DOCSLIB.ORG

The Birds of San Clemente Island

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Birds of San Clemente Island THE BIRDS OF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND PAUL D. JORGENSEN, Wildlife and Natural ResourcesOffice, Staff Civil Engineer, Code 1843, NAS North Island, Bldg. 3, San Diego, California 92135 (present ad- dress:California Department of Parks and Recreation,3990 Old Town Ave., Suite 300-C, San Diego,CA 92110) HOWARD L. FERGUSON, 7009 Weller St., San Diego, CA 92122 Presentedhere is the firstcompilation of publishedand unpublishedinfor- mation on the birds of San Clemente Island since Howelrs 1917 account of the birds of the CaliforniaChannel Islands.The absenceof any published synthesisof recordssince that time clearlyinvites this update. The majorityof observationshave been made over the past 10 years by numerousre- searchers who visited the Island. The classicreasons for listingisland bird faunas have been amply explained by Jehl (1977) and DeSanteand Ainley (1980). But, San ClementeIsland presentsa specialcase because the statusof manybird species is expectedto changerapidly as feral animalsare removed.The Navy'scurrent attempts to removeall goats,pigs, cats and deer, if successful,will assuredlybring about drasticchanges to the Islandby reversingmore than a centurylong trend of habitat devastation. The information presented here will be helpful in measuringthe changes in the avifaunal and ecologicalconditions of the Island.We only wishthere were more data on conditionsprior to the arrival of exotic animals. ISLAND DESCRIPTION San Clemente Island (SCI) is the southernmostof the California Channel Islands,its center lying at about 32ø50'N latitude, 118ø30'W longitude (Figure 1). It is 103 km west-northwestof San Diego and 80 km south- southwestof San Pedro, the nearestmainland point. Santa Catalina Island, the closestland, is 34 km to the north. San Clemente Island is 34 km long, rangingfrom 2.4 km wide near the north end, to 6.4 km wide near the south end; its long axis runs approx- imatelynorthwest. The total land area of the Islandis approximately 150 km2 and its high point, called Mount Thirst, reaches599 m and lies near the centerof the Island.For conveniencethe steepnortheast side of the Islandis hereinreferred to as the "east"side and the gentlersloping southwest side as the "west" side. Most of the San Clemente Island coastlineis rugged and precipitous, especiallyon the eastside and at Seal Cove on the westside. Sandy beaches are few, the largestoccurring at the southern end of the Island at China Cove, Horse Beach Cove, and Pyramid Cove. Two large offshorerocks at the northern end of the Island are also of significanceto birds. Other smaller rock isletsare locatedalong the westernshore of the Islandparticularly be- tween Eel Point and Lost Point. Geologically,San ClementeIsland is describedas the upperpart of a tilted and gentlyarched block with a steepeast slope and a more gentlewest slope (Olinstead1958). It is principallycomposed of volcanicrocks of Miocene Western Birds 15:111-130, 1984 111 BIRDS OF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND age.The 20 distinctwavecut terraces on the westside extend up to a levelof 450 m. The Islandis everywheredissected by deep, geologicallyyoung can- yons,those on the eastside dropping precipitously over 500 m to the sea. Apparently,the Islandhas never been connected to the mainland. San Clemente Island has a distinct maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. Based on weather records since the 1940s, the mean an- nual temperatureis 16 ø C, with mean summertemperatures of 18 ø C, and mean wintertemperatures of I4 ø C. The averagedaily temperaturerange is approximately5 ø C. Freezingtemperatures are very rare. Occasionally, when SantaAna conditionsprevail in Augustthrough October, temperatures exceeding38 ø C havebeen recorded. Gale forcewinds are frequentin the higherregions of the Island,whereas at the northernairfield, the average wind speedfor all monthsis under 10 knots.The predominantwind direc- tion is from the west with short periods of northerly to easterly winds associatedwith Santa Ana conditions.Annual precipitationranges between 13 and 20 cm. The wettestmonths are November through March and the driestmonths from June through September. CURRENT VEGETATION Vegetationand floral accountsof San ClementeIsland and other Califor- nia Channel Islandshave been reviewed and discussedin severalpublica- tions (Dunkle 1950, Raven 1963, Axelrod 1967, Philbrick 1967, Thorne 1969, Philbrickand Hailer 1977, Ferguson1979, Brumbaugh1980, Power 1980, Sward and Cohen 1980). All authors mention the substantial deleteriouseffects that fetal animals,particularly sheep or goats,have had on the distribution,abundance, and conditionof the nativeplants. Virtually no reproductionof woody specieshas occurredin this centurybecause of fetal animal depredationupon their fruit and seeds. Bunchgrass,prickly-pear, cholla, and the lesscommon velvet-cactus are dominantnative species. In addition,much of the Islandis denselycovered by introduced Mediterranean annual grasses, e.g., Arena, Bromus, Hordeurn, Vuipia. Native shrubsand trees are essentiallyrestricted to the precipitouseastern canyons and cliffs,but may alsobe foundless frequently in most of the large westerncanyons. When comparedto the shrubcom- munitiesfound on the northernChannel Islands,San Clemente'sshrub com- munitiesare relativelydepauperate. San Clemente Island is unique among the CaliforniaChannel Islands becauseit harborsthe highestnumber of endemic plants--a total of 15 distinctivetaxa. In addition, 41 Channel Island endemicsare found there and the total known flora for San ClementeIsland is 331 taxa (Fergusonunpubl. ms.). At leastthree specieshave been extirpatedeither by man or introduced herbivores. Seven plant communitiesare found on San ClementeIsland. Dominant speciesoccurring in each communityare Avena barbata,Bromus sp., $tipa puichra (Grasslands);Lycium cali.•ornicum, Bergerocactus emoryii, Opuntia sp. (Maritime Desert Scrub); Quercus tomenteila, Lyonothamnusfloribun- dus (IslandWoodland); Malua ieprosa,$aisola iberica (Disturbed);Abronia sp., Ambrosiachamissonis, Astragalus miguelensis (Coastal Strand/Dunes); 112 BIRDS OF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND Castle Rock VicinityMap •,•North HeadRock Active Air Field V•LosAngeles Wilson Cove / West Cove NOTS Pier SantaCatalina Old Air Field sanIsland,_C,l_e_m•ente SanDiego yon ? Eel Point Lemon Tank SealCove -•'• Mt. Thirst MailPoint Canyon Bryce Canyon N uito Cove ! China Canyon Lost Point 1 mile i Scale Pyramid China Point HorseBeach PyramidCove Canyon(Smugglers Cove) Figure1. Map of San ClementeIsland showing place names and the locationof the Islandon the California coast. 113 BIRDS OF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND Artemisia nesiotica, A. cali}•ornica,Opuntia sp. (Maritime Sage Scrub); $alicornia subterminalis,Frankenia grandifolia, Distichlis spicata (Salt Marsh). The Grasslandcommunity, being the largest,covers approximately 45 % of the Island. Maritime Desert Scrub, Island Woodland and "Disturbed" areas are next in size covering approximately 35%, 7% and 5% of the Island, respectively.Coastal Strand/Dunes, Maritime Sage Scrub, and Salt Marsh cover 4%, 3%, and 0.2% of the Island (Fergusonunpubl. notes). MAN AND HIS IMPACT ON SCI VEGETATION Man modifiedthe Islandvegetation before botanists had visitedthe Island. We can thereforeonly speculateon the historicalor pristinecondition of the Islandflora. Unfortunately,goats were introducedto San ClementeIsland in the 1800s (Johnson1975). By 1883, there were 10,000 sheepon the Island (Doran 1980). Britton; in 1897, also noted the presenceof cattle on the Island (Doran 1980). Sheep grazingcontinued until 1934 when the San ClementeIsland Sheep and Wool Companylost its leaseand the Islandwas transferredto the Navy. Apparentlyall of the sheep were removed at that time, but the goats remained on the Island, their population unchecked. Their numbersincreased to a peak of 12,000 in the early 1970s. In 1972, the Navyinitiated a feralanimal removal program. By 1983 therewere fewer than 1000 goatsleft and it is hopedthat they willbe removedsoon. Deer and fetal pigswere introducedonto the Islandin the early 1950s for the sakeof sporthunting. Most, if not all, of theseanimals have alsobeen removed. Naval use has had various environmental effects on the Island. Numerous roadsand rifle rangeshave been constructed,a new airfieldwas built on the northern end of the Island in the early 1950s, and ship to shoregunnery practicedirectly impacts about 2% of the Island. Some idea of the Island'svegetation prior to the introductionof feral animalsmay be gainedfrom the notesof early botanists.William Lyon, who visitedthe south end of San Clemente Island in 1885, noted great dead masses of Dudleya (virens) which had formerly covered the ground throughout the entire Island (Raven 1963). Today Dudleya virens is restrictedto steep canyon walls and the lowest western terrace near Eel Point. Another report from about 1883 statesthat Lavatera assurgentifiora (California Tree-Mallow) "constitutedan unbroken forest, extending for milesupon the high plateaus"(Raven 1963). Today there are only a few Lavatera remaining. The drasticreduction of these two speciesserves as a powerful reminder of what the Island once looked like. The reductionof Lavatera probablyparallels that of many other plants, particularlywoody speciesfavored by goats,that were not adaptedto life on the cliffs--the one area out of reach of the exoticanimals. At leastthree Islandendemic plants have alreadybecome extinct. HISTORICAL REVIEW OF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND AVlFAUNA Early accountsof the birdsof San Clemente Island beganwhen Cooper (1870)
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 2012 Planting Lines
    San Clemente Island Native Habitat Restoration Program Native Seed Collection, Propagation and Outplanting in Support of San Clemente Island Endangered Species Programs Under Contract With: Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest San Diego, California N68711 -05-D-3605-0077 Prepared By: Emily Howe, Korie Merrill, Thomas A. Zink. Soil Ecology and Restoration Group San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA Prepared for: Natural Resources Office Environmental Department, Commander, Navy region Southwest, San Diego, CA Table Of Contents Table Of Contents ................................................................................................................ 2 Table of Figures ................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.0 Native Plant Nursery ..................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Nursery Inventory .......................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Seed propagation ........................................................................................................... 5 2.0 Rainfall Data Collection ................................................................................................ 6 3.0 Seed Collection .............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Rare Artifact Found on San Clemente Island Mass Communication Specialist 2Nd Class Shawnte Bryan July 16, 2013 (U.S
    Santa Cruz Archaeological Society Newsletter Rare Artifact Found on San Clemente Island Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Shawnte Bryan July 16, 2013 (U.S. Navy Story Number: NNS130716-29) The Navy discovered a significant prehistoric artifact 90 miles west of San Diego on San Clemente Island (SCI) located mid-island at a newly discovered archeological site. A boat effigy made of submarine volcano lava was spotted at the surface of the site during an archeology survey. The boat effigy represents a type of boat used by the California Indians who occupied the California Channels and adjacent southern California mainland at the time of the Spanish "discovery" in the AD 1500s. Dr. Andy Yatsko, Senior Archaeologist and Region Southwest Archaeologist for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest in San Diego, who has over 40 years experience in prehistoric and historic archaeology finds the boat effigy to be an uncommon find. "Boat effigies like the one found are exceedingly rare in the archaeological record, with this being my first one recovered during my 30 year tenure with SCI," said Dr. Yatsko [image courtesy U.S. Navy]. "Finding artifacts on the surface of archaeological sites at the island is not unusual, but a rare one like this is always exciting to come across." The effigy was created from submarine volcano lava. This lava differs from the lava that flows on the mainland because the vesicles are smaller, making it more brittle and more difficult to handle. “The vesicle volcanic material used is hard and brittle but somehow they were able to craft a fine little carving out of it to represent an important part of their culture," said Yatsko.
    [Show full text]
  • Artemisia Californica Less
    I. SPECIES Artemisia californica Less. [Updated 2017] NRCS CODE: Subtribe: Artemisiinae ARCA11 Tribe: Anthemideae (FEIS CODE: Family: Asteraceae ARCAL) Order: Asterales Subclass: Asteridae Class: Magnoliopsida flowering heads spring growth seedling, March 2009 juvenile plant photos A. Montalvo flowering plant, November 2005 mature plant with flower buds August 2010 A. Subspecific taxa None. Artemisia californica Less. var. insularis (Rydb.) Munz is now recognized as Artemisia nesiotica P.H. Raven (Jepson eFlora 2017). B. Synonyms Artemisia abrotanoides Nuttall; A. fischeriana Besser; A. foliosa Nuttall; Crossostephium californicum (Lessing) Rydberg (FNA 2017). C. Common name California sagebrush. The common name refers to its strong, sage-like aroma and endemism to California and Baja California. Other names include: coastal sage, coast sage, coast sagebrush (Painter 2016). D. Taxonomic relationships The FNA (2017) places this species in subgenus Artemisia . The molecular phylogeny of the genus has improved the understanding of relationships among the many species of Artemisia and has, at times, placed the species in subgenus Tridentadae; morphology of the inflorescences and flowers alone does not place this species with its closest relatives (Watson et al. 2002). The detailed phylogeny is not completely resolved (Hayat et al. 2009). E. Related taxa in region There are 18 species and a total of 31 taxa (including infrataxa) of Artemisia in southern California, all of which differ clearly from A. californica in habitat affinity, structure, or both (Munz 1974, Jepson eFlora 2017). Within subgenus Artemisia (as per FNA 2017), A. nesiotica from the Channel Islands is the most similar and was once considered part of A. californica ; it can be distinguished by its wider leaves with flat leaf margins (not rolled under).
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara Ancient Plant Use and the Importance of Geophytes Among the Island Chumash of Santa Cruz
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara Ancient Plant Use and the Importance of Geophytes among the Island Chumash of Santa Cruz Island, California A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology by Kristina Marie Gill Committee in charge: Professor Michael A. Glassow, Chair Professor Michael A. Jochim Professor Amber M. VanDerwarker Professor Lynn H. Gamble September 2015 The dissertation of Kristina Marie Gill is approved. __________________________________________ Michael A. Jochim __________________________________________ Amber M. VanDerwarker __________________________________________ Lynn H. Gamble __________________________________________ Michael A. Glassow, Committee Chair July 2015 Ancient Plant Use and the Importance of Geophytes among the Island Chumash of Santa Cruz Island, California Copyright © 2015 By Kristina Marie Gill iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my Family, Mike Glassow, and the Chumash People. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to many people who have provided guidance, encouragement, and support in my career as an archaeologist, and especially through my undergraduate and graduate studies. For those of whom I am unable to personally thank here, know that I deeply appreciate your support. First and foremost, I want to thank my chair Michael Glassow for his patience, enthusiasm, and encouragement during all aspects of this daunting project. I am also truly grateful to have had the opportunity to know, learn from, and work with my other committee members, Mike Jochim, Amber VanDerwarker, and Lynn Gamble. I cherish my various field experiences with them all on the Channel Islands and especially in southern Germany with Mike Jochim, whose worldly perspective I value deeply. I also thank Terry Jones, who provided me many undergraduate opportunities in California archaeology and encouraged me to attend a field school on San Clemente Island with Mark Raab and Andy Yatsko, an experience that left me captivated with the islands and their history.
    [Show full text]
  • Assigned Deferred Area Map 2
    Senate District 28 - LIEU Deferred Areas d C n a 7 Ve a n r 2 t n ura e v B o Moorpark 134 li g ST O 159 Colorado a ST Sherman Oaks Studio City DeferCred Places: ol Gllendalle V ora 134 e do ST r 710 d ST d Bevu erly Glen 0 Universal City n g 1 a o r Mulh Mulh d F 1 olland oll B nd Dr and an i Mulholla Dr l g l Beverly Hills u o e lh r Mu 101 York o a N ¤£ i n c z Brentwood h o l i o y Fe l s n o s L 2 a ST C R C i a v (Hollywood Hills) 0 e r n 5 y 7 rs e y e 1 id t r B o § ¨ e a ¦ e ood n Hollyw t e C n v w R S e Paciyfic Palisaodes e d t k p l unse d Hollywood u 405 S n r M r o a e 4 ly s R s 3 C e L s ¦¨§ G t r iv e e le v Palor s Verdes Estates t Topanga il s S n m i d n S u e e i o d p West Hollywood 110 West Hollywood m t Melrose a u t ST e e l s SPark La2 Brea r v 6 n F e Bel Air u d S Beverly 2 16 a Sun x 170 ST s a ST e f t r i g Rancrinho Palos Verdes a 3rd p 27 F ST Beverrlly Hiilllls S Va W 6th St lley Wilshire RT olling Hills Brentwood H e e e v m 10 a A 6 p th Westwood t Whitworth Dr le x ¨§ h ¦ e t v a A f Rolling Hills Estates A r e v i s a e 10 un n a 1 S a F st t n 8 ¨§ Pico ¦ n t o o S h s a M t Santa Catalina Island ic r e avez p r V Cesar E Ch t e e 7 4 m B n t t e Pacific Palisades y b i h h s 2 l ce 6 o a n O th B r L n u R u to o n t San Clemente Island S o dy g n 1 M n i r ST 10 l r a 60 e n l t a A ST ta 2 n § s ¨ Sante a Monica o ¦ a n ti 5 7 o a F 2 E M 20 N a ¨§ Rodeo ¦ th 187 t ST n t S a n West Hollywood o S o t l o n i m 7 a r r 8 a 1 t 710 e M n V B e Westwood an ¨§ d ¦ er C in Santta Moniica 87 Culver
    [Show full text]
  • Species at Risk on Department of Defense Installations
    Species at Risk on Department of Defense Installations Revised Report and Documentation Prepared for: Department of Defense U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Submitted by: January 2004 Species at Risk on Department of Defense Installations: Revised Report and Documentation CONTENTS 1.0 Executive Summary..........................................................................................iii 2.0 Introduction – Project Description................................................................. 1 3.0 Methods ................................................................................................................ 3 3.1 NatureServe Data................................................................................................ 3 3.2 DOD Installations............................................................................................... 5 3.3 Species at Risk .................................................................................................... 6 4.0 Results................................................................................................................... 8 4.1 Nationwide Assessment of Species at Risk on DOD Installations..................... 8 4.2 Assessment of Species at Risk by Military Service.......................................... 13 4.3 Assessment of Species at Risk on Installations ................................................ 15 5.0 Conclusion and Management Recommendations.................................... 22 6.0 Future Directions.............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The People of Quinquina: San Clemente Island's Original
    The People of Quinquina: San Clemente Island's Original Inhabitants as Described in .Ethnohistoric Documents by John R. Johnson, M.A. Prepared for: Natural Resources Office Naval Air Station, North Island San Diego, CA 92135 Submitted by: Anthropology Department Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History 2559 Puesta del Sol Santa Barbara, CA 93105 February, 1988 The People of Quinquina: San Clemente Island's Original Inhabitants as Described in Ethnohistoric Documents John R. Johnson Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History February, 1988 Introduetion Not much has been published regarding the indigenous population of San Clemente Island. This primarily ls due to the paucity of surviving documents per- taining to the early years of the island's history following European contact. After a brief review of early European descriptions of San Clemente Island and its inhabi- tants, this report will focus on a virtually untapped source of information regarding San Clemente Island's Native American population: the mission records from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Using the mission register data, some inferences may be made regarding social interaction between the Gabrielino islanders and the mainland, and the history of the acculturation of these people into European society may be reconstructed. Finally, the potential for tracing descendants of San Clemente islanders into the twentieth century will be considered. Early European De1eription1 of San Clemente bland and It1 Inhabitant• The first historic mention of San Clemente Island may be found in the 1543 summary of Cabrlllo's voyage prepared after the expedition's return to the port of Navidad on the west coast of Mexico.
    [Show full text]
  • V. Environmental Impact Analysis C. Biological Resources
    V. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS C. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES INTRODUCTION A Biological Resources Evaluation for the Proposed Project was prepared by TeraCor Resource Management in November 2003 to analyze the potential impacts on biological resources associated with the Proposed Project. A summary of the Biological Resources Evaluation with respect to potential impacts on biological resources, and as reviewed and revised for consistency with the City of Malibu LCP1, is set forth below. The Biological Resources Evaluation, which is incorporated herein by this reference, is included in its entirety as Appendix D to this Draft Final EIR. A Technical Memorandum amending the Biological Resources Evaluation prepared by Teracor Resource Management was written on 27 March 2007 to clarify and evaluate three issues: 1) to confirm the status of biological resources present on site, 2) to confirm the presence or absence of wetlands, “waters of the U.S.” streambeds, or other water features present on-site, and, 3) determine if California black walnut (Juglans californica) trees are present on-site. The conclusions of the findings made by TeraCor Resource Management with respect to these three issues are set forth below. The Technical Memorandum, which is incorporated herein by reference, is provided in Appendix D-1, Biological Assessment – Verification of Conditions. The purpose of this evaluation is to provide an understanding of the biological resources present within the Project Site, as determined from field reconnaissance and available scientific literature. This biological evaluation inventories floral and faunal resources detected on or near the Project Site, and predicts faunal resources determined likely to be present based on habitat conditions, known species distribution, and field observations.
    [Show full text]
  • Wind Power Plant Evaluation Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, San Clemente Island, California
    December 2000 • NREL/SR-500-27527 Wind Power Plant Evaluation Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, San Clemente Island, California Period of Performance 24 September 1999—15 December 2000 T.L. Olsen and P.J. Gulman Tim Olsen Consulting Denver, Colorado E. McKenna National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, Colorado National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 NREL is a U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory Operated by Midwest Research Institute ••• Battelle ••• Bechtel Contract No. DE-AC36-99-GO10337 December 2000 • NREL/SR-500-27527 Wind Power Plant Evaluation Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, San Clemente Island, California Period of Performance 24 September 1999—15 December 2000 T.L. Olsen and P.J. Gulman Tim Olsen Consulting Denver, Colorado E. McKenna National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, Colorado NREL Technical Monitor: Ed McKenna Prepared under U.S. Department of Energy Interagency Agreement No. IAG-98-1449 National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 NREL is a U.S. Department of Energy Laboratory Operated by Midwest Research Institute ••• Battelle ••• Bechtel Contract No. DE-AC36-99-GO10337 NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof.
    [Show full text]
  • Birds on San Clemente Island, As Part of Our Work Toward the Recovery of the Island’S Endangered Species
    WESTERN BIRDS Volume 36, Number 3, 2005 THE BIRDS OF SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND BRIAN L. SULLIVAN, PRBO Conservation Science, 4990 Shoreline Hwy., Stinson Beach, California 94970-9701 (current address: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, New York 14850) ERIC L. KERSHNER, Institute for Wildlife Studies, 2515 Camino del Rio South, Suite 334, San Diego, California 92108 With contributing authors JONATHAN J. DUNN, ROBB S. A. KALER, SUELLEN LYNN, NICOLE M. MUNKWITZ, and JONATHAN H. PLISSNER ABSTRACT: From 1992 to 2004, we observed birds on San Clemente Island, as part of our work toward the recovery of the island’s endangered species. We increased the island’s bird list to 317 species, by recording many additional vagrants and seabirds. The list includes 20 regular extant breeding species, 6 species extirpated as breeders, 5 nonnative introduced species, and 9 sporadic or newly colonizing breeding species. For decades San Clemente Island had been ravaged by overgrazing, especially by goats, which were removed completely in 1993. Since then, the island’s vegetation has begun recovering, and the island’s avifauna will likely change again as a result. We document here the status of that avifauna during this transitional period of re- growth, between the island’s being largely denuded of vegetation and a more natural state. It is still too early to evaluate the effects of the vegetation’s still partial recovery on birds, but the beginnings of recovery may have enabled the recent colonization of small numbers of Grasshopper Sparrows and Lazuli Buntings. Sponsored by the U. S. Navy, efforts to restore the island’s endangered species continue—among birds these are the Loggerhead Shrike and Sage Sparrow.
    [Show full text]
  • 3200 East Foothill Boulevard Mixed Use Project
    3200 East Foothill Boulevard Mixed Use Project Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment prepared by City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development 175 North Garfield Pasadena, California 91109 prepared with the assistance of Rincon Consultants, Inc. 250 East 1st Street, Suite 301 Los Angeles, California 90012 May 2018 Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of a Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment ............................................. 1 Project Summary ............................................................................................................................ 1 Statutory Background ..................................................................................................................... 2 Organization of the SCEA ................................................................................................................ 2 Project Information/Project Description ................................................................................................ 5 1. Project Title ......................................................................................................................... 5 2. Lead Agency Name and Address ......................................................................................... 5 3. Contact Person and Phone Number ..................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • THE FLORISTICS of the CALIFORNIA ISLANDS Peter H
    THE FLORISTICS OF THE CALIFORNIA ISLANDS Peter H. Raven Stanford University The Southern California Islands, with their many endemic spe­ cies of plants and animals, have long attracted the attention of biologists. This archipelago consists of two groups of islands: the Northern Channel Islands and the Southern Channel Islands. The first group is composed of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa islands; the greatest water gap between these four is about 6 miles, and the distance of the nearest, Anacapa, from the mainland only about 13 miles. In the southern group there are also four islands: San Clemente, Santa Catalina, Santa Bar­ bara, and San Nicolas. These are much more widely scattered than the islands of the northern group; the shortest distance be­ tween them is the 21 miles separating the islands of San Clemente and Santa Catalina, and the nearest island to the mainland is Santa Catalina, some 20 miles off shore. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the complex floristics of the vascular plants found on this group of islands, and this will be done from three points of view. First will be considered the numbers of species of vascular plants found on each island, then the endemics of these islands, and finally the relationship between the island and mainland localities for these plants. By critically evaluating the accounts of Southern California island plants found in the published works of Eastwood (1941), Mill¬ spaugh and Nuttall (1923), Munz (1959), and Raven (1963), one can derive a reasonably accurate account of the plants of the area.
    [Show full text]