United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: There are two centers of the distribution: one in Nevada County and the main one to the south in Eldorado County. The range extent adding up the 2 areas is about 18.5 sq mi.

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

Comments: Tops of rocky ridges and on scattered rock outcrops of gabbro in chaparral communities or in the ecotone between chaparral and woodland. Heat (fire) is needed to scarify seed coats for germination and to clear the area for seedling development.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 6 - 20

Comments: 11 total EO's, 5 of which are historic.

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N1 - Critically Imperiled

Rounded Global Status Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled

Reasons: Narrowly endemic to a gabbroic soil area in western El Dorado County, California. The plants are scattered within an area of approximately 18 sq mi and are vulnerable to destruction by development and to the long-term effects of fire suppression due to their proximity to current and planned residential and commercial development projects. Trash dumping and road construction are also threats.

Environmental Specificity: Very narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements scarce.

Comments: Narrowly endemic to gabbro soils in Eldorado and Nevada Co's, California.

Current Listing Status Summary

Status: Endangered
Date Listed: 10/18/1996
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 Fremontodendron decumbens, see its USFWS Species Profile

Global Short Term Trend: Decline of 10-30%

Comments: The short term trend is declining.

Global Long Term Trend: Decline of 50-70%

Comments: The long term trend is most certainly more of a substantial decline due to change in fire frequency, and development.

Comments: The primary threat is development and road building. Only a few plants are protected.

Biological Research Needs: 1. Influence of fire on population biology.
2. Genetics, especially for the Nevada Co. populations which have characteristics of the more common Fremontodendron.
3. Demography

Needs: All current sites should be protected since there are so few total plants.

Comments: Treated as a species by Kartesz (1994 checklist and 1999 Floristic Synthesis), but as a subspecies of Fremontodendron californicum by USFWS (1994). Kartesz notes (letter to Larry Morse, 25Nov99) that "species versus subspecies rank within this genus is wholly arbitrary" and that he prefers to maintain this taxon at the species rank in view of its rarity.