The Tehachapi Mountains
form the backbone of this connection because of their geographic
position between the Sierra Madre, Castaic, and Sierra Nevada
Ranges. This linkage is biogeographically unique because it is
situated at the juncture of several major ecoregions, creating a
remarkable montage of vegetation communities, ranging from
high-elevation forested montane habitats and wet meadows, to desert
scrub and juniper, to annual grasslands and oak savannahs, to
coastal riparian and scrub habitats. The vegetation is quite
distinct where ecoregions meet, with Joshua trees intermixed with
oak, juniper and pine in a transition zone on the Mojave side of the
Tehachapi Mountains.
This linkage provides a
relatively intact representation of several unique ecosystems with
functioning natural ecosystem processes. Numerous imperiled plant
and animal species are known from the vicinity including Bakersfield
cactus, arroyo toad, red-legged frog, blunt-nosed leopard lizard,
San Joaquin kit fox, and Tehachapi pocketmouse. American badger,
mountain lion, and mule deer are a few of the focal species selected
that require large, intact wildlands to survive. The results of our
analyses demonstrate the importance of maintaining habitat
connectivity at all elevations, from the foothills and grasslands of
the San Joaquin Valley, to the high-elevation hardwood and
coniferous forests, to the foothill transition into the Mojave
Desert along the base of the southern Tehachapis and northern Liebre
and Sawmill mountains.
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