|
Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
|
|
Introductory
SPECIES: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea
ABBREVIATION :
PICMON
SYNONYMS :
NO-ENTRY
SCS PLANT CODE :
PIMO5
COMMON NAMES :
chaparral pea
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of chaparral pea is Pickeringia
montana Nutt. (Fabaceae) [16]. Pickeringia is a monotypic genus
[16,21]. There are two recognized subspecies: Pickeringia m. ssp.
montana and P. m. ssp. tomentosa (Abrams) Abrams. Pickeringia m. ssp.
tomentosa is distinguished by canescent young leaves and twigs [16].
LIFE FORM :
Shrub
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
Janet L. Howard, November 1992
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Howard, Janet L. 1992. Pickeringia montana. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Chaparral pea is endemic to California. It is distributed in the Coast
Ranges from the Santa Monica Mountains north to Mendocino County, and in
the foothills of the Sierra Nevada from Nevada County north to Butte
County. It is also found on Santa Cruz Island. Pickeringia montana
ssp. tomentosa occurs in the mountains of eastern San Diego County and
in the San Bernadino Mountains [16,20].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
STATES :
CA
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
CHIS LAVO PINN SAMO
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K029 California mixed evergreen forest
K030 California oakwoods
K033 Chaparral
K035 Coastal sagebrush
K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
SAF COVER TYPES :
234 Douglas-fir - tanoak - Pacific madrone
248 Knobcone pine
249 Canyon live oak
250 Blue oak - Digger pine
255 California coast live oak
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Chaparral pea occurs in mixed chaparral but is not usually dominant. It
may be a minor component of seral chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum)
chaparral or California mixed evergreen forest [9,12,16,24].
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Chaparral pea is important browse for black-tailed deer. They carefully
pick out leaves and flowers from among the thorny stems; flower
consumption is particularly heavy. Livestock rarely browse the
species [20].
PALATABILITY :
Chaparral pea browse is rated as excellent to good for black-tailed
deer, depending on the season and the number of sprouts available. It
is fair to poor browse for sheep and goats, poor for cattle, and useless
for horses [20].
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Protein levels in chaparral pea are notably higher than levels in most
chaparral shrubs during the early growth stages, and higher than average
during winter [20]. Analysis of chaparral pea leaves and stems yielded
the following results [2]:
Month Crude Protein (%)
February 8.1
April 19.2
May 18.1
June 14.3
July 11.5
August 11.4
September 6.1
October 7.5
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Fire depletes nitrogen from chaparral soils. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
within chaparral pea root nodules increase soil fertility [18,22].
Chaparral pea provides watershed protection [11].
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
NO-ENTRY
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Black-tailed deer rarely browse chaparral pea in dense older stands.
Heaviest use occurs on recent burns or mechanically treated brush
fields, where deer readily crop young sprouts [20]. Light disking of
mature chaparral pea increases available forage because plants sprout
wherever roots are exposed [23].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Chaparral pea is a native evergreen shrub from 1.6 to 6.6 feet (0.5-2 m)
in height. Branches are stiff and dense, with spine-tipped branchlets
[16]. The sclerophyllous leaves are 2 to 6 inches (5-15 cm) long. The
fruit is a legume containing 6 to 10 seeds. Root nodules are dense and
arranged in large clusters [13,22].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Phanerophyte
Cryptophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
The primary method of reproduction is vegetative. Most sources state
that chaparral pea spreads by sprouting from the roots [4,6,20,23].
Munz [16], however, stated that it spreads from rhizomes. Damaged
plants sprout from the roots and root crown [23,26].
Fruiting is rare [16,20]. Zedler [27] suggests that the few seeds that
do mature have high rates of sterility or low viability.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
The climate in which chaparral pea grows is Mediterranean, characterized
by wet, mild winters and hot, dry summers [19]. Soils are usually low
in fertility [5]. Soil pH varies from moderately to slightly acid
[8,19]. Soil parent materials include siliceous sandstone, siliceous
shale, serpentine, and diabase [26]. Chaparral pea occurs at elevations
from 2,000 to 5,000 feet (610-1,524 m). It is most commonly found on
ridgetops [3,13,23]
Plant associations: Overstory associates not listed under Distribution
and Occurrence include Tecate cypress (Cupressus forbesii), Sargent's
cypress (C. sargentii), bishop pine (Pinus muricata), Coulter pine (P.
coulteri), tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflora), and California bay
(Umbellularia californica) [26,27].
Common shrub associates include Eastwood manzanita (Arctostaphylos
glandulosa), chamise, wedgeleaf ceanothus (Ceanothus cuneatus),
chaparral whitethorn (C. leucodermis), birchleaf mountain-mahogany
(Cercocarpos betuloides), sawtooth goldenbush (Haplopappus squarrosus),
poison-oak (Toxicodendron diversilobium), hollyleaf cherry (Prunus
ilicifolia), California scrub oak (Quercus dumosa), and chaparral yucca
(Yucca whipplei) [9,26].
Herbaceous associates are rare in mature chaparral stands but are common
following disturbance in the plant community [5]. Common herbaceous
associates include California goldenrod (Solidago californica), chaparral
pentstemon (Pentstemon heterophyllus), common soap-plant (Chlorogalum
pomeridianum), dove lupine (Lupinus bicolor), wild oat (Avena fatua),
ripgut brome (Bromus rigidus), soft chess (B. mollis), foothill stipa
(Stipa lepida), and smallflower milicgrass (Melica imperfecta) [19,26].
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Facultative Seral Species
Ecologists disgree as to the successional status of mixed chaparral. It
has been variously described as climax [7], fire-climax [4], or fire
subclimax [24]. Chaparral pea is a component of mature, mixed chaparral
communities [4,24]. Following fire or other disturbance, it is a
survivor, repopulating the initial community from sprouts [4]. Seedling
colonization following disturbance is largely unstudied. Chaparral pea
has tentatively been classified as having a low to intermediate rate of
seedling establishment in secondary succession [28]. In the absence of
fire or other disturbance, chaparral pea and associated chaparral shrubs
are replaced by oak woodland or coniferous forest [24].
Since chaparral pea grows in mixed evergreen forest, it is probably
moderately shade tolerant.
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Chaparral pea begins growth in February [11]. Plants flower from May
through June [16].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Chaparral pea has adapted to fire by sprouting from the roots and
root crown following damage to aboveground portions of the plant
[4,20,23,26].
Prior to fire suppression, mixed chaparral burned at fairly frequent
intervals. Most chaparral shrubs, presumably including chaparral pea,
recover quickly from fire. Litter accumulation in mixed chaparral is
often heavy [12]. Consequently, these mixed stands are able to carry
fire after only a few years of postfire growth [18]. Frequent fire kept
chaparral pea and associated shrubs at a young stage of development.
Because of this periodic fuel consumption, chaparral fires usually did
not burn with the intensity of the fires of today [4].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Small shrub, adventitious-bud root crown
Geophyte, growing points deep in soil
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Moderate-severity fire usually top-kills chaparral pea [18]. Plant
mortality due to such fire is low to intermediate [28]. The percentage
of complete kill varies by season. Spring or early summer fire, when
carbohydrate reserves are depleted by rapid topgrowth, causes higher
mortality than does late summer or fall fire [18].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Data pertaining to postfire density, frequency, or growth rate of
chaparral pea sprouts were not found in the literature. Sclerophyllous
shrubs, including chaparral pea, typically sprout within a few weeks
following fire [7]. Sprouts grow most rapidly after late summer or fall
fires. Shrub canopy generally closes within 10 years postfire [18].
Postfire chaparral pea seedling recruitment appears to be scant. Zedler
[27] initially stated that the species did not colonize burn areas.
Later, he found that postfire colonization occurred but was rare [28].
One study of postfire recovery of mixed chaparral, conducted in
southwest San Diego County, showed a density of 4.6 chaparral pea
seedlings per square yard (3.8 plants/sq m) at the first postfire
growing season. Seedling mortality was 64 percent in the first year
[11].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Deer management: Prescribed spring fire was used successfully in Lake
County to improve deer habitat. Openings and "edge" were created in
formerly dense chaparral brush. Browse quality was improved by the
sprouting of top-killed shrubs, including chaparral pea. A year
following the fire, the ratio of fawns to does increased greatly, and
weight gain in bucks was improved, especially in young animals [3].
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Pickeringia montana | Chaparral Pea
REFERENCES :
1. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
[434]
2. Bissell, Harold D.; Strong, Helen. 1955. The crude protein variations in
the browse diet of California deer. California Fish and Game. 41(2):
145-155. [10524]
3. Biswell, H. H. 1958. The use of fire in California chaparral for game
habitat improvement. In: Proceedings: Society of American Foresters
meeting; 1957 November 10-13; Syracuse, NY. Washington, DC: Society of
American Foresters: 151-155. [12149]
4. Biswell, Harold H. 1974. Effects of fire on chaparral. In: Kozlowski, T.
T.; Ahlgren, C. E., eds. Fire and ecosystems. New York: Academic Press:
321-364. [14542]
5. Biswell, H. H.; Taber, R. D.; Hedrick, D. W.; Schultz, A. M. 1952.
Management of chamise brushlands for game in the north coast region of
California. California Fish and Game. 38(4): 453-484. [13673]
6. Conrad, C. Eugene. 1987. Common shrubs of chaparral and associated
ecosystems of southern California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-99. Berkeley, CA:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest
and Range Experiment Station. 86 p. [4209]
7. Cooper, W. S. 1922. The broad-sclerophyll vegetation of California.
Publ. No. 319. Washington, DC: The Carnegie Institution of Washington.
145 p. [6716]
8. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
9. Gardner, Robert A. 1958. Soil-vegetation associations in the redwood -
Douglas-fir zone of California. In: Proceedings, 1st North American
forest soils conference; [Date of conference unknown]; East Lansing, MI.
East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Agricultural Experiment
Station: 86-101. [12581]
10. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
11. Gautier, Clayton R. 1983. Sedimentation in burned chaparral watersheds:
is emergency revegetation justified?. Water Resources Bulletin. 19(5):
793-802. [4633]
12. Holland, Robert F. 1986. Preliminary descriptions of the terrestrial
natural communities of California. Sacramento, CA: California Department
of Fish and Game. 156 p. [12756]
13. Jepson, Willis Linn. 1925. A manual of the flowering plants of
California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1238. [19365]
14. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
15. Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession
following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall
Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council
fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No.
14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373. [1496]
16. Munz, Philip A. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press. 1905 p. [6155]
17. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
18. Rundel, Philip W. 1986. Structure and function in California chaparral.
Fremontia. 14(3): 3-10. [18650]
19. Sampson, Arthur W. 1944. Plant succession on burned chaparral lands in
northern California. Bull. 65. Berkeley, CA: University of California,
College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station. 144 p. [2050]
20. Sampson, Arthur W.; Jespersen, Beryl S. 1963. California range
brushlands and browse plants. Berkeley, CA: University of California,
Division of Agricultural Sciences, California Agricultural Experiment
Station, Extension Service. 162 p. [3240]
21. Schmida, Avi; Barbour, Mitchel. 1982. A comparison of two types of
Mediterranean scrub in Israel and California. In: Conrad, C. Eugene;
Oechel, Walter C., technical coordinators. Proceedings of the symposium
on dynamics and management of Mediterranean-type ecosystems; 1981 June
22-26; San Diego, CA. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-58. Berkeley, CA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and
Range Experiment Station: 100-106. [6014]
22. Schultz, A. M.; Biswell, H. H.; Vlamis, J. 1958. Responses of brush
seedlings to fertilizers. California Fish and Game. 44(4): 335-348.
[6274]
23. Taber, Richard D.; Dasmann, Raymond F. 1958. The black-tailed deer of
the chaparral: Its life history and management in the North Coast Range
of California. Game Bulletin No. 8. Sacramento, CA: State of California,
Department of Fish and Game, Game Management Branch. 166 p. [16312]
24. Thorne, Robert F. 1976. The vascular plant communities of California.
In: Latting, June, ed. Symposium proceedings: plant communities of
southern California; 1974 May 4; Fullerton, CA. Special Publication No.
2. Berkeley, CA: California Native Plant Society: 1-31. [3289]
25. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573]
26. Wells, Philip V. 1962. Vegetation in relation to geological substratum
and fire in the San Luis Obispo Quadrangle, California. Ecological
Monographs. 32(1): 79-103. [14183]
27. Zedler, Paul H. 1977. Life history attributes of plants and the fire
cycle: a case study in chaparral dominated by Cupressus forbesii. In:
Mooney, Harold A.; Conrad, C. Eugene, technical coordinators. Symposium
on the environmental consequences of fire and fuel management on
Menditerranean ecosystems: Proceedings; 1977 August 1-5; Palo Alto, CA.
Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-3. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service: 451-458. [4876]
28. Zedler, Paul H. 1981. Vegetation change in chaparral and desert
communities in San Diego County, California. In: West, D. C.; Shugart,
H. H.; Botkin, D. B., eds. Forest succession: Concepts and application.
New York: Springer-Verlag: 406-430. [4241]
Index
Related categories for Species: Pickeringia montana
| Chaparral Pea
|
 |
