Location: MSHCP > VOLUME 2 > PLANTS
beautiful hulsea (Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha)
State: None
Federal: None
Forest Service: local viability concern
CNPS: List 4 (RED Code 1-2-3)
Beautiful hulsea is designated as a Group 2 species because of its restriction to the Agua Tibia and San Jacinto Mountains and San Jacinto Foothills Bioregions, primarily within USFS lands. Within the Plan Area, beautiful hulsea is restricted to chaparral and lower montane coniferous forests at elevations of 915 m to 3,050 m within the Agua Tibia and San Jacinto Mountains and San Jacinto Foothills Bioregions. This perennial plant grows on granitic soils, rock or gravelly soils in chaparral and in open areas of montane conifer forest.
The University of California, Riverside, (UCR) GIS database and the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens, Pomona and UCR herbaria include 44 records at 32 locations, 25 of which are located on Forest Service lands. However, 34 of the 44 records are dated 1970 or earlier. Based on these records, beautiful hulsea occurs in the vicinity of Lake Fulmor, Pine Cove, Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Pine Meadow and Hemet Lake in the San Jacinto Mountains; and on Cahuilla Mountain. Reiser (1996) reports this species from North Mountain, east of Hemet, along the summit fire road. CNDDB does not contain any occurrence data for this species.
The beautiful hulsea is restricted to the western slopes of the San Jacinto Mountains and the northern slopes of the Agua Tibia Mountains and the MSHCP Conservation Area configuration is expected to provide long-term conservation of the species. However, because the majority of the existing records are dated prior to 1970, Incidental Take of this species is not included in this permit until conservation of the species in the Plan Area has been demonstrated by reaching Objective 3 below .
The species-specific conservation objectives developed for this species are based upon the best available scientific information at the time of MSHCP preparation. Pursuant to Section 5.0 which includes Management, Monitoring and the Adaptive Management Program, the MSHCP's mitigation requirements will be monitored and analyzed to determine if they are producing the desired result. Based upon this information, the following species-specific conservation objectives will be adjusted if appropriate, as new information is gathered during Plan implementation. The Adaptive Management Program will be used to identify alternative strategies for meeting the MSHCP's general biological goals and objectives and, if necessary, adjusting future conservation strategies according to the information received.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 106,440 acres of suitable habitat (chaparral and montane coniferous forest between 915 and 3,050 m in the Agua Tibia and San Jacinto Mountains and Foothills Bioregions).
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 12 of the known occurrences at Lake Fulmor, Pine Cove, Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Pine Meadow and Lake Hemet.
Within the MSHCP Conservation Area, confirm 16 localities (locality in this sense is not smaller than one quarter section) with no fewer than 50 individuals each (unless a smaller population has been demonstrated to be self-sustaining).
Potential habitat for the beautiful hulsea includes chaparral and lower montane coniferous forests at elevations of 915 m to 3,050 in the San Jacinto Mountains and San Jacinto Foothills Bioregions within Western Riverside County.
Within this analysis, lower montane coniferous forest was categorized as montane coniferous forest. Based on these habitats, this elevation range and these Bioregions, the Plan Area supports approximately 142,500 acres of potential habitat for beautiful hulsea. Table 1 shows the conservation of potential habitat for beautiful hulsea. Overall, approximately 106,440 acres (75 percent) of potential habitat in the Plan Area will be conserved in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HABITAT CONSERVATION
BEAUTIFUL HULSEA
(Acres)
| Vegetation Type1 | MSHCP Plan Area (Acres) |
Within MSHCP conservation Area | Outside MSHCP conservation Area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria Area2 (Acres) |
Public/ Quasi-Public (Acres) |
Total Within MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Rural/ Mountainous (Acres) |
Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Total Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
||
| Chaparral (between 915 m and 3,050 m) | 114,290 | 5,400 | 82,030 | 87,430 | 7,340 | 19,520 | 26,860 |
| Montane coniferous forest (between 915 m and 3,050m) | 28,210 | – – | 19,010 | 19,010 | – – | 9,200 | 9,200 |
| TOTAL | 142,500 (100%) | 5,400 (4%) | 101,040 (71%) | 106,440 (75%) | 7,340 (5%) | 28,720 (20%) | 36,060 (25%) |
| 1 Vegetation includes the vegetation within the San Jacinto Mountains and Foothills and Agua Tibia Mountains Bioregions only. 2 Acres refer to Additional Reserve Lands to be assembled from within the Criteria Area. | |||||||
In order to conserve beautiful hulsea, at least 85,500 acres (60 percent) of the species potential habitat shall be conserved. Approximately 5,400 acres (less than 4 percent) of potential habitat are within the Criteria Area; therefore, approximately 80,100 acres (56 percent) of the potential habitat for beautiful hulsea within USFS lands shall be conserved for the species. A total of 101,040 acres of potential habitat for this species are present on Public/Quasi-Public Lands and will be included in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
Within the 101,040 acres of potential habitat within existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands, a total of 4,658 acres (5 percent) of potential habitat are designated as Wilderness Area and 7,796 acres (8 percent) are designated as Roadless Area that do not include Range Allotments.
The UCR database has 44 occurrences at 32 locations and the CNDDB does not include mapped locations for this species. Within the UCR database, 25 of the mapped locations are located in the existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands within the San Jacinto Mountains near of Lake Fulmor, Pine Cove, Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Pine Meadow and Hemet Lake in the San Jacinto Mountains, and on Cahuilla Mountain. Sixteen of the 25 occurrences are dated 1970 or earlier.
The MSHCP analysis indicates that beautiful hulsea can be conserved at the landscape level. Conserving large blocks of suitable habitat within the area of known occurrences will probably capture localities of beautiful hulsea.
Several large blocks of habitat supporting beautiful hulsea are located within the MSHCP Conservation Area, including suitable habitat in the San Jacinto and Agua Tibia Mountains and San Jacinto Foothills. Plant distribution and abundance may be influenced by pollinators, browsing activities, seed dispersal, germination, juxtaposition of suitable habitat patches, invasives and patch size. The Conservation Strategy for this species is based on the preservation of this species within a larger landscape that will provide for important life history functions.
In summary, conservation for this species will be achieved by inclusion of at least 106,440 acres of suitable Conserved Habitat and 25 known localities within large blocks of habitat in the MSHCP Conservation Area. In addition, implementation of Objective 3 for this species will provide new data to guide Reserve Assembly, management and monitoring.
Approximately 36,060 acres (25 percent) of potential habitat for beautiful hulsea will not be conserved. According to the UCR database and herbarium records, 19 of the mapped locations are located on private lands and will not be conserved. Of these 19 mapped locations, however, 18 are dated 1970 or earlier.
Data reviewed includes the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB); the University of California, Riverside (UCR), GIS database; herbarium specimens from the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens, Pomona and UCR; and available literature. The CNDDB does not include mapped locations for this species. The UCR GIS database and the herbaria have 44 records at 32 locations. Thirty-four of the occurrences are dated 1970 or earlier (the earliest mapped data point is from 1891).
Species-specific studies for beautiful hulsea have not been located or reviewed regarding genetics, habitat associations, reproduction, pollinators, germination, and dispersal. Taxonomic sources provide the primary literature source for this species.
Beautiful hulsea occurs on rocky (granitic) or gravelly soils in openings in chaparral and lower montane coniferous forests on dry slopes at elevations of 915 m to 3,050 m (Munz 1974; Wilken 1993; CNPS 2001; Wilken 1975). This species may be a fire-follower (Reiser 1996).
Beautiful hulsea is restricted to the San Jacinto, Palomar and Santa Rosa Mountains in San Diego County and Riverside County (Munz 1974; CNPS 2001).
Beautiful hulsea occurs in the vicinity of Lake Fulmor, Pine Cove, Idyllwild, Mountain Center, Pine Meadow and Hemet Lake in the San Jacinto Mountains; and on Cahuilla Mountain (UCR database). Reiser (1996) reports this species from North Mountain, east of Hemet, along the summit fire road.
The UCR database and herbarium records include 44 occurrences of this species in the Plan Area, 25 of which are located on Forest Service lands. However, 34 of these occurrences are dated prior to 1970 and need to be verified to ensure that the occurrences are still viable. CNDDB does not contain any occurrence data for this species. The Forest Service Assessment states that there are 15 known occurrences in the San Jacinto, Santa Rosa and Palomar Mountains. Core locations have not been identified for this species.
Genetics: Beautiful hulsea is one of six subspecies of Hulsea vestita that are differentiated by morphological characteristics, range and elevation (Wilken 1977). The genus Hulsea belongs to the Asteraceae (Munz 1974). Beautiful hulsea intergrades with Hulsea californica and H. heterochroma (Wilken 1993; Boyd and Banks 1995; Reiser 1996; Wilken 1975).
Reproduction: The compound flowers of beautiful hulsea bloom from May through October (Munz 1974; CNPS 2001). The disk flowers are perfect and the ray flowers are pistillate; both floral types are fertile. The ray flowers are 8 to 12 mm long, yellow on the inside and orange-red to red on the outside. The achenes are 5 to 7 mm long (Munz 1974).
Dispersal: No information regarding dispersal of this species was reviewed.
Demography: Beautiful hulsea is a herbaceous perennial that ranges in height from 0.4 to 2.5 dm in height (Munz 1974).
This species may be threatened by development within the foothill range (Reiser 1996).
This species may occur regularly as a fire follower, which may result in shifts in potential habitat (Reiser 1996).
Boyd, S. and D. Banks. 1995. A Botanical Assessment of the Agua Tibia Wilderness Area, Cleveland National Forest, California. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, California.
Munz, P.A. 1974. A Flora of Southern California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Reiser, C. H. 1996. Rare Plants of San Diego County. Unpublished. Aquafir Press, Imperial Beach, California.
Skinner M.W. and B.M. Pavlik. 1994. California Native Plant Society's Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California, Special Publication, 5th ed., California Native Plant Society.
Wilken, D. 1975. A Systematic Study of the Genus Hulsea (Asteraceae). Brittonia 27: 228-244.
Wilken, D. 1977. A New Subspecies of Hulsea vestita. Madroño. 24:48-55.
Wilken, D. 1993. The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California, J.C. Hickman, edit., University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 1086 pp.
USDA, 1999. Southern California Mountains and Foothills Assessment, Habitat and Species Conservation Issues. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-172.
Brand's phacelia (Phacelia stellaris)
State: None
Federal: None
CNPS: List 1B (RED Code 3-3-2)
Brand's phacelia is designated as a Group 3 species because of its limited geographic distribution and specialized habitat requirements, and management requirements for flood plain processes. There are only two known occurrences within the Plan Area. This species was collected at Fairmont Park in 1925 and was recently observed in the Santa Ana Wilderness Area. This species appears to be restricted to sandy benches along the Santa Ana River.
This is a species on the Narrow Endemic Plant List (Section 6.1.3) and surveys for Brand's phacelia will be conducted as part of the project review process for public and private projects within the Narrow Endemic Plant Species survey area where suitable habitat is present (see Narrow Endemic Plant Species Survey Area Map, Figure 6-1 of the MSHCP, Volume I). Brand's phacelia located as a result of survey efforts shall be conserved in accordance with procedures described within Section 6.1.3, MSHCP, Volume I.
The species-specific conservation objectives developed for this species are based upon the best available scientific information at the time of MSHCP preparation. Pursuant to Section 5.0 which includes Management, Monitoring and the Adaptive Management Program, the MSHCP's mitigation requirements will be monitored and analyzed to determine if they are producing the desired result. Based upon this information, the following species-specific conservation objectives will be adjusted if appropriate, as new information is gathered during Plan implementation. The Adaptive Management Program will be used to identify alternative strategies for meeting the MSHCP's general biological goals and objectives and, if necessary, adjusting future conservation strategies according to the information received.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 6,100 acres of suitable habitat (meadows/ marshes and playa/vernal pools between 5 and 500 m within the Riverside Lowlands Bioregion).
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least the two known localities of this species along the Santa Ana River at Fairmont Park and in the Santa Ana Wilderness Area.
Surveys for Brand's phacelia will be conducted as part of the project review process for public and private projects within the Narrow Endemic Plant Species survey area where suitable habitat is present (see Narrow Endemic Plant Species Survey Area Map, Figure 6-1 of the MSHCP, Volume I). Brand's phacelia located as a result of survey efforts shall be conserved in accordance with procedures described within Section 6.1.3, MSHCP, Volume I.
Suitable habitat for Brand's phacelia includes coastal dunes and/or coastal scrub in sandy openings, sandy benches, dunes, sandy washes, or flood plains of rivers and is restricted to clay soils at elevations between 0 and 400 m. For purposes of this analysis, potential habitat was considered to consist of coastal sage scrub between 5 and 400 m in the Riverside Lowlands Bioregion. Based on this habitat, elevation and Bioregion, the Plan Area supports approximately 17,900 acres of potential habitat for Brand's phacelia. Table 1 shows the conservation and loss of potential habitat for Brand's phacelia. Overall, approximately 6,100 acres (34%) of potential habitat in the Plan Area will be conserved in the Criteria Area or are within existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands.
Although 11,800 acres (66%) of potential habitat for Brand's phacelia will be outside the Criteria Area and existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands, this potential habitat is included within the Narrow Endemic Plant Species survey area and any additional populations within this survey area will be addressed in accordance with the procedures presented in the Narrow Endemic Plant Species policy described in Section 6.1.3 of the MSHCP, Volume I.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HABITAT CONSERVATION
BRAND'S PHACELIA
| Vegetation Type1 | MSHCP Plan Area (Acres) |
Within MSHCP conservation Area | Outside MSHCP conservation Area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria Area2 (Acres) |
Public/ Quasi-Public (Acres) |
Total Within MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Rural/ Mountainous (Acres) |
Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Total Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
||
| Coastal sage scrub (between 0 m and 400 m) | 17,900 | 4,640 | 1,460 | 6,100 | 1,880 | 9,920 | 11,800 |
| TOTAL | 17,900 | 4,640 (26%) | 1,460 (8%) | 6,100 (34%) | 1,880 (11%) | 9,920 (55%) | 11,800 (66%) |
| 1 Vegetation includes the vegetation within the Riverside lowlands Bioregion only. 2 Acres refer to Additional Reserve Lands to be assembled from within the Criteria Area. |
|||||||
The University of California, Riverside (UCR) database, the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) and the herbaria at UCR and Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens do not contain any mapped localities for this species in the Plan Area. Both known localities in the Plan Area will be conserved within the MSHCP Conservation Area: at Fairmont Park (1925 University of California, Berkeley herbarium record) and along a horse trail near the County Parks headquarters in the Santa Ana Wilderness Area (Sally Parry, USFWS, memorandum dated January 9, 2002).
The configuration of Criteria Area and existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands provides for conservation of blocks of suitable habitat along the Santa Ana River and provides linkages between areas of suitable habitat conservation. Implementation of the MSHCP, including conservation of suitable habitat and the two known localities in the Plan Area and implementation of the objectives for this species will achieve the conservation goal for this species.
In summary, conservation for this species will be achieved by inclusion of at least 6,100 acres of suitable Conserved Habitat and two known occurrences along the Santa Ana River (at Fairmont Park and along a horse trail in the Santa Ana Wilderness Area along the Santa Ana River) in the MSHCP Conservation Area. In addition, implementation of Objective 3 for this species will provide new data to guide Reserve Assembly, management and monitoring.
Approximately 11,800 acres of potential habitat for Brand's phacelia would not be included in the MSHCP Conservation Area. All of the known populations would be located inside the MSHCP Conservation Area.
Data reviewed includes the UCR database; the CNDDB; the CNPS Inventory; the herbaria at UCR and the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens; and other available literature, including the Jepson Manual. The CNDDB does not contain any mapped localities for this species in the Plan Area. One of the two known locations in the Plan Area dates from 1925 (University of California, Berkeley herbarium). Brand's phacelia was also observed along a horse trail near the County Parks headquarters in the Santa Ana Wilderness Area (Sally Parry, USFWS, memorandum dated January 9, 2002).
Brand's phacelia is primarily associated with coastal dunes and/or coastal scrub between 5 and 400 m. This species typically occurs in sandy openings, sandy benches, dunes, sandy washes, or flood plains of rivers (CNDDB 2001, CNPS 2001, Wilken et al. 1993).
Brand's phacelia was historically found in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego counties and northern coastal Baja California, Mexico (CNPS 2001; Reiser 1996). This species has been observed on the Santa Margarita Dunes at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County (BioSystems Analysis, Inc. 1994).
Within western Riverside County, Brand's phacelia is restricted to sandy benches along the Santa Ana River. This species was collected at Fairmont Park in 1925 (University of California, Berkeley herbarium). Brand's phacelia was also observed along a horse trail near the County Parks headquarters in the Santa Ana Wilderness Area (Sally Parry, USFWS, memorandum dated January 9, 2002). Core locations of this species have not been identified with the Planning Area.
Genetics: There are approximately 175 species of Phacelia in the family Hydrophyllaceae. Some Brand's phacelia plants from near the southeastern Western Traverse Range foothills are intermediate to Phacelia douglasii var. cryptantha (CNPS 2001; Wilken, et al. 1993). Based on variations in the corolla scales, Howell (1945) considers Brand's phacelia to be intermediate between P. douglasii and P. insularis.
Reproduction: Brand's phacelia produces a short, stiff, hairy flower that is widely bell-shaped and light blue to purplish in color. The ovoid fruit is approximately 4.5-6 mm in length. There are approximately eight to 20 pitted seeds per fruit, each seed is approximately 0.5-1 mm in size and (Howell 1945, Wilken, et al. 1993).
Dispersal: No seed dispersal mechanism is known for this species.
Demography: This small herbaceous annual is comprised of a puberulent stem which generally branches out at the base with light blue to purplish flowers. Brand's Phacelia grows to a height of six to 25 cm (Wilken, et al. 1993).
Brand's phacelia is extremely rare, with only one known occurrence in Riverside. Historical occurrences have been extirpated by development (CNPS 2001). This species is also susceptible to vehicle traffic and trampling (Zedler et al., 1997).
Within the Plan Area, this species appears to be restricted to sandy washes and/or benches in alluvial flood plains.
BioSystems Analysis, Inc. 1994. Coastal Dunes Vegetation Study USMC Camp Pendleton Phase I Report). Prepared for The Nature Conservancy.
CNDDB. 2001.
CNPS. 2001. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California (sixth edition). Rare Plant Scientific Advisory Committee, David P. Tibor, Convening Editor. California Native Plant Society. Sacramento, CA. x + 388 pp.
Howell, John T. 1945. Studies in Phacelia-Revision of Species Related to P. Douglasii, P. Linearis and P. Pringlei. The American Midland Naturalist. Vol. 33 (2), pp. 460-494.
Reiser, C. H. 1996. Rare Plants of San Diego County. Aquafir Press, Imperial Beach, CA.
Wilken, D., R. R. Halse, and R. W. Patterson. 1993. Phacelia. Pp. 691-706. In: Hickman, J. C., ed. The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Zedler, Paul, Sandy DeSimone, Jason Giessow, Dawn Lawson, Jesse Else and Shannon Bliss. 1997. The Plant Communities of Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, California. San Diego State University, Department of Biology, Ecology Program.
California beardtongue (Penstemon californicus)
State: None
Forest: San Bernardino National Forest Service Sensitive Species
Federal: None
CNPS: List 1B (RED Code 3-2-2)
California beardtongue is designated as a Group 2 species because it is restricted to the Desert Transition, San Jacinto Foothills, San Jacinto Mountains, and Santa Ana Mountains, primarily within USFS lands. Within the Plan Area, California beardtongue is restricted to chaparral, coniferous forest, and pinyon-juniper woodland habitats at elevations of 1,000 m to 2,100 m within the Desert Transition, San Jacinto Foothills, San Jacinto Mountains, and Santa Ana Mountains Bioregions. Specifically, the plant occurs on rocky or clay soils, in openings within chaparral adjacent to meadow habitat, openings within chaparral on ridgetops and in the ecotone between chaparral and lower montane coniferous forest.
The University of California, Riverside (UCR), GIS database has seven occurrences for this species, the UCR herbarium has two records for this species and the California Natural Diversity Database (CNNDB) has nine mapped occurrences within the San Jacinto Mountains, including Garner Valley, Pyramid Peak, Kenworthy Ranger Station and Blackburn Canyon; and two outlier locations: Cactus Valley and north of Sage.
California beardtongue is designated as a Forest Service Sensitive Species. Forest Service Sensitive Plants are protected through the implementation of Forest plans and the biological evaluation (BE) process, which considers the potential effects of Forest Service activities on these species.
The species-specific conservation objectives developed for this species are based upon the best available scientific information at the time of MSHCP preparation. Pursuant to Section 5.0 which includes Management, Monitoring and the Adaptive Management Program, the MSHCP's mitigation requirements will be monitored and analyzed to determine if they are producing the desired result. Based upon this information, the following species-specific conservation objectives will be adjusted if appropriate, as new information is gathered during Plan implementation. The Adaptive Management Program will be used to identify alternative strategies for meeting the MSHCP's general biological goals and objectives and, if necessary, adjusting future conservation strategies according to the information received.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 118,110 acres of suitable habitat (chaparral and montane coniferous forest between 1,000 and 2,100 m within the Desert Transition, San Jacinto Mountains and Foothills and Santa Ana Mountain Bioregions).
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 15 occurrences in Aguanga, Blackburn Canyon and the San Jacinto Mountains (including Garner Valley, Pyramid Peak, and Kenworthy Ranger Station).
Potential habitat for California beardtongue includes chaparral, coniferous forest, and pinyon-juniper woodland habitats at elevations of 1,000 m to 2,100 m within the Desert Transition, San Jacinto Foothills, San Jacinto Mountains, and Santa Ana Mountains Bioregions of Western Riverside County. Within this analysis, coniferous forest and pinyon-juniper woodlands were categorized as montane coniferous forest. Based on these habitats, this elevation range and these Bioregions, the Plan Area supports approximately 170,210 acres of potential habitat for California beardtongue. Table 1 shows the conservation of potential habitat for California beardtongue. Overall, approximately 118,110 acres (69 percent) of potential habitat in the Plan Area will be conserved in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HABITAT CONSERVATION
CALIFORNIA BEARDTONGUE
| Vegetation Type1 | MSHCP Plan Area (Acres) |
Within MSHCP conservation Area | Outside MSHCP conservation Area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria Area2 (Acres) |
Public/ Quasi-Public (Acres) |
Total Within MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Rural/ Mountainous (Acres) |
Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Total Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
||
| Chaparral (between 1,000 and 2,100 meters) | 146,140 | 7,160 | 95,950 | 103,110 | 4,820 | 38,210 | 43,030 |
| Montane coniferous Forest (between 1,000 and 2,100 meters) | 24,070 | – – | 15,000 | 15,000 | – – | 9,070 | 9,070 |
| TOTAL | 170,210 | 7,160 (4%) | 110,950 (65%) | 118,110 (69%) | 4,820 (3%) | 47,280 (28%) | 52,100 (31%) |
| 1 Vegetation includes the vegetation within the Desert Transition, San Jacinto Foothills, San Jacinto Mountain, and Santa Ana Mountain Bioregions only. 2 Acres refer to Additional Reserve Lands to be assembled from within the Criteria Area. | |||||||
In order to conserve California beardtongue, at least 102,126 acres (60 percent) of the species potential habitat shall be conserved for this species within the MSHCP Conservation Area. Approximately 7,160 acres (4 percent) of potential habitat are within the Criteria Area; therefore, approximately 95,318 acres (56 percent) of the potential habitat for California beardtongue within USFS lands will be conserved for the species. A total of 118,110 acres of potential habitat for this species are present on USFS lands and will be included in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
Within the 110,950 acres of potential habitat within existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands, a total of 4,168 acres (3 percent) of potential habitat are designated as Wilderness Area and 14,299 acres (8 percent) are designated as Roadless Area that do not include Range Allotments.
The CNDDB, UCR herbarium, and UCR database contain numerous occurrences for this species, primarily within the San Jacinto Mountains, but two outlier occurrences are known from Cactus Valley and north of Sage. These last two locations are suspect. Within the UCR database and UCR herbarium records, six of the mapped locations are located in the existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands within the San Jacinto Mountains. The two outlier localities (Cactus Valley and north of Sage) are not conserved within the MSHCP Conservation Area and one of the mapped locations in the San Jacinto Mountains occurs on private in-holdings and will not be conserved. Within the CNDDB, eight of the nine mapped locations are within Public/Quasi-Public Lands within the San Jacinto Mountains, particularly Garner Valley, Pyramid Peak and Kenworthy Ranger Station, Aguanga, and Blackburn Canyon.
Both the MSHCP and Forest Service assessment indicate that California beardtongue can be conserved at the landscape level. Therefore, conserving large blocks of land which contain suitable habitat will probably capture populations of California beardtongue. There are 15 documented occurrences of this species on Forest Service lands.
Several large blocks of habitat supporting California beardtongue are located within the MSHCP Conservation Area, including the Desert Transition, San Jacinto Foothills, San Jacinto Mountains, and Santa Ana Mountains Bioregions. This is a species found primarily on Forest Service lands in the San Jacinto Mountains. Other mapped occurrences are located in Cactus Valley and north of Sage. The USFS lands are organized into large blocks of habitat which will protect this species from edge effects, provide the species the potential to expand into suitable habitat, and allow for pollination to occur, if pollinators are important in the reproductive cycle of this species.
In summary, conservation for this species will be achieved by inclusion of at least 118,110 acres of suitable Conserved Habitat and 15 known localities in the San Jacinto Mountains within large blocks of habitat in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
Approximately 52,100 acres (31 percent) of potential habitat for California beardtongue will not be conserved. According to the UCR herbarium and UCR database, three of the mapped locations, including one locality in the San Jacinto Mountains and the two outliers in Cactus Valley and north of Sage will not be conserved. According to the CNDDB, one of the mapped locations is within a private in-holding in the San Jacinto Mountains approximately two miles north of the intersection of Highway 74 and Highway 371 and will not be conserved.
Data reviewed includes the CNDDB, the UCR herbarium, the UCR database, and available literature. The CNDDB, UCR herbarium and UCR database contain numerous occurrences for this species, primarily within the San Jacinto Mountains, but two outliers are known from Cactus Valley and north of Sage.
Species-specific studies for California beardtongue have not been located or reviewed regarding genetics, habitat associations, reproduction, pollinators, germination, and dispersal. Taxonomic sources provide the primary literature source for this species.
California beardtongue occurs on granitic and sandy soils and stony slopes in chaparral, coniferous forest, and pinyon-juniper woodland habitats (CNPS 2001; Holmgren 1993; Munz 1974; CNDDB 2000). California beardtongue co-occurs with Johnston's rock cress, Munz's mariposa lily and Ziegler's aster (Layia ziegleri) (CNDDB 2000).
California beardtongue is restricted to Riverside County and northern Baja California at elevations of 1,000 m to 2,100 m (CNPS 2001).
The majority of known occurrences for California beardtongue are in the San Jacinto Mountains, particularly Garner Valley, Pyramid Peak and Kenworthy Ranger Station. Other localities include Hemet Valley, the vicinity of the Diamond Valley Lake, Tenaja Road in the Santa Rosa Plateau MSHCP Conservation Area, Blackburn Canyon, Aguanga and Sage (Reiser 1996; UCR database; CNDDB 2000; Munz 1974). The CNNDB lists 12 occurrences for this species, nine of which are in the San Bernardino National Forest (San Jacinto Mountains). According to the UCR database and UCR herbarium, six of the mapped locations are within existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands in the San Jacinto Mountains. Two outlier localities have been recorded: Cactus Valley and north of Sage. Core locations of this species have not been identified within the Plan Area.
Genetics: California beardtongue is one of 27 species of Penstemon in the Scrophulariaceae. (Munz 1974). Specific genetic studies have not been conducted for this species.
Reproduction: The flowers are purple to blue in color (with a white, hairy throat) and bloom from May through June (Holmgren 1993; CNPS 2001). The many-seeded capsular fruits are septicidal (Holmgren 1993). No information regarding pollinators has been reviewed.
Dispersal: No information regarding dispersal of this species was reviewed.
Demography: This perennial herb has a spreading to ascending habit and ranges in height from 10 to 30 cm (Holmgren 1993).
This species is threatened by grazing, firebreak construction and maintenance, and residential development in Garner Valley (CNDDB 2000). The Forest Service Assessment states that some of the occurrences on the forest (Garner Valley) are located in an active grazing allotment, including portions of two occurrences which are protected by enclosures. The Assessment also notes that the main distribution of this species is in areas above those used by cattle for grazing.
A number of California beardtongue populations occur within the San Bernardino National Forest. This species can co-occur with Johnston's rockcress (Arabis johnstonii) and management of California beardtongue shall be considered jointly when it is found with Johnston's rockcress.
California Natural Diversity Database. 2000. Penstemon californicus. Unpublished Report, Natural Heritage Division, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, California.
Holmgren, N. 1993. The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California, J.C. Hickman, edit., University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 1086 pp.
Munz, P.A. 1974. A Flora of Southern California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Reiser, C. H. 1996. Rare Plants of San Diego County. Unpublished. Aquafir Press, Imperial Beach, California.
Skinner, M.W. and B.M. Pavlik. 1994. California Native Plant Society's Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California, Special Publication, 5th ed., California Native Plant Society.
USDA. 1999. Southern California Mountains and Foothills Assessment, Habitat and Species Conservation Issues. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-172.
California bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. primum)
State: None
Federal: None
Forest Service: Sensitive Species
CNPS: List 1B (RED Code 3-2-3)
California bedstraw is designated as a Group 2 species because it is restricted to the San Jacinto Mountains, primarily within USFS lands and because it has specific habitat requirements. Within the Plan Area, California bedstraw is restricted to the ecotone of chaparral and lower montane coniferous forest and in the lower edge of the pine belt at elevations of 1,350 m to 1,700 m within the San Jacinto Mountains Bioregion on USFS lands.
California bedstraw is designated as a Forest Service Sensitive Plant. Forest Service Sensitive Plants are protected through the implementation of Forest plans and the biological evaluation (BE) process, which considers the potential effects of Forest Service activities on these species.
The species-specific conservation objectives developed for this species are based upon the best available scientific information at the time of MSHCP preparation. Pursuant to Section 5.0 which includes Management, Monitoring and the Adaptive Management Program, the MSHCP's mitigation requirements will be monitored and analyzed to determine if they are producing the desired result. Based upon this information, the following species-specific conservation objectives will be adjusted if appropriate, as new information is gathered during Plan implementation. The Adaptive Management Program will be used to identify alternative strategies for meeting the MSHCP's general biological goals and objectives and, if necessary, adjusting future conservation strategies according to the information received.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 41,420 acres of suitable habitat (chaparral and montane coniferous forest between 1,350 and 1,700 m within the San Jacinto Mountains Bioregion).
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least four of the known occurrences of this species in the vicinity of Alvin Meadows between Pine Cove and Idyllwild in the San Jacinto Mountains.
Potential habitat for California bedstraw includes the ecotone of chaparral and lower montane coniferous forest and in the lower edge of the pine belt at elevations of 1,350 m to 1,700 m within the San Jacinto Mountains of Western Riverside County. Most of the known occurrences are within a small area in the San Jancinto Mountains (Stephenson, et.al 1999). Within this analysis, lower montane coniferous forest and the lower edge of the pine belt was categorized as montane coniferous forest. Based on these habitats, this elevation range and this Bioregion, the Plan Area supports approximately 50,600 acres of potential habitat for California bedstraw. Table 1 shows the conservation of potential habitat for California bedstraw. Overall, approximately 41,420 acres (82 percent) of potential habitat in the Plan Area is within existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HABITAT CONSERVATION
CALIFORNIA BEDSTRAW
| Vegetation Type1 | MSHCP Plan Area (Acres) |
Within MSHCP conservation Area | Outside MSHCP conservation Area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria Area2 (Acres) |
Public/ Quasi-Public (Acres) |
Total Within MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Rural/ Mountainous (Acres) |
Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Total Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
||
| Chaparral (between 1,350 m and 1,700 m) | 37,620 | – – | 33,420 | 33,420 | – – | 4,200 | 4,200 |
| Montane coniferous forest (between 1,350 mand 1,700 m) | 12,980 | – – | 8,000 | 8,000 | – – | 4,980 | 4,980 |
| TOTAL | 50,600 | 0 | 41,420 (82%) | 41,420 (82%) | 0 | 9,180 (18%) | 9,180 (18%) |
| 1 Vegetation includes the vegetation within the San Jacinto Mountains Bioregion only. 2 Acres refer to Additional Reserve Lands to be assembled from within the Criteria Area. | |||||||
Within the 41,420 acres of potential habitat within existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands, a total of 2,996 acres (6 percent) of potential habitat is designated as Wilderness Area and 2,765 acres (5 percent) is designated as Roadless Area that do not include Range Allotments.
The University of California, Riverside (UCR), GIS database, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens herbarium and California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) include seven occurrences of this species. Four of the mapped locations are located in the existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands within the San Jacinto Mountains between Pine Cove and Idyllwild. California bedstraw is known from the Alvin Meadows area of the San Jacinto Mountains in the San Bernardino National Forest (Dempster 1993; CNPS 2001).
Plant distribution and abundance may be influenced by pollinators, browsing activities, seed dispersal, germination, juxtaposition of suitable habitat patches, invasives and patch size. The Conservation Strategy for this species is based on the preservation of this species within a larger landscape that will provide for important life history functions.
Several large blocks of suitable habitat supporting California bedstraw are located within Public/Quasi-Public Lands, primarily USFS lands within the San Jacinto Mountains. As mentioned, approximately 41,420 acres (82 percent) of potential habitat in the Plan Area are within USFS lands. The USFS lands are organized into large blocks of habitat which will protect this species from edge effects, provide the species the potential to expand into suitable habitat, and allow for dispersal via animal vectors within suitable habitat.
In summary, conservation for this species will be achieved by inclusion of at least 41,420 acres of suitable Conserved Habitat and four known localities in the San Jacinto Mountains between Pine Cove and Idyllwild within large blocks of habitat in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
Approximately 9,180 acres (18 percent) of potential habitat for California bedstraw will not be conserved and will be subject to impacts consistent with the Plan. Within the UCR database, two of the mapped locations are located outside of the MSHCP Conservation Area within San Timoteo Canyon west of Beaumont and within the vicinity of the Diamond Valley Lake. According to the CNDDB, one of the mapped location within the San Jacinto Mountains is located within a private in-holding and will not be conserved.
Data reviewed includes the UCR database, the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens herbarium, the CNDDB and available literature. The UCR database and CNDDB include four occurrences in the San Jacinto Mountains in the vicinity of Alvin Meadows between Pine Cove and Idyllwild. One disjunct occurrence was mapped in San Timoteo Canyon west of Beaumont and one in the vicinity of Diamond Valley Lake. These disjunct localities will not be verified. The CNDDB (2000) also includes a description of a site in Reche Canyon very close to the border between Riverside County and San Bernardino County; this occurrence was not included in the mapping data. Species-specific studies for California bedstraw have not been located or reviewed regarding genetics, habitat associations, reproduction, pollinators, germination and dispersal. Taxonomic sources provide the primary literature source for this species.
California bedstraw occurs on granitic or sandy soils in shaded areas at the ecotone of chaparral and lower montane coniferous forest and in the lower edge of the pine belt (CNPS 2001; CNDDB 2000).
The distribution of this subspecies is limited to elevations of 1,350 to 1,700 m on the western side of the San Jacinto Mountains in western Riverside County and San Bernardino County (CNPS 2001; CNDDB 2000; Dempster 1993).
California bedstraw is known from the Alvin Meadows area of the San Jacinto Mountains in the San Bernardino National Forest (Dempster 1993; CNPS 2001). The UCR database includes a mapped locality in San Timoteo Canyon west of Beaumont and vicinity of Diamond Valley Lake. The CNDDB (2000) also includes a description of a site in Reche Canyon very close to the border between Riverside County and San Bernardino County; this occurrence was not included in the mapping data. Localities on non-Forest Service lands will not be verified as most sources describe the range of G. californicum ssp. primum as limited to the San Jacinto Mountains (CNPS 2001; Dempster 1993; Munz 1974). Core locations of this species have not been identified within the Plan Area.
Genetics: The genus Galium is in the Rubiaceae. G. californicum ssp. primum is one of seven subspecies of G. californicum (Dempster 1993). G. californicum ssp. primum is 2n=22; the other subspecies of G. californicum are 2n=44 or 2n=88. G. californicum ssp. primum hybridizes with G. nuttallii, also 2n=22 (Dempster 1993; CNDDB 2000). Genetic studies for this species have not been reviewed.
Reproduction: California bedstraw blooms from May through July (CNPS 2001). The staminate flowers occur in small clusters. The pistillate flowers occur singly in the leaf axils. The rotate corollas are yellow (Dempster 1993).
Dispersal: Fertilized California bedstraw flowers produce berries sparsely covered with hair (Dempster 1993). Therefore, it is assumed that dispersal by animal vectors is possible.
Demography: California bedstraw has a relatively tufted or decumbent habit and ranges in height from 9 to 16 cm. The leaves occur in whorls of four (4 to 12 mm long) (Dempster 1993).
This species is threatened by genetic swamping by Galium nuttallii (CNDDB 2000).
California bedstraw occurs in swarms with G. nuttallii in the San Jacinto Mountains (CNDDB 2000). G. nuttallii, which shares a number of morphological characters with California bedstraw, has a similar habitat (chaparral and coniferous forest), imperfect flowers, berry fruits (although glabrous) and whorls of four leaves.
California Natural Diversity Database. 2000. Galium californicum ssp. primum. Unpublished Report, Natural Heritage Division, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, California.
Dempster, L. 1993. The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California, J.C. Hickman, edit., University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 1086 pp.
Munz, P. 1974. A Flora of Southern California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California. 1086 pp.
Skinner M.W. and B.M. Pavlik. 1994. California Native Plant Society's Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California, Special Publication, 5th ed., California Native Plant Society.
Stephenson, John R., Gena M. Calcarone. 1999. Southern California mountains and foothills assessment: habitat and species conservation issues. General Technical Report GTR-PSW-172. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, US Dept. of Agriculture; 402p.
California black walnut (Juglans californica var. californica)
State: None
Federal: None
Forest Service: Local Viability Concern
CNPS: List 4 ( R-E-D code 1-2-3)
California black walnut is designated as a Group 2 species because of its specialized habitat requirements and limited distribution within the Plan Area. California black walnut is restricted to woodlands and forests below 900 m. Scattered individual trees exist on the Santa Rosa Plateau and east of Pedley along Cimonite Avenue and west of Rubidoux, immediately north of the Highway 60. These are introduced occurrences (Steve Boyd, pers. comm.). Other records include occurrences in the Santa Ana Mountains (south of Corona and west of El Cerrito), at Lake Skinner and near Steele Peak. Seven of the known occurrences will be conserved in the Santa Ana Mountains, at Lake Skinner and in the vicinity of Pedley.
The species-specific conservation objectives developed for this species are based upon the best available scientific information at the time of MSHCP preparation. Pursuant to Section 5.0 which includes Management, Monitoring and the Adaptive Management Program, the MSHCP's mitigation requirements will be monitored and analyzed to determine if they are producing the desired result. Based upon this information, the following species-specific conservation objectives will be adjusted if appropriate, as new information is gathered during Plan implementation. The Adaptive Management Program will be used to identify alternative strategies for meeting the MSHCP's general biological goals and objectives and, if necessary, adjusting future conservation strategies according to the information received.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 6,100 acres of suitable habitat (riparian scrub forests and woodland/forest and (non-riparian) woodlands below 900 m within the Santa Ana Mountains Bioregion).
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least seven known occurrences of this species within the Santa Ana Mountains, at Lake Skinner, at the Santa Rosa Plateau and one east of Pedley.
Plant communities which provide potential habitat for California black walnut were considered to include woodlands and forests, including riparian woodlands, where they occur below 900 m in the Santa Ana Mountains Bioregion of Riverside County. Based on this assumption, the Plan Area supports approximately 9,930 acres of potential habitat for California black walnut. Table 1 shows the conservation and loss of potential habitat for California black walnut; overall, approximately 6,100 acres (61 percent) of potential habitat in the Plan Area will be conserved in the Criteria Area or existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands. It is assumed that these public lands will be managed for the conservation of biological resources, including California black walnut. Seven of the known occurrences will be conserved in the MSHCP Conservation Area in the Santa Ana Mountains, at Lake Skinner and in the vicinity of Pedley.
A total of 3,260 acres (33 percent) of potential habitat for California black walnut is located outside the MSHCP Conservation Area in areas designated for rural/mountainous land uses, which will permit 1 DU/10, 20, or 40 acres depending on slope. Although these areas will not be part of the managed MSHCP Conservation Area, the anticipated levels of development and land use practices in these areas may be consistent with maintaining California black walnut in the Rural Mountainous designation areas.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HABITAT CONSERVATION
CALIFORNIA BLACK WALNUT
| Vegetation Type1 | MSHCP Plan Area (Acres) |
Within MSHCP conservation Area | Outside MSHCP conservation Area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria Area2 (Acres) |
Public/ Quasi-Public (Acres) |
Total Within MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Rural/ Mountainous (Acres) |
Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Total Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
||
| Riparian scrub, woodland, and forest below 900 m | 1,280 | 120 | 930 | 1,050 | 170 | 60 | 230 |
| (non-riparian) woodlands and forests below 900 m | 8,650 | 930 | 4,120 | 5,050 | 3,090 | 510 | 3,600 |
| TOTAL | 9,930 | 1,050 (10%) | 5,050 (51%) | 6,100 (61%) | 3,260 (33%) | 570 (6%) | 3,830 (39%) |
| 1 Vegetation type includes data from the Santa Ana Mountains Bioregion. 2 Acres refer to Additional Reserve Lands to be assembled from within the Criteria Area. | |||||||
MSHCP Conservation Area configuration provides for conservation of the majority of potential habitat for the species and provides linkages between Core Areas of habitat conservation. The Santa Ana Mountains, within which this species is primarily located, are a focus of conservation in large habitat blocks as part of the MSHCP. Large blocks of habitat will protect this species from edge effects, and provide the species the potential to expand into suitable habitat. Plant distribution and abundance may be influenced by browsing activities, seed dispersal, germination, juxtaposition of suitable habitat patches, invasives and patch size. The Conservation Strategy for this species is based on the preservation of this species within a larger landscape that will provide for important life history functions.
In summary, conservation for this species will be achieved by inclusion of at least 6,100 acres of suitable Conserved Habitat and seven known localities within large blocks of habitat in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
Approximately 3,830 acres (39 percent) of potential habitat for California black walnut will be outside of the MSHCP Conservation Area. Of this, approximately 3,260 acres (33 percent of total potential habitat) will be within Rural Mountainous designation areas. Although these areas will not be part of the managed MSHCP Conservation Area, the levels of development anticipated in these areas may be consistent with maintaining California black walnut in these areas. Seven of the known occurrences (near Steele Mountain and scattered occurrences near Pedley) will not be conserved in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
Data reviewed includes the University of California, Riverside (UCR), GIS database, the California Natural Diversity Data Base (CNDDB 2001) and the herbaria at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens and UCR and available literature. There are 14 records of California black walnut in the Plan Area. All additional information regarding distribution was based upon various literature sources.
Swanson (1967) provides the most comprehensive discussion of the distribution of California walnut throughout southern California, while Mullally (1992) describes the specific distribution in the eastern Santa Susana mountains, Los Angeles County. Bowler (1989) and Quinn (1989) supply valuable information concerning the ecology, management requirements and research gaps for this species. Keeley (1990) summarizes the demographic structure of California black walnut.
California black walnut utilizes a variety of habitats in southern California, typically on deep, friable tertiary marine shales that have a high water-holding capacity (Keeley 1990; Holstein 1981). Scattered individuals commonly co-occur with laurel sumac (Malosma laurina) on alluvium located at the base of hills and in canyons. Individuals also occur infrequently on south-facing slopes, and more commonly, on west-facing slopes (Mullally 1992). On mesic north-facing slopes this walnut is primarily a member of open woodlands of various types and sometimes produces pure stands (Mullally 1992). It is sometimes present within coastal sage scrub and rarely occurs in chaparral.
Along intermittent streams California black walnut tolerates high salinity and alkalinity (Mullally 1992). In these riparian corridors, this species prefers the dryer slopes that are almost never prone to flooding and erosional activity yet are in close proximity to groundwater, and seasonal surface water. Black walnut riparian woodlands in southern California may be dominated by California black walnut alone or walnuts associated with sclerophyllous evergreen trees that include California live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) (Keeley 1990). In oak-walnut forests, especially those with a preponderance of coast live oak, this species often is located on the periphery of the woodland where is can obtain sufficient sunlight (Mullally 1992). Engelmann oaks occasionally co-occur with this species in various settings.
California black walnut is a low growing hardwood tree endemic to southern California (Keeley 1990). Swanson (1976) determined the range of this species to be north of Santa Barbara County with specimens located in San Luis Obispo County, inland of Cambria, to the southeast along the Santa Ana River (Orange County), eastward to Riverside County, and as far east as Yucaipa in San Bernardino County. Extant walnut-dominated woodlands and forests are limited to the Santa Clarita River drainage in the vicinity of Sulphur Mountain, small stands in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains, the San Jose Hills, Puente Hills, and Chino Hills (Griffin and Critchfield 1972; Quinn 1989). Outside of this range in Santa Barbara County, western San Bernardino County, and south to San Diego County, California black walnut occur mixed with other of trees, especially oaks (Quinn 1989). This species grows on marine shales typically between 150 and 900 meters in elevation (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995).
California black walnut has been documented in several locations within western Riverside County. The majority of stands in the Plan Area occur on the eastern and western subregions of the Santa Rosa Plateau of the Santa Ana Mountains according to the UC Riverside database. Scattered individual trees exist east of Pedley along Cimonite Avenue and west of Rubidoux, immediately north of the Highway 60. This species has one core location within the Plan Area: on the Santa Rosa Plateau within the Nature Conservancy Preserve.
Genetics: California black walnut is one of two native-Californian species in the genus Juglans of the walnut family (Juglandaceae) (Munz 1974 and McAuley 1996). Putative hybrids between California black walnut and the exotic English walnut (J. regia) were reported by Swanson (1967), although Keeley (1990) did not observe any during a site assessment of Sulphur Mountain.
Reproduction: California black walnut is a deciduous tree that flowers from March to May. Fruits develop to full size in the spring and reach full maturity in the fall (Quinn 1989). California walnut seedlings appear in the spring; seedling densities of 2,000 per hectare have been measured in Ventura County (Swanson 1967). Seedlings mature rapidly in moist, sunny conditions. Sprouting is common at the base of burned trees or when a trunk dies, breaks, or is cut.
Dispersal: Mature walnut fruits are actively sought and subsequently stored, buried or eaten by both California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) and western gray squirrels (Sciurus griseus) (Quinn 1989).
Demography: Keeley(1990) concluded from an assessment of the demographic structure of the species that the oldest surviving individuals were nearing 100 years. Moreover, 50 percent of the trees were estimated to be seedlings, suggesting a high mortality rate. In the San Jose Hills, trees older than 20 to 30 years tend to develop heart rot, with the interior portions of the trunk and older limbs becoming infested with termites, wood-boring beetles, and fungi (Quinn 1989).
Due to urban sprawl much of the California black walnut woodland has been destroyed or is threatened, and it is considered to be one of California's rare and imperiled natural communities (Jones and Stokes Associates 1987). Additionally, cattle as well as other livestock pose a significant threat to the regeneration of the species by preventing the establishment of seedlings by crushing seeds and compacting soil, or eliminating seedlings through trampling. As a result of these combined activities, California black walnut is now considered to be a custodial species, which is defined by Quinn (1989) as a species with a remnant natural population found only within MSHCP Conservation Areas of limited size.
This species requires full sunlight and wet, summer conditions for successful propagation (Holstein 1981). Fire is considered to be important for regeneration since it produces bare ground where sufficient sunlight exists for the establishment of seedlings and triggers the production of new sprouts at the base of trees.
Bowler, P. A. 1989. Riparian Woodlands: an Endangered Habitat in Southern California. Pages 80-97 in A.A. Schoenherr, editor. Proceedings of the 15th Annual Symposium of the Endangered Plant Communities of Southern California, California State University, Fullerton.
Griffin, J. R. and W. B. Critchfield. 1972. The Distribution of Forest Trees in California. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest Range Experiment Station, Research Paper PSW-82.
Holstein, G. 1981. California Riparian Forests: Deciduous Islands in an Evergreen Sea. Pages 2-23 in R.E. Warner and K. M. Hendrix, editors. California Riparian Species: Ecology, Conservation and Productive Management. University of California Press, Los Angeles, California.
Jones and Stokes Associates. 1987. Sliding Towards Extinction: the State of California''s Natural Heritage. Jones and Stokes, Sacramento, California.
Keeley, J. E. 1990. Demographic Structure of California Black Walnut (Juglans californica) Woodlands in Southern California. Madrono 37:237-248.
Mullally, D. 1992. The Distribution and Environmental Relations of California Black Walnut (Juglans californica) in the Eastern Santa Susana Mountains, Los Angeles County. Crossosoma 18:1-17.
Munz, P. A. 1974. A Flora of Southern California. University of California Press, Los Angeles, California.
Quinn, R. D. 1989. The Status of Walnut Forests and Woodlands (Juglans californica) in Southern California. Pages 42-54 in A.A. Schoenherr, editor. Proceedings of the 15th Annual Symposium of the Endangered Plant Communities of Southern California, California State University, Fullerton.
Sawyer, J. O. and T. Keeler-Wolf. 1995. A Manual of California Vegetation. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, California.
Additional References
Swanson, C. J. 1976. The Ecology and Distribution of Juglans californica in Southern California. Masters Thesis. California State University, Los Angeles.
Jepson, W. L. 1908. The Distribution of Juglans californica. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 7:23-24.
Jepson, W. L. 1917. The Native Walnuts of California. Madroño 1:55-57.
Lathrop, E. W. and R. F. Thorne. 1985. A Flora of the Santa Rosa Plateau, Southern California. Southern California Botanists Special Publication No. 1.
California muhly (Muhlenbergia californica)
State: None
Federal: None
CNPS: List 1B (RED Code 2-2-3)
California muhly is designated as a Group 2 species because of its wide distribution within specific habitat associations. The species is known from Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Gavilan Hills, Gavilan Plateau, Prado Dam, La Paz Canyon, Temescal Canyon, and Sitton Peak.
The CNDDB does not contain any mapped locations for this species in the Plan Area but does contain several written records. The UCR database does not include any occurrences in the Plan Area but does contain one mapped locality to the east of the Plan Area.
The distribution of California muhly is patchy and poorly understood and the existing records are not believed to be indicative of the distribution of this species. Incidental Take of this species is not included in this permit until conservation of the species in the Plan Area has been demonstrated by reaching Objective 3 below .
The species-specific conservation objectives developed for this species are based upon the best available scientific information at the time of MSHCP preparation. Pursuant to Section 5.0 which includes Management, Monitoring and the Adaptive Management Program, the MSHCP's mitigation requirements will be monitored and analyzed to determine if they are producing the desired result. Based upon this information, the following species-specific conservation objectives will be adjusted if appropriate, as new information is gathered during Plan implementation. The Adaptive Management Program will be used to identify alternative strategies for meeting the MSHCP's general biological goals and objectives and, if necessary, adjusting future conservation strategies according to the information received.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 368,200 acres of suitable habitat (coastal sage scrub, chaparral, meadow/marsh and montane coniferous forest between 100 and 2,000 m within all Bioregions).
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area the known locations at Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Prado Dam, Temescal Canyon, and Sitton Peak.
Within the MSHCP Conservation Area, confirm 10 localities (locality in this sense is not smaller than one quarter section) containing at least 50 clumps (unless a smaller population has been demonstrated to be self-sustaining).
For the purpose of the conservation analysis, potential habitat for the California muhly includes chaparral, coastal sage scrub, montane coniferous forest, meadow, and meadow/marshes between 100 and 2,000 m. All Bioregions in the Plan Area were included. Based on these habitats, the Plan Area supports approximately 589,560 acres of potential habitat for the California muhly. Table 1 shows the conservation and loss of potential habitat for the California muhly. Overall, approximately 368,200 acres (62 percent) of potential habitat in the Plan Area will be conserved in the Criteria Area or existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands. It is assumed that these lands will be managed for biological resources, including California muhly.
Recent Forest Service documentation indicates that California Muhly is only found in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains of the Plan Area (Stephenson and Calcarone 1999). Locations reported near the Cleveland National Forest may be questionable.
Known populations are described in written accounts only; no point locations are available (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, unpublished data). The written accounts indicate that the species is present in the following general areas: Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Gavilan Hills, Gavilan Plateau, Prado Dam, La Paz Canyon, Temescal Canyon, and Sitton Peak. Of these locations, most
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HABITAT CONSERVATION
CALIFORNIA MUHLY
| Vegetation Type1 | MSHCP Plan Area (Acres) |
Within MSHCP conservation Area | Outside MSHCP conservation Area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria Area2 (Acres) |
Public/ Quasi-Public (Acres) |
Total Within MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Rural/ Mountainous (Acres) |
Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Total Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
||
| Chaparral (between 100 - 2,000m) |
412,110 (70%) |
64,860 (11%) |
206,150 (35%) | 271,010 (46%) |
59,230 (10%) |
81,570 (14%) |
141,100 (24%) |
| Coastal Sage Scrub (between 100 - 2,000m) |
152,540 (26%) |
47,130 (8%) |
34,510 (6%) |
81,640 (14%) |
26,230 (5%) |
44,670 (8%) |
70,900 (12%) |
| Meadow (between 100 - 2,000m) |
470 (0.1%) |
– – | 60 (<0.1%) |
60 (<0.1%) |
20 (<0.1%) |
390 (0.1%) |
400 (0.1%) |
| Meadow/Marshes (between 100 - 2,000m) |
470 (0.1%) |
170 (<0.1%) |
240 (<0.1%) |
410 (0.1%) |
– – | 60 (<0.1%) |
60 (0.1%) |
| Montane Coniferous Forest (between 100 - 2,000m) |
23,980 (4%) |
20 (<0.1%) |
15,060 (3%) |
15,080 (3%) |
40 (<0.1%) |
8,850 (2%) |
8,900 (2%) |
| TOTAL | 589,560 | 112,180 (19%) | 256,020 (43%) | 368,200 (62%) | 85,820 (15%) | 135,540 (23%) | 221,350 (38%) |
| 1 Vegetation type includes vegetation from all Bioregions within the Plan Area. 2 Acres refer to Additional Reserve Lands to be assembled from within the Criteria Area. | |||||||
(Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Prado Dam, Temescal Canyon, and Sitton Peak) are areas of significant conservation either through establishment of the Criteria Area or existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands.
In order to adequately conserve California muhly, at least 368,200 acres (62 percent) of the species potential habitat shall be conserved. Approximately 112,180 acres (19 percent) of potential habitat are within the Criteria Area; therefore, approximately 256,020 acres (43 percent) of the potential habitat for California muhly within the Public/Quasi-Public Lands designation, including USFS lands in the Cleveland and San Bernardino National Forests shall be conserved for the species.
Within the256,020 acres of potential habitat within existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands, a total of 35,363 acres (6 percent) of potential habitat is designated as Wilderness Area and 28,713 acres (5 percent) is designated as Roadless Areas that do not include Range Allotments.
Additional conservation of California muhly will result from implementation of the Protection of Species Associated with Riparian/Riverine Areas and Vernal Pools Policy (Section 6.1.2). The species is dependent on moist soils and is most often found near mesic seeps or along streambanks. Although not typically found in wetlands, California muhly often may be found on the edge of wetlands.
MSHCP Conservation Area configuration provides for conservation of the majority of potential habitat for the species and provides linkages between large blocks of potential and occupied habitat (at Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Gavilan Hills, Gavilan Plateau, near Prado Dam, Temescal Canyon, and Sitton Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains).
In summary, conservation for this species will be achieved by inclusion of at least 368,200 acres of suitable Conserved Habitat and ten known localities within large blocks of habitat (at Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Gavilan Hills, Gavilan Plateau, near Prado Dam, Temescal Canyon, and the Santa Ana Mountains) in the MSHCP Conservation Area. In addition, implementation of Objective 3 for this species will provide new data to guide Reserve Assembly, management and monitoring.
Approximately 221,350 acres of potential habitat will not be included in the MSHCP Conservation Area. This species occurs at Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Gavilan Hills, Gavilan Plateau, near Prado Dam, La Paz Canyon, Temescal Canyon, and Sitton Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Unpublished Data). Some or all of the occurrences at these localities may be conserved within the MSHCP Conservation Area.
Data reviewed includes the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) and the University of California, Riverside, GIS database, and available literature. The CNDDB does not contain any mapped locations for this species in the Plan Area but does contain several written records. The UCR database does not include any occurrences in the Plan Area but does contain one mapped locality to the east of the Plan Area. This species occurs at Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Gavilan Hills, Gavilan Plateau, near Prado Dam, La Paz Canyon, Temescal Canyon, and Sitton Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Unpublished Data).
Species-specific studies for this species have not been located or reviewed regarding genetics, habitat associations, reproduction, pollinators, germination, and dispersal. Taxonomic sources provide the primary literature source for this species.
California muhly occurs in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, lower coniferous forest and meadows, usually near mesic seeps or along streambanks (CNPS 2001).
California muhly is known from Los Angeles County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County at elevations between 100 to 2,000 m (CNDDB 2000; CNPS 2001; Peterson 1993).
This species occurs at Sage, Aguanga, Estelle Mountain, Gavilan Hills, Gavilan Plateau, near Prado Dam, La Paz Canyon, Temescal Canyon, and Sitton Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Unpublished Data). Core locations of this species have not been identified within the Plan Area.
Systematics: California muhly is one of 18 species of Muhlenbergia and belongs to the Poaceae (Peterson 1993). The diploid number (2n) for this species is 80 (Peterson 1993). No species-specific studies have been reviewed for this species regarding genetics.
Reproduction: This species blooms from July through September (Munz 1974; CNPS 2001). The inflorescence is narrow with ascending to erect branches that are 5 to 13 cm long. The glumes are 2.5 to 4 mm and the lemma is 2.8 to 4 mm. California muhly can also reproduce vegetatively with creeping rhizomes (Peterson 1993).
Dispersal: No information regarding dispersal was reviewed for this species.
Demography: This perennial herb is rhizomatous (CNPS 2001). The rhizomes are short, scaly and creeping (Peterson 1993). The stems range in height from 3 to 7 dm (Peterson 1993).
California muhly is threatened by development, road construction, grazing, and recreational activities (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Unpublished Data).
This perennial bunchgrass is rhizomatous and restricted to moist soils.
California Natural Diversity Database. 2000. Muhlenbergia californica. Unpublished Report, Natural Heritage Division, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, California.
Munz, P.A. 1974. A Flora of Southern California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Peterson, P. 1993. The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California, J.C. Hickman, edit., University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Skinner M.W. and B.M. Pavlik. 1994. California Native Plant Society''s Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California, Special Publication, 5th ed., California Native Plant Society.
California Orcutt grass (Orcuttia californica)
State: Endangered
Federal: Endangered
CNPS: List 1B (RED Code 3-3-2)
California Orcutt grass is designated as a Group 3 species because of its limited geographic distribution and specialized habitat requirements and management requirements for floodplain processes. This species is primarily restricted to the southern basaltic claypan vernal pools at the Santa Rosa Plateau, and alkaline vernal pools at Skunk Hollow and at Salt Creek west of Hemet.
This is a species on the Narrow Endemic Plant List (Section 6.1.3) and surveys for California Orcutt grass will be conducted as part of the project review process for public and private projects within the Narrow Endemic Plant Species survey area where suitable habitat is present (see Narrow Endemic Plant Species Survey Area Map, Figure 6-1 of the MSHCP, Volume I). California Orcutt grass located as a result of survey efforts shall be conserved in accordance with procedures described within Section 6.1.3, MSHCP, Volume I.
The species-specific conservation objectives developed for this species are based upon the best available scientific information at the time of MSHCP preparation. Pursuant to Section 5.0 which includes Management, Monitoring and the Adaptive Management Program, the MSHCP's mitigation requirements will be monitored and analyzed to determine if they are producing the desired result. Based upon this information, the following species-specific conservation objectives will be adjusted if appropriate, as new information is gathered during Plan implementation. The Adaptive Management Program will be used to identify alternative strategies for meeting the MSHCP's general biological goals and objectives and, if necessary, adjusting future conservation strategies according to the information received.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 6,680 acres of suitable habitat (playas and vernal pools within the Riverside Lowlands Bioregion of the MSHCP Conservation Area).
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least three of the known locations of California Orcutt grass at the Santa Rosa Plateau, at Skunk Hollow and in the upper Salt Creek drainage west of Hemet.
Surveys for the California Orcutt grass will be conducted as part of the project review process for public and private projects within the Narrow Endemic Plant Species survey area where suitable habitat is present (see Narrow Endemic Plant Species Survey Area Map, Figure 6-1, of the MSHCP, Volume I). California Orcutt grass located as a result of survey efforts shall be conserved in accordance with procedures described within Section 6.1.3 of the MSHCP, Volume I.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area the watershed of the vernal pool complex on the Santa Rosa Plateau and the vernal pool occurrences at Skunk Hollow and Upper Salt Creek in order to maintain hydrologic conditions.
Suitable habitat for California Orcutt grass is limited to vernal pools in association with clay or alkali soils. For the purpose of the conservation analysis, potential habitat was considered to be playas and vernal pools within the Riverside Lowlands Bioregion. There is no acreage coverage for vernal pools within the Santa Rosa Plateau. Based on these habitats, the Plan Area supports approximately 7,810 acres of potential habitat for California Orcutt grass. Table 1 shows the conservation and loss of potential habitat for California Orcutt grass (not including the Santa Rosa Plateau). Overall, approximately 6,680 acres (86 percent) of potential habitat in the Plan Area will be conserved in the Criteria Area or existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands. It is assumed that these lands will be managed for biological resources, including California Orcutt grass.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HABITAT CONSERVATION
CALIFORNIA ORCUTT GRASS
| Vegetation Type1 | MSHCP Plan Area (Acres) |
Within MSHCP conservation Area | Outside MSHCP conservation Area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria Area2 (Acres) |
Public/ Quasi-Public (Acres) |
Total Within MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Rural/ Mountainous (Acres) |
Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Total Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
||
| Playas and Vernal Pools | 7,620 | 3,830 | 2,870 | 6,680 | 0 | 1,130 | 1,130 |
| TOTAL | 7,810 | 3,830 (49%) | 2,870 (37%) | 6,680 (86%) | 0 (0%) | 1,130 (14%) | 1,130 (14%) |
| 1 Within the Riverside Lowlands Bioregion. 2 Acres refer to Additional Reserve Lands to be assembled from within the Criteria Area. | |||||||
Although 1,130 acres (14 percent) of potential habitat for California Orcutt grass will be outside the Criteria Area and existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands, 940 acres (12 percent) of this habitat is included within the Narrow Endemic Plant Species survey area and any additional populations within this survey area will be addressed in accordance with the procedures presented in the Narrow Endemic Plant Species policy described in Section 6.1.3 of the MSHCP, Volume I.
As stated above, California Orcutt grass is associated with alkali (Domino, Willows and Traver) and basaltic clay soils. Within the Mystic Lake, San Jacinto River and Salt Creek areas, there are approximately 8,270 acres of these soil types on agricultural land, grassland, playas and vernal pools, and meadows and marshes. Table 2 shows the conservation and loss of Traver, Domino and Willows soils. Approximately 7,340 (40 percent) of these soils will be conserved in the MSHCP Conservation Area or existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands. Of the 10,910 acres of alkali soils that will not be conserved in the MSHCP Conservation Area, 670 acres (4 percent) of this habitat is included within the Narrow Endemic Plant Species survey area.
The two Core Areas, Upper Salt Creek west of Hemet and the Santa Rosa Plateau, will be conserved within the Criteria Area and existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands. The population complex at Skunk Hollow and the population near the intersection of Benton Road and Borel Road will also be conserved within the MSHCP Conservation Area. The unverified occurrence of this species west of the Santa Rosa Plateau may or may not be conserved. The Narrow Endemic Plant Species policy described in Section 6.1.3 also provides the opportunity for conservation of additional California Orcutt grass populations that occur or may be identified within the Narrow Endemics Plant Species survey area.
TABLE 2
SUMMARY OF SOIL CONSERVATION CALIFORNIA ORCUTT GRASS
| Soil Type | MSHCP Plan Area1 (Acres) | Within MSHCP conservation Area | Outside MSHCP conservation Area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria Area2 (Acres) |
Public/ Quasi-Public (Acres) |
Total Within MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Rural/ Mountainous (Acres) |
Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
Total Outside MSHCP Conservation Area (Acres) |
||
| Domino | 5,060 | 570 | 270 | 840 | 0 | 4,220 | 4,220 |
| Traver | 7,640 | 1,300 | 810 | 2,110 | 0 | 5,530 | 5,530 |
| Willows | 5,550 | 2,870 | 1,520 | 4,390 | 0 | 1,160 | 1,160 |
| TOTAL | 18,250 | 4,740(26%) | 2,600 (14%) | 7,340 (40%) | 0 (0%) | 10,910 (60%) | 10,910 (60%) |
| 1 Within the Mystic Lake, San Jacinto River and Salt Creek areas on agricultural land, grassland, playas and vernal pools, and meadows and marshes. 2 Acres refer to Additional Reserve Lands to be assembled from within the Criteria Area. | |||||||
The configuration of MSHCP Conservation Area and Public/Quasi-Public Lands provides for conservation of the floodplain along Salt Creek and large blocks of habitat within the Santa Rosa Plateau. Moreover, the configuration of Criteria Area and Public/Quasi-Public Lands provides for conservation of the floodplain along Salt Creek. Salt Creek will be generally conserved in its existing condition from Warren Road to Newport Road. This will provide for the distribution of the species to shift over time as hydrologic conditions and seed bank sources change. The two Core Areas, the Salt Creek populations west of Hemet and the populations on the Santa Rosa Plateau, will be conserved within the MSHCP Conservation Area and Public/Quasi-Public Lands. The population complex at Skunk Hollow and the population at the intersection of Borel Road and Benton Road will also be conserved within the MSHCP Conservation Area.
In summary, conservation for this species will be achieved by inclusion of at least 6,680 acres of suitable Conserved Habitat and three localities (Santa Rosa Plateau, upper Salt Creek west of Hemet and Skunk Hollow) in the MSHCP Conservation Area. In addition, implementation of Objective 3 for this species will provide new data to guide Reserve Assembly, management and monitoring. Implementation of Objective 4 for this species will maintain hydrologic processes upon which this species depends.
Approximately 1,130 acres (14 percent) of potential habitat (playas and vernal pools) for California Orcutt grass will be outside the MSHCP Conservation Area. It is important to note that 940 acres (12 percent) of the potential habitat occurring outside of the MSHCP Conservation Area is located within the Narrow Endemic Plant Species survey area. The unverified occurrence of this species west of the Santa Rosa Plateau may or may not be conserved.
Data reviewed includes the University of California, Riverside (UCR), GIS database, the herbaria at UCR and the Rancho Santa Botanical Gardens, the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) and available literature. The UCR database, the two herbaria and the CNDDB contain 42 occurrences (dating from 1922 to 2001) in the Plan Area. Mapped occurrences are primarily located on the Santa Rosa Plateau, along upper Salt Creek west of Hemet and in Skunk Hollow. Historic locations include Salt Creek west of Menifee (dating from 1922) and a locality west of the Santa Rosa Plateau, possibly in Tenaja Canyon (dating from 1969). One of the mapped locations for the Salt Creek population is incorrectly mapped about two miles to the northwest of its true locality. A recently mapped (1997) population at the intersection of Borel Road and Benton Road should be verified.
Historic records for California Orcutt grass and other vernal pool species suggest that additional undiscovered vernal pools occur in the Murrieta-Rancho California area (F. Roberts, pers. comm. 1999).
Extensive information was available in the literature regarding systematics, ecology, population biology, life history, reproduction and germination of California Orcutt grass.
All known Californica Orcutt grass localities are associated with vernal pools (Crampton 1959; Reeder 1982; CNPS 2001; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998). In Riverside County, this species is found in southern basaltic claypan vernal pools at the Santa Rosa Plateau, and alkaline vernal pools as at Skunk Hollow and at Salt Creek west of Hemet (Bramlet 1993; CNDDB 1999).
In the United States, California Orcutt grass is found in southwestern California from eastern Ventura County east through Los Angeles County to Riverside County, and south to San Diego County from near sea level to 625 meters (2,050 feet) (Munz 1974; Reeder 1993; Griggs 1974). California Orcutt grass is known from a single vernal pool complex (Carlsberg) in Ventura County, a single vernal pool complex (Cruzan Mesa) in Los Angeles County, and seven vernal pool complexes in San Diego County (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998; CNDDB 1999). Four of the seven populations in San Diego County are on Otay Mesa. An additional two populations on Otay Mesa have been extirpated. At least four additional populations in the Los Angeles basin have been extirpated (Reeder 1982; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998). California Orcutt grass has been recorded from several locations in northwestern Baja California, Mexico, primarily in the vicinity of Cabo Colnett (Reeder 1982; Rieser 1996) and at Valle de las Palmas (H. Wier, pers. comm.).
California Orcutt grass is known to occur from three vernal pool sites in Riverside County: Upper Salt Creek west of Hemet, Skunk Hollow, and the Santa Rosa Plateau (Boyd 1984; Bramlet 1993; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998; CNDDB 1999). Within the Santa Rosa Plateau, this species is found in two of the five vernal pools on Mesa de Colorado and in four of the six vernal pools on Mesa de Burro (Stagg 1977). This species is also known to occur in Murrieta (D. Bramlet, pers. com. 2001). Historically, this species was also known from Salt Creek west of Menifee and Murrieta Hot Springs (Reeder 1982; CNDDB 1999). A mapped locality west of the Santa Rosa Plateau, possibly in Tenaja Canyon and a recently mapped population at the intersection of Borel Road and Benton Road should be verified.
The Core Areas for California Orcutt grass in the Plan Area are located within the upper Salt Creek drainage west of Hemet and on the Santa Rosa Plateau. There is uncertainty regarding distribution of this species in the Murrieta and Temecula area; there may be additional core locations discovered in this area in the future.
Genetics: California Orcutt grass is one of eight species of the genus Orcuttia (Griggs and Jain 1983; Reeder 1982). A genetic study using allozyme gel electrophoresis indicates that each Orcuttia taxon is a unique entity and analysis of allelic frequency suggests rather high levels of outcrossing (Griggs and Jain 1983). Chromosome counts and seed protein analyses further support the determination that each Orcuttia taxon is unique and worthy of specific status (Reeder 1982).
Reproduction: Griggs (1981) observed in the field that, following pool inundation, fungi covered the seeds which germinated approximately two weeks later. Griggs (1981) experimented with various methods of seed gemination in the laboratory, observing that only when fungi covered the seeds did germination occur (often at a rate of 90 to 100 percent). Studies conducted by J. Keeley (1988) revealed that anaerobic conditions promote germination of California Orcutt grass seeds but fungicide treatment appears to inhibit germination (fungal growth developed on the seeds in all other treatments). A dependence on fungus and anaerobic conditions for germination is consistent with conditions in water-filled vernal pools and may explain how germination is cued during years of sufficient rainfall (Keeley 1988).
California Orcutt grass blooms from April through June (Munz 1974) and appears to be strongly adapted to wind pollination: stamens are 2 to3 cm long and the species is protandrous (i.e., anthers develop before the stigma is receptive). In combination with the protandry, this species is believed to be an outcrosser (Griggs and Jain 1983). Orcuttia floral spikelets, although terminal, are of indeterminate growth, the duration of which is dependant on the duration of favorable environmental conditions (Griggs 1974).
Studies of other Orcuttia species indicate that the number of seeds produced per plant is highly variable within a population and variation in seed production between seasons can vary by two- or three-fold. This is not unexpected given the dependence of Orcuttia species on a synchrony of environmental conditions (timing and duration of rainfall, temperature, etc.) (Griggs and Jain 1983).
California Orcutt grass seeds can remain dormant for at least three to four years and possibly longer, germinating in the spring only after flooding of the vernal pools (Griggs 1981; Griggs and Jain 1983; Reeder 1982).
Dispersal: Upon senescence, California Orcutt grass remains intact and upright. The first heavy rainstorms of the late fall or early winter cause the Orcutt plants to fall apart, releasing the seed formed the previous summer. The seeds either become firmly attached to the muddy surface of the pond or float to the bottom if the pool is inundated (Griggs 1981). Dispersal of Orcuttia seeds from one pond to another may be accomplished if mud-encased seeds become attached to waterfowl (Griggs 1974).
Demography: The number of individuals of California Orcutt grass varies annually in response to the timing and amount of rainfall and temperature. California Orcutt grass seedlings grow for several weeks submerged, producing leaves that float on the surface. After the pools have dried California Orcutt grass produces a new set of foliage that will last for one to two months, until flowering and fruiting have occurred (Griggs 1981; Keeley 1988). California Orcutt grass is typically found in the deeper portions of vernal pools and less frequently found along the margins (J. Vanderweir, USFWS, pers. comm.; K. Marsden, CDFG, pers. comm. 2000). Griggs and Jain (1983) observed that the individual plants found in the deeper portions of the pools tend to be more fully developed and larger than individuals at the pool margins. In a study of the Santa Rosa Plateau vernal pools, Stagg (1977) found that the pools that retain water the longest are the pools wherein this species first appears.
This species is easily identified by the viscid secretion that appears on all aerial parts of the plants. The secretion is first glistening and watery but as the plant matures the secretion becomes thicker, denser and brownish. This secretion, believed to aid in water conservation during the warm spring and hot summer months, is aromatic and bitter tasting and may serve to repel animal predation (e.g., grasshoppers, etc.) (Crampton 1959; Griggs 1981; Reeder 1982).
California Orcutt grass is declining throughout its range. In Riverside County, this species and its habitat is threatened by habitat destruction and fragmentation from urban and agricultural development, pipeline construction, alteration of hydrology and flood plain dynamics, excessive flooding, off road vehicle activity, trampling by cattle and sheep, weed abatement, fire suppression practices (including discing and plowing), and competition from alien plant species (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998).
California Orcutt grass is a low, obscure annual herb that blooms from April through June (Munz 1974). The number of individuals of California Orcutt grass varies annually in response to the timing and amount of rainfall and temperature. This species depends on specific hydrology: vernal pools. Vernal pools cannot exist in isolation and require enough of the surrounding matrix habitat to support the processes that fill the pools with water and allow for natural population dynamics. Loose sediment from nearby surface disturbance can damage vernal pools. In alkali habitats, the dynamic distribution of vernal pools also require significant surrounding matrix habitat. Alkali vernal pools can form over a larger area, different locations, and with different configurations from year to year, depending on rainfall timing, the degree and extent of regional and local flooding, and disturbance from human-related activities such as discing and barley farming. Maintaining adequate vernal pool diversity to allow for population dynamics is critical to this species.
In Riverside County, this species can be difficult to detect as the vernal pools it inhabits may receive enough water to germinate and grow the plants only two or three times a decade. Therefore, surveys conducted during years of rainfall inadequate to germinate the species may not result in detection. Additionally, competition with other vernal pool species may be a significant factor in the distribution of California Orcutt grass (Stagg 1977).
Boyd, S. 1984. Rancho Bella Vista Specific Plan: Assessment of Skunk Hollow Vernal Pool Habitat and California Orcutt Grass Population.
Bramlet, D. 1993. Plant Species of Special Concern in the Alkaline Sinks of the San Jacinto River and Old Salt Creek Tributary Area. Unpublished.
California Natural Diversity Database 1999. Orcuttia californica, unpublished report, Natural Heritage Division, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, California.
Crampton, B. 1959. The Grass Genera Orcuttia and Neostapfia: A Study in Habitat and Morphological Specialization. Madroño 15: 97-110.
Griggs, F.T. 1974. Systematics and Ecology of the Genus Orcuttia (Gramineae). M.A. Thesis, Botany Department, California State University, Chico, California.
Griggs, F.T. 1981. Life Histories of Vernal Pool Annual Grasses. Fremontia 9(1): 14-17.
Griggs, F.T. and S. Jain. 1983. Conservation of Vernal Pool Plants in California, II. Population Biology of a Rare and Unique Grass Genus Orcuttia. Biological Conservation 27:171-193.
Keeley, J. 1988. Anaerobiosis as a Stimulus to Germination in Two Vernal Pool Grasses. American Journal of Botany 75(7): 1086-1089.
Munz, P.A. 1974. A Flora of Southern California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Reeder, J.R. 1982. Systematics of the tribe Orcuttieae (Gramineae) and the description of a new segregate genus, Tuctoria. Amer. J. Bot. 69(7): 1082-1095.
Reeder, J.R. 1993. The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of Californica, J.C. Hickman, edit., University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
Reiser, C. 1996. Rare Plants of San Diego County, 1996 edition. Unpublished. Aquafir Press, San Diego, California.
Skinner M.W., B.M. Pavlik. 1994. California Native Plant Society's Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California, Special Publication, 5th ed., California Native Plant Society.
Staff, C. 1977. The Distribution of Orcuttia californica (Poaceae) in the Vernal Pools of the Santa Rosa Plateau, Riverside County, California. M.A. Thesis, Biology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda California.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998. Recovery Plan for Vernal Pools of Southern California. U.S. Department of Interior, Portland, Oregon.
chickweed oxytheca (Oxytheca caryophylloides)
State: None
Federal: None
CNPS: List 4 (RED Code 1-1-3)
Forest Service: Local viability concern
Chickweed oxytheca is designated as a Group 2 species. It is restricted to the San Jacinto Mountains, primarily within USFS lands. Within the Plan Area chickweed oxytheca is restricted to montane coniferous forest (yellow pine forest) on sandy soils at elevations between 1,200 m and 2,600 m. The University of California, Riverside, (UCR) GIS database and the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens, Pomona and UCR herbaria include eight occurrences in the San Jacinto Mountains dating back to 1924. The most recent occurrence is dated 1999.
The MSHCP Conservation Area configuration is expected to provide long-term conservation of the species. However, due to the age of the records, Incidental Take of this species is not included in this permit until conservation of the species in the Plan Area has been demonstrated by reaching Objective 3 below .
The species-specific conservation objectives developed for this species are based upon the best available scientific information at the time of MSHCP preparation. Pursuant to Section 5.0 which includes Management, Monitoring and the Adaptive Management Program, the MSHCP's mitigation requirements will be monitored and analyzed to determine if they are producing the desired result. Based upon this information, the following species-specific conservation objectives will be adjusted if appropriate, as new information is gathered during Plan implementation. The Adaptive Management Program will be used to identify alternative strategies for meeting the MSHCP's general biological goals and objectives and, if necessary, adjusting future conservation strategies according to the information received.
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least 18,660 acres of suitable habitat (montane coniferous forest between 1,200 and 2,600 m within the San Jacinto Mountains and Foothills Bioregion).
Include within the MSHCP Conservation Area at least five of the known locations within the San Jacinto Mountains.
Within the MSHCP Conservation Area, confirm 10 localities (locality in this sense is not smaller than one quarter section) managed with 1,000 individuals each (unless a smaller population has been demonstrated to be self-sustaining).
Potential habitat for the chickweed oxytheca consists of montane coniferous forest (yellow pine forest) at elevations between 1,200 m and 2,600 m within the San Jacinto Mountains within western Riverside County. Within this analysis, yellow pine forest was categorized as montane coniferous forest. Based on this habitat, this elevation range, and this Bioregion the Plan Area supports approximately 27,860 acres of potential habitat for chickweed oxytheca. Table 1 shows the conservation of potential habitat for chickweed oxytheca. Overall, approximately 18,660 acres (67 percent) of potential habitat in the Plan Area are within existing Public/Quasi-Public Lands.
In order to conserve chickweed oxytheca, at least 16,716 acres (60 percent) of the species potential habitat will be conserved. None of the potential habitat for this species is located within the Criteria Area; therefore, approximately 16,716 acres (60 percent) of the potential habitat for chickweed oxytheca within USFS lands shall be conserved and managed for the species. A total of 18,660 acres of potential habitat for this species are present on Public/Quasi-Public Lands and will be included in the MSHCP Conservation Area.
TABLE 1
SUMMARY OF HABITAT CONSERVATION
CHICKWEED OXYTHECA
| Vegetation Type1< |
|---|