[jonascord]

I spent quite a while at Camp Pendleton, in Southern Kali. Once you get away from Mainside, and human habitats, trees get very rare, except along watercourses.

If you didn't know any better, it's almost as if forests weren't actually natural to the area...

[5th MEB]

They aren't, most of So. Ca. except the mountain areas are naturally desert or semi-desert.
The foothills are chaparral country with mixed juniper and sage, mostly buck brush and manzanita.
The valleys are mostly grasslands and some areas of Joshua Trees.