Baseline Biodiversity Survey for the Escondido Creek Preserve

Type: report

Article abstract: Dudek conducted a baseline biodiversity study of the Escondido Creek Preserve (Preserve) to provide the County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) with current baseline biological data and information needed to develop a Resource Management Plan (RMP), including Area-Specific Management Directives (ASMDs), for the Preserve. The Preserve is located in the Elfin Forest community of unincorporated San Diego County and is owned and managed by DPR. This report documents the methods and results of this study, and provides various management recommendations for AMSDs to preserve and enhance the function of the Preserve as biological open space in the context of the conservation goals and guidelines of the Draft North County Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) Plan. Dudek biologists performed the following baseline biological surveys on the Preserve from summer 2010 through spring 2011: vegetation mapping, focused botanical surveys, exotic species mapping, general butterfly surveys, herpetological pitfall trap surveys, avian point count surveys, bat surveys, small mammal trapping, and large and medium mammal surveys. Thirteen vegetation communities and land cover types were identified on site including: Diegan coastal sage scrub, eucalyptus woodland, non-native grassland, southern coast live oak riparian forest, southern mixed chaparral, southern willow scrub, coast live oak woodland, southern riparian woodland, valley needlegrass grassland, non-native vegetation, disturbed habitat, developed land, and orchard. A total of 184 plant species were recorded on the Preserve during the surveys. Six special-status plant species were observed, of which two are North County MSCP-covered species. A total of 145 wildlife species were observed or detected on the Preserve during the surveys, including 4 amphibians, 12 reptiles, 83 birds, 31 mammals, and 15 butterflies. Twenty-nine special-status wildlife species were observed or detected on the Preserve, including nine North County MSCP covered species.

Number of pages: 208

Month: May

Year: 2011

Prepared for: County of San Diego, Department of Parks and Recreation;

Prepared by: Dudek;

Keywords: aquatic surveys; ASMD; baseline biological survey; bat surveys; butterfly surveys; Escondido Creek Preserve; herpetofauna pitfall arrays; Herpetology trap surveys; Invasive species mapping; MSCP; pitfall traps; rare plant surveys; vegetation mapping;

Species: Hermes copper

Vegetation communities: coastal sage scrub; oak woodland; chaparral