Management and restoration
Management and restoration practices should be addressed as part of a well-coordinated research program. Management and restoration research will be
valuable to subregional NCCP planning. Even after a NCCP is adopted, ongoing
restoration research will be essential to adaptive management of coastal sage
scrub habitat. The California Department of Fish and Game in collaboration with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will convene a committee of experienced
practitioners in the management and restoration of coastal sage scrub habitats to
develop guidelines for such activities. This committee should review pertinent
documents and address the current state of knowledge in the following areas key
to the management of coastal sage scrub:
- Exotic species control, including both animals (in particular, cowbirds and feral and
domestic mesopredators such as house cats and introduced red foxes) and plants
(weedy species, especially annual species of old world origin).
- Recreational use of coastal sage scrub and other open space reserve areas,
including identification of suitable low impact recreational pursuits consistent with
preservation goals.
- The role of fire in natural ecosystem dynamics and processes, including the
application of control burns and the control of ignitions of accidental and vandal
origin.
Restoration considerations to be addressed in well-designed field experiments
include:
- Identification of restoration unit sizes, including identification of maximum areas
that are restorable using current techniques. A focus on patch enlargement
techniques is advised.
- Identification of coastal sage scrub responses to soil conditions in restoration
efforts, with focus on soil structure, soil nutrient levels, organic matter content,
water holding capacity, and soil compaction.
- Identification of appropriate seeding, outplanting, and irrigation techniques with
focuses on proper mixes of seeds, seeding techniques, and timing of applications
of seed and irrigation.
- Identification of techniques to encourage native herbaceous species and to
discourage the establishment of exotic species.
- Establishment of realistic success criteria to evaluate restoration considering sage
species diversity and cover, and use by target species.
The management and restoration committee will be expected to design
multifactorial field experiments at appropriate spatial scales using explicit and
repeatable scientific method to aid in differentiating among alternative techniques.
Since treatments will in all likelihood vary with physical circumstances, local
vegetation composition and structure, and other unique conditions, each
subregional planning unit will be expected to contribute to the regional
management and restoration research effort.
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