Islands of the Californias
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$10.00 (free to members) VOL. 45, NO.3 • November 2017 FREMONTIA JOURNAL OF THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY SPECIAL ISSUE: Islands of the Californias 1 California Native Plant Society CNPS, 2707 K Street, Suite 1; Sacramento, CA 95816-5130 Phone: (916) 447-2677 • Fax: (916) 447-2727 FREMONTIA www.cnps.org • [email protected] VOL. 45, NO. 3, November 2017 Memberships Copyright © 2017 Members receive many benefits, including a subscription toFremontia California Native Plant Society and the CNPS Bulletin. Look for more on inside back cover. ISSN 0092-1793 (print) Mariposa Lily.............................$1,500 Family..............................................$75 ISSN 2572-6870 (online) Benefactor....................................$600 International or library...................$75 Patron............................................$300 Individual................................$45 John Knapp, Editor Plant lover.....................................$100 Student/retired..........................$25 Michael Kauffmann, Editor & Designer Corporate/Organizational 10+ Employees.........................$2,500 4-6 Employees..............................$500 7-10 Employees.........................$1,000 1-3 Employees............................$150 Staff & Contractors Dan Gluesenkamp: Executive Director Michael Kauffmann: CNPS Press Protecting California’s native Christopher Brown: Membership and Elizabeth Kubey: Conference Assistant flora since 1965 Sales Coordinator David Magney: Rare Plant Program Dir. Jennifer Buck-Diaz: Vegetation Ecologist Mark Naftzger: Webmaster Kate Cooper: Membership Coordinator Liv O’Keeffe: Marketing and Comms. Dir. The views expressed by the authors in Catherine Curley: Assistant Botanist, Rare Jaime Ratchford: Assoc. Veg. Ecologist this issue do not necessarily represent Plant Treasure Hunt Coordinator Becky Reilly: Engagement Strategist policy or procedure of CNPS. Julie Evens: Vegetation Program Dir. Steven Serkanic: Assistant Rare Plant Botanist Stacey Flowerdew: Senior Development Coordinator Kendra Sikes: Vegetation Ecologist Alison Colwell: Assistant Rare Plant Aaron Sims: Rare Plant Botanist Botanist Greg Suba: Conservation Program Dir. Cover Photo: Spring at Cuyler Kaitlyn Green: Assistant Rare Plant Kristen Wernick: Outreach Coordinator Harbor on San Miguel Island. Botanist Karen Whitestone: Conservation Analyst Photo by Morgan Ball. Laureen Jenson: Accounting & HR Brock Wimberley: Ops & Finance Dir. Chapter Council - Chapter Delegates Marty Foltyn: Chair Orange County: David Pryor, Thea Gavin Larry Levine: Vice Chair Redbud: Denise Della Santina Judy Fenerty: Secretary Riverside/San Bernardino: Kate Barr Alta Peak: Cathy Capone Sacramento Valley: Glen Holstein, Hazel Baja: César Garcìa Valderrama Gordon Bristlecone: Stephen Ingram San Diego: Frank Landis, Bobbie Stephen- North Coast Shasta Statewide Chapters Bryophyte: James Shevock, Paul Wilson son, Joe Sochor Channel Islands: Patt McDaniel, Andrea San Gabriel Mtns.: Gabi McLean Bryophyte Chapter Adams-Morden San Luis Obispo: Cathy Chambers, David Mt. Lassen Dorothy King Young: Nancy Morin Chipping Tahoe East Bay: Beth Wurzburg Sanhedrin: Vacant Sanhedrin Redbud El Dorado: Alice Cantelow, Susan Britting Santa Clara Valley: Judy Fenerty, Kevin Bry- Sacramento Dorothy Milo El Dorado ant King Young Napa Kern County: Dorie Giragosian Baker Valley Willis Santa Cruz County: Deanna Giuliano, Brett Linn LA/Santa Monica Mtns.: Snowdy Dodson Jepson Hall Sierra Foothills Marin East Marin: David Long Bay North Sequoia: Vacant San Joaquin Milo Baker: Liz Parsons Yerba Buena Santa Shasta: Vacant Clara Valley Mojave Desert: Timothy Thomas Sierra Foothills: Vacant Santa Cruz County Sequoia Monterey Bay: Nicole Nedeff, Brian LeNeve Bristlecone South Coast: David Berman Monterey Mount Lassen: Catie Bishop Bay Alta Peak Tahoe: John Roos, Brett Hall Napa Valley: Gerald Tomboc Willis L. Jepson: Mary Frances Kelly-Poh North Coast: Larry Levine San Luis Yerba Buena: Ellen Edelson Obispo Kern North San Joaquin: Jim Brugger Mojave Channel Islands San Gabriel Mtns. 2017 Board of Directors Riverside – San Bernardino Steve Hartman: President Gordon Leppig: Director Los Angeles – Orange Santa Monica Mtns. County Bill Waycott: Vice President Cari Porter: Director San Diego Gabi McLean: Treasurer Jean Robertson: Director South Coast Carolyn Longstreth: Secretary Cris Sarabia: Director Julie Clark DeBlasio: Director Vince Scheidt: Director Brett Hall: Director Johanna Kwan: Chapter Council Rep. Baja California David Pryor: Chapter Council Rep. CNPS members and others are welcome to contribute to this publication. Visit www.cnps.org/fremontia to learn more. Contents Introduction to this Special Issue on the Flora and Vegetation of the Islands of the Californias...................................................................3 By John J. Knapp and John M. Randall Remarkable Flora of the California Islands...................................................5 By Matt Guilliams, Benjamin Carter, Martha Lizeth Ceceña-Sánchez, Jose Delgadillo, Barbara Holzman, Steve Junak, Denise Knapp, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, and Sula Vanderplank Early Botanical Personalities of the Channel Islands.....................................12 By Steve Junak Resilience Of Unique Island Vegetation .....................................................18 By Thomas Oberbauer, Martha Lizeth Ceceña-Sánchez, Steve Junak, Denise Knapp, Lyndal Laughrin, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Kathryn McEachern, Bryan Munson, Ken Niessen, Dirk Rodriguez, and Peter Schuyler Remarkable Recoveries and Fantastic Discoveries.......................................24 By Bryan Munson, Peter Dixon, Emma Havstad, Emily Howe, William Hoyer, Steve Junak, Denise Knapp, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Kathryn McEachern, Sarah Ratay, Jon Rebman, Dirk Rodriquez, Peter Schuyler, Sula Vanderplank, and Dieter Wilken The New Baja California Pacific Islands Biosphere Reserve Sets A Conservation Benchmark: All Mexican Islands Are Now Protected....................................................27 By Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz and Federico Méndez-Sánchez The Struggle for Recovery.......................................................................32 By Kathryn McEachern, Peter Dixon, Emma Havstad, William Hoyer, Denise Knapp, John Knapp, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Bryan Munson, and Heather Schneider Restoration and Protection of the Archipelago’s Flora and Habitats: A New Era...........................................37 By David Mazurkiewicz, Josh Adams, Morgan Ball, Ryan Carle, Peter Dixon, Karen Flagg, Emma Havstad, Emily Howe, Bill Hoyer, John Knapp, Kathryn McEachern, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Bryan Munson, Ken Niessen, Ken Owen, Julia Parish, Paula Power, and Andrew Yamagiwa The Future of California Islands Conservation in a Changing World.............................................................................44 By Denise Knapp, Donaxi Borjes-Flores, Peter Dixon, William Hoyer, John Knapp, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Kathryn McEachern, Julio Hernández-Montoya, Bryan Munson, Paula Power, and John Randall Map courtesy of: 2 FREMONTIA INTRODUCTION TO THIS SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE FLORA AND VEGETATION OF THE ISLANDS OF THE CALIFORNIAS John J Knapp & John M. Randall he islands off the Pacific coast of the states of mid-1800s. In some cases, they lost their lives doing it, California and Baja California Peninsula, from but their explorations provided early records of what the Farallones in the north to Isla Natividad in the islands looked like. the south (see map), are within the California Today most of the islands are managed for conser- TFloristic Province. Their shared flora is distinctive vation or include large areas that are protected. The and rich in endemic genera, species, subspecies, and Farallones are a National Wildlife Refuge, five of varieties not found on the mainland. Together these California’s eight Channel Islands are within Channel 18 islands are home to 1,239 native plant taxa. Island Island National Park, two others are managed by the vegetation types resemble those on the mainland, but U.S. Navy, 48 percent of Santa Catalina Island is man- island endemic taxa are prominent in most of them. aged the Catalina Island Conservancy, and 76 percent Unfortunately, these islands were severely damaged of Santa Cruz Island is owned and managed by The by human use within the past two centuries, and par- Nature Conservancy. In December, 2016 the Mexican ticularly by introduced animals—against which many government announced the establishment of the island endemic plants were poorly defended. As a Reserva de la Biosfera Islas del Pacifico (Baja California result, many endemic plants are now thought to be Peninsula Pacific Islands Biosphere Reserve) encom- extinct, have been reduced to the brink of extinction, passing 21 islands, including all of those within the or are extirpated from one or more islands. Fortunately, California Floristic Province (see Aguirre-Muñoz and botanists who recognized the extraordinary nature of Méndez-Sánchez article). the island flora collected specimens, described the The agencies and organizations responsible for vegetation, and identified endemic taxa starting in the these islands have had remarkable success in elimi- Above: Old-growth lemonade berry shrubs (Rhus integrifolia) nating the most damaging introduced animals, many which escaped nearly a century of overgrazing by sheep, dot the invasive plants and invertebrates. Plans are still in hillsides of East Santa Cruz Island, along with recovering coastal scrub. West Anacapa in the