Report of Randy Morgan

3 June 2000

Randall Morgan
3500 Main Street
Soquel, CA 95073
831.475.2212

The Nisene to the Sea Open Space Alliance
1649 Cheryl Way
Aptos, CA 95003


Re: Habit Conditions on APN 040-081-09, and 040-081-06 (Koch Property)
For special-status animal and plant species

Greetings;

At your request, I briefly examined the above-referenced parcels in order to assess habitat conditions for special-status animal and plant species.

Extensive suitable habitat is present on both parcel 06 and 09 for the Ohlone Tiger Beetle (Cicindela ohlone), a federal candidate for endangered listing. This beetle should be looked for on warm days between mid-February and late March (depending on the distribution of rainfall) along the many footpaths that crisscross the site.

I already had a limited acquaintance with the property, having done a few hours of fieldwork on these parcels ca. 1980. At that time, I found three plant species of particular interest. Near the southern edge of the 06 parcel was a small but dense colony of Calochortus uniforus (Large-flowered Star -tulip), a locally rare species that at the time was on List 4 (a “watch list”) in the California Native Plant Society’s Inventory of Endangered and Rare Vascular Plants of California (CNPS Inventory). This colony is still present but the species in no longer listed in the CNPS Inventory.

The other two special plant species found during the 1980 visit were both on the 09 parcel. A single plant of another locally-rare flowering bulb, Dichelostemma multifora (Many-flowered Brodiaea), was found on the flat at the bottom of the slope. This was (and is) the only record of this species in Santa Cruz County. On the slope itself was a colony of Perideridia gairdneri (Gairdner’s Yampah), a species on List 1b (“rare and endangered” of the CNPS Inventory. Neither the Dichelostemma nor the Peridendia could be relocated this year; presumably they have either died out or been extirpated.

This year’s site visit turned up one additionally locally-rare plant species, an orchid called Spiranthe romanzoffiana (Hooded ladies’ tresses). Like the Calochertus previously discussed, this orchid is also located near the southern end of the 06 Parcel. Both of these species are inhabitants of the coastal prairie grassland habitats. Most of the 06 Parcel and the flatter portions of the 09 Parcel (including parts of graded area) were originally covered by this type of grassland, dominated by Danthonia californica (California Oatgrass). Since there has been no grazing or fire on this site for many years, the original coastal prairie environment has become extensively overgrown and fragmented by tree and shrub growth. Nevertheless, grassland remnants are still extensive and in good enough condition in many places to support other special-status coastal terrace plants such as Plagiobothrys diffusus (San Francisco Popcorn Flower) and Holocarpha macradenia (Santa Cruz Tarplant).

Feel free to contact me for additional information.

Sincerely

/S/

Randall Morgan


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