San Diego Audubon has been leading efforts to restore coastal sand dunes in Mission Bay for decades, largely focused on supporting nesting California Least Terns (Sternula antillarum browni), and rare and endangered sand dune plants such as Nuttall's Lotus (Acmispon prostratus) and Coast Wooly Head (Nemacaulis denudata). The primary threat to these species is the presence of fast-growing, nonnative vegetation, which takes up space that Least Terns require for nesting, and outcompetes native dune plants. Volunteer-led hand management of these sites has resulted in a dramatic reduction in invasive cover, and bi-annual vegetation monitoring has revealed that hand management is a more effective strategy in reducing nonnative growth than the more traditional mechanized scraping and broadcast herbicide application strategies. These results are being used to inform year-to-year site management, and to create longterm strategies for managing coastal dunes in Mission Bay.
Project type: General Management
Data steward: Megan Flaherty
Main implementing entity: San Diego Audubon Society
Partner: City of San Diego; Institute for Ecological Modeling and Management at San Diego State University; Mission Bay Park Rangers; San Diego Management and Monitoring Program
Point of contact: Megan Flaherty
Project Page manager: Sarah McCutcheon
SDMMP lead: Kris Preston
Study lead: Megan Flaherty
Reports Available: Yes
Final Report Date: 2018-09-14
California least tern Sternula antillarum browni
Goal: Protect, enhance, and restore California least tern occupied and historically occupied habitat to create resilient, self-sustaining populations that provide for persistence over the long-term (>100 years).
local
NFO
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
SO
MGT-IMP-IMG STEANT-5
Management units: 1, 7
From 2017-2021, perform routine management activities such as invasives removal, sand replenishment, nest prep, and protecting occurrences from disturbance through fencing, signage, and enforcement.
Criteria |
Deadline year |
Management Completed as Needed Based Upon Monitoring Recommendations |
2021 |
Nuttall's acmispon Acmispon prostratus
Goal: Maintain or enhance existing Nuttall's acmispon occurrences 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 bluff and coastal dune habitats.
local
NFO
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
SO
MGT-IMP-IMG ACMPRO-2
Management units: 1, 7
Beginning in 2017, conduct routine management actions identified through the IMG monitoring at Nuttall's acmispon occurrences on Conserved Lands (see occurrence table). Depending on the type and level of threat, management should be conducted as needed, not necessarily every year, and using BMPs with precautions to do no harm.
Criteria |
Deadline year |
Routine Management Completed as Needed Based Upon Monitoring Recommendations |
2021 |