PLANT COMMUNITIES OF SANTA ROSA ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK
Goldman CR, Veirs SD, Schonewald-Cox C, Stohlgren TJ, Lynch S. 1990. PLANT COMMUNITIES OF SANTA ROSA ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK. No. 42. COOPERATIVE NATIONAL PARK RESOURCES STUDIES UNIT, University of California at Davis, Institute of Ecology, Davis, CA 95616
A survey of the plant communities on Santa Rosa Island,Channel Islands National Park, was conducted from January throughJuly 1988. Vegetation data were collected at 296 sites using areleve technique. The plant communities described include:grassland, coastal marsh, caliche scrub, coastal sage scrub,lupine scrub, baccharis scrub, coastal bluff scrub, coastal dunescrub, mixed chaparral, mixed woodland, torrey pine woodland,closed-cone pine woodland, island oak woodland, riparianwoodland, and riparian herbaceous vegetation. The areal extentof each community was mapped on USGS 7.5' topographic maps, anddigitized for GIS manipulation.The description of the communities presented here providesthe first quantitative analysis of the vegetation of Santa RosaIsland, and provides a baseline against which future comparisonsof the condition of vegetation resources can be made. Santa RosaIsland has a grazing history that spans nearly 150 years.Presently an active cattle ranch, and popUlations of introducedelk, deer, and pigs still occur. Grassland, coastal sage scrub,and mixed chaparral are the prominent vegetation types on theisland, covering over 90% of the total area. The remainder ofthe plant communities each account for less than 1% of the totalarea. The extent of grassland and the residual nature of thescrub and woodland plant communities clearly demonstrate theeffects of long-term grazing. A number of insular endemic plantsoccur on the island, some are apparently quite limited indistribution and were not encountered in this vegetation study.Management of the island to preserve viable populations of theseendemics, and to allow for the restoration of natural plantassemblages will require the removal of alien herbivores, and acomplex active restoration scheme. A long-term commitment by NPSmanagers of both monies and personnel are necessary to achievethese goals. The success of this endeavour will be a greataccomplishment in ecosystem restoration.i
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Goldman, Charles; Veirs, Stephen; Schonewald-Cox, Christine; Stohlgren, Thomas; Lynch, Sharon
- Date of Issue
- 1990-10
- Units
- CHIS
- Keywords
- closed-cone pine woodland, lupine scrub, and riparian herbaceous vegetation, baccharis scrub, caliche scrub, coastal bluff scrub, coastal dune scrub, coastal marsh, Coastal Sage Scrub, Grassland, island oak woodland, mixed chaparral, mixed woodland, plant communities on Santa Rosa Island, riparian woodland, torrey pine woodland