Coastal Grasslands
Management
“How to Cheat at Land
Management”
Coastal Grasslands
Management
Land management
 Did not begin with the Europeans
 The historic extent of California’s grasslands, in
particular, may be fairly anthropogenic
 May also have impacted species composition
(fire-tolerant species)
 Humans have been in relationship with this land
for a long time
Coastal Grasslands
Management
Land management
 Has a goal
o Can be aligned with protecting
biodiversity, maintaining or re-establishing
ecological processes, maintaining rare
ecosystems, etc.
Coastal Grasslands
Management
How to “Cheat”
• Have a goal
• Know what your land looks like now
• Know what success looks like
• Know how to measure it
• Ongoing monitoring/management
Coastal Grasslands
Management
Figuring out what’s on your land
 Problematic species you need to address
 Native species you want to preserve
 “The best and the worst”
Coastal Grasslands
Management
How to figure it out
• Looking from a high point
• Changes in color, structure, “look” of vegetation
• Utilizing other people on the property (e.g.
researchers, stewards, hikers)
• Using aerial imagery (esp. for cover type
conversion)
• Historic information
• Mapping
How to tell if something might be
invasive:
• It’s establishing a
monoculture
• You never noticed it
before (caveat: it could
be something rare; it
could be responding to
unusual weather or other
conditions)
• It’s lining trails or roads,
but you don’t see
nearly as much of it if
you step off the beaten
path
• You know from
neighbors, local RCD,
or state lists that a
particular species is a
problem (caveat: for
highly invasive species
only)
Coastal Grasslands
Management
How to identify your best and worst
• Find narrowest (comprehensive) species list for your
area
• Taxonomic sufficiency: identify to coarsest useful
taxonomic level
• Visual identification (GISS and field marks)
• But look at whole plant. Know family characterstics!
• Vegetative characteristics
• Practice (weekly refreshers)
Mapping with Volunteers
• 10 – 15 species
• Invasive perennial grasses
• Any other invasives of special
concern
• Native perennial grasses
• “Other Native Perennial
Grass” category
• Caveat: unusual rushes,
sedges
• Caveat: “new” perennial
invasive (e.g. Festuca
arundinacea on SSU’s
Fairfield Osborn Preserve)
Coastal Grasslands
Management
Land Management
• Have a goal
• Know what your land looks like now
• Know what success looks like
• Know how to measure it
• Ongoing monitoring/management
Coastal Grasslands
Management
Management Information
• Fire Effects Information System: fs.fed.us/database/feis/
• USDA Plant Fact Sheets and Guides:
plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet (DO NOT use for Phalaris
aquatica)
• Calflora plant profiles and Calflora Observer app:
calflora.org
• Local Resource Conservation District office