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Plant/Animal Surveys
Network members do plant and
animal surveys to assess the health of the areas they are working to
protect. Plant and animal surveys can include counting the number of
invasive weeds on a small area of river bottom or following the trail
of a mountain lion through a canyon. For example, Network member the
San Diego Tracking Team
has conducted an ongoing study for the past 10 years to monitor the
wildlife of major open space areas and other critical habitat in San
Diego County through the use of periodic track and sign count transects.
Definition: transects - Because it is not possible
to count every plant or animal in large areas, transects are smaller
pre-determined areas defined to provide a sampling of the proportion
or ratio of organisms within a given community or to measure interest
in a specific location. If the goal is a statistical sampling, instead
of counting each and every animal, volunteer surveyors note the presence
of certain key species and measure the variability of populations to
look for change over time. The San Diego Tracking Team is often interested
in knowing what animals may be in a particular area. For the San Diego
Tracking Team, transects are typically a segment of established trail
averaging one mile in length. Each transect is monitored quarterly by
a trained tracker with the assistance of volunteers. There are three
types of transects for animal tracking: 1.) Large habitat sampling:
usually of the longer variety, it samples a large contiguous block of
open space. 2.) Corridor sample: usually across or through a restricted
corridor that, even though narrow, facilitates wildlife movement between
larger habitat areas. Corridors can be geographically formed (canyons
or low points/saddles between peaks) or caused by development. 3.) Tunnels/Underpasses:
where a road or highway bisects an open space area and tunnels, culverts
or bridges built over washes, etc. facilitate wildlife movement.
Preceding each quarterly transect monitoring period, the Tracking Team
holds a free 6-hour volunteer training. The training includes basic
track, sign, and habitat recognition, as well as details on the implementation
of survey protocol, and is required for survey volunteers. It is expected
that trainees will also participate in at least one wildlife survey
transect (usually averaging 4 hours) at locations around San Diego County.
See the Team’s website for more details: sdtt.org.
The Friends
of Penasquitos Canyon conduct yearly surveys of endangered plants
in the Preserve. These surveys have identified threats to these species
such as off-trail incursions and invasive weeds, both of which have
been effectively dealt with through the help of volunteers. Dozens of
volunteers help with these surveys and work related to these species;
additional volunteers are always welcome! The Friends have one of the
longest and best data sets on these species, data sets that have been
shared with and published as part of the City
of San Diego's Multiple Species Conservation Program annual reports
and shared with academic researchers. None of this could have occurred
without the help of volunteers.
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