The wide elevation range and characteristic climate produce a variety of natural communities, from chaparral to mixed evergreen forest to alpine tundra.

Mid-summer monsoonal thunderstorms often form over the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges of Southern California, introducing additional rain to the region.

[3] Shrublands of Chamise, Manzanita species, and scrub oak tend to dominate the lower elevations of California montane chaparral and woodlands.

The area includes some larger predators such as the black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, ring-tailed cats, and the critically endangered California condor.

Air quality has improved in southern montane areas around the Los Angeles Basin since implementation of smog reduction policies and practices in the latter 20th century.