Bluff Park

CommunityWalk Map - The Bluffs
Red area highlights restored coastal bluff areas. Restored areas include parts of Bluff Park, City Beach, grounds of the Museum of Art, and Bixby Park. Un-restored bluff extends several miles east. West of this area, the bluffs are largely built-over.

Most beach visitors keep their gaze on the ocean, with their backs to the land behind them. But in Long Beach, nature-watchers may want to turn around and take a look at the coastal bluffs form the spine of the beach.


Panorama of the bluffs

Even if beach-goers ignore the bluffs, they should be thankful for the solitude they provide. These bluffs provide something of a visual barrier that separates the dense urban development from the shore. Other beaches with bluffs, such as Laguna Beach, Point Dume, and Palos Verdes, are widely appreciated for their seclusion and peacefulness, in contrast to bluff-free beaches like Huntington or Venice, where civilization seems to run right up to the waves.

Geologically speaking, these bluffs are all raised sea terraces. In some areas of Los Angeles County, more than 20 distinct terraces can be identified. These terraces are typically ocean sediments that have consolidated into sandstone, which is raised from the water due to tectonic action. In nearby areas, fossilized organisms (such as fish, mollusks, whales) have been collected in marine terraces, such as Point Fermin on the Palos Verdes peninsula [ref]. I found no records of fossils unearthed from these bluffs in Long Beach, but perhaps it's only a matter of time before some turn up!

Most of the 2.5-mile bluff (ranging from ~Alamitos to the Belmont Pier) is dominated by non-native vegetation, such as iceplant, or by bare and eroding cliffs. However, a short stretch (0.2 mile) of bluff east of the Long Beach Museum of Art supports a diverse assemblage of native plants, typical of Southern California coastal bluffs. I do not know the history of this stretch--most likely it is the product of restoration efforts by the City of Long Beach. Another short restored area is found further east, near Redondo Boulevard. Perhaps more of the bluffs can be restored!

The restored areas are best appreciated from the top, in Bluff Park. The parts of the bluff closer to the beach are mostly (but not entirely) overrun by nonnative plants.


The bluffs in the foreground are dominated by one or two species of iceplant. Diversity is much higher in the restored area in the rear. Also, the more heterogeneous plant structure is better for wildlife.

Botanically speaking, these bluffs have much in common with coastal sage scrub communities, with few differences. Specialists, such as seacliff buckwheat (Eriogonum parvifolium), coastal goldenbush (Isocoma menziesii) and coastal liveforever (Dudleya caespitosa) are restricted to these habitats. Unfortunately, I did not encounter any of these rare specailists in the Long Beach bluffs.

Coastal bluff communities face a number of pressures from the natural environment. Plants here typically grow on shallow, nutrient-poor soils that hold little water. Winds are high, furthering dessication and stunting growth. Also, salts in the soil can inhibit many species.

Some of the plants of the Long Beach bluffs:


California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)


California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)


Southern California morning glory (Calystegia macrostegia)


Coastal prickly pear (Opuntia littoralis)


California encelia, or bush sunflower(Encilia californica)


Bladderpod (Isomeris arborea)

Apart from huge numbers of feral cats (see below), it's hard to observe wildlife at the bluffs. Hardly any of the small mammals, lizards, or birds one might expect to find can survive the intense predation from the cats. However, the more exposed parts of the bluff (which are avoided by cats) support nests for cliff swalls [pics forthcoming!]. In addition, the insect fauna is rich here, as these critters are little bothered by the felines.


A colorful species of buttefly in the blue family (Lycaenidae). A large number of these insects were attracted to this unidentified plant, a member of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae). In addition, many species of native and nonnative bees, as well as colorful hoverflies are attracted to the blooming plants on the coastal bluff.


Threats

The coastal bluffs in Long Beach face a number of stresses. Development, of course, has erradicated the bluffs west of the Museum. Non-native species (especially the iceplants) completely displace other species and eliminates much of the natural biodiversity.

Some photos of nonnative plants at the bluffs:

Several kinds of iceplant:


Carpobrotus edulis

Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum


Tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)


Wild radish (Raphanus sativus)


Common geranium (Geranium dissectum)


Yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis)

However, there are a number of additional threats in this area not as prevalent in other parks: erosion and feral cats.


Erosion is a natural process, in which the sandstone bluffs weather away from winds and rain. However, extensive trampling of the bluffs by people has exacerbated erosion to a terrible extent. Furthermore, the trampling elmiinates all vegetative cover (even the iceplants), so no plants are able to stabilize the soils on the bluffs. The resulting damage is costly and threatens safety of vehicles and pedestrians on Ocean Boulevard. Furthermore, the eroded sediment carries nutrients and toxins into the ocean, further harming water quality.


Two members of the bluff's large cat colony

A huge number of cats live in the bluffs of Long Beach. Although they seem to be more common in the shrubs of the restored area, they can be found throughout the entire length of the bluffs. The cats undoubtedly thrive off of the trash and detritus left by careless beachgoers. However, the population is further buoyed by well-intentioned individuals who provide them with food year round.


Food purposefully left out for the cat colony
The huge cat population creates a number of environmental problems. They produce large amounts of waste, which is a health hazard and another source of pollution in the ocean. Furthermore, stray cats have decimated populations of native birds and mammals. It is no wonder that the Long Beach bluffs are devoid of some of the fauna you might expect in this habitat (e.g., ground squirrels, birds, lizards).


A trap for the cats
Efforts to control the population have been controversial, as few people support outright erradication. Stray cats are generally unsuitable for adoption (unless they are caught as kittens). Sterilization is expensive, time-consuming, and often fail.


Partial list of flora
California encelia (Asteraceae: Encelia californica)
Mulefat (Asteraceae: Baccharis salicifolia)
Yellow star thistle (non-native) (Asteraceae: Centaurea solstitialis)
Bladderpod (Capparaceae: Isomeris aroborea)
California buckwheat (Polygonaceae: Eriogonum fasciculatum)
Coastal prickly pear (Cactaceae: Opuntia littoralis)
Australian saltbush (nonnative): (Chenopodaceae: Atriplex semibaccata)
California poppy (Papaveraceae): Eschscholzia californica)
Crystaline iceplant (non-native): (Azioaceae: Mesembryanthemum crystallinum)
Sea fig (non-native) (Azioaceae: Carpobrotus edulis and C. chilensis)
Slender-leaved ice plant (non-native) (Azioaceae: Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum)
Mustard (non-native) (Brassicaceae: Brassica rapa)
Wild radish (non-native) (Brassicaceae: Raphanus sativus)
Common geranium (non-native) (Geraniaceae: Geranium dissectum)
Tree tobacco (non-native) (Solanaceae: Nicotiana glauca)


Partial list of fauna
Cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
Pigeons (Columba livia)
Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Feral cats (Felis domesticus)

This park is accessible by the Beach bikepath, by the Passport (A and D), and by the 21, 22, and 23 bus routes.

Colorado Lagoon

CommunityWalk Map - Colorado Lagoon

Colorado Lagoon is an inland arm of Alamitos Bay, reaching up to 7th Street. Most of the park is maintained as recretaional lawn, although there is also an artificial beach ("Mother's Beach"). Water quality at this beach is extremely low, so swimming is not always advisable. The City has identified some major sources of bacteria in the lagoon, although remedies have yet to result in improvements.



Notwithstanding the poor water quality, the park is a lovely place for an afternoon stroll or picnic. Despite the fact that the park is extensively developed, there are considerable natural resources to appreciate here. You can observe one of southern California's most threatened habitats here: the coastal salt marsh.



Although vegetation maintenance prevents the marsh from reaching its full splendor in most areas, small patches of wetland dot the perimter of the lagoon, especially along the "peninsula" that divides the lagoon into two arms.


Salt grass (Distychlis spicata)


Small "meadow" of salt grass.

In the above picture, low-growing salt grass (Distychlis spicata) forms a spongy mat near the shore.

Pickelweed (Salicornia) is another common salt marsh plant. These plants tolerate the salty conditions by sequestering salt crystals in their succulent tissues. Although this plant is edible, DO NOT collect and eat plants from this park!


Pickelweed (Salicornia spp.). There are several species in California, and all are hard to distinguish.


A similar-looking (but unrelated) plant is salt-wort.


Saltwort (Batis maritima). The picture on the right shows saltwort growing low around the taller pickelweed.

A few plants add some color to the salt marsh.



Alkali heath (Frankenia salina)


Marsh jaumea (Jaumea carnosa)


There are some interesting bluffs along the eastern shore of the lagoon, and they remind me of a miniature version of Newport Bay.



Unfortunately, these bluffs are dominated by nonnatives--mostly iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis), which has no value to wildlife. Hopefully, the bluffs can be restored to create a diverse community of colorful native coastal bluff plants.

Although the wetlands are very limited in size, and in general are in poor condition, there are great opportunities for restoration, which may be highly succesful (given the low relief of the landscape).



A floating dock/bridge across the lagoon lets you get close to the water and examine the marine life up close.

Peering underwater, you can see lots of organisms. For example:


Crabs


Snails (or their shells washed ashore)


Fish (These are teeny-weeny fish fry. If you need help spotting them, click here)

When the sun is out, you may notice that the mud on shore and in the shallows turns golden-brown:



This color comes from diatoms--single celled algae. These algal cells hide in the silt when it's shady, but come up to the surface when they can photosynthesize in the sun. They move by propelling themselves on mucus they secrete. Pretty cool, huh?

This is also a great spot for birdwatching. Egrets and herons forage in the shallow water for fish. Terns, gulls, ducks, and pelicans are common as well.


Snowy egret (Egretta thula) foraging near the wetland.


The same egret, soaring over the lagoon.

LB Transit bus routes 81, 92, 93, 94, 181, and 182 will take you to Colorado Lagoon.

The Long Beach Greenbelt

CommunityWalk Map - Long Beach Greenbelt (restoration area)


Up until 1961, the Pacific Electric Red Car took commuters from Orange County and Long Beach to downtown LA. With the demise of public transit in SoCal, the rights-of-way lay fallow for decades. In 1999, the City of Long Beach decided to convert most of the land to recreational park lands, the Long Beach Greenbelt. However, one short block on the right-of-way, bewteen 7th and 8th streets, was set aside for native habitat restoration.



This part of the greenbelt is very small (under 5 acres). Although it is owned by the Long Beach Parks Department (woefully out-of-date park info page), it is managed by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewards.



The target habitat in this park is coastal sage scrub, once the dominant habitat type in this part of the coastal plain. Coastal sage scrub is dominated by short vegetation that generally loses its leaves in the winter, unlike the evergreen chapparal. The loss of leaves allow coastal sage scrub to fluorish in areas too dry for chapparal, such as the low elevation coast.

The habitat restoration makes extensive use of one of the staple plants of the coastal sage-scrub: California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum).


This plant blooms throughout much of the year and forms very attractive shrubby mounds.

Sage is, of course, another common plant in coastal sage scrub:


Black sage (Salvia mellifera)

Other flowers that you can expect to see any time of year include the bizarre bladderpod (Isomeris arborea):


Other "pretty flowers" to look for:

Ceanothus (Ceanothus sp.)

Deerbush (Lotus scoparius)

Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri)

Island mallow (Lavatera assurgentiflora)

Heartleaf penstemon (Keckiella cordifolia)

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)



The restoration included a few trees to create patches of woodland habitat, just for good measure:

Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)

California walnut (Juglans californica)

Blue elderberry (Sambuccus mexicana)


The diversity of tree and shrub habitats make this tiny park a good home for birds and small mammals.

I don't know if there is room to expand the restoration area. The remainder of the greenbelt is (in my view) unremarkable:



These areas seem to be heavily used by dog-walkers, a few of whom do not clean up after themselves. Some common invasive plants were found growing outside the greenbelt, closer to Colorado Lagoon:

Giant Reed (Arundo donax):


Ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis):


Wild radish (Raphanus sativus):


The park is suitable for walking, running, or cycling (sturdy bikes only).

LB Transit bus lines #81, 91, 92, 93, and 94 will take you to the Long Beach Greenbelt. Also the OCTA #60 goes down 7th Street.

Further information:
Wikipedia
EPA (which funded the creation of the park).