Uploaded on 2015-12-14 by BradleyJG

Living in a more rural area, we have ample provisioning services, both from commercial farming operations in the surrounding areas and from home grown fruits and vegetables. There are trees that can be used for fuel, although this is not necessary, or particularly desirable. Water, is a problem in this area due to prolonged drought and general low annual rainfall. Wetlands are seasonal, except for tidal estuaries on the coast. ![Apple Tree][1] *Home grown fruit and veg.* ![Local Farm][2] *Local farm with winter crop sprouting.* **Regulating Services** Trees and other plants provide a variety of regulating services. Trees provide shade for houses, as well as erosion control and rain water runoff control. Drought tolerant ground cover protects steep slopes from eroding when rain falls and when strong dry winds blow. ![Ground cover - spring flowers][3] *Steep slope protection - drought tolerant ground cover.* Native shrubs and trees have been planted in many areas, particularly in areas that collect rain runoff. The picture below shows a catchment basin beside a relatively new development. The builder ringed the development with a hiking/biking path and planted native vegetation beside the trail. This catchment, along with several others, serves as part of a flood prevention mechanism, regulating the water runoff. The plants and trees will help to purify the water and the basin allows the water to percolate into the soil where it will eventually recharge the aquifers. ![catchment basin][4] *Rain water catchment basin beside a high density housing development.* **Habitat & Supporting Services** Flowering trees and plants attract pollinators, and native shrubs provide habitat and seasonal food for wildlife and migratory birds and butterflies. Native plants are being restored to areas that humans have disturbed as well as being encouraged in the landscapes of new developments. Native plants support the native fauna with food and habitat as well as being well adapted to the local climate conditions. ![public native garden][5] *This image is of the Nipomo Native Garden, a project to restore native plants to an area adjacent to the regional park.* ![native garden 2][6] *The native garden introduced young trees near mature trees as well as restoring shrubs. The mature trees have acted as protection for the new plants allowing them to grow. Areas away from the mature trees have not been successfully restored.* As part of the process to encourage wildlife onto our property, we do not use fertilizer or pesticide. Confirmed wildlife includes, hawks, owls, buzzards, gopher snakes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, lizards, butterflies, bees, bats, cottontail rabbits and occasionally stick insects. We used to have several varieties of tree frog, but they suddenly disappeared about two years ago. The fountain is a favorite of birds, while the ponds serve as a valuable water source for wildlife. ![birds at the fountain][7] *Water is attracts birds from a wide area.* ![Opossum at the pond][8] *On a hot day, this young opossum made a rare appearance in the middle of the day to get a drink.* ![Lizard][9] *Lizards keep the insect population in check.* **Cultural Services** The native garden has a children's area and several shaded sitting areas for the public. The park, which is three quarters wild, has baseball fields, a dog park, picnic and barbecue areas. Other cultural services include horse trails and a golf course. At the golf course down the road (approximately 2.5 miles away) the water hazard provides habitat for water birds. ![golf course][10] *Humans use this golf course...* ![Stork and water fowl][11] *... and so do migratory birds, much to the delight of this photographer.* There is a spiritual satisfaction when successfully attracting nature into the garden and that is the best cultural service there is, in my opinion. [1]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/apples-IMGP6447.jpg [2]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/farm2-IMGP6887.jpg [3]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/ground_cover3-IMGP0381.jpg [4]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/catchment-IMGP6883.jpg [5]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/native_garden-IMGP6821.jpg [6]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/native_garden-IMGP6827.jpg [7]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/birds-IMGP2164.jpg [8]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/opossumIMGP6414.jpg [9]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/Lizard-IMGP6662.jpg [10]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/golf-IMGP6839.jpg [11]: http://cosmicfables.com/tmp/eth/stork-IMGP6856.jpg