• Country/City
    Los Angeles
  • Topics
    Biodiversity, Indicators, Tools
  • Published On

    December 17, 2018

  • Author(s)

    Isaac Brown Ecology Studio, LA Sanitation & Environment

Biodiversity in Los Angeles is truly unique. On one hand, LA includes the highest population density of all major U.S. cities according to the 2010 U.S. Census, and is known to be one of the most “park poor” cities in the country1, 2. On the other hand, LA falls within a “Global Biodiversity Hotspot” and the City includes an exemplary range of biodiversity and large natural areas. This study documents approximately 1,200 different native species recorded within the City, and perhaps more than double that are present, but unrecorded. This richness is driven by diverse ecosystems and microclimates spanning 5,000 feet in elevation from the coast to mountains, and over 61,000 acres of natural areas comprising more than 20% of the City footprint. The territory is home to mountain lions, the occasional steelhead trout, uniquely diverse herbaceous and shrub plant communities, picturesque oak savannas, and over 150 threatened and endangered species and ecosystems.
 
 
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