SR 05:301 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

inches to several feet. Because many of these grasses have deep roots, they can often stay green even during summer months without required irrigation. Valley Woodland (Figure 4-3) occurs in inland valleys with soil depth from 4 to 20 feet. Mature groves have canopy heights of 80 to 100 feet and a 60 to 80 percent canopy cover. Tree cover is a mix of evergreen and deciduous species, including valley oak, coast live oak, blue oak, interior live oak and gray pine. Companion under-story shrubs include manzanita, coffeeberry, currant, gooseberry and toyon. Small openings, or meadows, contain annual goldfield, California poppy, lupines, and other forbs with only a few grasses. This plant community is also referred to as a Foothill Woodland because most ofthe remaining viable habitats are found in the foothills of Northern and Central California. However, this habitat was equally prevalent in the inland valleys before farming and grazing activities generally replaced it. Valley Forest (Figure 4-4) includes the same plant species as Valley Woodland, but the density and proportion of trees is greater, with valley oak and gray pine canopies touching throughout the forest. Blue oaks, California buckeye and California bay laurel are also typically found in these dense forests. Under-story planting is composed of several layers, ranging from small to large shrubs, perennial and annual forbs, with a small amount of grasses and virtually no discernable meadows. Between 180 and 200 different varieties of plant materials have been identified in a typical Valley Forest habitat. Valley Foothill Riparian (Figure 4-5) habitats are associated with slow-flowing streams. Mature habitats have a tree canopy height of 100 feet with anywhere from 20 to 80 percent canopy cover. Most trees are deciduous. Dominant canopy species include cottonwood, valley oak and California sycamore. Sub-canopy trees are white alder, boxelder and Oregon ash. Typical understory shrubs include wild grape, wild rose, California blackberry, buttonbrush, and willows. Herbaceous layers consist of rushes, sedges, grasses, miner's lettuce, Douglas sagewort and hoary nettle. Oak Savanna (Figure 4-6) includes mostly oak trees that are widely spaced and have virtually no under-story, with very few shrubs and grasses. Occasionally, a thicket, or small grove of oak trees are found. The ground plane is covered with various forbs and some native grasses. The Phase II Plan Area open space is to be organized using various percentages of these five primary habitats. The Eastern Area is to have two distinct habitats: 1) riparian at the pre- treatment marsh; and 2) Oak Savanna at the Knoll. The Western Area is to include the most diverse set of habitats, given a wider range of micro climates influenced by the narrow,linear open spaces, the presence of the existing Valley Foothill Riparian habitat along the Arroyo de la Laguna. The Central Area is to have a grand open space scale created by long vistas of Oak Savanna and Valley Grassland, framed by Valley Woodland and Valley Forest and Foothill Riparian communities. Open space is generally to be designed in the form of woods and meadows. The origin of this form emerges from the planting of trees in the proportion of seventy percent woodlands to thirty percent meadows. Tree planting in the location and groups of plant communities illustrated on Administrative Draft, Bernal Property Phase II Specific Plan, October 25, 2005 Page 25