Type: report

Article abstract: The herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) of coastal southern California are very diverse (Stebbins, 1985; Fisher and Case, 2000) due to a variety of factors including topography, history, and climate. The complex topography, with steep slopes, canyons and hills combined with flat regions on mesas and in lowlands, provides for many different microhabitats that can support unique fauna. These microhabitats, in combination with the Mediterranean climate in southern California, support high levels of herpetofauna and ant biodiversity by providing adequate moisture and producing mild and warm temperatures, allowing for activity nearly all year. The herpetofauna consists of over 70 species in coastal southern California, of which 24 are considered sensitive at the state or federal levels (Fisher and Case, 1997a; Jennings and Hayes, 1994). Suarez et al. (1998) documented 46 native and four exotic ant species in coastal San Diego County in habitats similar to those in this study. Urban, industrial and agricultural development has left much of the remaining open space highly fragmented. The future of herpetofaunal and ant diversity in southern California will depend on an understanding of the distribution and abundance of these species within this fragmented landscape. Management decisions for protecting these fragments should be based on scientific research in order to best maintain this region's natural resources. In southern California, the Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP) is a large reserve of high quality habitat for conservation of biodiversity in urban San Diego. As such, it plays an important role in maintaining coastal populations of the herpetofauna (herps), as it is one of the few significant protected regions in coastal San Diego County. The Carmel Mountain and Del Mar Mesa Preserves are within the MSCP reserve, but are fragmented by urban and industrial development,. An important step towards maintaining herpetofaunal diversity, particularly sensitive species, is identification of immediate management needs. In addition, ants serve many roles on different ecosystem levels, and can serve as sensitive indicators of change for a variety of factors. Data gathered from studying these taxa in this area can provide the baseline data on which long-term land management plans can be based. To achieve this goal, we conducted a biological inventory of the Carmel Mountain and Del Mar Mesa Ecological Preserves, including veget