DISTRIBUTION AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF COASTAL SAGE SCRUB IN SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA

A landscape-based characterization of vegetation has been developed fo r southwestern California using satellite imagery, air photos, existin g vegetation maps, and field data. Distribution maps of nine dominant coastal scrub species and 13 species assemblages that were identified by divisive information analysis have been analyzed to quantify spatia l patterns of species co-occurrence. Three general distribution patter ns are identified that suggest the Diegan, Venturan and Riversidian As sociations identified by other workers. Vegetation data have also been related to land ownership and management to assess the conservation s tatus of upland plant communities. A large proportion of the mapped di stribution of species and vegetation types is on private land, and sev eral taxa show less than 4% of mapped distribution in nature reserves. The analysis highlights the need to extend current conservation plann ing efforts into the northern part of the region to encompass areas wh ere Salvia leucophylla is a frequent community dominant.