The Yadon’s Piperia — Monterey’s Endangered Beauty
By: Sruthi Rayaprolu
Tags: Nature, California, Endangered Species, Plants, Environmental Issues

The beautiful flower, the Yadon’s Piperia, (piperia yadonii)is a gorgeous endangered flowering plant native to the coastal habitat, specifically Monterey County, California. It blooms during a specific flowering period, creating small white flowers between June and August, however, it is difficult to spot without the flowers during other parts of the season (Hayes).

Swanson, Katie. “Yadon’s Rein-Orchid.” University of California, Berkeley, Photo Database, 2010, calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0712+1760.

Habitat

The Yadon’s Piperia is endemic to the state of California in the United States of America. It is mostly found in Monterey County specifically, the Monterey Pine Forest and the maritime chaparral community within the county. The Del Monte Forest is also another home of the flower. Furthermore, it extends up to Santa Cruz, mostly in the Los Lomas county (Diel).

One of the flower’s most common habitats is maritime chaparral, which is commonly found on the coast of California. These are higher density shrubs that can grow up to 3 meters tall. Because maritime chaparral is found nearby the ocean, the weather tends to be cooler than inland due to fog, but since it is in California, the climate is still relatively warm and very dry. The actual soil of maritime chaparral is nutrient-poor. (Rinkesh) Another of the flower’s main habitats is the Monterey Pine Forest, a closed cone coniferous type of forest in a coastal climate, a low-precipitation, medium temperature, cooler climate. Monterey pine forests have a large variety of species and are quite biodiverse (Diel).

Food Chain

The Yadon’s Piperia is in the producer trophic level as it is a plant. One of its biggest predators is the mule deer, which has been thought to graze heavily on the plants, preventing them from flowering. The potential growing population of mule deer, or at the very least, the large population, is not helping the flowers’ population. Snails, insects, larva, rabbits are all predators as well. Below is a food chain explaining how many animals rely on the Yadon Piperia. Animals of all trophic levels, primary, secondary and tertiary consumers consume the beautiful flower (Diel).

Invasive Species in the Yadon Piperia’s Habitat

Within the California coastal region where the Yadon’s Piperia is grown, several populations of invasive species grow. These include the mute swan (Cygnus olor) which was introduced to the US “from Western Europe during the late 1800s” and have been “kept as aesthetic “pets” at private residences and city park ponds.” Due to their excessive consumption of food, being up to 8 pounds per day, they have eaten an essential species to the wetlands and aquatic ecosystems called SAV. Due to this, they have been put on California’s “restricted species list and cannot be imported, transported, or possessed without a permit (with the exception of swans held in captivity prior to January 1, 2008).” (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Another invasive species within the California coastal region is the Northern Watersnake which is presumed to be introduced unintentionally because they are not known to be part of the pet trade. Any owners of the snake must have accidentally released them into the California marine area which has now caused them to become competitors to the California garter snake which is a native snake. Some species like the giant garter snake have become endangered because of the limited resources taken up by the Northern Watersnake. Due to their invasiveness, Northern water snakes “cannot be imported, transported, or possessed without a permit” in the state of California.” (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Endangerment

Yadon’s Piperia became endangered in 1998 and suffers from habitat loss due to the “continuing land development from an expanding human population.” It’s innate characteristics of not being able to reproduce quickly and being “confined to a handful of locations in the coastal area of North Monterey County” makes it easier for them to be endangered as a species because of their inability to adapt in a timely manner. (Calscape)

Aside from habitat loss, other reasons that have made them endangered is that “floral herbivory (deer, rabbits, possibly other small mammals, and invertebrates), competition from nonnative plants, as well as habitat loss due to fire suppression.” The Yadon’s Piperia needs to be pollinated for reproduction so these factors have slowed down their pollination rates. (Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program)

What Is Being Done?

Little has been done to help the Yadon’s Piperia because of the difficulty in tracking and identifying the growth of the species. Currently, most of the species are being held in privately owned habitats including Pebble Beach Company and the Del Monte Forest Foundation on the Monterey Peninsula. Additionally, certain “habitats are protected in areas managed by these private owners as open space or parks, and others are conserved in Manzanita County Park, the Blohm Ranch of the Nature Conservancy, and land owned at Pt. Lobos Ranch by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.” With proper management over these critical areas, and the acquisition of private lands the Yadon’s Piperia can being to grow back into sustainable populations. (Encyclopedia).

Sources

California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Mute Swan, Cygnus Olor.”

Diel, Christopher J. “Piperia Yadonii (Yadon’s Piperia) 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation.” Aug. 2009.

Grey Hayes, Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program. “Piperia Yadonii.” ESCTP:: Piperia Yadonii Fact Sheet, 2006, www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/factsheet.php?SPECIES_ID=9.

Rinkesh. “Chaparral Biome: Location, Climate, Temperature, Soil, Plants and Animals.” Conserve Energy Future, 31 Aug. 2020, www.conserve-energy-future.com/chaparral-biome.php.

“Yadon’s Rein-Orchid, Piperia Yadonii.” California Native Plant Society, calscape.org/Piperia-yadonii-().

“.” Beacham’s Guide to the Endangered Species of North America. . Encyclopedia.com. 17 Oct. 2020 .” Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedia.com, 24 Nov. 2020, www.encyclopedia.com/environment/science-magazines/yadons-piperia.