Bøger udgivet af San Francisco Estuary Institute

The Laguna de Santa Rosa, located in the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County, CA, is an expansive freshwater wetland complex that hosts a rich diversity of plant and wildlife species, many of which are federally or state listed as threatened, endangered, or species of special concern. The Laguna is also home to a thriving agricultural community that depends on the land for its livelihood. Over the past 200 years, modifications to the Laguna and its surrounding landscape have degraded habitat conditions for both wildlife and people. To help improve the Laguna ecosystem, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Sonoma Water funded the Laguna-Mark West Creek Watershed Master Restoration Planning Project. The overall goal of this report is to develop a plan that supports ecosystem services in the Laguna-through the restoration and enhancement of landscape processes that form and sustain habitats and improve water quality-while considering flood management issues and the productivity of agricultural lands. The first step in the Planning Project was developing a long-term Resilient Landscape Vision for the Laguna, which is detailed in this report. The Vision highlights opportunities for multi-benefit habitat restoration and land management within the Laguna's 100-year floodplain. This Vision will be used to build the Restoration Plan, which will provide restoration targets and restoration project concepts that can lead to longterm ecosystem improvement.

The Santa Ana River is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Riverside. Providing water, flood conveyance, wildlife habitat, and recreational and educational opportunities, the river is a vital resource for both people and ecological communities in the region. The Santa Ana River historically occupied a broad and dynamic river corridor characterized by a diverse mix of riparian and wetland habitats; surrounding areas were dominated by extensive sage scrub and forbland communities. Over the past two centuries, however, the natural functioning of the river has been heavily modified through channelization, levees, dam construction, and other impacts. Over 80% of the native habitat within the study area has been converted to developed and disturbed land, including approximately half of the historical extent of riparian forest and scrub.While the Santa Ana River and its surroundings have changed drastically since the mid-19th century, this modified landscape still has the potential to support a healthy and resilient ecosystem. This report synthesizes information from both historical and present-day landscape analyses to develop multi-benefit strategies and recommendations that support ecological processes, meet present-day species needs, and foster livable communities with connection to nature and its benefits.

This study examines the historical hydrology and ecology of the Petaluma River watershed prior to major Euro-American modification, and analyzes landscape changes over the past two centuries. Synthesizing information from hundreds of archival documents, the research examines the historical form and function of wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitats and stream channels throughout the watershed, providing insights into habitat extent and distribution, streamflow and sediment dynamics, vegetation composition, wildlife support, and landscape change. Findings from this research can be used to help set restoration targets and to prioritize multi-benefit opportunities to restore wildlife habitat, enhance flood protection, increase groundwater recharge, and improve sediment management.

In this report, we investigate how re-integrating components of oak woodlands into developed landscapes -- "re-oaking" -- can provide an array of valuable functions for both wildlife and people. Re-oaking can increase the biodiversity and ecological resilience of urban ecosystems, improve critical urban forest functions such as shade and carbon storage, and enhance the capacity of cities to adapt to a changing climate. We focus on Silicon Valley, where oak woodland replacement by agriculture and urbanization tells a story that has occurred in many other cities in California. We highlight how the history and ecology of the Silicon Valley landscape can be used as a guide to plan more ecologically-resilient cities in the Bay Area, within the region and elsewhere in California. We see re-oaking as part of, and not a substitute for, the important and broader oak woodland conservation efforts taking place throughout the state.