2009 Native Grasslands Projects
2009 Completed Projects
MAPPING NATIVE GRASSLANDS - KING RANGE
This year our crews set out to map as many populations of native grasses we could find and to explore new areas where surveys had not been completed. After surveying over 1000 acres of coastal prairie on Oat Ridge, Spanish Ridge, Paradise Ridge, Johnny Jack Ridge, and Prosper Ridge, a number of new populations of all the species above were discovered on all of these ridges. One large population of Nassella pulchra (the CA state grass) was also discovered on Spanish Ridge. This grass was not known to exist in the King Range! This data will help us to better track the increase or decline of these populations.
MONITORING - SPANISH FLAT
Planting sites on Spanish flat were revisited to determine plant survival of 10,000 grass plugs planted in 2008. Plant survival ranged from 85% to 95% for individual species and 94% over all.
NATIVE GRASS PLANTING - PROSPER RIDGE AND PARADISE RIDGE
Grasslands planting crews braved the strong winds of Prosper Ridge and the rain on Paradise Ridge to give our grass plugs a new home. 15,000 grass plugs of leafy reedgrass, CA. oat grass, tufted hairgrass, CA. melic, ID
fescue, Junegrass, and CA. oatgrass were planted on these ridgelines this fall. This project is the start of a multi-year restoration effort to establish native grass populations through broadcast burning and planting.
NATIVE SEED COLLECTION -Throughout the watershed
This year our grasslands crews collected over 30 lbs. of native grass seed for grassland and riparian re-vegetation sites. Species collected included blue wildrye, CA brome, CA melic, Junegrass, tufted hairgrass, CA oatgrass, big squirreltail, leafy reedgrass, CA fescue, ID fescue, and Lemons needlegrass. We also collected a bit of native buckwheat and douglas iris. This year was the first time we were able to harvest seed from the in-situ nursery on Prosper Ridge which was planted in 2005 for native grass seed production.
This year our grasslands crews collected over 30 lbs. of native grass seed for grassland and riparian re-vegetation sites. Species collected included blue wildrye, CA brome, CA melic, Junegrass, tufted hairgrass, CA oatgrass, big squirreltail, leafy reedgrass, CA fescue, ID fescue, and Lemons needlegrass. We also collected a bit of native buckwheat and douglas iris. This year was the first time we were able to harvest seed from the in-situ nursery on Prosper Ridge which was planted in 2005 for native grass seed production.
MAPPING NATIVE GRASSLANDS - KING RANGE
This year our crews set out to map as many populations of native grasses we could find and to explore new areas where surveys had not been completed. After surveying over 1000 acres of coastal prairie on Oat Ridge, Spanish Ridge, Paradise Ridge, Johnny Jack Ridge, and Prosper Ridge, a number of new populations of all the species above were discovered on all of these ridges. One large population of Nassella pulchra (the CA state grass) was also discovered on Spanish Ridge. This grass was not known to exist in the King Range! This data will help us to better track the increase or decline of these populations.
MONITORING - SPANISH FLAT
Planting sites on Spanish flat were revisited to determine plant survival of 10,000 grass plugs planted in 2008. Plant survival ranged from 85% to 95% for individual species and 94% over all.
NATIVE GRASS PLANTING - PROSPER RIDGE AND PARADISE RIDGE
Grasslands planting crews braved the strong winds of Prosper Ridge and the rain on Paradise Ridge to give our grass plugs a new home. 15,000 grass plugs of leafy reedgrass, CA. oat grass, tufted hairgrass, CA. melic, ID
fescue, Junegrass, and CA. oatgrass were planted on these ridgelines this fall. This project is the start of a multi-year restoration effort to establish native grass populations through broadcast burning and planting.
© 2010 Mattole Restoration Council