Celebrating and conserving the ecological richness of California's grasslands
Grasslands are Home to Many Species of Plants and Animals
Grassland birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, pollinators and other animals depend on the resources grassland plants and spaces provide. Currently 73 grassland-associated species are listed by the state & federal Endangered Species Acts: 14 vertebrates and 59 plants, and 14 invertebrates, including 6 butterfly species.This count does not even include native pollinators and other plants and animals experiencing sharp declines.
Species Spotlights
Below are links to reprints from CNGA's Grasslands Journal and to other articles about important grassland plants and animals.
Birds
Species Spotlight: Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
Link: Grasshopper Sparrow, Common Bird in Steep Decline , Partners in Flight
Species Spotlight: White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)
Article: Managing California Grassland Ecosystems for Burrowing Owls
Species Spotlight: Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
Plants
Guide to the Coastal Plants of San Mateo County, by Mel Preston, Point Blue Conservation Science.
Forbs
Species Spotlight: Narrow-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)
Species Spotlight: Clustered Field Sedge (Carex praegracilis)
Species Spotlight: Dove Weed (Croton setiger) - Winter 2018
Species Spotlight: California Poppy, (Eschscholzia californica)
Species Spotlight: Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana)
Grasses
Species Spotlight: Fescue to the Rescue (Festuca californica, F. idahoensis, F. rubra, F. spp.)Species Spotlight: Small Fescue (Festuca microstachys)
Species Spotlight: Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens)
Species Spotlight: Sandberg Bluegrass, (Poa secunda)
Species Spotlight: Purple Needlegrass (Stipa pulchra)
Article: Grazing Nasella: Maintaining purple needlegrass in a sea of aggressive annuals. George MR, S Larson-Praplan, M Doran, KW Tate. 2013. Rangelands Vol 35. No. 2. (2013).
Insects
Species Spotlight: Ohlone Tiger Beetle (Cicindela ohlone)
Animals
Species Spotlight: California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense)
Species Spotlight: California Red-Legged Frog (Rana draytonii)