San Diego Management & Monitoring Program

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Vertebrate Species
Post-Fire Monitoring - Arroyo Toad Surveys

Completed

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Project description

The arroyo toad surveys in southern San Diego County are part of an investigation of the impacts of fire on arroyo toads. In 2007, the Witch, Harris and Poomacha fires burned approximately 300,000 acres of wildlands in San Diego County. Many of the burned lands are currently conserved or are planned to be conserved under the San Diego County Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP). Riparian areas across four major watersheds were extensively burned during these 2007 fires, many of these streams support arroyo toad populations. The USGS (coordinating with the San Diego Association of Governments, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, City of San Diego, and County of San Diego) is investigating how specific target species will respond to these massive fires and resultant changes in stream morphology, vegetation communities, and vegetation structure over a five-year time period. The goal of this study is to provide information that will allow future land management decisions to include considerations of the effects of large wildfires on the biological community structure and function, especially for those species covered by conservation plans such as the San Diego County MSCP.

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Project location

County: San Diego

General: Central-central, North-west

MU: 10, 4, 5, 9

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Project focus

Project type: Monitoring

Target species: Arroyo toad

Main implementing entity: U.S. Geological Survey

Partner: California Department of Fish and Wildlife; City of San Diego; County of San Diego; U.S. Forest Service

Point of contact: Robert N. Fisher

Principal investigator: Robert N. Fisher

SDMMP lead: Chris Brown

Study lead: Chris Brown

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Strategic elements

Budget year: pre FY15-1; Work plan objectives number:

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Files and Documents