In the past, tracts of native California vegetation have been converted to the introduced Eucalyptus, and if using this fast-growing tree as a fuel for small power plants feasible, the possibility looms that more tracts of native vegetation could be unsurped for eucalyptus. Effects on wildlife of the alteration of native vegetation to eucalyptus stands has scarcely been examined. We compared Pepomyscus numbers in a coastal sage area and avian composition in coastal sage and coastal live oak communities with those of a eucalyptus grove, and found birds and mice to be far less abundant in the eucalyptus.
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