A third of California is privately-owned forestland, woodland or grassland. From redwood forests on the north coast to oak savannas in the foothills, these “working wildlands” harbor native plants and animals and natural resources that shape California’s cultural and economic identity. The agricultural goods produced in these landscapes feed into a global market – from beef and dairy to building materials. Rangelands also help recharge groundwater. Healthy forests enhance water quality.
Harvest practices that are unsustainable, however, or conversion of these landscapes to more intensive land uses, can degrade habitats and reduce the flow of important benefits to people.
Working wildlands are what keep California stitched together ecologically. Their continued economic viability is key to the persistence of the ecological benefits they provide. Conservancy scientists work to figure out how to protect and enhance the function of these landscapes – as a critical network for nature.
Science in Action
Terrestrial | Technology
Monitoring Rangelands from Above
Can satellite monitoring replace in-person monitoring of conservation lands?
Freshwater | Terrestrial | Science
High Time for Conservation
How can science help us understand – and address – the environmental impacts of cannabis cultivation?
2018 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Toward a Carbon Neutral California: Economic and Climate Benefits of Land Use Interventions
David C. Marvin, Dick Cameron, Erik Nelson, Andrew Plantinga, Justin Breck, Gokce Sencan, Michelle Passero
Ecosystems can increase carbon storage under alternative management techniques and land use patterns. But the magnitude, timing, and spatial heterogeneity is uncertain. Assessing the potential and…
2018 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Oren Pollak Memorial Research Fund - 2019 RFP
The Oren Pollak Memorial Research Fund was established in 2000 in memory of Dr. Oren Pollak, a leading grassland ecologist and restoration pioneer, as well as an ardent champion and mentor for…
2018 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Waterbird response to variable-timing of drawdown in rice fields after winter-flooding
Kristen Sesser, Monica Iglecia, Matthew Reiter, Khara Strum, Catherine Hickey, Rodd Kelsey, Daniel Skalos
Over 50% of waterbird habitat in the Central Valley of California is provided by flooded agricultural land. Each year non-breeding waterbird habitat decreases in the late winter as flooded…
2018 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Marine | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
Conserving California's Coastal Habitats: A Legacy and a Future with Sea Level Rise
Walter N. Heady, Brian S. Cohen, Mary G. Gleason, Joshua N. Morris, Sarah G. Newkirk, Kirk R. Klausmeyer, Hilary R. Walecka, Elizabeth Gagneron
Sea level rise presents a new challenge to coastal conservation. The authors quantified and mapped the vulnerability of habitats, imperiled species, and conservation lands to sea level rise throughout…
2018 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Impact of extreme drought and incentive programs on flooded agriculture and wetlands in California’s Central Valley
Matthew E. Reiter, Nathan K. Elliott, Dennis Jongsomjit, Gregory H. Golet, Mark D. Reynolds
In the Central Valley of California, with 90% of the historic wetlands gone, waterbirds depend upon managed wetlands and seasonally flooded agriculture to meet their habitat needs. The 2013-2015…
2017 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Ecosystem management and land conservation can substantially contribute to California’s climate mitigation goals
D. Richard Cameron, David C. Marvin, Jonathan M. Remucal, Michelle C. Passero
Combatting climate change will require using all available tools, especially those that contribute to other societal and economic goals, such as natural resource protection and energy security.…
2017 | Terrestrial | Technology | Science | Publications & Reports
Novel fine-scale aerial mapping approach quantifies grassland weed cover dynamics and response to management
Carolyn M. Malmstrom, H. Scott Butterfield, Laura Planck, Christopher W. Long, Valerie T. Eviner
Invasive weeds threaten the biodiversity and forage productivity of grasslands worldwide. However, management of these weeds is constrained by the practical difficulty of detecting small-scale…
2017 | Terrestrial | Planning | Microsite
The Bay Area Greenprint
Carrie Schloss, Elizabeth O'Donoghue, Christa Cassidy, Tom Robinson, Serena Unger, Adam Garcia, Dan Rademacher
The Bay Area Greenprint tool provides land use and infrastructure agencies, consultants, and advocates easily accessible, interpretable, and scientifically robust information on habitat and ecosystem…
2017 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Publications & Reports
Market-Based Mechanisms For Securing Environmental Water In California
California’s water supply is becoming increasingly unreliable. During dry times, consumptive use often outstrips supplies. As a result, people and nature suffer. This imbalance of supply and…
2017 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Oren Pollak Memorial Research Fund - 2017 Annual Report
The Oren Pollak Memorial Research Fund was established in 2000 in memory of Dr. Oren Pollak, a leading grassland ecologist and restoration pioneer, as well as an ardent champion and mentor for…
2017 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Planning | Publications & Reports
Informing watershed planning and policy in the Truckee River basin through stakeholder engagement, scenario development, and impact evaluation
Kristen Wilson, Erik Lowe, Stacey Wolny, Barry Nickel , Rodd Kelsey
This study demonstrates how science-based planning with stakeholder input can improve and direct conservation investments across existing state and jurisdictional boundaries. The authors set out to…
2016 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Oren Pollak Memorial Research Fund - 2016 Annual Report
The Oren Pollak Memorial Research Fund provides student researchers with the funds necessary to pursue their studies and complete important research in grassland science. The Fund was…
2016 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Historic and Recent Winter Sandhill Crane Distribution in California
Gary L. Ivey, Caroline P. Herziger, David A. Hardt, Gregory H. Golet
Understanding the geographic distribution and long-term dynamics of Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) foraging areas and night roost sites is fundamental to their conservation and management. The…
2015 | Terrestrial | Publications & Reports
Carbon Implications of Fuel Reduction and Ecological Restoration Treatments in Sierra Nevada Forests
Derek Young
A century of fire suppression has dramatically altered the structure and composition of western U.S. forests. When dense, fire-suppressed forests experience wildfire, they often burn severely. To…
2014 | Terrestrial | Planning | Blogs
New Study: Where Have All The Rangelands Gone?
Matt Miller, Dick Cameron
2014 | Terrestrial | Maps & Webmaps
California Rangeland Conversion webmap
This webmap shows regions of California converted from rangeland land use to development, intensive agriculture, or other miscellaneous land uses between 1984 and 2008. See related publication…
2014 | Terrestrial | Planning | Publications & Reports
Whither the Rangeland?: Protection and Conversion of California’s Rangeland Ecosystems
Cameron DR, Marty J, Holland RF
This study assesses the amount of rangeland conversion between 1984 and 2008 in California. The researchers analyzed data from the California Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program to see where…