1
Pogogyne sp. nov., an undescribed vernal pool species known only from Valle de Las
Palmas, SE of Tecate. Photo: César García Valderrama.
Study and protection
of Baja California’s vernal
POOL ECOSYSTEMS
By: Matt Guilliams, PhD
I
n the not so distant past, when the footprint of
humans was less heavy on the landscape, the
marine terraces, mesas, and valley bottoms of
parts of the Californias (Baja California, Mexico
and California, USA) would have looked quite
different than they do today. In these areas where
urban and agricultural landscapes now dominate,
vast swathes of flat to gently undulating terrain
would have been the natural condition.
These landscapes would have been blanketed
with a rich cover of shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses. When certain soil conditions were present, wa10
AUGUST 2016
ter from mild winter rains would gather in the numerous low lying areas, yielding a vast, shimmering
constellation of short-lived winter pools. Over time,
an endemic flora and fauna evolved in these temporary ponds, contributing to a distinctive ecosystem called a vernal pool.
What makes a vernal pool?
Vernal pools are rare and endangered wetland
ecosystems that occur in all five Mediterraneantype climates of the world (Keeley & Zedler, 1998).