California Mediterranean Research Learning Center

Research Categories:
Biological Cultural Fire Ecology	Paleontology Physical Science	Restoration Ecology Social Science

Mountain lion (Puma concolor) examination

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Facts:

• Approximately 153,000 acres make Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area the world's largest urban national park

• The recreation area is surrounded by a megalopolis of 17 million people - the Los Angeles metropolitan area

• More than 33 million visitors enjoy the beaches and mountains in the recreation area each year

• An extraordinary density of nearly 1,000 archeological sites exist within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

• Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is home to 25 rare, threatened, or endangered species of plants and animals

Please contact the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area for more information at (805) 370-2300, or visit their website at www.nps.gov/samo.

Biological Resources

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area protects one of the largest examples of a Mediterranean-type ecosystem anywhere. Consistent with other Mediterranean ecosystems, the mountains are tremendously diverse and include:

• More than 850 native vascular plant species

• Many distinct vegetation communities

• More than 450 vertebrate species

• Countless invertebrates and nonvascular plants

• Rare, sensitive, and unique species

These biological resources exist adjacent to one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, the City of Los Angeles.

Current Research
Scientific studies at the park focus on connecting biological research to park management needs, particularly with respect to urban encroachment, habitat fragmentation and disturbance, and the spread of exotic species. Current efforts include:

• Habitat fragmentation effects on reptiles and mammalian carnivores

• Urban encroachment impact on raptors

• Analysis of habitat connectivity requirements for bobcats and mountain lions

• Ecological requirements of rare plants, mosses, and lichens

• Identification and evaluation of invasive plant species, their mode of establishment, rate of spread, and ecological impact

• Assessment of urban impact on stream hydrology, exotic species spread, and native amphibian populations

An extensive ongoing research program in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, coupled with an expanding biological inventory and monitoring program, provides researchers with valuable baseline data and many opportunities to pursue novel and necessary studies beneficial to the park. The National Park Service will soon complete a highly detailed vegetation map that will include extensive vegetation sampling data to provide additional baseline information for scientists.

Research Opportunities
The National Park Service is especially interested in biological research that helps identify, understand, and protect natural resources. Studies of particular interest include:

• Continued work on habitat fragmentation, invasive exotic species, and urbanization influences on ecosystem processes and components

• Work with bird species, nonvascular plants, and invertebrates

• Baseline inventories and natural history investigations of under-studied groups such as bats, insects, macro-invertebrates, and rare and endangered species

• Broad-scale studies that link landscape level changes to biodiversity patterns, including the use of remotely sensed data