Coastal sage scrub, also known as coastal scrub, CSS, or soft chaparral, is a low scrubland plant community of the California coastal sage and chaparral subecoregion, found in coastal California and northwestern coastal Baja California. It is within the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
Coastal sage scrub in the Santa Monica Mountains. Note slope effect.
Coastal sage scrub on the Santa Rosa Plateau, with oak woodland in background.
Southern coastal scrub in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana) and southern coastal scrub, Santa Rosa Island.
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It may be the mature vegetation type in a particular region and remain stable over time, or a transitional community that occurs temporarily as the result of a disturbance, such as fire. A stable state may be maintained by regular natural disturbance such as fire or browsing. Shrubland may be unsuitable for human habitation because of the danger of fire. The term was coined in 1903.
Low shrubland in Hawaii
Scrub vegetation with cactus in Webb County in south Texas
Mediterranean shrubland in Sardinia Italy
Shrubland in Prince Edward County, Ontario.