The Marin Headlands Ecosystem

ABSTRACT

Source: Chris Grinter Photography. 
Mission Blue Butterfly in its natural habitat.

The purpose of this blog is to help inform the public about the Marin Headlands. Before being formally part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), the Marin Headlands served as a military base due to its advantageous geography at the entrance of the Bay Area and President Fillmore’s strong desire to have military bases along the coast. For a while, the Marin Headlands remained closed to the public, enclosed by gates, until the government decided to abandon it as a military base and make it part of the GGNRA. Despite not being threatened by an armed forces attack, the Marin Headlands has been under attack by our human impacts. Both intentionally and accidentally, humans have introduced non-native species to the lands that have greatly harmed the native species many times, driving them to a point of endangerment, as is the case with the Mission Blue Butterfly.  Despite current attempts to restore the native species, humans still continue to pose a threat to the wildlife by eliminating the fear factors of animals and other animalistic survival skills by feeding them or getting too close. The Marin Headlands is also threatened by coastline erosion because of its exposure to both the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. Overall, there are high hopes for the future of the Marin Headlands. Over 4,000 volunteers have already gathered to help improve the conditions of such a historical site, and the Marin Headlands are constantly under restoration, with one of the most current and impacting being the Mission Blue Butterfly restoration plan.

ABSTRACTO (EN ESPAÑOL)

El propósito de este blog es ayudar a informar al público sobre el área conocido como Marin Headlands. Antes de ser parte del Parque Nacional Golden Gate, Marin Headlands fue una base militar gracias a sus obstáculos y protecciones naturales y gracias a los deseos y la insistencia del Presidente Fillmore de tener bases militares en toda la costa. Por un tiempo Marin Headlands permaneció cerrado al público cuidado por unas rejas hasta que el gobierno decidió abandonar el área como una base militar y en lugar hacerlo parte del Parque Nacional Golden Gate. Aun así, señas de su antepasado como base militar siguen presentes en ciertas de las rutas disponibles. A pesar de no estar bajo amenaza de ningún tipo de fuerzas militares Marin Headlands sigue estando bajo la amenaza de la presencia de los humanos. Intencionalmente al igual que por accidente los humanos hemos introducido especies de plantas cuales no son nativas del área causando graves daños para las plantas y animales nativos, en ciertos casos tan grande a sido el daño causado que animales como la Mariposa Misionera Azul está en peligro de extinción. Aunque hoy en dia hay muchos esfuerzos por reponer las plantas nativas y deshacerse de las invasoras los humanos seguimos siendo un peligro para los animales salvajes en el área ya que poco a poco vamos eliminando las características que les permiten sobrevivir, características como el siempre tener miedo y por lo tanto mantenerse alerta al igual que la habilidad de buscar y encontrar comida sin la necesidad de un humano todo por acercarnos de mas o darles de comer sin pensar en las consecuencias de nuestros actos. Marin Headlands también está en peligro a causa de la erosión de la costa ya que está expuesto al Océano Pacifico y al San Francisco Bay. Pero encima de todo hay grandes esperanzas para el futuro de Marin Headlands. Más de 4,000 voluntarios ya se han reunido para mejorar las condiciones de este lugar tan lleno de historia y además Marin Headlands está constantemente bajo planes de restauración con unos de esos planes más importantes siendo el de la Mariposa Misionera Azul.

РЕФЕРАТ (ПО РУССКИ)

Смысл этого блога является то что бы информировать людей насчёт Марин-Хэдлэндз. До того как Марин-Хэдлэндз формально были частью Гасударственого парка золотые ворота, там находилась военная база потому что это было удобное место в начали залива Сан-Франциско. Президент Филмор имел большоя желанние что бы создать военные базы вдоль побережья. Марин-Хэдлэндз были закрыты для посещения, до тех пор пока государство решило не использовать его для военных, и  сделать его частью Государственного парка золотые ворота. То что там не было военных действий не говорит о том что Марин-Хэдлэндз не была под воздействием нападок людей. Преднамеренно или случайно, люди принесли разновидности неместного животного и растительного мира на это землю которые плохо влияют на животный мир этого района, о чём показывает пример голубой бабочки, которая почти исчезла. Не смотря на то что в настоящее время делаются попытки возродить местные виды животных и растений, люди до сих пор представляют угрозу для животного мира тем что устраняют фактор страха приманивая их едой и подходя к ним очень близко. Также Марин-Хэдлэндз находится под угрозой эрозии потому что расположено между океаном и заливом. Однако, у нас есть большая надежда на будущее Марин-Хэдлэндз. Больше 4.000 волонтёров уже стараются помочь улучшить состояние такого исторического места, и Марин-Хэдлэндз постоянно приводится в порядок, о чём свидетельствует план о возрождении голубой бабочки.

Source: National Park Service. Map of the Marin Headlands, north of San Francisco.

PAST

The Marin Headlands has a rich history, filled with instances of natives, immigrants, the government, and conservationists. When the Spanish missionaries and civilians came to the Bay Area in 1776, they discovered the Coast Miwok tribes living north of present-day San Francisco. The Miwoks would migrate around the area in a series of hunting, fishing, and gathering, but toward the early 1800s, many had moved to the missions in San Francisco and had completely changed their ways of life due to disease, forced labor, and religious and societal differences (1). While the Miwoks were emigrating from the Headlands, Spanish and Mexican ranchers and Portuguese dairy farmers began encroaching on the territory, especially following the California Gold Rush (1). The Portuguese had come in search of gold, but when they did not “strike it rich,” they decided to stay and share their dairy expertise in Marin County (1).

Source: National Park Service. Silva Family Dairy Farm in the Headlands.

In the mid-1800s, President Fillmore wanted to establish bases along the west coast to protect the country, particularly in this enclave of the North Bay (2). The land was expensive, but Congress eventually passed the request, and a military presence was made in the Marin Headlands (2). Forts Barry, Cronkhite, and Baker emerged, along with military housing, a post office, a gym, and a bakery (1). Upon the beginning of WWII, the Headlands’ bases were awaiting an attack on the Bay, but that attack never came (1). The Headlands were generally closed off to the public by private gates, but there was a road that led to the beach and as time went on, civilians were given more access to the area; eventually, the government decided to sell the land (2). In 1964, plans began for a new community of 30,000 inhabitants called Marincello; it was to consist of high-rise apartments, single-family homes, a mall, a hotel, churches, and other venues that comprise a city (2). The project espoused a furious debate, fueled by conservationists who were against establishing the Headlands into a suburb. There were several lawsuits in court regarding the development, and in late 1967, construction stopped and the conservationists realized they had won their seemingly lost cause (2). Meanwhile, the government was developing a new idea for the Marin Headlands, in what has since become the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, national parkland for citizens (2).

Source: National Park Service. Photo circa 1928.

Source: Robert Campbell Photography.
Marin Headlands: Then and Now.

PRESENT

Currently the Marin Headlands is engaging in huge restoration projects. As of right now it is safe to say that its conservation status is at the very least okay. The human impact on the Marin Headlands has been destructive in the past, but humans have grown conscious and have taken an interest in preserving this wonderful historic and natural site; they are currently volunteering on the projects at hand while thinking of future solutions to the damages caused by our ancestors. Its history as a military base caused damage to the land. During its time as a military base and earlier, a lot of non-native species were introduced to the land both intentionally and by mere accident; sometimes the soldiers would be traveling and carry the seeds in their boots into the Marin Headlands, completely unaware (3). The non-native species began to grow and reproduce, ultimately becoming a fierce competitor for the native species, which they reduced to small numbers. This is one of the negative human impacts on the land, but as mentioned prior to this, there are restoration projects taking place to make amends for this mistake, such as the Hawk Hill and Battery Construction 129, which includes restoring about 93 acres of land for the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly and removing all non-native trees in the area, which was completed in January of 2012 (3).

Becoming part of the Golden Gate National Park had its benefits for the area, but also had its cons. By becoming a part of the Golden Gate National Park, the Marin Headlands was opened to the public, and this required the creation of roads and parking lots, which at the time were poorly built. They have caused traffic and led to unofficial trails that have eroded soil and possibly hurt the habitats of much wildlife. To help solve this issue Project Headlands has been implemented, which details a new structuring of the roads and such for better preservation of both the historic and ecological environment of the Marin Headlands (4).

Courtesy of National Park Service/San Francisco Bay Area Network (8).

The graph shows how there has been a huge decline in sightings of the Mission Blue Butterfly in the Marin Headlands from 1996 to 2009; the number of observed butterflies in 1996 was around 190 and in 2009 that number dropped to about 20 butterflies on transect only.

On a larger scale, one of the most threatening human impacts to parks like Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate National Park deals directly with its wildlife. The Golden Gate National Park has 53 species of mammals, 250 birds, 20 reptiles and 11 amphibians (5), with 35 of those being endangered, rare, and threatened species (6). A lot of these species are endangered because of the introduction of non-native species into the land, as is the case with the Mission Blue Butterfly, whose sightings have drastically decreased in the last few decades. Plans like the Mission Blue Butterfly Project are trying to help bring them back. Aside from these, one of the biggest and most dangerous human impacts on the Marin Headlands and the other national parks is our relationship with the wild species we encounter. Despite the warnings on the website and by park rangers, people continue to leave food out for the animals and to even feed them, not realizing that a “fed animal is a dead animal,” as the Golden Gate National Park website puts it (5). Feeding an animal causes it to lose its ability to find food on its own over time and become dependent on human beings to feed it, which in turn causes them to often starve, turn skinny and aggressive, and later have to be euthanized because of the threat they pose. Feeding an animal or getting close to one causes the animal to lose its most basic survival skill, fear. Fear is necessary for a wild animal to survive because it keeps it alert at all times, and if it no longer possesses such a trait, then it becomes easy prey. An even more specific human impact to the Marin Headlands is the responsibility humans have in the 104 disturbances of the 3,482 seals that were observed in Marin County locations. Of the 104 seal disturbances reported, 27 percent were caused by humans on foot and 15 percent by motorboats, while 28 percent were of an unknown source (7).  There definitely have been negative impacts on the Marin Headlands, but because of the knowledge now obtained, there are also many restoration and preservation projects going on in order to at least alleviate the damage we have had on such lands, and because of it, the conservation status of the Marin Headlands can be said to be fairly okay for now.

FUTURE

This ecosystem, the Marin Headlands, seems like it has good prospects for the future. Since it is a national park, the Marin Headlands is supported by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, which provides structure to the conservation and preservation of the landscape and ecosystems. This organization also garners support from local volunteers, where the Golden Gate Parks usually receive 400,000 hours of volunteer service each year (9). One way in which they worked to conserve the ecosystem was saving the Mission Blue Butterfly. Staff and volunteers planted lupines in order to preserve the butterfly’s habitat (10). GGNPC intends to continue to preserve and conserve the park areas in a sustainable way and respond to the endangerment of species and ecosystems in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, like how it worked to save the Mission Blue Butterfly and its natural habitat. There are a total of 35 endangered, threatened, or rare species in the Golden Gate National Parks and almost all of them are being attentively monitored by the National Park Service (10). With these conservation efforts, the future of native and endangered species has healthy prospects.

However, one problem that the Marin Headlands will face is coastal erosion. Since the Marin Headlands are exposed to the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay, it has a high risk of coastal erosion. For every foot that the sea level rises, 50-100 feet width of beaches will be lost (11). With the current trend of sea-level rise in San Francisco, CA being 2.01 mm/year, this would mean losing approximately .33 to .66 feet of coastline per year (12). However, the Marin Headlands are extremely susceptible to coastal erosion because it is primarily composed of sea-facing cliffs, as opposed to beaches. Cliffs in particular are vulnerable to hydraulic erosion, where breaking waves pressure trapped air in a cliff’s cracks, and it compresses and weakens the rocky cliff, which then causes erosion (13). So during high tide or storms, cliff or bluff erosion is particularly likely.

Courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This graph shows the increase in coastal erosion in the area surrounding the Marin Headlands.

Another contributor towards coastal erosion is oceanic acidification, a result of global warming, which is the lowering of the ocean’s pH levels due to large carbon deposits (14). Oceans are absorbing massive amounts of carbon due to human-caused carbon emissions. Oceanic acidification can cause corrosive upwelling, to the point where acidic waters can now eat away at seashells and coral reefs. These acidic waters tend to be more corrosive with depth, but potent corrosive waters have been found at the surface in Northern California, which is where the Marin Headlands are located (14). Acidic waters’ effect on coastal ecosystems is still unknown, since coastal ecosystems may be more adaptive to change, and therefore more adaptive to ocean acidification. For example, seaweed and algae may process carbon differently; in response, the growing presence of carbon in the oceans would affect the pH levels of the water. But since there are concrete facts on the corrosive effects of oceanic waters, it is still a topic of concern for the preservation of coastal ecosystems. In the worst-case scenario, ocean acidification would cause a loss of coastal ecosystems and accelerated rates of coastal erosion.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE PRESERVATION

The Golden Gate National Parks, including the Marin Headlands, are also home to 35 threatened, endangered, or rare species (10). Despite the Park’s Conservancy program being very active in preserving endangered species and their habitats, more can still be done. The Park can resolve to plant more native plants and remove non-native, invasive plants, in order to restore the natural ecosystem and preserve the natural habitats of these endangered species.

Source: summitpost.org.

This picture of the Marin Headlands coast shows how sea-facing cliffs are particularly vulnerable to erosion.

Currently, there are California state laws that track shoreline erosion and fund conservation efforts, but the legislation is under the Division of Boating and Waterways, Harbors and Navigation Codes (15). These codes are primarily intended to protect infrastructure and populated areas that are in close proximity to the coast (15). Coastal erosion is hard to deal with, especially bluff erosion caused by the ocean and not by a stream or river. I would recommend that the parks gradually expand natural habitats that are extremely close to the coastline to go farther inland. This expansion will allow the land-based ecosystems to be preserved. By not removing vegetation from the cliffs, the soil will remain protected and less vulnerable to water and winds (16).

Courtesy of Dana Greeley and Simone Alin of PMEL / Science.

Low Temperatures indicate that acidic waters are upwelling along the coast of Northern California.

In response to oceanic acidification, a larger movement would be needed in order to make a significant difference. The root cause of oceanic acidification is human carbon emissions. While California already has relatively strict laws on carbon emissions, the government must do more to regulate carbon emissions to restore oceans to their natural pH level. A possible strategy to lower carbon emissions is to invest further in alternative and nonrenewable energy. The two largest contributors to carbon emissions in the United States are electricity and transportation (17). The government can invest or provide incentives for private industry to invest in research and technology that would allow us to safely and sustainably switch from sources of energy that emit large amounts of carbon to sources of energy with lower or no carbon emissions.

I would also encourage people to visit the Marin Headlands and learn how you can improve the human impacts on these ecosystems. There are many educational programs available for the public to take advantage of, which illustrate how our actions and decisions affect this ecosystem, and teach people how to live sustainably. These programs also provide an opportunity for volunteers to participate in ongoing habitat restoration projects (i.e. removing non-native species, planting native species, nurturing establishing native species). Visitors can also learn how they can keep local wildlife healthy, such as not feeding animals or littering. All of us can contribute to the preservation of the Marin Headlands so make sure to do your part!

REFERENCES

1.     “History.” Marin Headlands Hostel. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.

<http://www.norcalhostels.org/marin/history>.

2.     Hart, John. “Saved by Grit and Grace.” Bay Nature. July 2003. Web.

3.     "HAWK HILL AND BATTERY CONSTRUCTION 129." parksconservancy.org. N.p., n.d.

Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

<http://www.parksconservancy.org/assets/park-improvements/pdfs/hawk-hill-project-description.pdf>.

4.     "Central Federal Lands Highway Division." Golden Gate National Recreation Area: Main.

N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.projectheadlands.gov/main.htm>.

5.     wildlife, Keep. "Keep Wildlife Wild." National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 20

Nov. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nps.gov/goga/naturescience/coyote-alert.htm>.

6.     "Endangered Species." Calendar RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

<http://www.parksconservancy.org/conservation/plants-animals/endangered-species/>.

7.     "Working...." Working.... N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

<https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Profile/2203686>.

8.     "Mission Blue Butterfly Monitoring in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area." sfnps.org.

N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. <http://www.sfnps.org/download_product/2430/0>.

9.     U.S. Department of the Interior. “Golden Gate National Recreation Area: Long Range

Interpretive Plan.” National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d.  Web. 15

Nov. 2013.

10.  Golden Gate National Park Conservancy. “Endangered Species.”  Golden Gate National

Recreation Area (National Park Service), n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013

<http://www.parksconservancy.org/conservation/plants-animals/endangered-species/>.

11.  California. California Coastal Commission. “Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Erosion

and Loss of Sandy Beaches.” coastal.ca.gov. State of California, n.d. Web. 15 Nov.

2013. <http://www.coastal.ca.gov/climate/erosion.html>.

12.  United States of America. Department of Commerce. National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration. “Mean Sea Level Trend 9414290 San Francisco, California.” Tides &

Currents. Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, 15 Oct. 2013.

Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

<http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/sltrends_station.shtml?stnid=9414290>.

13.  “Coastal Processes.” GCSE:Bitesize. BBC, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/coasts/coastal_processes_rev3

.shtml>.

14.  Roach, John. “Growing Ocean Acidity May Erode Coastal Ecosystems.” National

Geographic, 22 May 2008. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/05/080522-acid-oceans.html>.

15.  California. California State Parks. Division of Boating and Waterways. “California Beach

Restoration Study.” dbw.ca.org. State of California, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.

<http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Environmental/Beach.aspx>.

16.  New York. Department of Environmental Conservation. “Coastal Management.” Department

of Environmental Conservation. New York State Department of Environmental

Conservation, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

<http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/28923.html#Human>.

17.  United States of America. Environmental Protection Agency. “Overview of Greenhouse

Gases.” Climate Change. Environmental Protection Agency, 9 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 Nov.

2013. <http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/co2.html>.

18. Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Science on the SPOT: Fire and Butterflies. KQED, 2010. <http://www.parksconservancy.org/about/publications/multimedia/fire-and-butterflies.html>.