SEPULVEDA DAM BASIN Laura Aguilera Cynthia Agustin Travis

SEPULVEDA DAM BASIN Laura Aguilera, Cynthia Agustin, Travis Nagaoka, Sarah Liang, Matt Olivarria

01 02 03 04 05 INTRODUCTION METHODS DATA RESULTS DISCUSSION / CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION 01

Area of Study: SEPULVEDA DAM BASIN ● Located in Encino, CA ● Predominantly Coastal Sage Scrub, Riparian Shrubland Oak and Walnut Woodlands ● Study: Fire Succession and Fire Intensity ● Fire Occurred on 10/24 ○ Cause: Many acres of untrimmed nonnative mustard plants along with Santa Ana Winds and Dry weather ○ Fires varied in intensity ● We collected data for 8 transects beginning on Woodley Ave

● ● FIELD TRIP 10/6 ● ● ● Hot weather Dry No signs of fire OUR VISIT 11/16 Fire started in southwest corner near Burbank and Woodley Contained within 1 -2 acres 2 ND FIRE 10/24 ● ● ● Broke out at 4 PM: 60 acres burned 80% contained by 9 PM Began on the trail nearest to Woodley Ave FIRE TIMELINE 1 ST FIRE 10/10

EFFECTS OF THE FIRE ● Native Habitat for Coyotes ● Bunny and squirrel carcasses preyed on by turkey vultures ● Nesting site for endangered bird: bell’s vireo ● Nearby recreation center and homes in the area ● 100 homeless people evacuated from burn area: about 50+ encampments ● 128 LAFD firefighters deployed

METHODS 02

METHODS ● Located origin points with GPS ● Took turns walking with transect tapes stopping every 50 meters to gather data ● Observed condition of the soil ● Conducted a water test ● Observed condition of the vegetation

DATA 03

TRANSECT POINTS

DATA AND RESULTS

RESULTS 04

SOIL CONDITION

TRANSECT SOIL CONDITIONS

WATER BEHAVIOR

VEGETATION CONDITION

VEGETATION CONDITION

DISCUSSION / CONCLUSION 05

● Popular Mechanics ○ “If intense fires occur too frequently, native plant species can become replaced by, invasive grasses, which burn quickly and don’t hold soil well. ” ■ Caused by invasive, unkempt mustard plant DISCUSSION ● California Native Plant Society: Fire Recovery Guide ○ “Minimize foot traffic, disturbance on burned landscapes” ■ Supported by Transect 8 data

● Follow up every six months ● Monitor rate of plant recovery and fire succession Transects as a Basis ● Differences in soil condition ● Water behavior ● Presence of vegetation Collect other data ● Collect data for Species Richness and Diversity ● Record different types of vegetation that grow when soil recovers CONCLUSION Follow-up Data

REFERENCES California Native Plant Society. “ California Native Plant Society Fire Recovery Guide. ” California Native Plant Society, 2018, www. cnps. org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/CNPS-firerecovery-guide-LR-040618. pdf. “Firefighters Stop Sepulveda Basin Brush Fire At 60 Acres. ” LAist, 2019, www. laist. com/2019/10/24/sepulveda_basin_fire. php. Keeley, Jon E. , et al. “Factors Affecting Plant Diversity during Post‐Fire Recovery and Succession of Mediterranean‐Climate Shrublands in California, USA. ” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10. 1111), 7 Nov. 2005, www. onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/full/10. 1111/j. 1366 -9516. 2005. 00200. x. Leman, Jennifer. “Why Are There So Many Fires In California? ” Popular Mechanics, 29 Oct. 2019, www. popularmechanics. com/science/environment/a 29623250/california-fires/. Plachta, Ariella. “A Day after Sepulveda Basin Fire, Community Leaders, Firefighters Assess the Damage. Here's What They Found. ” Daily News, 26 Oct. 2019, www. dailynews. com/2019/10/25/a-day-after-sepulveda-basin-fire-community-leadersfirefighters-assess-the-damage-heres-what-they-found/.