Hesperocyparis goveniana var. abramsiana (C.B. Wolf) de Laub.:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Callitropsis abramsiana (C.B. Wolf) D.P. Little:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Cupressus goveniana var. abramsiana (C.B. Wolf) Little:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Cupressus abramsiana C.B. Wolf:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Confined to fewer than ten groves in the Santa Cruz Mts.

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Endemic to California; Santa Cruz Mnts., Bonnie Doon, Eagle Rock and vicinity of Boulder Ck., Santa Cruz Co., and Butano Ridge, San Mateo Co., California.

Historic Range:
U.S.A. (CA)

Tree, Shrub, Evergreen, Monoecious, Habit erect, Trees without or rarely having knees, Tree with bark rough or scaly, Young shoots 3-dimensional, Buds not resinous, Leaves scale-like, Leaves opposite, Non-needle-like leaf margins entire, Leaf apex acute, Leaf apex obtuse, Leaves < 5 cm long, Leaves < 10 cm long, Leaves yellow-green below, Leaves not blue-green, Scale leaves without raised glands, Scale leaf glands not ruptured, Scale leaves overlapping, Twigs glabrous, Twigs not viscid, Twigs without peg-like projections or large fascicles after needles fall, Berry-like cones orange, Woody seed cones < 5 cm long, Bracts of seed cone included, Seeds brown, Seeds winged, Seeds equally winged, Seed wings narrower than body.

Systems

• Terrestrial

Comments: Associated with coastal chaparral communities above the fog belt at 300-760 m. Some groves contain yellow pine and closed-cone pine forest elements. Soils are typically shallow, very well drained sands and sandy-gravelly loams which are low in nutrients. Fire or other disturbance that exposes bare mineral soil may enhance the rate of seedling establishment.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


No available public DNA sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1

Year Assessed

• Needs updating

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N1 - Critically Imperiled

Rounded Global Status Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled

Reasons: Known from fewer than 10, relatively isolated populations, all located in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. There are about 5,100 individuals occupying a total of about 142 ha. There are no imminent threats from habitat alteration or destruction, but the species is somewhat threatened by disruption of natural fire cycles, introgression with other species of cypress, and the potential for oil and gas drilling.

Current Listing Status Summary

Status: Endangered
Date Listed: 01/08/1987
Lead Region:   California/Nevada Region (Region 8) 
Where Listed:


Population detail:

Listing status: E

For most current information and documents related to the conservation status and management of Cupressus abramsiana, see its USFWS Species Profile

Population

Major Threats

Comments: In 1987, this species faced many threats including development, conversion of land for agricultural purposes, and frequent burning. Other threats include logging, vandalism, genetic introgression, and alteration of natural fire regimes. One grove also was threatened by oil and gas drilling (USFWS 1987). A recovery plan was created for this species that updated the threats to this species in 1998. The grove that was threatened by gas and oil drilling is less threatened by these activties because the drilling attempts failed and the operation was abandoned. Any future drilling efforts are to be coordinated by the BLM, but drilling is not currently a threat. Also, since 1975 no further development has taken place near or on land that the species occupies, however, indirect threats due to surrounding housing does exist. These indirect threats are soil erosion, wood cutting, insect infestation and invasion of non-native species. Timber harvesting may be less of a threat as the timber company is aware of the rare species, however, indirect effects of nearby harvesting may cause wind and water erosion. Another grove that was in danger of being converted into a vineyard, is now protected as The Nature Conservancy bought the property in 1989, which was then deeded to the California Department of Fish and Game as an ecological preserve. Other threats such as alteration of fire regimes still threaten (USFWS 1998).

Conservation Actions

Biological Research Needs: Ecological factors affecting this species, especially the effects of fire on populations, species biology, taxonomic study, smog effects.

Needs: More adequately protected EOs needed. Several, perhaps pro- tect others by landowner agreement.