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Venturan-Angeleno Coastal Hills

Ecoregion in CA

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The Venturan-Angeleno Coastal Hills ecoregion includes the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Hills, Oak Ridge, Verdugo Mountains, San Rafael Hills, Chino Hills, Puente Hills, San Jose Hills, and the hills of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. These shrub-covered hills and mountains, with elevations ranging from sea level to more than 3,000 feet, contrast with the adjacent heavily urbanized flat plains and valleys. Mesozoic and Tertiary sedimentary rocks and some Miocene volcanics occur. In the Santa Monica Mountains, climate is modified greatly on the southern side by marine air, whereas climate on the northern side and on inland hills is affected more moderately by marine air. Annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 26 inches. Soil temperature regimes are thermic and soil moisture regimes are xeric. Vegetation includes annual grassland, California sagebrush, California buckwheat, mixed sage, chamise chaparral, mixed chaparral, and coast live oak. There are some differences in coastal sage communities and species compared to those found to the north in Ecoregion 6, as well as to those in the southern parts of Ecoregion 85 in San Diego and Baja California.

— EPA

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