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Unique Livermore habitat supports rare species

Just three miles northwest of the Lab’s Livermore site, rare alkali sink habitat provides a home for an unusual endangered plant, the palmate-bracted bird’s beak (Cordylanthus palmatus).

Alkali sink habitats are seasonally flooded areas that have saline soils and support plants that are adapted to survive in these conditions (halophytes).  Many of the species found in this habitat are rare as a result of the scarcity of their habitat.  The alkali sink habitat north of Springtown in Livermore supports ten rare plant species in addition to the palmate-bracted bird’s beak and several rare animals, including the California tiger salamander and the Western Burrowing Owl.

The palmate-bracted bird’s beak derives its unusual name from the appearance of its flowers.  The flowers are partially hidden by leaf-like structures (bracts) that have lobes roughly in the pattern of a human hand (palmate).  The flowers are white or lavender with petals that form two lips; the upper petal is shaped like a bird’s beak.  The palmate-bracted bird’s beak also has small hairs that excrete salt, and the gray-green plants are sometimes covered with salt crystals.  Although it may be difficult to see a resemblance, the palmate-bracted bird’s beak is in the same family as the common garden snapdragon.

Palmate-bracted bird’s beak is hemiparastic.  This means it creates its own food through photosynthesis, but it derives water and nutrients from the roots of other plants.  It is this adaptation that, in addition to its deep root system, allows the plant to tap into water deep in the soil and to excrete salt. Excreting salt allows this species to survive and flower during the hot dry summers of the Livermore Valley.

Alkali sink habitat was never abundant in California, and agricultural and urban development have historically caused the loss of several populations of palmate-bracted bird’s beak.  As a result, the palmate bracted bird’s beak was listed as endangered by the State of California in 1984.  Soon after, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also listed the palmate bracted-bird’s beak as federally-endangered.

The Livermore population is the western most range of this species.  Currently only seven metapopulations of this species are known to exist.  All of these populations, except the Livermore population, are located in California’s Central Valley between Glenn and Fresno Counties.  Habitat loss, changes in hydrology, use of herbicide, and recreation use continue to threaten this species.

Learn more about this interesting part of the Livermore community at www.springtownpreserve.org , and at this link .

 

Sept. 12, 2008

Contact

Lisa Paterson
[email protected]