Bigcone Douglas-Fir Mapping and Monitoring Report Angeles National Forest By Michael Kauffmann1, Ratchford, Jaime2, Julie Evens3, 4 5 Lindke, Ken , and Barnes, Jason In collaboration with Diane Travis, Fuels Planner, Angeles National Forest Anton Jackson, USDA Forest Service Enterprise Program January, 2017 1. Kauffmann, Michael E., California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite 1, Sacramento, CA 95816, [email protected] 2. Ratchford, Jaime, California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite 1, Sacramento, CA 95816, [email protected] 3. Evens, Julie, California Native Plant Society, 2707 K Street, Suite 1, Sacramento, CA 95816, [email protected] 4. Lindke, Ken - Environmental Scientist, CA Dept. Fish and Wildlife, 5341 Ericson Way, Acata 95521 [email protected] 5. Barnes, Jason - GIS Analyst, 1030 C Street, Arcata, CA 95521, [email protected] Photo on cover page: Pseudostuga macrocarpa in the San Gabriel Wilderness, Angeles National Forest All photos by Michael Kauffmann unless otherwise noted All figures by Michael Kauffmann unless otherwise noted Acknowledgements: • CNPS field staff including Daniel Hastings, Josyln Curtis, and Kendra Sikes • TEAMS biological technicians including Zya Levy, Jim Dilley, and Erica Lee who helped with the field work. • TEAMS Field Operations Supervisor Jeff Rebitzke. • USDA Forest Service Southern Province Ecologist Nicole Molinari for project design considerations and re viewing drafts of the document. Special thanks to Shaun and RT Hawke, Stuart Baker, Mike Radakovich, Sylas Kauffmann and Allison Poklemba for ad- venturing into the wilds and helping with field work. Suggested citation: Kauffmann, M., J. Ratchford, J. Evens, K. Lindke, J. Barnes. 2017. Angeles National Forest: Bigcone Douglas-fir Mapping and Monitoring Report. Unpublished report. California Native Plant Society Vegetation Program, Sacramento, CA. WEB ADDRESS - http://cnps.org/cnps/vegetation/pseudotsuga-macrocarpa/ Table of Contents p. 1 Bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa) A natural history p. 4 Methods p. 7 Results p. 17 Conclusions and management recommendations p. 19 Literature cited p. 26-28 Overview maps p. 29-32 Photographic field guide to bigcone Douglas-fir p. 33-63 Images and fine-scale distribution maps across the Angeles National Forest p. 64-172 Appendices Angeles National Forest Figures p. 3 Figure 1. Range of Pseudostuga in North America p. 8 Figure 2. Geology of PSMA plots p. 9 Figure 3. P. macrocarpa reproduction analysis p. 9 Figure 4. P. macrocarpa mortality analysis p. 20 Figure 7. HUC Watersheds in the Angeles National Forest p. 16 Figure 6. Bigcone Douglas-fir distribution across the San Gabriel Mountains p. 13 Figure 5. Patterns of recruitment for bigcone Douglas-fir p. 26 Figure 8. Rapid assessment plot locations across the Angeles National Forest. p. 27 Figure 9. EVEG polygons and generated distribution polygons generated by this project in the Sierra Pelona Mountains p.28 Figure 10. EVEG polygons and generated distribution polygons generated by this project in the San Gabriel Mountains p. 33 Figure 11. Map regions of the Angeles National Forest p. 34-63 Figures 12-21. Detailed regional distributions maps across the Angeles National Forest Tables p. 2 Table 1: Characteristics of cones and seed of Douglas-fir P.( menziesii) and bigcone Douglas-fir P.( macrocarpa) from Vander Wa l l . p. 7 Table 2: Area of bigcone Douglas-fir populations by forest region p. 8 Table 3. Average Aspect, Elevation, and Slope p. 10 Table 4: AICc results of logistic regression models to predict reproduction as a function of elevation, slope, aspect, and prior evidence of fire p. 10 Table 5: AICc results of logistic regression models to predict mortality as a function of elevation, slope, aspect, and prior evi- dence of fire p. 10 Table 6: Parameter estimates and associated standard errors, z-scores, and p-values for the AICc best fitting model for reproduc- tion p. 10 Table 7: Parameter estimates and associated standard errors, z-scores, and p-values for the AICc best fitting model for mortality p. 21-22 Table 8. The floristic classification of alliances and associations organized by woodland & forest, shrubland, and herbaceous & sparsely vegetated types. p. 23 Table 9. Results of the indicator species analysis of the cluster analysis grouping level of 21 groups. p. 24 Table 10. The associations organized by woodland & forest, shrubland, and herbaceous & sparsely vegetated types and the five HUC 8 level watersheds p. 25 Table 11. Comparative analysis of the acreage of areas mapped in our map as Bigcone Douglas-fir Forest alliance and the areas mapped in Eveg as bigcone Douglas-fir dominant stands. Appendices p. 64 -83 Appendix 1: Table of Rapid Assessment surveys collected p. 84-92 Appendix 2. Field Key for distinguishing vegetation types at the alliance and association level. p. 93-107 Appendix 3. Summary of the suite of species that are regularly found as constant and abundant taxa in the alliances p. 108-109 Appendix 4. Summary of the environmental variables for the alliances classified p. 110-135 Appendix 5. Summary of the suite of species that are regularly found in the associations p. 136-141 Appendix 6. Summary of the environmental variables for the associations p. 142-160 Appendix 7. Inventory and Monitoring Protocols and Field Forms from 2015 p. 161-164 Appendix 8: Tables 5-6 AICc Expanded ii Bigcone Douglas-fir to have been the time that the modern P. menziesii evolved. Since that evolution, the common Douglas-fir has gone on Pseudotsuga macrocarpa to establish itself as a major component of the forest vege- A natural history tation in western North America, as well as one of the most Bigcone Douglas-fir has had a diverse history of com- important lumber trees in the world while P. macrocarpa mon and scientific nomenclature. Jepson called it the des- continues to survive in a highly restricted range and has lit- ert fir and Munz the bigcone spruce. This variety in name tle economic value beyond ecosystem services-including reflects the species’ ecological amplitude across its range shade creation and food and habitat source. as well as its morphological resemblance to other conifers. The California endemic bigcone Douglas-fir spans the Previous scientific names includedAbies douglasii var. mac- Transverse and Peninsular ranges across Santa Barbara, rocarpa, Tsuga macrocarpa, and Pseudotsuga douglasii var. Ventura, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riv- macrocarpa. It was originally “discovered” in 1858 in San erside, and San Diego counties. They range 135 miles from Felipe Canyon near Julian in San Diego County and was north to south and 210 miles east to west. Northern range perplexing to early taxonomists because of its similarities to limits include areas around Mount Pinos in Kern Coun- Douglas-fir. Ultimately ecology, wood characteristics and ty and the headwaters of Labrea Creek in Santa Barbara cone size defined it as its own species (Gause 1966). County. Western limits include Zaca Peak in the San Ra- The genusPseudotsuga has a present-day range that is fael Mountains. The southern and eastern limits are east of quite discontinuous. The species within the genus are con- Julian along Highway 78 in San Diego County. fined to western North America and eastern Asia. Unlike Across this region the species ranges in elevation from the large, continuous range of Pseudotsuga menziesii across 1,000-7,000 feet where it generally occurs on cooler north the western United States, Pseudotsuga in Asia are limited facing slopes at lower elevations shifting to south facing to a few isolated mountainous regions. Bigcone Douglas- slopes in the higher elevations. The most vigorous stands fir is found in the Transverse Ranges and Pinensular ranges occur on the north slopes, which retain more moisture and of Southern California (figure 1). lower average temperatures. Habitats including shrublands, The fossil record for the genus begins in the early Ter- chaparral, riparian canyons, mixed-conifer woodlands, and tiary, about 50 million years ago (MA). Since that time, the desert slopes, all of which offer rough terrain and steep as- morphological characteristics of Pseudotsuga have changed pects, often over 50°. little; with cones, seeds and needles of extant members dif- Although the wood is suitable for coarse lumber, stands ficult to distinguish from the fossil remains. An early form are so scattered that they have more value for the ecosys- of P. macrocarpa is found in the fossil record for the first tem services provided and are rarely utilized commercially time in the late Pliocene, about 3 MA (Axelrod 1950). The (Burns and Honkala 1999). The tall stature of the species character of the accompanying flora is distinct from the compared to the plants with which it associates makes it flora that contained the now-extinct relativeP. sonomensis quite distinct, especially large specimens. The two largest and similar to today’s flora in the Transverse Range. This documented trees grow in the San Gabriels. The largest re- suggests that P. macrocarpa may have always been restricted corded, near Mount Baldy Village, was measured in 2005 in range (Hermann 1985). to 165 feet tall, 269 inches in girth, with a 94 foot canopy. More recent fossil evidence indicates that in the early It has been proposed that P. macrocarpa, unlike other Pleistocene a forest flora that includedP. menziesii extend- members of the genus Pseudotsuga, has adapted to xeric ed further south than it does today, inhabiting the Trans- conditions through changes in morphological characteris- verse Ranges concurrently with P. macrocarpa (Axelrod tics. With an increase in cone and seed size, a functional 1961). It is also possible that during that time P. macrocarpa shift in the mode of seed dispersal has occurred. Such shifts ranged further south into what is now Baja California. Un- have been documented in pines-from ancestral wind dis- doubtedly, the range of at least P.