Whether one drives the Big Sur coastline, or stands at the foot of a giant coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) or in the shade of an ancient valley oak (Quercus lobata), it is clear that California’s Central Coast Bioregion embodies exceptional biological diversity and natural beauty. Extending from the southwest corner of San Joaquin County south to northern Ventura County, the bioregion is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the San Joaquin Valley, Carrizo Plains, and the interior Transverse Ranges. Across the bioregion’s 15,000 square miles (9% of California’s area), physical and biological processes, combined with time and human actions, have resulted in a broad range of ecosystems, each harboring distinct assemblages of plants and animals.
