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Willowy monardella Monardella viminea

Goal: Maintain or enhance existing willowy monardella occurrences and establish new occurrences, as needed, to ensure multiple conserved occurrences with self sustaining populations to increase resilience to environmental and demographic stochasticity, maintain genetic diversity, and ensure persistence over the long term (>100 years) in coastal sage scrub vegetation communities.

Regional NFO 2020 SL
MGT-PRP-SBPL MONVIM-5

Management units: 4, 6

In 2020, begin preparing a section for willowy monardella in the MSP Seed Collection, Banking and Bulking Plan that incorporates best science and management practices (Wall 2009, KEW 2016) to preserve genetic diversity and rescue occurrences in case of catastrophic disturbance. The plan should also include recommendations from the 2016-2017 genetic study and the 2019 baseline surveys and hydrological evaluation to guide collection and storage of seeds over the long term at a permanent, established conservation seed bank (e.g., Institute for Conservation Research Native Plant Seed Bank, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Seed Conservation Program) and for providing a source of seeds for management purposes. The plan should include recommendations for: collecting and storing seeds for conservation banking; management oriented research; rescuing occurrences after catastrophic disturbances; and seed bulking and out-planting to augment extant occurrences or to establish new occurrences with consideration of genetic implications for population sustainability.

Action Statement Action status Projects
PRP-1 Consult the San Diego County Rare Plant Working Group made up of plant ecologists, geneticists, rare plant experts, land managers, restoration practitioners, seed banking and bulking practitioners, wildlife agencies, MCAS Miramar, and other stakeholders to provide input and recommendations for the willowy monardella section in the MSP Seed Collection, Banking and Bulking Plan. some occurrences are in progress California Plant Rescue (CaPR) - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Native Plant Seed Bank
PRP-2 Prepare the seed collection plan to incorporate genetic study results and with recommendations to collect seeds over multiple years and several times within a season, accumulate seeds across populations, and to sample among habitats and ecological niches. Include guidelines for collecting and storing seeds along maternal lines and to provide propagules to be used in management experiments, enhancement of existing occurrences, and establishment of new occurrences. some occurrences are in progress California Plant Rescue (CaPR) - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Native Plant Seed Bank
PRP-3 The seed collection plan should have guidelines for collecting seeds from occurrences of sufficient size to accommodate harvest. Include provisions for collecting seed from unconserved populations planned for development. some occurrences are in progress California Plant Rescue (CaPR) - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Native Plant Seed Bank
PRP-4 Include protocols and guidelines for collecting voucher specimens and submitting to the San Diego Natural History Museum (McEachern et al. 2007). some occurrences are in progress California Plant Rescue (CaPR) - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Native Plant Seed Bank
PRP-5 Include guidelines for testing seeds for viability and to obtain information on dormancy and germination rates. some occurrences are in progress California Plant Rescue (CaPR) - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Native Plant Seed Bank
PRP-6 Submit project metadata and the MSP Seed Collection, Banking and Bulking Plan to MSP Web Portal. some occurrences are in progress California Plant Rescue (CaPR) - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Native Plant Seed Bank
Criteria Deadline year
By 2020, Completed Willowy Monardella Section in the MSP Seed Collection, Banking and Bulking Plan 2021
Code Obj. code Statement
MONVIM-1 MON-IMP-IMG From 2017-2021, inspect willowy monardella occurrences annually on Conserved Lands (see occurrence table) using the regional rare plant IMG monitoring protocol to record abundance and collect habitat and threats covariate data to determine management needs.
MONVIM-3 MON-RES-GEN In 2017, complete the study begun in 2016 to characterize the population genetic structure, gene flow, and genetic diversity for willowy monardella occurrences (see occurrence table). The study will determine if there is evidence of mixed ploidy levels within or among occurrences; evaluate vulnerability of occurrences to genetic drift and loss of genetic diversity; assess the level of gene flow among occurrences; identify if there are signatures of genetic bottlenecks or low genetic diversity in occurrences that have undergone recent reductions; and look for evidence of local population adaptation. Based on the results of the genetic analyses, management recommendations will include whether common garden and reciprocal transplantations are necessary before proceeding with population enhancement or restoration and will provide specific recommendations for collecting and redistributing or bulking seed to enhance existing occurrences or establish new occurrences.
MONVIM-4 MON-SURV-SPEC In 2019, survey historic willowy monardella locations to determine occurrence status; survey and delineate potentially suitable habitat for new occurrences; survey existing occurrences to identify the potential for enhancement and expansion; and at all sites collect data on occurrence status, habitat and threats and determine management needs. Conduct a hydrological evaluation at each site to determine the current hydrology and risk to existing or potential occurrences from erosion and flooding. Prioritize all evaluated sites based on feasibility of maintaining a sustainable population over the long term and recommend management needed to reduce threats to existing and potential new occurrences.
MONVIM-6 MGT-IMP-SBPL In 2021, begin implementing high priority actions for willowy monardella in the MSP Seed Collection, Banking and Bulking Plan to collect and store seeds at a permanent seed bank and to provide propagules as needed for management oriented research, existing population enhancement and establishment of new occurrences.
MONVIM-7 MGT-PRP-MGTPL In 2020, begin preparing a section for willowy monardella in the MSP Rare Plant Management Plan that prioritizes management actions to maintain the large occurrence and enhance at least 4 small occurrences on Conserved Lands (see occurrence table) based upon an assessment of data on occurrence status, habitat and threats. Prepare prioritized management recommendations to re-establish historic occurrences or new occurrences in suitable habitat, if determined to be necessary for gene flow and to maintain self sustaining populations for the long term persistence of the species in the MSPA. Minimum criteria for enhancement are to reduce invasive annual nonnative plants and thatch to less than 20% absolute cover within the occurrence.