Habitats
Understanding the role that habitats, wildlife, water and agriculture play in relation to one another within the Tulare Basin enables federal, state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, and private landowners to make informed decisions when planning or implementing projects.
Learn more about the many plant communities that define Tulare Basin wildlife habitats:
HERBACEOUS PLANT COMMUNITIES: Herbaceous plants, such as grasses and wildflowers, do not produce woody tissue, are green and leaf-like in appearance or texture, and generally die back at the end of each growing season. Fourteen of the 39 habitats found in the Tulare Basin are dominated by herbaceous plants.
SHRUB COMMUNITIES: Shrub are short woody plants with two or more stems growing from the base. Thirteen of the 29 habitats found in the Tulare Basin are dominated by shrubs.
TREE COMMUNITIES:Trees are tall, woody plants growing from one stem or trunk. Ten of the 39 habitats found in the Tulare Basin are dominated by trees.
VERNAL POOL COMMUNITIES: Vernal pools are seasonal bodies of standing water that typically form during winter and spring rain and then dry out completely in the hot summer months. They provide important nesting and foraging areas for a variety of water birds and breeding habitat for many terrestrial or semi-aquatic animals such as frogs, salamanders, and turtles. Today, less than five percent of the historic vernal pool habitat remains in the Tulare Basin.
(Note: Of the 39 habitat descriptions provided in this website, 34 follow "A Manual of California Vegetation," by J.O. Sawyer and T. Keeler-Wolf, 1995, which defines habitats based on the plant associations found in a series or particular plant community. The descriptions of alkali meadow and wildflower field follow the "Preliminary Descriptions of the Terrestrial Natural Communities of California, Non-game Heritage Program," by R.F. Holland, 1986. The description for California rose riparian scrub and silver bush lupine scrub follow the California Natural Diversity Database. The habitat description for quailbush scrub follows the List of California Terrestrial Natural Communities described by the California Department of Fish and Game's wildlife habitat data analysis branch, September 2003. Thirty six of the 39 habitats occur naturally in the Tulare Basin; three, the giant reed, tamarisk series, and eucalyptus naturalized forest, are non-native habitats.)
Learn more about the many plant communities that define Tulare Basin wildlife habitats:
HERBACEOUS PLANT COMMUNITIES: Herbaceous plants, such as grasses and wildflowers, do not produce woody tissue, are green and leaf-like in appearance or texture, and generally die back at the end of each growing season. Fourteen of the 39 habitats found in the Tulare Basin are dominated by herbaceous plants.
SHRUB COMMUNITIES: Shrub are short woody plants with two or more stems growing from the base. Thirteen of the 29 habitats found in the Tulare Basin are dominated by shrubs.
TREE COMMUNITIES:Trees are tall, woody plants growing from one stem or trunk. Ten of the 39 habitats found in the Tulare Basin are dominated by trees.
VERNAL POOL COMMUNITIES: Vernal pools are seasonal bodies of standing water that typically form during winter and spring rain and then dry out completely in the hot summer months. They provide important nesting and foraging areas for a variety of water birds and breeding habitat for many terrestrial or semi-aquatic animals such as frogs, salamanders, and turtles. Today, less than five percent of the historic vernal pool habitat remains in the Tulare Basin.
(Note: Of the 39 habitat descriptions provided in this website, 34 follow "A Manual of California Vegetation," by J.O. Sawyer and T. Keeler-Wolf, 1995, which defines habitats based on the plant associations found in a series or particular plant community. The descriptions of alkali meadow and wildflower field follow the "Preliminary Descriptions of the Terrestrial Natural Communities of California, Non-game Heritage Program," by R.F. Holland, 1986. The description for California rose riparian scrub and silver bush lupine scrub follow the California Natural Diversity Database. The habitat description for quailbush scrub follows the List of California Terrestrial Natural Communities described by the California Department of Fish and Game's wildlife habitat data analysis branch, September 2003. Thirty six of the 39 habitats occur naturally in the Tulare Basin; three, the giant reed, tamarisk series, and eucalyptus naturalized forest, are non-native habitats.)