Wildlife habitat

RICHARD MCCABE, area biologist, Soil Conservation Service, helped prepare this section.

Santa Cruz County provides habitat for openland, woodland, wetland, and rangeland wildlife. The kinds of wildlife in the county include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Warm-water fish such as bluegill, redear, black bass crappie, and catfish live in the lakes and ponds. Steelhead, salmon, and striped bass spawn in the rivers and larger streams flowing into Monterey Bay. In the streams are rainbow trout, suckers, and other fish and crustaceans. The main fish caught at the beaches are surf perch, tom cod, striped bass, and sculpin. The beaches are also a source of shellfish and crabs.

Soils directly affect the kind and amount of vegetation that is available to wildlife as food and cover, and they affect the construction of water impoundments. The kind and abundance of wildlife that populate an area depend largely on the amount and distribution of food, cover, and water. If any one of these elements is missing, is in adequate, or is inaccessible, wildlife either is scarce or does not inhabit the area.

If the soils have the potential, wildlife habitat can be created or improved by planting appropriate vegetation, by maintaining the existing plant cover, or by helping the natural establishment of desirable plants.

The elements of wildlife habitat are briefly described in the following paragraphs.

Grain and seed crops are seed-producing annuals used by wildlife. The major soil properties that affect the growth of grain and seed crops are depth of the root zone, texture of the surface layer, available water capacity, wetness, slope, surface stoniness, and Rood hazard. Soil temperature and soil moisture are also considerations.

Grasses and legumes are domestic perennial grasses and herbaceous legumes that are planted for wildlife food and cover. Examples are tall fescue, orchardpass, clover, and alfalfa. Major soil properties that affect the growth of passes and legumes are depth of the root zone, texture of the surface layer, available water capacity, wet ness, surface stoniness, flood hazard, and slope. Soil temperature and soil moisture are also considerations.

Wild herbaceous plants are native or naturally established grasses and forbs, including weeds, that pro vide food and cover for wildlife. Examples are mustards, turkey mullien, sheepsfoot sorrel, filaree, and prickly lettuce. Major soil properties that affect the growth of these plants are depth of the root zone, texture of the surface layer, available water capacity, wetness, surface stoniness, and flood hazard. Soil temperature and soil moisture are also considerations.

Hardwood trees and the associated woody understory provide cover for wildlife and produce nuts or other fruit, buds, catkins, twigs, bark, or foliage that wildlife eat. Examples of plants are tan oak, coastal live oak, valley oak, and California laurel. An example of a fruit-producing shrub that is commercially available and suitable for planting on soils rated good is crabapple. Major soil properties that affect growth of hardwood trees and shrubs are depth of the root zone, available water capacity, and wetness.

Coniferous plants are cone-bearing trees, shrubs, or ground cover plants that furnish habitat or supply food in the form of browse, seeds, or fruit-like cones. Examples are pine, fir, and redwood. Soil properties that have a major effect on the growth of coniferous plants are depth of the root zone, available water capacity, and wetness.

Shrubs are bushy woody plants that produce fruit, buds, twigs, bark, or foliage used by wildlife or that pro vide cover and shade for some species of wildlife. Examples are ceanothus species, Frenchbroom, coyotebrush, manzanita, chamise, mountain mahogany, bitterbrush, snowberry, and big sagebrush. Major soil properties that affect the growth of shrubs are depth of the root zone, available water capacity, salinity, and moisture.

Wetland plants are annual and perennial wild herbaceous plants that grow on moist or wet sites, exclusive of submerged or floating aquatics, They produce food or cover for wildlife that use wetland as habitat. Examples of wetland plants are smartweed, wild millet, wildrice, saltgrass, and cordpass and rushes, sedges, and reeds. Major soil properties affecting wetland plants are texture of the surface layer, wetness, reaction, salinity, slope, and surface stoniness.

Shallow water areas are bodies of water that have an average depth of less than 5 Let and that are useful to wildlife. They can be naturally wet areas, or they can be created by dams or levees or by water-control devices in marshes or streams. Examples are marshes, waterfowl feeding areas, and ponds. Major soil properties affecting shallow water areas are depth to bedrock, wetness, surface stoniness, slope, and permeability. The availability of a dependable water supply is important if water areas are to be developed. 

The kinds of wildlife habitat are briefly described in the following paragraphs.

Openland habitat consists of cropland, pasture, meadows, and areas that are overgrown with grasses, herbs, shrubs, and vines. These areas produce grain and seed crops, grasses and legumes, and wild herbaceous plants. The kinds of wildlife attracted to these areas include bobwhite quail, pheasant, meadowlark, field spar row, cottontail rabbit, and gray fox.

Woodland habitat consists of areas of hardwoods or conifers, or a mixture of both, and associated grasses, legumes, and wild herbaceous plants. Wildlife attracted to these areas include band-tailed pigeon, dove, jay, hawk, owl, deer, brush rabbit, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, wood cock, thrush, woodpecker, mice, salamander, lizard, squirrel, gray fox, raccoon, and deer.

Wetland habitat consists of open, marshy or swampy, shallow water areas where water-tolerant plants grow. Some of the wildlife attracted to such areas are ducks, geese, heron, shore birds, muskrat, mink, and beaver. Endangered species associated with wetlands are the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, found only in two locations in the county, and the migratory black rail (6), associated with shallow water areas. Rangeland habitat consists of areas of wild herbaceous plants and shrubs. Wildlife attracted to rangeland include antelope, white-tailed deer, desert mule deer, sage grouse, meadowlark, and lark bunting.