SFPUC 2001 Alameda Watershed Management Plan

III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND IMPACTSE. NATURAL RESOURCESfrom the adjacent Douglas-fir forest. Mammals, including striped skunk, use this habitat forprotection and feed on new plant shoots. Black-tailed deer are often in coastal scrub, foraging ondeerbrush in the winter and huckleberry in the spring. Small mammals occurring within coastalscrub include Audubon’s cottontail, Botta’s pocket gophers, and deer mice. Small mammalsattract predators such as gray fox and bobcat.Mixed chaparral often contains a dense, impenetrable overstory of pure stands of a singlespecies or a diverse mixture of several species, with abundant leaf litter that precludes growth ofany understory plants. Within the Watershed, steeply sloping hillsides and ridges with rockysoils that contain coastal scrub could support mixed chaparral. Chaparral habitat containsforaging and nesting habitat for species that are attracted to edges of the adjacent grassland oroak forest communities. These species include mountain quail, California quail, Californiathrasher, mourning dove, and rufous-sided towhee. Avian species that use the chaparral canopyfor catching insects include phainopepla, ash-throated flycatcher, and wrentit. Flowers ofmanzanita and Ceanothus species attract nectar feeders such as Anna’s hummingbird. If cliffsand water are located nearby, prairie falcons and sharp-shinned hawks will use chaparral forforaging grounds. Mammals use this habitat for protection and feed off new plant shoots. Thesespecies include brush rabbits, gophers, and deer mice. Small mammals attract predators such aslong-tailed weasel, gray fox, red fox, and bobcat. Western rattlesnakes and western fence lizardsinhabit the warm, dry chaparral community. Alameda whipsnakes tend to utilize south, southeastand southwest facing slopes of open stands of chaparral.Chamise chaparral is dominated by chamise and as a result does not contain the diversity ofwildlife food provided by coastal scrub. Wildlife species use chamise chaparral for cover andmovement. The canopy is too low (3 to 6 feet) and dense for use by nesting raptors. Predators,such as gray fox or bobcat, prey on small mammals along the edges of the habitat. This habitatprovides cover and foraging opportunities for reptiles. Alameda whipsnakes tend to utilizesouth, southeast and southwest facing slopes of open stands of chaparral.Annual grassland is an important habitat for wildlife that require an unobstructed line of sightfor hunting, communication, and territorial defense. Grassland habitat attracts seed eaters as wellas insect eaters. California quail, mourning dove, and meadowlarks are seed eaters that usegrasslands for nesting. Insect eaters such as scrub jays, barn swallows, and mockingbirds use thehabitat only for foraging. Mammals such as California vole, deer mouse, broad-footed mole, andblack-tailed jackrabbit forage and nest within the grassland. Mule deer use grassland for grazing,and for bedding and protection at night. Small rodents attract raptors (birds of prey) such as redtailedhawks and red-shouldered hawks. Southern alligator lizard and Pacific slender salamanderuse the grassland to feed on invertebrates found within and underneath fallen logs. Small,seasonal ponds that are dry in the summer are found in the grassland and are important habitatfor the California tiger salamander (because of their ephemeral nature, not all of these pondshave been mapped).The annual grassland around San Antonio Reservoir is known as San Antonio Grassland, adistinct wildlife habitat unit, but a subunit of annual grassland wildlife habitat for the purposes ofNOP 96.223E: Alameda Watershed Management Plan III.E-14 ESA / 930385January 2001