Over thousands of years, both the landscape and the plants upon it have slowly evolved together, so that those plant species with the best record of survival in a specific setting have usually become the most prominent identifying characteristics of that setting. Because plant life in some form seems to exist throughout the Earth's land areas, we cannot avoid identifying a place without knowing its most conspicuous plant species. While these conspicuously successful plants have served to shape the environment, they have also created a setting that favors an array of associated plant species. These dominant plants and their associated species make up natural plant communities.
Riverside County possesses a remarkable diversity of plants and plant communities.
This is in large part due to the extremes of weather and topography that range across its length, from east to west. One way to become familiar with the geography of this large county, and ultimately with its natural and cultural history, is to become familiar with the distribution of these plant communities. Below is a simplified map of where Riverside County's predominant plant communities can be found, along with images of the plant communities themselves. To navigate through this on-line exhibit, simply click on the area of the map depicting the community you wish to view or the image of the community itself. If you would like to see a larger version of a thumbnail image, click on it and you will be taken to an expanded view.