The Santa Monica Mountains are one of the last remaining examples of a relatively undisturbed Mediterranean-type ecosystem in the world. A unique climate, diverse topography, and other factors create a complex assemblage of vegetation types including oak woodland, several types of chaparral, coastal sage scrub, valley oak savanna, grassland, riparian woodland, wetland, and coastal marsh. This vegetation diversity provides abundant habitat for animal species, including 50 species of mammals, close to 400 bird species, and over 35 reptile and amphibian species. These natural resources occur within and adjacent to Los Angeles, the second largest urban area in the nation. Within the National Park System, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area represents one of the largest and most significant areas of protected Mediterranean-type ecosystem. Although 90 percent of the park contains natural habitat, more than half of these areas are privately owned. The greatest threats to the natural resources within the park are impacts associated with transformation from natural open space to developed areas. In many other parks and reserves, legislated boundaries are complete or near completion and both external and internal development threats are less severe.
