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The Transverse Ranges are another major Southern California mountain system primarily in the Mediterranean climate zone. Large earthquakes can do considerable damage to populated areas, and to the state's water, transportation, and energy infrastructure. The Central Valley of California is a significant feature of Mediterranean climate ...
The climate of California varies widely from hot desert to alpine tundra, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the Pacific Coast. California 's coastal regions, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and much of the Central Valley have a Mediterranean climate , with warmer, drier weather in summer and cooler, wetter weather in winter.
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of southwestern Oregon, northern, central, and southern California (United States) and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America. It is an ecoregion of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, and part of the Nearctic realm.
The Sierra Nevada are home to half of the vascular plant species of California, with 400 species that are endemic to the region. [16] Like many mountain ranges, the plant communities of the Sierra group into biotic zones by altitude, because of the increasingly harsh climate as elevation increases. [19]
The notable raptor is the California condor, a critically endangered species. As in many California mountains, larger fauna includes: mule deer, mountain lion, coyote, fox, black bear, feral pig, bobcat and raccoon. The Tehachapi Mountains are also the only known breeding site prior to 1860 of the jaguar in the United States. The big cats were ...
The biome is not limited to the Mediterranean climate zone. It can also be present in other climate zones (which typically border the Mediterranean climate zone), such as the drier regions of the oceanic and humid subtropical climates, and as well as the lusher areas of the semi-arid climate zone.
The climate and ecology of different locations on the globe naturally separate into life zones, depending on elevation, latitude, and location. The generally strong dependency on elevation is known as altitudinal zonation : the average temperature of a location decreases as the elevation increases.
Map of California topography and geomorphic provinces California's major mountain ranges. California is a U.S. state on the western coast of North America. Covering an area of 163,696 sq mi (423,970 km 2), California is among the most geographically diverse states.