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In the 19th century goats devastated the native landscape of California and introduced the Mediterranean grasses that give California its moniker The Golden Sta

In the 19th century goats devastated the native landscape of California and introduced the Mediterranean grasses that give California its moniker The Golden State. The headline picture of this article illustrates my main concern: that these goats will do further harm to native plant species. On balance, it may still be a good idea, but how it is done may require more thought.

badpun 8y ago
> In the 19th century goats devastated the native landscape of California and introduced the Mediterranean grasses that give California its moniker The Golden State I always thought it was because the gold rush happened literally weeks after the state's incorporation, and fundamentally shaped it in many ways?
- jonnycomputer 8y ago
  Well, could be. I've seen that reason cited, as well as the grass, and the orange poppies that grow along the hillsides in southern california.
imglorp 8y ago
This might be an unpopular opinion, but the most natural situation is periodic small fires that reduce the undergrowth and dead wood. There are even species which depend on these small fires for their lifecycles. Forest managers are probably well schooled in this but unable to use it because people like living in the woods. When humans interfere with this small-fire process, however, the fuel load increases until there's a massive correcting fire that takes everything standing including the canopy.
- labster 8y ago
  It's also a wrong opinion that doesn't understand chaparral ecology. I live in Ventura County, and there's no canopy to speak of. And wildfire here occurs at 2 to 3 times the natural rate. Given all of the anthropogenic ignition sources that occur in dry downslope wind conditions, full fire suppression is the only sane option.
- ummonk 8y ago
  That might make sense in large old growth forests. It is completely pointless in grassy areas though.
maxxxxx 8y ago
I thought sheep were the problem. what kind of vegetation did CA have before?
- jonnycomputer 8y ago
  Sheep and goats. In Valley Grassland it was mostly bunch grasses like Purple Needle Grass. Allan Schoenherr's A natural history of california is a great reference (see p.538-543, if you have the chance).
  - jonnycomputer 8y ago
    Note: according to Schoenherr it wasn't goats and sheeps per se, as places like the Central Valley had grazers for a long time; it was over-grazing by farmers. The Californian islands are another matter. The introduction of large herbivores usually cause all kinds of havoc on small islands, as the plants are usually not adapted to them. That said, the ecology of small islands tends to be very unstable generally.

badpun 8y ago

> In the 19th century goats devastated the native landscape of California and introduced the Mediterranean grasses that give California its moniker The Golden State I always thought it was because the gold rush happened literally weeks after the state's incorporation, and fundamentally shaped it in many ways?

jonnycomputer 8y ago
Well, could be. I've seen that reason cited, as well as the grass, and the orange poppies that grow along the hillsides in southern california.

imglorp 8y ago

This might be an unpopular opinion, but the most natural situation is periodic small fires that reduce the undergrowth and dead wood. There are even species which depend on these small fires for their lifecycles. Forest managers are probably well schooled in this but unable to use it because people like living in the woods. When humans interfere with this small-fire process, however, the fuel load increases until there's a massive correcting fire that takes everything standing including the canopy.

labster 8y ago
It's also a wrong opinion that doesn't understand chaparral ecology. I live in Ventura County, and there's no canopy to speak of. And wildfire here occurs at 2 to 3 times the natural rate. Given all of the anthropogenic ignition sources that occur in dry downslope wind conditions, full fire suppression is the only sane option.
ummonk 8y ago
That might make sense in large old growth forests. It is completely pointless in grassy areas though.

maxxxxx 8y ago

I thought sheep were the problem. what kind of vegetation did CA have before?

jonnycomputer 8y ago
Sheep and goats. In Valley Grassland it was mostly bunch grasses like Purple Needle Grass. Allan Schoenherr's A natural history of california is a great reference (see p.538-543, if you have the chance).
- jonnycomputer 8y ago
  Note: according to Schoenherr it wasn't goats and sheeps per se, as places like the Central Valley had grazers for a long time; it was over-grazing by farmers. The Californian islands are another matter. The introduction of large herbivores usually cause all kinds of havoc on small islands, as the plants are usually not adapted to them. That said, the ecology of small islands tends to be very unstable generally.