Archive for Native species
Living Among Lions on the San Francisco Peninsula
Via Wikimedia Commons
A map of mountain lion sightings in residential areas in the San Jose Mercury News suggests that the cats are coming from the greenbelt of open spaces on the west side of Highway 280 — which includes several POST-protected parcels. One puma was spotted in Windy Hill. (POST Conservation Project Manager Abigail Adams also recently spotted a paw print on a POST easement near San Gregorio.)
That’s a good thing. More open spaces, along with a ban on hunting in California, are beginning to boost the predators’ numbers. Officials estimate there are 6,000 of them in the state.
Admittedly, it’s scary to spot a mountain lion on your block or to find one napping in your tree. But you are more likely to be killed by a deer than by a mountain lion, according to Zara McDonald of the Felidae Conservation Fund. The cats, by predilection, avoid humans whenever they can. In fact, some trackers have found evidence that humans have come within 50 feet of a mountain lion without ever knowing it was there.
When a puma ends up on Alpine Road, it’s probably looking for a mountainous throughway of another sort: Wildlife corridors are a vital ingredient for keeping puma populations healthy. When they can’t find natural throughways, pumas sometimes revert to highways and suburban byways, neither of which are good news for people.
Take another look at the Mercury map: You’ll see that almost all of the sightings are on the boundary of an open space or in a stretch of developed land between large open spaces.
So treat the cats with some respect if you happen to see one — and be sure to follow the experts’ best recommendations for not having a conflict with it.
You can make your home less appealing to a wandering mountain lion by avoiding feeding any wildlife that it might prey on. Make your best effort to keep deer away by landscaping with plants they don’t like to eat. Keep pets indoors. Motion-activated lighting can also repel the cats.
To steer clear of mountain lions in wilderness areas, avoid hiking alone or wearing headphones. Keep children and dogs close to you. Never approach or run away from a mountain lion, if you see one. Instead, make an effort to appear bigger by raising your arms. If all else fails and you are attacked, fight back! One 60-year-old woman likely saved her husband’s life by repeatedly jabbing an attacking puma with a ballpoint pen!
Follow-up: Prescribed Burn at Cloverdale
By Jeff Powers, Conservation Project Manager, Cloverdale Coastal Ranches
As we reported in the fall, on October 20, 2010 CalFire completed a prescribed fire on 400 acres in the central part of POST’s Cloverdale Coastal Ranches. For the past seven years I have been working with the CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire), the CA Department of Fish and Game (CFG) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to implement a prescribed fire program. This was the fifth prescribed fire in the last eight years at Cloverdale.
The following link from POST volunteer Curt Rowe shows how quickly the prescribed fire areas really “green up” and rejuvenate. In just a matter of weeks following the on-set of winter rains the seasonal ponds are filling in and the hillsides are covered in a carpet of new, green vegetation. Another POST volunteer, trained botanist Neal Kramer, also provided assistance in establishing the photo points that have been set up at Cloverdale. Both Curt and Neal plan to provide updated photos to the link every few months or so to record the changes in vegetation over the next several years. POST is very appreciative of their efforts and will be sure to share their results with you!
Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll see at the link:
And if you’re interested in helping POST by becoming a volunteer, check out this link to learn more!
Prescribed Burn at Cloverdale
By Jeff Powers, Conservation Project Manager, Cloverdale Coastal Ranches
On Wednesday, October 20 CalFire completed a 400-acre prescribed fire in the central part of POST’s Cloverdale Coastal Ranches property. With heavy fog in the morning it seemed unlikely we would be able to pull it off, but the fog lifted at noon and it was showtime. The 400 acres represents the largest prescribed fire to date at Cloverdale. The only way such a large amount of acreage could be burned was with a very experienced and determined Battalion Chief and Ignition Team.
View the Cloverdale Prescribed Burn Slideshow
For the past seven years I have been working with the CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire), the CA Department of Fish and Game (CFG) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to implement a prescribed fire program at Cloverdale. This week’s fire was the fifth in the last eight years at Cloverdale.
Coastal terrace prairie is a rare and incredibly diverse habitat evolving over the last 5,000 years. Native Americans typically burned landscapes every one to two years. Grasslands require regular disturbance either through fire, grazing or mowing, otherwise the land becomes overrun with brush.
Cloverdale Coastal Ranches © Robert Bueltemann.
Our initial challenge for launching the prescribed fire program were the areas of the ranch containing wetlands or ponds that provide habitat for two federally endangered species, the California red-legged frog and San Francisco garter snake. While burning in frog and snake habitat is desirable for the long-term health of these rare species, it also has potential to injure or kill either species.
San Francisco Garter Snake
We worked for three years, collaborating with Environmental Defense in Washington D.C., to obtain the first USFWS Enhancement of Survival Permit ever issued in the United States for habitat enhancement activities. The permit allows POST to burn in areas containing critical habitat for these two species and provides parameters for when and how we conduct these prescribed fires.
Over the last nine years POST has completed annual vegetation surveys in prescribed fire areas to determine relative abundance and changes in species’ composition of the grasslands. The results of vegetation surveys following the burns has not shown a marked increase in native grass species; however, it does show other benefits:
- Reduction of brush benefits migratory songbird species.
- Burning encourages a diverse plant community that attracts more varied and abundant wildlife.
Given that some years CalFire will not be able to burn due to weather or scheduling issues, POST will continue to try and burn in the central part of Cloverdale in the future. With consistent burning every one to four years we hope to see some positive increases in native species. While the blackened landscape after a fire looks startling to some people, most are astonished at how quickly these areas regenerate. In a matter of weeks following the on-set of the winter rains the hillsides will be covered in a lush carpet of vegetation. Check back for more photos!
POST
Jeff Powers
Paul Ringgold
Meghan Scanlon
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