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Santa Cruz Mountains

Ecoregion in Coast Ranges, CA

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The Santa Cruz Mountains ecoregion covers the western and southwestern parts of the range where vegetation includes redwood, Douglas-fir, tanoak, coast live oak, and California bay, along with some chaparral and coastal scrub species. The shrub layer under forest canopy generally is sparse. Species of limited range in this area include the Santa Cruz cypress and Shreve oak. Forests of this region are ecologically and genetically distinct from those of the redwood ecoregions (1i, 1k) farther north. Clear-cut logging was typical from the late 1800s to about the 1960s. Most logging now uses smaller selective cuts. Climate varies from the west to the east, as the high mountain ridges reduce the penetration of maritime air. Winters are cool and wet. On the western side, summers are cool, and fog or low overcast is typical. Soil temperature regimes are mostly mesic and isomesic, with some thermic. Soil moisture regimes are mostly ustic and xeric. Streams on the northeastern side of the mountains generally are dry during the summer, but streams on the seaward side generally are perennial.

— EPA

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