{"id":10752,"date":"2012-01-09T15:39:38","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T22:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/?p=10752"},"modified":"2012-01-09T15:39:38","modified_gmt":"2012-01-09T22:39:38","slug":"chaparral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/?p=10752","title":{"rendered":"Chaparral"},"content":{"rendered":"

Crawling like a baby on sticks, through sticks, and with sticks in my hair.\u00a0 Branches grab my shoelaces and refuse to let go, trapping me in a maze of manzanita, chamise, and coyote brush so thick it’s difficult to see my friend just six\u00a0feet away.\u00a0 But today we’re on a mission, and even the new rips in my pants can’t stop me.\u00a0 Finally, the extreme bushwhacking pays off, and I find my prize: a small patch of Layne’s butterweed\u00a0(<\/em>Packera<\/em>\u00a0layneae<\/em>), a small and unassuming Federally threatened plant found predominantly in western El Dorado County.<\/p>\n

For the past 5 months I’ve been lucky enough to intern with the Pine Hill Preserve (PHP). Eight rare and endangered chaparral plants–including five which are Federally listed!!–rely on the\u00a0unique mildly acidic\u00a0red soils created by the underlying gabbro rock.\u00a0 In the face of encroaching suburban sprawl, PHP is a refuge, protecting these special chaparral plants and the unique soil formation on which they rely.\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

An urban girl by birth and forest lover by experience, I’ll admit to being disappointed\u00a0on my first visit to PHP.\u00a0 When they said\u00a0“shrubland” I’d pictured the open sagebrush of central\u00a0Idaho and was completely unprepared for the dense\u00a07 ft. tall stand before me.\u00a0It was over 105\u00b0F,\u00a0and the plants were anything but friendly. I spent the first afternoon wishing myself away.<\/p>\n

\"\"Quickly, however, PHP won me over.\u00a0 The chaparral doesn’t have jaw-dropping mountain vistas or the grand splendor of coastal redwoods, but it does offer a quiet, more dignified beauty to those willing to look beyond it’s rough and often spiney exterior.\u00a0 Hidden among shopping centers and private homes lies a biological wonderland. \u00a0Over 740 distinct plant species grow here–that’s 10% of California’s total native plant biodiversity in a tiny fraction of the state! Visiting PHP may include a leisurely hike along the interpretative trail, attending a naturalist-led bird & botany tour, or simply enjoying a moment alone along the S. Fork American River.<\/p>\n

Although an ecological hotspot and a recreational area regularly utilized by mountain bikers and birders alike, development threatens El Dorado County’s chaparral.\u00a0 Private homes\u00a0encompass PHP lands,\u00a0limiting the BLM’s fuels management options, and neighboring unprotected natural areas are being bulldozed at an alarming rate.\u00a0 While PHP rare plants may thrive on nearby undeveloped privately-owned parcels, without protection like that afforded through purchases with LWCF funds their days may be numbered.\u00a0 Entire species may suffer if more land isn’t protected.\u00a0 For a species like Pine Hill Flannelbush (Fremontodendron californicum ssp. decumbens<\/em>) with only ~100\u00a0plants worldwide, losing even a handful of individuals to private development may dramatically reduce the entire species’ genetic diversity with detrimental effects.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Growing up in urban Ohio, nature was the occasional trip to\u00a0the “wilds” of\u00a0a regional forest for fishing or hiking. Although my definition has since expanded to include the mountains of Denali and redwood forests, nothing can compete with the chaparral’s\u00a0hidden gems. Despite PHP’s navigation challenges and my co-worker’s bold statement, I proudly admit that\u00a0I LOVE the chaparral, most days anyway.<\/p>\n

Over and out. Sophia Weinmann<\/p>\n

CLM Intern: El Dorado Hills, CA<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Crawling like a baby on sticks, through sticks, and with sticks in my hair.\u00a0 Branches grab my shoelaces and refuse to let go, trapping me in a maze of manzanita, chamise, and coyote brush so thick it’s difficult to see … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1089,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10752"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1089"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10752"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10806,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10752\/revisions\/10806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}