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,~ ~,. ...r v .~ 5. Use local, natural plant communities as models A plant community is a relatively distinct pattern of vegetation that is found in different regions of the Bay Area. Six of these local plant communities are briefly described in next section of these guidelines. It is important to also consider that species of plants within these communities overlap and that they change over time. ^ Learn about local plant communities. ^ Train yourself and your staff to recognize local plant communities and to evaluate the conditions under which the plants are succeeding. ^ Use these communities to guide your choice in plant selection. ^ Plant seeds of annuals to fill in with color and greenery while slower growing perennials get established. Using the local, natural plant communities as a model allows you to work with nature to create spectacular landscapes that can help replace what's so often been degraded or lost. r i Francisco BaY Area Natural Plant Communities Many local native species are excellent landscape plants. You can imitate natural processes by using the plant community concept to organize plantings. Blending the science of ecology with the practice of horticulture, you can create landscape projects that assume some of the beautiful natural qualities of our area. If you choose plants in response to the site conditions, the new planting will probably become established easily There will be no need for the special ~, fertilizing, pest control, and heavy irrigation that have been so common in the past. The plants grow easily because they're adapted to this place -they've lived here for thousands of years! If you visit our Bay Area wildlands, you will notice that a particular species might be abundant in a given area, only occasionally present in an adjacent space, and completely absent elsewhere.You may also recognize, as you move from south facing to north facing slopes or from exposed ridges to wooded canyons that certain groups of plants tend to grow together. This is because native plants have adapted over many generations to specific environmental conditions Ecologists classify these groups of plants with terms like "biotic province;' "vegetation type; "'plant community," "plant association;' and "series:' The natural distribution of plants is very complex, with much overlapping of species, and experts disagree about the fne points of grouping and nomenclature. Here we use the term "plant community" to describe a group of plants that recurs with relative consistency, often dominated by a single species.The Bay Area consists of many different places, from the cool, moist saltwater marshes close to the water to the hot and dry eastern ridges and slopes. These places support a series of distinctive plant communities Saltwater Marsh, Freshwater Marsh, Riparian Woodland, Coastal Strand, Coastal Prairie, Northern Coastal Scrub, Chaparral,Valley and Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland, and Redwood Forest, to name a few. Following is a short list of representative species and a brief description of the most common plant communities of the Bay Area. ~r -- _ - --x _a ~-'~~, _ ~ R`_'1~ ,. , A~.~ i ~ : ;,~ l ~ ~ ~ `` r ~ ~ ~~ ~if ~ 4 ' ' ~ ~~ J ~ \_ r ' J.~`~/~' " ! _'^~` ~a~ . rte ! y ~ ~.z A,e ~F 1 /" ~ • _ - ~, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~: ~.~~ ~ 1 r~~ iti' . ~,~ a, j r ~: ~h ~.~ .~ f ~~~ - ~ ..,,1 .. ~,: `0 r~~ ~ :x W 0 5 O 16