John Rowden
Blue oak woodlands are dominated by the California endemic blue oak (Quercus douglasii ) with a herbaceous understory comprised of grasses and annual forbs. The role of fire in the ecology of blue oak woodlands and it’s potential as a method for control of the European invasive annuals that have come to dominate them is a research focus throughout California (Espeland, 2005; Gillespie, 2004; Henry, 2004; Marty, 2005; Moyes, 2005;). Blue oak woodlands comprise approximately 20% of Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, which provides an ideal opportunity to conduct research that will contribute to our understanding of the role of fire in blue oak woodlands. The proposed research will also help inform management decisions for a large portion of the reserve. In addition, this research will contribute to understanding how to manage an endemic plant community found throughout the state. The scale of this study is large enough to include student interns and research assistants fulfilling reserve goals in providing important educational and research opportunities. This study includes a variety of field methods providing opportunities for valuable field experience in a number of areas including vegetation sampling, reptile and amphibian trapping and marking, as well as experience with prescribed burn protocols and techniques. This work will also provide valuable baseline data that will promote ongoing and future research. Permanent sample plots established in this project will be available to future students and researchers allowing for the design of a number of studies that expand on the information obtained during the course of this work that will continue to enrich our knowledge of blue oak woodlands. B. Project Description
Fire is considered a valuable restoration tool because of its important role in California’s ecosystems including blue oak woodlands. Recent research has examined the effects of prescribed fires conducted during different seasons on the vegetation type found in blue oak woodlands (Pollack and Kan, 1998; DiTomaso, 1999; Meyer and Schiffman, 1999). These studies have shown that differences in seasonal timing and frequency have different effects on different plant species. However, the studies are limited in scope as they did not specifically examine the influence of seasonal fires on the same ecosystem thus making interpretations of seasonal influences difficult to compare and interpret. The majority of earlier studies have focused on vegetation responses to fire, however, plants are only one element in blue oak woodland ecosystems and what is virtually missing from earlier studies is the influence of fire on other species dependent on the habitat provided by blue oak woodlands.
Reptiles and amphibians make up a large proportion of the small vertebrates found in blue oak woodlands and healthy herpetofuanal populations are integral to healthy wildlife populations. To date research on herpetofaunal response to fire in California is limited. There are few published reports on direct response and no studies conducted in the type of plant community found in blue oak woodlands. Therefore any information gained by examining their response to prescribed fires will be of value to land managers throughout California.
If fire is to be used as a management tool in blue oak woodlands then it is important to understand how it influences the community as a whole, including the various levels of the food web. The goal of this project is to increase our understanding of fire’s role in blue oak woodland communities and to help guide management decisions in protecting this valuable habitat throughout the State. The specific objectives of the project include:
The proposed activities are geared to study the influence of seasonal application of burn regimes to blue oak woodlands on the BCCER and to monitor community level responses. During January and February of 2007 twelve plots (50m x 50m) will be established in similar blue oak woodlands on the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Plots will consist of three treatment types, spring burn, fall burn, and control. Baseline data will be collected by sampling both vegetation and small vertebrates across all plots during spring and fall of 2007. Seasonal treatments will take place post sampling in the spring and fall of 2007 as climatic conditions permit. To assess first year response to prescribed burns vegetation and small vertebrates will be sampled again in the spring and fall of 2008.
Timeline (see below timeline for key to numbered timeline activities)
2007
1. Mid Jan through March 1
2. Feb 28 through March 15; Aug 8 through Sept. 1
3. March 15 through April 30; September 1 through 30
4. April 28 through May 10; Sept 28 theough October 20
2008
2. Feb 28 through March 15; Aug 8 through Sept. 1
3. March 15 through April 1; August 30 through September 15
Timeline Activities
1. Array set up. 3. Sample small vertebrates.
2. Sample vegetation. 4. Treat sample plots.
Data will be analyzed to test the hypothesis that seasonality in fire application will have an effect on blue oak woodland communities. In subsequent years data will continue to be gathered periodically to determine long term blue oak woodland community response to fire.
C. Staffing/Key Personnel
This work is being conducted as a joint project for individual masters theses with CSU, Chico graduate student Mark Lynch. While I am focusing primarily on herpetofuanal response to the experimental treatments Mark will be focusing on small mammal response. We will share many of the responsibilities outside of our respective areas of focus including study design, plot layout, vegetative analysis, application of treatment, data analysis, and supervision of interns.
My thesis committee consists of major advisor Colleen Hatfield (Department of Biological Sciences) and committee members Don Hankins (Department of Geography and Planning) and Tag Engstrom (Department of Biological Sciences). Dr. Hatfield is a landscape ecologist. Her experience with a variety of biological systems and experimental designs has been extremely helpful with the spatial and temporal aspects of our design. Don Hankins is a pyrogeographer with experience studying small vertebrate response to fire. Dr. Hankins expertise is integral to developing organismal sampling and burn treatment protocols. Dr. Engstrom is the department herpetologist and helped in developing mark and recapture strategies for analyzing population dynamics.
In addition to the faculty listed above, Dr. Dean Fairbanks (Department of Geography and Planning) is working with Colleen Hatfield to develop a vegetation map of the reserve and Bidwell Park . They will be using our vegetation sampling plots as sites for long term monitoring and for development of an accurate vegetation map.
We will also be enlisting the help of fellow graduate and undergraduate students by offering volunteer or internship hours. This will give students the opportunity to gain a wide variety of field experiences due to the many different aspects and procedures involved in the project.
D. Expected Results
I expect to see a difference in response of both vegetation and herpetofauna between treatments. Vegetation should respond with a decline in the total number of invasive annuals the first year post burn with an overall increase in vegetative biomass. Furthermore the lower proportion of invasive annuals should be more pronounced in spring burned plots than fall burned plots. The increase in vegetative biomass should provide more cover for animals as well as providing more food for insects increasing the quantity and quality of prey for herpetofauna. Overall the anticipated vegetative changes post fire should increase the quality of the area for hunting by herpetofauna and increase their use of the area.
The general lack of knowledge of herpetofaunal response to fire in California indicates that any knowledge gained in this study will be of use to land managers throughout the state. Study results will improve the quality of BCCER management by providing critical information to guide management decisions and will also assist other natural land management agencies in implementing fire programs. This study will also provide readily available baseline data for ongoing and future studies on the BCCER. The project will culminate in the formation of a masters thesis which will be submitted for publication to appropriate journals allowing for dissemination throughout the scientific community.
E.Budget Narrative
The majority of the award will be used to cover travel expenses to and from the reserve. In addition, funds will be set aside to attend and present at conferences. Tags and dissecting instruments will be used to mark individual animals to record recapture information. Funnel traps are used in the trapping arrays to capture herps and moisture pellets reduce heat stress in traps. Hardboard and stakes are for drift-fence repairs. Scales and probe set are for taking measurements of individual animals. The tape is used for vegetative sampling.
Works Cited
DiTomaso, J.M., G.B. Kyser, and M.S. Hastings. 1999. Prescribed Burning for Control of Yellow Starthisltle (Centaurea solstitialis) and Enhanced native plant diversity. Weed Science 47(2): 233-242.
Espeland, E., K., T. M. Carlsen, and D. MacQueen. 2005. Fire and dynamics of granivory on a California grassland forb. Biodiversity and Conservation 14: 267–280.
Gillespie, I. G., and E .B. Allen. 2004. Fire and competition in a southern California grassland:
impacts on the rare forb (Erodium macrophyllum). Journal of AppliedEcology 41: 643– 652.
Henry H. A. L., N. R. Chiariello, P. M. Vitousek, H. A. Mooney, and C. B. Field. 2006. Interactive Effects of Fire, Elevated Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Deposition, and Precipitation on a California Annual Grassland Ecosystems 9: 1066–1075
Marty, J. T., S. K. Collinge, and K. J. Rice. 2005. Responses of a remnant California native bunchgrass population to grazing, burning and climatic variation. Plant Ecology 181: 101–112.
Meyer, M.D., and P.S. Schiffman. 1999. Fire Season and Mulch Reduction in a California Grassland: A Comparison of Resoration Strategies. Madrono 46(1):25-31.
Moyes, A. B., M. S. Witter, and J. A. Gamon. 2005. Restoration of Native Perennials in a California Annual Grassland after Prescribed Spring Burning and Solarization. Restoration Ecology Vol. 13(4): 659–666
Pollack, O. and T. Kan. 1998. The Use of Prescribed Fire to Control Invasive Exotic Weeds at Jepson Prairie Preserve. Pages 241-249 in Witham, C.W., E.T. Bauder, D. Belk, W.R. Ferren, Jr. and R. Ornduff, editors. Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Vernal Pool Ecosystems – proceedings from a 1996 conference. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, USA.