Native Grassland Census of the San Francisco peninsula and Santa Cruz County.

Measuring the vegetation cover of open space properties with native grassland habitats on the San Francisco peninsula, using the Evans & Love (1957) toe-point linear transect method for 20 paces or more, and recording the percentage cover of the native grasses, wildflowers and weeds, and notes on particular weeds found.

The "Dremann Grassland Scale" for the quality of California native grasslands, is the combined cover of both native grasses and wildflowers, as follows: Currently in Very Poor condition, but with potential for future improvement=0-10% native grass/wildflower cover, Poor=11-25%, Fair=26-50%, Good=51-69%, Very Good=70-80%, Excellent=81-95% and...As good as it gets=96 to 100%.

For serpentine populations which naturally have rocky and barren spots, those rocky and barren spots are going to be included in the native grass category, and the thatch in serpentine sites assumed to be originating from native plants, and will also be included in the native grass category, unless otherwise noted by the recorder.

Thatch cover, which is common in a thriving native grassland, can be used as a credit to upgrade into the next category, but it must be the thatch produced by native grasses, and weed-produced thatch does not earn any credit. Bare soil cover, including areas caused by gophers or ground squirrels and rocks, are not counted.

Download survey form as a PDF

By Craig Dremann, The Reveg Edge, P.O. Box 361, Redwood City, CA. 94064 (650) 325-7333

arastradero
Palo Alto Arastradero Preserve, 70 acre hillside above parking lot, spring 2011. Grass weed seedlings coming up at the rate of 2,000 per square foot, and Italian thistle seedlings at 400 per square foot. Zero native grassland wildflowers in the picture, to the horizon, and they have not grown on this site for about 150 years, as this land has been part of an old Spanish Rancho grant.


 Site

 Agency land managers

 Date

 Surveyed done by

 Transect paces

 Percent cover
native grasses

 Percent cover wild-
flowers

 Percent cover exotics

 Quality

 Kinds of exotics
or natives
(in italics)

 Fremont Older Preserve

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 ft.)

 0

 0

 100

 Very poor

 82% Yellow
star thistle

 Foothills Open Space

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 ft.)

 41

 39

20

Very Good

1% Yellow
star thistle

 Long Ridge

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 ft.)

 0

 3

 97

Very poor

 1% Yellow
star thistle

 Los Trancos

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 ft.)

 10

 5

 85

Poor

 3% yellow
star thistle

 Monte Bello

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 ft.)

 2

 5

 93

 Very poor

 53% Yellow
star thistle

 Rancho San Antonio

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 ft.)

 0

 0

 100

 Very poor

 66% Harding grass

 Skyline Ridge

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 ft.)

 4

 26

 70

Fair

 30% Harding grass

 Windy Hill

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 ft.)

 0

 36

 64

 Fair

 Zero Yellow star thistle and zero Harding grass

 Russian Ridge,
north half

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2006
 C. Dremann

 800 paces (1,600 ft.)

 5

 54

 41

 Good

 0.7% Yellow star thistle and 7% Harding grass

 Russian Ridge,
north half

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 5-2011
 C. Dremann

 600 paces
(1,200 feet)

 2.4

 45.6

52 

Fair
20% Italian thistle,
8.2% Blando brome, 8.6% Zorro fescue,
4.5% Rose clover,
3.8% yellow star thistle,
2.3% wild oats,
1.6% vetch,
and with less than 1% cover each of yellow clover, filaree, ripgut grass, radish, and a new weed, Poa bulbosa. The Harding grass has been sprayed out along this transect route.

 Russian Ridge,
north half

 Mid-pen. Open Space District

 6-2012

 C. Dremann

 600 paces
(1,200 ft.)

7.8

18.7

73.5

Fair

26% Wild oats,
10% Blando brome,
8.3% Yellow star thistle,
8.2% Ripgut grass,
5.5% Italian thistle,
3.5% Italian per. ryegrass
2.5% Cat's ears,
2% Wild lettuce,
1.8% Mustard European.
1.7% European vetch,
and 1% or less of Rose and other European clovers, Radish and Zorro fescue. New weeds to watch in transects=Italian Ryegrass, Cat's Ears and Wild lettuce. See how the Wild oats and the Italian thistles have traded places, and the 800% increase in Ripgut grass cover, which traded places with the Zorro fescue.

Harding grass is now 0.8% cover, recolonizing the area from the solid stand, directly to the north

 Russian Ridge,
north half

  Mid-pen. Open Space District

 5-2013

  C. Dremann
 500 paces
(1,000 ft.)

 9.2

 26

 64

Fair

 Natives include
02.% coyote bush,
12% soap plant,
6.2% Cal. poppies,
4.8% Convolvulus,
1.2% yarrow,
1% owls clover,
0.4% coyote mint and 0.4% tarweeds
.


52% annual weed grasses,
1.4% Yellow star thistle,
5.6% Italian thistle,
0% Cat's ears,
0% Wild lettuce,
0% Mustard European.
0% European vetch,
and 0% of Rose and other European clovers, and Radish.. Exceptional drought from December through spring did not allow many species of weeds to survive past the seedling stage.

Harding grass is now 5.6% cover, recolonizing the area from the solid stand, directly to the north.

  Russian Ridge,
north half

  Mid-pen. Open Space District

 6-2014
  C. Dremann

 500 paces
(1,000 ft.)

15.6 

 22

 62.4

 Fair

 Natives include:
12.4% soap plant,
8.2% Bromus carinatus,
8.0% yarrow,
4.2% Sitanion grass,
1.8% Stipa pulchra,

and less than 1%
El;ymus glaucus,
native Convolvulus,
Koleria grass,
Owl's Clover,
Festuca occidentalis,
Coyote mint,
Baccharis shrub,
and California poppy.

Exotics include:
57.4% Wild oat and ripgut mix
2% Italian thistle,
1.2% Harding grass,
and less than 1% cover each: Blando brome,
Yellow Star thistle, and
Wild lettuce.

Exceptional drought did not bring up any Cat's ears, European clovers, mustard, radish or vetch within transect, nor any foxtails or Vulpia grass

  Russian Ridge,
north half

  Mid-pen. Open Space District

 8-2015
  C. Dremann

500 paces

13%

12.2%

74.8

Poor

 Natives include:
11% soap plant,
2.6% Bromus carinatus,
1.2% yarrow,
2.4% Sitanion grass,
0% Stipa pulchra,,
5.4% El;ymus glaucus,
0% native Convolvulus,
1.6% Koleria grass,
0% Owl's Clover,
1% Festuca occidentalis,
0% Coyote mint,
0% Baccharis shrub,
and 0% California poppy.

Exotics include:
59% Wild oat and
0% ripgut grass
0.4% Italian thistle,
6.2% Yellow Star thistle,
9.2% Harding grass,

Continued exceptional drought did not bring up any Cat's ears, European clovers, mustard, radish, wild lettuce or vetch within transect, nor any Blando brome, foxtails or Vulpia grass

  Russian Ridge,
north half

  Mid-pen. Open Space District

 6-2016
  C. Dremann

500 paces

3.2%

23.4%

73.6

Poor

 Natives include:
12.4% Soap plant,
0.4% Bromus carinatus,
2% Brodiaeae
2.8% Yarrow,
2.4% Sitanion grass,
0% Stipa pulchra,,
0.4% El;ymus glaucus,
0% native Convolvulus,
0% Koleria grass,
0.4% Lupine,
4% Owl's Clover,
0% Festuca occidentalis,
0% Coyote mint,
0.8% Wild cucumber
0% Baccharis shrub,
and 1% California poppy.

Exotics include:
59% Wild oat and
1.6% Ripgut grass
2.8% Italian thistle,
2.8% Yel. star this.,
5% Harding grass,
0.2% Mustard,
1.8 % Rose clover,
and 0.4% Blando brome

Sitanion improving, but still lack of native Stipa, Melica, Festuca and Koeleria that grew there originally

 San Bruno Mtn. HCP, off Guad. parkway

 San Mateo
County Park

 3-2012
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 feet)

 2

 15

 83

 Poor

 34% Italian thistle,
30% Plantago lanceolata, 11% ripgut grass,
5% radish, and
3% yellow sorrel.

 Edgewood, Canada Road entrance, at Clarkia trail

 San Mateo
County Park

 3-2012
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 feet)

 10

 2

 88

Poor

 22% Italian thistle, 20% yellow star thistle, 32% small annual exotic grasses, 12% filaree, 2% big annual grasses like wild oats.

 Edgewood, Canada Road entrance, at Clarkia trail

 San Mateo
County Park

 3-2015
 C. Dremann

 25 paces (50 feet)

 20

 12

 68

Fair

Four years of exceptional drought have knocked back the exotic weeds, and that has allowed the natives to increase.

 I-280 Vista point. south of Cal. 92

 Caltrans

 3-2012
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 feet)

 0

 0

 100

 Very poor

 Wild oats, ripgut, fox tails, milk thistle and radish. Do not understand why a line of young oaks were planted that will block the view from parking lot in the future (?!).

  Arastradero Preserve, above parking lot, within Dremann's test plot located in the 70 acres

 City of Palo Alto

 2-2013
 C. Dremann

 15 paces
(30 feet)

27% 
all Stipa straw

7% California poppies 

 0

As good as it gets 

Bare, weed free areas=27%, European weed straw intentionally used to kill weed seedlings = 40% cover

  Arastradero Preserve, above parking lot, within Dremann's test plot located in the 70 acres

 City of Palo Alto

 3-2013
 C. Dremann

 15 paces
(30 feet)

13% 
all Stipa straw

73% California poppies 

 0.0003

As good as it gets 

Bare soil area is 99.9997% weed free equals 13% of area, Outside of plot, weed grass seedlings at 2,000 per square foot and Italian thistle seedlings at 400 per square foot. 

  Arastradero Preserve, above parking lot, within Dremann's test plot located in the 70 acres

 City of Palo Alto

7-2015
 C. Dremann

 40 paces
(80 feet)

75% 
Stipa straw, native Brome, and Stipa

17.5% Blue eyed grass, plantago

 7.5
wild oats, foxtails

Excellent 

Some wild oats, filaree, Blando, It. thistle, milkweed, buckwheat, coyote bush.. Poppy plants were eaten by animals during Feb. 2015 drought

 Arastradero Preserve, above parking lot, 70 acres OUTSIDE of Dremann's test plot

 City of Palo Alto

 7-2011
 C. Dremann

 100 paces
(200 feet)

 0

 0

 100

 Very poor

 Annual exotic grasses and solid areas of Italian thistle, and Harding grass getting established in solid stands.

 Cloverdale Ranch, at Hidden Valley gate

 POST-Peninsula Open Space Trust

 3-2012
C. Dremann

 visual from road

 0

 0

 100

 Very poor

 Appears to be 100% cover of Harding grass, no wildflowers, no native grasses seen.

 Stanford University, flat lands, near El Camino Real and Palm Drive

End of unmarked street, first left off Palo Road, one block north of Palm Drive, transect runs parallel with El Camino in oaks

 5-2012
 C. Dremann

 100 pace (200 feet)

 0

 0

 100

 Very poor

 30% weed grasses like foxtails, ripgut, wild oats in sandstone soil, and 70% boadleaf weeds like mustard, filaree, bur clover, cats ears, rumex. Only native plant seen in grasslands was miner's lettuce under oaks.

 Stanford University, hills, entrance to the "Dish" area trail

 Parallel to trail at Foothills and Stanford Ave..

 5-2012
 C. Dremann

 100 pace (200 feet)

 0

 0

 100

 Very poor

 Perennial rye 2 feet tall, and wild oats 4 feet tall, about a 50:50 mix and make up 95% of weeds, with 5% plantago, prickly ox tongue, and Blando.

 Jasper Ridge Preserve, yellow star thistle area

 Stanford Univ.

 4-2012

C. Dremann 

 33 pace
(66 feet)

 3

 0

97 

 Very poor

 Photo of area shows old YST stalks from last year.

 Jasper Ridge Preserve, poor area near goldfields

Stanford Univ.

 4-2012

C. Dremann 

  33 pace
(66 feet)

 12

12 

 76

Poor

"Blando" brome worst weed in the preserve, but remains of native diversity still present.

 Jasper Ridge Preserve, poor serpentine area

Stanford Univ. 

 4-2012

 C. Dremann

  33 pace
(66 feet)

 24

 76

 Poor
 Italian ryegrass (40%) and "Blando" brome (36%) worst weeds here, but important natives like Plantago still present.

Jasper Ridge Preserve, best wildflower area 

Stanford Univ. 

 4-2012

 C. Dremann

  33 pace
(66 feet)

 27

 70

 As good as it gets  Best wildflower area on preserve, only 50 ft x 100 ft. 43% white Linanthus, 24% Plantago, 3% Lotus and 6% Sitanion grass, plus 3% "Blando" brome.

 Edgewood Park. base of first hill off Hillcrest Road

 San Mateo County Parks

 4-2012

 C. Dremann

 20 pace
(40 feet)

 40

 35

 25

Good
 Annual weed grasses and filaree main weeds. Plantago, soap plant, Blue eye grass are the main wildflowers, Stipa is native grass.

Edgewood Park, Hydro-weeded test plot, closest to I-280 (spring 2012 treatment)

San Mateo County Parks 
 4-2012

 C. Dremann

 33 paces (66 feet)

 15 + bare soil 40%

 42

Good

Bare soil =40%, weed grasses 36%, filaree 6%, Stipa 15%, Blue eyed grass 3% .

Edgewood Park, Hydro-weeded test plot, closest to I-280 (spring 2012 treatment)

San Mateo County Parks 
 3-2013

 C. Dremann

 50 paces (100 feet)

 26

72

 Fair

Stipa 26%, some Lomatium and soap plant present.

Edgewood Park, Hydro-weeded test plot, closest to I-280 (spring 2012 treatment)

San Mateo County Parks 
 3-2015

 C. Dremann

 25 paces (50 feet)

 8

88

Poor

Two years of exceptional drought have knocked back any gains from 2013. When no native seeds were sown after bare soil created in 2012, then weeds could take advantage of the bare soil faster than the local natives.

Edgewood Park, Hydro-weeded site, closest to Hillcrest Road entrance (spring 2012 treatment)

 San Mateo County Parks
 4-2012

 C. Dremann

 33 paces (66 feet)

 0 + 55% bare soil

 0

 45

Good

Bare soil = 55%, filaree 21%, Yellow star thistle 15%, European grasses 9%. Site predicted to become a big weed patch next spring, unless seeded or mulched.

Edgewood Park, Hydro-weeded site, closest to Hillcrest Road entrance (spring 2012 treatment)

 San Mateo County Parks
 3-2013

 C. Dremann

 50 paces (100 feet)

 60

 0

 40

 Good

Big improvement, and a few native wildflowers, with some native clovers present.

Edgewood Park, Hydro-weeded site, closest to Hillcrest Road entrance (spring 2012 treatment)

 San Mateo County Parks
 3-2015

 C. Dremann

 25 paces (50 feet)

 20

0

80

Poor 

Two years of exceptional spring droughts have knocked back any gains that this treatment made since 2013. Some blue eyed grass seen but not within transect route.

  Stulstaf Park
Serpentine grasslands, measured by WMA group at May meeting

 Redwood City Parks 
 5-2012

 C. Dremann (Measurements were made by others WMA members at the same time, using two different transect methods)

 100 paces (200 feet)

 4

41 

55 

Fair
 Poor but notable, because of the concentration of native Blue eyed grass, which was the major wildflower here, along with the white tarweed . The native grass was Stipa pulchra, and the grass weeds were wild oats, Blando brome, and Brachypodium. One of the broadleaf weeds was willow leaved wild lettuce, which looks like the tarweed seedlings.

 Rancho Corral de Tierra - Hickmanii south slope site

 National Parks Service-GGNRA
West of the two trees, BEFORE weeding

 7-2011

 C. Dremann
Measured near the Hickmanii populations, parallel to the road and six feet north of road edge.

 100 paces (200 feet)

1
(Danthonia) 

6

93 

Very Poor 
60% Big rattlesnake grass, 15% Cat's ears,
6% Brachypodium,
5% Dogtail grass,
4% Wild Oats,
and 1% each of Vulpia, European mustard, and flax.
Natives = 4% Golden aster, 2% native Rumex, and 1% Danthonia.

 Mark Vande Pol's 14 acres

 Private property, Santa Cruz mtns.

 7-2011
 C. Dremann

  100
(200 ft.)

 27
(Bromus, Elymus, Stipa)

 72.5

 0.5

 As Good as it gets
 Did not step on a single weed in a 200 foot transect.

 Michael Shaw's 74 acres

 Private property Santa Cruz County

7-2011 
 C. Dremann

  3 x 100
(200 ft.)

 89
(Danthonia and Stipa)

 3

 8

 Excellent
 List of weeds eradicated and native plants here. Rose clover, Plantago, Briza and Brachypodium last weeds to be managed.

 Edgewood Park, spring 2014 PG&E pipeline project near Edgwood Road/I-280 MIDDLE of 0.3 acre construction zone

176 feet norh of fork in trail and 16 feet north 2-gas-pipeline sign, going 240 deg. mag. SW

 San Mateo County Parks.

 7-2015

 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 feet)

 2% Stipa

20%

78% 

 Poor

 Exotics =
39% wild oats,
20% Rose clover,
7% ryegrass, 1% each Lactuca, Blando brome, Filaree.

Natives =
13% tarweed,
6% yarrow,
1% Cal. poppy

  Edgewood Park, spring 2014 PG&E pipeline project near Edgwood Road/I-280 50 feet NORTH of the edge of the 0.3 acre construction zone

250 feet norh of fork in trail, start at edge of trail, going 220 deg. mag. SW

 San Mateo County Parks.

 7-2015
 C. Dremann

 100 paces (200 feet)

 27%

47%

26% 

 Very Good

   Exotics =
12% wild oats,
0% Rose clover,
8% ryegrass, 2% YST, 1% each Red Brome, Lactuca, and Filaree.

Natives =
32% tarweed,
13% buckwheat,
2% bordiaea

 Edgewood Park, spring 2014 PG&E pipeline project near Edgwood Road/I-280 50 feet SOUTH of the edge of the 0.3 acre construction zone

96 feet norh of fork in trail, start at big rock at edge of trail, going 240 deg. mag. SW towards center of oak grove.

 San Mateo County Parks.

 7-2015
 C. Dremann

 70 paces (140 feet)

 16%

43% 

 41%

 Good

  Exotics =
9% wild oats,
24% ryegrass, less than 3% each Red Brome, Ripgut, Lactuca, and Blando brome

Natives =
40% tarweed,
<2% each of Brodiaea and Soap plant.
Native Grasses =
10% Stipa,
6% Sitanion and
1.4% Melica.

Kite Hill, 305 Jane Ave., best habitat

Town of Woodside 

 4-2012

 C. Dremann

33 paces
(66 feet)

12

 88

 0

 As Good as it gets
 Layia, goldfields, soap plant, and Stipa and Sitanion = native grass

 Site

 Agency land managers

 Date

 Surveyed done by

 Transect paces

 Percent cover
native grasses

 Percent cover wild-
flowers

 Percent cover exotics

 Quality

 Kinds of exotics
or natives
(in italics)

 Kite Hill, 305 Jane Ave., poor habitat

 Town of Woodside

 4-2012

 C. Dremann 

33 paces
(66 feet)
 

3

22 

75 

Poor
 Weeds=Italian rye, slender wild oats. Wildflowers=Lotus, Brodiaea, soap plant. Stipa=native grass.

 Kite Hill, Transect A - part 1
from round rock across from 144 Altavista, go 40 deg. NE mag. first 100 paces

 Town of Woodside

7-2015 

 C. Dremann 

100 paces (200 feet) 

4% Stipa

 8%

 72% + 16% bare, rock, road

Poor
 Weeds=53% wild oats, 17% yellow star thistle, 1% each ryegrass, brachypodium

 Kite Hill, Transect A - part 2
from round rock across from 144 Altavista, go 40 deg. NE mag. second 100 paces

 Town of Woodside
Cross section Kite Hill

7-2015 

 C. Dremann 

100 paces (200 feet) 

26% Stipa
1% Sitanion

 24%

 48% + 1% rock

Good
 Weeds=46% wild oats, 1% ryegrass, zero yellow star thistle

 Kite Hill, Transect B
Good native, from rock across from 136 Altavista go 330 deg. NW towards oak in gully

 Town of Woodside
Good natives Kite Hill

 7-2015 

 C. Dremann 

100 paces (200 feet) 

39% Stipa

50% 

11%

Excellent
 Weeds=10% wild oats, 1% YST. Wildflowers=48% Tarweed

 Kite Hill, Transect C
Thick Yellow star thistle next to Jane Road, from rock across from 144 Altavista, go 300 deg. NW to oaks in gully

 Town of Woodside
thick Yellow star thistle area at Kite Hill

 7-2015 

 C. Dremann 

100 paces (200 feet) 

3% Stipa

5% 

91% + 1% bare

Very Poor
 Weeds=70% YST, 21% wild oats. .Wildflowers=tarweeds

 Kite Hill, Trnsect D
Wild oat area parallel with Jane, 20 feet fire hydrant (60 deg. NE) then 150 deg. SE towards tall pine

 Town of Woodside
Wild Oats area Kite Hill

7-2015  

 C. Dremann 

100 paces (200 feet) 

16% Stipa

1% tarweed

82% wild oats + 6% bare 

Poor
 Weeds=Italian rye, slender wild oats. Wildflowers=Lotus, Brodiaea, soap plant. Stipa=native grass.

 Village Hill, from two horses to Canada Road 240 deg. SW

 Town of Woodside
Horses to Canada

 8-2015

 C. Dremann

100 paces (200 feet)

 12%
Danthonia

 5%
Tarweed

63% + 20% pine duff 

 Poor
Mowed annual grasses = exotics. Lotus purshianus seen.

 Village Hill, from near Chevron Station to two horses, in test plot

 Town of Woodside
Test plot cross section
prior to planting

 7-2015

 C. Dremann

 50 paces (100 feet)

 2% Stipa

 8%

 90%

 Very Poor
 Natives= 6% tarweed, 2% Lotus purshianus

 Site

 Agency land managers

 Date

 Surveyed done by

 Transect paces

 Percent cover
native grasses

 Percent cover wild-
flowers

 Percent cover exotics

 Quality

 Kinds of exotics
or natives
(in italics)

Caltrans, PG&E gas pipeline undsiturbed Stipa parallel to I-280 between Woodside Road and Farm Hill Blvd.

 Caltrans- STIPA-SITANION-VULPIA serpentine grassland - PG&E pipeline project, Woodside, undisturbed

 6-2015

 C. Dremann 

50 paces
(100 feet)
 

80%

15%

6% ryegrass

Excellent
 Weeds= 6% ryegrass
Wildflowers=
4% tarweed,
4% Plantago.
Native grasses=
60% Stipa,
20% Sitanion,
6% Vulpia.

Caltrans, undisturbed Danthonia parallel to I-280 between Woodside Road and Farm Hill Blvd.

 Caltrans-DANTHONIA wetlands grassland, PG&E pipeline project Woodside, undisturbed

 6-2015

 C. Dremann 

50 paces
(100 feet)
 

40% Danthonia

58%

2% Brachy-
podium

As Good as it Gets
Wildflowers=
46% tarweed,
6% Blue Eyed grass, and 2% each of Soap plant, Indian paint brush, and composite flower

 Caltrans, next to Barkley Field PG&E pipeline project, Woodside
one acre staging area

 Caltrans-Stipa/Sitanion grassland area disturbed construction zone - STAGING area

 6-2015

 C. Dremann 

 50 paces (100 feet)

 0%

 60%

 40%

 Good

 Exotics=14% wild oats, 8% YST, 6% vetch, 4% ryegrass, 4% Yellow swwet clover, and 2% each mustard, ripgit,

Native=58% Calif. poppy, 2% Plantago erecta

 East Palo Alto field
(8-2015 extinct-building constructed on site)

 Corner Univ. Ave. and Donohoe off US 101

 4-2012
 C. Dremann

 Visual from street

 0

 30

 70

Fair
 In 2011 dormant lupines also sprouted but were mowed before they could set seed. In 1948, this was an open field, then a cement slab poured to build a structure, which was then removed about 2005, exposing the native seeds still in the soil.
                   

Cloverdale Ranch
POST Cloverdale ranch from Hidden Valley gate, photo 2012, awesome Harding grass weed patch.

Poppies

East Palo Alto, corner University Avenue and Donohoe near to US 101. In 1948, this was still an open field, then a cement slab was poured right on top of the soil without excavation, and a two story commercial building was built, and then was torn down about 2007. Dormant California poppy seeds in the soil have sprouted in 2011 and 2012, and produced more native cover than in some of our other grasslands that have been intentionally preserved. Native annual lupines grew in this field in 2011. In 2014 the whole field was herbicided, killing the poppies, and a building built on the lot in August 2015.

Edgewood Preserve

Edgewood County park, one of the two Hydro-weeding experiments, April, 2012.

Kite Hill WOODSIDE

Kite Hill, Woodside, good wildflowers in serpentine, west of I-280, April, 2012.

Russian Ridge
Mid-pen., Russian Ridge preserve, north end from Skyline-lookout parking lot, 2011.

Italian thistle

Russian Ridge, further north along the ridge, solid Italian thistles, May 13, 2011. According to the book, Flora of the Santa Cruz Mountains, this weed was rare on the San Francisco peninsula in 1960, is now widespread.

Jasper Ridge

Stanford Jasper Ridge, native plant only growing where the humans with their feet, have eliminated the annual weed grass seedlings. Area could easily be restored to 99.5% native cover, by mowing the immature weed grass seed heads and taking them off the preserve in March to April each year. On these level areas, cutting, swathing and baling with tractor-pulled haying equipment to cut and remove the immature seed heads might be the quickest and easiest method.

Stanford
Stanford Lands near El Camino, at end of first road north of Palm Ave., off Palo Avenue, covered 100% with weeds within the transect. Only native plant in area was Miner's lettuce in shade of oaks, and live oaks suffering from the massive drought all spring, with about 1/3 of normal rainfall.

Stanford
Stanford Hills, the entrance to the "Dish" area, between the trail and the road at Foothill and Stanford Ave., 100% weed cover, but along the trail edge can be found the native pineapple weeds.

Michael Shaw

Michael Shaw in his Stipa prairie, May 2011, his 74 acres with 92% native cover.

Bottlebrush grass

Michael Shaw in managing his 74 acres, unearthed dormant seeds of rare grasses underneath the exotics, like the Bottlebrush grass, only collected six times in Santa Cruz County in the last 100 years. List of weeds managed by Shaw and natives that regrew. Shaw started with only 1% native cover in 1992, and by 2000, had produced 85% native cover, just by mowing before the weed seeds ripened.

Mark Vande Pol

Mark Vande Pol out standing in his outstanding Stipa prairie, that is overall 99.5% native cover. The results of a 100-pace (200 foot) toe-point transect in July 2011, did not step on a single weed. Best native grassland restoration in North America so far.


Updated December 24, 2022 - The Reveg Edge Ecological Restoration service