Overview Chapters

This website describes a classification of the vegetation in California developed by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) in conjunction with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). It is a digital version of A Manual of California Vegetation, published by CNPS. The content of this website encompasses virtually all of the information in the book. Below are seven of the nine overview chapters from the Manual, which provide background on the classification and foundations of the book and this website.

• Introduction
• What is vegetation?
• Difference between classification and mapping
• CNPS approach to classification
• Conservation and management
• Species life history and fire regime information
• How to read the alliance descriptions