Point Blue Conservation Science

A Presentation to Yosemite-Mariposa Regional Water Advisory Council Wendell GilgertMarch 26th, 2014

Securing Water and Wildlife on Working Lands

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California: 2013 driest year on record

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/drought/

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Because of our climate smart actions today, healthy ecosystems will

continue to sustain vibrant wildlife & human communities, on land and at

sea….

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Rangeland Watershed Initiative

Increase water, carbon, wildlife and economic productivity on CA rangelands through eco-friendly grazing with ranchers, NRCS and others

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Five Year Goals– “Re-water” 1.13 million acres

 1) Increase soil water storage by 15% = 2 Hetch Hetchy’s

over 5 years.

2) Increase soil carbon by 15% = ~1.13 million tons of carbon sequestered per year going forward

3) Leverage Farm Bill habitat improvement funds.

4) Support 45 Leopoldian watershed land stewards.

5) Improve ranching operations working with 110 ranchers.

 

Point Blue Conservation Science

Partner Biologists On the Ground

Tiffany RussellAlicia Young

Kelly Weintraub

Corey Shake Alissa Fogg

Melissa OdellBonnie Eyestone

Ben Martin

Corey Shake

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Upper Stony Creek Model

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Bringing Back Water

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Same Creek, Re-watered, 8 years later

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Pre and Post Prescriptive Grazing

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Managing the Soil Surface

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Watershed => Water Catchment

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Annual vs. Perennial Root StructureAugust 2006 / Vol.56 No.8 • BioScience 649

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Conservation Practices

Wetland Wildlife ManagementUpland Wildlife Habitat

Management

Mgt & Restoration of Rare & Declining Habitats Prescribed Grazing Management Fence

Range PlantingWater Facility

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Research Support

UC Davis Rangeland Watershed Lab

Dr. Ken Tate

Dr. Leslie Roach

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Research Support

Benchmark and Implementation Metrics

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Field Metrics-Soils & Vegetation

Soil Characteristics:Soil bulk density Soil samplesSoil organic matter Soil samplesSoil carbon Soil samplesSoil infiltration Soil samples

Rangeland Vegetation:% cover of perennial species Line-intercept transects% cover of annual species (e.g., smooth brome, rye, fescue)

Line-intercept transects

% cover of noxious/invasive weeds (e.g., medusahead, star thistle)

Line-intercept transects

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