Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NATIVE WILDLIFE VS ALIEN INVADERS
Although the staggering numbers of land and sea animals, boundless virgin forests and
wildflower fields that greeted California's early settlers are now mostly a thing of the past,
it's still possible to see wildlife thriving along the coast in the right places and at the right
times of year, from emerald hillsides blanketed by golden poppies to migratory gray
whales. However, some of coastal California's endemic species of flora and fauna are but
shadow populations today, hovering at the edge of survival, pushed up against the state's
ever-burgeoning human population.
Once a biodiverse 'island' protected by the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Nevada Moun-
tains, California has been overrun by alien species introduced by foreigners ever since the
first Spanish colonists arrived in the late 18th century, right up through the Gold Rush era
and post-WWII boom. Significantly altered and compromised habitats, both on land and
water, have made this coast an easy target for invasive plants and animals, including
highly aggressive species that damage both California's ecosystems and the economy.
In San Francisco Bay alone, one of the most important estuaries in the world, there are
now over 230 alien species choking the aquatic ecosystem and in some areas they
already comprise as much as 95% of the total biomass. Pushing out native flora all along
the coast, ice plant - a ropy green ground cover with purple-and-white flowers that
creeps over beach dunes and takes over headlands - originally came from South Africa.
Volunteers all along the coast are kept busy pulling out invasive plants and restoring nat-
ive flora.
During construction of California's 19th-century railways, fast-growing eucalyptus trees
were imported from Australia to make railroad ties, but the wood proved poor and split
when driven through with a stake. The trees now grow like weeds, fueling summertime
wildfires with their flammable, explosive seed capsules. Even California's snails come
from far away, brought here in the 1850s from France to produce escargot. Now they're
everywhere, along with Atlantic crabs, which destroy native oyster beds.
Out of necessity but also by choice, California has become a leader in wildlife and eco-
system conservation. The
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
(
ht-
tp://montereybay.noaa.gov
) harbors North America's deepest underwater canyon and
protects hundreds of species of fish and over 30 species of marine mammals, including
migratory whales. All along the coast, protecting and restoring native habitats, tagging
and monitoring endangered wildlife, and innovating captive-breeding-and-release pro-
grams are showing hopeful results.
