Outline of Talk Threats Managing to Coastal Prairie to Stewards - PDF document

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Outline of Talk • Threats Managing to Coastal Prairie to • Stewards Conserve Biological Diversity • Management goals Grey Hayes, PhD • Tools Elkhorn Slough – Grazing – Fire Coastal Training Program • Conclusions/recommendations Global Warming Threats Genetically Modified Organisms Changed Disturbance Regimes Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 1

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Invasive Invasive Animals Plants Sprawl Fragmentation Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Genetic contamination Type conversion Global Warming Genetically Modified Organisms Changed Disturbance Regimes Sprawl Fragmentation Invasive Invasive Animals Plants Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 3

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Genetic contamination Type conversion Who is Involved? The Land Use Planner, Regulators and Consultants Scientists Restorationists and Land Managers Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 4

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Grassland Managers Public Grassland Manager Goals • >250 public land managers in Central • Reduce all non-native species California • Increase targeted sensitive species • > 50% of publically owned grasslands in the SF Bay area actively managed • Increase native grasses Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results Private Land Owners and Consultants Restorationists and Land Managers Private Grassland Manager Priorities • Maintain way of life • Maintain/increase productivity – Increase perennial grasses • Sustain wildlife Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 5

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Goals What is Biodiversity? From Noss, 1990 Loss of valley and near shore grasslands Loss of coastal prairie communities Loss of grasslands to shrub succession Invasive species impacts Increased homogeneity of management Increasing rarity of species Loss of populations Decreasing reproduction of native organisms Loss of populations of species Bioengineering, introduction of novel genes Loss of populations, introduction of genes From Noss, 1990 From Noss, 1990 Public Grassland Manager Goals Loss of habitat connectivity/pollinators/genetic exchange • Reduce all non-native species Loss of keystone species (badger, fox, bobcat) • Increase targeted sensitive species Changed disturbance regimes, atmospheric N deposition, etc • Increase native grasses From Noss, 1990 Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 6

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Acres of grassland-oriented conservation purchases Why such simple goals? The Public Lands Manager Policy Failures • Parcels are not 8.3 million private visited yearly grassland acres 45 advisors • <1 staff person = for 16,000 acres 185,000 acres of grassland each • Loss of endangered species = greater burden on private property owners Holloran, P., and D. Press. 2005. Obstacles to Land Stewardship in California. Draft Report The Scientist Public Grassland Manager Goals Almost no reserve design studies • Reduce all non-native species A few species-specific studies (mostly dominant grasses) • Increase targeted sensitive species Many studies on invasives, with little application • Increase native grasses 27 fire studies; 19 useful for meta-analysis 25 grazing studies; 6 useful for meta-analysis Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 7

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie New, Improved Goals New, Improved Goals Might Look Like… Might Look Like… • Maintain native species diversity • Maintain native species diversity • Restore/maintain/increase specific species • Restore/maintain/increase specific species • Maintain structure – Tall vs. short canopy – Shrub/tree vs. herbaceous cover • Control specific invasive species It takes a long time to prove that Just because you can’t see it something’s not there doesn’t mean its not there If its not there…. you might need to plant it Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 8

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Tools Evolutionary Disturbance Regimes Grazing, Fire, and Soil Disturbances Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 9

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie From Collins et al 1985 Novel Restoration Techniques Mowing and Planting Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 10

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Grazing effects Grazing Literature Summary • “Variable, non-equilibrium system” • Large site variability • Season of grazing may matter – Mixed results for different sites/species – Growing season/spring greatest positive effect for perennial grasses • Removal of grazing changes system – Change in perennial grass abundance – Increase in shrub and tree cover – Loss of annual wildflowers • Little data on class of grazing animal – Elk similar to cow – Horse dissimilar to cattle • Species specific responses Season of grazing effects Species specific grazing effects Bartolome, J. W., J. S. Fehmi, R. D. Jackson, and B. Allen-Diaz. 2004 Bartolome, J. W., J. S. Fehmi, R. D. Jackson, and B. Allen-Diaz. 2004 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 11

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Non-native grass, Vulpia bromoides cover varies between sites over time 80 Elkhorn Swanton Relative Percent Cover UCSC Species and site 60 specific responses to grazing 40 20 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Hayes and Holl, 2009, unpublished data Hatch, D. A., J. W. Bartolome, J. S. Fehmi, and D. S. Hillyard. 1999 Sheep grazing study in coastal Sonoma grasslands Species Abundance Plot 5T Graze Graze Graze Graze Species Name Cover (%) April April Oct. Oct. 1998 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Grazing maintains Anthoxanthum odoratum 71.90 41.70 45.90 14.00 26.70 33.30 32.40 4.60 grasslands from woody Holcus lanatus 24.60 42.20 36.10 25.60 39.70 27.50 14.70 7.50 Herbaceous Biomass (lb/acre) 5685 5322 9008 3188 3842 2119 1423 2561 plant incursion Simpson's Index of Diversity 0.42 0.64 0.65 0.77 0.76 0.77 0.82 0.85 Sheep grazing = reduced exotic perennial grasses increased exotic annual grasses some plots increase native perennial grasses increased plant species diversity Evett, R. 2009. Unpublished data from The Sea Ranch Callaway, R. M., and F. W. Davis. 1993 10 * Species richness Fire Effects 8 Number of species *** Grazing increases native 6 annual forb species 4 richness and cover in two years of surveys at many 2 sites 0 2000 ( n =17) 2001 ( n =25). 20 * Cover 18 16 Grazed 14 Ungrazed Cover (m2/ha) * 12 10 8 6 Paired t test 4 * = p <0.05 2 *** = p <0.001 0 2000 2000 2001 2001 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 12

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Fire effects Fire and woody species control • Reduces woody vegetation • Species-specific native grass effects Clark, D. L., and M. V. Wilson. 2001 Burning affects different native grass species differently Fire prevents grassland to shrub/tree conversion Callaway, R. M., and F. W. Davis. 1993 Hatch, D. A., J. W. Bartolome, J. S. Fehmi, and D. S. Hillyard. 1999 Mixing: Fire and Burning D'Antonio, C. M., S. J. Bainbridge, C. Kennedy, J. W. Bartolome, and S. Reynolds. 2004 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 13

Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Without fire or grazing: Loss of coastal grassland Callaway, R. M., and F. W. Davis. 1993 D'Antonio, C. M., S. J. Bainbridge, C. Kennedy, J. W. Bartolome, and S. Reynolds. 2004 Mowing Effects D'Antonio, C. M., S. J. Bainbridge, C. Kennedy, J. W. Bartolome, and S. Reynolds. 2004 Mowing Effects Native Perennial Grasses All Sites 30 No treat 2x/year Relative Percent Cover 25 3x/year • Mowing may maintain native grasses 6x/year 20 15 10 • Infrequent mowing may maintain forb 5 diversity; more frequent mowing may not 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Hayes, G., and K. D. Holl. 2003 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 14