Antonelli Pond | |
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Location | Santa Cruz, California |
Coordinates | 36°57′17″N122°03′37″W / 36.95472°N 122.06028°W |
Type | artificial pond |
Basin countries | United States |
Surface area | 6.4 acres (2.6 ha) |
Max. depth | 0.9 m (3.0 ft) |
Water volume | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
Antonelli Pond is a century old, man-made pond on the west side of the city of Santa Cruz, California that now has ecological and cultural significance. The pond and surrounding riparian habitat are foraging and/or breeding grounds for many species including raptors, egrets, great blue heron, deer, raccoon, coyote, and several rodent species, including woodrats. Additionally, the pond has many paths for walking and spots for fishing that are enjoyed daily by local community residents.
The non-profit organization Land Trust of Santa Cruz County (LTSCC) acquired Antonelli Pond as four parcels between 1982 and 1994. These include the pond, surrounding riparian areas and grasslands, and land that adjoins Moore Creek. The final parcel was obtained in 1994. The total area that LTSCC manages at Antonelli Pond is 13.7 acres (55,000 m2) and 3 metres (9.8 ft), with the pond itself making up approximately 6.4 acres (LTSCC 2004). In 1989, initial improvements were made to the pond and surrounding area. These improvements included graveled walking trails, small fishing platforms, a staircase near the northern bank leading to the water's edge, wooden benches, and informational signs. The LTSCC's goal is to preserve this space as an urban natural area, promote the continued use of the site for wildlife breeding and foraging, and maintain public access. [ citation needed ]
Conditions at Antonelli Pond have deteriorated.[ when? ] Invasive plant species have outcompeted many of the native plants and the number of bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species has declined. The trails have erosion problems mainly caused by unauthorized vehicle usage. Other damage is caused by trash, such as beer bottles. Also, many of the benches, stairs, and fishing platforms have been vandalized.[ citation needed ]
Some invasive species have caused severe impacts on the natural community surrounding Antonelli Pond. The most damaging species at this site are Conium maculatum (poison hemlock), Rubus discolor (Himalayan blackberry), Hedera helix (English ivy), and Delairea odorata (cape ivy).[ citation needed ]
In the spring of 2007, restoration work began on a portion of the Antonelli Pond site. Efforts included initial removal of several invasive plant species, the installation of gates to prevent vehicle access, trail grading to prevent erosion, and the construction of several wood duck boxes around the pond edge to provide nesting habitat. Native seeds will be collected and propagated from species that currently populate the area. For additional re-vegetation, seeds, cuttings, and plant starts from other native species will be obtained from local nurseries. The first native planting is planned for the fall of 2007. An interim vegetation management plan was written to guide the clean-up, restoration, and conservation efforts that will be ongoing for the next several years.
Hedera, commonly called ivy, is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan. Several species are cultivated as climbing ornamentals, and the name ivy especially denotes common ivy, known in North America as "English ivy", which is frequently planted to clothe brick walls.
Conium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. As of December 2020, Plants of the World Online accepts six species.
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Rubus armeniacus, the Himalayan blackberry or Armenian blackberry, is a species of Rubus in the blackberry group Rubus subgenus Rubus series Discolores Focke. It is native to Armenia and northern Iran, and widely invasive elsewhere. Both its scientific name and origin have been the subject of much confusion, with much of the literature referring to it as either Rubus procerus or Rubus discolor, and often mistakenly citing its origin as western European. Flora of North America, published in 2014, considers the taxonomy unsettled, and tentatively uses the older name Rubus bifrons.
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The hemlock moth, also known as the defoliating hemlock moth or poison hemlock moth, is a nocturnal moth species of the family Depressariidae. Of Palaearctic origin, it was first found in North America in 1973 when it was accidentally introduced. The moth is now widespread throughout the northern half of the United States, southern Canada, northern Europe, and, more recently, New Zealand and Australia. The larval form grows to around 10 mm, while the adults wingspan is between 17 mm and 19 mm.
Conium maculatum, known as hemlock, or poison hemlock is a highly poisonous flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae, native to Europe and North Africa. It is herbaceous without woody parts and has a biennial lifecycle. A hardy plant capable of living in a variety of environments, hemlock is widely naturalised in locations outside its native range, such as parts of Australia, West Asia, and North and South America, to which it has been introduced. It is capable of spreading and thereby becoming an invasive weed.
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Hedera algeriensis, the Algerian ivy, is a species of evergreen ivy native to the North African coast, including coastal mountains in Algeria.
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