The Vernal Pool Landscape At The Nature Conservancy’s Vina Plans Preserve Presentation by Barbara Castro, California Department of Water Resources Text and photographs prepared by Rob Schlising, California State University, Chico (retired) Topics I Location, and history of, Vina Plains Preserve II The results of research done at VPP: a major resource III …and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Vernal Pool Recovery Plan Red Bluff about 23 miles to the north Road in to old barn Original 1525 acres, with 4 fenced pastures Chico about 15 miles to the south Cemented volcanic mudflow underlies whole area and forms Northern Hardpan Vernal Pool bottoms paler green vegetation darker green vegetation reflects loamy soils reflects clayey soils barn Photo by Pauleen Broyles, winter 1983 Graduation of the first class of docents, spring 1983 The Nature Conservancy assembled a team of docents, spring 1983, that prepared in the field… Docents also prepared indoors. Graduation of the first class of docents, spring 1983 The Nature Conservancy hosted a dedication ceremony of the Vina Plains Preserve, at the old sheep-barn, on 16 April 1983 Mounts Lassen and Brokeoff showed that day 35 years ago 350 people attended, for a program by TNC—with a band, a catered chicken picnic lunch, and tours of the landscape by the docents. Landscape tours by the docents began for the pubic in 1984, starting from old logs located north of the sheep-barn. Over 1200 people visited VPP during the first several years of tours. The docent committee prepared a VPP handbook in 1984 (1994 revision shown) The Nature Conservancy has maintained ownership—and management—of the Preserve. Their prescribed burns produce beneficial effects, including reduction of medusa-head grass and yellow star thistle populations. TNC experimented by omitting burns and found that these invasive exotics dominated the landscape. Grazing by cattle during the winter months is another major aspect of landscape management. The Vina Plains Preserve is a working ranch, and thus is open to the public on a reservation basis. The Nature Conservancy has hosted college classes conducting field studies. Here uplands are being sampled to compare aboveground phytomass from different adjacent soils. Before some of the invertebrates were “listed” by USFWS, college classes could freely net and examine organisms in vernal pools at the Preserve. Physical changes in VPP: The old, dilapidated barn is gone. Corrals exist for the cattle-grazers. The Nature Conservancy has purchased land to add to the Vina Plains Preserve Map by Scott Hardage, TNC Map by Scott Hardage, TNC Map by Scott Hardage, TNC Tehama Co. County Line Butte Co. Map by Scott Hardage, TNC Vina Plains Preserve now covers 4600 acres that are owned by The Nature Conservancy Map by Scott Hardage, TNC VP Preserve west of Hwy 99: Monster Pool Erin Gottschalk Fischer with Orcuttia pilosa seedlings Vina Plains Preserve Portion of Bob Holland’s poster showing mapped vernal pool landscapes II The results of research done at VPP: a major resource Field studies done at VPP only Field studies done at VPP and elsewhere Field research written up, and a manuscript submitted for peer-review Published in a journal Published as an “Published” (held in a or in a book agency document library) as an academic thesis or dissertation Overview of major field studies covered in published research at VPP Subjects cover landforms, soils, habitats, invertebrates, vertebrates, vascular plants, micro-organisms Example Geomorphology of piedmont 1992 The California Guy King vernal pool basins, California Geographer (journal) Focus during this talk: only on shortened title or subject in large font Goal of this talk: to illustrate “breadth” of peer-reviewed field research done on biology of vernal pool organisms Geomorphology of piedmont 1992 The California Guy King vernal pool basins, California Geographer (journal) Preserve surveyed, and major pools given numbers Doug Alexander has had a series of graduate students studying invertebrates of vernal pools at VPP Thirty years research on vernal 2007 pool macroinvertebrates from Vernal Pool Doug Landscapes Alexander Vina Plains (book 1) Cyzicus mexicanus Life History and 1972 a comparison of growth, maturity Master’s Terrill thesis, Wolt and egg production in five ponds Chico State Distribution patterns of some key macro- 1993 invertebrates in a series of vernal pools Master’s Rickelle thesis, Syrdahl at Vina Plains Preserve Chico State Dead Cyzicus (clam shrimp) carapaces on dried pool bottom. Carapace +/- 1 cm long Genetic comparison of two populations of 1995 the endangered fairy shrimp, Branchinecta Master’s J. A. thesis, Eads conservatio, using RAPD techniques Chico State Photo by Doug Wirtz, from CalPhotos The life history patterns and the 1984 Master’s distribution of two Anostraca, Linderiella thesis, Scott Chico Patton occidentalis and Branchinecta conservatio State The reproductive biology and the 1983 availability of eggs to over-summer in Master’s thesis, Jonna Ahl the tadpole shrimp, Lepidurus packardi Chico State Factors affecting contributions of the tadpole shrimp, Lepidurus packardi, to 1991 Jonna Ahl its oversummering egg reserves Hydrobiologia Feeding dynamics of 1994 Hesperodiaptomus eiseni from Master’s Robert thesis, Ballantyne California vernal pools. Chico State Environmental factors affecting 1974 crustacean hatching in five Master’s Craig thesis Lanway temporary ponds Chico State Population dynamics of two 1970 species of Diaptomus (Copepoda: Master’s E. A. thesis Michener Calonoida) in an ephemeral pond Chico State Interpopulation variation and the life history of the vernal pool snail, 1992 Fossaria sonomensis Master’s Sean in two pools in thesis, Gallagher Tehama County, California Chico State Life history variation in the temporary pool snail, Fossaria 1993 sonomensis American Sean in the northern Midland Gallagher Sacramento Valley Naturalist Seasonal occurrence of habitat 1996 characteristics of some vernal pool Journal of Sean Crustacean Gallagher branchiopods in northern California Biology Environmental facotors affecting Notonecta kirbyi (Hemiptera: 1997 Notonectidae) predation in vernal Master’s thesis Shelly Kirn pools at Vina Plains Preserve Chico State Jay Bogiatto The use of eastern Sacramento 2007 and John Vernal Pool Karnegis Valley vernal pools by ducks Landscapes (book 1) The use of eastern Sacramento 2011 Vernal Pool Landscapes Valley vernal pool habitats by (book 2) Jay Bogiatto Also 2010 and others geese and swans California Fish and Game (journal) Distribution of the western 2016 spadefoot (Spea hammondii) in Vernal Pool Landscapes Jackson Shedd the northern Scaramento Valley (book 3) zPlaceholder for spadefoot closeup to mention Jackson Shedd Botta pocket gopher abundance in grazed 1991 Southwestern John E. Hunter versus ungrazed pastures Naturalist Soil mounds produced by gophers were easy to count in burned area A flora of the Nature Conservancy’s 1983 Vina Plains Preserve, Tehama Master’s Pauleen thesis, Broyles County, California Chico State A flora of Vina Plains Preserve, Pauleen 1987 Broyles Tehama County, California Madroño The biogeography of the unicorn 1997 plant (Proboscidea louisianica) at Master’s thesis, John Hale the Vina Plains Preserve Chico State 1989 Yearly fluctuations in a vernal Evolutionary Rob Ecology Schlising pool annual, Sidalcea hirsuta of Plants (book) Seed dormancy and germination in 2004 Sidalcea hirsuta (Malvaceae), a Master’s Gina thesis, Costella species endemic to vernal pools Chico State 1998 Seed ecology of Chamaesyce hooveri Master’s Caroline thesis, Warren (Euphorbiaceae) at Vina Plains Preserve Chico State Fruit about 4 mm diam. 2007 Summer plant life in large vernal pool Vernal Pool Rob Landscapes Schlising basins at the Vina Plains Preserve (book 1) Orcuttia pilosa 2016 Variation over 21 years in the Vernal Pool Rob Landscapes Schlising endangered Orcuttia pilosa (book 3) Road to recovery: Introduction of two rare 2013 Erin vernal pool grasses, Greene’s Tuctoria (Tuctoria Master’s Gottschalk thesis, Fisher greenei) and Colusa grass (Neostapfia colusana) Chico State Erin Gottschalk Introduction of two rare vernal pool grasses, 2016 Fisher, Joseph Greene’s Tuctoria (Tuctoria greenei) and Vernal Pool Silveira and Landscapes Colleen Hatfield Colusa grass (Neostapfia colusana) (book 3) Diversity and characterization of 2004 arbuscular micorrhizal fungi in soils of Master’s thesis, Gavin Blosser vernal pools in northern California Chico State Tom also served as one of the earlier Managers of the VPP, and was one of the first biologists here to promote “adaptive management” of the Preserve. Tom did his PhD dissertation on Orcutt grasses throughout the state, and produced several important publications on them. 1974 Systematics and ecology of Master’s thesis, Tom Griggs the genus Orcuttia Chico State Prescribed burn at VPP as site for a study Study area, with transects reaching across from burn to non-burn on same soil type Barn First year response after fire, by the Rob Schlising, lowland shooting star, Dodecatheon Caroline Warren 2000 and Greg Treber clevelandii subsp. patula Madroño Biology of the geophyte Rob Schlising and 2006 Scott Chamberlain Triteleia laxa, (Ithuriel’s spear) Madroño Pollination in Triteleia laxa, 2008 Scott Chamberlain Environmental and Rob Schlising (Ithuriel’s spear) Entomology III …and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Vernal Pool Recovery Plan U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. 2005. Recovery Plan for Vernal Pool Ecosystems