A very quick analysis of historical aerial imagery at Marina Equestrian Center
F. Watson, PhD, 23 Nov 2020
Images below. Quick notes here:
- 1937 - Almost entirely maritime chaparral.
Ridgelines a bit more open, sandy, probably with coastal scrub species.
Oaks only in area just east of stockade.
Fire may have occurred with last 10-20 years judging by openness of chaparral and scarceness of oaks (in places where oaks exist now). - 1941 - Army had cleared the entire area (probably with mechanical "mowing" of some sort), leaving only the oaks.
Equine clinic built. Stockade not yet built. - 1956 - All buildings completed.
Today's chaparral areas left to grow back, except for various tracks cross-crossing.
Stockade oaks still intact.
A few scattered oaks establishing southeast of MEC. - 2018 - Some of the stockade oaks remain.
Gilia occurrences reasonably well aligned with the original open sandy ridge patches from 1937.
Oaks much more abundant in places than in 1937. - Overall, 1941 looks like a huge impact, but it probably wasn't. A once-and-done mowing has about the same impact as an intense fire (Army uses mechanical clearing today (and fire) when searching for munitions). The soil and seed bank remains more or less intact. Restoration potential is much greater in areas where soil and seed bank have not been heavily disturbed (e.g. by actual excavation, or persistent compaction).
- I'm curious now to search harder for Gilia under the Ham radio antennas etc. - because some of that area in the northeast corner inside the fence may have had Gilia originally and may have been relatively little impacted ever since. I've searched outside the fence, but not inside the fence; and my search might not have been at an optimal time.
1937
1941
1956
2018
Zoning 2006
