The Southern California Mountains and Foothills Assessment: Habitat and Species
Conservation Issues provides detailed information about current conditions and
trends for ecological systems and species in the region. This information can be
used by land managers to develop broad land management goals and priorities
and provides the context for decisions specific to smaller geographic areas. The
assessment area covers 6.1 million acres, of which 56 percent are national forest
system lands. Over eighteen million people live in the coastal basin bordering the
assessment area. As compared to historic conditions, mountain and foothill
ecosystems in this region have undergone dramatic changes. Forested landscapes
are more susceptible to stand-replacing fires. Invasive non-native species have
become widely established, causing a decline in habitat capability for many
native plants and animals. An extensive network of dams and diversions has
altered aquatic systems. Some areas of high ecological integrity remain and can
serve as building blocks for restoration. Biological diversity is not uniformly
distributed across the landscape; rare species in particular tend to be concentrated
in certain habitats. Key areas of high ecological integrity and rare species
assemblages are identified in this report. This assessment provides a rich
information base, including over eighty mapped themes with associated models
and databases, from which future decisions can benefit.