The East Bay’s Fog-Dependent Ecosystem

The Bay Area’s climate is characterized by fog, and many plants have evolved to depend on it. “Maritime chaparral,” named because it thrives in marine influenced climates, is a California plant community that depends on fog. The plant community is a rare ecological type and can only be found in a handful of places in the East Bay, one of which is at Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve just beyond Richmond’s borders. The Sobrante Ridge maritime chaparral plant community is home to pallid manzanita, brittleleaf manzanita, shreve oak, interior live oak, madrone, western bracken fern and sticky monkeyflower.

Lichens at Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve. Lichens tend to grow in areas that receive summer fog.

Lichens at Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve. Lichens tend to grow in areas that receive summer fog.