Type: report

Article abstract: San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia) is a federally and state endangered annual plant species that is restricted to San Diego County and Baja California, Mexico (CNDDB 2013, Beauchamp 1986). Within San Diego County, this species is found largely within the Management Strategic Planning Area (MSPA) (SDMMP 2013) (Figure 1), where it occurs on clay soils or clay lenses in chaparral, scrub, and grassland habitats (Oberbauer and Vanderwier 1991, SANDAG 2012). San Diego thornmint occurs in a relatively large number of populations for a rare species, but many of these face multiple challenges that threaten population and, possibly, species persistence across the region. Under a Local Assistance Grant (LAG) from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the Conservation Biology Institute (CBI), in partnership with the San Diego Management and Monitoring Program (SDMMP), conducted a comprehensive review of existing information, past research, and current management and monitoring for San Diego thornmint and developed an Adaptive Management Framework for future research and monitoring. Components of this framework include: Developing or reviewing models, Identifying potential environmental correlates, Assessing threats and stressors, Developing management goals and objectives, Identifying potential opportunity areas, Compiling/developing Best Management Practices and monitoring metrics.