University of California
TransectS p r i n g 2 0 0 1 • Volume 19, No.1
A few words from the NRS systemwide office
e are privileged to offer in this issue a tribute to W Wilbur W. Mayhew, the man and his legacy. Bill Mayhew rec- ognized in the 1950s that in Califor- nia the “natural laboratories,” where students and researchers could find out how the natural world works, were vanishing under a wave of rapid devel- opment. He dedicated himself to securing reserves for the University of California, which later became the cor- Wartime nerstones of the NRS. challenges His selfless decision to put this quest prepared ahead of his own research has already one nrs benefited thousands directly. Those, in founder for turn, share their experience and knowl- future edge with many others. And, with gen- erous help, the NRS continues to build environmental in many ways on the foundation laid battles Wilbur W. (Bill) Mayhew, 1945. Continued on page 16 ill Mayhew was talking about his World War II experiences and his 4 New NRS reserve! many close shaves with death: “I should not have made it through.” Field scientists can order “surf and turf” at the B Kenneth S. Norris Rancho But lots of folks are sure grateful he did, including thousands of former students Marino Reserve — and colleagues, and legions of others who have worked with this UC Riverside our 34th site. emeritus professor of zoology to solve diverse ecological dilemmas across Cali- fornia. Many people know Wilbur (“Bill”) Mayhew as one of the three founders 9 Oak researchers at NRS sites plan how to protect an of the NRS, along with Ken Norris and Mildred Mathias. Few understand how imperiled native habitat his combat and other military service experiences during World War II prepared this soft-spoken man for the many hard environmental battles he would later 12 CA Coastal Conservancy engage in. helps two NRS reserves In This Issue Continued on page 2 Transect • 19:1
November 29, just nine days before Pearl Harbor was bombed. He and the other Yanks on board the Republic (referred to by some as the “Repulsive,” for its lack of grace) would become the first Ameri- cans in Australia in World War II.
Bill volunteered for combat duty and was made a ball turret gunner. To get into the ball turret, which hangs like a Plexiglas bubble from the belly of the B-17s on which he served, “you have to point the guns [two .50-caliber machine- guns] straight down and get in through a door that is also your seat. From this position, when the plane is flying and the Bill (front row, right) and other men of the 88th Reconnaissance door is back in place in the plane’s un- Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group, at the Karachi Airport, India, 1942. derside, you are surrounded by sky.” Bill Photo courtesy of Bill Mayhew said, “My first flight in a ball turret was very frightening. But it wasn’t so bad Wartime challenges after that.” Continued from page 1 Then, on September 13, 1942, at around midnight over In October 1940, Bill was taking classes at Modesto Junior Africa, Bill almost froze to death. It was during his first (and College, where he had recently completed an A.A. degree in last) night mission. The Allies were trying to catch Rommel biology. Bored with his courses, a mid-term looming, Bill in Tobruk, Libya. A landing of 40,000 troops, some at abruptly enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, along with Tobruk, some at Benghazi, was to take place at 3:00 a.m. three gung-ho friends. His plan, to the extent that he had The B-17 on which Bill was a crew member was supposed one, was to save a little money during a year in the service to to “keep the gunners (on the ground) occupied. We were help underwrite his further education. Though he earned target practice, to divert attention from the convoys in the only $21 a month (with about $4 of that going to laundry), harbor.” The B-17’s crew flew at 25,000 feet through a layer he still expected he would be able to put some money aside. of dense smoke and exploding shells. Bill could see Allies This was at a time when the Great Depression had been flying at 8,000 feet in Wellingtons — small, two-engine, grinding on for more than a decade, and, according to Bill, “You could have a lot of fun on one dollar during an evening in town.” Back in 1940, Bill estimates, “80 percent of the Dr. Mayhew’s conservation legacy is tangible and vast, pro- country was still isolationist.” But fourteen months later, tected within thousands of acres of diverse habitats. He the attitude of the American public would change abruptly. has devoted most of his life to conservation, but most of his friends do not know that he served his country with equal Bill was assigned to the 88th Reconnaissance Squadron, dedication and courage. … He flew many combat mis- which was attached to the 7th Bombardment Group of the sions [during World War II], including one in which he Army Air Corps.* survived serious wounds and a crash landing on Malta after an attack by German fighters. Bill completed his mili- His close scrapes began in 1941. The troop ship on which tary service with a Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, he was traveling to Australia, passed through Honolulu on Purple Heart, and Presidential Unit Citation with two oak leaf clusters. … [He] has worked most of his life in defense of natural habitats with the same steady courage *Bill’s World War II experiences, and the friendships he has and humility with which he defended his country. maintained with members of the 88th Reconnaissance Squad- ron, 7th Bombardment Group of the Army Air Corps, have — Arturo Gómez-Pompa profoundly influenced his life. He has served as photo editor of Distinguished Professor of Botany two books encompassing the history of the 7th Bombardment Botany and Plant Sciences, UC Riverside Group from 1918 to 1995. University of California 2 Transect • 19:1
British planes known as “Wimpies” (after Popeye’s friend, chasing them, and a crash landing on Malta. The tail gun- J. Wellington Wimpey) — and being shot down. ner, Augustus (Pat) Patrick, was shot through the feet by machine gun fire and would have to have his feet ampu- It was very cold in the ball turret, since the temperature tated. Bill was more fortunate: he recovered fairly rapidly inside that plastic-and-metal ball was not much different from a leg wound. But the day’s events ended Bill’s combat than on the outside. Worried about this mission and about duty. No wonder, decades later, he would look back to this the cold, Bill had borrowed another man’s electric suit, two time and say, “I should not have made it through.” thin layers of felt containing heating elements. But he hadn’t checked in advance to see if the electric plug on the He returned to California in 1943 and served as a gunnery suit was compatible with the outlet in his ball turret. It instructor for the remainder of the war, including oversight wasn’t. He couldn’t plug in the borrowed suit. And he had of 90 instructors at one point. Surviving extreme challenges left his bulky leathers, his regular flying clothes, back at the to life and limb throughout his early years of military ser- barracks — there had been no room for them in the plane. vice proved highly motivating. As an instructor, Bill’s goal “It was -50°F that night. I should have frozen to death. was to impart what he knew to young recruits and do it well I think adrenaline is all that kept me alive.” enough to help them stay alive. This period gave Bill a keen appreciation for teaching. That’s when Bill decided teach- Back on the ground at the end of that mission — after a ing was a noble art. total of five hours in the air, with 45 minutes over the tar- get at 25,000 feet, enduring subzero temperatures — Bill Starting in 1945, with GI Bill support, Bill rapidly earned had to be lifted out of the ball turret. his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degrees in zoology from UC Berkeley (1948, 1951, and 1953). His graduate re- Another time, the B-24 Pink Lady — on which Bill was a search was conducted under the mentorship of A. Starker waist gunner — was lost in a storm over the Arabian Sea. Leopold. Bill subsequently worked a short stint in the UCLA The crew was returning to the Mediterranean from a mis- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Biology, sion to China. One of their four engines was out. The studying the effects of strontium 90 on living tissue (and radio operator could not contact the base. The navigator “not really knowing what we were doing”). Meanwhile, he could not get a fix from stars. He estimated they were five courted employment at the emerging UC campus being hours from base with only a few hours’ worth of fuel re- established in Riverside. maining. They flew on for two hours, blind in the storm, wings flaming with Saint Elmo’s Fire — a colorful brush From 1954, when Bill began his tenure at UC Riverside as discharge of electricity sometimes seen on planes and ships a founding faculty member, until his retirement from teach- during thunderstorms. Suddenly they heard a voice calling them over the radio. They were just above Continued on page 14 the base! Bill is forever grateful to the gut instincts of the navigator for “find- ing” the base on that horrific night.
The Pink Lady and members of her crew were shot up and badly damaged over Messina, Sicily, on January 31, 1943. That afternoon the plane had headed into what seemed to Bill to be a “a solid wall of flying steel” and “clouds of smoke from the exploding ack-ack shells.” They saw their friends in the lead plane shot down and crash into the sea about 20 miles off the coast of Sicily. The entire crew was killed. But the Pink Lady’s crew man- aged to survive engine fires, loss of oxy- gen and hydraulic systems (no brakes, no landing flaps), German fighter pilots Bill teaching in the field, releasing a kangaroo rat, at Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center, 1983. Photo by Galen Rowell
Natural Reserve System 3 Transect • 19:1
This new site makes 1.5 miles of coastline available for research and study. Photo by > Don Canestro
In 1966, the site was visited by mem- bers of the UC reserve system and its potential value as a reserve was pointed out by the NRS founder himself, Ken Norris. Again in January 1970, the in- tertidal area was visited by a group of biologists from UC Santa Barbara, who concluded that “this locality is a good example of exposed outer coast with high floristic diversity which warrants New NRS site in central California reserve status.” offers excellent marine resources and rare terrestrial habitats But the course of natural resource man- agement seldom runs smoothly. An- other three decades would pass before reat new NRS reserves don’t A little site history interest and opportunity joined hands often come along nowadays. over this land. In January 2001, due to Not only are the pressures of Archaeological evidence of midden G the generosity of the landowner, the development and competing land uses deposits at this site and the many arti- NRS started its program at the reserve greater than ever in California, but any facts collected on adjacent land suggest under a six-year use-agreement. Under site proposed for NRS inclusion must that a large Chumash village once ex- this agreement, access is limited to uni- meet stringent scientific, academic, and isted here, supporting perhaps as many versity-level research and teaching. even administrative criteria. It’s cause as 3,000 people. for celebration, therefore, that the NRS Outstanding marine resources now announces its 34th site — the Europeans developed dairy ranches in Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino central California in the mid-nine- The Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve — has become available for teenth century. Each year, from the Reserve is unique for its marine re- research and teaching. early 1900s through the 1960s, Chi- sources. The intertidal area stands out nese algae collectors would harvest al- as an excellent and increasingly rare ex- Located in northern San Luis Obispo gae from a narrow band along miles of ample of central California coastline, County on the southern edge of the the high intertidal zone.* In the 1940s, particularly impressive because of how town of Cambria, the reserve offers one this site became a cattle ranch. extensive it is. In fact, no other site of the most spectacular stretches of available to campuses in California can coastal intertidal habitat in central Cali- compare with this one in terms of the fornia. This “surf and turf” site encom- *Editor’s note: Each winter, these Chi- undisturbed richness and extensiveness passes 500 acres (200 hectares) that nese algae collectors used propane torches of its intertidal area. It is anticipated include such diverse habitats as an ex- to scorch the intertidal rocks, killing al- that, as part of the NRS, this reserve tensive rocky shoreline (about a mile gal spores and ensuring that Porphyra — will become one of the major sites for and a half of it), nearshore kelp forests, a weedy algae species commonly known marine research and teaching along the a coastal terrace grassland, and slopes as nori and widely used in Asian food — California coast. covered with Monterey pine forest with would be able to settle and grow in these coast live oaks, grassy prairies and hill- areas. Each spring, they harvested the Flanking the reserve and forming a sides, and coastal scrub. Porphyra, then dried and sold it to mar- kets in San Francisco and China. Mod- nearshore band are extensive kelp for- ern-day marine ecologists use this same ests, a combination of giant kelp and rock-scorching technique in their studies. bull kelp. This is one of the largest beds University of California 4 Transect • 19:1 within this region of the coast. Giant mately 90 species, with 60 percent (50+ users have access to a large area (per- kelp lives for up to three to four years, species) native. haps 65 acres) of fields relatively clean can grow to lengths of 200 feet (60 of persistent agricultural weeds. This meters), and can cover an area varying The northern end of the reserve is area could be used for demonstration from several hundred feet to one mile dominated by an introduced perennial, and as an outdoor laboratory for coastal wide. It may extend for several miles Harding grass. Extensive areas are com- grassland restoration. Restoration and is found along the North Ameri- prised of dense mixtures of introduced classes are in demand throughout the can Pacific coast from central Califor- grasses, mostly annuals. There is a large UC system, and this reserve is especially nia down to Bahía Asunción, Baja patch of kikuya grass near the owner’s Continued on page 6 California. Bull kelp, an annual that residences. Native species can grow up to 20 meters in length, is maintain a hold in the vi- a major constituent of kelp beds from cinity of the blufftops, Alaska down to San Luis Obispo County, where stands of California California. Kelp forests support millions oatgrass, Pacific ryegrass, of individual organisms and more than and saltgrass are present. A 1,000 species of marine plants and ani- few patches of saltgrass and mals. Kelp is also important habitat for an occasional patch of rush the recruitment of commercially impor- extend farther into the grass- tant rockfish species and is itself an im- land. Along the lip of the portant crop with many commercial uses. bluffs are several native pe- Its harvesting is regulated by the Cali- rennial forbs and prostrate fornia Department of Fish and Game. shrubs, including golden- bush, sea thrift and species The intertidal area at this reserve is of clarkia, gumweed, and algae-dominated and very robust. buckwheat. Introduced There are no distinct mussel or barnacle iceplant is present, but not zones. Fucoid brown algae predomi- extensive. nate in the upper intertidal. A high spe- cies diversity of mostly foliose red al- The northern end of the re- gae is found throughout the intertidal. serve was grazed by cattle The low intertidal zone has seagrasses until four years ago. In ad- and laminarian brown algae. dition to the site’s good coastal terrace prairie mixed Rare grassland habitats with upland purple Above: Reserve’s coastline, looking north. Below: Reserve’s coastline, looking south. needlegrass prairie, reserve Photos by Alex Glazer Roughly one-quarter of the reserve har- bors patches of coastal terrace prairie mixed with upland purple needlegrass prairie. Coastal terrace grasslands are among the most threatened and rare plant communities in North America. Grassland is the most altered of the reserve’s habitats — in old, cultivated fields, introduced grasses have almost completely replaced the native plant community. Yet, overall, the area re- mains a surprisingly vital example of coastal terrace prairie, characterized by good species diversity. The soils are deep, well drained, nearly level, and very productive. A current flora of ter- restrial vascular plants lists approxi- Natural Reserve System 5 Transect • 19:1
New NRS site The native Monterey pine forest at the throughout the Monterey pine’s range Continued from page 5 reserve appears healthy, with even-aged to determine if resistance is a geneti- stands that include many seedlings and cally heritable trait (see the website of well suited for studies of grassland res- saplings, and many large, dead trees are the Pitch Canker Task Force: toration ecology because of its current in various states of decay. (In contrast,
Common grassland birds include northern flickers, meadowlarks, blue- Where did all birds, and red-winged blackbirds. the black abalones go? lack abalones have practically dis- Moving toward the south end of the appeared from the Channel Is- reserve, where the native coastal prai- B lands off southern California and now rie grades abruptly into coastal scrub are rarely found along the mainland dominated by California sage, coast as far north as Point Buchon, woodrats and other mice are common. about 20 miles south of the Kenneth Photo by Kevin Lafferty Bats, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve. bobcats can also be found on site. Tur- Currently there are no black abalones in the more southern NRS sites. keys travel the reserve. The reason for this decline is “foot withering syndrome,” a condition The reserve’s intertidal area supports a thought to be caused by a parasite. Also called “abalone wasting disease,” high density of turban snails, few mus- it is characterized by weakening and atrophy of the abalone’s foot muscles, sels, and all three species of Anthopleura which makes it difficult for the shellfish to adhere to its substrate. anemones. The invertebrate grazer communities differ here from those of For information on the current worldwide geographic distribution of black other NRS reserves that include an in- abalones, check “ABMAP — The Abalone Mapping Project” of the Los tertidal component. Angeles County Museum of Natural History:
New reserve gets buoyant new manager PISCO researchers from UCSB and UCSC conducting a comprehensive survey of marine intertidal on Canestro became resident reserve manager organisms at the reserve. Photo by Don Canestro Dof the Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Re- serve in 2001, after nearly eight years as Diving and Boating Safety Officer at UC Santa Cruz. He has worked as a lifeguard and maintenance and opera- tions park ranger for the East Bay Regional Park Dis- trict in Oakland, a marine biologist for the Channel Islands National Park, a research associate at UC Santa Barbara, and a SCUBA instructor in various settings. He has dived in Antarctica and the Bering Sea on various University research projects. Canestro has a B.S. in Conservation of Natural Resources from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. He has worked Marine botany students from UCLA identifying and as an environmental consultant and is an expert on pressing algae collected at the reserve. Photo by SCUBA diving standards. Don Canestro
New NRS site is provided by UC Santa Barbara, ship for Interdisciplinary Studies of Continued from page 7 which manages six other NRS sites: Coastal Oceans — describes this work Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve, Coal in its section on research into nearshore rine Biology quarter at UC Los Ange- Oil Point Natural Reserve, Santa Cruz oceanography: les (which now operates from the Island Reserve, Sedgwick Reserve,
University of California 8 Transect • 19:1
from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation will enable NRS scientists to greatly expand their research and moni- toring of California oak woodlands, and to provide stew- ardship training to agencies and landowners who manage these ecosystems.
Through the continued generosity and foresight of the Packard Foundation, the NRS has received a $263,600 grant to develop a framework for long-term study to restore and manage California’s threatened coastal oak ecosystem. The grant will fund a 10-month planning process to develop a network of sites, scientists, managers, and landowners called the Coast Ranges Oak Woodland Network (CROWN). The Oak at Hastings Reserve. Photo by David J. Gubernick goals of the network are to develop knowledge that will Oak woodland network help support new policies and management to conserve, restore, and sustain California’s oak woodlands and grass- welcomes support of lands. The network will encompass a broad-based program Packard Foundation for monitoring wildlands in the Coast Ranges and will bring together existing programs into a wide-ranging education ak woodlands and grasslands characterize network for landowners, students, and resource managers. much of California’s rolling hills. Yet these O graceful landscapes are in peril. A large portion A vital part of this network will be a series of protected of the state’s old oaks have been destroyed, and most of its research sites where long-term experiments can be con- grasslands have been transformed into weeds or lost to de- ducted. Three NRS reserves will serve as core areas for velopment. Such losses have prompted ambitious protec- CROWN research: Hastings Natural History Reservation tion efforts by agencies, citizens, and conservation groups. (Monterey County), McLaughlin Natural Reserve (Napa Since 1990 was proclaimed by the California legislature as and Lake Counties), and Sedgwick Reserve (Santa Barbara the Year of the Oak, hundreds of acres of oak woodland County). These sites provide a broad geographic range in have been protected or replanted, most by volunteer efforts which to study oak woodlands, as well as an established in communities across the state. body of previous research on which to build new knowledge.
As important as these efforts are, they The life cycle of an oak woodland is a have protected less than 5 percent of very slow dance; it takes a long time the state’s remaining oak woodland, to learn its secrets. A generation ago, and native species continue to decline. Hastings ecologist Jim Griffin noticed Much publicized are the decline of the woodlands he studied contained blue oaks and valley oaks, the dwin- very few young oaks. In 1971, Grif- dling populations of native plants and fin was the first scientist to document animals, and the spread of invasive the lack of regeneration of valley oaks weeds. Clearly, protecting wildlands in the Carmel Valley. Other studies in and open space is just the start to con- other places confirmed that the ma- serving California’s oak woodland jestic old blue oaks and valley oaks that ecosystems. graced foothills throughout central California had no replacements. This NRS scientists have been studying oak so-called lack of recruitment in oaks woodlands in California for more than prompted a series of scientific meet- thirty years. This research has led sci- ings during the seventies and eighties. entists to examine many aspects of the landscape, from the influence of Much of the information presented predators on acorn production to the came from scientists working on UC’s effects of cattle grazing on perennial Backlit oak. grasses and oak seedlings. A recent gift Photo by Galen Rowell Continued on page 10 Natural Reserve System 9 Transect • 19:1
these partners, new techniques for restoration and manage- ment can be tested and monitored. Social scientists will examine the values people attach to these landscapes and explore how these values can be reflected in new policy designs.
Several NRS scientists are working to develop the Coast Ranges Oak Woodland Network, including NRS system- wide director Alex Glazer, who serves on the project’s executive committee. Frank Davis (UCSB) is principal investigator and director; Susan Harrison (UCD) is associ- ate director for the project. Hastings reserve director Mark Oak tree after snow storm in Carmel Valley(!). Stromberg serves as education and outreach director. These Photo by David J. Gubernick scientists will work with an advisory committee represent- ing a broad range of interests, from The Nature Conser- natural reserves. In their search for clues, NRS scientists vancy to the California Cattlemen’s Association, to ensure examined acorn production and the many kinds of wildlife the project is closely connected with ongoing conservation that depend on acorns as food. They found acorn produc- efforts in all sectors. tion to be closely tied to spring weather, and the abundance of the acorn crop to be synchronized across long distances. The first work to be completed with the Packard Founda- They studied the habits of jays and squirrels that effectively tion grant will be to collect all that is known about oak plant thousands of acorns each year, and the consequences woodlands from the scientific literature and from local ex- of deer and cattle grazing on the growing tips of seedlings. perts. Informal workshops and small meetings will be held They examined the ecosystem dynamics affected by gophers throughout the region to compare the experience of many and found that the churned earth created seedbeds for an- people working to restore oak woodland ecosystems. From nual weeds that in turn sapped the soil of nutrients and this collected knowledge, CROWN organizers will develop moisture. a long-term strategy that will strengthen the conservation of California’s oak woodlands. Much has been learned, yet more questions remain. Earlier — Margaret L. Herring studies examined ecological conditions at particular sites NRS Senior Science Writer and at particular times. The proposed CROWN research extends the study to oak woodland ecosystems across the For more information, contact: entire Coast Ranges and over a time scale of at least a de- Susan Harrison cade, in order to learn how species develop adaptations to Environmental Science and Policy different local environments. New scientific tools enable University of California, Davis, CA 95616 inquiry at both very large and very small scales. In addition Phone: 530-752-7110 to geographic studies of adaptation, CROWN research pro- Email: [email protected] poses to examine the movement of genes among popula- tions to determine how landscape fragmentation affects ge- netic diversity. In this way, CROWN research will explore questions from the molecular level to the ecosystem level in order to better understand the processes important to sus- taining oak woodlands and grasslands.
Long-term research is necessary to understand natural pro- cesses that take one’s lifetime to unfold. But the CROWN proposal recognizes that research alone is not enough to restore woodland ecosystems. Therefore, a large part of the proposal includes the translation of scientific knowledge into workable strategies to restore and manage the foothill land- scapes of the Coast Ranges. Many partners will be engaged through outreach programs, and, through cooperation with Majestic valley oak. Photo by Galen Rowell University of California 10 Transect • 19:1
California oaks imperiled by new, exotic species of fungus
he fate of California’s oaks has Phytophthora responsible is proving Things you can do to help Tlooked increasingly bleak since hardy and adaptable. It is found in rain- prevent SOD: 1995 when scientists first became water, soil, and infested plant material. aware of a devastating new patho- It thrives in a cool (50° to 60°F), moist • Learn to recognize the symptoms gen that causes Sudden Oak Death climate, but can survive periods of of SOD. Report suspected cases. (SOD). Already SOD has killed tens drought, then revive when water is in- Obtain a professional evaluation to of thousands of coast live oaks troduced. It has also been found on determine whether SOD is present. (Quercus agrifolia), black oaks (Q. wild huckleberries in Marin County kelloggii), and tanoaks (Lithocarpus and on Shreve’s oaks (Q. parvula var. • Do not collect soil, wood, or other densiflorus)* in seven counties — shrevei — a new oak host for SOD) plant material (acorns, leaves, etc.) Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Santa Clara, and commercial rhododendrons in from areas where SOD has occurred. Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz County. This exotic • Do not import host plants, fire- Monterey — along 200 miles of Phytophthora was first isolated by UC wood, or chips that originated in coastline and as far as 35 miles Davis plant pathologist David Rizzo SOD-confirmed areas. inland. and UC Berkeley forest pathologist/ UC Cooperative Extension specialist • Hikers, dog walkers, bikers, sports SOD is caused by a brand-new Matteo Garbelotto. enthusiasts, construction workers, strain of Phytophthora fungus — es- and landscapers in SOD-infected ar- sentially a water mold, less related SOD impacts include the loss of aes- eas should clean soil material from to mushrooms than to brown algae. thetic values, property values, and habi- their shoes, pets’ feet, tires, and It is similar to the type of organism tat for flora and fauna supported by liv- sports, construction, and gardening responsible for the Irish potato fam- ing oaks; the creation of hazard trees equipment to prevent further spread. ine of the mid-nineteenth century. and increased fire hazards; the degra- In some parts of Australia, other ex- dation of water quality; and significant If you think you have an oak af- otic Phytophthora species have killed costs of dead tree removal. In the long flicted with SOD or just want more 70 percent of an area’s woody spe- run, SOD could permanently change information on the problem, check cies. SOD destroys a tree’s living in- California’s landscape. these two websites: ner bark layer, girdling it and cut- ting off transport of water and nu- Until recently, no cure or means of con- CA Oak Mortality Task Force — trients from roots to crown. trolling the moisture-loving, quick-
* The tanoak is actually a type of beech tree, not an oak. Solitary oak. Photo by David J. Gubernick
Natural Reserve System 11 Transect • 19:1 CA Coastal Conservancy boosts two NRS reserves
he Quail Ridge Reserve, located in Napa County Protected sites in this area are also part of a regional-scale on a southern peninsula of Lake Berryessa, got a conservation effort, the Blue Ridge-Berryessa Natural Area T big boost in February when the California Coastal Conservation Partnership, a consortium that includes the Conservancy authorized $268,392 in funding for the pur- UC Natural Reserve System, California Coastal Conser- chase of five inheld parcels totalling 339 acres. vancy, Homestake Mining Company, Land Trust of Napa County, Quail Ridge Wilderness Conservancy, California This was the final phase of a two-phase project in which Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Bureau of Land Man- the conservancy provided a total of nearly $400,000 to NRS agement, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. sites. Last year the conservancy enabled purchase of a 210- acre inholding that had previously bisected Quail Ridge Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve offers a variety of relatively Reserve, thereby uniting its disparate sections and incorpo- undisturbed habitats, including valley and foothill grass- rating into the site a valuable canyon and creek. The Napa land, blue oak woodland, chamise chaparral, lower mon- County Land Trust will hold a conservation easement across tane chaparral, mixed riparian woodland, and intermittent the property. foothill stream. The site was named in honor of The conservancy will world-renowned plant ge- also provide an addi- neticist and long-time tional $22,500 for de- professor at UC Davis velopment of a docent and Berkeley, G. Ledyard program at another Stebbins. NRS site, Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve. Although both Quail This 576-acre reserve is Ridge and Stebbins are located in Solano and inland sites, administered Napa Counties, about through UC Davis, the 20 miles west of UC conservancy is able to Davis. benefit them because new conservancy guidelines Stebbins has a long his- for the San Francisco Bay Quail Ridge Reserve. Photo by Frank Mauer tory of public access, Area cover all nine Bay receiving 2,000 to Area counties that sur- 4,000 visitors each year. It was therefore decided that en- round and drain into the bay — including Solano and Napa hancing access there would do more to further the Counties, where these two NRS reserves are located. conservancy’s public access goals than enhancing access at the more biologically vulnerable Quail Ridge Reserve, where The California Coastal Conservancy was established in 1976 increased public access would conflict with resource pro- by the state legislature and is a unique state resource agency tection goals. Conservancy funds will be matched by the that uses entrepreneurial techniques to purchase, protect, NRS systemwide office for the development of trails and restore, and enhance coastal resources, and to provide ac- other amenities at Stebbins. cess to the shore. The conservancy works in partnership with local governments, other public agencies, nonprofit or- Quail Ridge Reserve holds outstanding remnants of ex- ganizations, and private landowners. To date, the conservancy tremely rare native grassland, savanna, and oak woodland has undertaken more than 700 projects along the 1,100-mile habitats that harbor a diverse mix of oak species. Conserva- California coastline and around San Francisco Bay. tion of the Quail Ridge peninsula began in 1984 when Frank Maurer and Lenora Timm purchased 151 acres threatened For more information, contact: by development; in 1989, they created the Quail Ridge Wil- Virginia (“Shorty”) Boucher, Reserve Manager derness Conservancy, which is dedicated to preserving the UCD NRS, DESP/Wickson Hall Quail Ridge region as a wilderness area. Quail Ridge Re- University of California, Davis, CA 95616 serve was established as an NRS site in 1991 and currently Phone: 530-752-6949 encompasses 1,937 acres. Email: [email protected] University of California 12 Transect • 19:1 2000-01 Mathias winners shed light on NRS reserves
ourteen years ago, the NRS be- Michael A. Kennedy: causes of in- Abby Glenn Sirulnik: effects of ni- gan supporting student re- tensified marine subsistence among trogen deposition on ecosystem pro- Fsearch through its Mildred E. Holocene hunter-gatherers (Bodega cesses in exotic annual grasslands and Mathias Student Research Grants pro- Marine Reserve). chaparral communities (Box Springs, gram. Since 1988, $294,000+ has been Mary Brooke McEachern: mating Motte Rimrock, and Emerson Oaks Re- distributed to 185 UC students. system variations among dusky-footed serves). woodrats (Eagle Lake Biological Field In the 2000-01 awards cycle, 20 stu- Station). From UC Santa Barbara — dents were chosen from six UC cam- Evan Preisser: effects of soil mois- John P. LaBonte: foraging strategies puses to share $29,368 in conducting ture on a multi-predator trophic cas- of the Southern Pacific rattlesnake research at 16 (of 34) NRS reserves: cade (Bodega Marine Reserve). (Sedgwick Reserve). Stephanie Romañach: effects of From UC Berkeley — From UC Los Angeles — body size, food resource abundance, Lisa Grubisha: gene flow in an Teresa Jolene Brennan: successional and social interactions on movement ectomycorrhizal fungus (Santa Cruz pattern of, and fire’s influence on, chap- patterns of pocket gophers (Sedgwick Island Reserve). arral conifer-oak forest (James San Reserve). Maria M. Soares: social organiza- Jacinto Mountains Reserve). Sean Mark Watts: evolutionary re- tion of voles (Hastings Natural History Aviva Liebert: reproductive flexibil- sponses of plants to root herbivory Reservation). ity in paper wasps (Stunt Ranch Santa (Santa Cruz Island Reserve). Kenwyn Blakeslee Suttle: effects of Monica Mountains Reserve). changing hydrologic regimes on grass- Kristina D. Louie: population ge- From UC Santa Cruz — land communities (Angelo Coast netics of eelgrass, a threatened habitat Lisa Ann DiGirolamo: effects of Range Reserve). (Santa Cruz Island and Kendall-Frost invasive Argentine ants on grassland Mission Bay Marsh Reserves). community structure (Fort Ord Natu- From UC Davis — ral Reserve). Collin A. Eagles-Smith: effects of From UC Riverside — Joy Anna Hagen: the role of insects community structure and trophic dy- Sharon J. Coe: effects of water avail- in regulating invasive weeds (Younger namics on contaminant movement ability on reproductive success in desert Lagoon Reserve). through aquatic ecosystems (Eagle Lake birds (Sweeney Granite Mountains Brooke Weaver: demographic re- Biological Field Station). Desert Research Center). sponses of coast horned lizards to inva- Amy L. Freestone: serpentine seep Amy E. Lindahl: seasonal/spatial sive Argentine ants (Fort Ord Natural plant communities (McLaughlin Re- shifts in patterns of mycorrhizal fungi Reserve). serve). associated with coast live oaks and grasslands (Emerson Oaks Reserve).
lthough Mathias award amounts are modest (the seems likely to shed light on management issues concern- Amaximum for a single award is $2,500), the grant- ing natural reserves are therefore especially welcome. Con- ing process is taken very seriously, with proposals reviewed versely, proposals for research that could readily be con- first by the NRS campus committee, then by a system- ducted at any number of locations throughout the state wide committee. This is a real-life exercise in raising money or country will probably elicit a less-enthusiastic response for research. Students receive firsthand experience in ap- from the review committees — unless that research seems plying for grants, meeting deadlines, managing budgets; each likely to assist in the management of reserves or to in- awardee submits a progress report to the NRS director. crease scientific understanding of local ecosystems.
Mathias awards are designed to benefit UC graduate stu- An annual call for proposals is issued in September; awards dents by encouraging their research at NRS reserves. In are announced in December. Applications may be ob- turn, such use recognizes the special values of NRS sites tained directly through an NRS campus representative or as distinct from other locations and helps document the from the NRS systemwide office (1111 Franklin Street, 6th value of the reserve system. Proposals for research that Floor, Oakland, CA 94607-5200; phone: 510-987-0150).
Natural Reserve System 13 Transect • 19:1
Wartime challenges has demonstrated a phenomenal ability to talk people into Continued from page 3 giving land to the University. Perhaps because he figures it never hurts to ask. And also because he believes that “no only means maybe, at least for the time being.” His quiet ing in 1989, Bill treasured his role as teacher. Of the 5,600+ perseverance and down-to-earth diplomacy are legendary. undergraduate students he taught over his long career, more than a thousand were enthusiastic participants in field trips Furthermore, over the years, Bill showed a remarkable knack over long weekends spent investigating the bounties of natu- for getting all the powers at the table — developers, land- ral areas throughout Southern California. owners, bureaucrats, attorneys, private citizens — to com- municate and find resolutions to land-use and preservation Bill always had an unassuming way of putting people at dilemmas. He played a primary role in the establishment ease, but his war experiences strengthened him for the tasks of numerous NRS reserves, including two of the original ahead. Fortified by his convictions about the value of the seven NRS sites: Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Cen- natural world, Bill had the confidence to pursue every op- ter in 1959 and Box Springs Reserve in 1964. The NRS portunity, no matter the obstacles, of championing habitat itself was established in 1965. preservation throughout California. Bill and a researcher friend from UCLA — another NRS hero, Ken Norris — Fellow NRS founder Ken Norris once wrote of his colleague traveled around the state in the sixties and seventies, identi- and friend Bill Mayhew: fying parcels of land that represented California’s richly di- verse but shrinking habitats. Their goal was to garner and … Bill has repeatedly shown the way for people of all stripes protect these areas as reserves in the nascent NRS, then and persuasions to take part in attempts to preserve and protect known as the “Natural Land and Water Reserves System.” important parts of wild America, and he has often succeeded Ever working to fulfill that goal, Bill remained campus in the face of seemingly insurmountable problems in the way. director of the UC Riverside-administered NRS reserves until 1990. What Bill does is so simple. He radiates a transparent honesty that draws everyone into his plans. He is such a simple guy With little funding, the NRS has a long history of acquir- himself that there is no one he can’t talk to, one on one, with no ing lands through donation. Throughout his career, Bill suspicion to sweep away.
Throughout his career, Bill Mayhew Etiwanda Wash (property sold) coordinated or was an essential partici- 1977: Carpinteria Salt Marsh pant in the creation of these UC NRS Reserve and other reserves: 1978: Sweeney Granite Moun- tains Desert Research Center; 1955: Living Desert Reserve Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve 1959: Boyd Deep Canyon Desert 1984: Santa Rosa Plateau Reserve Research Center 1986: Coachella Valley Preserve 1964: Box Springs Reserve (formerly, Coachella Valley Fringe- 1966: James San Jacinto Mountains Toed Lizard Reserve); King Clone Reserve 1987: Oasis de los Osos Reserve 1970: San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh (satellite to James Reserve) Eco-baron Bill Mayhew Reserve 1991: Emerson Oaks Reserve 1972: Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve “They were accusing me of being the 1973: Sacramento Mountains Reserve Bill was also responsible, principally governor of the 51st state. They (satellite to Sweeney Granite Moun- or in part, for the addition of tens thought I was trying to establish Uni- tains Reserve); Santa Cruz Island Re- of thousands of acres to the NRS’s versity land from the Mexican border serve; Ryan Oak Glen (donated to San Boyd Deep Canyon, Motte Rim- to the Oregon border…[but] I could Diego State University) rock, Sweeney Granite Mountains, see down the line that we were not 1974: Chickering American River Scripps Underwater Reserves, and going to have places for faculty and Reserve Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research students… .” 1976: Motte Rimrock Reserve; Laboratory (SNARL).
University of California 14 Transect • 19:1
takes to save our natural heritage for future generations.” What I will always remember about Bill is he never got And later, as Nevada director for The Nature Conservancy, depressed. … He approached every day with an Steve said of Bill, “He is why I became involved in conser- optimism and an enthusiasm that I can only hope to vation. I often think of what Bill would do in a particular emulate. I believe that to be successful in land conserva- situation and that mind-set has guided me to many notable tion work, you need to be a pathological optimist. That’s conservation successes.” Bill, and that’s his gift to all his students and colleagues. The great irony of Bill’s career pleases his sense of humor. — Steve Hobbs Because he spent much of the war hating the harsh Indian Formerly Nevada’s first state director of and Saharan desert landscapes where he was stationed, Bill’s The Nature Conservancy; civilian intention was to stay as far away from deserts as he Currently director of land and water conservation could get! Yet he devoted much of his career to investigat- for Hennepin County, Minnesota, ing Southern California’s deserts. Fortunately for Califor- and working on statewide conservation issues nia, numerous lands — including vast areas of desert — and their inhabitants across the state will be protected well Bill is first and foremost a solid field biologist and teacher, into the future, in large measure, because of Bill Mayhew’s rightly noted for his work on desert wildlife. This undergirds a courage and convictions. passion for protecting wild things, starting with the land. He — Jana K. Shaker knows where he is trying to go, when many don’t. Then he Senior Writer and Photographer sweeps everyone along with him of whatever stripe: developers, College of Engineering, UC Riverside businessmen, retired women in trailers, politicians, fellow sci- — and currently working on an Australian travel book, entists. He is superior to no one, on a level with everyone, and Kangaroos and Kookaburras: he shows the way. The Natural Delights of a Year Down Under
What has he done? A great deal. Priceless wildlife reserves For more information about Bill’s life, his career at UC have been established because of him, including ones of thou- Riverside, and his land-preservation achievements through- sands of acres of now totally unobtainable wildland adjacent out California, check out this oral history website: to high-priced real estate… .
We used to kid him that his ulterior plan was to walk across California, all on lands he had managed to save.*
Two awards of which Bill is most proud are being the first recipient, in 1983, of the Aldo Starker Leopold Conserva- tion Award from The Nature Conservancy’s California chap- ter (that organization’s highest statewide honor) and, in 1994, having an NRS facility named in his honor: the Wilbur W. Mayhew Building, a dormitory for visiting sci- entists at the Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center, in Riverside County.
However, even more important to Bill than these kudos are the acknowledgements he has received from his students over the decades. One such student, Steve Hobbs, was still an undergraduate when he had the flora and fauna of the Mojave Desert revealed to him by Professor Mayhew. As a graduate student, Steve said, “Bill taught me what conser- vation means. From the pure physical labor … to the intri- cate negotiations, [he] showed me the real world of what it Bill* at Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center, 1998. Photo by Alex Glazer *Kenneth S. Norris to Chevron Conservation Awards, letter of support for Bill Mayhew, March 23, 1997. *Thanks for everything, “Bugs”! Natural Reserve System 15 Transect • 19:1 A few words Continued from page 1 Transect the dynamics of their interaction with Spring 2001 • 19:1 by the Mayhew legacy. A newly added each other and with their ever-chang- 34th reserve on the central California ing environment — is very modest. Transect is published biannually by the Natural Reserve System (NRS), part of the Division of coast provides protected access to The projects of Mathias award-winning Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), in unique marine resources (page 4). students (page 13) exemplify the rich the University of California Office of the Presi- Grants from the California Coastal array of questions being explored on dent (UCOP). Conservancy have substantially en- the reserves. The answers will certainly Subscriptions are free, available upon request. Contact: Transect Editor, UC Natural Reserve hanced the Quail Ridge Reserve in contribute to our sense of wonder at System, 1111 Franklin Street, 6th Floor, Oak- Napa County (page 12). With a plan- the natural world and may well con- land, CA 94607-5200; phone: 510-987-0150; ning grant to the NRS from the David tribute to the survival of humanity. fax: 510-763-2971; e-mail: [email protected]. and Lucile Packard Foundation, Recent past Transect issues are also available for researchers from several UC campuses We are delighted to present Bill viewing on the World Wide Web at:
The frequent assertion 100% Recycled paper that the scientific ad- printed with soy-based inks vances of the twentieth The University of California prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person employed by or seeking employment century have far ex- with the University on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, medical condition ceeded those made (cancer-related), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran. during the total past The University of California is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. The University undertakes affirmative history of humankind action to assure equal employment opportunity for underutilized minorities and women, for persons with disabilities, and for is undoubtedly true. Vietnam-era veterans and special disabled veterans. University Even so, it is very clear policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable state and federal law. Inquiries regarding the that what we know of University’s equal employment opportunity policies may be directed to: Office of Affirmative Action/Staff Personnel Ser- the Earth — its organ- Wilbur W. Mayhew Building dedication plaque at vices, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center. Photo Natural Resources, 300 Lakeside Drive, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA isms, their biology, and 94612-3560; phone: 510-987-0096. by Alex Glazer
0460 Nonprofit Org. Natural Reserve System U.S. Postage University of California PAID 1111 Franklin Street, 6th Floor University of Oakland, CA 94607-5200 California