Yolo County Oak Woodland Conservation and Enhancement Plan Was Funded by a Grant from the California State Wildlife Conservation Board
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Yolo County Oak Woodland Conservation and Enhancement Plan Prepared by: Yolo County Parks and Natural Resources Management Division Yolo County Planning, Resources, and Public Works Department 292 West Beamer Street Woodland, CA 95695 January 16, 2007 The Yolo County Parks and Natural Resources Management Division gratefully acknowledges the California Wildlife Conservation Board for its generous support of this project. 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Yolo County Board of Supervisors District 1 – Mike McGowan District 2 – Helen Thomson District 3 – Matt Rexroad District 4 – Mariko Yamada District 5 – Duane Chamberlain Yolo County Parks and Natural Resources Management Division Julia McIver, Deputy Director Petrea Marchand, Water Resources Coordinator Jill Baty, Assistant Planner Ezra Neale, Research Assistant Holly Malcolm, Administrative Assistant Yolo County Information Technology Department Mike Martinez, Geographic Information System Coordinator Phytosphere Research Ted Swiecki, 1027 Davis Street, Vacaville, CA 95687 Cover photo courtesy of: Audubon California The Yolo County Oak Woodland Conservation and Enhancement Plan was funded by a grant from the California State Wildlife Conservation Board. ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 3 I. GOALS ................................................................................................................................................ 5 II. OAK WOODLAND RESOURCE VALUES.................................................................................... 5 PLANT AND WILDLIFE HABITAT................................................................................................................. 6 EROSION CONTROL .................................................................................................................................... 6 WATER QUALITY PROTECTION................................................................................................................... 6 FLOOD PROTECTION ................................................................................................................................... 7 AIR QUALITY PROTECTION......................................................................................................................... 7 HISTORIC AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE................................................................................................... 8 AESTHETICS AND PUBLIC RECREATION...................................................................................................... 8 III. EXISTING OAK WOODLANDS IN YOLO COUNTY ............................................................ 8 INDIVIDUAL OAK SPECIES .......................................................................................................................... 8 Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) ................................................................................................................ 8 Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii)............................................................................................................... 9 Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizeni)................................................................................................... 9 California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) ............................................................................................ 9 Scrub Oak (Quercus berberidifolia) ..................................................................................................... 9 Leather Oak (Quercus durata).............................................................................................................. 9 OAK-DOMINATED PLANT COMMUNITIES ................................................................................................. 10 Blue Oak Woodlands – Foothill Pine.................................................................................................. 10 Mixed Chaparral................................................................................................................................. 11 Valley Foothill Riparian Forest.......................................................................................................... 11 Valley Oak Woodlands........................................................................................................................ 11 Montane Hardwood Forest................................................................................................................. 11 OAK WOODLANDS OWNERSHIP PATTERNS .............................................................................................. 12 IV. HISTORICAL EXTENT OF OAK WOODLANDS................................................................. 13 V. FACTORS AFFECTING OAK WOODLANDS ........................................................................... 15 LAND CONVERSION .................................................................................................................................. 15 Rural residential and urban development........................................................................................... 15 Agriculture.......................................................................................................................................... 16 Infrastructure...................................................................................................................................... 16 LACK OF REGENERATION ......................................................................................................................... 16 Low acorn production......................................................................................................................... 17 Poor seedbed conditions. .................................................................................................................... 18 Herbivory............................................................................................................................................ 18 Water stress......................................................................................................................................... 18 Fire ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 LOW GROUNDWATER LEVELS .................................................................................................................. 19 VI. ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES FOR OAK WOODLAND CONSERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS ................................................................................................................ 19 OAK WOODLAND RESOURCE VALUES...................................................................................................... 20 Stand Composition, Integrity, and Functionality................................................................................ 21 Habitat for Plant and Wildlife Species................................................................................................ 29 Landscape Function............................................................................................................................ 35 Human Interactions ............................................................................................................................ 38 RISK CATEGORIES .................................................................................................................................... 40 MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINTS .................................................................................................................. 41 i VII. CONSERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS ........... 44 GENERAL PLAN POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................... 44 OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................... 46 VIII. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY........................................................................................... 49 PARTNERS ................................................................................................................................................ 49 PUBLIC OUTREACH................................................................................................................................... 49 SCHEDULE ................................................................................................................................................ 50 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 52 APPENDIX A: OVERVIEW OF HCP/NCCP DATA ........................................................................... 55 APPENDIX B: COMMON WILDLIFE SPECIES FOUND IN OAK WOODLANDS ...................... 56 APPENDIX C: COMMON PLANT SPECIES FOUND IN OAK WOODLANDS............................. 58 APPENDIX D: FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL OAK WOODLANDS CONSERVATION PROGRAMS AND POLICIES ................................................................................................................. 59 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS .......................................................................................................