Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
canyons, sun-drenched grasslands, and chaparral. Here, moisture-dependent red-
woods may tower alongside drought-tolerant yuccas.
The story begins 5 million years ago, when the Santa Lucia Range was more of a
low, rolling plain blessed with a moderate climate. Winters were warmer and summers
wetter than today's more Mediterranean climate. The climate was likely too damp
for chaparral species and too warm for redwoods and their shade-loving companions.
Given the relatively uniform landscape and climate, botanists suggest the area sup-
ported fewer species than today's diverse topography permits.
Squeezed by tectonic plates and compressed by massive faults, the region rose
and folded in on itself, creating the Santa Lucias' jagged peaks, steep ridges, and deep
gorges. This topographic shift occurred in concert with climatic changes from the
most recent Ice Age some 2.5 million years ago. These profound changes disrupted
the uniform vegetation, paving the way for a major plant invasion.
The cool, damp climate allowed redwoods to take root in narrow, deep canyons
along the coast. Fog encroached inland in dry months, supplying much-needed mois-
ture to northern species. Thunderstorms became commonplace, as moist air rose ab-
ruptly to form thick cumulonimbus clouds, or thunderheads. These clouds arrived in
summer, when temperatures were at a maximum and moisture at a minimum. Light-
ning sparked regular wildfires, and fire-adapted plant species thrived.
Drought-tolerant species also had an advantage. As the range continued to rise,
coastal lands received the lion's share of precipitation, depriving eastern slopes of
moisture. The steep topography also meant accelerated erosion, preventing mature
soils from developing. The resulting shallow, primitive soils held considerably less
ground water. But the hardy vegetation that populated these slopes shrugged at the ar-
id conditions.
