San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Case Study

According to the Merced County San Luis Wildlife Refuge website, a quarter of the refuge is covered in wetlands which provides “major wintering ground and migratory stopover of waterfowl, shorebirds, and other water birds.” In spring, the water levels recede and eventually evaporate which allow wildflowers like purple clovers and goldfields to grow. The plethora of flowers create a colorful scenery. Aside from the flowers, the refuge “contains approximately 300 acres of cultivated corn and winter wheat crops and more than 500 acres of irrigated pasture for wildlife”(San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex pamphlet 2015). During fall, the cool weather contributes to a lot of wildlife activity.Cranes, geese, and ducks start arriving from the north to the refuge. In the winter, the weather is usually the same as fall except it gets even more cold. According to Madeline Yancey, Park Ranger at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, the tule elk begin to shed their antler during winter and immediately begin to grow a new set. Also, the wetlands come alive do to the waterfowl migrating from the south in order to rest and feed on plants and insects. The habitats at the complex consists of riparian woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands. The riparian habitats are largely dominated …show more content…
They naturally grow in scattered groups that provide ideal habitat for wildlife. These plants have adapted to the salty soils and harsh climate. The animals once living there had already adapted to the native plant communities so when the native plants were replaced by grasses from Europe, the animals and original plant were choked out. These thick, lush green grasses is one of the many issues the complex tries to manage. The staff actively works to restore native plants in the uplands so the wildlife has a