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Southern Oak woodland is found in sheltered inland valleys
and canyons of Southern California below 5000 ft. It is dominated by one of three large oaks species, either coastal live oak, Engelmann oak, or golden-cup oak. These trees have deep root systems, and thus are not forced into dormancy, unlike many other plants, and their thick bark protects them from fire. They usually grow on less steep slopes than chaparral, and thus have deeper soils. Associated with the oaks are poison oak, California black walnut, lemonadeberry, and sugar bush. Mammals and birds which eat acorns are found here, as are animals which require cavities in trees for nesting. The acorn woodpecker, Nuttall’s woodpecker, California ground squirrel, western bluebird, great horned owl, band-tailed pigeon, plain titmouse, red-shouldered hawk, Pacific slender salamander, and western skink are typical animals.