FISH & AMPHIBIANS Pacific tree frog, steelhead trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, lamprey, arboreal salamander, red salamander, slender salamander, Coast Range newt, tiger salamander, bullfrog, and crayfish.
Grassland
Grasslands usually mix with coastal scrub along the slopes of the Santa Lucia Range. In the drier interior, they grow alongside arid thickets of chaparral on oak- and pine-studded hillsides. Grasslands also thrive along marine terraces and coastal bluffs, including El Sur Ranch north of Andrew Molera State Park, where cattle continually graze.
Those who believe the central coast to be void of seasonal changes have not taken a stroll through the grasslands of Big Sur. Following winter rains, vibrant green grasses sprout from the damp earth. This annual growth cycle may end before summer if little rain falls in spring. By late May, the rolling hills turn golden as the grasslands fade and lay dormant until the following winter’s rains.
Most grasses responsible for these seasonal bursts of color are exotic species to the California landscape. In the mid 19th century, settlers brought in invasive annual grasses to feed livestock. These species quickly outcompeted native perennial grasses and thrived in areas ravaged by grazing, fire, or landslides.
Though grasses are the dominant species, forbs and herbs also thrive here, weaving colorful tapestries along the open slopes of the Coast Range. Among the most recognized are the blue, purple, and orange hues of sky lupines (Lupinus nanus) and California poppies (Eschscholzia californica). Other fragile, ornate flowers include the padres shooting star (Dodecatheon clevelandii), California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus), Johnny-jump-up (Viola pedunculata), and blue dicks (Dichelostemma pulchella).
Seasonal changes are most dramatic within the grassland ecosystem, where vibrant new growth carpets the landscape.
Many animals forage and hunt in the grasslands, though few find safe refuge to nest and breed. Common species include:
MAMMALS Coyote, mule deer, bobcat, gray fox, pocket gopher, California ground squirrel, and long-tail weasel.
BIRDS Western meadowlark, grasshopper sparrow, savannah sparrow, lark sparrow, burrowing owl, horned lark, white-tailed kite, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, American kestrel, golden eagle, barn owl, great horned owl, California quail, mourning dove, swallows, swifts, and finches.
REPTILES Gopher snake, western rattlesnake, yellow-bellied racer, ringneck snake, alligator lizard, and western fence lizard.
Oak Woodland
Majestic oak woodlands form some of Big Sur’s most picturesque, enchanting forests. The southern region shelters centuries-old blue and valley oaks, while coastal slopes are studded with sprawling coast live oaks draped with lacy lichens. The most common trees are coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), blue oak (Quercus douglasii), California black oak (Quercus kelloggii), valley oak (Quercus lobata), and canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis). Oak woodlands vary from dense forests to grassy savannas, and plants from neighboring communities often occupy the understory.
Unfortunately, tens of thousands of tanoaks, coast live oaks, and black oaks between Big Sur and the Oregon border are dying from sudden oak death. Researchers have isolated a previously unknown fungal species they believe causes the disease. This pathogen is a member of the genus Phytophthora (Latin for plant destroyer) and is related to species blamed for such agricultural plagues as the Irish potato famine. Scientists are conducting far-ranging research to determine how the fungus spreads and how it can be stopped. It’s critical to slow the spread of the fungus by preventing the movement of infected leaves, wood, and soil. Visitors to Big Sur’s oak woodlands should clean their tires, shoes, and animals’ feet thoroughly before leaving the area.
Acorns are the most important food item for animals living in or around oak woodlands. In fall, as acorns ripen and fall, the forest chatters with excitement as birds and mammals flock to harvest the nutritious nuts. Resident species include:
MAMMALS Mule deer, bobcat, mountain lion, gray fox, coyote, striped skunk, wild boar (introduced from Europe), California mouse, western gray squirrel, pocket gopher, Audubon cottontail, lump-nosed bat, big brown bat, silver-haired bat, red bat, and hoary bat.
Sprawling black oaks filter views northwest toward the ocean along the Buckeye Trail.
BIRDS Western bluebird; chestnut-backed chickadee; northern flicker; acorn, Lewis’, and Nuttall’s woodpeckers; violet-green and tree swallows; scrub jay; common raven; plain titmouse; bushtit; white-breasted nuthatch; orange-crowned and Townsend’s warblers; Hutton’s vireo; black-headed grosbeak; band-tailed pigeon; mourning dove; western screech and great horned owls; Cooper’s, red-tailed, and red-shouldered hawks; and American kestrel.
REPTILES Western fence lizard, alligator lizard, western skink, gopher snake, common kingsnake, and western rattlesnake.
AMPHIBIANS Arboreal salamander, California newt, and western toad.
Mixed Evergreen Forest
The mixed evergreen forest is an extremely varied community, in which endemic, rare, isolated, or disjunct coniferous species grow amid a diverse array of hardwood trees. Member species include the Santa Lucia fir, Coulter pine, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, gray pine, Monterey pine, Douglas fir, and incense cedar.
Nestled along deep, dark canyon floors and atop the Santa Lucias’ dry, rocky slopes and summits lives the rarest, most distinct, and narrowly distributed of all fir species, the endemic Santa Lucia fir. They are easily identified by droopy, densely foliated crowns that extend from the base of the tree with lower branches that nearly touch the ground. The tree’s differing habitats share one characteristic: each is relatively fire resistant. Although the range is subject to periodic wildfires, the Santa Lucia fir is not fire adapted and cannot survive in areas susceptible to burning.
Fossil evidence from the Miocene period (22 million to 6 million years ago) proves the Santa Lucia fir was once widely distributed throughout western North America. During the Miocene, the climate was much warmer and wetter than today, including regular summer rainfall. During the Pliocene period (5.2 to 1.6 million years ago), the climate cooled, leading to the ice ages of the Pleistocene (1.6 million to 11,000 years ago). The Santa Lucia fir could not withstand these colder, drier conditions and thus retreated to milder coastal climates.
Botanist Thomas Coulter first described the Coulter pine in 1832 near Cone Peak. Its enormous, sharp-spurred cones are the heaviest of any pine species. The tree grows in association with canyon live oaks, tanoaks, California bays, and madrones. On the flanks of Junipero Serra Peak, Coulter pines grow alongside stately sugar pines.
A Scottish botanist first described sugar pines in 1831 while climbing Cone Peak. These largest of all pines boast enormous cones that are longer and more slender than the Coulter pine’s cones. Distinct from their Sierra Nevada and Southern California cousins, Big Sur’s sugar pines are restricted to isolated peaks and higher elevation slopes atop Cone and Junipero Serra Peaks.
Climate change millions of years ago isolated this stand of Santa Lucia fir to the milder coastal climate of Big Sur.
The incense cedar is another disjunct tree removed from its Sierra Nevada population. When crushed, its flat, scaled foliage emits a pungent aroma. Botanists speculate that this tree was also once widespread, but as the climate warmed over the past 10,000 years and wildfires became more commonplace, its range shrank drastically.
The mixed evergreen plant community shares many of the plant and animal species commonly seen in Big Sur’s oak woodlands. Consult that wildlife list for representative species.
BIG SUR SEASONS
Big Sur’s steep, rugged topography and