California's changing landscape
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September 28, 2024
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Oh, the beautiful, golden hills of California! Poetry has been written about them.
This grassland landscape that we see today did not exist 200 years ago. With the arrival of Spanish settlers, fires were suppressed, livestock was introduced, and aggressive, non-native annual grasses were planted.
The landscape changed from perennial, native grasses like purple needle grass and Nasella pulchra to annual grasses like wild oats and Avena fatua. The perennial grasses have deep roots and continue to grow year-round. The annual grasses outcompete the native grasses, growing quickly in one season and then dying. Hence, our golden brown hills.
In fact, 99% of the native grasses in California are gone. Some scientists believe that by restoring native grasses, we can increase the diversity of other plants and also of animals. Perennial grasses also produce more biomass, which is used by wildlife and livestock.
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Katie Martin