La Mesa

Ecosystem Overview

The La Mesa ecosystem supports 100 documented wildlife species across 92 taxonomic genera. Located in San Diego County, California, this area provides critical habitat with diverse natural communities. The location hosts 21 frequently observed species and 19 occasionally documented species, creating a balanced ecosystem with both resident and visiting wildlife. This location ranks #3 for species diversity among 89 San Diego County County natural areas, placing it in the 97th percentile for biodiversity.

Biodiversity Highlights

100

Total Species

Documented wildlife species

Genus Diversity

Taxonomic genera represented

Common Species

Frequently observed species

Rare Species

Occasionally documented species

Regional Rank

Out of 89 locations

Species Distribution

Very Common21 species

Common30 species

Occasional30 species

Rare19 species

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

#3 of 89 locations

97th percentile for diversity

vs. San Diego

0% species diversity

Ecosystem Overview

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Biodiversity Highlights

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Species Distribution

Very Common‌

Common‌

Occasional‌

Rare‌

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

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Most Common Species

Showing 20 most frequently observed species out of 100 total documented species.

Eriogonum fasciculatum

wild buckwheat

Very Common30 obs.

Malosma laurina

Very Common14 obs.

Apis mellifera

Western Honey Bee

Very Common14 obs.

Bahiopsis laciniata

San Diego County viguiera

Very Common13 obs.

Centaurea melitensis

Maltese star-thistle

Very Common10 obs.

Sayornis nigricans

black phoebe

Common10 obs.

Erodium botrys

Longbeak stork's bill

Common9 obs.

Sialia mexicana

Western Bluebird

Common8 obs.

Lysimachia arvensis

Poor Man'S Weatherglass

Common8 obs.

Parkinsonia aculeata

Jerusalem thorn

Common8 obs.

Limonium sinuatum

Wavyleaf sea lavender

Common8 obs.

Hirschfeldia incana

hoary mustard

Occasional8 obs.

Spinus psaltria

lesser goldfinch

Occasional7 obs.

Deinandra fasciculata

clustered tarweed

Occasional7 obs.

Bombus vosnesenskii

Vosnesensky bumble bee

Occasional7 obs.

Bombus californicus

California bumble bee

Occasional6 obs.

Haemorhous mexicanus

House Finch

Occasional6 obs.

Zeltnera venusta

Rare6 obs.

Calystegia macrostegia

Rare5 obs.

Anthus rubescens

Buff-bellied Pipit

Rare5 obs.

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Most Common Species

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Want the Complete Field Guide?

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Get Your Personalized Field Guide

Download a professional PDF field guide featuring all the species found in La Mesa. Perfect for outdoor adventures, education, and nature exploration.

$6.99

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Regional Comparison

Regional Ranking

100

Species Count

vs. Regional Average

Compared to 8 nearby locations in San Diego County County, California

Nearby Natural Areas

San Diego

Importance: 0.63

100 species

0% vs. current

San Diego County

Importance: 0.55

100 species

0% vs. current

Carlsbad

Importance: 0.47

100 species

0% vs. current

Oceanside

Importance: 0.46

100 species

0% vs. current

Escondido

Importance: 0.45

100 species

0% vs. current

Chula Vista

Importance: 0.45

100 species

0% vs. current

San Marcos

Importance: 0.44

100 species

0% vs. current

Coronado

Importance: 0.42

100 species

0% vs. current

About This Comparison

These comparisons are based on documented wildlife observations from citizen science data. Locations with higher species counts may have more observation activity, different habitat types, or larger coverage areas. Regional rankings help identify biodiversity hotspots and unique natural areas within San Diego County County.

Regional Comparison

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Regional Ranking

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Species Count

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vs. Regional Average

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Nearby Natural Areas

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Regional Comparison

Regional Ranking

100

Species Count

vs. Regional Average

Compared to 8 nearby locations in San Diego County County, California

Nearby Natural Areas

San Diego

Importance: 0.63

100 species

0% vs. current

San Diego County

Importance: 0.55

100 species

0% vs. current

Carlsbad

Importance: 0.47

100 species

0% vs. current

Oceanside

Importance: 0.46

100 species

0% vs. current

Escondido

Importance: 0.45

100 species

0% vs. current

Chula Vista

Importance: 0.45

100 species

0% vs. current

San Marcos

Importance: 0.44

100 species

0% vs. current

Coronado

Importance: 0.42

100 species

0% vs. current

About This Comparison

Ecosystem Overview

Biodiversity Highlights

100

Total Species

Documented wildlife species

Genus Diversity

Taxonomic genera represented

Common Species

Frequently observed species

Rare Species

Occasionally documented species

Regional Rank

Out of 89 locations

Species Distribution

Very Common21 species

Common30 species

Occasional30 species

Rare19 species

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

#3 of 89 locations

97th percentile for diversity

vs. San Diego

0% species diversity

Most Common Species

Showing 20 most frequently observed species out of 100 total documented species.

Eriogonum fasciculatum

wild buckwheat

Very Common30 obs.

Malosma laurina

Very Common14 obs.

Apis mellifera

Western Honey Bee

Very Common14 obs.

Bahiopsis laciniata

San Diego County viguiera

Very Common13 obs.

Centaurea melitensis

Maltese star-thistle

Very Common10 obs.

Sayornis nigricans

black phoebe

Common10 obs.

Erodium botrys

Longbeak stork's bill

Common9 obs.

Sialia mexicana

Western Bluebird

Common8 obs.

Lysimachia arvensis

Poor Man'S Weatherglass

Common8 obs.

Parkinsonia aculeata

Jerusalem thorn

Common8 obs.

Limonium sinuatum

Wavyleaf sea lavender

Common8 obs.

Hirschfeldia incana

hoary mustard

Occasional8 obs.

Spinus psaltria

lesser goldfinch

Occasional7 obs.

Deinandra fasciculata

clustered tarweed

Occasional7 obs.

Bombus vosnesenskii

Vosnesensky bumble bee

Occasional7 obs.

Bombus californicus

California bumble bee

Occasional6 obs.

Haemorhous mexicanus

House Finch

Occasional6 obs.

Zeltnera venusta

Rare6 obs.

Calystegia macrostegia

Rare5 obs.

Anthus rubescens

Buff-bellied Pipit

Rare5 obs.

Want the Complete Field Guide?

Get all 100 species with 3-4 high-quality images each, detailed descriptions, and a downloadable PDF for offline use.

Premium field guide includes identification tips, seasonal patterns, and professional layout optimized for field use.