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1Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

Attachment 3 Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership

CALFED ERP Grant #E0730200

WILDLIFE MONITORING REPORT

Prepared by: Karen Velas, Wildlife Specialist

Audubon California, Landowner Stewardship Program

Submitted to: Jeanette Wrysinksi, Executive Director,

Yolo County Resource Conservation District

In Partial Fulfillment of: CalFed ERP Grant E0730200

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2Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

Table of Contents Introduction Mammal Monitoring Grass Monitoring TABLES: 1. Annual Monitoring Schedule

2. Study locations and Treatments 3. Mammal Tracks at restored YSCP sites and adjacent unrestored sites. 4. Incidental Mammal observations at restored YSCP sites and adjacent unrestored sites. 5. Native and Non-native grasses occurring at YSCP sites and adjacent unrestored sites APPENDIX 1 YSCP CALFED Grassland Vegetation Monitoring Sampling Methodology (April 2011)

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3Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

INTRODUCTION: Wildlife, photo, and vegetation monitoring were conducted at all YSCP sites from 2010 to 2012. (See Table 2 for monitoring schedule) There were 13 restoration sites and 5 adjacent unrestored sites. . The adjacent unrestored sites received the same monitoring as all the other restoration sites. All sites received mammal monitoring, photo monitoring, while only the sites (and their adjacent unrestored sites) that had been seeded with native grasses received grassland monitoring. A total of 18 sites were monitored for wildlife. Incidental wildlife observations were noted separately. Tracks, scat and any other wildlife sightings were always noted whenever possible. Photo monitoring was done once per season (four times a year). Mammal track plates were put out twice a year and grassland monitoring was done once a year. The goal of monitoring for this project was to measure the survival and changes in composition of vegetation communities planted during the project and to document any short-term changes in habitat use by wildlife. In addition, these monitoring methods will provide the basis from which to conduct long-term monitoring of these sites.   TABLE 1. Annual Monitoring Schedule

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Mammal Veg (T&S)

* **

Veg(GM) Photo *First spring following planting only **Starting the year after planting                      

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4Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

TABLE 2. Study locations and Treatments

Element Site Mammals VegetationPerch Ponds

B-EP TP T&S, PP

B-EP Adj TP T&S, PP

HB-EP TP T&S, PP

CH-EP TP T&S, PP,

D-EP TP T&S, PP,

HG- NP TP T&S, PP, GM

HG-NP Adj TP T&S, PP, GM

CO-NP TP T&S, PP, GM

S-NP TP T&S, PP

P-NP TP T&S, PP

P-NP Adj TP T&S, PP

Riparian

Cottonwood Slough TP

T&S, PP, GM

Cottonwood Slough Adj TP

T&S, PP, GM

Alamo Creek TP T&S, PP, GM

Canals

UniversityCanal TP GM, PP

Adjacent UC Canal TP GM, PP

Solano Ditch TP GM, PP

Suisun Ditch TP GM, PP

TP = Track Plate T&S = Tree & Shrub; GM = Grass Monitoring; PP = Photo Point NP = New Pond; EP = Existing Pond

  MAMMAL MONITORING: Between October 2010 and April 2012, 18 sites were visited multiple times to monitor for mammals using the baited track plate method. Initially, the mammal track plates were baited with only catfood, but after some insufficient response during the first set of surveys, cat food, anchovy paste, peanut butter and grape jelly were used at each track plate to increase the likelihood of attracting mammals to the track plates. Both restored and unrestored adjacent sites were surveyed with track plates (see Table 3). Over the course of the survey period, between Oct 2010 and April 2012, 9 out of the 18 sites had some sort of mammal track captured on the track plate. Eight of the 9 sites that had tracks were restored sites. Only one adjacent,

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5Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

unrestored site had tracks. Of the 9 sites that had mammal activity on the track plates, 80% of all 9 track plates had domestic cat tracks. As a result of cat food being the main bait used, and a lot of domestic cats in the surrounding area, the track plates most often captured cat prints more than any other mammal.  

 Alamo Creek RACCOON TRACKS March 2011   

 Alamo Creek RACCOON TRACK PLATE OCT 2010   

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6Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

 HB Pond OTTER TRACKS April 2011     

 Cottonwood Slough RIVER OTTER Observation June 2012  

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7Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

 University Canal DOMESTIC CAT Tracks May 2012  

 DLB Pond River Otter and Beaver Trail and Tracks April 2011

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8Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

TABLE 3. Mammal Tracks at restored YSCP sites and adjacent unrestored sites.  

     TABLE 4. Incidental Mammal observations at restored YSCP sites and adjacent unrestored sites.  

 

Mammal TRACKS Documented on TRACK PLATES between October 2010‐ April 2012

River Otter Domestic Cat Raccoon Striped Skunk Beaver Coyote Gray Fox Cottontail  Jackrabbit Mink Deer

B

B Adjacent

Cottonwood Slough

Cottonwood Slough Adjacent

CH

CO

D

HG

HG Adjacent

HB

Alamo Creek

P

P Adjacent

Solano Ditch

S

Suisun Ditch

UC Canal

UC Canal Adjacent

River Otter Domestic Cat Raccoon Skunk Beaver Coyote Gray Fox  Cottontail  Jackrabbit Mink Deer

B

B Adjacent

Cottonwood Slough

Cottonwood Slough Adj

CH

CO

D

HG

HG Adjacent

HB

Alamo Creek

P

P Adjacent

Solano Ditch

S

Suisun Ditch

UC Canal

UC Canal Adjacent

Mammals (or evidence of mammals) observed at YSCP sites between October  2010‐ April 2012

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9Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

Grassland Monitoring: In the spring of 2011, Grassland monitoring was conducted at the sites that had been seeded with native grasses as well as the adjacent, untreated sites (See Table 2) This occurred in spring time when most of the perennial and annual grasses were seeding out and easiest to identify. Both step-point and quadrat methodologies were used (See Appendix 1). In spring of 2012, only the restored sites and their adjacent unrestored sites were monitored a second time to see if there had been a change in species composition or density. Twelve sites were monitored in spring of 2011 and 6 sites were monitored in spring of 2012. In Spring of 2011, Cottonwood Slough had 47.4% non-native annual grasses and broad leaf weeds, including Italian Ryegrass, Rattail Fescue, Milk Thistle, Soft Chess, and Wild Oat. However, it had 52.3% native perennial grasses including Creeping Wildrye, Purple Needle Grass, Meadow Barley, and Blue Wildrye. At the Cottonwood Slough Adjacent site, there was 0% native grass and 100% annual non-native grass and broadleaf weeds. See Table 5 for species found occurring at all monitored grassland restoration sites. TABLE 5. Native and Non-native grasses occurring at YSCP sites and adjacent unrestored sites.  

                  

Alamo Creek

Cottonwood 

Slough

Cottonwood 

Slough  P P Adjacen HG HG Adjacent Solano Ditch Suisun Ditch CO UC CANAL

UC CANAL 

Adjacent

Blue Wildrye

Creeping Wildrye

Purple Neele Grass

Italian Ryegrass

Radish

Soft Chess

Rattail Fescue

Milk Thistle

Mustard

Italian Thistle

Foxtail

Clover

Bristly Oxtongue

Red Brome

Ripgut Brome

Annual and Perennial GRASSES OCCURRING at YSCP RESTORATION SITES

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10Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

 APPENDIX 1.

 

YSCP CALFED Grassland Vegetation Monitoring Sampling Methodology (April 2011) ***In most cases, we standardized transect length to be 250 meters long per treatment type** Pond-H First site sampled, transect length=298 steps (single paces) Backbone=walked around pond in center of road Step Point=sampled every step taken along the backbone. Total # hits=149-first sample, 232 hits second sample Quadrat=sampled every 10 step points taken along the backbone. Threw quadrat alternate sides of backbone. Total # quadrats=11-first sample, 23 second sample Notes=for future sampling effort, conduct step point off of backbone on alternating sides Pond-H Adjacent Transect length=330 paces? Approximately 250 meters. Backbone=measured distance sampled (in paces) around Haag pond (298 steps), walked transect running N-S through the orchard starting from S edge of orchard and running through mammal/bird sampling center. Step Point=to parallel technique used for pond, took step point sample every step along transect backbone. Total # hits=336 Quadrat=sampled every 10 paces/step points. Sampled alternating sides. Total # quadrats=33. Notes=for future sampling efforts, conduct step points off of backbone on alternating sides? Pond-C Transect length=circumference of pond where seeded, ~220 meters, Backbone=walked center of road around large pond only Step Point=sampled every pace along backbone transect. Total # hits=257 Quadrat=sampled every 10 paces along transect, alternating sides. Total # quadrats=22. Notes=for future sampling, conduct step points transects radiating from backbone every 10 paces, alternating sides. Conduct quadrat sampling in same fashion.

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11Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

Alamo Creek Transect Length=250 meters Backbone=starting at eastern edge (beginning of project) and ending at bird box at western end of “the lobe”. Walked center line of planted area. Step Point= For every 10 paces along backbone, step point transects radiated from backbone on alternating sides. Step point transects went to edge of planted area, except in wider spots where there was a maximum of 20 step points taken per transect (every step heading away from center line until max=20) Total # hits=419 Quadrats=quadrat sampling conducted every 10 paces along backbone, 1 quadrat per step point transect on same side as step point transect (alternating sides) Total # quadrats=35 Pond-P Transect length= approximately 250 meters Backbone=Walked the outside edge of the road around the pond Step point=Step point transects every 10 paces along backbone, sampling every step to pond edge. Total # hits=347 Quadrats= conducted 1 quadrat every step point transect (10 paces along backbone) Total # quadrats=33 Notes=Only sampled along road where seeded; did not include lower lying areas of brush pile because this area was only lightly seeded and primarily plug planted (therefore different treatment). Pond-P Adjacent Transect length=250 meters Backbone=walked 250 meters east from bird/mammal sampling center Step point=Step point transects radiated every 10 paces along backbone, alternating sides. Sampled 10 step points/paces out from backbone along transect. Total # hits=336 Quadrats=sampling conducted one per step point transect on same side as transect (alternating sides). Total # quadrats=33 Notes=avoid fenceline to the north UC Canal Transect length=through entire project length from road to eastern fence, approximately 250 meters from PC1 to PC2.

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12Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

Backbone=walked center of canal bottom Step point=step point transects every 10 paces along backbone, alternating sides. Sampling conducted from road line to high waterline. Total # of hits=160 Quadrats=sampling conducted 1 per step point transect on same side as transect (alternating sides). Total # quadrats=36 UC Canal Glide Transect length=250 meters Backbone=walked road edge, starting between PC 5 and 6 and heading west. We did not start at eastern end of planted area because thought was too narrow. Step point=step point transects conducted every 10 paces along backbone, sampling from road to canal top in planted area. Total # hits=296 Quadrats=sampling conducted every step point transect. Threw quad frame in 4 directions sequentially (1 throw per transect) Total # quadrats=33 Notes=North side of canal restoration area was sprayed this spring by landowner, inhibiting growth. UC Canal Adjacent Transect length=250 meters. Backbone=started sampling at western edge of treatment (at beginning of adjacent site) along canal on South side of road. Sampled the North side of the canal. Step point=step point transects conducted every 10 paces along backbone, sampling from edge of road to high waterline in canal. Total # hits=93 Quadrats= conducted every step point transect. Total # quadrats=32 Notes=Possible sampling of South side of canal (unsprayed) in future? Cottonwood Slough II Transect length=250 meters Backbone=walked road on both sides of site (Butler side and Parcell side), starting at Eastern edge of restoration area (at sign). Step point=Step point transect conducted every 20 paces on both properties (mimicking alternating sides from canal center). Step points recorded from road edge to top of canal. Total # hits=353 (Butler-233, Parcell-120)

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13Yolo Solano Conservation Partnership   Grant No. E0730220    Task 5.1. 

Quadrat= Sampled one per step point transect, alternating in 4 directions (1 per transect) Total # quadrats=33 (Butler-16, Parcell-17) Cottonwood Slough II Adjacent Transect length=250 meters Backbone=walked road edge from PC 1 Step points=transects conducted every 10 paces along backbone, from road edge to high waterline. Total # hits=72 Quadrats=conducted every step point transect. Total # quadrats=36 Notes= Transects short due to steep banks of canal Suisun Ditch Transect length=250 meters. Total length of restoration area. Backbone=along road edge Step point=conducted every 10 paces along backbone. Total # hits=118 Quadrats= conducted every step point transect, alternating 4 directions (1 per transect) Total # quadrats=22 Notes=site was sprayed with herbicide prior to sampling Solano Ditch Transect length=250 meters, starting at Western edge of project site Backbone=outer edge of project site (road or fenceline) Step point=conducted every 20 paces on either side of the canal, mimicking alternating sides from center of canal. Sampled from outer edge of project to high water line at canal. Total # hits= 192 (southside-120, northside-72) Quadrats=Conducted every step point transect, alternating 4 directions (1 per transect) Total # quadrats= 33 (southside-17, northside-16)