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Albertson, Joy. 1996. Restoring salt marsh habitat for the recovery of California clapper rails. Tideline. Vol 16 No. 4 1-3. Restoring salt marsh habitat by Joy Albertson 
In the early 1800s, California clapper rails (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) were abundant in the tidal marshes of San Francisco Bay and smaller populations were present in coastal marshes from Humboldt Bay to Morro Bay. Between 1850 and 1915, when rail hunting was made illegal, over-hunting by market and sport hunters decimated rail populations leading to the extinction of many local populations. Some local rail populations recovered following the hunting closure, however the California clapper rail never fully recovered. Destruction of tidal marsh habitat for urban use and salt production accelerated in the 1920s and proceeded at a rapid pace until federal and state laws were enacted in the mid-1960s. Since that time, large scale habitat loss has been limited, but the cumulative effects of many small habitat losses has resulted in significant wetland loss and degradation. |
Last updated:
May 22, 2008
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