WATERSHED RESTORATION
The projects I work on focus on increasing freshwater habitats within the Salinas Valley Watershed and monitoring the effects of restoration efforts on species diversity and ecosystem function. We are restoring/creating wetland habitat in old agriculture fields recently purchased by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation as well as on other private properties throughout the watershed. The objectives of our research are 1) to create wetland habitat with the goal of increasing habitat heterogeneity in the watershed and thus provide habitat for freshwater flora and fauna; and 2) examine the effect wetland habitats have on reducing nutrients and pesticide concentrations from surrounding agricultural fields. Although the Central California Coast was once oozing with freshwater, over pumping of aquifers and filling of wetlands has drastically reduced freshwater habitats in the region. The reduction in freshwater availability throughout the Central Coast has resulted in salt water intrusion into local aquifers. The negative impacts of salt water intrusion on agriculture and drinking water are already being felt by Monterey County residents. Many farmers’ wells are too salty to use for irrigation and millions of dollars are being put into planning the development of a desalinization plant that will provide drinking water to county inhabitants. Much of the freshwater used in agricultural practices, as well as runoff from storms, is channeled into man made ditches and directed toward the major rivers and sloughs in order to get freshwater off of the land and out into the ocean (with the goal of reducing flooding and keeping agricultural lands dry enough to farm). We are working to keep freshwater on the land in order to enhance wetlands and retain water prior to it being funneled to the bay.
COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
The creation of freshwater habitats has clear direct impacts on species that require freshwater for all or part of their ontogeny. By restoring freshwater habitats we will increase the population of “wetland species.” Furthermore, because the remaining small pockets of freshwater habitats in the region exist as isolated patches, our work will help to reduce distances between suitable habitats thus increasing the potential for movement between populations. I am particularly interested in documenting whether these new habitats will support native amphibian species. Within only a few kilometers of our site there are historical records of California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii), California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense), and the Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum). These three amphibian species are all listed as either threatened or endangered due in large extent to habitat destruction. Providing suitable habitat (breeding and non-breeding) will help these species persist in the region. A next step in my research will be to incorporate a metapopulation approach by examining the ecological factors that influence connectivity of populations across the landscape. Understanding these factors will help identify key areas to focus restoration efforts, which will ultimately help link fragmented systems and maintain connectivity among populations. |
