Bay checkerspot butterfly
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The Bay checkerspot (''Euphydryas editha bayensis'') is a
butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...
region of the U.S. state of
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. It is a federally
threatened species Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...
, as a
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of ''
Euphydryas editha Edith's checkerspot (''Euphydryas editha'') is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is a resident species of western North America and among the subspecies, entomologists have long been intrigued by their many phenotypic variation ...
''. Since the 1980s the population of checkerspots, the ''
Euphydryas ''Euphydryas'' is a genus of Nymphalidae butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly ...
'' species and
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
, has been in serious decline. This particular subspecies had been the subject of extensive study by researchers at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
since the 1960s. Thus its vulnerability, particularly in light of rapid land development taking place in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
, was recognized by this group of researchers. Consequently, in 1980 they petitioned the U.S. government to list this checkerspot subspecies as endangered. This led to a prolonged and contentious review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service involving scientists representing arguments for and others against listing and numerous public hearings. The service finally conferred federally threatened status designation in 1987.35366 Federal Register, Vol. 52. No. 181. September 18, 1987 Recently, two authors have advocated a reclassification for this subspecies of the checkerspot common to western North America, ''Euphydryas editha''. The classification, to ''Euphydryas editha editha'', is for reasons of historical precedence;Proposed Rule--Critical Habitats
(
PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
), Oct. 16, 2001, ''Federal Register''.
however, this has not been accepted by the scientific community.


Description

The Bay checkerspot butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of slightly more than . As a member of the family Nymphalidae the checkerspot is part of a group of brush-footed butterflies. The insect's forewings are marked with black bands along the veins of the wing's upper surface. It is the black banding that gives the Bay checkerspot its unique appearance and its name. The bands contrast sharply with bright red, yellow and white spots.Bay Checkerspot Butterfly
, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Field Office.
The Bay checkerspot differs from other checkerspots, with characteristics differing: * from the LuEsther's checkerspot ('' Euphydryas editha luestherae'') by being darker, it also lacks the relatively uninterrupted red band on the outer wing which the LuEsther's checkerspot has. * from the island checkerspot ('' Euphydryas editha insularis'') by being not as dark and brighter red and yellow than, which lives on the
Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
and nearby mainland. * from other subspecies such as the Quino checkerspot ('' Euphydryas editha quino'') or the Mono Lake checkerspot (''
Euphydryas editha monoensis ''Euphydryas'' is a genus of Nymphalidae butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly ...
'') by having black bands that give the Bay checkerspot a much more checkered appearance than they have.Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area
(
PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
), 443 pages, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The subspecies was first described, as ''Euphydryas editha var. bayensis'', by
Robert F. Sternitzky Robert F. Sternitzky (August 25, 1891 - May 1980) was a United States lepidopterist and illustrator. Butterfly and moth specimens he collected are in a number of collections, including those of the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Essig Mu ...
in 1937.


Life cycle

Adult butterflies emerge in early spring. The adults, which live an average of ten days emerge during a six-week period from late February to early May. The male Bay checkerspot typically emerges four to eight days before the female. The males have one goal, reproduction. They find and mate with a female immediately upon emerging. The male mates many times while most females mate only once during the flight season. Besides mating the adults spend time foraging for nectar and for the females, laying eggs. The eggs are usually laid in March and April. The adult female will lay up to five masses of eggs which contain 2 to 250 eggs each. The eggs are deposited at the base of the dwarf plantain plant or less frequently the owl's clover or paintbrush. The eggs take about ten days to hatch and upon emergence from the eggs the
larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...
e grow for a period of two weeks or more during which they shed their skin until they reach their fourth
instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...
. Any larvae that successfully enters the fourth instar enter a period of
diapause In animal dormancy, diapause is the delay in development in response to regular and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions.Tauber, M.J., Tauber, C.A., Masaki, S. (1986) ''Seasonal Adaptations of Insects''. Oxford University Press It ...
that lasts through the entire summer. During diapause they spend time under rocks or within cracks in the soil. When the
diapause In animal dormancy, diapause is the delay in development in response to regular and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions.Tauber, M.J., Tauber, C.A., Masaki, S. (1986) ''Seasonal Adaptations of Insects''. Oxford University Press It ...
ends they resume activity, feeding and move to complete their development into adult Bay checkerspot butterflies.


Diet

While the larvae are dependent on the host plants, mostly the dwarf plantain, for sustenance the adult butterflies live on nectar. They feed on a variety of plants associated with
serpentine Serpentine may refer to: Shapes * Serpentine shape, a shape resembling a serpent * Serpentine curve, a mathematical curve * Serpentine, a type of riding figure Science and nature * Serpentine subgroup, a group of minerals * Serpentinite, a ...
grasslands. Some of these plants include
California goldfields ''Lasthenia californica'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name California goldfields. It is native to western North America. Description ''L. californica'' is an annual herb approaching a maximum he ...
,
white turtlehead ''Chelone glabra'', or white turtlehead, is a herbaceous species of plant native to North America. Its native range extends from Georgia to Newfoundland and Labrador and from Mississippi to Manitoba. Its common name comes from the appearance of ...
,
desert parsley A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one ...
, scytheleaf onion,
false babystars False or falsehood may refer to: *False (logic), the negation of truth in classical logic * Lie or falsehood, a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement *false (Unix), a Unix command * ''False'' (album), a 1992 album by Gorefest *M ...
,
intermediate fiddleneck Intermediate may refer to: * Intermediate 1 or Intermediate 2, educational qualifications in Scotland * Intermediate (anatomy), the relative location of an anatomical structure lying between two other structures: see Anatomical terms of location ...
and others. Female fecundity is dramatically affected by nectar availability.


Habitat

This subspecies of butterfly faces declining habitat which has contributed to its placement onto the list of federally threatened species. Like other endangered and threatened species of butterflies, in and around the Bay Area, the checkerspot is faced with rapid human development of areas once considered prime habitat. Development and the proliferation of
invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
, exotic non-natives that naturalize in the area, are two of the three most grave threats to this and several other species of butterfly. The greatest threat to the butterfly is likely the increasing emission of
nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
in California.


Range

The historic range of the checkerspot included many areas around the
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...
. Most of the San Francisco peninsula, mountains near San Jose,
Oakland Hills Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
and several locales around Alameda County were once home to populations of the butterfly. The butterfly occurred in areas east, west and south of the Bay, from
Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cance ...
to
Mount Diablo Mount Diablo is a mountain of the Diablo Range, in Contra Costa County, California, Contra Costa County of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California. It is south of Clayton, California, Clayton and northeast of Danville, Califo ...
in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
, all the way south to Hollister. Many of these areas no longer support the subspecies as development of the area increased throughout the 20th century. Today the only known populations inhabit
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring Sa ...
. Disturbances, specifically the altered regimes of these disturbances (i.e. lack of fire) have, along with invasive grassland plants, induced decline in the population of the host plants. The current range is much reduced and patchy at that. Of all occurrences of the butterfly known when the subspecies was listed as threatened in 1987, all in
San Mateo County San Mateo County ( ), officially the County of San Mateo, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 764,442. Redwood City is the county seat, and the third most populated city following Daly ...
have disappeared. A reintroduction of 1000 larvae to Edgewood Park in February 2007 did not result in a re-establishment of a population at this location. The subspecies was last observed at
San Bruno Mountain San Bruno Mountain is horst fault block mountain located in northern San Mateo County, California; with some northern slopes crossing over into southern San Francisco, it is also surrounded by San Francisco Bay and the cities of Brisbane, Colma ...
in 1985 and at
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve The Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve is a nature preserve and biological field station formally established as a reserve in 1973. The biological preserve is owned by Stanford University, and is located at south of Sand Hill Road and west of Int ...
in 1998. All remaining known populations of the butterfly are in Santa Clara County. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends that any area of appropriate habitat within the historic range should be considered "potentially occupied". One site in Santa Clara County that has a large source population, that may number in the hundreds of thousands, is near the city of
Morgan Hill Morgan Hill is a city in Santa Clara County, California, at the southern tip of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Morgan Hill is an affluent residential community, the seat of several high-tech companies, and a dining, entertainmen ...
on a ridge line currently called Coyote Ridge; much of this was acquired by the
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) is an independent special district in Santa Clara County, California, U.S. A bill signed by Governor Wilson in 1992, SB2027, created the district as the Santa Clara County Open Space Preserve a ...
and is scheduled to open in 2018 as
Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve" is an publicly owned park in southern Santa Clara County. It is currently undergoing restoration and infrastructure work and is scheduled to open to the public in 2018. Environment Because of its rare serpenti ...
. In the area of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve local populations were deemed extinct in 1998. The populations of butterflies at Jasper Ridge had been the subject of intensive study and research at the lead of Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich. Ehrlich had studied the Jasper Ridge populations since 1960 and researchers were able to examine 70 years of climate data and conclude that gigantic fluctuations in local climate probably hastened the demise of the Jasper Ridge Bay checkerspot populations. Ehrlich contends that prior to Spanish settlement of California the Bay checkerspots were almost certainly ubiquitous in California. It was the inadvertent import of invasive plant species in the hay that settlers fed cattle that brought unnatural competition for the native plants that sustained the Bay checkerspot. The butterfly and its host plants thrive in areas with
serpentine soil Serpentine soil is an uncommon soil type produced by weathered ultramafic rock such as peridotite and its metamorphic derivatives such as serpentinite. More precisely, serpentine soil contains minerals of the serpentine subgroup, especially anti ...
, soils derived from the
serpentinite Serpentinite is a rock composed predominantly of one or more serpentine group minerals, the name originating from the similarity of the texture of the rock to that of the skin of a snake. Serpentinite has been called ''serpentine'' or ''ser ...
mineral, and other
ultramafic Ultramafic rocks (also referred to as ultrabasic rocks, although the terms are not wholly equivalent) are igneous and meta-igneous rocks with a very low silica content (less than 45%), generally >18% MgO, high FeO, low potassium, and are composed ...
rocks. The habitat has been described as consisting of three general types. Type one is the primary habitat which occurs on native grasslands located upon very large serpentine outcroppings. Type two is secondary or "satellite" habitat "islands" which occur in native grasslands on smaller serpentine outcrops. These satellites are typically generating very robust populations of Bay checkerspots in favorable weather with good habitat conditions. Type three are the tertiary habitats. These areas are where both Bay checkerspot larva and the plants they feed on occur in non serpentine soils with similarities to serpentine derived soil. The possible reclassification of ''Euphydryas editha bayensis'' would indicate a change in range for the Bay checkerspot because of several populations of checkerspot butterflies whose subspecific status has been uncertain. If the nomenclature change was accepted it could represent a range extension for the threatened butterfly.


Host plants

The Bay checkerspot depends upon plants in two different genera as a larva. The primary host plant is of the genus '' Plantago'' while the secondary host plants occur in the genus '' Castilleja''.


''Plantago erecta''

''
Plantago erecta ''Plantago erecta'' is a flowering plant in the plantain family, commonly known as the California plantain, foothill plantain, dot-seed plantain, English plantain, and dwarf plantain. ''Plantago erecta'' is a small, unassuming annual herb with n ...
'', or dwarf plantain, is one of the primary host plants in the genus '' Plantago'' for the Bay checkerspot butterfly. In many years, the plantain dries up causing the checkerspot larvae to seek a secondary host plant. ''P. erecta'' is native to California and only found in western North America. As the primary host plant for the Bay checkerspot, it is an important species for conservation of the butterfly. ''P. erecta'' is known variously as California plantain, English plantain, foothill plantain, dotseed plantain, and dwarf plantain. It is typically found in
coastal sage scrub Coastal sage scrub, also known as coastal scrub, CSS, or soft chaparral, is a low scrubland plant community of the California coastal sage and chaparral subecoregion, found in coastal California and northwestern coastal Baja California. It is w ...
, foothill
woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
, and
chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
s.


''Castilleja exserta''

''
Castilleja exserta ''Castilleja exserta'' (formerly ''Orthocarpus purpurascens'') is a species of plant in the genus ''Castilleja'' which includes the Indian paintbrushes. Its common names include purple owl's clover, escobita, and exserted Indian paintbrush. Thi ...
'' is known by a handful of common names: exserted Indian paintbrush, sometimes red owl's clover, or purple Indian paintbrush. It is one of two secondary larval host plants of the butterfly that remains edible later in the season and acts as a backup when the dwarf plantain dries up. The plant can grow up to in height. It prefers mesas, slopes and open areas in ponderosa pine forests and poppy fields at elevations from 1,500 to 4,500 feet (1,370 m). The flowers bloom from March to May and are about 1.25 inches long (32 mm) and formed in dense spikes, they are magenta or purple on the lower corolla lips and have yellow or white tips. The
bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
, modified leaves, are a reddish purple and hold five to seven lobes, each about one inch long (25 mm).Purple, Mojave or Common Owl's Clover
, Colby-Sawyer College.
It ranges from middle to southern California, into southern Arizona and northern Mexico.Purple Owl's Clover
, Wildflowers, Marin County Open Space District.
The plant's original classification, ''Orthocarpus purpurascens'', has been shown, after careful study, to have been incorrect. Study showed that it belonged to the genus '' Castilleja''.


''Castilleja densiflora''

''C. densiflora'', commonly referred to as purple owl's clover is the second of two secondary larval host plants of the butterfly. Similar to ''C. exersta'', it often remains green later into the spring than the butterfly's primary host plant. The plant is generally between in height and grows in small colonies. Flowers can be observed between April and July. Flowers are pink/purple to white/yellow with five petals with white lobes that form a yellow "beak" and "eyespots" on the lower lip, which resembles the face of an owl. The species can be found in a variety of habitats including: foothill woodland, mixed evergreen forest,
northern coastal scrub Northern coastal scrub is a scrubland plant community of California and Oregon. It occurs along the Pacific Coast from Point Sur on the Central California coast in Monterey County, California, to southern Oregon. It frequently forms a landscape mo ...
,
chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
,
yellow pine forest Ponderosa pine forest is a plant association and plant community dominated by ponderosa pine and found in western North America. It is found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast Ranges in the Western United States and Western Canada. In ...
, and native
grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...
.


Habitat conservation

The Bay checkerspot butterfly is the subject of a number of conservation programs, both private and public. Some of the more notable projects are headed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
. On September 11, 1984, the USFWS proposed that 8,300 acres (34 km2) in five sites be declared " critical habitat" for the Bay checkerspot. Areas included
San Bruno Mountain San Bruno Mountain is horst fault block mountain located in northern San Mateo County, California; with some northern slopes crossing over into southern San Francisco, it is also surrounded by San Francisco Bay and the cities of Brisbane, Colma ...
, Edgewood County Park and its adjacent watershed lands, Redwood City, between the boundary with
Woodside Woodside may refer to: Places and buildings Australia *Woodside, South Australia, a town *Woodside, Victoria, a town Canada *Woodside National Historic Site, the boyhood home of William Lyon Mackenzie King *Woodside, Nova Scotia, a neighborho ...
, Jasper Ridge and Coyote Ridge in the Morgan Hill zone. The USFWS has identified several of these areas as core habitat areas, which it considers essential to the survival of the subspecies. These areas include some of those mentioned above and others. Areas along the Coyote Ridge, including Kirby, Metcalf, San Felipe, Silver Creek Hills have been designated "core habitat areas." An area of 1,100 acres (4 km2) in the
Santa Teresa Hills The Santa Teresa Hills are a range of mountains in Santa Clara County, California, located primarily in the city of San Jose. They separate the San Jose neighborhoods of Almaden Valley to the west and Santa Teresa to the east. Geography The ra ...
has been labeled a "potential core area" by the Wildlife Service. The service also denotes some other areas, near core populations, of good quality, meaning suitable habitat.
Tulare Hill Tulare Hill is a prominent hill in the Santa Teresa Hills of western Santa Clara County, California. It lies along the southernmost edge of San Jose, California, adjacent to the Metcalf Energy Center. The hill and surrounding of serpentine gr ...
is one of those areas and, along with the Santa Teresa Hills and Redwood City, is considered a "stepping stone".


Nitrogen effect

One of the interesting dynamics of conservation of this butterfly is associated with increased
nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
through air pollution. Increased nitrogen increases the fertility of
serpentine soil Serpentine soil is an uncommon soil type produced by weathered ultramafic rock such as peridotite and its metamorphic derivatives such as serpentinite. More precisely, serpentine soil contains minerals of the serpentine subgroup, especially anti ...
s, soils naturally low in nitrogen. This increased fertility allows invasive plants to thrive and exclude the nectar sources that the Bay checkerspot needs. This is where moderate grazing brings help to the threatened checkerspot. In a large
metapopulation A metapopulation consists of a group of spatially separated populations of the same species which interact at some level. The term metapopulation was coined by Richard Levins in 1969 to describe a model of population dynamics of insect pests in ...
south of San Jose, removal of cattle from
grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
s that the butterfly inhabited led to a significant decrease in the butterfly population because grazing leads to a net export of nitrogen as the cattle are removed for slaughter after eating the plants of the grasslands. In this way, moderate grazing enhances the butterfly's chance for survival. Increasing nitrogen emission is a problem facing the delicate balance within the ecosystems that contain the Bay checkerspot in many areas. At Coyote Ridge the problem is well documented by conservation biologist Stuart Weiss. Faced with a declining population of Bay checkerspots at Coyote Ridge, Weiss searched for a cause. He found a link to a combination of pollution from the freeway below the ridge and, again, a cutback in cattle grazing locally. Weiss documented how
nitrogen oxide Nitrogen oxide may refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds: Charge-neutral *Nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen(II) oxide, or nitrogen monoxide *Nitrogen dioxide (), nitrogen(IV) oxide * Nitrogen trioxide (), or n ...
emissions from cars enriched the nutrient-poor serpentine soil. This is a prime example of the nitrogen effect explained above. Aside from helping decrease nitrogen, the cattle also help to control invasive grasses by eating them. Any question about whether nitrogen emissions from cars traversing
U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...
, 110,000 vehicles daily, is significant evaporates when faced with monitoring statistics from Weiss. His monitoring equipment has confirmed that 15 to 20 pounds of nitrogen per acre is deposited on Coyote Ridge annually. Some of the particles stick to the plant and ground and are washed into the soil, and others are directly absorbed by the plants themselves. By contrast, pollution from power plants and vehicles drops only about four to five pounds of nitrogen per acre per year on the Jasper Ridge preserve.


Jasper Ridge

Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve The Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve is a nature preserve and biological field station formally established as a reserve in 1973. The biological preserve is owned by Stanford University, and is located at south of Sand Hill Road and west of Int ...
was once home to a population of the threatened checkerspot. That population became extinct in 1998. Ehrlich and his colleagues accumulated more data - probably more than is known about any other invertebrate - about the fluctuations of the Bay checkerspot populations at Jasper Ridge. Consequently, Stanford University has dispatched Ehrlich and others to conduct "longterm studies of the Bay checkerspot butterfly and feasibility of reintroduction". The professors participating, one each from biology, history, soil science and law, are examining the issues in restoring any extinct species or lost habitat. The goal of this study is to help determine whether and how to attempt a reintroduction of Bay checkerspots to Jasper Ridge.JRBP Research Projects
, Reintroduction Study, Stanford University.
Other goals of the Jasper Ridge study include analyzing the regulatory framework for endangered species and how changes might aid recovery of species, characterizing the genetics of research collections and possible donor populations and examining the historical changes in ownership, management and condition of the serpentine grasslands that the Bay checkerspot calls home.


Coyote Ridge

The region known as Coyote Ridge refers to an unnamed ridge in Santa Clara County. A variety of names have been applied to areas along the ridge where known populations of Bay checkerspots have or do currently live. Some of these names include, Morgan Hill, Kirby Canyon, East Coyote Foothills and, of course, Coyote Ridge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identified four core areas along Coyote Ridge that require attention as Bay checkerspot habitat. They have termed them Kirby, Metcalf, San Felipe and Silver Creek Hills. The
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) is an independent special district in Santa Clara County, California, U.S. A bill signed by Governor Wilson in 1992, SB2027, created the district as the Santa Clara County Open Space Preserve a ...
acquired 1,831 acres (7.41 km2) of this area in 2015 and the property is scheduled to open in 2018 as
Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve" is an publicly owned park in southern Santa Clara County. It is currently undergoing restoration and infrastructure work and is scheduled to open to the public in 2018. Environment Because of its rare serpenti ...
.


= The Agreement

= Right before the Bay checkerspot was federally listed the USFWS entered into an agreement with Waste Management of California, Inc. and also the city of San Jose. The agreement was made under provisions of the
Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...
, specifically section 7.a.4. The agreement provided for the minimization and compensation for any take of Bay checkerspots due to any construction and operations at Kirby landfill in Kirby Canyon, along Coyote Ridge. The landfill is located adjacent to the large Kirby population of Bay checkerspots. Key aspects of the agreement include: * limited impacts to total area, with impacts concentrated in lower quality habitat * phased landfill use * restoration of filled areas with appropriate vegetation * a 15-year lease of 267 acres (1.1 km2) of high-quality habitat for Bay checkerspot conservation * restoration and management of other Bay checkerspot habitat * monitoring of Bay checkerspot habitat and populations * possible acquisition of Bay checkerspot habitat for further protection Projects at Kirby Canyon were behind the original schedule in the late 1990s. Revegetation efforts were slowed in large part due to lower than expected rates landfill filling. Waste Management fulfilled the ten-year duration of the agreement and offered after to fund 50 percent of the agreement for three additional years.


= Metcalf

= Metcalf has been designated a "Critical Habitat" area by a 2001 USFWS rule change. The area, known in the rule as the Metcalf Unit, includes 3,351 acres (14 km2) of
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring Sa ...
. The habitat contains the Metcalf area for Bay checkerspot which one of the four largest habitat areas and three largest current populations of Bay checkerspot. As of spring 2000 the area supported the densest population of Bay checkerspots known. With hundreds of acres of serpentine soils, thousands of Bay checkerspot butterflies occur within the unit, which is considered one of the centers of the subspecies' metapopulation in Santa Clara County. The USFWS Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soils Species put a high priority for conservation of the butterfly and its habitat. Metcalf is adjacent to Kirby to south and San Felipe to east, Silver Creek Hills is to the north and the
Tulare Hill Tulare Hill is a prominent hill in the Santa Teresa Hills of western Santa Clara County, California. It lies along the southernmost edge of San Jose, California, adjacent to the Metcalf Energy Center. The hill and surrounding of serpentine gr ...
Corridor is to the west. This connectivity is crucial for Bay checkerspot dispersal throughout the Coyote Ridge area. The land in the Metcalf area is widely distributed among various parties. Portions of it lie within the city of San Jose and on private lands in unincorporated Santa Clara County. Parts of the Santa Clara County Motorcycle Park, Coyote Creek Park and the land of the Santa Clara Valley Water District fall within the Metcalf Unit.


= San Felipe

= Primarily on private lands, 998 acres (4 km2), of land, termed the San Felipe Unit by USFWS, has been declared "Critical Habitat" for the Bay checkerspot butterfly per a 2001 rule. On the land is the San Felipe population area which is one of the four largest habitat areas and three largest current populations of Bay checkerspots. The San Felipe area is considered Santa Clara County's metapopulation of the butterfly. The Recovery Plan, from the USFWS, considered the San Felipe area to be of the highest priority for conservation. Though several hundred acres of serpentine soils occur within the unit and include nectaring and dispersal areas there are no public lands in San Felipe.


= Silver Creek

= It was a housing and golf course project that spurred the creation of the Silver Creek Butterfly Conservation Area. The homes were built, about 1,500 of them, and the golf course went in on about 1,500 acres (6 km2) in the Silver Creek Valley, east of San Jose. The project resulted in the loss of about of serpentine habitat for the Bay checkerspot. As compensation the developer, Shea Homes, in 1991, established a permanent site for butterfly conservation in the Silver Creek Hills. The company also provided for ten years of monitoring of the preserve. Shea Homes also deposited $100,000 into an account dedicated to regional conservation of the Bay checkerspot, money now managed by USFWS. With the Silver Creek Butterfly Conservation Area up and running the area population of Bay checkerspots increased markedly. By 1994 there were tens of thousands of adult butterflies. This population crashed in 1995 and 1996 due to problems implementing necessary management actions. By 1997 no post-
diapause In animal dormancy, diapause is the delay in development in response to regular and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions.Tauber, M.J., Tauber, C.A., Masaki, S. (1986) ''Seasonal Adaptations of Insects''. Oxford University Press It ...
larvae were found and only three adults were observed during annual monitoring. Other populations are located on nearby property in the Silver Creek Hills and the nearby San Felipe habitat area.


Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve

Edgewood Park is located in San Mateo County, California, and provides a small habitat for the Bay checkerspot, one of the few remaining in the state, it is scattered and isolated like much of the remaining serpentine soil habitat areas left for the Bay checkerspot. The park is a 467 acre (1.9 km2) woodland and grassland preserve located off of Interstate 280. The preserve has hiking opportunities throughout its serpentine grasslands. The preserve was threatened by a proposed golf course development in 1983. A 1993 resolution helped secure the park's future. That year the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors closed the golf course issue when they adopted a resolution that designated Edgewood Park "a scenic natural area where outstanding features as well as significant wildlife habitats are preserved in their present state for the enjoyment, education and well-being of the public." At the same time the county also modified their agreement with Midpeninsula Open Space District, adding a clause to prohibit golf course development and emphasize natural resource preservation and low intensity recreation. The Bay checkerspot went locally extinct during the early 2000s, last observed at Edgewood Park in 2002. This local extinction has been attributed to nitrogen deposition from cars traveling on adjacent Interstate 280, which fertilized invasive
Italian ryegrass ''Lolium multiflorum'' (Italian rye-grass, annual ryegrass) is a ryegrass native to temperate Europe, though its precise native range is unknown. It is a herbaceous annual, biennial, or perennial grass that is grown for silage, and as a cover ...
and choked out native plants required by the butterflies. However, the Italian ryegrass was intentionally planted as an erosion control measure mandated by San Mateo County Planning Department after construction of
PG&E The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building, in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 milli ...
high power lines that cross the park, and spread into the park from that location.Dremann, Craig C. 1987. Report to San Mateo County Parks Department on the conditions of the native grasslands at Edgewood Park, Unpublished. Subsequently, attempts to restore the habitat by mowing at an appropriate time of year to reduce the Italian ryegrass and allow the native plants to regrow. In early 2007, 1000 Bay checkerspot larvae were reintroduced to the park.


San Bruno Mountain

The
San Bruno Mountain San Bruno Mountain is horst fault block mountain located in northern San Mateo County, California; with some northern slopes crossing over into southern San Francisco, it is also surrounded by San Francisco Bay and the cities of Brisbane, Colma ...
Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), the first of its kind in the United States, was adopted in 1983. Currently, it is the only HCP that potentially addresses the Bay checkerspot. The plan covers some 3,400 acres (14 km2) in northern San Mateo County and identifies seven animal species and 44 plant species to be conserved. Among them, the federally endangered
Mission blue The Mission blue (''Icaricia icarioides missionensis'') is a blue or lycaenid butterfly subspecies native to the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. The butterfly has been declared as endangered by the US federal government. It is a su ...
and the Bay checkerspot butterfly, the Bay checkerspot was not federally listed when the plan was adopted. Thus, this HCP's primary focus is on the two species of butterfly that were federally listed when it was adopted in 1983, the Mission blue butterfly and
San Bruno elfin butterfly The San Bruno elfin (''Callophrys mossii bayensis'') is a U.S. federally listed endangered subspecies that inhabits rocky outcrops and cliffs in coastal scrub on the San Francisco Peninsula. It is endemic to this habitat in California. Its patchy ...
. The permit for the plan expires on March 31, 2013, and there are currently no provisions in the HCP for incidental take of Bay checkerspots. The Bay checkerspot was lost on San Bruno Mountain around 1986. The impetuses included fires, non-native plant species and natural fluctuations. The reintroduction of the Bay checkerspot is one of the goals of the San Bruno HCP.


References


External links


Conservation


Bay Checkerspot Butterfly
Butterfly Conservation Initiative.
Friends of Edgewood
Friends of Edgewood Natural Preserve
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve
San Mateo County.


Government resources


Federal Rule regarding Critical Habitat
(
PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...
), 41 pages, ''Federal Register'', April 30, 2001.


News/media


Critical habitat now includes 23,903 acres within two counties
San Francisco Chronicle, Eric Brazil, May 2, 2001.
San Bruno's mounting challenge
''San Francisco Chronicle'', Paul McHugh, Sept. 19, 2002.


Journals

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q4873948 Euphydryas Endemic fauna of California Butterflies of North America Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands Fauna of the San Francisco Bay Area Endangered fauna of California ESA task force articles Butterflies described in 1937 Butterfly subspecies