THE ORIGIN OF COASTAL SAGE VEGETATION,ALTA AND BAJA CALIFORNIA

Coastal sage is a new pioneer-type vegetation that only spread widely after the Early Quaternary, when species on the dry open borders of forest, woodland and arid tropic scrub vegetation shifted into expanding dry sites there and in adjacent grasslands. These new sites were created by a coincidence of major climatic and tectonic events and by accompanying erosion and mass movement on steep new slopes. Attaining most of its present area during the hot, dry Xerothermic, coastal sage scrub spread further as man's activities disturbed the landscape.