Irvine Ranch Conservancy
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate

Reviving a Rare Tree Species in Fremont Canyon

4/1/2016

 
Picture
Tecate cypress seedlings planted at the Fremont Canyon Staging Area need volunteer support to thrive.
​

The rare Tecate cypress needs fire to reproduce. The seed cones use fire as an ecological trigger to know when to release the seeds, a process which optimally happens every 30 years or longer. When mature trees burn, the cones pop open, and the seeds are released, germinate and become seedlings to replace the mature trees. However, if another fire happens before the young plants can mature, the grove is destroyed before new seeds can be produced.

The Tecate cypress (Hesperocyparis forbesii) is found only in Southern California and northern Baja California, and the northern-most grove is found in OC Parks’ Fremont Canyon Nature Preserve. This grove has been hit by too-frequent wildfires, nearly wiping out one of only four populations in California. Since 2010, Irvine Ranch Conservancy has been working with OC Parks, the Natural Communities Coalition, and US Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct research and restoration projects in support of this unique species. Now a new project allows members of the public to get involved in helping the rare Tecate cypress remain in the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks closer to home.

The original grove is in northern Fremont Canyon, near Cleveland National Forest. The grove is not easily accessible or visible, making it hard for visitors to catch a glimpse of this rare species. Irvine Ranch Conservancy scientists and volunteers have planted hundreds of Tecate cypress while conducting research on the most effective methods for restoring them in their natural habitat. Their research showed that seedlings grown in a nursery were more likely to survive than direct-planted seeds at the grove site. They also found that while varying the amount of supplemental water given to the plants had little effect on growth, large amounts of natural rainfall had a significant effect on the seedling strength.

Seedlings held in the nursery for more than a year did better than those planted after 6 months, so the Conservancy learned that seedlings could be held until the weather conditions were just right. With the current rainy season, seedlings not used at the project site are now being planted near the Fremont Staging Area, just east of Irvine Regional Park.

Since this site is much more accessible than the outer reaches of Fremont Canyon, more volunteers can get their hands dirty while helping this rare species. About 60 seedlings have been planted and will need ongoing maintenance to help them succeed. Volunteer activities will include hand-weeding and deep watering while the seedlings get established. Having a second small grove at the staging area will provide the people a chance to appreciate this iconic species and will, as plants mature, provide a safety net for them – if one grove is again affected by wildfire, seeds can still be harvested from the second location.
​
Monthly activities meeting at Irvine Regional Park are available for volunteers 12 and older. Pre-registration is required; all tools and training are provided. Click here for event dates, or visit LetsGoOutside.org/activities.
Picture
Irvine Ranch Conservancy staff and volunteers plant Tecate cypress seedlings in the ground in February at the Fremont Canyon Staging Area. Continued watering and weeding is needed to help the young trees thrive.

Comments are closed.

    About

    Welcome to the Irvine Ranch Conservancy "News from the Field" blog. These articles are written by Conservancy staff about activities and projects in and near the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. 

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    Agua Chinon
    Baker Canyon
    Big Canyon
    Birds
    Black Star Canyon
    Bommer Canyon
    Buck Gully
    City Of Irvine
    City Of Newport Beach
    Crystal Cove
    Dripping Springs
    Equestrian
    Family Friendly
    Fire
    Fire Watch
    Fremont Canyon
    Grasslands
    Habitat Restoration
    Hicks Haul Road
    Hiking & Fitness
    Interpretive
    Invasive Plants
    Irvine Open Space Preserve
    Irvine Ranch Open Space
    Irvine Regional Park
    Laguna Coast
    Limestone Canyon
    Mesa Loop
    Mountain Biking
    Native Plant Nursery
    Native Plants
    Native Seed Farm
    Nighttime
    OC Parks
    OC Zoo
    O'Neill Regional Park
    Orchard Hills
    Peters Canyon Regional Park
    Quail Hill
    Red Rocks
    Round Canyon
    Safety
    San Joaquin
    Santiago Oaks Regional Park
    Stewardship
    The Sinks
    Tracking
    Trails
    Trail Work
    Upper Newport Bay
    Volunteers
    Weir Canyon
    Wilderness Access Day
    Wildflowers
    Wildlife

    RSS Feed

Irvine Ranch Conservancy  •  4727 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620  •  714-508-4757  •  info@irconservancy.org

© 2016 Irvine Ranch Conservancy, All Rights Reserved.   Irvine Ranch Conservancy reserves all rights under copyright, including (without limitation) rights to photographs. No permission to copy or publish any portion of this web
site or any material posted on the website is granted without the express written permission of Irvine Ranch Conservancy. 
  • Home
    • Landmarks Blog
  • What We Do
    • Programs >
      • Habitat Restoration and Enhancement
      • Wildfire Prevention
      • Community Engagement and Education
      • Invasive Species Control
      • Plant Materials
      • Monitoring and Research
      • Planning and Infrastructure
      • Volunteer Management
    • Where We Work
    • About Us >
      • Meet the Team
      • Our Partners
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate