The coastal sage scrub vegetation in southern California is considered a biodiversity hotspot, characterized by low growing shrubs and other drought-tolerant plants. About 90% of this vegetation type has been lost, primarily due to urbanization. Historically, this area would be described as having a Mediterranean climate, experiencing moderate precipitation during winters and hot dry summers. Both the amount and timing of precipitation greatly influences insect and plant abundances and phenology. Our research has shown that vegetation conversion, large scale wildfires, extreme drought, and increasing temperatures have affected insect distributions and abundances, including those with important ecosystem functions. This presentation will summarize research on butterflies, pollinators associated with an endangered plant, and carrion decomposition conducted in San Diego County over the last 20 years. Specific research projects have involved both single endangered species as well as broader functional insect assemblages.
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