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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Rilery Wilderness Park & O'Neil Regional Park, Coto De Caza, California

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Rilery Wilderness Park & O'Neil Regional Park, Coto De Caza, California
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rlferris2



Registered: December 2009
City/Town/Province: Mission Viejo
Posts: 1
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I am currently a first-year student at the University of California Davis where I am studying Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology. I just finished a course this quarter on ecology and conservation and am very interested in the subject. In high school I ran a club that dealt with wildlife and have always been supportive of local and international conservation efforts. This inspired me to help out at my regional wilderness parks with their conservation efforts. Through a national community service organization at my old high school, National Honor Society, as well as personally with my friends, I set up trips to Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park and O’Neil Regional Park. Riley Wilderness Park and O’Neil Regional Park are in Coto De Caza and Trabuco Canyon respectively, which is in Southern California. This means that both parks are characterized by chaparral and coastal sage scrub vegetation like coast live oak, coastal sage, buckthorn, and laurel sumac. Some common animals you may encounter in the parks include coyotes, bobcats, acorn woodpeckers, red-tailed hawks, and desert cottontail.
At the parks we were directed to remove artichoke thistle, or cynara cardunculus, by the rangers. Artichoke thistle is an invasive species that tends to invade coastal grasslands and chaparral, and out-competes native plants for water and soil nutrients. This species is very persistent because the entire tap root must be removed so the plant does not regenerate, meaning that fires only remove top growth and lower seed production, but do not get rid of the plant. We removed the artichoke thistles by first removing the spiny basal leaves, then digging out the tap root which were surprising large. We cleared hillsides of the plant in hopes that native plant populations will increase and that, with persistence, artichoke thistle numbers will decline.
With suburbia taking over much of the land of Southern California, these refuges of nature and wildlife are places where many of us go to be in the wilderness. With the growing infrastructure of cities, and the development of houses on available land, these areas are increasingly important to protect endemic species. The area provides habitat for local wildlife that have largely lost much of their original range due to human urbanization. Beyond its obvious benefit to wildlife, regional and wilderness parks provide many recreational opportunities for humans. The parks have many great trails for hiking, biking, or running. There are also camping areas, picnic tables, and creeks. Park centers and rangers provide education and outreach programs to the community that educate locals and provide youth programs. These allow us to learn about the importance of these areas, and learn about all of the benefits of conserving wildlife.
Native plants are vital to the chaparral biome. Biomes are described by not only their climate, but their vegetation. By creating an environment that supports native plants and allows them to thrive, we are providing the base for an entire ecosystem. When artichoke thistles replace native species, they are taking the place of a primary food source for some primary consumer. When numbers decline of the food source, the consumer has to find another source of food, an added stress. Numbers of this consumer may decline that could lead to decreased numbers throughout the entire food chain. Native plants are also important for insects which are integral in germinating many plants. With the elimination of non-native species, old habitats and ecosystems can be restored which will then support important native and endemic species; thus conserving biodiversity, the key to an intact ecosystem. Preserving these habitats is important for humans because of many ecological services that these areas provide. Balanced and functioning ecosystems provide a range of services like cleaning our water and air, controlling climate, and acting as environmental monitors. Artichoke thistle is dangerous to the communities because during the summer the flowering stalks dry up. The plants become highly flammable and are a threat to nearby homes. Their removal allows for underbrush that will also inevitably burn because of the area’s fire ecology, but not with the same heat intensity as artichoke thistle.
This project has showed me how big of a problem non-native species are in our wilderness areas. Human introductions through travel, whether deliberate or not, has greatly increased the number of invasive species throughout the country. Successful invaders tend to be generalists that thrive in human-altered environments. Once established these species are very difficult to manage and eliminate. Thorough management and persistent control methods can help reduce non-natives. I have been inspired to continue with conservation efforts through direct methods, as well as indirect. It’s important to educate people about the importance of conserving natural habitats and native species. I hope to get involved in more education and outreach programs soon, as well as continuing to do hands-on field work. Studying conservation biology and ecology in school is one way that I can educate myself in these issues, enabling me to educate others.
· Date: December 31, 2009 · Views: 6004 · File size: 17.3kb, 211.1kb · : 840 x 630 ·
Hours Volunteered: 40
Volunteers: 10
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 18 & 15 to 22
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