eucalyptus

Over 200 species planted in the states in the last hundred plus years. A few became invasive and now I'm dealing with what was once hope for economic prosperity. This water sucking tree is right at home at the Reserve. It's not all bad. The little research that has been done doesn't make this species out to be the demon of all invasive species. In fact, a eucalyptus forest may support a diversity of species comparable to an oak forest (see Elkhorn Slough's Coastal Training Program references on Eucalyptus, http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/). This is a bit dangerous to say; nevertheless it's the truth and we need facts to help inform decisions.

What I'm most concerned about is that these trees have been used to dry wetlands. I'm also concerned with fire, but we won't get into fire right now. Back to wetlands. . .one restoration strategy is to remove eucalyptus from around important freshwater wetlands that support listed species such as the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, California red-legged frog, and Western pond turtle. All of whom use a particular freshwater pond on the Reserve called Cattail Swale.

In hopes of securing as much freshwater as possible for Cattail Swale, we have begun the process of removing eucalyptus saplings from an adjacent upland canyon. By saplings I mean anything less than 12 inches diameter at breast height (DBH). Even these small trees take time and care to remove. Each stump is treated with herbicide so it won't grow back (at least I hope not).

For almost every eucalyptus removed, a coast live oak grows underneath. My long-term goal is to help this particular canyon above Cattail Swale return to native coast live oak forest. It won't be difficult. It WANTS to be a coast live oak forest. The pieces are already there. There's just one piece that doesn't really fit. Yep. The eucs don't belong here.