten tropical hotspots with endemic species. By 1990, he added eight more, including the California Floristic Province. Because of his research, Conservation International started a big study of these regions in 1996. By 1999, they set clear rules for what makes a biodiversity hotspot.
The California Floristic Province met these rules. It had over 1,500 endemic plant species and had lost at least 70% of its original natural habitat. Because of this, it became the eighth-ranked hotspot in the world. Now, 37% of the province is officially protected. California has spent more money on protecting these lands than any other state in America. Many groups help protect the California Floristic Province. These include the Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy, Wilderness Society, and the California Native Plant Society.
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