Planning for biodiversity: bringing research and management together; Proceedings of a Symposium for the South Coast Ecoregion

Abstract

Southern California, recognized as a major center of biodiversity, contains some of the most diverse habitats of any landscape in North America. The ever-expanding human population of the region desires land, water, resources, and recreation, creating conflict with the habitat requirements of many rare species. Managing resources in a way that maximizes biodiversity in remaining habitats, while providing opportunities for other appropriate uses of the land, presents a formidable challenge, requiring coordination between scientists and resource managers. The papers in this proceedings volume reflect the breadth of issues facing the science and management communities in southern California, ranging from the threats of fire, air pollution, grazing, exotic species invasion, and habitat loss on native habitats and sensitive species, including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, to the role of mycorrhizal fungi as indicators of biological change.Retrieval Terms: air pollution impacts, biological diversity, California south coast ecoregion, fire management, habitat management, rare species Technical CoordinatorsBarbara IntroductionSouthern California contains some of the most diverse habitats of any landscape in North America and is recognized as a major center of biodiversity. It is also home to an ever-expanding human population, with needs for land, water, resources, and recreation that conflict directly with the habitat requirements of many species. As a result, this region has more endangered and threatened species than any other area in the continental United States, and once-extensive natural communities, many of which are unique to the ecoregion, have been reduced to mere remnants.Managing resources in a way that maximizes biodiversity in remaining habitats while providing opportunities for other appropriate uses of the land presents a formidable challenge requiring coordination between scientists and resource managers, yet few opportunities exist for regular exchange of information and ideas between these groups. In response to this need, the U.S. Geological Survey and the USDA ForestService partnered to co-host a symposium on "Planning for Biodiversity: Bringing California. The goal of the 3-day conference was to identify the current status of our knowledge and gaps in our understanding of regional biodiversity and ecosystem processes, present and future threats to species and habitats, and effective monitoring strategies for southwestern and central coastal California resources. Through a program of 52 invited presentations, 18 contributed posters, and 10 focused discussion groups, the conference created an environment for formal and informal communication among the 300 attendees about the results of scientific studies and their application to resource conservation and management, as well as the information needs of managers responsible for determining and implementing management on the ground.Of the 45 technical papers presented at the conference, 14 are included in this volume. Authors were asked to...