Appendix Q. Baseline Biology Report

Transcription

1 Appendix Q Baseline Biology Report

2

3 A u g u s t (DRECP) Baseline Biology Report Prepared for: California Energy Commission 1516 Ninth Street Sacramento, California Under Contract to: Aspen Environmental Group 8801 Folsom Boulevard, Suite 290 Sacramento, California Contact: Tom Murphy Prepared by: AUGUST 2014

4

5 Section TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS... ACR-I 1 INTRODUCTION Definitions ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Physical Conditions Ecoregions Climate Geomorphology Hydrology Topography PHYSICAL AND ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES Data Sources Surficial Geology and Processes Aeolian Processes Fluvial, Alluvial, and Lacustrine Processes Mass-Wasting Processes Ecological Processes Environmental Gradients Substrates Soil Biota Carbon and Nutrient Cycling Fire Landscape Habitat Linkages and Wildlife Corridors Data Sources and Methods Description of Linkages and Corridors NATURAL COMMUNITIES AND BIOLOGICAL SETTING Data Sources Natural Communities Species Natural Communities and Land Covers California Forest and Woodland Communities Chaparral and Coastal Scrub Communities (Cismontane Scrub) Desert Conifer Woodland Communities Desert Outcrop and Badlands TOC-i

6 Section TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page No Desert Scrub Communities Dune and Sand-Based Communities Grassland Community Riparian Communities Wetland Communities Other Land Covers Biological Diversity Natural Communities and Land Covers Floral Richness and Diversity Faunal Richness and Diversity SPECIES CONSIDERED FOR COVERAGE Reptiles/Amphibians Agassiz s Desert Tortoise Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard Mojave Fringe-Toed Lizard Tehachapi Slender Salamander Birds Bendire s Thrasher Burrowing Owl California Black Rail California Condor Gila Woodpecker Golden Eagle Greater Sandhill Crane Least Bell s Vireo Mountain Plover Swainson s Hawk Tricolored Blackbird Western Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Willow Flycatcher Yuma Clapper Rail Fish Desert Pupfish Mojave Tui Chub Owens Pupfish TOC-ii

7 Section TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page No Owens Tui Chub Mammals Burro Deer (Planning Species) California Leaf-Nosed Bat Desert Bighorn Sheep Desert Kit Fox (Planning Species) Mohave Ground Squirrel Pallid Bat Townsend s Big-Eared Bat Plants Alkali Mariposa-Lily Bakersfield Cactus Barstow Woolly Sunflower Desert Cymopterus Little San Bernardino Mountains Linanthus Mojave Monkeyflower Mojave Tarplant Owens Valley Checkerbloom Parish s Daisy Triple-Ribbed Milk-Vetch Species Occurrence Database Summary ANTHROPOGENIC LAND USES AND INFLUENCES Rural and Urban Development Transportation Corridors and Roadways Water Conveyance Utilities and Infrastructure Grazing Mining Military Uses Off-Highway Vehicle Uses Non-Native and Other Invasive Species CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT FACTORS AND ISSUES Natural Communities California Forest and Woodland Communities Chaparral and Coastal Scrub Communities TOC-iii

8 Section TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page No Desert Conifer Woodland Communities Desert Outcrop and Badlands Desert Scrub Communities Dune Communities Grassland Communities Riparian Community Wetland Communities Other Land Covers REFERENCES APPENDICES A B C DRECP Baseline Biology Report Metadata Species Profiles Species Habitat Models TOC-iv

9 FIGURES TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page No. 1-1 Regional Map Ecoregions Physical Geology Hydrology Groundwater Slope Aspect Surficial Geology Topography Soil Textures Habitat Connectivity Areas Land Cover TABLES 2-1 Ecoregion Sections and Subsections in the Plan Area Watersheds in the Plan Area NWI Wetlands in Plan Area Distribution of Elevation Ranges in the Plan Area Distribution of Slope Ranges in the Plan Area Distribution of Aspect in the Plan Area Surficial Geology in the Plan Area Soil Textures Mapped in the Plan Area Summary of Natural Communities and Other Land Cover in Plan Area Desert Tortoise Recovery Units in the Plan Area Mohave Ground Squirrel Important Areas in the Plan Area Summary of Conservation and Management Factors for DRECP Covered and Planning Species Based on Natural Communities Summary of Key Conservation Factors for DRECP Covered and Planning Species based on Natural Communities, Landscape, Ecological Processes, and Environmental Stressors/Threats TOC-v

10 INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK TOC-vi

11 AF BLM BMP CCH CDCA CDFG CEHC cfs CNDDB CNPS Connectivity Project CRPR CSLC DEM DOD DPR DPS DRECP DWR ECOMAP ENSO EPA ESA FMMP GIS GPS g/l HR Acronym/Abbreviation ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS acre-feet Definition Bureau of Land Management best management practice Consortium of California Herbaria California Desert Conservation Area California Department of Fish and Game California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project cubic feet per second California Natural Diversity Database California Native Plant Society California Desert Connectivity Project California Rare Plant Rank California State Lands Commission digital elevation model Department of Defense Department of Parks and Recreation distinct population segment Department of Water Resources Ecological Classification and Mapping Task Team El Niño Southern Oscillation Environmental Protection Agency Endangered Species Act Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program geographic information system Global Positioning System grams per liter hydrologic region I-8 Interstate 8 I-10 Interstate 10 I-15 Interstate 15 I-40 Interstate 40 IID LADWP LCRMSCP Imperial Irrigation District Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Lower Colorado River Multiple Species Conservation Plan ACR-i

12 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS LRO MCAGCC MSL NECO NHD NOAA NPS NRCS NVCS NWI NWR OHV RA SCML SNWA SR SSURGO SWP TCA USDA USFS USGS USFWS WBWG WEMO Acronym/Abbreviation Definition locally rare occurrence Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center mean sea level Northern and Eastern Colorado National Hydrography Dataset National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Park Service National Resources Conservation Service National Vegetation Classification Standard National Wetlands Inventory National Wildlife Refuge off-highway vehicle Recreation Area South Coast Missing Linkages Southern Nevada Water Authority State Route Soil Survey Geographic [Database] State Water Project Tortoise Conservation Area U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Forest Service U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Western Bat Working Group West Mojave ACR-ii