What animals live in the coastal sage scrub?

Bobcats, lizards, ravens, rattlesnakes, turkey vultures, roadrunners, ground squirrels, and the threatened California gnatcatcher are among the many mammals, birds, and reptiles that inhabit this natural community. The coastal sage scrub is part of our historical heritage as well.

What is so unique about coastal sage scrub?

Coastal sage scrub is an entire ecosystem that not only includes a wide variety of plants, but also insects, mammals, and birds many of which are very rare. Because so much coastal sage scrub is in high value coastal areas, the land is prized for its development potential.

Why is coastal sage scrub important?

The Coastal sage scrub community hosts a great diversity of organisms. It provides habitat for more than 150 different butterfly species (many being endangered), 21 species of scorpions, many spiders, reptiles, birds and mammals. Coastal sage scrub attracts the largest diversity of endemic bees in North America.

What are the major characteristics of the coastal sage scrub community?

Characteristics. Coastal sage scrub is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the coastal lowlands.

What are the dominant shrub species in coastal sage scrub?

The dominant shrub species in this habitat community are: sweet scented California sage, a low shrub with gray-green, feathery leaves, Flat-topped buckwheat, a shrub with short dark green, needlelike leaves, Black sage, a shrub with a strong odor, bright green leaves and lavender flowers, the descriptively named Saw- …

Why are so many plants in the coastal sage scrub fragrant?

Shrubs reach an average height of two meters and are often aromatic due to secondary leaf compounds that reduce herbivory. These shallow-rooted species are capable of capturing water from light rain and fog events and some species respond to summer drought by losing their leaves (drought deciduous).

Is coastal sage scrub endangered?

The coastal sage scrub is an endangered ecosystem that contains a number of endangered species. The California gnatcatcher is currently being used as an umbrella species to protect the endemic flora and fauna of this region from urban development.

What plants are in coastal sage scrub?

Plant species that characterize coastal sage scrub communities include the pleasantly aromatic California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), bright yellow bush sunflower (Encelia californica), lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia), goldenbush (Isocoma menziesii), coastal prickly pear cactus (Opuntia littoralisandO.

What eats a sagebrush?

Some livestock and wildlife animals that eat this plant are: cattle, domestic sheep, horses, pronghorn, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, small mammals, small non-game birds, upland game birds, and waterfowl. Sagebrush is on no endangered species list, but doesn’t grow in as many areas it used to.

What animal eats Sage?

Other animals eat the stems, roots, or leaves of the plant. These animals include deer, antelope, elk, mountain sheep, and rabbits. Some pests that can damage a white sage plant include mildew, stem rot, leaf spots, whiteflies, aphids, and spider mites.

What animal eats sage grass?

But, there are some—like the sage grouse, pronghorn, mule deer, elk and pygmy rabbit that have evolved to eat the leaves without the toxin bothering them.

Will sheep eat sage grass?

Supplemental nutrients can improve the effectiveness of fall grazing because sheep and goats supplemented with energy and protein eat nearly twice as much sagebrush as unsupplemented animals. The energy and protein supplements provide enable sheep to better detoxify the toxins found in sagebrush.

Can sheep live on grass alone?

Sheep are perfectly”designed” to not only live on grass alone, but thrive on it! They can carry multiple lambs, make milk to nurse their young and really put on their weight with access to high quality forage.

Can sheep live on hay alone?

Sheep can live on grass alone, since they are ruminants. Sheep can live their entire lives doing just fine on grass and other forages like hay. Don’t be too literal here and leave out water and minerals!

Can sheep eat apples?

Where I lived in E anglia there were several crab apples in the hedges which would drop apples right through winter into spring and the sheep never had any problems, but then they’d hoover the apples up more or less as they fell so it was little and often, so I’d say as long as you’re throwing them over daily and not …

Can sheep eat potatoes?

Potatoes are an excellent energy source for ruminant livestock (cattle and sheep) but the presence of anti-nutritional factors, as well as the difficulty in digesting potato starch make raw potatoes low in feed value for pigs.

Can sheep eat windfall apples?

My ewe ate a lot of windfall apples and became very ill, so now I always pick up windfalls and throw only a few of them to my sheep each day. Most importantly, make sure that your sheep don’t choke on apples. The easiest solution here is to cut or crush apples. If you can, don’t let your sheep eat too many ripe apples.

What is poisonous to lambs?

Many other plants can kill sheep, including acorns, yew, St John’s wort, ngaio, oleander, rhododendron, laburnum, delphinium, Iceland poppy, cestrum, foxglove, goat’s rue, ragwort, and blue lupin. Sheep can also be poisoned if pasture is contaminated with superphosphate fertiliser.

What foods are toxic to sheep?

Some plants are toxic to sheep either because they contain harmful toxins or because they contain too much of a certain nutrient for your sheep to digest effectively….5. Certain Plants

• Avocado.
• Bracken ferns.
• Broccoli.
• Turnips.
• Cabbage.
• Buttercup.
• Azaleas.
• Cassava.