Rare Plant Program
The mission of the CNPS Rare Plant Program (The Program) is to develop current, accurate information on the distribution, ecology, and conservation status of California's rare and endangered plants, and to use this information to promote science-based plant conservation in California.
The Program, since its inception in 1968, has developed a reputation for scientific accuracy and integrity. The Program’s data are widely accepted as the standard for information on the rarity and endangerment status of the California flora. For this reason, The Program’s primary responsibility is the maintenance of the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California (the CNPS Inventory), which tracks the conservation status of hundreds of plant species.
Megan Keever, Co-chair
Vegetation Committee
Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair Vegetation Committee
Rare Plant Committee
Alameda and Contra Costa Counties are endowed with an incredible richness of native plant species. This richness is due partly to our location at the convergence of the North and South Coast Ranges, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the San Joaquin Valley. This convergence of botanical regions provides for a unique congregation of ecological conditions and native plants.
The East Bay Chapter of CNPS keeps track of these rare and endemic native plants and plant communities. Within our catalogue of native plant species there is an abundance of rarity: from Mount Diablo endemics to Pleistocene relicts; narrowly distributed taxa to peripheral populations; and species that have suffered extirpations from changes in vegetation composition resulting from the introduction of non-native plant species or directly from human development. Based on the CNPS Inventory of Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Plants of California, a total of 127 of these plant species are currently known from our Chapter area. These species are separated into five categories of rarity: read more
Unusual Plant Committee
Rare, Unusual and Significant Plants of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
Eighth Edition, 2010
We are pleased to report that the eighth edition of Rare, Unusual and Significant Plants of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties is now available. First published in 1992, this report contains a wealth of information on both statewide and locally rare native plant species of the East Bay, ranking them according to their rarity and endangerment at the local level. It has received wide praise for providing invaluable information to land planners and managers, conservationists, consultants, teachers, students, researchers, professional and amateur botanists, and the general public.
This is the only publication addressing the locally rare native plant species of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties that are covered under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as well as the federally and state protected rare species occurring in the two counties. Watch Lists are also included of other native plant species that could become rare, threatened or endangered locally if various detrimental conditions persist. read more
Vegetation Committee
Megan Keever, Co-Chair
megan@stillwatersci.com
Nicole Jurjavcic, Co-Chair
nicole@stillwatersci.com
The Vegetation Committee collects information about plant communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. When most people think of vegetation, they think of general groupings such as chaparral, oak woodland, riparian forest, or grassland. While the grouping of plant communities into these broad terms is a good first step, these names do not give us enough information. For example, chaparral can be used to describe any type of vegetation dominated by evergreen shrubs with leathery leaves, whether it is dominated by oaks, manzanita, ceanothus, or chamise. Information about the plant species present in the vegetation and their abundance is more meaningful. This information is used for conservation planning, identifying rare vegetation types, and assessing habitat for sensitive plant and animal species. If everyone uses the same method for collecting information about the vegetation, we can analyze the data correctly. Otherwise, we are comparing apples and oranges. read more