Coastal grassland is used here to refer both to pristine coastal prairie and to non-native dominated grazed and ungrazed sites. Pristine coastal prairie is found in California from Santa Cruz County northward and generally within approximately 100 km from the coast. Native coastal grasslands are an endangered vegetation type in California; the state has lost 99% of its native grasslands overall and 90% of its northern coastal bunchgrass. Within PRNS, 80% of grasslands are dominated by non-native grasses (see Vegetation Map). Almost 20,000 acres of the Seashore is native or non-native grassland. Of this, approximately 75% is actively grazed by cattle.
Native coastal prairie is dominated perennial bunchgrasses including tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa), California oatgrass (Danthonia californica), meadow barley (Hordeum brachyantherum), California brome (Bromus carinatus) and Pacific reedgrass (Calamagrostis nutkaensis) among other species. Non-native grasslands are dominated by annual grasses, such as annual Italian wild rye (Lolium multiflorum), farmer’s foxtail (Hordeum murinum) and rattail fescue spp. (Vulpia spp.). Non-native perennial species are also common and are of management concern. These species include purple velvet grass (Holcus lanatus) and Harding grass (Phalaris aquatica).