| Abstract Detail
Evolution, Ecology and Floristics in Northern California - Current Knowledge and Unexplored Realms Silveira, Joseph [1]. Restoration and Management of Great Valley Natural Vegetation– Integrating Wildlife Habitat Goals with Native Plant Conservation at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, California. GREAT Valley (GV) natural vegetation and wildlife habitats have drastically declined since the European settlement of California. Small fragments of GV terrestrial natural vegetation remain as riparian forests, scrubs and herblands, valley oak woodlands, grasslands, alkali meadows and sinks, vernal pools, and freshwater marshes. Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Refuge) consists of five National Wildlife Refuges and three Wildlife Management Areas in northern Sacramento Valley. These conservation lands total 65,000 acres of natural, restored, and created vegetation/habitats managed for endangered and threatened (E&T) species, migratory birds, anadromous fish, and native plants. Refuges support average peak winter populations of 2.3 million ducks, geese, shorebirds and sandhill cranes, 110 species of breeding birds, four runs of Chinook salmon, and 20 federal and/or California listed endangered, threatened and rare species. Managed wetlands and riparian vegetation provide habitat for the greatest abundance of wildlife, while vernal pool/alkali meadow vegetation contains the richest plant natural diversity, including 10 California Native Plant Society List 1B species, 19 GV endemics, and several common natives extirpated from most of the GV. Earlier habitat restoration and management focused on migratory waterfowl and later, songbirds. Efforts now also focus on E&T species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking a multi-species habitat (ecosystem) approach to E&T species recovery. This works well for Refuges because habitat restoration and management is the primary focus, so whole plant communities are considered. To the extent possible, wildlife habitat is restored to potential natural vegetation by assessing landscape features, such as geology, geomorphology, hydrology, topography, and soils. Local ecotypes of indigenous native plants are propagated to conserve genetic diversity and to assure restoration success. Since natural geophysical and biological processes have been either eliminated or greatly reduced and altered in the GV, intensive habitat management is necessary to maintain or enhance these important ecosystems.
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Related Links:
web site for Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, California
1 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 752 County Road 99W, Willows, California, 95988, USA
Keywords:
natural vegetation conservation
wildlife habitat management
rare plant conservation
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Sacramento Valley.
Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: 38-6
Location: 170/Holt
Date: Tuesday, August 1st, 2006
Time: 11:15 AM
Abstract ID:766 |
