HomeMy WebLinkAboutHMP 05-05; FOX MILLER PROPERTY; 2009 ANNUAL REPORT; 2009-12-17I
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t _____ _____;_;_;..__~=-lf
2009 ANNUAL. REPORT
December 17, 2009
Prepared for :
H.G. FENTON COMPANY
7577 Mission Valley Road, Suite 200
San Diego, California 92108
Prepared by :
HELIX ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING, INC.
7578 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite 200
La Mesa, California 91942
LIST OF APPENDICES
Letter Title
A Representative Photographs
B Plant Species Observed
C Ani:qial Species Observed Within the Various Restoration Areas
LIST OF FIGURES
Number Title
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Regional Location Map ............................................................................................... 2
Project Location Map ..................................... : ............................... .-............................. 2
Restoration Areas ........................................................................................................ 2
Transect and Plot Locations ........................................................................................ 4
Quantity and Distribution of Flowering Thread-leaved Brodiaea
Individuals -Translocation Plot ............................. : ................................................. 10 ·
Quantity and Distribution of Flowering Thread-leaved Brodiaea
Individuals -Reference Plot A ............................................................................. : ... 10
Quantity and Distribution of Flowering Thread-leaved Brodiaea
Individuals -Reference Plot B ................................................................................. 10
Quantity and Distribution of Flowering Thread-leaved Brodiaea
Individuals -Reference Plot C ................................................................................. 10
Quantity and Distribution of Flowering Thread-leaved Brodiaea
Individuals -Reference Plot D ................................................................................. 10
Quantity and Distribution of Flow.ering Thread-leaved Brodiaea
Individuals -Reference Plot E .................................................................................. 10
Native Grass Planting Areas within Native Grassland Restoration Area ................. 16
LIST OF GRAPHS.
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Total Number of Flowering Thread-leaved Brodiaea, Individuals Per Plot ............. 11
Number of Flowering Thread-leaved Brodiaea, Individuals Per Plot Over Time .... 11
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I LIST OF TABLES
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fustallation Summary .................................................................................................. 2
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2009 Site Visits ........................................................................................................... 4
Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub Success Criteria Milestones ............................................ 6
4 Native Grassland Success Criteria Milestones ............................................................ 7
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Southern Willow Scrub Success Criteria Milestones ................................................. 8
Year 3 Results for the Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub Restoration Area ....................... 12
7 Year 3 Results for the Native Grassland Restoration Area ....................................... 13
I 8 Year 3 Results for the Southern Willow Scrub Restoration Area ............................. 14
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1.3 INSTALLATION I
Thread-leaved brodiaea located in the project footprint were salvaged in 2006 using the cut-block
method (Table 1; RECON 2008.). The SWS creation area (Figure 3) was installed in February I
2007 (Table 1; RECON 2007a). The DCSS, NG, and SWS restoration areas (Figure 3) were
installed in spring 2007 (Table 1; RECON 2007b). A summary of the installaticm is provided in
Table 1. I
Supplemental installation during the current year included installation of irrigation on portions of
the DCSS slopes and installation· of container stock and seeding of the NG, DCSS, and SWS 1·
restoration areas (Table 1). •
Table 1
INSTALLATION SUMMARY
Date Activity
January 2006 Brodiaea salvaged from development footprint ( cut-block method).
February 2007 Planting of 0.25-acre SWS creation area was completed.
March2007 Planting of the 4.72-acre NG restoration area was completed.
April 2007 Planting of the 2.42-acre of DCSS restoration areas were completed.
Seeded NG restoration area with a 33.04 lb. mixture consisting of
January 21, 2009 purple needlegrass (Nassella pulchra) ~d small flowered
needlegrass (Nassellq, lepida).
April 21-Mav l4, 2009 Planted 1,309 1-gallon container stock in DCSS restoration areas.
May 7, 2009 Irrigation installation complet~d
,July 15-16, 2009 Se~ded DCSS restoration areas with 16.64 lbs of native seed.
July 16, 2009 Seeded SWS restoration area with 3.93 lbs. of native seed.
Installed container stock consisting of 30 salt grass (Distichlis
September 8, 2009 spicata), 30 sandbar willow (Salix exigua), and 10 mule flat
(Baccharis salidfolia) specimens in the SWS restoration area.
Installed container stock consisting of 30 black willow (Salix
October 9, 2009 gooddingii), 30 sandbar willow, and 60 mule flat specimens in the
SWS r,esto:ration area.
Installed container stock consisting of 45 California sagebrush
(Artemisia califomica), 10 laurel sumac (Malosma lauriana),
October 9, 2009 30 California encelia (Encelia califomica), 5 whlte sage (Salvias
apiana), and 20 black sage (Salvia mellifera) specimens in the
DCSS restoration areas.
October 12~16, 2009 Installed container stock consisting of 1,305 purple needlegrass in
the NG restoration area.
HELIX
2009 Annual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009 2
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2.0 METHODS
Restoration activities during the thread-leaved brodiaea soil salvage, restoration installation, and Year
1 of the 5-year restoration project were completed by RECON. HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc.
(HELIX) took over responsibility of monitoring and HELIX Environmental Construction Group
(HECG) took over maintenance responsibilities for the project during Year 2 (May 2008).
After installation, the restoration effort consists of (1) site maintenance; (2) regular monitoring to
direct maintenance activities; and (3) annual monitoring to assess the progress of the restoration
effort toward achieving final mitigation goals. Site maintenance is performed by a maintenance
contractor and typically conducted more frequently in the first few years of restoration when non-
native plant control is a major issue. Maintenance monitoring relies on visual observations of the
site, plant health, etc. It is conducted frequently during the first few years of the restoration effort
and less frequently toward the end of the maintenance and monitoring period as the site becomes
more established. Annual monitoring consists of visual observations during the first 2 years of
restoration, and quantitative measurements during the remainder of the 5-year maintenance and
monitoring period. One annual report is produced for each of the 5 years of monitoring.
Nomenclature used in this report follows these conventions: vegetation community
classifications follow Holland (1986); plants named in this report were identified according to
The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California (Hickman 1993); and sensitive species status
follows the CDFG (2008) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS; 2007).
2.1 MAINTENANCE
HECG performed routine (monthly) maintenance. Work conducted by HECG includes weed
management, trash removal, and supplemental planting and seeding of the restoration areas.
HECG also managed invasive weed species within the open space on site (monthly weeding).
2.2 MAINTENANCE MONITORING
Monthly maintenance monitoring visits have been conducted by HELIX biologists in 2009
(Table 2). During each visit, a biologist evaluates the site condition and advises maintenance
personnel of any items in need of attention.
2.3 ANNUAL TECHNICAL MONITORING
Data collected during the annual monitoring events are used to determine if the project has met
success criteria for the given year. For Years 1 and 2, annual monitoring consists of qualitative
analysis of overall site conditions, including observations of plant health, observations of plant
recruitment (i.e., the successful, natural reproduction and/or establishment of plants in a given
area), and general use of the area by wildlife along with photographic documentation of the site.
For Years 3 through 5, technical monitoring of the DCSS, NG, and SWS restoration areas
consists of a qualitative analysis of overall site conditions and quantitative measurements of
species diversity (richness and composition) and vegetative cover using point intercept line and
belt-transect sampling methods (described below). Annual monitoring of the thread-leaved
brodiaea translocation plot and 5 reference plots consists of quantitative counts of flowering
individuals throughout the blooming period.
HELIX
2009 Annual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009 3
Table2
2009 SITE VISITS
·DATE PERSONNEL PURPOSE OF VISIT
J anuarv 9, 2009 JasonKumow Maintenance monitoring
January 15, 2009 Jason Kumow Staked NG/Open Space boundary. Flagged
thread-leaved brodiaea within NG
Supervised herbicide application (no herbicide
January 26, 2009 Jason Kurnow was used within 10 feet of any thread-leaved
brodiaea)
February 26, 2009 Jason Kurnow Maintenance monitoring
March 3, 2009 Jason Kumow Mainte1.1ance monitoring
March 25, 2009 Larry Sward Site visit to check for flowering thread-leaved
Amy Mattson brodiaea
April 29, 2009 Jason Kurnow Maintenance monitoring
Flagged polygons within NG that will be planted
May 4, 2009 JasonKumow with I-gallon native grass container stock;
supervised weeding activities
Jason Kum ow NG/DCSS annual assessment, thread-leaved
May 5, 2009 Dale Ritenour brodiaea plot counts; and on-site meeting with
Shelby Howard CDFG and USFWS
May 11, 2009 Jason Kumow NG/DCSS annual assessment and thread-leaved
brod~aea plot counts
May 19, 2009 Jason Kurnow Maintenance monitoring and thread-leaved
brodiaea plot counts
May 28, 2009 Shelby Howard Follow-up meeting with US~S. Justin Fischbeck
June 1, 2009 Jason Kumow Thread-leaved brodiaea plot counts
June 9, 2009 Jason Kurnow Maintenance monitoring
July 13, 2009 Shelby Howard Site meeting with maintenance personnel
July 14, 2009 Larry Sward Maintenance monitoring
August 17, 2009 JasonKumow Maintenance monitoring
September 14, 2009 Jason Kurnow Maintenan~e monitoring and SWS annual
assessment.
October 11, 2009 Amy Mattson Evaluate status of native grass planting within
Jasmin~ Watts NG
October 28, 2009 Shelby Howard Site meeting with maintenance personnel
November 16, 2009 Jason Kurnow Maintenance monitoring
Thirteen (13) permanent transects were established during the Year 3 technical monitoring.
Vegetation data were collected from 13 line transects: Transects 1 to 6 are located in the DCSS
restoration area, Transects 7 to12 are located in the NG restoration area, and Transect 13 is
located in the SWS restoration area (Figure 4). The 2 ends of each line transect were
HELIX
2009 4nnual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I Dece1J1ber 17, 2009 4
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permanently marked with a rebar stake covered with white PVC pipe. Transect lengths are
50 meters (m) and centered on a 50 m by 5 m plot (250 m2), as specified by the California Native
Plant Society (1996). Monitoring consisted of point intercept (line transect) sampling methods.
At every 50 centimeters (cm) along each transect (beginning at the 50-cm mark and ending at
50 m), a point was projected into the vegetation, and species intercepted by the point were
recorded. Vegetation intercepts were categorized into herb (less than 60 cm), shrub (60 to 200
cm), and tree (greater than 200 cm) layers. Total cover is the percentage of points along the
transect that are intercepted by vegetation. A single point_ may be intercepted by plants in
multiple layers but would be counted only as a single point for total cover. Percent cover for
herb, shrub, and tree categories were calculated for both native and non-native species.
HELIX biologists Jason Kurnow and Dale Ritenour conducted the 2009 annual assessment for
the NG and DCSS restoration areas on May 5 and May 11, 2009. This time period represents the
peak time period for detected annual plant species. The SWS annual assessment was conducted
by Mr. Kurnow on September 14, 2009 (near the end of the growing season for wetland plants).
Data from the SWS annual assessment were compared against a reference site. No SWS habitat
occurs on site or immediately adjacent to the site; therefore, a reference transect from one of
HELIX's nearby projects (Carlsbad Raceway) was used as the reference transect for this project.
The reference site is a 25-m transect along an unnamed tributary to Agua Hedionda Creek
(approximately 2 miles to the east of the Fox-Miller_site).
Counts of the number of flowering thread-leaved brodiaea within the translocation plot and the
5 reference plots (Figure 4) were conducted by Mr. Kurnow on May 5, 11, an_d 19, 2009, and
June 1, 2009. Mr. Ritenour assisted Mr. Kurnow with the plot counts on May 5, 2009.
Reference plots are the same size as the translocation plot. Data was collected on 4 separate
occasions within the blooming period, and data collection occurred the same day for each plot. A
GPS unit with sub-meter accuracy was used to record the number of flowering individuals per
plot. Data within each plot was overlaid and individuals that were recorded multiple times were
not double counted in the analysis below.
Six photo locations were established throughout the restoration areas during the 2009 annual
monitoring visits (Figure 3; Appendix A). An additional 19 photo points were established during
the 2009 annual assessment. A photo of each of the 13 transects was taken near each 0-m marker
facing the opposite 50-m marker and a photo of each of the 6 thread-leaved brodiaea plots was
taken. A list of all plant species within each 250-m2 belt transect was compiled and is presented as
Appendix B, and a list of animal species detected within the site is presented as Appendix C.
3.0 SUCCESS CRITERIA
Success criteria for the thread-leaved brodiaea/DCSS/NG/SWS restoration areas outlined in this
report are specified in the Restoration Plan (RECON 2005). Success criteria are intended to help
determine the successful completion of the 5-year mitigation and monitoring program.
Attainment of the success criteria indicates that the restoration is progressing toward the desired
habitat function and services. Under the project's Restoration Plan, native cover and species
diversity (the number of species in an area) success criteria for DCSS, NG, and SWS are based
HELIX
2009 Annual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009 5
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4.2.2 Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub
Established plants (those planted prior to 2009) have high survivorship, with minimal new
growth. Plant density increased in mid-May 2009 as a result of HECG planting 1,309 one-gallon
container stock on the northern and southern slopes. Many of these plantings continue to do
well, with minimal mortality observed. Recruitment remains very low. Non-native plant species
cover was generally low throughout 2009, but peaked several times in response to rainfall.
Maintenance personnel were directed to treat and remove weeds prior to them setting seed.
Ornamental rosemary (Rosmarinus sp.) plants along the DCSS restoration area/parking lot
interface were removed over the summer and replacement DCSS container stock was planted in
those locations. •
A coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) was documented in the
northern DCSS restoration area on July 13, 2009.
4.2.3 Native Grassland
Native cover fluctuated throughout the year, since most of the cover comes from annual species.
Cover was minimal in January, increasing steadily into March. This coincided with the germination
of thread-leaved brodiaea and bluedicks (Dichelostemma capitatum). Cover then decreased prior to
the thread-leaved brodiaea blooming period, which peaked in mid-May. This spike in cover was
much smaller than that in March, but included small flowered morning glory ( Convolvulus
simulans). Fascicled tarplant (Deinandrafasciculata) contributed to native cover in late-sp1:1.ng and
early-summer, but cover steadily declined through the end of June. Purple needlegrass and coyote
bush (Baccharis pilularis) are the only perennial species observed within the NG.
Shortly after the first winter rains, the NG restoration area consisted almost entirely of non-native
grasses and patches of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). Fennel was spot-sprayed by HECG and the
non-native grasses were treated with a post-emergent herbicide prior to any thread-leaved
brodiaea emergence. The herbicide application greatly reduced the non-native grass species
cover. Once thread-leaved brodiaea was observed in the restoration area, weed control was
limited to hand-weeding within areas containing brodiaea. Portions of the restoration area where
brodiaea was absent were treated with herbicide, under the supervision of the restoration
specialist. A different set of weed species began to emerge where non-native grass species were
reduced. Sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) and bristly ox-tongue (Picris echoides) became
abundant during April and May. Wild lettuce (Lactuca sericia) became more abundant in June.
Mustard (Brassica spp.) was not problematic in 2009.
4.2.4 Southern Willow Scrub
Native cover did not change much through the year. Cover did increase in September and
October due to supplemental planting. Non-native plant species cover generally remained low
throughout the year. The primary non-native species observed has been rabbitsfoot grass
(f olypogon monspe,iensis).
HELIX
2009 Annual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Mitter Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009 9
4.2~5 Open Space Areas
Maintenance of open space areas on site was restricted to . the grassland open space area
(i.e., maintenance of the DCSS open space is not being conducted). Weeding activities in the
grassland open space were primarily focused on controlling fennel and mustard. Some efforts
were made to begin to control non-native grasses, but HELIX and HECG have reservations about
reducing non-native grass cover within the open space (see discussion section below).
An owl box was installed in June 2009 to help ·control gopher activity in the restoration and open
space areas on site. An owl pellet was observed at the base of the owl box in early August. Sign
of owl use was not observed for the remainder of 2009.
4.3 ANNUAL TECHNICAL MONITORING
This section details the quantitative results of the 2009 annual technical monitoring for thread-
leaved brodiaea/DCSS/NG/SWS.
4.3.1 Thread-leaved Brodiaea
Ninety-nine thread-leaved brodiaea individuals were observed· in flower within the •
-translocation plot (Graph 1; Figure 5a). Reference plots ranged from a low of 68 flowering
individuals to a high of 401 flowering individuals (Graph 1; Figures Sb to Sf). The density of
flowering individuals within the translocation plo.t is similar to most reference plots. The
number of flowering individuals within all plots peaked during mid-May (Graph 2). This is
consistent with other thread-leaved brodiaea populations HELIX monitored in 2009, _which
include the Taylor property located in Oceanside and the Rancho Santalina property located in
• San Marcos.
Both the translocation plot and reference plots had a high density of non-native species.
Dominant non-native species include wild oats (Avena fatua), Italian rye grass (Lolium
multiflorum), and false brome (Brachypodium distachyon).
HELIX
2009 Annual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009
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4.3.2 Diegan Coastal Sage Scrub
In Year 3, the DCSS restoration area had high native species diversity (25 species), moderate
native species cover (42 percent), and moderate non-native species cover (23 percent; Table 6).
Target weed species (wild oats, Italian rye grass, black mustard [Brassica nigra], star thistle
[Centaurea melitensis], and fennel) were observed within the restoration area at the time of the
annual assessment.
Table 6
YEAR 3 RESULTS FOR THE DIEGAN COASTAL SAGE SCRUB
RESTORATION AREA
CRITERION Reference Site Year 3 Standard Restoration
Area
Species diversity 8 6* 25
Native species cover 90% 36%* 42%
Non-native species cover 20% 5%** 23%
Target weed species covert 20% 0%** 13%
tTarget weed species are those listed on the Cal-IPC list of "Exotic Pest Plants of Greatest Ecological Concern"
(2006), with the exception of brome grasses
*Minimum amounts needed to meet Year 3 success criteria
**Maximum percentage allowable to meet Year 3 success criteria
The DCSS restoration area met the success criteria for species diversity and native species cover,
but did not meet non-native species cover or target weed cover (Table 6). Non-native species
cover and target weed cover were high at the time of the annual assessment because the use of
irrigation resulted in the germination of many weed species in the restoration area. Weeds were
treated/removed prior to them setting seed.
Species diversity increased greatly over the last year, from 15 species in 2008 to 25 species in
2009. Native species cover remained approximately the same (41 percent in 2008). Non-native
species cover decreased from 50 percent in 2008 to 23 percent in 2009. Target weed species
cover remained approximately the same (10 percent in 2008).
4.3.3 Native Grassland
In Year 3, the NG restoration area had moderate native species diversity (7 species), low native
species cover (2 percent), and high non-native species cover (100 percent; Table 7). Target weed
species (primarily grasses [ wild oats, Italian rye grass, and purple false brome] with a minimal
amount of black mustard and fennel) were observed within the restoration area. Dominant non-
native species included purple false brome, wild oats, Italian rye grass, and bristly ox-tounge.
Fennel and black mustard occurred in very low densities.
HELIX
2009 Ann11al Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009 12
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Table 7
YEAR 3 RESULTS FOR THE NATIVE GRASSLAND RESTORATION AREA
Criterion Reference Site Year 3 Standard Restoration
Area
Species diversity 1 1* 7
Native species cover 20% 8%* 3%
Non-native species cover 100% 5%** 79%
Target weed covert 20% 0%** 67%
Target weed cover ( excludes non-20% 0%** 20%
native grass species)
tTarget weed species are those listed by the Cal-IPC list of "Exotic Pest Plants of Greatest Ecological Concern"
(2006), with the exception of brome grasses
*Minimum amounts needed to meet Year 3 success criteria
**Maximum percentage allowable to meet Year 3 success criteria.
The NG restoration area met the success criteria for species diversity but did not meet native
species cover, non-native species cover, or target weed cover (Table 7) ..
Between 2008 and 2009, species diversity increased from 6 to 7 species, native species cover
increased from 2 percent to 3 percent, and non-native species cover decreased from 100 percent
to 79 percent. HELIX' s 2008 annual report for the site (HELIX 2009) indicated that target weed
cover was estimated at 20 percent. However, there was an error in the Year 2 estimate because
wild oats and Italian rye grass were not considered when the visual estimate was completed. At a
qualitative level, the t?fget weed cover remained approximately the same between Years 2 and 3
due to the prevalence of false brome, wild oats, and Italian ryegrass in the NG restoration area.
4.3.4 Southern Willow Scrub
In Year 3, the SWS restoration area had high native species diversity (17 species), moderately
high native species cover (76 percent), and little non-native species cover (0 percent in the
transect, less than 5% overall; Table 8). No target weed species were observed within the
restoration area. Signs of the clearwing moth (a native species whose larvae boars into willow
trees as well other riparian tree species) were observed on some of the arroyo willows.
The reference transect had moderately high native species diversity (11 species), very high native
cover (98 percent), and low non-native cover (less than 5 percent along the transect and no target
weed species).
Thus, the SWS restoration area met the Year 3 success criteria for diversity, native species cover,
non-native species cover, and target weed cover (Table 8). Native cover increased from
45 percent in 2008 to 76 percent in 2009 and diversity has remained very high (19 species in
2008 and 17 species in 2009).
HELIX
2009 Annual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009 13
-___ _____J
Table8
YEAR 3 RESULTS FOR THE SOUTHERN WILLOW SCRUB RESTORATION AREA
Criterion Reference Site Year 3 Standard Restoration
Area
Species diversity -11 8. 17
Native species cover 98% 74% 76%
Non-native species cover* <5% 5% 0%
Target weed covert 0% 0% 0%
tTarget weed species are those listed by the Cal-IPC list of "Exotic Pest Plants of Greatest Ecological Concern"
(2006), with the exception of brome grasses
*Maximum percentage allowable to meet Year 3 success criteria.
5.0 DISCUSSION
At the end of 2009 (Year 3), the DCSS/NG/SWS restoration areas are progressing towards their
final success criteria. Significant steps were taken over the last year to reduce the amount of non-
native cover and to increase the native cover within the restoration areas.
During 2009 the main challenge within the DCSS was to increase native cover. Early in the year,
mortality of native species was low~ but plants were sparse, growth was minimal, and little to no
germination -of seed was observed. To bolster native cover, a temporary irrigation system was
installed; 1,309 one-gallon container stock were planted between April 30, 2009 and May 14,
2009; and the DCSS slopes were re-seeded in July 2009. Growth of DCSS plants increased and
there has b~en some germination of seed in the restoration area since. the irrigation was installed.
More germination and growth is .expected •~Ver .the winter (the period when DCSS plants
typically germinate and grow in response to seasonal rainfall). The irrigation system will be shut
off by December 2009 since the DCSS restoration areas cannot be irrigated for 2 years prior to
sign-off. Non-native cover and target weed species cover was high at the time of the annual
assessment because the use of irrigation germinated a large number-of weed species. Weeds
have been regularly maintained throughout the year and weed cover has been maintained at
approximately 5 to 10 percent for most of 2009. Germination of native seed and non-native
cover will be closely evaluated over the next year. The final success criteria for native cover is
72 percent (80 percent of the reference site's 90 percent cover). Additional planting and/or
seeding may be recommended in spring 2010 (if growth and germination are low) or to
potentially replace any plants that may have died. •
Restoration in the NG has presented a challenge because the on-site distribution of thread-leaved
b_rodiaea (Figure 3) and the duration of when brodiaea is leafing/flowering (i.e., late January
through July) has limited the maintenance activities on site. The 2 major issues affecting the NG
restoration are (1) the abundance of non-native vegetation and (2) the minimal amount of native
plant species cover.
HELIX
2009 Annual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009 14
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The Restoration Plan for this project sets restrictions on herbicide application within the NG
once thread-leaved brodiaea is present. As such, there was a push to treat non-native species in
January 2009 prior to thread-leaved brodiaea emergence. Once brodiaea had emerged, areas with
brodiaea were flagged and restoration biologists were on site with field crews to insure herbicide
was applied no closer than 10 feet of any thread-leaved brodiaea plant. No herbicide was applied
within 10 feet of brodiaea, which greatly limited the area of treatment for the nearly 6 month
period when brodiaea was active (January to June). The period when brodiaea is active coincides
with the period when non-native grassland species are germinating, growing, and setting seed.
Weed management in brodiaea areas (majority of the 4.2-acre NG restoration area [see Figure 4])
was limited to hand-weeding, which proved to be ineffective for controlling non-native grasses.
Therefore, hand-weeding was limited to fennel, mustard, and bristly ox-tongue. By the time it
was determined safe to use herbicide over the entire NG (July 2009), the non-native grasses had
dropped seed.
The project's Restoration Plan states that there can be no greater than 5 percent non-native cover
within the NG restoration area, including non-native grasses. This 5 percent threshold for non-
native grasses is problematic for several reasons, primary of which is if non-native grass cover
were reduced to less than 5 percent, other more problematic weed species would begin to
dominate the site, as was seen in 2009. Early herbicide treatments were effective at controlling
non-native grass species. In the absence of grasses, other invasive species quickly germinated,
including bristly ox-tongue and prickly lettuce. These broadleaf weed species should be
considered more of a threat to brodiaea because each plant has a greater surface area and would
compete more aggressively with brodiaea for resources (space, light, nutrients, etc). Another
reason why the non-native grass threshold is problematic is because plantjng of native grasses is
limited to areas where brodiaea does not occur (Figure 6). Areas where brodiaea occurs have
been repeatedly seeded with native grass species. However, because the site cannot be irrigated,
germination of native grass seed is heavily dependent on rainfall. The region has been suffering
through 3 years of below-average rainfall, which is part of the reason why little native grass seed
has germinated on site. HELIX's other thread-leaved brodiaea restoration sites (Rancho
Santalina, Taylor Property, La Costa Greens, etc) have not required non-native grass species to
be controlled as part of the restoration effort.
HELIX recommends a much higher tolerance for non-native grass species in areas where thread-
leaved brodiaea occurs due to the reasons listed above. Focus should be to continue working to
eliminate Cal-IPC target species (e.g., mustard, fennel, bristly ox-tongue, etc) and increase native
cover. Non-native grasses would be actively managed in areas where thread-leaved brodiaea does
not occur and extra effort would be implemented to greatly increase native cover in these areas.
HELIX has taken considerable steps to improve native cover within the NG area, but the
constraints that brodiaea presents has limited and will continue to limit restoration activities on
site. HELIX would like to discuss the weed control recommendations with the resource agencies
prior to seasonal rains in order to get approval of the 2010 weeding strategy.
Native cover remained low this year at 3 percent. Data was collected in May, which coincided
with the start of the thread-leaved brodiaea blooming period. Given the life history of thread-
leaved brodiaea and field observations, vegetation cover would be significantly higher if data was
HELIX
2009 Annual Report for the Lot 5 Fox-Miller Property I MWR-02 I December 17, 2009 15
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REPRESENTATIVE PHOTOGRAPHS
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PLANT SPECIES OBSERVED
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AppendixB
PLANT SPECIES OBSERVED -LOT 5 FOX-MILLER PROPERTY
NATIVE GRASSLAND
Scientific Name
Anagallis arvensis*
Avena fatua*
Baccharis pilularis
Brachypodium distachyon*
Brassica nigra *
Brodiaea filifolia
Bromus diandrus*
Bromus hordeaceus*
Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens*
Carduus pycnocephalus*
Clarida purpurea
Convolvulus simulans
Diclostema capitatum
F oeniculum vulgare *
Gastridium ventricosum*
Hedypnois cretica*
Lactuca sericia*
Lolium multiflorum*
Nassella pulchra
Phalaris sp. *
Picris echoides*
Sisyrinchium helium
Sonchus asper*
Sonchus oleraceus*
Common Name
scarlet pimpernel
wild oats
coyote bush
false brome
black mustard
thread-leaved brodiaea
ripgut brome
soft chess
red brome
Italian thistle
purple clarkia
small flower. morning glory
bluedicks
fennel
nit grass
crete weed
wild lettuce
Italian rye grass
purple needlegrass
canary grass
bristly ox-tounge
blue eyed grass
prickly sow thistle
sow thistle
DIEGAN COASTAL SAGE SCRUB
Scientific Name
Adolphia californica
Anagallis arvensis*
Artemisia calif ornica
Avena fatua* •
Baccharis pilularis
Baccharis salicifolia
Bloomeria crocea
Brachypodium distachyon*
B-1
Common Name
California adolphia
scarlet pimpernel
California sagebrush
wild oats
coyote bush
mule fat
common goldenstar
false brome
Appendix B ( cont.)
PLANT SPECIES OBSERVED -LOT 5 FOX-MILLER PROPERTY
DIEGAN COASTAL SAGE SCRUB (cont.)
Scientific Name
Bromus diandrus*
·Bromus hordeaceus*
Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens*
Brassica nigra *
Brickellia californica
Centaurea melitensis*
Conyza sp.
Diclostema capitatum
Encelia californica
Foeniculum vulgare*
Hazardia squarrosa
Heteromeles arbutif olia
Heterotheca grandiflora
Hesperoyucca whipplei
Isomeris arborea
Lactuca sericia*
Lolium multiflorum*
Malosma laurina
Mirabilis jalapa*
Muhlenbergia microsperma
Muhlenbergia rigens
Nassella pulchra
Opuntia littoralis
Phalaris sp.*
Picris echoides*
Rhus integrifolia
Sa_lvia apiana
Salvia mellif era
Sambucus mexicana
Sisyrinchium bellum
Solanum sp.
Sonchus oleraceus*
B-2
Common Name
ripgut brome
soft chess
red brome
black mustard
California brickellbush
star thistle
horseweed
bluedicks
California encelia
fennel
saw toothed Goldenbush
t_oyon
telegraph weed
chaparral yucca
bladderpod
wild lettuce
Italian rye grass
laurel sumac
wishbone bush
littleseed muhly
deergrass
purple needlegrass
coast prickly pear
canary grass
bristly ox-tounge
lemonade berry
white sage
black sage
Mexican elderberry
blue eyed grass
nightshade
sow thistle
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Appendix B (cont.)
PLANT SPECIES OBSERVED -LOT 5 FOX-MILLER PROPERTY
SOUTHERN WILLOW SCRUB
Scientific Name
Alyssum sp. *
Artemisia calif ornica
Artemisia douglasiana
Baccharis pilularis
Baccharis salicifolia
Distichlis spicata
Iva hayesiana
• Juncus acutus
Leymus condensatus
Leymus triticoides
Picris echioides*
Pluchea odorata
Polypogon monspeliensis*
Platanus racemosa
Rhus trilobata
Salix exigua
Salix gooddingii
Salix lasiolepis
Salvia mellifera
Sambucus mexicana
Sonchus oleraceus*
*Non-native species
B-3
Common Name
alyssum
California sagebrush
California mugwort
coyote bush
mule fat
salt grass
San Diego marsh elder
spiny rush
giant wildrye
creeping wild rye
bristly oxtounge
marsh fleabane
rabbitsfoot grass
Western sycamore
squabush
sandbar willow
black willow
arroyo willow
black sage
blue elderberry
sow thistle
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t ________ ~
ANIMAL SPECIES OBSERVED
WITHIN THE VARIOUS RESTORATION AREAS
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AppendixC
ANIMAL SPECIES OBSERVED WITHIN THE VARIOUS RESTORATION AREAS
LOT 5 FOX-MILLER PROPERTY
Scientific Name
VERTEBRATES
Birds
Buteo lineatus
Calypte anna
Carduelis psaltria
Carpodacus mexicanus
Chamaea fasciata
Charadrius vociferus
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Corvus corax
Geothlypis trichas
Melospiza melodia
Pipilo crissalis
Polioptila californica
californica
Sayornis nigricans
Sayornis saya
Stegidoptreyx serripennis
Sturnus vulgaris
Tyrannusvociferans
Zenaida macroura
Reptile
Crotalus viridis
Mammals
Canis latrans
Sylvilagus audubonii
Thomomys bottae
Common Name
red-shouldered hawk
Anna's hummingbird
lesser goldfinch
house finch
wrentit
killdeer
American crow
common raven
common yellowthroat
song sparrow
California towhee
coastal California gnatcatcher
black phoebe
Say's phoebe
Northern rough-winged swallow
European starling
Cassin's kingbird
mourning dove
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
coyote
desert cottontail
Botta's pocket gopher
Vegetation Community*
NG
DCSS,NG
DCSS, NG, SWS
DCSS, NG, SWS
DCSS
DCSS, SWS
DCSS, NG, SWS
DCSS, NG, SWS
sws
DCSS, NG, SWS
DCSS
DCSS
NG
DCSS,NG
DCSS, NG, SWS
DCSS, NG, SWS
DCSS,NG
DCSS, NG, SWS
NG
NG
DCSS,NG
DCSS,NG
*DCSS = Diegan coastal sage scrub, NG = native grassland, and SWS = southern willow scrub
C-1