CNDDB News Blog

Erethizon dorsatum – North American porcupine

Submitted by Laura Cockrell, California Department of Fish and Wildlife

This special critter was observed sporting an eccentric hair style during a deer spotlighting survey in Glenn county. Porcupines are typically found in coniferous forests, creating dens out of roots, branches, rocks, or logs. They are nocturnal which is why spotlight surveys are a common detection method of this species. Their quills, which is their most distinguishable characteristic, can grow up to a foot long! They use these quills for self-defense by shaking and rattling them. If this noise isn’t effective, porcupines are known to charge backwards into predators. Ouch!

North American porcupines populations appear to be declining, possibly due to habitat loss, depredation, rodenticide, and low reproductive potential. Some perceive the porcupine as a nuisance to timber lands, but recent studies have found that their eating habits actually benefit ecosystem structure. Little is known about the distribution of this elusive species (they are known to rest up in trees – you may have to look up to find one!), so be sure to submit your sightings to us if you ever come across a porcupine! Currently, the database has 519 porcupine occurrences, mainly in northern California and throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains. Thank you, Laura, for snapping a shot of this unique species!

Astragalus brauntonii – Braunton's milk-vetch

Submitted by Zachary Abbey, Padre Associates, Inc.

This fuzzy perennial was found in riparian scrub in Ventura County. It is listed as a 1B.1 (rare or endangered in California and elsewhere, seriously endangered in California) in the California Rare Plant Ranking system. Astragalus brauntonii is endemic to California and occurs in chaparral, coastal scrub, and valley and foothill grasslands along the south west coastal region. When in bloom, during the months of January to August, it has spike-like inflorescences, each with 30 to 60 lilac colored flowers. Thank you, Zachary, for the hard work you do and the amazing photos you send our way!

Do you have some great photos of rare plants or wildlife detections? Submit them along with your findings through our Online Field Survey Form and see if your photos get showcased!

Presented by: Misty Nelson

CNDDB Lead Scientist Misty Nelson will present an overview of the rich history of the California Natural Diversity Database program, highlighting milestones and accomplishments from the past forty years. She will also examine some of the challenges associated with managing data for the most biodiverse state in the U.S., and will discuss upcoming changes and opportunities to keep the program relevant and regarded for decades to come.

Born and raised in the mountains of western Montana, Misty Nelson spent the first 20 years of her career as an itinerant biologist, working on research projects studying a wide range of species, from small mammals to large whales. She earned her M.S. from the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, where she studied the acoustic behavior of red grouper in the Gulf of Mexico, and spent several years working with the National Park Service on noise and light pollution issues. In 2015, she joined CDFW on a limited-term assignment to lead a large-scale biodiversity and terrestrial drought stressor monitoring project, and has served as the CNDDB Lead Scientist since December 2017.

Date: Monday, November 4th
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Location: First floor auditorium, 1416 9th Street, Sacramento (and via Skype)
Register to view online or in-person
Questions? Contact: Whitney Albright

In the “spirit” of the season, we wanted to highlight one of CNDDB’s spookiest species. Imagine wandering along a dark and secluded trail in the forest, a dense canopy of trees above you. You see a white patch on the ground out of the corner of your eye – is it a ghost? Sort of! Monotropa uniflora, a member of the Ericaceae family, is known by the common names ghost pipe, ghost plant, or Indian pipe.

As one might suspect from its ghostly pallor, these plants do not contain chlorophyll and therefore cannot produce their own nutrients. M. uniflora is a mycoheterotroph; they are parasites on underground fungi. In turn, these fungi obtain their nutrients by forming mycorrhizal relationships with tree roots, which means that there is a mutually beneficial exchange of resources between the fungi and tree roots. Therefore, M. uniflora plants are indirectly taking their nutrients from the nearby trees by stealing them from the fungi they are parasitizing. Since M. uniflora does not require direct sunlight and is closely associated with trees, it can be found in dark areas of the forest understory.

Although M. uniflora is widespread through much of Northern America, it is considered rare in California with a California Rare Plant Rank of 2B.2. Currently there are 100 occurrences of this species in CNDDB, all of which are restricted to the far northern coast of California in Del Norte and Humboldt counties. While M. uniflora populations tend to occur in remote and unpopulated areas, this does not mean they are immune to human-caused threats and disturbances. Due to the preference for forested habitats, the primary threat to M. uniflora in California is timber harvest operations.

If you happen to catch a glimpse of this elusive specter in California, don’t forget to submit your observation using the Online Field Survey Form!

Photo credit: Keir Morse