Adaptive Management Plan for Pepperwood Preserve Sonoma County, CA March 2017
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Adaptive Management Plan for Pepperwood Preserve Sonoma County, CA March 2017 a product of the Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative (TBC3.org) Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Grant # 4430 Michael Gillogly, Celeste Dodge, Michelle Halbur, Lisa Micheli, Clint McKay, Nicole Heller, and Ben Benson A Dwight Center for Conservation Science Technical Report PROJECT SUMMARY An Adaptive Management Plan for Pepperwood Preserve Statement of Purpose Pepperwood serves as a refuge from ongoing regional development, and as a reference site for relatively natural conditions at the urban-wildland interface. Our organization is committed to using adaptive management to protect native biodiversity and ecosystem health. To that end we develop and test best practices, model effective science-based open space management, and distribute our findings throughout our community. The purpose of this plan is to summarize these practices and support the collaborative, iterative, and ongoing efforts required for truly adaptive land management. Adaptive Management Planning Goals Create a living document to serve as a road map for current and future managers of Pepperwood's land, water, and wildlife Integrate indigenous perspectives into understanding the history of this land and planning for its future Demonstrate parcel-scale climate smart management using the Terrestrial Biodiversity and Climate Change Collaborative’s (TBC3’s) applied climate science tools Maintain ecosystem functions and habitat connectivity, while allowing for landscape characteristics and species composition to adjust in response to an increasingly variable climate Management Objectives for Pepperwood Preserve Promote and protect community, species, and genetic diversity Promote and protect key watershed and ecosystem functions and services Reduce threats posed by invasive species Protect and enhance habitat connectivity Protect and curate scenic, historical, and cultural resources Maintain critical infrastructure in good working order Minimize negative human impacts, including those from education programs, research, and recreation Project support: Grant # 4430 of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation titled Applied Science for Bay Area Conservation and Climate Adaptation and the Pepperwood Fund of Community Foundation Sonoma County. Related projects: Complementary tasks under Grant #4430 include: 1) creating a detailed topo-climate model of the preserve calibrated using spatially-distributed temperature sensors, 2) creation of a high-resolution Basin Characterization Model defining spatially-distributed water balance parameters for the Pepperwood parcel, and 3) installation of a long-term coupled climate-forest monitoring network. Citation: Gillogly, M., C. Dodge, M. Halbur, L. Micheli, C. McKay, N. Heller, and B. Benson. 2017. Adaptive Management Plan for Pepperwood Preserve. A technical report prepared by the Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. 276 pp. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the many individuals who provided assistance in preparation of this Adaptive Management Plan including the following individuals and teams. Steve Barnhart, Academic Director Emeritus shared his depth of experience. Fred Euphrat played a critical role as our advising forester. Nicole Barden, Pepperwood's Environmental Educator, provided valuable information about our bird diversity. Pepperwood's Native Advisory Council provided thoughtful input. David Ackerly, Stuart Weiss and the Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate Change Collaborative for helping to build the conceptual framework for climate adaptation planning. Thank you to Michelle O'Herron for assisting with copy- editing the draft manuscript. With much appreciation to our Pepperwood community, including students, members, board, staff, stewards and volunteers for bringing the vision of Herb and Jane Dwight alive. We also thank all of our incredible colleagues dedicated to protecting and stewarding the natural resources of Northern California. ii Pepperwood Adaptive Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS PROJECT SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................................................. ii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ................................................................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION: SETTINGS AND DRIVERS .................................................................................................................. 1 1. Adaptive Management Plan Structure ............................................................................................................... 1 2. Setting ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 3. Drivers of Change ............................................................................................................................................. 17 4. Climate Adaptation Considerations ................................................................................................................. 30 5. Adaptive Management as a Natural Practice .................................................................................................. 32 PRESERVE-WIDE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ......................................................................................................... 34 1. Maintain Hydrologic Connectivity and Promote Drought Resilience .............................................................. 34 2. Promote Native Vegetation and Control Invasive Plants ................................................................................. 41 3. Promote Rare and Threatened Plants .............................................................................................................. 50 4. Promote Native Wildlife and Control Invasive Animals ................................................................................... 58 5. Restore Native Stewardship Practices ............................................................................................................. 77 HABITAT-SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES....................................................................................................... 80 1. Mixed Hardwood Forest Habitat Management ............................................................................................... 80 2. Oak Forest Habitat Management ..................................................................................................................... 89 3. Redwood Forest Habitat Management.......................................................................................................... 108 4. Douglas-fir Forest Habitat Management ....................................................................................................... 116 5. Grasslands Habitat Management ................................................................................................................... 126 6. Chaparral Habitat Management .................................................................................................................... 155 7. Wetland, Riparian, and Aquatic Habitat Management .................................................................................. 166 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................................... 178 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................................................ 192 Appendix A. Wildlife Species Lists ...................................................................................................................... 193 Appendix B. Rare and Threatened Plants .......................................................................................................... 201 Appendix C. Invasive Plants ............................................................................................................................... 213 Appendix D. Climate and Hydrology .................................................................................................................. 220 Appendix E. Map Plates ..................................................................................................................................... 265 iii Pepperwood Adaptive Management Plan LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES INTRODUCTION: SETTINGS AND DRIVERS ....................................................................................................... 1 1. Adaptive Management Plan Structure .................................................................................................... 1 Table 1.1. Logic model for Pepperwood adaptive management ....................................................................... 2 2. Setting ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Figure 2.1. Pepperwood Preserve locality and vegetation communities .......................................................... 4 Table 2.1. Vegetation communities of Pepperwood ........................................................................................