Honorary Chair Sir Edmund Hillary 1919-2008	President Daniel A. Bennett	Honorary President Don Walsh, Ph.D.

MEMBERS LOGIN HOME About The Club Photo Tour of Club Join The Club Calendar of Events Special Events Expeditions Funds & Resources Research Collections Publications Projects Chapters Members Only For Students Legacy Society Corporate Giving Jobs Travelers Program Reciprocal Clubs Merchandise   Contact Us Site Map SEARCH

EXPEDITIONS Flag Reports   REPORT, FLAG 161 The Siskiyou Mariposa Lily: An expedition to determine the remaining extent of an endangered species June 22–24, 2003 By Michael F. Diggles FN'92 Expedition members: Michael F. Diggles FN'92, U.S. Geological Survey Nadine R. Kanim, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pete Figura, California Department of Fish and Game Marla Knight, U.S. Forest Service Introduction The purpose of this Flag Expedition was to document the extent of the Siskiyou Mariposa Lily (Calochortus persistens) and support the listing of this plant under the Endangered Species Act. The habitat needed by Calochortus persistens is being invaded by the competing exotic dyer's woad (Isatis tinctoria), once cultivated as a source of blue dye (Hickman, 1993). It is possible that overprotection from natural wildfires has led to the proliferation of dyer's woad. It is likely that fuel buildup has increased to the point that simply re-initiating allowing wildfires to burn would not only control the invasive species but also threaten the endemic Calochortus persistens. As has been shown (Erman, 1996) that wildfire suppression causes continued fuel buildup until an uncontrolled burn takes place despite the best efforts of suppression crews to stop it. Such an event would have a high likelihood of having a severe negative impact on the survival of Calochortus persistens. FULL REPORT in pdf RETURN TO LIST

EXPEDITIONS Flag Expeditions Into the Field Flag Reports Carrying the Flag Flag Application Grant Expeditions Expedition Grants

Contact Us

© 2002 The Explorers Club                                                                                                                              Legal Notice The Explorers Club is a not-for-profit organization as defined under Section 170(b) (I) (A) (vi) and 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Explorers Club ®, World Center for Exploration ®, The Flag and the Seal are registered trademarks of The Explorers Club. Use by others is strictly prohibited. Photographs appearing on this website are used by permission and may not be copied or re-used in any manner.