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Kern Terraces

Ecoregion in Central Valley, CA

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The Kern Terraces ecoregion consists of gently sloping terraces, dissected alluvial fans, and mostly small floodplains at the southeastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley. Elevations range from a low of 400 feet in the west to 2,100 feet near the eastern margin. Ecoregion 7s is warmer and more arid than the terraces of Ecoregion 7d to the north, with slightly more relief, and fewer hardpan soils or vernal pools. The soil temperature regime is thermic and soil moisture regime is aridic. Common vegetation includes perennial and annual grasslands, with scattered areas of allscale scrublands, and a few small areas of blue oak savanna, especially near the transition to the Tehachapi Foothills ecoregion (6ae). Beavertail cactus is one indicator of the desert influences here. Streams drain westward to the canals and closed basins of the southern San Joaquin Valley. Streams are low gradient and intermittent, although the dam-controlled Kern River also cuts across the region. Some cropland occurs on the western margins, which are flatter and lower in elevation. Oil production occurs, especially near Bakersfield.

— EPA

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