Track MSP Progress


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salt marsh

Goal: Maintain, enhance and restore salt marsh vegetation on Conserved Lands in the MSPA that supports or has the potential to support VF species (i.e., wandering skipper, Belding's savannah sparrow) and to incidentally benefit other MSP species (e.g., salt marsh bird's-beak, Ridgway's rail) so that the vegetation community has high ecological integrity, and these species are resilient to environmental stochasticity and threats such as climate change, and will be likely to persist over the long term (>100 years).

Regional NFO 2021
MON-PRP-MONPL SALMAR-1

Management units: 1, 7

In 2021, evaluate existing salt marsh monitoring programs for Conserved Lands in the MSPA to determine gaps in monitoring salt marsh vegetation to assess community composition, structure and ecological integrity, and to document threats and assess environmental conditions. If there are gaps in current monitoring, develop a long-term regional salt marsh vegetation monitoring plan. The plan should include a conceptual model, specific monitoring questions, the sampling frame within the MSPA, monitoring methods, a statistically valid sampling design, permanent sampling locations, timeline, and standardized protocols. Use models predicting future sea level rise under changing climate to help determine the sampling frame. Evaluate ecological integrity at monitoring sites by integrating other types of monitoring into the long-term sampling plots, such as abiotic element monitoring (e.g., tidal flow monitoring, automated weather stations and soil sensors, GIS-data layers), ecological integrity monitoring (e.g., plant and animal communities, ecological processes), MSP VF species monitoring, and threats monitoring (e.g., climate change, invasive plants).

Action Statement Action status Projects
PRP-1 Establish a vegetation monitoring working group of scientists, wildlife agencies, land managers, and other stakeholders to participate in developing the monitoring plan. The group should also include interested parties from outside the MSPA, such as representatives from other multiple species plans in Orange and Ventura Counties and from San Diego County military bases, to create a regional monitoring program with greater efficiencies in effort and a broader inference across southern California. On hold
PRP-2 Submit project metadata, datasets, analyses, and Salt Marsh Vegetation Monitoring Plan to the MSP web portal On hold
Criteria Deadline year
Complete Salt Marsh Vegetation Monitoring Plan by 2022 2021
Threat Name Threat Code
Altered hydrologyALTHYD
Climate changeCLICHN
Human uses of the PreservesHUMUSE
Invasive plantsINVPLA
Urban developmentURBDEV
Code Obj. code Statement
PANERR-1 MON-PRP-MONPL In 2021, develop a long-term Wandering Skipper Monitoring Plan to track their distribution and status, habitat associations and level of threats in salt marsh vegetation on Conserved Lands in the MSPA. The plan should integrate with the Salt Marsh Vegetation Monitoring Plan to include sampling at long-term vegetation monitoring plots. The monitoring plan should build upon previous surveys, habitat assessments and modeling to develop specific questions, monitoring methods, a statistically valid sampling design, sampling locations, and standardized protocols for determining the status and abundance of the butterfly and for assessing habitat and threats at each sampling site to determine vegetation management needs. The plan should include guidelines for data analysis and preparation of a report with monitoring results and vegetation management recommendations.
PASSAN-1 MON-PRP-MONPL In 2019, develop a regional, long-term monitoring plan to integrate habitat assessment and threat evaluations into the Belding's savannah sparrow population monitoring conducted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Conserved Lands in the MSPA. Develop a sampling design and standardized protocol to assess habitat and threats at occupied, historically occupied and suitable unoccupied habitats for the sparrow. Design the habitat and threats assessment to inform regional salt marsh vegetation monitoring. The purpose of the plan is to use habitat and threat monitoring data to develop site specific management recommendations to maintain, enhance or restore Belding's savannah sparrow habitat.
PASSAN-2 MON-IMP-MONPL In 2020 or 2021, depending on timing of Belding's savannah sparrow population monitoring implemented by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, conduct habitat and threats assessment as specified in the Belding's Savannah Sparrow Habitat and Threat and Assessment Monitoring Plan and in conjunction with sparrow population monitoring on Conserved Lands in the MSPA.