Outline of Quino Recovery Plan - The Xerces Society

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scrub 20 years ago) are now largely annual grasslands because of fires that burned at 2- or 3-year intervals (Minnich 1988). Thus, frequent fire results in the loss of shrubland in urban reserves where ignitions are frequent. Nonnative annual grasses contribute to increased fire frequency by forming continuous fuel more flammable than native shrublands. The overall impact of fire on Quino checkerspot habitat depends on the intensity, frequency, season of occurrence, and size of the invasive nonnative seed bank (Mattoni et al. 1997). Given the restricted and fragmented Quino checkerspot distribution, and low population densities, even historic natural fire frequency could extirpate occupancy of remaining isolated habitat patches that have little chance of natural recolonization. Although fire may have historically played a positive role in metapopulation dynamics by creating openings for new habitat patches, this situation does not apply where weed invasion follows fire. Also, dense populations of dwarf plantain (Plantago erecta) have not been observed following fire, indicating the species either lacks a dormant seed bank or requires a light burn for seed survival (J. Keeley, pers. comm.). Fires are particularly common near southern Quino checkerspot populations near the international border. 6. Enhanced Soil Nitrogen Another factor that influences nonnative plant invasion is soil fertility, as invasive species are often better competitors for soil nutrients than native plant species (Allen et al. 1998). Soils in urbanized and agricultural regions are being fertilized by excess nitrogen generated by human activities. Burning of fossil fuels, production of fertilizer, and cultivation of nitrogen-fixing crops now add as much nitrogen to global terrestrial ecosystems as do all natural processes combined (Vitousek et al. 1997). Nitrogen deposition has been found to cause conversions from high-diversity shrub-grasslands to low-diversity grasslands in other regions of the world, notably the Netherlands where as much as 90 kilograms of nitrogen is deposited per hectare per year (80 pounds per acre per year) (Bobbink and Willems 1987). Southern California currently experiences up to 45 kilograms per hectare per year (40 pounds per acre per year) of nitrogen deposition, compared to the background level of about 1 kilogram per hectare per year (0.9 pounds per acre 35
per year) (Bytnerowicz et al. 1987, Fenn et al. 1996). Most nitrogen arrives during the dry season as nitrate dryfall (particulate and ion deposition to surfaces) produced by internal combustion engines. Soils in the most polluted regions near Riverside have more than 80 parts per million (weight) extractable nitrogen, a value more than 4 times that detected in natural, unpolluted soils (Allen et al. 1998, Padgett et al. 1999). Nitrogen fertilization experiments near Lake Skinner (where air pollution is relatively low) demonstrated that after 4 years the cover and biomass of nonnative grasses increased and native shrub canopy decreased (Allen et al. 2000). These experiments suggest that the rate of loss and degradation of Quino checkerspot habitat will continue, and may increase, in and near nitrogen polluted lands. Nitrogen deposition in southern California is less severe in coastal than inland areas because prevailing winds move pollution inland (Padgett et al. 1999). High emissions from nitrogen sources in Mexico could threaten adjacent Quino checkerspot populations in California. 7. Effects of Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration Increasing carbon dioxide gas has direct effects upon the vegetation and indirect effects on associated insects. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have risen from a stable 270 parts per million volume prior to the 1900's, to 364 parts per million volume today, and continue to rise at a rate of 0.4 percent per year (IPCC 1996). Unlike atmospheric nitrate or ammonium that deposit along gradients from the source of emissions, carbon dioxide is globally mixed and thus has global impacts (IPCC 1996). Carbon dioxide has been shown to affect plants primarily through increased growth and photosynthesis rates, an increase in leaf tissue (foliar) carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N), and increased production of carbon-based defense compounds (IPCC 1996, Coviella and Trumble 1999). Increased plant productivity and biomass in chaparral (Oechel et al. 1995) and coastal sage scrub will likely contribute to increased canopy closure and reduction of habitat favored by the Quino checkerspot. Chemical changes in plant tissue have been found to affect food quality for herbivores, and often resulted in reduced performance of leaf-eating insects (reviews by Lindroth 1995, Bezemer and Jones 1998, Coviella and Trumble 1999, and Whittaker 1999). 36
Page 1 and 2: QUINO CHECKERSPOT BUTTERFLY (Euphyd
Page 3 and 4: DISCLAIMER Recovery plans delineate
Page 5 and 6: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Current Status: T
Page 7 and 8: temporal and geographic patterns of
Page 9 and 10: 9) Manage activity on trails where
Page 11 and 12: A. References .....................
Page 13 and 14: Figure 1. Quino checkerspot butterf
Page 15 and 16: Insert Figure 3 4
Page 17 and 18: Euphydryas chalcedona. At the same
Page 19 and 20: The Quino checkerspot butterfly pri
Page 21 and 22: natural lands are absent, by costly
Page 23 and 24: connectivity that may have existed
Page 25 and 26: Mexico. Another recent record is lo
Page 27 and 28: dwarf plantain (Plantago erecta) ca
Page 29 and 30: Diapausing Euphydryas editha larvae
Page 31 and 32: not possible below about 16 degrees
Page 33 and 34: 1994, Rausher 1982). Singer et al.
Page 35 and 36: prediapause secondary hosts are imp
Page 37 and 38: population of prediapause larvae. L
Page 39 and 40: does not necessarily mean that smal
Page 41 and 42: although it is not clear whether th
Page 43 and 44: Dezzani 1998, Stylinski and Allen 1
Page 45: Consumption of nonnative plants by
Page 49 and 50: y almost 100 miles, and shifted the
Page 51 and 52: Conservation Plan. Several other pl
Page 53 and 54: Plan in July of 1996. No extant Qui
Page 55 and 56: G. Recovery Strategy The survival a
Page 57 and 58: Along with protecting habitat, equa
Page 59 and 60: In areas targeted for Quino checker
Page 61 and 62: checkerspot habitat community. Area
Page 63 and 64: ovata), fiddleneck (Amsinckia spp.)
Page 65 and 66: (Collinsia concolor) occurs in smal
Page 67 and 68: This Recovery Unit is located in so
Page 69 and 70: ut research is needed to determine
Page 71 and 72: within the proposed Recovery Unit i
Page 73 and 74: occupancy. Most of the upper canyon
Page 81 and 82: The number of known occupied habita
Page 83 and 84: C. Recovery Task Narrative Priority
Page 85 and 86: 1.2.1. Enhance or restore landscape
Page 87 and 88: should include, degree of nonnative
Page 89 and 90: 11. Protect the remaining undevelop
Page 91 and 92: Boughton, D. A. 2000. The Dispersal
Page 93 and 94: Ecological Impacts on the Golden St
Page 95 and 96: Malo, J. E., and F. Suarez. 1995. C
Page 97 and 98:
Ecology Taking Flight: Butterflies
Page 99 and 100:
Thomas, C. D. and I. Hanski. 1997.
Page 101 and 102:
B. Personal Communications Bauer, D
Page 103 and 104:
Definitions and Abbreviations Used
Page 105 and 106:
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FOR QUINO C
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
APPENDIX I Quino Checkerspot Butter
Page 115 and 116:
APPENDIX II Habitat Restoration Met
Page 117 and 118:
• Cut thatch and dead nonnative p
Page 119 and 120:
Native Plants for Habitat Restorati
Page 121 and 122:
y Quino checkerspot, generalist pol
Page 123 and 124:
Salvaged topsoil can also be used f
Page 125 and 126:
Costs associated with removing that
Page 127 and 128:
cover is quite different from the g
Page 129 and 130:
APPENDIX III The Annual Forbland Hy
Page 131 and 132:
APPENDIX IV Glossary of Terms Diapa
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