Parish s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii)

Parish s Phacelia (Phacelia parishii) Legal Status Taxonomy State: S1.1 1 California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.1 2 Federal: None Critical Habitat: N/A Recovery Planning: N/A Notes: Previously classified as a Category 2 Candidate for Listing under 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. of the Endangered Species Act as amended in 1988 (58 FR 51144 51190). Parish s phacelia (Phacelia parishii) is a low-growing, annual herb in the borage or waterleaf family (Boraginaceae) that is native to California, Nevada, and Arizona. It was formerly included in the family Hydrophyllaceae (Hickman 1996) but the genus has been recently moved to the Boraginaceae (Jepson Flora Project 2011, Phacelia Group 3). The species was originally described by Asa Gray in 1883 based on a collection from a dry alkaline lake near Rabbit Springs, San Bernardino County, California. The locale may have been Rabbit Springs, Rabbit Dry Lake to the south, or Lucerne Dry Lake to the north (White 2006). Parish s phacelia was collected by Ripley and Barneby in 1941 along Lucerne Dry Lake, near the type locality, at about 2,900 feet elevation. Parish s phacelia is an annual herb that ranges in height from 5 to 15 centimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inch) (Jepson Flora Project 2011). The comparatively simple, toothed to shallowly lobed leaves, and the unequal sepal size in fruit distinguish Parish s phacelia from many other phacelias; other species within its range that also have unequal sepals have much showier flowers. A full description of the species can be found in the Jepson eflora (Jepson Flora Project 2011). 1 S1: Imperiled; X1: Imperiled. 2 1B: Rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere; X.1: Seriously threatened in California. 1

Distribution General Parish s phacelia is known in California from four sites east and south of Barstow in San Bernardino County and one site in Stewart Valley near the Nevada border in Inyo County (Figure SP-P23). Although rare, its habitat is well known, and Parish s phacelia is more widely distributed in Nevada, and has also been identified from one location in Arizona. This species occurs at elevations ranging between 1,772 and 3,937 feet (elevations in Nevada populations are somewhat higher), but all of the California collections have been made from alkaline playas or lakebeds below about 3,000 feet (White 2006). In San Bernardino County, the species has been collected in U.S. Geological Survey 7.5- minute quadrangles: Lucerne Valley, Fifteen Mile Valley, Harvard Hill, Yermo, Barstow, and Alvord Mountain West. In Inyo County, the species was collected from the Sixmile Spring quadrangle. Distribution and Occurrences within the Plan Area Historical The historical distribution of the species in California occurs in locations near Coyote Dry Lake, Rabbit Springs, and Calico in San Bernardino County, and in Stewart Valley in Inyo County (CDFG 2012a). There are four occurrences of Parish s phacelia in the California Natural Diversity Database (CDFG 2012a). However, the species is reported as presumed extinct (White 2006; Smith 1997) at two of the known sites the type location near Rabbit Springs and the Waterman s Ranch site near Calico (Figure SP-P23; CDFG 2012a). Recent Parish s phacelia is currently known from only three sites in the Plan Area (CDFG 2012a; Smith 1997; White 2006). The extant locations are the Stewart Valley, Inyo County, population discovered by F. Smith in 1995 (not recorded in CNDDB); and the San Bernardino County collections that were made by Ripley and Barneby at Lucerne Dry 2

Natural History Lake in 1941 (CDFG 2012a), by Bagley in 1989, by Bransfield and Rutherford in 1991, and by Sanders and Skinner in 1995 in an area southeast of Coyote Dry Lake, near the southern boundary of Fort Irwin (CDFG 2012a). Parish s phacelia was collected at the third site near Yermo, east of Barstow, by Charlton in 1992 (Figure SP-P23; Smith 1997; CDFG 2012a). Bagley s 1989 collection was made along a string of dry lakes between Manix Tank Trail and Coyote Dry Lake, about 12 miles northeast of Yermo, noting a population of several thousand plants occupying about 5 acres. Subsequent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) surveys of the Coyote Dry Lake population in 1991 increased the estimate to approximately 50,000 plants and, by extrapolating to the area of occupied habitat, estimated that the population could be as many as 200 million plants on approximately 247 acres (White 2006). In a subsequent 1995 survey, collection notes by Sanders and Skinner record about 10,000 individuals in the same area (Smith 1997). Smith noted about 200 plants at the Stewart Valley site on a 5-acre area. Charlton s 1992 collection was made east of Barstow, near Yermo on Powerline Road, near the Sunrise Canyon Road off-ramp (CDFG 2012a). According to White (2006), the location is about 6 miles southwest of the Coyote Dry Lake site. Habitat Requirements Typical habitat for Parish s phacelia includes clay and alkaline soils, and dry lake margins at elevations of 1,772 to 3,937 feet. In California, the species has been documented in central San Bernardino County on playas and valley floors that are relatively unvegetated and have few associated species. Habitats are creosote bush scrub and alkali sinks. According to White (2006), all the known occurrences of Parish s phacelia in California occur on sparsely vegetated alkaline flats, generally in dry, cracked mud flats of seasonal pools, and growth is apparently controlled by water level as plants may appear within different levels of the pools, depending on the hydrologic conditions and the timing of rainfall. Smith (1997) reports that the species tends to occupy flat, open expanses, but may also occur on gentle slopes. 3

Table 1. Habitat Associations for Parish s Phacelia Habitat Habitat Designation Parameters Land Cover Type Playas, alkali sinks, Mojavean desert scrub Primary habitat Clay and alkaline soils, 1,772 to 3,937 feet elevation Supporting Information Jepson Flora Project 2011; CDFG 2012a; Calflora 2011 Reproduction The flowering season for Parish s phacelia is reported as April to July (CNPS 2011; Jepson Flora Project 2011), but all of the California collections have been made between April and May (White 2006). The Mojave Desert flowering period is earlier than that of the Great Basin, and Smith (1997) reported that the California populations were fruiting by late April; the later dates have generally been for collections made in White Pine County, Nevada, at much higher elevation and latitude than the California occurrences. Not much is known about the reproductive biology of the species, but it likely depends on wind and rain for seed dispersal. Given its restriction in California to seasonally wet alkaline flats, and its many small seeds, its seed dispersal range is probably quite short, but seeds may occasionally be ingested by shorebirds or picked up with mud on their feet and carried long distances (White 2006). Ecological Relationships Although some precipitation data are known for the Nevada populations of Parish s phacelia (Smith 1997), there is little information on the ecology of the species in California. In Nevada at one of the Pahrump Valley sites, bees are thought to contribute to pollination, and at another Nevada site (Indian Springs Valley), moths are believed to be at least partially involved with pollination (Smith 1997). Population Status and Trends Global: G2G3, Imperiled/Vulnerable (CDFG 2012b) State: S1.1, Critically Imperiled (CDFG 2012b) 4

In 1984, Parish s phacelia was presumed extinct in California until it was rediscovered in 1989 by Bagley in a new San Bernardino County location southeast of Coyote Lake (Smith 1997). The species was collected by F. Smith in 1995 in Inyo County, California, and is now known from three occurrences in California (CNPS 2011). Parish s phacelia was proposed as a federal candidate for listing in 1993 (58 FR 51144 51190), and Rhodes and Williams (1977, cited in Smith 1997) discussed its likely extirpation at historic occurrences in Nevada. Parish s phacelia is known from 15 occurrences in Nevada, and subsequent surveys in years of ample rainfall identified much larger populations and the recommendation for candidacy was withdrawn. As noted above, USFWS estimated the population at the Coyote Dry Lake site as approximately 200 million plants in 1991. Bagley (1996, cited in White 2006) visited the same site in 1996, an extremely dry year, and did not find evidence of the species that year. Threats and Environmental Stressors The known California populations of Parish s phacelia are confined to a relatively small area, which makes the species vulnerable to extinction. With the exception of the Stewart Valley site, all occurrences of the species are within the vicinity of the Fort Irwin Military Base and could be extirpated if the populations are disturbed by military exercises, or by the expansion of the current military facilities in the area (White 2006). Populations that occur southeast of Coyote Lake in the Fort Irwin area are threatened by tank use and other off-road vehicles (CDFG 2012a). White (2006) notes that other reports have indicated that access road construction and the establishment of power line corridors could disrupt the local hydrology, and that these potential activities threaten current populations. The Bureau of Land Management s (BLM s) special-status plant management program also lists overgrazing by cattle and horses as a threat to populations in the Barstow area (BLM 2005). 5

Conservation and Management Activities Parish s phacelia occurs on lands managed by BLM and is a covered plant species under the West Mojave Plan. Although BLM s regional summary of Parish s phacelia did not have a long-term management plan, the BLM management policy regarding utility transmission resulted in implementation of avoidance mitigation at two potential Parish s phacelia sites along the Mead/McCullough Victorville/Adelanto electrical transmission line (BLM 1999). The current BLM West Mojave Plan provides management for sensitive plant species that includes some site-specific management plans and the monitoring of populations of candidate plant species (BLM 2005). As a Covered Species under the Plan, approximately 386 acres within the proposed conservation area occur on private land, and 512 acres occur on public land. Incidental take is allowed, but is not to exceed 50 acres (BLM 2005). Data Characterization Although the habitat for Parish s phacelia is well understood, collection data are not extensive and there is a need for further surveys to confirm the extant populations and their current population estimates, and to study the ecological parameters affecting distribution of the species, particularly aspects of reproduction, dispersal, and hydrology (White 2006). Management and Monitoring Considerations White (2006) recommends that the specific locations of historic occurrences be identified and that suitable habitat near the sites be surveyed in high rainfall years to confirm the reported extirpations at two sites (Calico and Lucerne Dry Lake) and the reported occurrences at the Yermo and Coyote Lake (Fort Irwin) sites. He further identifies the Coyote Lake population as a site at which the relationship between rainfall patterns, pool depths, and plant densities should be studied. With respect to the Coyote Lake population near Fort Irwin, Rutherford and Bransfield (1991, cited in White 2006) also recommended restricting the area around portions of the tank trail to limited use for military and recreational impacts. 6

Management and monitoring strategies that have been identified for Parish s phacelia as part of the West Mojave Plan concentrate on purchasing occupied habitat within a 149-acre conservation area, prohibiting vehicle traffic on the playas that support populations of the species, and ensuring that new utility projects avoid known populations and provide restoration of playa habitat. Previous restoration efforts have included the salvage and redistribution of topsoil within disturbed areas. An annual monitoring program is also recommended (BLM 1999, 2005). Predicted Species Distribution in Plan Area Literature Cited There are 1,198,323 acres of modeled suitable habitat for Parish s phacelia in the Plan Area. Modeled suitable habitat occurs in the Mojave Desert from 1,700 to 4,000 feet. Suitable habitat includes scrub and riparian vegetation communities, as well as playas and desert dunes and sand flats. Appendix C includes specific model parameters and a figure showing the modeled suitable habitat in the Plan Area. 58 FR 51144 51190. Notice of Review: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species. September 30, 1993. BLM (Bureau of Land Management). 1999. Current Management Situation of Special Status Plants in the West Mojave Planning Area (Parish s Phacelia). BLM-California Manual Supplement 6840.06, p. 158. Accessed November 30, 2011. http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib//blm/ca/pdf/pdfs /cdd_pdfs.par.ae863836.file.pdf/pfp890295548.pdf. BLM. 2005. Final Environmental Impact Report and Statement for the West Mojave Plan. Volume 1, Chapters 2 and 3. Moreno Valley, California: BLM. January 2005. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/ fo/cdd/wemo.html. 7

Calflora. 2011. Phacelia parishii. The Calflora Database. Berkeley, California. Accessed November 19, 2011. http://www.calflora.org. CDFG (California Department of Fish and Game). 2012a. Phacelia parishii. Element Occurrence Query. California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). RareFind, Version 4.0 (Commercial Subscription). Sacramento, California: CDFG, Biogeographic Data Branch. Accessed February 2012. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/cnddb/mapsanddata.asp. CDFG. 2012b. Special Vascular Plants, Bryophytes, and Lichens List. California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). January 2012. Accessed. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/ cnddb/plants_and_animals.asp. CNPS (California Native Plant Society). 2011. Phacelia parishii. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants. Online ed. Version 8-01a. Sacramento, California: CNPS. Accessed November 19, 2011. http://www.rareplants.cnps.org/detail/1114.html. Hickman, J.C., ed. 1996. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. 3rd printing, with corrections. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Jepson Flora Project. 2011. Phacelia parishii. R. Patterson, L.M. Garrison, and D.R. Hansen. Jepson eflora [v. 1.0]. Berkeley, California: University of California. Accessed December 12, 2011. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/ijm.html. Smith, F.J. 1997. Current Knowledge and Conservation Status of Phacelia parishii A. Gray (Hydrophyllaceae) in Nevada. Status report prepared for the Nevada Natural Heritage Program and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada State Office. White, S.D. 2006. Parish s Phacelia. West Mojave Plan Species Accounts. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. January 2006. Accessed December 12, 2011. http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib//blm/ca/pdf/ pdfs/cdd_pdfs.par.deb1cb2b.file.pdf/parishphacelia1.pdf. 8

Species Range in California Utah Nevada Current Occurrence Point Historic and Unknown Occurrence Point Note: Occurrence point size graphically represents the precision level code for the data point but is not scaled geographically. Arizona Z:\Projects\CEC\j6668_DRECP\MAPDOC\MAPS\BaselineBioReport\SpeciesProfiles I January 15, 2011 0 12.5 25 Miles P a c i f i c O c e a n Sources: DRECP Species Occurrence Database (2011), CWHR (2008), CEC (2010), USGS (2010), ESRI (2010) Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) Baseline Biology Report MEXICO FIGURE SP-P23 Parish s Phacelia in the Plan Area (N=4)