Grassland Toolbox: Overview The Process of Grassland Current - PDF document

Management and Restoration of California's Coastal Prairie National Park Service National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore U.S. Department of Interior U.S. Department of Interior Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore Grassland Toolbox: • Overview The Process of Grassland • Current Management & Concerns Management at Point Reyes • Building a toolbox National Seashore • Tackling “desired future condition” Jane Rodgers Vegetation Management Overview National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore U.S. Department of Interior Point Reyes National Seashore Defining Vegetation Types Map Legend Map Legend Historic Ranch Boundaries • Pasture/Ag = Developed agricultural areas Open Grassy Coyotebrush-Yellow Bush Lupine Pasture-Agriculture Supercluster including silage fields & hay fields Grassland-Herbaceous Supercluster • Grassland Superalliance includes- – Native-weedy grassland – Introduced perennial grassland-Deschampsia – Pacific reedgrass Carex-Juncus – Bullrush-Cattail • Open Grassy Coyotebrush N W E S National Park Service National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore U.S. Department of Interior U.S. Department of Interior Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore Current Management & Concerns Building a Toolbox • 19,000 acres under grazing permits • Spatial Data – approx 25,000 acres “Grassland” – approx. 4,300 acres “Pasture” • Inventory & Monitoring data • Role/Use of fire • Treatment options • Exotic plants comprise 30% of park species • Opportunities to collaborate! • Rare plants - 50 listed species in park • Wildlife species • Future of ranching at PORE Coastal Training Program March 10, 2004 1

Management and Restoration of California's Coastal Prairie National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore U.S. Department of Interior Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes NS Spatial data Fences, Ponds, Etc. • Vegetation Map • Structural data • Rare plant occurrences • Other species data • Raster Data â ââ â â â â â Ranch Boundaries â ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â ââ â â Administrative Boundaries â â â ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â ACR â â â â â â â â â â â Coast Guard â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â GOGA â ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â ââ â â â â â PORE â â â ââ â â â â â â ââ â â â â â Private ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â State â â â â â â â ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â ââ â â â Rare Plant Locations â â â â Ranch Boundaries â â â â â â â Administrative Boundaries â â â â â â â ââ â â ââ â ââ âââ â â â ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â ââ â ââ â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â ââ â â â â â â â ACR â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â Coast Guard GOGA N PORE N O P E R Private State N Y # # Y # # # Y Y # # Y # Y Y # Y # Y # Y Y Y # # # Y Y # Y # # Y # Y Y # Y W E Y # Y # Y # # # Y Y # # Y Y # # Y Y # Y # Y Y # # Y # Y # Y # Y Y # # # Y # Y # Y # # Y Y # Y Y # Y # # Y Y # Y # Y # Y # Y # # Y # # # # Y Y Y Y # Y Y S # # Y Y # Y# # Y # Y Y # Y # Y Y # # Y Y# # Y Y # Y # Y # Y # Y # # Y Y # Y # Y # # Y Y # Y # # Y # Y Y # Y Y # # # Y # # Y # Y Y Y # Y # Y # # Y # # Y Y Y # Y# # # # Y # Y Y # # Y Y Y # Y Y # Y # # Y # Y Y # # Y # Y Y # Y Y # # # Y Y # # Y Y # Y # Y# Y # Y # Y # # Y Y # Y # # Y # Y # # Y # # Y Y # Y Y # Y Y # Y # Y # # # # Y # Y Y # Y # Y Y # # Y Y # Y # # Y Y # Y # Y Y# Y # Y Y # # Y # # # Y Y # Y# # Y Y Y Y # # # Y Y # Y # # Y # Y # Y Y # # # Y Y # Y # Y Y # # Y # Y # Y # # Y Y Y # Y # # Y Y Y # # # Y # # Y # Y Y Y # # Y Y # Y # Y # Y # Y # Y # # Y # Y # Y # Y # Y # Y Y # # Y # Y # Y# # Y# # # Y # Y Y # Y Y Y Y # # Y Y # Y # Y# # Y # # Y Y # # Y # Y # Y # Y # Y Y # Y Y # # Y Y # Y # # Y Y # Y # # Y # Y # Y Y # Y # Y # Y # # Y # Y# Y Y # Y # # Y Y # Y Y # # Y # # Y Y # Y # # # Y # Y Y Y # # Y # Y # Y # # Y Y Y # Y # # Y # Y # Y Y # # Y # Y Y # # Y # Y Y # # # Y # Y # Y Y # Y # Y # Y Y # # Y # Y # Y # Y Y # # Y Rare Plant Locations # Y Ranch Boundaries Coastal Training Program March 10, 2004 2

Management and Restoration of California's Coastal Prairie National Park Service National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore U.S. Department of Interior U.S. Department of Interior Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore Grassland Rare Plant Occurrence Data - 17 spp Calystegia purpurata ssp. saxicola - Coastal bluff morning-glory Coastal Prairie - 6 spp. Fritillaria lanceolata var. tristulis (Fritillaria affinis var. tristulis) - Chocolate lily Fritillaria liliaceae ( found in PORE and No. district of GOGA) - Fragrant fritillary Hemizonia congesta ssp. leucocephala (often in fallow fields) - White hayfield tarplant Agrostis blasdalei - Blasdale’s bent grass Lasthenia macrantha ssp. macrantha - Perennial goldfields Linanthus rosaceus - Rosy Linanthus Arabis blepharophylla - Coast rock cress Perideridia gairdneri var. gairdneri - Gairdner’s yampah Blennosperma nanum var. robustum - Point Reyes blennosperma Piperia elegans ssp. decurtata - Point Reyes rein orchid Plagiobothrys diffusus (Plagiobothrys reticulatus var rossianorum) – popcorn flower Fritillaria liliaceae - Fragrant fritillary Triphysaria floribunda - San Francisco owl’s clover Sandy soils Lilium maritimum - Coast lily Chorizanthe valida - Sonoma spineflower Perideridia gairdneri var. gairdneri (coastal flats) Chorizanthe robusta var robusta - Robust spineflower - Gairdner’s yampah Hesperevax sparsiflora var. brevifolia [< 200 m] - Short-leaved evax Horkelia marinensis - Point Reyes horkelia Linanthus grandiflorus - Large-flowered linanthus Moist areas adjacent to grasslands/prairies Phacelia insularis var. continentis - North Coast phacelia Moist places Alopecurus aequalis var. vonomensis - Sonoma alopecurus Microseris paludosa - Marsh microseris National Park Service National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore U.S. Department of Interior U.S. Department of Interior Point Reyes National Seashore Point Reyes National Seashore Treatment Options Inventory & Monitoring Data • Grazing regimes • Legacy datasets • Application of prescribed fire • NPS I&M Program • Use of propagules – Expand veg map to a grassland/prairie map – Establishing Long-term Monitoring • Exotic plant mgmt • Maintain current monitoring • Enhancement of resource “islands” National Park Service Point Reyes National Seashore U.S. Department of Interior Ask For Help! Point Reyes National Seashore Grassland Study Group Desired Future Condition • Park slated to rewrite Resources Mgmt Plan • Born from local Weed Management Area – opportunity to define DFC • Local ecologists and managers identify needs – could use TNC workshop for conserv. Planning – sharing information, regional perspective – ID research needs – research==> replicates across ownership boundaries • Park currently updating General Mgmt Plan – funding opportunities • Park currently writing Wilderness Mgmt Plan – legacy data • Members : NPS, state, private, non-profit Coastal Training Program March 10, 2004 3

Management and Restoration of California's Coastal Prairie Adaptive Management Mantra... Process Current Management Grassland Management Desired Future Condition Implement new Existing Data Spatial data Inventory Data Monitoring Data data collection -compilation analyze data & -analysis Biological Rare Plants Residual Dry Matter apply Data Administrative Hydrology Rare plants -Identify Data gaps Physical Water Quality Water quality -Research questions New Information Coastal Training Program March 10, 2004 4