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

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

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Ecology and Conservation of California's June 25th, 2009 Coastal Prairie Outline of Talk Threats Managing to Coastal Prairie to Stewards Conserve Biological Diversity Management goals Grey Hayes, PhD Tools Elkhorn Slough

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 1

Managing to Coastal Prairie to Conserve Biological Diversity

Grey Hayes, PhD Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program

Outline of Talk

  • Threats
  • Stewards
  • Management goals
  • Tools

– Grazing – Fire

  • Conclusions/recommendations

Threats Global Warming Genetically Modified Organisms Changed Disturbance Regimes

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

Invasive Plants

Invasive Animals Sprawl Fragmentation

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 3

Genetic contamination Type conversion

Global Warming Sprawl Fragmentation Genetically Modified Organisms

Changed Disturbance Regimes

Invasive Plants

Invasive Animals

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 4

Genetic contamination Type conversion

Who is Involved?

The Land Use Planner, Regulators and Consultants Restorationists and Land Managers

Scientists

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 5

Grassland Managers

  • >250 public land managers in Central

California

  • > 50% of publically owned grasslands in

the SF Bay area actively managed

Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results

Public Grassland Manager Goals

  • Reduce all non-native species
  • Increase targeted sensitive species
  • Increase native grasses

Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results

Private Land Owners and Consultants

Private Grassland Manager Priorities

  • Maintain way of life
  • Maintain/increase productivity

– Increase perennial grasses

  • Sustain wildlife

Restorationists and Land Managers

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 6

Goals

From Noss, 1990

What is Biodiversity?

From Noss, 1990

Loss of grasslands to shrub succession Increased homogeneity of management Decreasing reproduction of native organisms Loss of populations, introduction of genes

From Noss, 1990

Loss of valley and near shore grasslands Loss of coastal prairie communities Invasive species impacts Increasing rarity of species Loss of populations Loss of populations of species Bioengineering, introduction of novel genes

From Noss, 1990

Loss of habitat connectivity/pollinators/genetic exchange Loss of keystone species (badger, fox, bobcat) Changed disturbance regimes, atmospheric N deposition, etc

Public Grassland Manager Goals

  • Reduce all non-native species
  • Increase targeted sensitive species
  • Increase native grasses

Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 7

Why such simple goals?

Acres of grassland-oriented conservation purchases

Holloran, P., and D. Press. 2005. Obstacles to Land Stewardship in California. Draft Report

The Public Lands Manager

  • Parcels are not

visited yearly

  • <1 staff person

for 16,000 acres

  • Loss of

endangered species = greater burden on private property owners

Policy Failures

8.3 million private grassland acres 45 advisors = 185,000 acres

  • f grassland each

The Scientist

Almost no reserve design studies A few species-specific studies (mostly dominant grasses) Many studies on invasives, with little application 27 fire studies; 19 useful for meta-analysis 25 grazing studies; 6 useful for meta-analysis

Public Grassland Manager Goals

  • Reduce all non-native species
  • Increase targeted sensitive species
  • Increase native grasses

Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 8

New, Improved Goals Might Look Like…

  • Maintain native species diversity
  • Restore/maintain/increase specific species
  • Maintain structure

– Tall vs. short canopy – Shrub/tree vs. herbaceous cover

  • Control specific invasive species

New, Improved Goals Might Look Like…

  • Maintain native species diversity
  • Restore/maintain/increase specific species

Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean its not there

It takes a long time to prove that something’s not there If its not there…. you might need to plant it

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 9

Tools Evolutionary Disturbance Regimes

Grazing, Fire, and Soil Disturbances

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 10

From Collins et al 1985

Novel Restoration Techniques

Mowing and Planting

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 11

Grazing effects Grazing Literature Summary

  • “Variable, non-equilibrium system”
  • Large site variability
  • Season of grazing may matter

– Mixed results for different sites/species – Growing season/spring greatest positive effect for perennial grasses

  • Removal of grazing changes system

– Change in perennial grass abundance – Increase in shrub and tree cover – Loss of annual wildflowers

  • Little data on class of grazing animal

– Elk similar to cow – Horse dissimilar to cattle

  • Species specific responses

Bartolome, J. W., J. S. Fehmi, R. D. Jackson, and B. Allen-Diaz. 2004

Season of grazing effects

Bartolome, J. W., J. S. Fehmi, R. D. Jackson, and B. Allen-Diaz. 2004

Species specific grazing effects

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 12

Species and site specific responses to grazing

Hatch, D. A., J. W. Bartolome, J. S. Fehmi, and D. S. Hillyard. 1999

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Relative Percent Cover 20 40 60 80

Elkhorn Swanton UCSC

Non-native grass, Vulpia bromoides cover varies between sites over time

Hayes and Holl, 2009, unpublished data

Species Abundance Plot 5T Graze Graze Graze Graze Species Name Cover (%) April April Oct. Oct. 1998 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Anthoxanthum odoratum 71.90 41.70 45.90 14.00 26.70 33.30 32.40 4.60 Holcus lanatus 24.60 42.20 36.10 25.60 39.70 27.50 14.70 7.50 Herbaceous Biomass (lb/acre) 5685 5322 9008 3188 3842 2119 1423 2561 Simpson's Index of Diversity 0.42 0.64 0.65 0.77 0.76 0.77 0.82 0.85

Evett, R. 2009. Unpublished data from The Sea Ranch Sheep grazing = reduced exotic perennial grasses increased exotic annual grasses some plots increase native perennial grasses increased plant species diversity

Sheep grazing study in coastal Sonoma grasslands

Callaway, R. M., and F. W. Davis. 1993

Grazing maintains grasslands from woody plant incursion

2000 2001 2000 2001 Cover (m2/ha) 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Number of species 2 4 6 8 10 Grazed Ungrazed * *** * Species richness Cover *

Grazing increases native annual forb species richness and cover in two years of surveys at many sites 2000 (n=17) 2001 (n=25).

Paired t test * = p<0.05 *** = p<0.001

Fire Effects

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 13

Fire effects

  • Reduces woody vegetation
  • Species-specific native grass effects

Fire and woody species control

Clark, D. L., and M. V. Wilson. 2001 Callaway, R. M., and F. W. Davis. 1993

Fire prevents grassland to shrub/tree conversion

Burning affects different native grass species differently

Hatch, D. A., J. W. Bartolome, J. S. Fehmi, and D. S. Hillyard. 1999 D'Antonio, C. M., S. J. Bainbridge, C. Kennedy, J. W. Bartolome, and S. Reynolds. 2004

Mixing: Fire and Burning

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 14

Callaway, R. M., and F. W. Davis. 1993

Without fire or grazing: Loss of coastal grassland

D'Antonio, C. M., S. J. Bainbridge, C. Kennedy, J. W. Bartolome, and S. Reynolds. 2004 D'Antonio, C. M., S. J. Bainbridge, C. Kennedy, J. W. Bartolome, and S. Reynolds. 2004

Mowing Effects

  • Mowing may maintain native grasses
  • Infrequent mowing may maintain forb

diversity; more frequent mowing may not

Mowing Effects

Native Perennial Grasses All Sites

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Relative Percent Cover 5 10 15 20 25 30 No treat 2x/year 3x/year 6x/year Hayes, G., and K. D. Holl. 2003

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 15

Wilson, M. V., and D. L. Clark. 2001.

Single Spring Mowing Increases Danthonia cal. Decreases exotic perennial grass

(varying mowing timing/intensity) Maron, J. L., and R. L. Jefferies. 2001 Grass and forb species richness In coastal prairie in response to mowing

Conclusions

  • Disturbance regimes can assist in

maintaining aspects of coastal prairie biodiversity

  • More information is needed

Recommendations

  • Define reference system
  • Define goals
  • Cooperate and vary management regimes

across landscape

  • Overlay management tools
  • Wait and monitor before changing

Wait and Monitor….

Native Perennial Grasses Elkhorn

1 9 9 9 2 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 Relative Percent Cover 10 20 30 40 50 No treat 2x/year 3x/year 6x/year Grazed

Wait and Monitor….

Native Perennial Grasses Elkhorn

1 9 9 9 2 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 Relative Percent Cover 10 20 30 40 50 No treat 2x/year 3x/year 6x/year Grazed

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Ecology and Conservation of California's Coastal Prairie June 25th, 2009 Grey Hayes, presenter Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 16

If you are a regulator…

  • Is the reference system defined?
  • Are the goals defined and reasonable?
  • Is there enough time to see effects?
  • Is there enough funding to manage?

Public Grassland Manager Goals

  • Reduce all non-native species
  • Increase targeted sensitive species
  • Increase native grasses

Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program 2005 Grassland Manager Survey Results