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[photo credit: Lanterman House]<\/p>\n
Amanda Smith will present \u201cLA Is Not A Desert\u201d on Sunday, November 16 at 1 p.m. at the Lanterman House, challenging widespread assumptions about Southern California\u2019s climate with scientific evidence.<\/p>\n
The central claim may surprise many Angelenos: Los Angeles doesn\u2019t meet the scientific definition of a desert.<\/p>\n
\u201cLos Angeles is not a desert. Its climate is not classified as arid. It is a warm temperate climate with a warm and dry summer,\u201d according to Dennis L. Hartmann, an atmospheric scientist and professor at the University of Washington.<\/p>\n
Recent climate data supports this classification. Downtown Los Angeles receives 14.25 inches of average annual rainfall based on 1991-2020 climate normals, according to Southern California Weather Notes\u2014enough to exceed the threshold for desert classification.<\/p>\n
The lecture will explore how Los Angeles has extensive water resources and thriving ecosystems. The Arroyo Seco, a 24.9-mile-long seasonal river and watershed, flows through La Ca\u00f1ada Flintridge, in Altadena, in Pasadena and in South Pasadena before joining the Los Angeles River.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles River itself required a massive channelization project beginning in 1938, using 3.5 million barrels of cement\u2014hardly the effort needed for a naturally dry desert landscape.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles County is part of the California Floristic Province, one of approximately 35 to 36 recognized biodiversity hotspots worldwide. The area\u2019s dominant ecosystem is chaparral\u2014dense, evergreen shrubs adapted to Mediterranean climates.<\/p>\n
Griffith Park comprises 4,310 acres and is \u201cthe largest municipal park with urban wilderness area in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n