Cypress forest on showing signs of herbivory. The islets Toro and Zapato are in the far distance. All photographs courtesy of Island Conservation unless otherwise noted. THE RESTORATION OF GUADALUPE ISLAND by Bradford Keitt, Steve Junak, Luciana Luna Mendoza, and Alfonso Aguirre

“Guadalupe is remarkable for ende- ing an extensive lichen flora and ing across the island in our own mism in the flora and fauna; but it is a important remnants of unique cloud of dust and exhaust, we’ve naturalist’s paradise despoiled by feral coastal scrub and island chaparral also wondered what lures us back , housecats, and mice. [The island] communities. year after year. Yet, just as the bar- is a Mexican national treasure in dire Guadalupe stirs a love-hate re- ren beauty of Guadalupe and the need of protection” (Moran 1996). lationship in those that have come excitement of finding rare and ex- to know its sere, rugged landscape. otic seduced Dr. Moran, we uadalupe Island rises like a Botanist Reid Moran, whose 40 too are captivated by the island’s Grampart from the wind- years of work on Guadalupe brought ecosystem. For that reason, we have whipped sea off the Pacific attention to its unique flora, called committed ourselves to protecting coast of the Baja California Penin- it his “very favorite island,” but he and restoring the remaining pock- sula. As the westernmost territory mused that “at too close a range it ets of its unique flora and fauna in Mexico, the 26,000 hectare is- has sometimes seemed a hot, ugly, with the hope that the island can land is a lonely outpost for a small weedy, insuperable rock pile that I eventually recover some of its origi- military garrison and a community have almost wondered, at least fleet- nal biodiversity. of about 70 fishermen and their ingly, why anyone in his right mind Thankfully, the political climate families. The island is home to over would subject himself to climbing in Mexico now exists to help this 30 taxa that are found no- it” (Moran 1998). dream become reality. Over the past where else in the world. It also sup- A primitive dirt road now makes decade Mexico has become a world ports several southern California traversing the island easier than it leader in the conservation of island ecosystems that are now rare or was for most of Dr. Moran’s ca- ecosystems, protecting more than 25 threatened on the continent, includ- reer, but after three hours of bounc- islands by removing damaging in-

20 FREMONTIAVOLUME 33:4, OCTOBER 2005 troduced mammals, both predators and herbivores. With these successes in hand, the Mexican environmental ministry (SEMARNAT), the Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, and Island Conservation are collabo- rating with several Mexican and US groups1 on an ambitious plan to re- store Guadalupe, one of the largest and most biologically rich islands in the country. In this article we offer a glimpse of Guadalupe Island before the in- troduction of the non-native plants and animals that have radically al- tered the island’s ecosystems, and a brief tale of what has happened to those ecosystems over the past 120 years. We describe efforts initiated Palm on the far north end of Guadalupe Island. This area is among the hardest in 2001 to exclude goats from some hit by goats. In May 2005 Luciana Luna Mendoza found the first recorded palm of the most sensitive areas of the seedlings on the island since goats were introduced. island, and the early, promising re- sults of those efforts. And based on pine forests blended into cypress jority of these plants are closely as- results from other islands, we look forest dominated by the endemic sociated with the islands off Cali- ahead to what might happen to guadalupensis ssp. gua- fornia, Guadalupe is considered a Guadalupe’s vegetation and en- dalupensis. It is thought that this southern extension of the Califor- demic birds once the goat removal forest included associated shrubs nia Floristic Province. effort, which began in December like Ceanothus crassifolius and an un- Unfortunately, the island today 2004, is completed. described endemic Arctostaphylos taxon. EARLY Spreading south and downslope from these forests was an extensive DESCRIPTIONS OF coastal scrub and chaparral eco- THE ISLAND’S region, similar to the coast of south- VEGETATION ern California, yet with enough endemics to make it unique. Spe- Early descriptions of Guadalupe cies like the endemic Senecio palmeri, Island are few, but they paint a pic- a striking shrub with white foliage, ture of extensive shrublands, large Sphaeralcea palmeri, and Lotus argo- forests, and impressive cy- phyllus ssp. ornithopus, plus more press, oak, pine, and palm forests. widespread species like Dichelo- The lush far-northern end of the stemma capitatum and Calystegia island was once blanketed with en- macrostegia ssp. macrostegia filled the demic pines ( var. landscape (all descriptions based on binata), island oaks (Quercus tomen- Moran 1996). Because the vast ma- tella), and endemic Guadalupe palms (the common southern California Top right: Senecio palmeri seedling. • landscaping ). Right: Senecio palmeri in flower, safely Shrubs at the north end included ensconced atop a cliff looking down 3,000 feet to the ocean. This species is called Ceanothus and Ribes, and endemic “white sage” by some, but belongs in the taxa such as the remarkable Hesper- groundsel genus, and is a member of the alcea palmeri. Moving southwards, sunflower family.

1 Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, Secretaria Marina, CICESE, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Seacology.

VOLUME 33:4, OCTOBER 2005 FREMONTIA 21 eral decades, techniques have been developed to remove goats from is- lands. At present, goats have been successfully removed from more than 100 islands worldwide in ef- forts to protect biodiversity and re- store island ecosystems (Campbell et al. 2004). The results of these removals have been dramatic and positive even on the most devas- tated islands.

RESTORATION EFFORTS ON GUADALUPE

The first steps in the restora- tion effort on the island were to inventory existing plant species and Pine exclosure fences with Ceanothus and Calystegia inside. build a series of fences (exclosures) to exclude goats from sensitive is very different from that described have apparently gone extinct, while areas. In June 2001, Island Conser- by the handful of naturalists who numerous natives have disappeared vation, Grupo de Ecología y Con- visited it before introduced goats from the island. Many other species servación de Islas, Santa Barbara and cats caused widespread devasta- have become restricted to a few small Botanic Garden, and the Instituto tion. Between 1885 and 1905 visi- populations clinging to sheer cliffs Nacional de Ecología sent a team tors documented the destruction of and other areas inaccessible to goats. to survey the island and mark loca- the Ceanothus, Juniperus, and many This habitat destruction, combined tions for fences (Junak et al. in press). of the endemic shrub species (Moran with predation by introduced cats, A rugged group of ranchers from 1996). Over the ensuing 100 years also led to the extinction of six en- Sonora then overcame incredible the island has become largely de- demic bird species, including the logistical obstacles to transport 2 void of vegetation across extensive Guadalupe caracara, the Guadalupe km’s worth of fencing materials to areas. Several endemic plant species kinglet, and the Guadalupe storm- remote parts of the island and build petrel (Jehl and Everett 1985, Keitt 12 fenced exclosures. This was an A Ceanothus plant inside and a dead pine et al. in press). amazing feat made even more he- outside an exclosure. This is the first This kind of destruction has be- roic considering that there is no Ceanothus reported on the island in over come a familiar story played out on dock at Guadalupe, and everything 100 years. islands everywhere—introduced had to be hand loaded into small species wreaking havoc on fragile open boats to transport it from a insular ecosystems that have evolved Mexican Navy ship to the island. in the absence of terrestrial preda- Once on the island, the majority of tors and large herbivores (Coblentz the gear had to be carried by horses 1978). Goats are especially devas- to sites many miles from any road. tating and are considered “the single The main goals of this effort were most destructive herbivore” of is- to see what species grew up in the land ecosystems. Because they can absence of goat herbivory and try survive on almost no water and will to protect some critically endan- eat virtually anything, including bark gered species long enough to en- and roots, goats can kill not only able them to reproduce. grasses and shrubs, but also adult Plant response inside the ex- trees. Their ability to literally strip closures was rapid and positive. In the landscape bare eventually leads January 2002, after only one grow- to soil and substrate destruction. ing season, 47 seedlings of the en- Fortunately, over the past sev- demic pine had sprouted inside one

22 FREMONTIAVOLUME 33:4, OCTOBER 2005 of the exclosures built around nine of this Ceanothus have been discov- adult pine trees. It is estimated there ered around the southernmost pines are 220 adult pine trees on the is- on the island. land (Rogers et al. 2003), so this one We have also made exciting dis- growing season produced a greater coveries outside of the exclosures. than 20% increase in the number of In June 2001 we found Calamintha pines on the island. By June 2003, (Satureja) palmeri in small patches the number of seedlings inside two around the north end of the island. of the exclosures was up to 231 and This mint family member was first by April 2005, about 1,700 young described in 1876 and had not been pines had been counted. seen since 1885, leading Moran Perhaps the most amazing dis- (1996) to consider it “undoubtedly covery inside the exclosures was that extinct.” Also in June 2001 Nicoti- of a small Ceanothus. Another mem- ana attenuata, a native species last ber of this genus, C. perplexans, was seen in 1898 and considered ex- collected on the island by early bo- tinct on the island, was found un- tanical visitors (D. Wilken, pers. der the cypress trees at the high comm., 2005) but has not been seen north end of the island and pro- there since the late 1800s. Early tected with a fenced exclosure. examination of this Ceanothus - The striking “white sage,” Sene- ling indicates that this is a new spe- cio palmeri, is a Guadalupe endemic cies for the island, closely resem- that once covered large areas of the bling C. arboreus. However, the island but has not been seen on the on this plant are different island since 1974, and even then enough to suggest that this could was known from only a few indi- possibly be an undescribed endemic viduals in inaccessible cliff areas. A field of island poppies (Eschscholzia subspecies. Between May 2004 and To our great delight, in April 2004, ramosa). Inset: Closeup of Eschscholzia April 2005, four additional juveniles we discovered a healthy population palmeri, which is endemic to Guadalupe of more than 50 Senecio palmeri in- Island. Photograph by R. Henry. dividuals, many in flower, on cliffs along the west side of the island. the main island, was discovered in Giant coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea), spring 2005 at a remote beach area common on the offshore islets of at the south end of the island. Likely Guadalupe but never reported on a favorite food of goats, this species

Above: Laysan albatross on Islote Zapato amidst giant coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea). Common on the offshore islets, Luciana Luna Mendoza discovered the first speci- men of Coreopsis gigantea ever recorded on the main island. Probably once abun- dant, this species was rapidly wiped out as a favorite food of the goats. • Right: Laysan albatross family on Islote Negro with the succulent Cistanthe guadalupensis in the foreground. Photographs by R. Henry.

VOLUME 33:4, OCTOBER 2005 FREMONTIA 23 may have been very common across edly take some time before the is- the south end of the island but dis- land is completely free of goats. In appeared before botanists ever the meantime, the island is already reached the island. recovering dramatically; plants Amazingly, in good years some (both native and non-native) are native taxa can still dominate even growing up and providing much in areas accessible to goats. Follow- needed protection against erosion ing heavy winter rains, the spring across large parts of the island. An- of 2003 saw whole mountainsides nuals are surviving long enough to blanketed with blooming island go to seed, and perennial and shrub poppies (Eschscholzia ramosa), and species are spreading out into areas fields blue with the flowering stalks formerly overrun with goats. of blue dicks (Dichelostemma capi- Restoring vegetation will have tatum). far-reaching impacts on Guadalupe Luciana Luna Mendoza and Clokey’s Discoveries such as these are Island’s ecosystem. An example is nightshade (Solanum clokeyi) inside an helping establish momentum to- the change in precipitation due to exclosure in the cypress forest. This Sola- num has peculiar clonal growth habits wards restoring Guadalupe Island. destruction of the island’s forests. compared with other nightshades on the After an extended planning period, At 26,000 hectares, Guadalupe is Channel Islands, and may be a unique goat eradication efforts began in slightly larger than Santa Cruz Is- taxon. summer 2004. Presently goat popu- land off southern California, but is lations are so low that they are hav- considerably drier except near the and pine forest caught the fog and ing little detectable impact over top of its 1,300 meter peak, where increased precipitation. As the goats most of the island. The few remain- the nearly constant northwest winds have devastated the forests there ing goats are confined to steep in- drive clouds up and over the ridge. has been much less water capture, accessible cliffs, and it will undoubt- Previously, the extensive cypress and only one main spring now re- mains on the island. Pine seedlings growing inside a fenced exclosure. Over 1,700 seedlings have been Although it is impossible to counted. These are perhaps the first seedlings to reach this size since goats were first know exactly what will happen to introduced to the island. the vegetation on Guadalupe Island when goats are removed, the data from our exclosures and the rapid changes we are seeing outside the exclosures now that goat numbers are reduced indicate that the ben- efits to native plants will be dra- matic. Another place we can turn to learn about the potential future for Guadalupe’s plants is the Channel Islands off Southern California— the islands most floristically similar to Guadalupe. On San Clemente Island, where goats were eradicated in 1992, the initial response was a flush of non-native grasses. How- ever, over time native species began prospering and in some areas they now dominate the landscape. Although we may not be able to predict exactly what will happen to the island’s vegetation, we do know that removing goats from Guadalupe Island is already having dramatic re- sults and will be more effective than any other action to prevent the ex- tinction of the majority of the island’s

24 FREMONTIAVOLUME 33:4, OCTOBER 2005 REFERENCES GUADALUPE ISLAND BIOSPHERE RESERVE Campbell, K., C.J. Donlan, F. Cruz, n order to protect Guadalupe Island forever, Island Conservation and V. Carrion. 2004. Eradication Iand the Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas partnered with of feral goats Capra hircus from Pinta Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. Oryx the Mexican federal government (SEMARNAT and CONANP), 38:328–333. the Mexican Navy (SEMAR), and the local fishing cooperative to Coblentz, B.E. 1978. The effects of develop a proposal to create a federally protected area that includes feral goats (Capra hircus) on island Guadalupe Island and the surrounding marine region. In April 2005 ecosystems. Biological Conservation Mexican President Vicente Fox signed into law the decree, officially 13:279-285. creating the Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve. This means the Jehl, J.R. and W.T. Everett. 1985. His- conservation of Guadalupe Island will be forever monitored under tory and status of the avifauna of Isla the watchful eye of the Mexican Natural Protected Areas system. To Guadalupe, Mexico. Transactions of learn more about the decree, visit www.islandconservation.org. the San Diego Society of Natural His- tory 20:313-336. HOW CAN YOU HELP? Junak, S., B. Keitt, L.L. Mendoza, A. Aguirre, B. Tershy, and D. Croll. In press. Recent conservation efforts ou can support the conservation work on Guadalupe and the and notes on the current status of Yother islands off the Baja California Peninsula by making a tax the flora of Guadalupe Island, Baja deductible donation to Island Conservation. Island Conservation is California, Mexico. In: Santos del an action-oriented organization dedicated to the protection of is- Prado, G.K, and E. Peters (Eds). land life. Together with our partner organizations Grupo de Ecología Taller Sobre la Restauración y Conser- y Conservación de Islas in Mexico and Island Conservation Canada, vación de Isla Guadalupe: Memorias. we have eradicated damaging invasive animals from 27 islands in Instituto Nacional de Ecología. western North America. While Guadalupe Island is our most im- México, D.F. portant project to date, the results described here are similar to Keitt, B., R.W. Henry, A. Aguirre, those we have found on some of the other 27 islands we have worked C. Garcia, L.L. Mendoza, M.A. on. For example, on the San Benito Islands, the endemic live- Hermosillo, B. Tershy, and D. forever, Dudleya linearis, appeared to be extinct in the wild due to Croll. In press. Impacts of intro- overgrazing by invasive European rabbits. Once the rabbits were duced cats (Felis catus) on the eradicated, the Dudleya came back from the seed bank and, along Guadalupe Island ecosystem. In: with the other native plants, is now flourishing. Please send tax Santos del Prado, G.K, and E. deductible donations to: Island Conservation, 100 Shaffer Road, Peters (Eds). Ta ller Sobre la Res- tauración y Conservación de Isla Center for Ocean Health, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Or visit our web- Guadalupe: Memorias. Instituto site to donate online: www.islandconservation.org. Nacional de Ecología. México, D.F. Moran, R. 1996. The Flora of Guadalupe endemic plant species and, in turn, seeing the beginnings of what we Island, Mexico. California Academy the loss of the remaining endemic hope will be a process of recovery of Sciences, San Francisco, CA. birds that depend on those plants. that will repeat itself across the en- Moran, R. 1998. Guadalupe Island and While the damage to Guadalupe’s tire island. its flora. Fremontia 26:3-12. Rogers, D., J. Vargas-Hernández, A. ecosystem is significant, the obser- Matheson, and J. Guerra-Santos. vations of rare and presumed extinct ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 2003. Conserving the pines of plants over the past four years dem- Guadalupe and Cedros Islands, onstrate that many pieces of the México: An international collabora- island’s unique biotic puzzle still ex- We wish to thank Reid Moran, tion. In: Romero, A. and S. West, ist. It is now a question of whether Miguel Angel Hermosillo, Francisco (Eds). Environmental Issues in Latin these pieces can again be connected. Casillas, Teniente Luz Maria Salas America. University of Wisconsin Inside the fenced exclosures, where Flores, Robert Whitehouse, Karina Press, Madison, WI. pine seedlings are growing up out of Santos del Prado Gasca, Eduardo the shade of their dead and fallen Peters, Marlenne Rodriguez, Anto- Bradford Keitt, Island Conservation, Uni- neighbors, recovery of the native nio Villalejos, Martha Brown, versity of California LML, 100 Shaffer vegetation is well underway. On the S.C.C.P. Abuloneros y Langosteros, Road COH, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. rest of the island, we are already and the Switzer Family Foundation. bkeitt@ islandconservation.org

VOLUME 33:4, OCTOBER 2005 FREMONTIA 25