The Park planning area supports
a wide variety of biological resources, including a number of sensitive
habitat types and several threatened
or endangered species. A total of 32 vegetation types, included within
nine vegetative communities, occurs within the planning area. These
vegetation communities include beach, scrub, chaparral, riparian,
southern oak woodlands and forests, marsh and emergent wetland,
coniferous forests,
grasslands, and non-native communities. Within these vegetative communities,
fifteen wildlife habitats have been identified. In total, 23 sensitive
plant species and 55 sensitive animal species are known to occur
in the planning area. Four endangered bird species occur or may
occur
in the coastal area around Del Mar (Belding's savannah sparrow, California
least tern, brown pelican, and the Western snowy plover). The Volcan
Mountain/Rutherford Ranch area,
located at the eastern end of the Park's Focused Planning
Area, is another center for diversity of sensitive species.
All of the Focused Planning Area is located with the boundaries of the City
of San Diego's Multiple Species Conservation Plan area.
Click here to learn more about the plants, animals and fungi of the San Dieguito River Park on our new Nature Notebook page.
