EEI-7-12-Nat.Syst.

qrk 5/7/09 2:22 PM Page 1

California UNITED
STATES
Biological
Education and the Environment Initiative Diversity
Copyright © 2009 National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.

Climatic Zones Biological Diversity Hot Spots

42°
O R E G O N BSk

3
Dsb

8 2 13 6 Csb
BSk
Csbn Amphibians

CA
Rarity-Weighted Richness Index Birds (Summer)
(RWRI) Rarity-Weighted Richness Index
12 Csa High High
12 Medium Medium

SC
3 Low Low
0 50 MILES 0 50 MILES
13
7
MODOC
5

K L A M AT H AD
Dsc
5 Csb

E P L AT E A U
Dsb

MOUNTAINS
Csb
41° Csa H

6 Csbn
BSk

6
RAN
12
13
3 Climatic Zones
Csb BSk

(Based on Modified Csa BWh

8 Köppen System) BSh BWk
BWk
10 BSh Semi-arid, steppe (hot)
BWh
BSk Semi arid, steppe BWk
2 11
GE

BSkn Semi-arid, steppe w/summer fog

Csb BSk
BWh Arid low-latitude desert (hot)
9 BWk Arid mid-latitude desert Csa Csb
Csa Mediterranean/hot summer
6 BSh BWh
3 13
Csb Mediterranean/cool summer Csbn BSk BSk
Csbn Mediterranean/summer fog Freshwater Fish Invertebrates
Cool continental/dry summer BSkn Rarity-Weighted Richness Index Rarity-Weighted Richness Index
10 Dsb
Csa High High
Dsc Cold winter/dry summer
18 H Highland/Timberline
BSkn Medium Medium
BSk Low Low
2 10 Csb
40° 5 11 0 50 MILES 0 50 MILES
C O

5
This series of maps uses a, "Rarity-Weighted
3 Richness Index," or RWRI, to depict the distribution
14 of rare plants and animals by combining two meas-
S I

11 ures that determine the importance of their location.

Areas that contain a large number of different rare
G R

species, or that contain species that only occur in

A S

one or a few areas, have a high RWRI. Areas with

9 fewer rare species, or rare species that also occur
8 7 5 in other areas, have a low index.
3
Areas may have few rare species for a variety of
E

reasons, including the amount of human develop-

E A

ment. For example, much of the Central Valley has

39°N been converted to agriculture and no longer sup-
ports a high number of rare species. On the other
T

hand, even though much of the San Francisco Bay

10 10 Area has been converted to human uses, this region
2 supports a very high number of species that only Mammals
Rarity-Weighted Richness Index
Plants
Rarity-Weighted Richness Index
occur there, and now are limited to small fragments High High
T

of remaining habitat.
R

Medium Medium
Low Low
9 14 The RWRI helps identify areas that are important 0 50 MILES 0 50 MILES

8 3 10 to the conservation of rare plants and animals.

4 Identifying rarity hotspots in California is particularly
A

important because the state is home to about one

11 4
C E

third of the species found in the continental United

9 7 States.
9

13 N
E
38° 6 5
N

9
N

Natural Vegetation 16
V
A
Alpine 9
E

10
T R
San

1 Alpine Meadow 1 13
9 Richness in California and Percent of

D
Total Number Total Number in United States Total
14 the United States
F

in California the United States in California

ran

Subalpine Vascular Plant Taxa 6,272 —— ——

cis

(species, subspecies, and varieties)

A
P A

2 California Mixed Evergreen 4 Vascular Plant Species 5,047 15,890 32%

co

Amphibian Species 51 231 22%

Ba

15 7 9
3
y

Cedar, Hemlock, Douglas-Fir, Spruce 4 11

Reptile Species 84 283 30%

Reptiles
A

Bird Species (Regularly-occurring) 433 768 56%

Rarity-Weighted Richness Index
A

4 Lodgepole Pine Mammal Species 197 416 47% High

10 10 Freshwater Fish Species 67 799 8% Medium

5 Mixed Conifer 5 14 Low

L

8 0 50 MILES

6 1
D

Ponderosa Pine
C

37° 9
14 17
7 Red Fir 6
R

11
North Coastal Forests
A
V
I

8 Redwood Monterey 9 14
Bay
A

Mediterranean Scrubland 6
A
F

16 2
9 Chaparral 18
1
L
N

Oak Woodland 4
I

10 Oak 10
14 10 ATLAS OF THE BIODIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, PUBLISHED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE
RESOURCES AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME, 2003.
L

Great Basin 9 7
G
C

11 Juniper, Pinyon
E

11
12 Juniper Steppe 5 11 KU

36° CH
LE
E

R
PO
13 Sagebrush 17
Y

TE
NTI
AL
NA
TU
Central Valley Grassland 10 16 11 18
RA
O

L
VE
S

G
ET
14 Annual 10
AT
IO
N
(P
NV
)D
15 Mountain 18 ER
IV
ED
C

9 9 FR
O
M
16 Wet U.
S.
18 DE
PA
RT
M
Mojave Desert and High Desert 14 EN
T
E

O
F
AG
17 Desert Shrub RI
CU
LT
URE

Colorado Desert and Low Desert 10 17 ,F

O
RE
A

ST
SE
18 Desert Shrub, Sparse Vegetation 11 RV
ICE
DA
17 TA
35° Water 18
.

M O J A V E
N

Lakes, Rivers, Streams 9

17 18
A
5 18
10
11
R I

Ocean Habitats of Monterey Bay 5

TRAN D E S E R T
Intertidal Zone to Sandy Bottom
SVER
SE
0 TO 328 FEET
18
RANG
Built to endure the assault of waves and to
Z O N A

Tubidity Flow and Current: feed on food brought in by the tide, a multitude
Caused by earthquakes and of intvertebrates cling to the rocky shores.
Hunting at sea, marine mammals such as 17 18
ES
storm waves, currents of sediment,
sand, and gravel become a major harbor seals and birds such as cormorants,
erosive force. sleep on land. Beyond kelp forests teeming
with life, plumy sea pens and other bottom 9
dwellers populate the sandy mud plains that DIATOMS
Rockfall: lead to the canyon.
A common landslide in the upper
5 11
reaches of the canyon, where
granite and shale prevail. 10
Surface Waters
Slump: 0 TO 328 FEET
34° A slow-moving landslide that leaves
angular contours without triggering
Anchors of the food chain, microscopic algae
called diatoms bloom in these sunny waters VAE

E
turbidity currents. fed by an upwelling of nutrients from the LAR
canyon. They are eaten by zooplankton, LTS
P

ADU

N
Freshwater Sapping: such as krill, which in turn feed the world's
Water flowing from an aquifer into largest animal, the blue whale. Many open- 9
NTS

the canyon loosens rock, causing ocean creatures spend the day in deeper
14
IN
landslides. Saltwater can also seep water and rise at night to eat. Seasonally,
RIE

into the aquifer with increased anchovies and squid atrract salmon and
MATT IC
NUT

ER
N

water use. migrating birds such as the sooty shearwater.

5
OR TTE

ORGA
MA
NU

GA R

Animals not drawn to scale

SU
TR

NIC
D
DAAY RRAATT
M
MIIG

IENT
Y--N

S O N O R A N 17
G
AD

NIIG

9
EEG

C H A N N E L
GH
UL
GG

HTT
LLAA

IIO
GSS VVAAEE

TS

ON

M o n t e re y
R

N
R EGGS AND LARVAE

LA
AAN

Bay
NDD

Soquel
-1640 E
Canyon
ADULTS

R
Point Pinos

-656
E
9 DESERT
R
-4921 E

A
Carmel 10
17 18
N
Canyon
EY
PR I S L A N DS
G
33° -6562 E TE
R Mid-water
328 - 11,483 FEET 17 18
AT

ES COLORADO
M Weak sunlight fades to blackness in this
realm. Like the lantern fish and wide-
I C mouthed hatchetfish, 90 percent of the
Monterey Canyon OR
GAN animals are bioluminescent. Many are
transparent for camouflage. Gelatinous N
DESERT
siphonophores and larvaceans act as a
floating substrate for smaller animals.
Much of the Bay's sinking organic matter
is consumed here.

Canyon Walls
and Bottom 9 U.S.
MEXICO
984 - 11,811 FEET W E
Relatives of rock dwellers common in the
shallows, sea stars, sponges, corals, sea
anemones, and tunicates populate
canyon walls. Often destroyed by turbidity
currents or rockfalls, these communities
recolonize on new rock faces. Eggs and
tiny larvae—like those of creatures near the S
shore and in mid-water—drift to surface
waters, where food is abundant. 0 25 50
-8858 E Soundings in Feet Printed on Recycled Paper
MILES
MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM RESEARCH INSTITUTE; USGS; SPACE IMAGING; HOPKINS MARINE STATION. HABITAT ARTWORK BY WILLIAM H. BOND.

123° 122° 121° 120° Longitude West 119° of Greenwich 118° 117° 116° 115°