Habitat Restoration for the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly. Scott McMillan, AECOM Lindsey Cavallaro, AECOM

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1 Habitat Restoration for the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly Scott McMillan, AECOM Lindsey Cavallaro, AECOM Southern California Grasslands Symposium March 22, 2012

2 Presentation Overview Background on Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino) Quino habitat - costal mesa and foothill Overview of restoration and enhancement methods 3 project case studies and lessons learned Ongoing issues and challenges for the future Conclusions March 22, 2012 Page 2

3 Species distribution (historical and current) Listed status Life cycle and Ecology Historical: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties as well as Baja California. Current: Possibly as few as a dozen occurrences in Riverside and San Diego Counties and Baja California March 22, 2012 Page 3

4 Species distribution (historical and current) Listed status Life cycle and Ecology Listed status: Listed as Federally Endangered on January 16, 1997 (62 Federal Register 2313) March 22, 2012 Page 4

5 Species distribution (historical and current) Listed status Life cycle and Ecology Adults normally fly in late February to April Females mate once then lay approximately eggs Eggs hatch into pre-diapause larvae and molt 2-3 times Larvae enter diapause until early winter rains Post diapause larvae mature and then pupate (10 days) March 22, 2012 Page 5

6 Species distribution (historical and current) Listed status Life cycle and Ecology Hilltopping and Mating Metapopulation Theory March 22, 2012 Page 6

7 Quino Habitat Coastal Mesas and Foothills Coastal sage scrub, chaparral, native grasslands, and open clay soils March 22, 2012 Page 7

8 Quino Habitat Coastal Mesas and Foothills Open clay soils often associated with crytobiotic crusts (lichens, mosses, liverworts, blue-green algae, bacteria and fungi) March 22, 2012 Page 8

9 Quino Habitat Coastal Mesas and Foothills Larval host plants March 22, 2012 Page 9

10 Quino Habitat Coastal Mesas and Foothills Platago erecta morphs Environment or Genetics? March 22, 2012 Page 10

11 Quino Habitat Coastal Mesas and Foothills Adult nectar sources March 22, 2012 Page 11

12 Types of Habitat Restoration and/or Enhancement Complete restoration and re-establishment Enhancement Management Different methods, results, and costs for each type March 22, 2012 Page 12

13 Habitat Restoration/Enhancement Methods Overview Weed Control Dethatching Herbicide Hand weeding Mowing Seeding Collection Preservation of Plantago genetics Bulking Seed bank reestablishment/improvement March 22, 2012 Page 13

14 Habitat Restoration/Enhancement Methods Overview Weed Control Dethatching Herbicide Hand weeding Mowing Seeding Collection Preservation of Plantago genetics Bulking Seed bank reestablishment/improvement March 22, 2012 Page 14

15 Habitat Restoration/Enhancement Methods Overview Weed Control Dethatching Herbicide Hand weeding Mowing Seeding Collection Preservation of Plantago genetics Bulking Seed bank reestablishment/improvement March 22, 2012 Page 15

16 Habitat Restoration/Enhancement Methods Overview Weed Control Dethatching Herbicide Hand weeding Mowing Seeding Collection Preservation of Plantago genetics Bulking Seed bank reestablishment/improvement March 22, 2012 Page 16

17 Project Case Studies State Route 125 South Vernal Pool and Quino Habitat Restoration Clients: Caltrans and Southbay Expressway Dennery Canyon West Vernal Pool and Quino Habitat Restoration Client: Caltrans TransNet Vernal Pool and and Management Project Client: City of San Diego, in cooperation with SANDAG, County of San Diego, USFWS, CDFG, and California Energy Commission March 22, 2012 Page 17

18 Project Case Studies Restoration and enhancement methods Monitoring techniques Results Lessons learned March 22, 2012 Page 18

19 SR 125 South Restoration Site Restoration and Enhancement Methods Year 1 Dethatching (multiple times) Year 5 Numerous herbicide treatments Mowing/hand weeding Extensive seeding March 27, 2012 Page 19

20 SR 125 South Restoration Site Monitoring Techniques March 22, 2012 Page 20

21 SR 125 South Restoration Site Upland Vegetation Cover Results Cover Type Year 1 % Cover Year 5 % Cover* Year 5 Success Criteria Criteria Achieved? Non-Vegetative Cover <30 Yes Total Native Cover >60 Yes Native Shrub Cover 2 15 <30 Yes Native Herb Cover >40 Yes Total Nonnative Cover 40 8 <5 No * Average of qualitative and quantitative monitoring March 27, 2012 Page 21

22 SR 125 South Restoration Site Lessons Learned Requires experienced and highly qualified crews Multiple seasons of seeding required for seed bank establishment Weed control in upland habitats vs. wetlands Conditions of the surrounding landscape March 22, 2012 Page 22

23 Dennery Canyon West Restoration and Enhancement Methods Year 1 Dethatching (1-time) Year 2 Numerous herbicide treatments Mowing (very minor)/hand weeding Extensive seeding March 27, 2012 Page 23

24 Dennery Canyon West Monitoring Techniques March 22, 2012 Page 24

25 Dennery Canyon West Year 2 Upland Vegetation Cover Results Cover Type Year 2 Success Criteria (%) Year 2 Results (%) Criteria Achieved? Salvage and Transplant Survival > [85, 99] Yes Container Plant Survival > [85, 99] Yes Native Cover n/a 76.8 [61.1, 92.5] Yes Nonnative Cover < * Yes Perennial Invasive Exotic Species <1 0 Yes * Combination of transect and qualitative estimates March 27, 2012 Page 25

Dennery Canyon West Lessons Learned Requires experienced and highly qualified crews Multiple seasons of seeding required for seed bank establishment

26 Dennery Canyon West Lessons Learned Requires experienced and highly qualified crews Multiple seasons of seeding required for seed bank establishment Weed control in upland habitats vs. wetlands Conditions of the surrounding landscape Control of disturbance tolerant native species March 22, 2012 Page 26

27 TransNet Vernal Pool and Restoration and Enhancement Methods Dethatch Low level of herbicide use One round of reseeding Fencing to prohibit cattle, off-road activity Sites adjacent to Quino populations Simple cover plots March 27, 2012 Page 27

28 TransNet Vernal Pool and Upland Nonnative Cover (%) 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Nobel Goat Mesa Otay Lakes Proctor Valley Marron Valley March 27, 2012 Page 28

29 TransNet Vernal Pool and Plantago Erecta Cover (%) 18% 16% 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% Nobel Goat Mesa Otay Lakes Proctor Valley Marron Valley March 27, 2012 Page 29

effective Weed control of a subset of the weed

30 TransNet Vernal Pool and Lessons Learned Dethatching alone is effective Low levels of herbicide use is effective Weed control of a subset of the weed species is not effective in many situations March 22, 2012 Page 30

31 General Costs by Category Weed Control Restoration and re-establishment $7,000 per acre per year Enhancement $5,500 per acre per year Long-term management $500 per acre per year March 22, 2012 Page 31

32 General Costs by Category Seeding Restoration and reestablishment $2,500 per acre per year Enhancement $1,250 per acre per year Long-term management Ideally, none Remedial seeding only as needed March 22, 2012 Page 32

33 Ongoing Issues Other methods of management Measuring long-term success Plantago erecta morphology Understanding population dynamics USFWS study Reintroduction of Quino larvae to restored sites March 22, 2012 Page 33

Summary and Conclusions Restoration of Quino habitat is challenging Must have highly qualified crews Human goals can be met, but does that satisfy the needs of

34 Summary and Conclusions Restoration of Quino habitat is challenging Must have highly qualified crews Human goals can be met, but does that satisfy the needs of the butterfly? We may be wasting our time without a program for reintroduction of the butterfly Some management will always be necessary March 22, 2012 Page 34

35 Thank You

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Translocation, Restoration and Management Methods for Otay tarplant (Deinandra conjugens), Challenges and Lessons Learned Southern California Grassland Symposium March 22, 2012 The Project Included Habitat