A dense, tall (to 20 feet) chaparral dominated by Quercus wislizenii and Quercus berberidifolia with several other sclerophylls also in the canopy. Interior live oak stump sprouts readily following fire. Persistent leaf litter and dense canopies preclude much understory.
SITE FACTORS:
This is a fairly mesic chaparral of valleys and foothills away from the immediate coast, especially in Lower Montane Coniferous Forests (84000) where it frequently is a fire-climax. Often interdigitates with Blue Oak Woodland or Chamise Chaparral on adjacent south-facing slopes or on sites with shallower soils or poorer drainage. Recovers rapidly after fire.
DISTRIBUTION:
Extensive in the Sierran foothills from Shasta to Kern counties, and North Coast Ranges south to Lake and Mendocino counties. Discontinuous south through the Central Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular ranges to northern Baja California. Intergrades at lower elevations with other more xeric chaparrals; at higher elevations with Interior Live Oak (81330) or Canyon Live Oak Forest (81320).
Source: Holland, 1986
Digital Text: NatureBase