Thirteen Plant Taxa from the Northern Channel Islands Recovery Plan
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Thirteen Plant Taxa from the Northern Channel Islands Recovery Plan I2 cm Illustration of island barberry (Berberis pinnata ssp. insularis). Copyright by the Regents of the University of California, reproduced with permission of the Jepson Herbarium, University of California. THIRTEEN PLANT TAXA FROM THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS RECOVERY PLAN Region 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Portland, Oregon Approved: Operations Office, Wildlife Service Date: I PRIMARY AUTHOR The Recovery Plan for Thirteen Plant Taxa from the Northern Channel Islands was prepared by: Tim Thomas U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1 DISCLAIMER Recovery plans delineate reasonable actions which are believed to be required to recover and/or protect listed species. We (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) publish recovery plans, sometimes preparing them with the assistance of recovery teams, contractors, State agencies, and others. Objectives of the recovery plan will be attained and any necessary funds made available subject to budgetary and other constraints affecting the parties involved, as well as the need to address other priorities. Costs indicated for task implementation and/or time for achievement ofrecovery are only estimates and are subject to change. Recovery plans do not necessarily represent the views, official positions, or approval ofany individuals or agencies involved in the plan formulation other than our own. They represent our official position only after they have been signed by the Director, Regional Director, or CalifornialNevada Operations Office Manager as approved. Approved recovery plans are subject to modification as dictated by new findings, changes in species status, and the completion of recovery tasks. Literature citation should read: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2000. Thirteen Plant Taxa from the Northern Channel Islands Recovery Plan. Portland, Oregon. 94 pp. Additional copies may be purchased from: Fish and Wildlife Reference Service 5430 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110 Bethesda, Maryland 208 14-2158 (301)492-6403 or 1-800-582-3421 FAX: 301-564-4059 E-mail: [email protected] http://fa.r9.fws.gov/r9fwrsi The fee for the plan varies depending on the number of pages ofthe plan. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Recovery Plan for the Thirteen Plant Taxa from the Northern Channel Islands was prepared with the invaluable assistance of Kirk Waln ofthe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (map production); Kathryn McEachern and Katie Chess (map production) of the Biological Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey; Kate Faulkner and Cathy Schwemm ofthe National Park Service; Steve Junak ofthe Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; and critical reviews by Connie Rutherford (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Dieter Wilken (Santa Barbara Botanic Garden), and Peter Schuyler (Santa Catalina Island Conservancy). The information included in the recovery plan comes from a long list of scientists, botanists, resource managers, and naturalists who have explored and documented the unique resources of the California Channel Islands. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden are to be recognized for their commitment and expertise in the conservation ofthe California Channel Islands. The staffof these botanic gardens have been instrumental in providing quality research and practical guidance in island plant conservation prior to the official recognition ofthe endangered nature ofthe plants included in this recoveryplan. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is commended for the continued sponsorship ofthe California Island Symposiums. It is hoped that there will be an expanded level of communication between the various island managers and researchers to enhance the conservation ofthe California Channel Islands. iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Current Species Status: The plant species covered in this recovery plan are listed as endangered except for the threatened Santa Cruz Island dudleya (Dudleya nesiotica) and island rush-rose (Helianthemum greenei). All 13 taxa are endemic to the northern Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel) and Santa Catalina Island (island rush-rose only). Habitat Requirements and Limiting Factors: These plants occur in a variety of habitats: coastal terrace, coastal bluff scrub, coastal sage scrub, and chaparral. All 13 plant species and their habitats have been or are currently threatened by one or more ofthe following: soil loss; historic and continuing habitat alteration by mammals alien to the Channel Islands (pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys, cattle, deer, elk, horses, bison); direct predation by these same alien mammals; habitat alteration by native seabirds; competition with alien plant taxa; and increased vulnerability to extinction due to reduced genetic viability, depressed reproductive vigor, and the chance of extinction from random naturally occurring events because of small numbers of individuals and isolated populations. Recovery Objective: The recovery objective for the endangered species is to reclassify them to threatened and then delist these species. The recovery objective for the threatened species is to delist them. Recovery Criteria: There are unique recovery criteria for each ofthe species covered in this recovery plan. However, the following criteria apply to all ofthese species: (1) provide protection and adaptive management of currently known (and in some cases historic) sites, (2) provide evidence that the populations at these sites are stable or increasing over a number of years, which is determined by the life history ofthe individual species, (3) preserve the genetic diversity of the species by storing seeds in cooperating facilities, and (4) develop reliable seed germination and propagation techniques. Actions Needed: 1) Support and intensify active control programs where herbivory or habitat alteration by alien animals exists. iv 2) Develop and implement a plan to achieve the goals and standards ofthe Conservation Strategy. The Conservation Strategyis a draft strategy for conservation of island resources prepared by biologists from the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division. This Strategy is essentially a primer or guide that provides the basis for the recoveryof the species in this recovery plan and should be referred to as a supporting document. 3) Restore habitats and control competitive weeds for long-term management ofthe listed species and their habitats. 4) Conduct thorough surveys for all species in the recovery plan. 5) Conduct research that aids in the conservation and recovery ofthe species in the recovery plan. 6) Store seeds at facilities certified by the Center for Plant Conservation and develop successful seed germination and propagation techniques. 7) Develop successful outplanting techniques. Total Estimated Cost ofRecovery: The total estimated cost of recovery for the 13 federally listed species over 40 years is broken down by tasks: Priority 1 tasks: $31,995,000 Those actions that must be taken to prevent extinction or prevent the species from declining irreversibly in the foreseeable future. Priority 2 tasks: $18,070,000 Those actions that must be taken to prevent a significant decline in the species population or habitat quality, or some other significant negative impact short ofextinction. Priority 3 tasks: $1,855,000 All other actions necessary to meet the recovery and conservation objectives outlined in this recovery plan. Date of Recovery: If population stability is established and other recovery criteria are met (see Table 2), the various plant species addressed in this recovery plan may be considered for delisting within 15 to 40 years, depending on the species. v TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION . 1 A. BACKGROUND 1 1. Island Geography 4 2. Island Ownership and Management 4 3. HistoryofLandUse 10 4. Land Use Effects on Plant Communities 11 5. Land Use Effects on Soils 12 6. Native Island Vegetation 16 B. SPECIES ACCOUNTS 20 1. Hoffmann’s rock-cress (Arabis hoffmannii) 20 2. Santa Rosa Island manzanita (Aretostaphylos confert~flora) .... 23 3. Island barberry (Berberis pinnata ssp. insularis) 26 4. Soft-leaved paintbrush (Castilleja mollis) 29 5. Santa Cruz Island dudleya (Dudleya nesiotica) 32 6. Island bedstraw (Galium buxfolium) 35 7. Hoffmann’s slender-flowered gilia (Gilia tenu~flora ssp. hoffn2annii) 38 8. Island rush-rose (Helianthemum greenei) 41 9. Santa Cruz Island bushmallow (Malacothamnusfasciculatus var. nesioticus) 43 10. Santa Cruz Island malacothrix (Malacothrix indecora) 46 11. Island malacothrix (Malacothrix squalida) 49 12. Island phacelia (Phacelia insularis var. insularis) 52 13. Santa Cruz Island fringepod (Thysanocarpus conchuliferus) ... 55 C. CONSERVATION MEASURES 56 D. RECOVERY STRATEGY 60 II. RECOVERY 62 A. OBJECTIVES 62 B. RECOVERY CRITERIA 62 C. STEPDOWN NARRATIVE 69 Ill. LITERATURE CITED 79 vi IV. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE 89 Appendix A. Summary of the Agency and Public Comments on the Draft Recovery Plan for Thirteen Plant Taxa from the Northern Channel Islands 94 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of the Channel Islands 2 Figure 2. Map ofAnacapa Island 5 Figure 3. Map ofSanta Cruz Island 6 Figure 4. Map ofSanta Rosa Island 7 Figure 5. Map ofSan Miguel Island 8 Figure 6. Map ofSanta Catalina Island 9 Figure 7. Illustration of Santa Rosa Island manzanita (Arctostaphylos confert~fiora) 24 Figure 8. Illustration of island barberry (Berberispinnata ssp. insularis) 27 Figure 9. Illustration ofsoft-leaved paintbrush (Castilleja mollis)