Potentilla Hickmanii - Conservation Status

Conservation Status

In the year 1973 the state of California recognized Hickman's potentilla as an endangered species. In the early to mid 1990s, a series of steps occurred that led to federal classification as an endangered species. Certain land development proposals came before the city of Monterey related to pine forest habitat area. In preparing an Environmental Impact Report, information on occurrences of Hickman's potentilla was published. Subsequently in 1995 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) acted on this new information regarding a species that some thought extinct, and promulgated a notice of intent to classify the species as endangered.

In 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially classified Hickman's potentilla as endangered. After the FWS nomination process, further colonies in San Mateo and Sonoma Counties became defined. This chain of events illustrates the role of the Environmental Impact Statement in elucidating scientific information germane to the understanding of an entire species, beyond the intended role of analyzing effects on the physical environment of a specific project.

Potentilla hickmanii continues to be pressured by urban development, especially on the Monterey Peninsula with chief elements of golf courses and housing to support the expanding human population. These pressures are partially mitigated by species protection and recovery plans, the latter of which is recognized by the county, local cities, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and the State of California. However, the lack of any funding to implement the any recovery plans, causes the plans to only exist on paper, and the species is still in serious jeopardy without any annual action or recovery activities on the ground.

The federal Recovery Plan (internationally called Biodiversity Action Plan) is general in nature, calling for more natural history study, population surveys, generalized protection and a vague reference to new plantings. Ironically one of the best efforts to enhance the species may come from a program that is seemingly unaware of the species. The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Master Plan calls for natural vegetative enhancement of Vicente Creek (exact location of the 1933 colony), including removal of fill and debris from the creek and extirpation of invasive plants. A chief rationale for this plan is protection of the California red-legged frog, also an endangered species.

As a further measure of protection, Monterey County, California has explicitly included Hickman's potentilla as a species to be protected via its Local Coastal Program pursuant to state of California requirements. While the species is listed as federally and state endangered, the California Native Plant Society has set the further designation of "seriously endangered". This appellation is provided to any plant that has fewer than six occurrences, exists on less than 2000 acres (8 km²) of land area or has fewer than 1000 known organisms. Hickman's potentilla satisfies the first criterion.

The San Mateo County populations occurs in small, scattered native grassland sites on Montara Mountain and are currently threatened with extinction by the encroaching invasive European weed grasses like Brachypodium, Vulpia, Holcus and two species of Briza or rattlesnake grass, which crowd out the plants. The annual weeds like Plantago and flax and the perennial weeds like Cat's Ears and Queen Anne's Lace are also invading its habitat. Nearby one population, eight different weeds cover 45% of the area, and the seven other native plants of the native grassland community, make up 55% cover. Each year, all the weeds need to be cleared away at a sufficient distance from the Hickmanii plants, and the area restored to as close to 100% native plant cover as possible, otherwise some of these populations could face extinction soon.

An even more formidable challenge for the future of the San Mateo County populations, will be the taller and more aggressive perennial exotic invasive grass, Harding grass (Phalaris), growing two meters tall and forming a solid stand on the next mountain ridge, only a few hundred meters from the two largest colonies—this nearby infestation has the appearance of a weed-tsunami, engulfing every native plant in its path, and a tiny five cm. tall Hickmanii plant does not have a chance without assistance.

Plant counts for each insitu population for this species:

Monterey County, Indian Village, Pebble Beach, between 1979 and 2008 the population varied between 5 and 35 plants, and there is a reference to outplanted Hickmaniis existing at this site in the 2009 USFWS report. However, the original population in 2011 is presumed extinct at this site and the existing plants may be the survivors from plantings of nursery raised seedlings grown in potting soil. The nursery grown origin of individual plants could be confirmed, by examining the roots and finding remains of potting soil around such plants. In winter, the plants that still have any potting soil around their roots, may benefit by having the artificial soil removed and the plants replanted bare-rooted, as the potting soil could wick moisture from around the roots in summer.

Monterey County, Eastwood collection, unable to locate site.

Monterey County, Pacific Grove near the reservoir on road to Cypress point, last seen 1968, presumed extinct.

Monterey County, Point Lobos State Reserve, experimental plantings at two sites, presumed extinct.

San Mateo County, Montara Mountain, north of town of Montara—Eight populations found, counted and mapped in 2008. Population #1= 4 plants, Pop.#2=11 plants, Pop.#3=about 1,060 plants, Pop.#4=about 2,000 plants, Pop.#5=26 plants, Pop.#6=12 plants, Pop.#7=3 plants, Pop.#8=45 plants. UPDATE: By summer 2011, the species largest population #4, as well as #6, 7 and 8 were presumed extinct, as these populations were buried under a two meter tall, solid cover of exotic Harding grass. Population #3, that covering 30 meters by 230 meters in 2008, had diminished to only 14 meters by 20 meters, and only about 300 plants were observed.

San Mateo County, Moss Beach near Point Montara. Presumed extinct, last seen in 1933.

There may exist, some exsitu Hickmanii plants grown in nurseries for research or study for example, or at universities or botanical gardens, but those numbers are unknown.