California montane chaparral and woodlands

California montane chaparral and woodlands
California montane chaparral and woodlands in the Transverse Ranges.
Ecology
Biome	Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
Bird species	222
Mammal species	78
Geography
Area	20,400 km2 (7,900 sq mi)
Country	United States
State	California
Conservation
Habitat loss	2.7345%
Protected	63.53%

The California montane chaparral and woodlands is an ecoregion defined by the World Wildlife Fund, spanning 7,900 square miles (20,000 km²) of mountains in the Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Coast Ranges of southern and central California. The ecoregion is part of the larger California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, and belongs to the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.

The ecoregion spreads from low foothills up to the highest peaks of the following ranges: San Bernardino Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains, Santa Monica Mountains, Topatopa Mountains, Tehachapi Mountains, San Rafael Mountains, Santa Ynez Mountains, and the long Santa Lucia Mountains. The region's Mediterranean climate is hot and dry in the summer and cool and wet in the winter.

The wide elevation range and characteristic climate produce a variety of natural communities, from chaparral to mixed evergreen forest to alpine tundra.