![]() Our own Vernal Pool was studied extensively the last time it filled, in Spring of 2019, and was subsequently identified as the most prolific Vernal Pool in all of the Goleta Valley. Vernal Pools support a variety of rare water plants. These very special and fast disappearing wetlands, are seasonal pools that fill with winter rainwater, and then dry out gradually thru the Spring and early Summer. However, the most remarkable Wetland we have on More Mesa is a Vernal Pool on the southeast corner. Our issue on water plants looked at plants that populate Wetlands … like Atascadero Creek and its adjacent marshes, canyon and ravine bottoms, meadows and open water pools. Datura seemed to thrive in almost all habitats. The Miner’s Lettuce we looked at in Spring likes the shade of an Oak Woodland, while Elderberry prefers a little water in its life and does well in Riparian Woodlands. We even devoted a whole issue to dreaded invasive plants species brought to the Goleta Valley as cash crops, good feed for cattle or just by accident! We searched for Miner’s Lettuce, Elderberries, Datura and various water plants. ![]() More Mesa’s Plants Live in all Habitats: Our plant Treasure Hunts had us looking for plants that live in soil, wet soil and water as well. For me, having been a climber in my youth, this beautiful habitat is hauntingly reminiscent of the forests in the foothills of the Sierras. Oaks have their own special habitat which is called, appropriately enough, Oak Woodland. Oaks need water as well, but are well adapted by having an extremely long tap root that eventually finds water … somewhere. ![]() Their habitat, Riparian Woodlands can be found on More Mesa near Atascadero Creek and its adjacent flood plains as well as canyons and ravines. All these trees need water, and we typically find the first three somewhere very near water. Trees Crave Lots of Water: We talked about four species of trees Willows, Cottonwoods, Sycamores and Oaks. With that background in mind, we can explore where all the treasures we talked about for the past 15 months make their homes within their special habitats. Thus, three important factors, physical features, vegetation and wildlife, create a unique habitat. Then each plant community, in its turn, determines the types of wildlife that will be present. Now comes a really big AHA … More Mesa is extraordinary in that it contains five different, distinct and unique habitat types … more than any other open space on the South Coast! It begins with a distinct vegetation community created by differences in topography, soil types, sun exposure and moisture. ESH is the designation for a special place where plant and animal life, or their habitats, are rare or extremely valuable because of their special role in an ecosystem one which could be easily disturbed or degraded … by us! So … what’s the big deal? The big deal is that 80% of More Mesa has been identified as Environmentally Sensitive Habitat or ESH. We reported on treasures that are native to our area, and even some that were imported here for various reasons and have since become difficult-to-control nightmares.Īll of these treasures make their homes in one or more of the habitats of More Mesa. We did this in fun looks at its trees, plants, birds, Insects, arachnids, reptiles, animals and even some man-made stuff. What were our Treasure Hunts about? Over the past months, we discovered many of the individual treasures of More Mesa. Indeed, the most wonderful treasure on the whole South Coast is More Mesa itself! How does one describe the entirety of the treasures of More Mesa … those few that I wrote about, and the hundreds of others that exist in this magical and remarkable place. As the end of the Lockdown approaches, I have been musing about how to “wrap up” our Treasure Hunts.
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