Natural Communities
A natural community is a collection of plants and animals that exists in the same habitat or area and interact with one another. Natural communities include land cover types, which are the habitat types found on the land or ground. There are many land cover types, including both natural land cover types and land that has been affected by agriculture or development.
The Habitat Plan, by providing a coordinated conservation approach, seeks to protect, enhance, and restore natural communities throughout the Santa Clara region. To support these efforts, fees and conditions are placed on covered activities that may impact specific land cover types.
In the Habitat Plan area, seven natural communities and two additional land cover categories (agriculture and developed) are defined. These are listed below, along with their constituent land cover types.
Natural Community | Land Cover Type |
---|---|
Grassland | California annual grassland Non-serpentine native grassland (not mapped) Serpentine bunchgrass grassland Serpentine rock outcrop Serpentine seep Rock outcrop |
Chaparral and Northern Coastal Scrub |
Northern mixed chaparral/chamise chaparral Mixed serpentine chaparral Northern coastal scrub/Diablan sage scrub Coyote brush scrub |
Oak Woodland | Valley oak woodland Mixed oak woodland and forest Blue oak woodland Coast live oak forest and woodland Foothill pine - oak woodland Mixed evergreen forest |
Riparian Forest and Scrub | Willow riparian forest and scrub Central California sycamore alluvial woodland Mixed riparian forest and woodland Riverine (also called streams) |
Conifer Woodland | Redwood forest Ponderosa pine woodland Knobcone pine woodland |
Wetland | Coastal and valley freshwater marsh |
Open Water (Aquatic) | Pond Reservoir |
Agriculture | Orchard Vineyard Agriculture developed Grain, row-crop, hay and pasture, disked/short-term fallowed |
Developed | Urban-Suburban Rural residential (<1 unit per 2.5 acres) Golf courses/Urban parks Landfill Ornamental woodland Barren |