Soil Ecology and Research Group last update February 22, 2005

2003 ANNUAL REPORT

SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND
NATIVE HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM

SEED COLLECTION, PROPAGATION AND OUTPLANTING IN SUPPORT OF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND
ENDANGERED SPECIES PROGRAMS

N68711-03-LT-A0017
N68711-03-LT-A0027

Introduction
This report describes the activities and accomplishments of the San Clemente Island Native Habitat Restoration Program from January 2003 through January 2004. The goal of this program is to ensure the long-term viability of island species through the restoration of native plant communities, and to increase the understanding that functioning ecosystems ensure the long-term success of SCI Naval operations. These activities have been conducted for the United States Navy under cooperative agreement with the Soil Ecology and Restoration Group (SERG) of San Diego State University. Tasks identified as critical to the success of this program include the establishment and maintenance of a native plant nursery and the propagation and outplanting of plants essential for the recovery of endangered animals. Additional contractual obligations include the following tasks:

• Collection and storage of native seed
• Establishment of live reference area/living collection
• Establisment of stock for erosion control, landscaping, beautification
• Propagation and outplanting of endangered plants
• Selection of areas for outplanting, implementation of outplanting efforts, maintenance of records for outplantings
• Implementation of various activities such as fog collection, fire mapping, maintenance of herbarium and creation of a photo-herbarium
• Assistance to other botanical programs on the island such as noxious weed management, herbarium maintenance, and mapping and collecting data about plant populations

Specifically, this report will address progress made on the development of the native plant nursery, progress with native seed collection, the status of shrike habitat enhancements and the progress of a number of other projects. Plant names in this report are consistent with The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, except in cases where recent and commonly accepted name changes have been made. A complete list of names used for this report, including synonyms, is provided in Appendix 1.

Native Plant Nursery
Production has focused on generating plants for shrike habitat enhancement projects and native plant community restoration projects associated with exotic species removal. Current nursery inventory is approximately 6,700 dicots and 700 grasses. Current stock is outlined in Table 1.

Table 1.
Species in propagation at nursery and current stock on hand.

This term saw the first seedling propagation of Lycium californicum. This taxon has been propagated by stem cuttings, as seed collection is typically impractical, but favorable conditions allowed for the collection of sufficient seed to facilitate seedling production. Several additional species, including three newly discovered native species records, Salvia mellifera, Helianthemum scoparium and Woodwardia fimbriata, were brought into production during this term (Figure 1). Amongst other notable achievements was the refinement of propagation methods for Dudleya virens.

Figure 1. Development of young sporophytes of Woodwardia fimbriata.

Bird's nest fungus (Ascomycota sp.) continues to be a minor nursery nuisance. These fungi can cause damage to nursery plants as the fruiting bodies (ascocarp) crowd-out seedlings in the pots. When caught early, a dusting of cinnamon over the fungus has been reasonably successful at controlling outbreaks. Physical removal of the ascocarp and spot treatment with a 10% beach solution has been effective when the fungi have become well established.

The results of greenhouse trials have been compiled into a handbook of propagation protocols. This effort is intended to create a resource database to assist training new staff and recording progress. The handbook is considered a working document and will receive ongoing updates. A sample entry from the handbook is presented in Appendix 2.

Seed Collection and Processing
Favorable seasonal rainfall has resulted in excellent seed production for many species, and new seed collection methods have increased the botany staff's ability to harvest this seed. A total of 63 kilograms of seed, representing 49 perennial and 63 annual species, were collected during this term (Appendices 3, 4). These totals include four species of Trifolium and six species of Lupinus, as well as several uncommon species such as Stylomecon heterophylla and Aphanisma bilitoides.

New seed collection methods include the use of a gasoline powered seed stripper, which has proved useful for the collection of seed from large monotypic stands of species such as Nassella pulchra. A modified gasoline powered landscape blower/vacuum, which has made the collection of many small seeded annual species, such as Lasthenia californica and Gilia nevinii, practical for the first time, was also used (Figure 2). Efforts are under way to secure additional building space for the establishment of a seed processing and storage facility to accommodate the greater volumes of seed that can be collected by these methods. The "old botany lab" in the photo lab complex of buildings is being investigated as practical choice for the location of this facility.

Figure 2. Modified landscape vacuum used for collecting seed.

Native Species Plantings
Seven planting sites were completed during 2003, comprising approximately 2,750 native shrubs and 3,500 native grasses (Table 2, Figure 3).

Table 2.
Summary of species planted at 2003 sites

Figure 3. Native habitat enhancement sites completed as of 31 December 2003.

Shrike Habitat
These plantings are primarily intended to enhance shrike habitat quality by increasing the diversity and abundance of native vegetation and providing structure and cover for both shrikes and prey species. These plantings also enhance native plant communities
both directly and through the production and dispersal of seed at these sites.

Installations were completed at Boulders, Vista, Chamish and Tota. These four sites, originally planted during 2002, were expanded during 2003 to roughly double the number of plants installed. Additionally, three new sites are planned for installation in early 2004. As described above, these outplantings are intended to enhance overall habitat quality, but these locations were also selected for several site-specific reasons.

The Boulders site was chosen due to the success of the previous year's plantings of Quercus tomentella (island oak) at this location (Figure 4). Increasing the number of individuals of this valuable tree species is one of the priorities of the habitat enhancement program, as very little natural recruitment has been observed for this species on SCI. An additional 128 Q. tomentella seedlings were added this year, bringing the total number of trees planted at this site to 236.

Native plantings of 2002 showed strong growth at the Chamish site despite the dense cover of exotic annual grasses, which dominate the area. Flower and fruit set from the planting was strong, though no native recruitment has yet been observed. This site was expanded an effort to better understand the interactions of native outplantings with established exotic plant populations (Figure 5).

The Tota Plateau has become dominated in recent years by the rapidly increasing presence of Baccharis pilularis. Though overall diversity is low, the development of this shrubland has encouraged the recurrent nesting of loggerhead shrikes in the area. The site was chosen to examine the effects of increased species diversity and seed vectors on this early successional shrubland (Figure 6).

The need for slope stabilization above an existing oak grove prompted the expansion of the Vista outplanting site (Figure 7). Historic grazing activities and current soil disturbances, caused by chukar (Alectoris chukar), have put this grove at some risk from erosion. It is hoped that these outplantings will mitigate erosion above this grove by creating new soil root mass, increasing duff from leaf fall and reducing soil exposure to wind erosion.

Figure 4. Boulders native habitat enhancement site

Site Summary

Figure 5. Chamish native habitat enhancement site

Site Summary

Figure 6. Tota native habitat enhancement site

Site Summary

Figure 7. Vista native habitat enhancement site

Site Summary

Exotic Pest Plant Sites
Three additional native species plantings were completed at exotic pest plant eradication sites. Approximately 1800 native shrubs were installed at two Ehrharta calycina treatment sites at the northern end of SCI (West Cove and Chad's Bluff), and approximately 3500 Nassella pulchra plugs were installed at a Brassica nigra treatment site along China Road in SHOBA (Figures 8-10). These three sites are described more fully under separate report (Invasive Species Control and Native Habitat Enhancement, Veldt Grass and Mustard Sites), but maps and summaries are included here.

Figure 8. West Cove native habitat enhancement site

Site Summary

Figure 9. Chad's Bluff native habitat enhancement site

Site Summary

Figure 10. China Road native habitat enhancement site

Site Summary

Live Reference Collection
Demonstration plantings have been installed around the Natural Resources Facility and Native Plant Nursery and serve both to educate visitors about the diversity of native plants that exist on San Clemente Island and to beautify the facilities. These plantings also include a demonstration of the temporary irrigation system typical of habitat enhancement plantings on SCI. These plantings were expanded during 2003 to include newly propagated species such as Salvia mellifera, additional individuals of uncommon species such as Lycium brevipes, and annual wildflower species such as Lasthenia californica and Phacelia distans (Figure 11).

Figure 11. Map of live reference collection plantings at the nursery and NRO facility.

Planting Methods
Planting sites were prepared by first clearing a continuous strip approximately 1.5 - 2.0 meters wide through vegetation and duff with a gas powered string trimmer. These clearings facilitate the installation of irrigation lines and reduce resource competition for plantings. Planting holes were dug at approximately 2-3 meter intervals in the center of the cleared strip. Digging was done primarily with hand tools including seventeen-pound dig bar, post-hole digger and hand trowel. Following excavation, irrigation tubing was stretched the length of the clearing and drip emitters were installed at each planting hole.

Prior to planting, each hole received approximately 1-2 gallons of water via the irrigation system. After the water was allowed to percolate, plants were installed in each hole and a shallow berm, approximately 0.5-meter in diameter, was constructed around each plant to retain irrigation water. After installation, each plant received an additional 1-2 gallons of water.

Site Maintenance
All plantings were maintained with supplemental watering. Supplemental water is intended to sustain the plants during the drought season and will be discontinued once the soils have hydrated from the winter rains. Water was applied on a three-week schedule by means of a 600-gallon trailer mounted water tank fitted with a gas powered pump. Each plant received an average of 5.1 gallons of water per event. Watering dates and volumes are included in Appendix 5.

Survivorship, Growth and Recruitment
Survivorship and growth data are collected quarterly at each planting site. Table 3 represents a summary of current survivorship at each site across all species. Survivorship by species across all 2002 planting sites is presented in Table 4.

Growth data are collected for a subset of all plantings represented by every fifth plant along each planting line (approximately 20% of all plantings). Growth data consists of measurements of height for Quercus tomentella plantings and height and width for all other species. Average plant heights and widths versus time for all 2002 planting site are presented in Figures 12a-j. Raw data are presented in Appendix 6.

Native species recruitment is monitored during site visits. The existing planting line is used as the centerline of a four-meter wide belt transect. Although most outplanting sites have shown strong growth and many individual plants have set viable seed, no native recruitment has yet been observed.

Table 3.
Summary of outplanting survivorship

Table 4.
Summary of outplanting survivorship by species for 2002 plantings

Figure 12a. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12b. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12c. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12d. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12e. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12f. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12g. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12h. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12i. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Figure 12j. Average height and width by species for 2002 planting sites.

Exotic species monitoring
Habitat restoration staff has continued to opportunistically map invasive pest plant populations and provide this information to other Navy cooperators tasked with eradication of these plants. In addition, staff has attempted to destroy small populations of these pest species on a timely basis when it was deemed that delay in treatment would result in seed set and increased persistence of these populations (Table 5). Populations were either sprayed with 2% glyphosate solution or, if approaching seed maturity, entire plants were collected, bagged and destroyed. Notable, of the populations listed, is the persistence of two exotic Lavatera species inadvertently planted within the Bachelors Enlisted Quarters landscaping. While not truly invasive pest plants, there is some risk that these plants could detrimentally interact with native Lavatera populations. Care should be taken to monitor these locations and remove individuals before they reach maturity.

Table 5.
Notable invasive pest plants destroyed during 2003

To investigate this concept, a prototype collector has been built and installed adjacent to Tota canyon. This collector consists of a trough mounted at the base of two sheets of shade cloth stretched over a metal frame (Figure 13). Fog particles carried by air currents are intercepted by the shade cloth fabric and carried by gravity to the collection trough. The screen area of the prototype collector is approximately one square meter. This screen collected approximately 18 liters of water during its first 45 days of operation.

Figure 13. Fog collector installed at Tota Canyon.

Fire mapping
When fires are reported to the NRO staff or burnt areas are encountered in the field, the outline of the fire is tracked by SERG personnel with a GPS Garmin Vista and mapped into the GIS program ArcView. In 2003, ten fires were mapped: four at the south end of the island within the Shore Bombardment Area and six at the north end of the island in SWAT1. Additionally, thirty-one small burnt circles (1-2 meters in diameter) were mapped in SWAT1. The intensity of the fire is also recorded and entered in a database.

Herbarium
16 new additions were made to the herbarium this year, 9 of native species and 7 of exotic species. A list of the species collected is presented in Appendix 7 and Appendix 8 presents the species still needing collection. A photo-herbarium has been started and currently comprises 230 species scanned.

New species records
Three new native taxa were discovered during this term. Salvia mellifera (Figure 14) and Woodwardia fimbriata were found nearby each other on a ledge in upper Horse Beach Canyon. These populations appear to be well established and quite old and were likely undiscovered because of the relative inaccessibility of the site. A third species, Helianthemum scoparium, was discovered along the northern edge of Bryce Canyon on the eastern escarpment. Historically, goats have done a lot of damage in the southern part of the island, especially on the ridges where H. scoparium is now found. It is possible that the relieved grazing pressure has allowed this species to come back. Also, this species is somewhat inconspicous and only flowers for a brief period of time in the spring, which would make it easy to overlook. The actual population is estimated at about 50 individuals. Figure 15 shows a map of the locations for these 3 new taxa.
Herbarium vouchers were prepared for these new taxa, and seed and spore collections made for propagation purposes. It is notable that all three of these discoveries were made within the boundary of the Shore Bombardment Area (SHOBA).

Figure 14. Salvia mellifera population discovered in Horse Beach Canyon.

Figure 15. Locations of Helianthemum scoparium, Salvia mellifera and Woodwardia filifimbria

Historic Lavatera Populations
Lavatera assurgentiflora ssp. glabra is a taxon found only on San Clemente and Santa Catalina Islands. Two very small populations exist on Santa Catalina, while seven populations of Lavatera assurgentiflora ssp. glabra, comprising less than 100 total individuals, are known on San Clemente (excluding those found as landscaping in Wilson Cove). Reports from the early 1800s describe groves of this species, up to twelve feet tall, that stretched for miles. In an effort to determine the locations of these historic populations for reintroduction, a detailed review of W.E. Greenwell's "Decription of Signals" for San Clemente Island was made. This document was the result of surveys made by the U.S. Coast Survey during 1860 and 1862 and includes hand-drawn topographic maps, description of island survey markers and signals, and anecdotal information on plant life. Using distances and bearings and the locations of known survey markers, seven locations of historic Lavatera populations were determined (Figure 16). Site visits were conducted to assess the suitability of these locations for the re-establishment of Lavatera, and outplantings are planned for 2004.

Figure 16. Historic Lavatera populations as determined from Greenwell.

Conclusions and Recommendations
The ability to collect seed, propagate and outplant large numbers of native plants on SCI has been established. Outplantings have shown strong survivorship and growth. Established plants are flowering and producing viable seed.

While efforts to increase the diversity of native habitat through outplantings should be continued, additional emphasis should be placed on fostering conditions to increase recruitment. Such efforts might include work in exotic grass dominated areas to reduce the thick layers of grass thatch, which may hinder native plant growth. Methods might include cutting and raking, the use of fire, chemical treatments, or some combination of these techniques. In addition to growth measurements, data collection of seed production status at outplanting sites would be useful in furthering the understanding of recruitment at these sites. Established outplantings are good vectors for seed dispersal, but these plantings could remain islands of native diversity unless conditions for natural recruitment are improved.

Erosion continues to threaten the long-term viability of native plant communities. Efforts to mitigate erosion might include the construction of litter traps on eroding slopes to catch organic matter and seed and additional plantings in rilled and gullied areas to reverse erosive processes.

Fog collection holds potential as an aid to the establishment of planting sites in remote areas of the SCI. Research and test applications of this technique should continue.

Efforts to reduce and eradicate the populations of well-established exotic species such as Atriplex semibaccata and Achillea millefolium should be considered.

Propagation and outplanting of rare species should continue. By establishing new populations, these species are buffered against extirpation or endangerment from stochastic events. Species of particular interest include Lavatera assurgentiflora ssp. glabra, Coreopsis gigantea, Salvia mellifera, Malosma laurina, Rhamnus pirifolia, Ceanothus megacarpus and Quercus tomentella. Nursery propagation of these species has been very successful and relatively large numbers of several of these species have been included at several of the planting sites.