Source: UNIV OF CALIFORNIA (VET-MED) submitted to NRP
ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF THE SAN FELIPE WATERSHED - ANZA/BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK
Sponsoring Institution
Cooperating Schools of Veterinary Medicine
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
STATE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0198785
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2002
Project End Date
Apr 30, 2004
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF CALIFORNIA (VET-MED)
(N/A)
DAVIS,CA 95616
Performing Department
PATHOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY & IMMUNOLOGY
Non Technical Summary
This project will provide a baseline survey of the invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and fish in the state park portion of the San Felipe Valley and Sentenac Cienaga located within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California. This project will assist California State Parks in managing and protecting the natural resources of this new state park area.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1350899106015%
1350899107015%
1350899117010%
1353199107010%
3150899106015%
3150899107010%
3150899117015%
3153199107010%
Knowledge Area
135 - Aquatic and Terrestrial Wildlife; 315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection;

Subject Of Investigation
3199 - Invertebrates, general/other; 0899 - Wildlife and natural fisheries, general/other;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1070 - Ecology; 1170 - Epidemiology;
Goals / Objectives
A 2700 acre parcel of land encompassing a portion of the San Felipe Creek watershed was recently acquired by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The goal of this project is to establish reference sites for long-term ecological monitoring and to initiate the collection of baseline survey data on invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, fish, soil moisture and riparian vegetation at these sites.
Project Methods
These sites and the associated data will provide an objective basis for developing management recommendations and assessing the impacts of management actions. 1. The PI will identify and establish discrete study sites within the San Felipe watershed that are appropriate for ongoing monitoring. The exact location of each reference site will be incorporated into a database. 2. The PI will initiate baseline field surveys as the references sites. The survey data will focus on species occurrence and relative abundance. Wherever possible and appropriate, quantitative approaches will be used so that future changes in occurrence and abundance can be statistically identified.

Progress 07/01/02 to 04/30/04

Outputs
On the western boundary of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP) lies the San Felipe Creek watershed. A 2700 acre portion of this watershed, including a valuable wetland area called the Sentenac Cienaga, was recently acquired by ABDSP. Significant portions of this land is overgrown with Tamarisk trees. Tamarisk (Tamarisk ramosissma and other species), also known as salt cedar, is an exotic, deciduous shrubby tree which was introduced to the western United States for ornamental use, windbreaks and erosion control; however, it has become a dominant, invasive species. In order to restore native flora to the Sentenac Cienaga, State Parks established a tamarisk removal plan that consisted of three phases of removal during 2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2004-2005. State Parks also contracted this project to evaluate the effect of tamarisk removal on the existing flora and fauna in the area, and to establish a plan for future monitoring of the area as its native flora is restored. Vegetation transects (for identifying native and non-native plants), and pitfall trap arrays (for sampling reptiles, mammals, and soil moisture) were established at tamarisk removal sites. Monitoring these sites during this project period provided baseline data and some early post-removal data. A significant observation was that native plant species diversity had already increased (from 7 to 16) 8 months after tamarisk was removed from the Phase 1 site. Numbers and diversity of reptiles and mammals showed no significant differences one-year post tamarisk removal. Soil moisture data collection began in April 2004. This meant that pre-removal data was obtained only for the Phase 3 site. Nonetheless, soil moisture values were highest at Phase 1 (where tamarisk has been gone the longest), followed by those at Phase 2, with Phase 3 having the least soil moisture. Recommendations for ongoing monitoring and research were presented to State Parks. Continued annual monitoring for vegetation, reptiles, mammals, and soil moisture will provide valuable insights on the ecological restoration of the Sentenac Cienaga and the San Felipe Creek watershed.

Impacts
This collection of baseline survey data for vegetation, reptiles, mammals, and soil moisture in the Sentenac Cienaga wetlands in Anza-Borrego Desert State park will allow State Parks to monitor and manage the restoration of this area following removal of an invasive, non-native species, Tamarisk.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
During 2003, pit-fall traps were built and installed in transects that were established in 2002. Trap design and installation were according to the US Geological Survey Open-File Report 'Herpetological Monitoring Using a Pitfall Trapping Design in Southern California'. Data collection occurred during September and October 2003. Traps were closed during the winter season and will be reactivated in spring 2004.

Impacts
Amphibians and reptiles are important indicators of ecosystem health. The collection of baseline survey data for these species will be used to determine current status and establish reference markers for long-term ecological monitoring of the San Felipe Watershed.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period