Research (by others) on CNLM Preserves
Information for Researchers
We encourage and facilitate research (e.g., monitoring, mapping, collecting samples) by external researchers on CNLM preserves if the research:
- Poses no appreciable risk to the species, biological processes, or abiotic environment;
- Will result in information that contributes to effective conservation of CNLM preserves or other natural areas;
- Does not require excessive CNLM oversight or other CNLM resources
Because of the large number of CNLM preserves, researchers may find it helpful to review our species and habitat links or use our search functions.
Furthermore, since our preserves do harbor state and/or federally protected species, we take precautions to manage the risk to these species from any onsite (including research) activity very seriously. During the initial consideration of proposed research activity, we establish the objectives and methods, assist the researcher in finding appropriate sites within the identified preserve, recommend additional/ alternative preserves, discuss the sensitivity of onsite biological resources, and coordinate research projects to avoid conflicts with conservation values, stewardship activities or other ongoing research projects. Once we have determined that the proposed research is acceptable, we provide further information on site characteristics and access conditions, as appropriate.
We require researchers to limit CNLM liability, include acknowledgement of CNLM’s assistance in any reports/publications, and provide copies of related reports and publications for our records. These requirements are described in our ‘Site Access for Research Agreement’ (SARA)—a legal agreement that we have developed for this purpose. An appropriate research representative is required to sign this agreement before research commences on the preserve. Although the agreement is prepared as quickly as possible by CNLM, researchers should begin the agreement process at least two months prior to the commencement of research (to provide time for review by their institution, agency, or company, if applicable). CNLM does not require a fee for consultation related to the research or administration of the agreement as long as there is no for-profit interest involved (CNLM retains the right to review and change this policy in the future).
Investigators proposing to conduct research on listed (state or federal) species are required to obtain appropriate permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Proof of permits are required prior to initiating any research on CNLM preserves.
For inquiries concerning interest in conducting research on CNLM preserves in California or Washington, please contact:
Deborah Rogers, Ph.D.
Co-Executive Director & Director of Conservation Science and Stewardship
Center for Natural Lands Management
Email: drogers@cnlm.org
Phone: (760) 731-7790, ext. 103
Selected examples of external research on CNLM preserves 2008-present
Wilson Valley PreserveStephen’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys stephensi) Rangewide Monitoring
Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency (RCHCA)
| Preserve(s) | Title | Research Entity |
|---|---|---|
| Studies initiated in 2008: | ||
| Sandridge | Description of new taxon of legless lizard | University of California, Berkeley |
| Thousand Palms Oasis, Dos Palmas | Seismic profiling Study of the San Andreas Fault zone | United States Geological Survey |
| Coyote Hills East | Monitoring of Least Bell’s Vireo | Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA) |
| Johnson, Lincoln, and Roripaugh Ranches | Testing of monitoring protocols for Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Program (MSHCP) | Western Riverside County RCA |
| Sandridge, Semitropic Ridge, Lokern, Pixley | Vegetation mapping | California Native Plant Society (CNPS) |
| Warm Springs; Johnson, Lincoln, and Roripaugh Ranches | Testing of monitoring protocols for MSHCP | Western Riverside County RCA |
| Manchester | Pollinator survey | Consultant |
| Wilson Creek Conservation Bank | Testing of monitoring protocols for MSHCP | Western Riverside County RCA |
| Dove Ridge | Butte County meadowfoam study | Lagunade Santa Rosa Foundation |
| Sandridge | Descriptionof a new taxon of legless lizard | University of California, Berkeley |
| Sandridge | Habitat enhancement (den installation) for San Joaquin kit fox | California State University, Stanislaus |
| Dove Ridge | Description of a new taxon of moth (Heliothodes sp.) | Researcher, UC Davis and UC Berkeley |
| Studies initiated in 2009: | ||
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Survey and collection of palm mites (i.e., Acari, Arachnida taxa) | Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services |
| Dos Palmas | Monitoring the Yuma clapper rail (Rallus longirostris yumanensis) and California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus) and mapping vegetation | AMEC Earth and Environmental |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Describing certain sections and conducting a laser survey (Lidar) of the San Andreas Fault. | San Diego State University |
| Dana Point | Camissonia species mapping and sampling | Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
| Sand Ridge, Coyote Hills East, Lokern, Pixley Vernal Pools | Phenotypic and genetic variation in an invasive non-native, Erodium cicutarium | Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis |
| Studies initiated in 2010: | ||
| Oxbow, Pace | Riparian Brush Rabbit Habitat Assessment | Endangered Species Recovery Program (CSU) |
| Dove Ridge | Collection of tadpole shrimp for genetic study | Helm Biological Tansley Team Inc. |
| Lokern, Semitropic Ridge & Muller | Permanent Sample Plot Establishment & Vegetation Monitoring | CNPS |
| Sandhills / Mayer | Description and collection of Ben Lomond Wallflower | University of California, Santa Cruz |
| Skunk Hollow | Phylogenetic relationships & ecological speciation of the popcorn flowers | University of California, Berkeley |
| Seascape | Investigating the relationship between the trematode Ribeiroia ondatrae and malformations and mortality of amphibians | University of Colorado |
| Alkali Grassland | Seed Collection of Distichlis spicata and Frankenia salina | Yolo County Resource Conservation District |
| Multiple preserves in Riverside County | Conducting species and habitat monitoring and testing of monitoring methodology (Mountain Plover, Golden Eagle, American Bittern) | Western Riverside Regional Conservation Authority (RCA) |
| Studies initiated in 2011: | ||
| Oxbow | Vernalis Adaptive Management Program (VAMP) Acoustic Fish Telemetry Study | US Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Oxbow | Monitoring Steelhead in the San Joaquin River by Trapping and Tagging | California Department of Fish and Wildlife |
| Coyote Hills East | Monitoring the Endangered Least Bell’s Vireo and Trapping of the Brown-Headed Cowbird | Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA) |
| Studies initiated in 2012 | ||
| Manchester, Rancho La Costa, Kelly Ranch | Vegetative sampling of Orcutt’shazardia (Hazardia orcutti) for genetic analysis | Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden |
| Manchester, Rancho La Costa, Woodridge, Carlsbad Oaks North, Dana Point, Coyote Hills East | Collecting samples from Coastal California Gnatcatcher (polioptila californica californica) to evaluate genetic diversity and population structure | United States Geological Survey |
| Studies initiated in 2013: | ||
| Sandridge | For the purpose of searching for and collecting seed and/or foliar material from San Joaquin wooly-threads (Monolopia congdonii) | University of California, Berkeley |
| Pixley | Co-evolution of dispersal traits and adaptation in Lasthenia | Purdue University |
| Seascape | Plant-pollinator interactions: Vegetation and pollinator surveys | University of California Santa Cruz |
| Multiple Preserves in San Diego County | Surveys of Western Pond Turtle (Emys marmorata) and Invasive Aquatic Wildlife Species | United States Geological Survey |
| Sandridge, Lokern / Semitropic | Locating a new taxon of legless lizard (Anniella spp.) | University of California, Berkeley |
| Sandridge | Plant Collection and Propagation, and Population Enhancement and Establishment | California State University, Stanislaus |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Bioassessment of California streams – reference conditions and quality assessment | California Department of Fish and Wildlife |
| Studies initiated in 2014: | ||
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Measurement of tectonic activity related to the San Andreas Fault | California State University, San Bernardino |
| Studies initiated in 2015: | ||
| Thousand Palms Oasis & Dos Palmas | Monitoring Vegetation and Certain Aeolian Sand Community Species | Coachella Valley Conservation Commission |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Understanding drivers of plant invasions: Relationships of soil and foliar fungal pathogens of Phragmites australis |
Louisiana State University |
| Multiple Southern California Preserves | Determining the Status of the Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) on Conserved Lands in San Diego County and its Relationship with Habitat on Multiple CNLM Preserves |
United States Geological Survey |
| Rancho La Costa & Carlsbad Oaks North | San Diego Horned Lizard Genetic Study | United States Geological Survey |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Botanical Collection of Washingtonia filifera, desert fan palm | Montgomery Botanical Center |
| Multiple Southern California Preserves | Rapid Assessment of the Presence of Argentine Ants on Conserved Lands in San Diego County | United State Geological Survey |
| Sand Ridge | Investigation of the Taxonomic Status of the Federal Endangered Bakersfield cactus (Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei) | Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden |
| Studies initiated in 2016: | ||
| Blossom Valley & Carlsbad Oaks NOrth | Surveying for the Hermes copper butterfly (Lycaena hermes) and Harbison’s dun skipper (Euphyes vestris harbisoni) as an Initial Study of their Distribution and Biology | San Diego State University |
| Dana Point | Pacific pocket mouse trapping and captive breeding program | Zoological Society of San Diego |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Ground-truthing remote sensing signals | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) |
| Multiple Southern California Preserves | Mapping, monitoring, and sampling for the new, emergent invasive pest-pathogen complex Fusarium Dieback-Shot Hole Borer towards developing a predictive model for vulnerable habitat and gaining information towards effective treatment methods | University of California, Riverside |
| Studies initiated in 2017: | ||
| Multiple Southern California Preserves | Collecting site information and leaf samples of the state- and federal-listed San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia) and possibly the state-endangered and federal-threatened Encinitas baccharis (Baccharis vanessae) for the purpose of describing population genetic structure and estimating ploidy level(s) | San Diego Natural History Museum |
| Multiple Southern California Preserves | Collecting soil samples near areas known to be occupied by the state-and federal-listed San Diego thornmint (Acanthomintha ilicifolia) and thread-leaved brodiaea (Brodiaea filifolia) with the objective of describing certain soil characteristics that may be associated with habitat requirements of those species and thus informing plans for expansion or restoration of those species | Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Conducting small mammal community surveys | University of California, Davis |
| Dana Point | Pacific pocket mouse trapping and captive breeding program | Zoological Society of San Diego |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Phylogenetic study of the Thousand Palms Desertsnail (Eremarionta millepalmarum) | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles |
| Skunk Hollow and Pixley Vernal Pools | Genetic study of vernal pool fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp across California | University of California, Davis |
| Studies initiated in 2018: | ||
| Multiple Preserves Northern California Preserves | Genetic study of vernal pool fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp across California | University of California, Davis |
| Panoche Valley Preserve | Status Assessment of San Joaquin Antelope Squirrel | Endangered Species Recovery Program, CSU-Stanislaus |
| Hanson Quarry Preserve | Conduct certain surveying for the rare plant Ben Lomond Buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum var. decurrens) | California Native Plant Society (CNPS) & Hanson Aggregates Mid-Pacific, Inc. |
| Studies initiated in 2019: | ||
| Thousand Palms Oasis & Dos Palmas | Monitoring of biological resources at community and species levels | Coachella Valley Conservation Commission |
| Pixley & Semitropic | Monitoring for presence and habitat conditions for western spadefoot toad (Spea hammondii) | United States Geological Survey |
| Panoche Valley Preserve | Trapping and banding tri-colored blackbirds (Agelaius tricolor) | University of California, Davis |
| Fitzgerald Ranch & Vieira Sandy Mush | Monitoring for presence and habitat conditions for western spadefoot toad (Spea hammondii) | United States Geological Survey |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Structural properties of the southern San Andreas fault system near Coachella Valley from magnetotelluric imaging | University of California, San Diego |
| Panoche Valley Preserve | Response of San Joaquin Kit Foxes to the Panoche Valley Solar Project: Implications for Local and Region Conservation of Kit Foxes | Endangered Species Recovery Program, CSU-Stanislaus |
| Studies initiated in 2020: | ||
| Multiple Preserves | Determining the status of the Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) on conserved lands in San Diego County and its relationship with habitat on multiple CNLM preserves | United States Geological Survey |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Structural properties of the southern San Andreas fault system near Coachella Valley from magnetotelluric imaging | University of California, San Diego |
| Seascape | Collecting data on metamorphs of Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum) in order to understand the factors that affect recruitment of new individuals to populations | University of Miami |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Sampling well on CNLM’s Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve as part of the statewide Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) study | United States Geological Survey |
| Cholame Ranch Preserve | Acoustic monitoring for bat species at the Cholame Ranch Preserve | Southern Oregon University |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Searching for and Acquiring Speciments of the American rubyspot damselfly (Hetaerina americana) from the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve for genomic analysis | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Dos Palmas | Monitoring the California Black Rail and Ridgway’s Clapper Rail and Vegetation Mapping | Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. |
| Morro Hills/Foss Lake | Studying the status of the western pond turtle (Emys marmorata)—a Species of Special Concern in California | United States Geological Survey |
| Panoche Valley Preserve | Trapping and banding tri-colored blackbirds (Agelaius tricolor) | University of California, Davis |
| Semitropic Ridge Preserve | Genetic study of vernal pool fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp | University of California, Davis |
| Dos Palmas Preserve | Surveying for the presence of the rare plant, California sawgrass (Cladium californicum) | California Botanic Garden |
| Studies initiated in 2021: | ||
| Multiple Preserves | Assessing osmotic traits of halophytic taxa on CNLM’s Lokern, Semitropic Ridge, and Panoche Valley Preserves | University of California, Riverside |
| Rancho La Costa & University Commons Preserves | Vegetation and fire-risk assessment | San Diego State University |
| Violet Prairie-Scatter Creek & Deschutes Prairie | Developing Effective Control Strategies for Rat-tail Fescue (Vulpia myuros) in Pacific Northwest Prairies | Ecostudies Institute |
| Deschutes Prairie & Tenalquot Preserves | Insights on Community Floral Traits in Native Prairies | Quamash EcoResearch |
| Whelan Ranch & Wilmont Preserves | Surveying for Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) | AECOM |
| Dana Point | Assessing soil characteristics of Pacific pocket mouse habitat | Zoological Society of San Diego |
| Dos Palmas Preserve | Monitoring of Yuma Ridgeway’s rail and Selenium Risk at the Salton Sea | University of Idaho |
| Multiple Preserves | Mapping, monitoring, and sampling for the new, emergent invasive pest-pathogen complex Fusarium Dieback-Shot Hole Borer towards developing a predictive model for vulnerable habitat and gaining information towards effective treatment methods on CNLM’s Manchester, Wilmont, Morro Hills, and Carlsbad Oaks North Preserves |
University of California, Davis |
| Thousand Palms Oasis | Conducting surveys for the western yellow bat (Lasiurus (Dasypterus) xanthinus) | San Diego Natural History Museum |
| Johnson Ranch & Skunk Hollow | Development of a Strategic Conservation and Management Plan for Burrowing Owls | Zoological Society of San Diego |
| Studies initiated in 2022: | ||
| Pixley & Semitropic Preserves | Survey of Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) and Western Pond Turtle (Emys marmorata pallida) Habitat Suitability and Distribution | United States Geological Survey |
| Dos Palmas Preserve | Monitoring of Yuma Ridgeway’s rail and Selenium Risk at the Salton Sea | University of Idaho |
| Panoche Valley Preserve | Bobcat Population Monitoring | California Department of Fish and Wildlife |
| Thousand Palms Oasis & Dos Palmas | Monitoring of biological resources at community and species levels | University of California, Riverside |
| Viera-Sandy Mush Preserve | Survey of Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) and Western Pond Turtle (Emys marmorata pallida) Habitat Suitability and Distribution | United States Geological Survey |
| Rancho La Costa Preserve | Seed Collection of Wiggins’ cryptantha (Cryptantha wigginsii) | San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) |
| Multiple Preserves | Monitoring Blochman’s dudleya (Dudleya blochmaniae) and conduct discovery surveys for San Diego ambrosia (Ambrosia pumila) |
Conservation Biology Institute |
| Woodridge & Whelan Ranch Preserves | Survey for Fusarium brachygibbosum in out-plantings of Coastal prickly pear cactus (Opuntia littoralis) | AECOM |
| Wilson Valley Preserve | Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys stephensi) Rangewide Monitoring | Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency (RCHCA) |
| Studies initiated in 2023: | ||
| Semitropic Ridge & Pixley Vernal Pools | Survey of Western Spadefoot (Spea hammondii) and Western Pond Turtle (Emys marmorata pallida) Habitat Suitability and Distribution | United States Geological Survey |
| Panoche Valley Preserve | Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard Surveys and Habitat Quality Assessment | University of California, Davis |
| Sand Ridge Preserve | Assessing vegetation preferences of the San Joaquin Valley giant flower-loving fly (Rhaphiomidas trochilus) and habitat restoration effects on arthropod abundance | California State University, Bakersfield |
| Dana Point | Pacific pocket mouse trapping and conservation breeding program | Zoological Society of San Diego |
| Studies initiated in 2024: | ||
| Multiple Preserves | Determining the status of the Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) on conserved lands in San Diego County and its relationship with habitat on multiple CNLM preserves | United States Geological Survey |
| Multiple Preserves | Soil and fungi specimen collection | Stillwater Sciences |
| Manchester | Clarifying the taxonomy and distributions of rare San Diego County manzanitas | University of California, Riverside |
| Multiple Preserves | Sampling of Brodiaea filifolia and B. orcuttii | United States Geological Survey |
| Wilson Valley Preserve | Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys stephensi) Rangewide Monitoring | Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency (RCHCA) |
| Rancho La Costa & La Costa Glen | Pollinator Monitoring Pilot Study and Vegetation Monitoring | AECOM |
| Carlsbad Oaks North & Rancho La Costa | Pertaining to Seed Collections of Brodiaea filifolia | Zoological Society of San Diego (SD Zoo) |