Updated March 31, 2026
Increase perennial grass: Average of 20% native perennial grass cover on the west side.
Maintain covered soil surface: All pastures average <5% bare ground across the ranch.
Cover for each vegetation type has remained mostly stable since 2016, with a slight increase in legume cover over the 2021-2022 sampling event.
In the map below, each point represents a vegetation sampling location. Toggle between vegetation types to see percent cover for each functional group. Darker colors indicate higher cover for the selected vegetation type. Only data for the most recent sampling event (2024-2025) are displayed.
Choose one metric at a time at bottom left. Click on any of the survey points to learn more.
Perennial grasses: Grasses that can survive for many years, whereas annual grasses germinate from seed, reproduce, and die each year. Perennial grasses generally turn green sooner, stay green longer, produce more biomass, and are more drought-tolerant than annual grasses. Their deep roots stabilize soil, improve water infiltration, and recycle nutrients.
Native grasses: California native grasses are perennials, which have been largely displaced by exotic annual grasses.
Forbs: Herbaceous flowering plants that are not grasses, sedges or rushes.