Salt-Marsh Vegetation
of
Upper Newport Bay, California
Richard J. Vogl Department of Botany
California State University at Los Angeles
Reprinted From
Ecology, Volume 47, Number 1, Page 80-87
INTRODUCTION
Southern California salt marshes were formd under Mediterranean climatic conditions, possess tropical floristic elements, and have local floras not duplicated in other coastal regions (Chapman 1960). North American Pacific Coast marshes are few, and the literature concerning their vegetation is not extensive. In southern California th most detailed report is that of Purer (1942), who described th flora of San Diego County marshes. Dawson (1962) studied marsh productivity farther south in Baja California.
California salt marshes are concentrated around San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego where population expansion has resulted in the rapid destruction (Darby 1964) or pollution (Barnard 1962) of these important biological areas. One of the present threats to California marshes is the plan to establish a series of boat harbors from the Mexican Border to San Francisco (Murphy 1964). The most economic places to construct these marinas are in the easily reclaimd and uninhabitd tidelands, inlets, estuaries, and river outlets which support salt-marsh vegetation. Multi-million dollar marinas have been completed in many marshes (Purer 1942, Hinde 1954) and others are under construction.
Analyis Nearly 40 Years Later
by
Robert Roy van de Hoek
Vertebrate Field Biologist, Botanist, Wetland Scientist, Geographer
Director of Research & Restoration Wetlands Action Network
2003
