Historical Ecology at SFEI

Presentation to the SFEI Board of Directors

Robin GrossingerMarch 28, 2003

Historical Ecology at SFEI

What exactly do we do?

We document the complex, variable, and generally poorly-understood landscape changes that have shaped the region since the time of European contact. We produce reliable maps and accompanying reports illustrating baseline function of fluvial systems, tidal and palustrine wetlands, and terrestrial environments. This information is essential to developing a functional understanding of present-day systems and the opportunities/constraints created by land use history.

• Development of subregional archives and local expertise through research process.• Use of different types of historical data. • Assessment of pre-American impacts. • Historical documents are tested for accuracy, rather than assumed to be correct. • Explicit methodology of synthesis and interpretation: A baseline historical picture

should only have to be created once.• Determination of the actual land use history of the watershed, rather than assumption

of generalized regional land use patterns.

Historical Ecology at SFEI

Typical Project Goals– a map of the pre-European impact fluvial system

• extent of floodplain• location of distributary systems, side channels, riparian habitat

flood protection, stream restoration, fisheries recovery

– a map of the pre-European impact distribution and abundance of valley floor habitats

• oak savanna• seasonal wetland/vernal pools• native grassland

conservation planning (identifying remnants, proportional representation, designing corridors and mosaics)

– land use history• spatial extent and duration of grazing, logging, ditching, etc.

identify early uses which may have ongoing effects (limiting factors)

– community-participatory processacquire needed datagreater shared understanding of how the current landscape has evolved and its potential for restoration

Historical Ecology at SFEI

Overall Points

• Unique area of expertise

• Basic, "common sense" information, which should be available

• Yet not easy to develop

• Regional- or Watershed-Scale, with detail sufficient to inform management

• Unusual community support for a small science program

• Diverse funding base

• Challenges: reliable funding, technical publication

• Which approaches/terminologies/examples resonate?

Historical Ecology at SFEI

Distinctions

• ESRI Most Communicative Map Award

• SFEP CCMP Outstanding Project Award

• Featured under “Historical Ecology” in McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology 2003

• Feature story in New Scientist magazine

• Chapter in The Historical Ecology Handbook

• Artistic work exhibited at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Historical Ecology at SFEI

Funders (additional to Goals Project sponsors)

WETLANDS• City of San Jose• Marin County Community Development Agency• Oakland Museum• Southern California Coastal Water Research Project

WATERSHEDS• Alameda County Clean Water Program• CalFed Watersheds Program• Mead Foundation• Mennen Environmental Foundation• Napa Valley Vintners Association• Sonoma County Water Agency

EDUCATION/ART• Center for Ecoliteracy• Creative Work Fund• Strong Foundation for Environmental Values

Historical Ecology at SFEI

Collaborators (extended team)

Robin Grossinger, Assistant Environmental Scientist, SFEIChuck Striplen, Research Associate, SFEI

Elise Brewster, Brewster Design ArtsThomas Burns, GIS Mapping and Analysis

McKee, Pearce, Collins, Wittner, SFEI

SFEI Regional HE ProjectsArthur Dawson, Sonoma Ecology Center -- Sonoma Valley HEPShari Gardner, Friends of Napa River -- Napa River Watershed HEPShana Weber, Santa Clara University -- Santa Clara Valley HEPMartha Sutula, SCCWRP -- Southern California HEPGreg Gauthier, Ventura Cty Watershed Coordinator -- Ventura County Pilot

Project

Historical Ecology at SFEI

Where could the program go?

More well-funded subregional analyses (Napa and Sonoma funding slow and piecemeal)

Tributary watershed analyses with Geomorphology and other partners.

Analysis of Delta/Central Valley (w/ Puget Sound River History Project)

Comparative studies of West Coast estuaries.

Advise coastal California watersheds, develop the use of historical ecology/landscape change analysis in environmental policy and planning (HEP Model).

Contributions to climate change research, Sudden Oak Death research

Historical Ecology increases management options: three examples

Restore to what? Lack of understanding of historical landscape diversity reduces our “design palette.”

Can restoration succeed, and how long should it take? Monitoring restoration projects in reverse.

Can we understand system function based solely upon present-day observations? Historical data increases functional understanding of system processes and their relationship to land use.

Restore to what?Lack of understanding of historical landscape diversity reduces our “design palette.”

Lower Sulphur Creek

Can restoration succeed, and how long should it take?Monitoring restoration projects in reverse.

ca. 1940 Aerial photomosaic 1993 Aerial photomosaic

Can we understand system function based solely upon present-day observations?Historical data increases functional understandingof system processes and their relationship to land use.