Description: Includes the Coast Range of southern California, and lower elevations of the west slope of the Sierra Nevada east into central Arizona.

Climate: Hot dry summers, mild wet winters, and periodic droughts create annual grasses and forbs in communities of oak woodland and chaparral. Precipitation ranges from 8 to 30 inches a year. Chaparral was once maintained by frequent, cool fires, but fire suppression created older stands of chaparral with poor quality forage.

The deer: Mule deer populations in this region do not migrate, except for those at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada and San Gorgonio Mountains. Deer densities are greatest in the northern part of this ecoregion. Nonmigratory deer move in response to changes in habitat on north and south facing slopes.

Limiting factors: Fire. Most of the mule deer range in this region is in private ownership, and fire suppression is a high priority for residents. This region is in a fireadapted habitat, and frequent fires occurred before European settlement. Frequent fires rejuvenate the habitat and improve forage for mule deer. Fire suppression results in infrequent, large, hot fires. The lack of fire results in older, less nutritious plants for mule deer. Weather. Summer and early fall is a difficult time for mule deer because of little rainfall, and dry plants with little nutritional value. Nursing does need high quality forage to nurse fawns and build body reserves for the coming winter.

Recommendations:

1. Use fire to stimulate sprouts of shrubs over a large landscape.

2. Stimulate new growth of desired plants using light livestock grazing.

3. Minimize effects of livestock along streams and uplands to improve forage for mule deer on fall and winter ranges.