| (sorted by presentation order) | |
| A MODEL TO EVALUATE BARRED OWL (STRIX VARIA) REMOVAL STRATEGIES FOR NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL (STRIX OCCIDENTALIS CAURINA) CONSERVATION. | | Ryan C Baumbusch; Humboldt State University; ryan.baumbusch@humboldt.edu; Lowell, V., Diller, Daniel, C., Barton | | In ecosystems throughout the world, lethal removal of one species is sometimes seen as necessary for the conservation of another. Modeling alternative removal strategies can inform decision-making so that resources are not directed towards ineffective or inefficient actions and, perhaps more importantly, to avoid culling animals using strategies with little to no conservation benefit for the species of concern. Lethal removal of barred owls has been proposed as a management option for the conservation of northern spotted owls. We developed an individual-based spatially explicit population model to compare the efficacy and efficiency of alternative barred owl removal strategies. The model evaluates how well an area can be maintained free of barred owls as well as the impact a strategy might have on the broader population of barred owls beyond the removal area. We compared several basic approaches for implementation of removal across space and time within a homogenous habitat. We also identified parameters of interest where further empirical field research could refine model predictions. The flexible nature of the model allows further development to answer more complex questions concerning barred owl removal as well as application to property-specific evaluation when landowners or managers propose or consider barred owl removals. | | Challenges and Conflict in Vertebrate Predator Management | | Student Paper |
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| HOW TO TRAIN YOUR RAVEN: TESTING THE RESPONSE TO SNOWY PLOVER NEST EXCLOSURES | | Teresa R King; Humboldt State University; trk16@humboldt.edu; Mark A. Colwell | | Increasing reproductive success is a common management goal for conservation of at risk species. For ground-nesting shorebirds, such as the threatened Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), the use of nest exclosures has proven to be a successful strategy to increase nest success. While exclosures may boost hatching success, it is suspected that intelligent predators (e.g., Common Raven, Corvus corax) may learn that protected eggs soon hatch to produce nidifugous chicks, which are easily depredated upon leaving the exclosure. We asked if ravens can be habituated to exclosures such that plover productivity increases without compromising adults or newly hatched chicks. Using tracks as an indicator of activity, we assessed whether ravens displayed signs of habituation to exclosures with prolonged exposure. We saturated an area of beach with historically high corvid activity with artificial plover nests protected by "mini-exclosures," which we sampled at 2-day intervals for 5 consecutive months. Here, I will present our results and discuss management challenges, implications, and proposed options for the future. | | Challenges and Conflict in Vertebrate Predator Management | | Student Paper |
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| INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL INCREASES THREATENED CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG ABUNDANCE AND ALTERS THE DIET OF ENDANGERED SAN FRANCISCO GARTERSNAKES | | Richard Kim; U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center; rkim@usgs.gov; Brian J. Halstead, Eric J. Routman, Michael L. Casazza, Julie Andersen | | Non-native invasive species often have detrimental effects on native ecosystems and species. Eradicating introduced species, however, can disrupt established ecosystem processes. We examined the effects of eradicating introduced fish and American bullfrogs on threatened California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) and one of their important predators, endangered San Francisco Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia). We monitored an R. draytonii population between 2014 and 2015 during and after the invasive species were removed, and assessed if potential increase in R. draytonii abundance also increased their availability as prey for T. s. tetrataenia. We observed 0.18 (95% highest posterior density interval, 0-0.89) adult R. draytonii per survey in 2014, but 6.98 (4.82-8.82) per survey in 2015. Although no recruitment occurred in 2014, we estimated the peak mean density of R. draytonii metamorphs to be 1.98 (1.86-2.12) individuals/m2 in 2015. Twenty two percent of T. s. tetrataenia samples in 2015 had consumed R. draytonii, but none had in 2014. Reference ponds without exotics decreased in R. draytonii abundance over a similar period. Removal of bullfrogs and invasive fish directly facilitates the restoration of R. draytonii populations and may increase their availability as prey for the endangered T. s. tetrataenia. | | Challenges and Conflict in Vertebrate Predator Management | | |
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| IS TARGET MIST-NETTING AN EFFECTIVE CONTROL METHOD FOR REDUCING BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD PARASITISM? | | Mary J Whitfield; Southern Sierra Research Station; mjwhitfield.ssrs@gmail.com; Mary J Whitfield, Anna Buchardt | | Brown-headed Cowbird nest parasitism is recognized as a problem for many endangered and sensitive bird species. As a result, managers use cowbird control programs to reduce parasitism. Cowbird traps are the primary method for reducing cowbird populations; investigators may also remove cowbird eggs in host nests and occasionally supplement traps with shooting. Unfortunately, cowbird trapping can be expensive, is limited to areas with vehicle access, and can result in the death or nest failure of many non-target birds. Removing cowbird eggs and shooting also have their drawbacks. Thus, we investigated whether target-netting for cowbird females is effective for controlling cowbirds near areas where the target host is nesting. In 2015, we target-netted female cowbirds in California and compared those results with trapping. The target-netting involved using mist nets, a female cowbird decoy, and cowbird calls. We captured 38 female cowbirds with target-netting, and nine female cowbirds with traps. The capture rate for netting was 0.46 females/hour and 0.04 females/hour for trapping. The number of non-target captures per female cowbird captured was much lower with netting (2.07) compared to trapping (9.22). Our results indicate that netting for female cowbirds is highly effective to remove cowbirds from areas with less impact to non-target species.
| | Challenges and Conflict in Vertebrate Predator Management | | |
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| THE CHALLENGE OF NAVIGATING CALIFORNIA GRAY WOLF CONFLICTS (REAL AND PERCEIVED) | | Karen E. Kovacs; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; karen.kovacs@wildlife.ca.gov; | | Similar concerns have followed gray wolf (Canis lupus) state-by-state expansion in the west both prior to and after reintroduction efforts in the Rocky Mountains in the mid-1990s. Some of these concerns revolve around public perception of the natural world and the influences (both real and perceived) that gray wolves may bring. Combining these concerns with legal mechanisms that provide protections to the species, the consequences of potential and realized wolf-caused damages, along with the evolving presence of wolves in California, results in complex conservation challenges for this species in the state. | | Challenges and Conflict in Vertebrate Predator Management | | |
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| (sorted by presentation order) | |
| ISLAND FOX MONITORING AND DEMOGRAPHY ON SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND | | Jesse M. Maestas; Institute for Wildlife Studies; Maestas@iws.org; Glen R. Enzfelder, Calypso N. Gagorik, David A. Green, Melissa A. Booker, David K. Garcelon, Andrew S. Bridges | | The island fox (Urocyon littoralis) is endemic to the California Channel Islands and the San Clemente Island subspecies is the focus of a long-term conservation program funded and overseen by the U.S. Navy. This program currently includes annual monitoring of fox demography, survival, and disease prevalence. Demographic data are gathered from 12 18-trap grids stratified by habitat type throughout the island. We maintain a radio-collared population of up to 100 individuals to serve as disease sentinels and to gather known-fate survival data. Data suggest a growing population, which reached its highest recorded level in 2014 with an estimate of 1,230 adults. Known-fate survival analysis suggested a high adult survival rate of 95%. Despite several years of drought conditions, the SCI fox population appears healthy, and has grown steadily (186%) over the past 8 years. | |
| REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF THE SAN CLEMENTE BELL'S SPARROW ON A RECOVERING LANDSCAPE | | Susan Meiman; Institute for Wildlife Studies; meiman@iws.org; Emma E. DeLeon, Melissa A. Booker, Andrew S. Bridges | | The San Clemente Bell's sparrow (Artemisiospiza belli clementeae) is a federally threatened subspecies endemic to San Clemente Island, California. This subspecies was previously considered dependent on boxthorn (Lycium californicum) habitat for nesting. However, recent reestablishment of native shrubs other than boxthorn on San Clemente Island has been accompanied by an expansion of the breeding range of the San Clemente Bell's sparrow into areas not historically considered suitable. To explore sparrow breeding ecology in these new habitats, we modeled daily survival rate (DSR) for 200 nests found from 2013-2015, comparing boxthorn habitat to other habitats at 3 spatial scales. Estimated DSR ranged from 0.960 (SE 0.007) in 2014 to 0.979 in 2013 (SE=0.005), with more variation due to year and date of nest initiation than by habitat type. The breeding success of Bell's sparrows in non-traditional areas where shrub species other than boxthorn have recovered suggests the previously described reliance on boxthorn may have been based more on availability than preference. Our findings illustrate how endangered species populations may respond in unexpected way to recovering landscapes, and emphasize the importance of adapting conservation and monitoring efforts accordingly. | |
| PEREGRINE FALCON RECOVERY ON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS | | Nathan A Melling; Institute For Wildlife Studies; melling@iws.org; Peter, B, Sharpe | | It is estimated that there were 15-30 pairs of breeding American peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus anatum) on the California Channel Islands in the early- to mid-1900s, but they were extirpated by the early 1960s, likely as a result of DDE (a metabolite of DDT) contamination of the Southern California Bight. Small-scale reintroductions occurred on several islands between 1983 and 1998, but there were few comprehensive surveys conducted after the mid-1990s. We conducted annual surveys for peregrines on all 8 California Channel Islands in 2013-2015 to determine population size, nesting success and productivity. We located 45-48 occupied territories each year and the estimated population size now exceeds that of the pre-DDT era. Nesting success averaged 68%, with mean productivity of 1.5 chicks per occupied territory. Although the levels of productivity appear sufficient to maintain the population, factors such as juvenile/adult survival and emigration/immigration rates play an important role in population persistence. Continued population monitoring and banding of young could provide an improved understanding of these population parameters for the Channel Island peregrines and help determine whether contaminants or other issues are negatively impacting the population. | |
| ARGENTINE ANT (LINEPITHEMA HUMILE, MAYR) DETECTION, MONITORING, AND ERADICATION EFFORT ON NAVAL AUXILIARY LANDING FIELD SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND | | Korie C. Merrill; SDSU, Soil Ecology and Restoration Group; kmerrill@mail.sdsu.edu; Amanda C. Chisholm, Thomas A. Zink | | The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is an extremely invasive ant species that has spread to urban, commercial and natural areas worldwide. This expansion has had detrimental ecological and economic effects, resulting in the allocation of vast amounts of resources to its control in urban and agricultural areas. Efforts are underway to control Argentine ants in ecologically sensitive habitats, such as San Clemente Island, CA. We tested the treatment efficacy of liquid bait in ecologically sensitive habitats using polyacrylamide beads as a delivery matrix. In 2014, five sites (176.95 ha) were treated with this toxicant bait seven times in five months resulting in an initial 99.86% reduction in Argentine ant activity across the five sites. In summer 2015, we conducted low-density intensive monitoring over a 17-hectare area using bait traps in a 3m by 3m grid design. We found recolonization of native ants at and remnant colonies of Argentine ants one year after pesticide application. The polyacrylamide bead delivery matrix was successful in reducing Argentine ant numbers, as shown by this study. Persistent treatment and monitoring will be necessary to ensure complete eradication of Argentine ants from San Clemente Island. | |
| (sorted by presentation order) | |
| DO ELECTROMATS EFFECTIVELY PREVENT LARGE AND MEDIUM-SIZED MAMMALS FROM ENTERING THE HIGHWAY? | | John D Perrine; California Polytechnic State University; jperrine@calpoly.edu; Nancy R. Siepel, Morgan Robertson | | Concerns about highway impacts upon large and medium-sized mammals have led to the development of several new technologies to prevent these animals from entering the highway corridor. We assessed the performance of electrified mats, or "electromats", a new alternative to traditional metal-rail cattle guards to prevent wildlife from entering the highway from ungated access roads. We used automatic camera stations to monitor wildlife responses at 4 electromat sites within a 2.5 mile wildlife exclusion fence project near San Luis Obispo, California. Continual monitoring from July 2012 through July 2014 (totaling 2,149 survey nights) documented 482 visitation events by large and medium-sized mammals, with Mule Deer and Gray Fox accounting for the most detections. On some occasions, animals attempting to cross the electromats were shocked and later showed hesitation to cross again or avoided the mat altogether, but on other occasions animals crossed the electromat without evident shock. Animals that learned to successfully cross the electromats tended to return repeatedly, greatly inflating the proportion of detection events that resulted in successful crossings. Based on our monitoring data, we have developed several recommendations to the design and deployment of electromats that will likely make this technology more effective. | | Conservation and Challenges in the Urban-Wildlife Interface | | |
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| DO LARGE AND MEDIUM-SIZED MAMMALS USE JUMP-OUT RAMPS TO ESCAPE FROM A FENCED HIGHWAY CORRIDOR? | | John D Perrine; California Polytechnic State University; jperrine@calpoly.edu; Nancy R. Siepel, Morgan Robertson | | Exclusion fencing can reduce the number of large and medium-sized mammals within a highway corridor, but can also prevent animals from escaping from the corridor if they enter in other ways, such as at ungated access roads. Earthen escape ramps leading from the highway to the top of the exclusion fence have been proposed as a possible solution by allowing animals to "jump out" of the highway corridor. We assessed wildlife response at 4 jump-out ramps installed as part of a 2.5 mile wildlife exclusion fence project near San Luis Obispo, California. We deployed one automatic camera per site and monitored continually from July 2012 through July 2014 (totaling 2,864 survey nights). We documented 431 visitation events by large and medium-sized mammals, with Mule Deer and Gray Fox being the most frequently-detected species. Mule Deer jumped off of the ramps on several occasions, but these events were comparatively rare. Deer that did not jump out still tended to return to the ramps repeatedly. Gray Fox had a higher proportion of events resulting in jumping off the ramp. We documented several instances of other species jumping off the ramps. Mule Deer, Black Bear or Cougar never used the jump-outs to enter the highway corridor. Our results suggest that jump-out ramps have the potential to reduce the abundance of large and medium-sized mammals within a fenced highway corridor. | | Conservation and Challenges in the Urban-Wildlife Interface | | |
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| ADDRESSING OBSTACLES TO RE-ESTABLISHING THE NATURAL ECOSYSTEM AND NATIVE SPECIES AT MOUNTAIN LAKE IN THE PRESIDIO OF SAN FRANCISCO | | Terri L. Thomas; Presidio Trust; tthomas@presidiotrust.gov; Jonathan Young | | The Presidio of San Francisco is a national park site on the south side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Mountain Lake is a natural lake in its boundaries. The lake's fauna had been replaced with non-native species, and the lake ecosystem greatly disturbed through filling and pollution. Re-stablish the natural ecosystem required support for controversial methods including using rotenone to remove non-native species and dredging the lake to remove toxic pollutants. Now, it requires support of the community for changes in behavior such as not releasing non-natives (pets) back into the lake. The variety of approaches used to get support from the local community, politicians, regulatory agencies, advocacy groups and the media will be discussed as well as overcoming constraints for re-establishing Anadota mussels, three-spine stickleback, western pond turtle, and chorus frogs. | | Conservation and Challenges in the Urban-Wildlife Interface | | |
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| URBAN COYOTES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | | David N Lee ; Davey Wildlife Solutions; david.lee@davey.com; | | As urban development continues to push into native habitat, coyote-human conflicts are increasing in Southern California. Coyotes (Canis latrans) continue to adapt to urban and sub-urban environments, and their populations are growing. This talk will focus on recent studies of urban coyotes. We will emphasize innovative solutions to coyote-human conflicts such as pet predation and attacks on humans. Our discussion will include a summary of recent coyote attacks and an update on a National Park Service study of radio-collared coyotes in downtown Los Angeles. | | Conservation and Challenges in the Urban-Wildlife Interface | | |
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| HUMAN-COYOTE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN AN URBAN NATIONAL PARK | | Jonathan S Young; Presidio Trust; jyoung@presidiotrust.gov; | | The establishment of Coyotes (Canis latrans) in urban areas across the United States is a relatively recent phenomenon that is typically associated with controversy and due to a variety of ecological and societal factors the species will remain ever-present. In the early 2000s the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park, had a re-establishment of coyotes. The associated conflicts (whether perceived or real), as well as the management approaches, have been one the most significant contentions among the local community. In order to reduce human-coyote conflict a variety of strategies have been developed and implemented throughout the years. Educational outreach to the community, including informational pamphlets and signage, has been the most applied approach as human behavior is one of the main factors driving a majority of these conflicts. Additionally, a coyote incident response protocol has been developed to standardize the documentation of reported encounters while identifying thresholds and guiding appropriate and consistent responses. More active methods, such as the use of spatial deterrents and/or physical barriers, have been used under specific circumstances. Although these techniques have achieved desired results much improvement remains and are in need of refinement and innovation. | | Conservation and Challenges in the Urban-Wildlife Interface | | |
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| CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN ACTION: CASE STUDIES IN THE SOUTH COAST ECO-REGION | | Amber D Pairis; Climate Science Alliance-South Coast (CA Dept Fish Wildlife); amber.pairis@wildlife.ca.gov; | | Are you interested in how climate change might impact your work? Interested in integrating climate change into your planning and management activities? Curious to know how others are integrating climate change science into planning and projects? Five speakers from across the south coast eco-region will present cutting edge efforts to collaboratively support integration of climate change considerations into natural resource management through partnerships, research, planning and action.
Partnership:
Amber Pairis, Climate Science Alliance-South Coast: Planting the Seeds for Innovative Partnerships: The South Coast Eco-region is alive with projects, planning efforts and partnerships that are focused on conserving the biological diversity and uniqueness of our region, as well as the communities where we live and work. These existing efforts and partnerships are critical to forming the foundation for understanding and building resilience to climate change impacts now and in the future. The Climate Science Alliance-South Coast is a partnership formed to create and support a network of leaders, scientists, and natural resource managers focused on sharing ecosystem-based resiliency approaches to safeguard our communities and natural resources from climate change risks.
| | Designing and Implementing Climate Adaptation Strategies | | |
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| PLANNING FOR WILDLIFE MOVEMENT IN A CHANGING CLIMATE | | Megan Jennings; San Diego State University; mjennings@mail.sdsu.edu; | | In southern California, ecological networks established under California's Natural Communities Conservation Planning (NCCP) program have been developed in response to the widespread habitat fragmentation in the region. Over longer time scales, and in the face of changing environmental conditions, connectivity will also prove critical for facilitating range shifts in response to landscape changes caused by development, changing climate, and altered disturbance regimes. In association with California's Department of Transportation (CalTrans), a recent study looked at wildlife movement along Highway 67 in San Diego's backcountry. State Route 67 is the main thoroughfare in and out of the community of Ramona, and safe crossings for wildlife are a major concern as the conserved lands and native habitats adjacent to the road mean that a lot of wildlife lives in close proximity. Collecting information about the existing culvert structures, investigating roadkill, and using previously collected data on bobcat movement will help inform planning efforts on their currently proposed median barrier project and eventually on the planning for the widening of the highway in the future. This information coupled with considerations of climate change impacts on key variables that support connectivity viability will support establishment of feasible and adaptive approaches to retain landscape connectivity and resiliency and will support biodiversity within NCCP networks and across the region. The decision support guide developed in cooperation with partner agencies will identify tangible and feasible actions to improve connectivity and enhance climate resiliency in San Diego's and the region's conservation network. | | Designing and Implementing Climate Adaptation Strategies | | |
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| TECOLOTE CANYON NATURAL PARK NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN | | Kim Roeland; City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department; kroeland@sandiego.gov; | | Over 50,000 acres of conserved open space are owned and managed by the City of San Diego. City staff are responsible for conducting monitoring and management actions that are critical to maintaining and improving the biological value of the land. In 2014, the City of San Diego initiated a pilot program to incorporate climate change adaptation measures into its existing natural resource management planning program. A modified approach streamlined the process outlined in the National Wildlife Federation's Climate-Smart Conservation: Putting Adaptation Principles into Practice (2014) to combine institutional knowledge of the land managers with the best available climate science for the southern California region. The first plan including adaptation planning using the principles of climate smart conservation was for Tecolote Canyon Natural Park, a 950-acre coastal urban preserve in the City of San Diego. By incorporating climate adaptation planning into our existing land management planning process, the City created an efficient mechanism for translating climate adaptation science into actions that are ready for rapid implementation through existing organizational and funding structures.
| | Designing and Implementing Climate Adaptation Strategies | | |
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| CLIMATE UNDERSTANDING AND RESILIENCE IN THE RIVER VALLEY (CURRV) | | Danielle Boudreau; Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve ; dboudreau@trnerr.org ; | | The CURRV project goal is to build upon a regional commitment of climate change adaptation within the context of other environmental and socioeconomic stressors. The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR) is collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders to conduct a vulnerability assessment that informs the development of climate adaptation strategies, specifically addressing sea level rise and riverine flooding. These strategies will provide information to coastal decision-makers managing our natural resources and will build infrastructure tools for effective ecosystem-based management.
| | Designing and Implementing Climate Adaptation Strategies | | |
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| THIN-LAYER SALT MARSH SEDIMENT AUGMENTATION PILOT PROJECT | | Kirk Gilligan; USFWS-Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge; kirk_gilligan@fws.gov; | | The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will apply a thin-layer of sediment over 10 acres of existing low salt marsh habitat on the Seal Beach NWR, with the hope of documenting the effectiveness of this strategy in combating sea level rise, while also improving quality of cordgrass-dominated salt marsh habitat to support the federally endangered light-footed Ridgway's rail (formerly known as the light-footed clapper rail). The Service will monitor the physical and ecological responses of the marsh for a period of five years, and results will be shared with Federal, State, and local agencies, land managers, and others to assist in developing sea level rise adaptation strategies. | | Designing and Implementing Climate Adaptation Strategies | | |
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| GIANT GARTERSNAKES (THAMNOPHIS GIGAS) SELECTIVELY FORAGE ON NATIVE ANURANS | | Julia S Martins Ersan; CSU, East Bay/ USGS; ersan@ucdavis.edu; Brian J Halstead, Erica L Wildy, Michael L Casazza, Glenn D Wylie | | The introduction of exotic species can alter trophic dynamics of native species. Threatened giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas) forage on a prey community that is comprised almost entirely of exotic species. We examined prey selection of giant gartersnakes by analyzing trap by-catch and regurgitated gut contents of snakes in four basins in the Sacramento Valley of California to determine whether these snakes actively select their prey or if they are simply consuming what is abundant. Although non-native anuran and fish species dominate the available prey community, giant gartersnakes most strongly selected native Sierran treefrogs (Pseudacris sierra) metamorphs. If all prey types were equally available, giant gartersnakes would have selected Sierran treefrogs with a probability of 0.596 [0.0254 - 0.855]. Giant gartersnakes also were more likely to select introduced American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) adults over all tested introduced fishes. Managing prey communities to increase native amphibian abundance within the giant gartersnake's range might benefit populations of this rare snake. | | Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles | | Student Paper |
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| PILOT STUDY FOR USE OF SCENT-DETECTION DOGS IN SURVEYS FOR THE GIANT GARTER SNAKE (THAMNOPHIS GIGAS) | | Katherine Ayres; H. T. Harvey & Associates; kayres@harveyecology.com; Alexandra L. Thiel, Monica J. Hemenez, Lauralea Oliver, Eric Hansen, Robyn M. Powers | | The giant garter snake (GGS) (Thamnophis gigas) is federally and State listed as a threatened species endemic to California's Central Valley. GGS require wetlands for foraging, upland areas for basking, upland refugia as summer shelter, and higher-elevation refugia for winter brumation. Visually, the GGS is elusive: these snakes frequently occur in low-density populations in which individuals are difficult to detect. Detection challenges have resulted in a poor understanding of occupancy patterns throughout much of the species' range, particularly in upland habitat. H. T. Harvey & Associates tested the efficacy of using scent-detection dogs to recognize and alert to GGS residual scent and distinguish it from the scent of sympatric garter snake species. We determined the probability of GGS scent detection and calculated a detection error rate for three dog-handler teams, and determined the change in probability of GGS residual scent detection as scent degraded over a period of six months. The use of scent-detection dogs may offer an efficient and innovative survey approach enabling the detection of GGS both above-ground and in upland refugia. | | Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles | | |
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| HABITAT USE AND NEST SITE SELECTION BY THE WESTERN POND TURTLE (ACTINEMYS MARMORATA) IN MANAGED CENTRAL CALIFORNIA RANGELANDS | | David L Riensche; East Bay Regional Park District; driensche@ebparks.org; Nicole A. Beadle, Sarah C. Gidre, Sarah K. Riensche, Brooke E. Wainwright, Julian D. Geoghegan, Douglas A. Bell | | The western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) has been declining throughout its range due to a number of stressors including: habitat degradation and loss, exotic competitors, non-native predators, and epidemic disease. Our only native California turtle is listed as a California Species of Special Concern and a candidate species for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. Few studies have examined the ecology of populations in lentic environments subject to livestock grazing. From 2011 through 2015, staff and volunteers tracked visually and/or using radio-telemetry devices, the seasonal movement patterns, habitat use and nest site selection of western pond turtles in eastern Contra Costa County, California. Preliminary statistical analyses of this multiple-year database are showing that male and female western pond turtles use the pond environment differently; however, they overwinter in the same relative location. Gravid females on average move 24.4 m. (±17.5 m.) away from the ponds, nest on south-facing slopes (mean aspect of 134± 31.9 degrees) with mean residual dry matter (RDM) levels of 1345 (lbs./acre)(1510 kg/ha), and vegetation heights ranging between 26.6 and 39.5 cm. These research findings show how western pond turtles utilize their pond and upland environment have significant conservation and management implications for rangelands. | | Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles | | |
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| POPULATION STRUCTURE OF PACIFIC POND TURTLE (ACTINEMYS MARMORATA) AT A POND IN THE CALIFORNIA DELTA: RESULTS FROM A COMPLETE TRAPPING AND RELOCATION EFFORT | | Patricia M Valcarcel; WRA, Inc.; valcarcel@wra-ca.com; | | A complete Pacific pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) trapping and relocation effort occurred as part of a California Department of Water Resources and Ducks Unlimited wetland restoration and levee stabilization project. Trapping and salvage occurred at a 6-acre scour pond on Sherman Island, located in the western California Delta. In April 2015, a trapping effort was conducted prior to initiation of restoration activities. This work was followed with a salvage effort conducted concurrently with construction at the pond which began in late summer and was completed in October 2015. A total of 222 unique individuals encompassing all ages including hatchlings were successfully captured and relocated during the trapping and salvage efforts. Turtles were relocated 0.8 mile away, and only two individuals were recaptured following relocation. Demographic data including sex, carapace size, and coloration were taken on all individuals, and additional data on mass, gravidness, plastron, and inguinal scute size were also gathered during the spring effort. Summary data of turtles captured are presented including size distribution, sex ratio, potential trap biases, and trapping lessons including observations of pond characteristics and species. This study represents the first known trapping and relocation of an entire population of Pacific pond turtle. | | Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles | | |
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| POPULATION RESPONSE OF CALIFORNIA RED-LEGGED FROG TO PREDATOR ERADICATION: A LONG-TERM CASE STUDY | | Rob A Schell; WRA, Inc.; schell@wra-ca.com; | | Agricultural stock ponds have become strong-hold habitats for the federally threatened California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii: CRLF) in coastal and central California ranch-lands. Where habitat conditions are favorable, CRLF are able to thrive in such environs. Though commonly, non-native aquatic predators dominate at the agricultural urban interface. In 2009, as a component of long-term monitoring and management commitments following the construction of the Pleasanton Municipal Golf Course; WRA identified two individual CRLF persisting at an invasive-dominated pond located on an off-site conservation easement preserved as a component of project mitigation. As a result, WRA embarked on a year-long effort to directly remove non-natives with only marginal results. Ultimately, WRA determined that the best approach would be to dewater the pond, which occurred in 2010. In 2011, the CRLF population began to flourish, increasing in both number and distribution. While the mechanism for such rapid growth is not entirely clear, it potentially suggests CRLF could have more complex associations with upland aestivation habitat. | | Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles | | |
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| CUCKOOS ATTRACTING MATES: WHO COOS FOR WHO? | | Shannon E McNeil; Southern Sierra Research Station; sem.ssrs@gmail.com; Diane Tracy | | Female birds have been increasingly found to sing, and those who sing to attract mates appear to do so along with their male counterparts, not as the solo singers. Female-driven systems may exist, but the cryptic nature of many species hinders a better understanding of their mating systems. The coo is a mate attraction signal by yellow-billed cuckoos (Coccyzus americanus) that was previously assumed to be given by unmated males, though there is evidence that females also coo. We witnessed cooing in a color-banded population of yellow-billed cuckoos that we DNA-sexed from blood samples. Of 105 males and 80 females, 25 were confirmed cooing, all of them female. Despite the small sample size, our results are compelling that female and not male yellow-billed cuckoos coo, revealing a sex-reversed mating system in which unmated females sing to find available males. This result also complements our discovery of high rates of conspecific nest parasitism among yellow-billed cuckoos in which the nesting male is also the father of the parasitic young. Female cuckoos apparently not only coo to attract unmated males to nest with, but also to locate, mate with, and lay eggs in the nests of already-nesting males. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | |
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| HISTORY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO SURVEY PROTOCOL | | Murrelet D Halterman; MurreletHalterman@gmail.com; Hillary M. White | | Recently, the Western U.S. Distinct Population Segment of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo was designated as a threatened species under the federal endangered species act. The species has been listed as endangered in California since 1988. Surveys for the Yellow-billed Cuckoos have been conducted since the late 1970s in California, but the current survey protocol has only been in use since the late 1990s. We will discuss the history of the survey protocol and the supporting research that went into developing the survey methods. We will also discuss the management implications of the recent federal status designation, proposed critical habitat, and permitting requirements for researchers, conservation planners, and land managers. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | |
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| NOVEL ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENTS COMPROMISE SONG PERFORMANCE IN CHIPPING SPARROWS | | Benjamin M Davidson; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; bjdavids@calpoly.edu; Clinton, D, Francis | | Anthropogenic noise has been shown to have substantial effects on avifauna structures and avian vocalization behaviors. Additionally, the performance tradeoff for many songbirds between song length and bandwidth has been extensively documented in the presence of anthropogenic noise. Here we quantified the effects of novel acoustic environments on song performance through quantile regression analyses and quantifying a performance frontier. Chipping sparrow songs were recorded in RCHMA of northern New Mexico in spring of 2009 in areas of anthropogenic noise of natural-gas-well compressors, and in acoustically unaffected areas. Additional data from Xeno-Canto and Podos et al. (1997) was included to provide a more robust and diverse data set for the quantile regression analyses. The quantile regression analysis provided a fitness frontier based on syllables in songs and bandwidth of the song. The best performers were found along the frontier, while the worst performers were found well below the frontier. We analyzed distances of individuals from the frontier, only for the birds we had recorded in RCHMA, and found that individuals found near gas-well compressors were significantly further below the performance frontier. This indicates that beyond avifauna structuring and shifting singing behaviors, anthropogenic noise has a significant effect on song performance. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | Student Paper |
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| EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC NOISE EXPOSURE ON THE FITNESS OF NESTING SONGBIRDS | | Tracy I Mulholland; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; tracymulholland25@gmail.com; Clinton, D. Francis | | Anthropogenic noise is an increasingly prevalent global disturbance. Animals that rely on the acoustical environment, such as songbirds, are especially vulnerable to these sounds. Traffic noise, in particular, overlaps with the frequency range of songbirds, inducing masking effects. Because of this, I expected anthropogenic noise exposure to interrupt parent-offspring communication and lead to potential changes in vigilance behaviors. I investigated the effects of chronic traffic noise on the breeding success of nesting western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) and ash-throated flycatchers (Myiarchus cinerascens). I was able to eliminate any self-sorting among individuals and other possible effects of traffic, such as collisions and pollution, by experimentally introducing playback systems into nest boxes after clutch initiation. Preliminary results indicate no effect of traffic noise on S. mexicana clutch size, brood weight, or fledgling success. However, preliminary results suggest that M. cinarascens may experience fitness consequences from chronic anthropogenic noise exposure. I contrast responses by these two species in light of recent observational work on both species in New Mexico and other studies that have examined fitness consequences of noise.
| | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | |
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| PARENTAL CARE BEHAVIORS IN BRANDT'S CORMORANT (PHALACROCORAX PENICILLATUS): EFFECTS ON REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS AND USE AS INDICATORS OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT | | Shannon E Murphy; M.S. Candidate at Humboldt State University ; sem47@humboldt.edu; Stephanie Schneider, Richard Golightly, Daniel Barton | | Seabird parental care is thought to influence reproductive success, and the associated behaviors of parental care are linked to the ability to forage in an unpredictable marine environment. Therefore, parental care behaviors and reproductive success in seabirds might be useful indicators of changes in the marine environment. At Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge we quantified parental care behaviors of Brandt's Cormorants, including nest-attendance and chick provisioning, to test whether parental care predicts reproductive success. Additionally, we examined interannual variation of reproductive success. We used a logistic exposure model to estimate daily survival rates (DSR). Given cormorants' life history traits and parental effort, the proportion of chicks that successfully fledge could be more informative than defining nest success as at least one chick fledging. Therefore, we estimated DSR for each chick, as opposed to each nest. Parental care behaviors and their relationship to chick survival may provide a stronger causal link between seabirds' reproductive success and the marine environment, allowing for better informed management and facilitate more accurate monitoring tools. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | Student Paper |
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| AMPHIPOD DISTRIBUTION IN RELATION TO SNOWY PLOVER (CHARADRIUS NIVOSUS NIVOSUS) HABITAT IN COASTAL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA | | David J. Orluck; Humboldt State University; david.orluck@humboldt.edu; Mark A. Colwell | | Food is an important factor influencing the distribution and abundance of shorebirds. The Western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) is a federally threatened shorebird that breeds and winters along the Pacific Coast of the United States and Mexico. In Northern California, talitrid amphipods are the main prey of snowy plovers. To better understand this relationship between amphipods and snowy plovers, we quantified amphipod abundance and distribution in suitable plover habitat in Humboldt County, CA. In July and August, we conducted systematic-random ground plots within the wrack, left by the previous night's high tide, to quantify amphipod abundance across beach sites. We also categorized invertebrate densities by collecting core samples over the course of a year at three beach sites where plovers breed and winter. Collated ground plots showed significantly different mean amphipod abundances across beach sites. Core samples also suggest variation in amphipod abundance across sites as well as a seasonal variation within each site. Understanding the distribution and abundance of amphipods will help managers determine how prey availability may influence snowy plover distribution. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | Student Paper |
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| WESTERN SNOWY PLOVER (CHARADRIUS ALEXANDRINUS NIVOSUS) NEST SITE SELECTION AND OYSTER SHELL ENHANCEMENT | | David L Riensche; East Bay Regional Park District; driensche@ebparks.org; Sarah C. Gidre, Nicole A. Beadle, Sarah K. Riensche | | The Pacific Coast population of Western Snowy Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) is listed as a federally threatened species and as a California Species of Special Concern. The percentage of crushed oyster shells, shell dimensions, number of shells, and total shell surface area for 19 Western Snowy Plover nests that occurred at the Hayward California Least Tern Colony from 2008 to 2015 were measured. Using pairwise t-tests, these measurements were compared to those obtained from 19 randomly chosen non-nest sites. Results indicate that Western Snowy Plovers at this location select nest sites with a greater percentage of crushed oyster shell substrate, more oyster shells, and a greater surface area of shells than random sites. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | |
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| GREAT GRAY OWLS NESTING IN ATYPICAL, LOW-ELEVATION HABITAT IN THE SIERRA NEVADA | | Julia S Polasik; The Institute for Bird Populations; jpolasik@birdpop.org; Joanna Wu, Kevin N. Roberts, Rodney B. Siegel, Joanna X Wu | | Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa) in the Sierra Nevada were once believed to nest rather strictly within mid-elevation conifer forests near montane meadows. However, Great Gray Owl nests, mostly in large oak trees and often far from montane meadows, have recently been discovered in commercially managed forests of the lower-montane zone, where oak-dominated woodlands transition to conifer-dominated forests. We describe the reproductive success, apparent occupancy rate, and habitat associated with eight Great Gray Owl nests monitored between 2006-2015 on Sierra Pacific Industries timberlands. Reproductive success was high, with several nesting attempts producing three fledglings, and an average of 1.8 +/- 1.0 chicks fledged during 22 nesting attempts. In the years following the discovery of a territory, apparent occupancy averaged 87.3% +/- 19.9%. Our results suggest that the lower-montane zone may provide high quality nesting habitat for Great Gray Owls. We also used Maxent to identify potential Great Gray Owl nesting habitat throughout the lower-montane zone of the Sierra Nevada, based on conditions around the nests we studied. Our model identified areas within 10 counties of the central and northern Sierra Nevada that we recommend be surveyed for Great Gray Owls. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | |
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| NESTING BIRD POLICY: WE CAN DO MUCH BETTER | | Robert A Hamilton; Hamilton Biological, Inc.; robb@hamiltonbiological.com; Daniel S. Cooper | | Federal and state laws regulating the wholesale slaughter of nesting birds by early hunters and collectors saved many avian populations. A century later, the same statutes are being applied to various other activities with potential to incidentally disrupt nesting birds. Enforcement is largely limited to governmental agencies, other large land managers, and energy projects. Agriculture and the general public seldom attract regulatory scrutiny. In the vanishingly small percentage of situations that are effectively regulated, the laws protect individual birds and their nests, ignoring the main drivers of avian population declines: loss, degradation, and fragmentation of natural habitats. Thus, as modern conservation tools, these laws are both arbitrary and ineffective. Furthermore, court decisions have recently cast legal doubt on federal plans for a Migratory Bird Treaty Act permitting system to govern the unintentional take of birds by industry. Federal and state governments should abandon the quixotic effort to address bird-conservation threats via archaic hunting laws in favor of modern permitting systems that reasonably limit enforcement to industries with the greatest potential to diminish bird populations, while providing flexibility for approved projects. Applying some of the permit fees toward dedicated habitat restoration programs would help to mitigate avian population declines. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | |
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| OBSERVED AND PREDICTED EFFECTS OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON BIRD SPECIES RICHNESS AND ABUNDANCE IN US PROTECTED AREAS | | Eric M Wood; California State University Los Angeles; ericmwood@calstatela.edu; Anna M. Pidgeon, Volker C. Radeloff, Patrick D. Culbert, Nicholas S. Keuler, C. H. Flather | | Biodiversity conservation is a primary goal of protected areas. However, over the past half-century in the United States, housing growth at the boundaries of protected areas has boomed, and is predicted to continue throughout the 21st century. It is unclear how this development affects the conservation benefit of these protected areas. We used data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey to explore how the abundance and richness of species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) and synanthropes (species affiliated with human settlement), within protected areas, are associated with housing density on nearby private lands from 1940 to 2100. SGCN were generally strongly negatively associated with housing density whereas the opposite pattern was found for synanthropes. The strength of the association varied geographically. In the densely developed eastern forests, as housing development increased from 1940 to 2010, SGCN steadily declined whereas synanthropes steadily increased. In the sparsely populated west, we found similar trends from 1940 to 2010, though the effect size grew stronger from 2010 to 2100. Our results raise concern that as housing development continues at the boundary of protected areas, the conservation benefit of these lands will likely be diminished. | | Ecology and Conservation of Birds | | |
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| MODELING AGASSIZ'S DESERT TORTOISE POPULATION RESPONSE TO ANTHROPOGENIC STRESSORS | | Michael W Tuma; WEST, Inc.; mtuma@west-inc.com; Chris Millington, Nathan Schumaker, Paul Burnett | | Agassiz's desert tortoise populations are exposed to a variety of anthropogenic threats that vary in nature, severity, and frequency. Tortoise management in conservation areas can be compromised when the relative importance of these threats is not well understood. We used HexSim to develop simulation models for desert tortoise populations occupying two study areas in the western-central (Superior Cronese) and the eastern (Gold Butte-Pakoon) Mojave Desert, each with a distinct set of site-specific threats. We parameterized threats models from published sources of information, and conducted independent simulations of threats at varying levels of severity. We subjected modeled tortoise populations to simulations of threats associated with human presence and subsidized predators. Additional simulated threats in the Superior Cronese region included disease and habitat degradation on land in-holdings, whereas Gold Butte-Pakoon modeled tortoise populations were exposed to simulations of wildfire, livestock grazing, and feral burros. We used our study area-specific simulation models to rank the threats' relative importance to population viability. We found that threats more widely distributed in time and space significantly limited tortoise population growth more than threats that were patchily distributed or temporally dynamic, allowing us to provide site-specific management recommendations that accounted for the relative effects of the threats. | | Ecology and Conservation of Desert Tortoise | | |
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| INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES ALTER DIETS AND REDUCE FITNESS AND SURVIVAL IN JUVENILE MOJAVE DESERT TORTOISES | | Kristina Drake; UC Davis, SDSU, & US Geological Survey; kkdrake@ucdavis.edu; Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque, Andrew J. Berger, Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon Waters, Nathan Custer, Rebecca Lewison, A. Keith Miles | | Habitat disturbance in the Mojave Desert alter the native plant composition used for food by Mojave desert tortoises. Food species such as native grasses and native forbs are often intermixed or replaced with non-native grasses such as red brome. We hypothesized that changes in available forage species and the nutrition they provide would negatively influence tortoises. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an experiment with juvenile tortoises to monitor the effects of altered diets on their overall body condition, immunological responses (gene transcription), growth, and survival. Tortoises were fed either a mixture of four native forbs, a native grass (Vulpia octoflora), a non-native grass (B. rubens), and native forbs combined with either a native or a non-native grass. Tortoises fed forbs had improved body condition and immunological responses, grew more, and had higher survival rates than those consuming other diets. Health and body condition quickly declined for tortoises foraging only on the native grass or non-native grass. Within four months, 32% of individuals fed only V. octoflora and 37% fed only B. rubens were found dead or removed from the experiment due to poor condition. In contrast, tortoises fed forbs had zero mortality and none were removed from the experiment. | | Ecology and Conservation of Desert Tortoise | | Student Paper |
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| COMPARISONS OF HEALTH IN AGASSIZ'S DESERT TORTOISES AT THREE SITES IN THE MOJAVE DESERT | | Kristin H Berry; U.S. Geological Survey; kristin_berry@usgs.gov; Kemp Anderson, Jeremy Mack | | In spring of 2012, we evaluated 126 adult desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) for health at 3 sites in the Mojave Desert, California (Edwards Air Force Base, western Mojave Desert, N = 51; northwest of Barstow, central Mojave Desert, N = 33; and south of Daggett, southern Mojave Desert, N = 42). We tested for two known pathogens (Mycoplasma agassizii, M. testudineum), for levels of elemental toxicants in fresh whole blood (selenium, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, thallium, antimony, beryllium, chromium, and vanadium) and evaluated the tortoises for clinical signs of upper respiratory disease, shell disease, and trauma. Tortoises with infectious disease, shell disease, trauma, and elevated levels of selenium, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel and thallium occurred at one or more sites. Test results and clinical signs varied by area, possibly as a result of land use histories. | | Ecology and Conservation of Desert Tortoise | | |
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| IDENTIFYING CLIMATE REFUGIA: A TOOL TO INFORM CONSERVATION STRATEGIES FOR AGASSIZ'S DESERT TORTOISE IN A WARMING FUTURE | | Cameron W Barrows; UC Riverside; cbarrows@ucr.edu; Brian, T., Henen, Alice E. Karl | | Agassiz's desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii, face threats from a wide range of land uses within the California deserts, as well as from a warming and drying regional climate. Mitigation for tortoise multiple-use conflicts could entail habitat protection or translocation to avoid direct take of tortoises. Complicating this mitigation approach is that some areas now deemed suitable tortoise habitat will likely have reduced suitability as climate change effects become more pronounced. If we protect lands or translocate tortoises to currently suitable but potentially deteriorating habitats, are we adequately mitigating for habitat losses? Identifying climate refugia, habitats capable of sustaining tortoise populations even as climate change impacts become more pronounced, is a critical step. As a case study of how to address tortoise mitigation we employed habitat suitability modeling to identify current tortoise habitat and project where climate refugia will occur within and surrounding the U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) at Twentynine Palms, California. We modeled nearly 284,000 ha of currently suitable tortoise habitat within an 858,800 ha study area. Projecting a possible +3°C shift in mean maximum summer temperatures by the end of the century, the area of tortoise habitat could be reduced 55% to 127,650 ha, however almost 115,800 ha would overlap current tortoise habitat and would be climate refugia. Without the tenuous assumptions of successful dispersal to new suitable habitat, these refugia represent high value conservation areas for current protection and, if required, for sites to translocate tortoises. Applied across the tortoise's range, this approach could focus and increase the efficacy of conservation for this threatened species. | | Ecology and Conservation of Desert Tortoise | | |
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| STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT OF TOWNSEND'S BIG-EARED BAT IN CALIFORNIA: A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FOR A CANDIDATE SPECIES | | Leila S Harris; California Department of Fish and Wildlife/ICF; leilaharris.wildlife@gmail.com; Michael L. Morrison, Joseph M. Szewczak, Ashley M. Long, Scott D. Osborn | | We are assessing Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii; hereafter COTO) roost sites throughout California. Broad-scale evaluation of COTO has not occurred since Pierson and Rainey's work in the late 1980s. The species is now a candidate for listing under the California Endangered Species Act. Understanding the current status and nature of roost sites will support management of this species, regardless of listing outcome. We are (1) revisiting historic roosts documented in State databases to determine presence; and (2) sampling potential habitat in randomly selected cells drawn from the Pacific Northwest Bat Grid system and NABat. Field work will continue through winter 2016-17. These data will inform a model seeking to explain COTO occupancy. Preliminary results suggest that many officially known sites no longer host bats, yet that a number of sites had never been reported to California Department of Fish and Wildlife by recreational communities, land managers and other agencies. As such, we have expanded our efforts to include these sites and to capitalize on opportunities to raise awareness. Developing this network of non-traditional partners and data sources may represent a relatively untapped resource for research and management applications for bats and other species. | | Ecology and Conservation of Mammals | | |
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| CHANGES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, SCIURUS CAROLINENSIS, IN CALIFORNIA FROM 1900-2015 WITH PROJECTIONS FOR ITS POTENTIAL FUTURE RANGE | | Carly M Creley; California State University, Los Angeles; carlycreley@gmail.com; Rosemary, B, Garcia, Alan, E, Muchlinski, Fraser, M, Shilling, Kate, M, Tiedeman | | The main goals of this study were to map the current distribution of the Eastern Gray Squirrel in California as of 2014 and to examine changes in the distribution of the species from approximately 1900 to 2014. Data were obtained from museum specimens, wildlife rehabilitation centers, a roadkill database, and research-grade citizen observations. Location points were mapped using ArcGIS software. A population is located from San Francisco south to areas around Gilroy and Santa Cruz. This population is positioned to expand north along the eastern side of San Francisco Bay. An isolated population now exists in and around Monterey. A population became established north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Another population exists from Marin City to Santa Rosa. A population introduced to Sacramento has spread west, south, and east of the city. The species is present from Davis, to Placerville, and Elk Grove. A population introduced to Bellota has spread to Stockton and the Sierra Nevada Mountain foothills. Ecological niche modeling software and remote sensing data has been used to project future range expansion by this species within California.
| | Ecology and Conservation of Mammals | | Student Paper |
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| SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE HABITAT PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE: OUR EVOLVING UNDERSTANDING OF THE HABITAT REQUIREMENTS OF THIS "HABITAT SPECIALIST" | | Katie R Smith; UC Davis, CADFW; ratsmith@ucdavis.edu; | | For decades the salt marsh harvest mouse has been managed as a habitat specialist, dependent on pickleweed dominated tidal marshes. However, more recent research and monitoring has revealed a much more adaptable rodent than previously believed. As we face an increasingly uncertain future of climate change, sea level rise and the challenges of tidal restoration, what do we need to keep in mind? In this talk I will discuss the historical state of the salt marsh harvest mouse range, how we currently perceive and manage habitat, and directions we need to consider as we manage this species in the face of future uncertainty. | | Ecology and Conservation of Mammals | | Student Paper |
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| DIGGING INTO THE IMPORTANCE OF ANTHROPIC LAND USE IN SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MODELS | | Morgan Gray; UC Berkeley; morgan.gray@berkeley.edu; Adina M. Merenlender | | Wise land-use planning is particularly important in the urban-wildlife interface where conservation and development efforts come into conflict. Due to limited empirical information about landscape composition and wildlife movement, conservation professionals often rely on species distribution models for strategic planning. Maxent generates distribution models using species occurrence and environmental datasets. Although the built environment can influence the distribution of species, human land use is rarely included in these models. Does including land-use improve the predictive ability of a species distribution model? To address this question we used Maxent to construct and compare models with and without land-use variables for gray foxes, carnivores sensitive to the wildlife-urban interface. We created both models using a combination of gray fox presence-only (n=209) and presence/absence (n=52) records, and 9 environmental and anthropic land-use variables. Including land use resulted in a more accurate model, with land use ranked in the top 3 variables and explaining 60% of the model's importance. Gray fox distribution was correlated with locations in low-density development and closer to roads. Species distribution models that include land use can be used to target priority habitat for conservation, thereby minimizing current conservation conflicts and maximizing resilience to future climate change.
| | Ecology and Conservation of Mammals | | Student Paper |
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| CHARACTERISTICS OF FISHER (PEKANIA PENNANTI) REPRODUCTIVE DENS IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA | | Rebecca E Green; PSW Research Station and UC Davis; regreen@ucdavis.edu; Kathryn L. Purcell, Craig M. Thompson, Douglas A. Kelt, Heiko U. Wittmer | | Successful reproduction is critical to maintain populations; for many species, habitat plays a key role in providing suitable locations for females to give birth and care for young. Concern for the long-term persistence of fisher (Pekania pennanti) in the Sierra Nevada has involved efforts to protect habitat to support reproduction, but until recently few reproductive dens had been found in this area. From summer 2008 through 2014, we used telemetry to follow 34 adult female fishers with radiocollars to 247 reproductive dens on the Sierra National Forest, California. Females used cavities in live trees and snags to shelter kits and selected California black oaks (Quercus kelloggii) as natal (50%) and maternal dens (53%) more than any other tree species. Diameter of den trees was generally large for natal (mean dbh of hardwoods = 77 cm ± 22, conifers = 114 cm ± 28) and maternal dens (mean dbh of hardwoods = 75 cm ± 19, conifers = 106 cm ± 25). Mean canopy cover was relatively dense at natal (74% ± 13) and maternal dens (73% ± 14). We present findings on other characteristics of den structures and habitat selection at several spatial scales, and implications for regional fisher conservation. | | Ecology and Conservation of Mesocarnivores | | Student Paper |
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| VARIATION IN INTERSPECIFIC NICHE OVERLAP ACROSS A LATITUDINAL AND CLIMATIC GRADIENT: MARTEN AND FISHER AT THEIR RANGE MARGINS IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA | | Jody M Tucker; USFS, Pacific Southwest Region, Sequoia National Forest; jtucker@fs.fed.us; William,J,Zielinski, Kerry,M,Rennie | | We explored species' niche relations of marten and fisher at the southern margins of their ranges in the southern Sierra Nevada (SSN) using data from 2 sources: (1) large-scale camera, track-plate, and hair-snare surveys and (2) data on overlap of marten and fisher home ranges from radio-marked individuals. These sources made it possible to examine the current distributions with high resolution and to explore how the spatial pattern of those distributions (parapatric, sympatric, allopatric) change along latitudinal, elevational and climatic gradients. We found significantly different spatial patterns across the SSN: marten and fisher were primarily allopatric in the northern and wetter portions of the study area but sympatric at intermediate latitudes with lower precipitation. In the driest and southernmost region martens were virtually absent but fishers were routinely detected at significantly higher elevations. Within the region of sympatry telemetry data demonstrated significant spatial overlap occurred at the level of the home range with 84% of marten exhibiting spatial avoidance of fisher where the species’ home ranges overlapped. Studying how the warmer and drier environment at the southern end of species' ranges affects distributions and interactions may provide insights about future distributions and spatial interactions farther north as the climate warms. | | Ecology and Conservation of Mesocarnivores | | |
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| LANDSCAPE FUEL REDUCTION, FOREST FIRE, AND BIOPHYSICAL LINKAGES TO LOCAL HABITAT USE AND LOCAL EXTINCTION OF FISHERS (PEKANIA PENNANTI) IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA | | Rick A. Sweitzer; The Great Basin Institute; sweitzerrick@gmail.com; Brett J. Furnas, Reginald H. Barrett, Kathryn L. Purcell, Craig M. Thompson | | Fire suppression contributed to major changes in California's Sierra Nevada forests. Landscape fuel treatments are being used to reduce wildfire intensity and spread, but may negatively impact fishers. We used cameras to survey for fishers among 1-km2 grid cells in the Sierra National Forest, and applied occupancy modeling to evaluate responses of fishers to disturbance from forest fuel reduction. We detected fishers most often between 1380 m and 1970 m elevation, and detection probability occupancy was higher in habitats with high canopy cover. Local habitat use trended downward among cells with higher levels of managed burning+forest fires 25 years before surveys, and in cells where disturbance from restorative fuel reduction was higher. Local extinction increased with higher levels of restorative fuel reduction, but was not diminished by prior burning, or extractive activities. A trend for lower fisher occupancy in extensively burned grids suggested that wildfires did not decimate suitable fisher habitat. Wildfires increased in our study area after the 1980s, and may impinge on forests with higher fisher occupancy in the future. Forest fuel reduction imposes a more limited short term cost to fishers than previously believed, but less is known about the responses of denning fishers to management disturbance. | | Ecology and Conservation of Mesocarnivores | | |
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| NATURAL AND HUMAN-LINKED MORTALITY RISKS AND LIMITS TO POPULATION GROWTH OF FISHERS IN CALIFORNIA | | Rick A. Sweitzer; The Great Basin Institute; sweitzerrick@gmail.com; Viorel D. Popescu, Craig M. Thompson, Kathryn L. Purcell, Greta M. Wengert, Mourad W. Gabriel, Leslie W. Woods, Reginald H. Barrett | | Fishers in Washington, Oregon, and California have not recovered from population declines and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to list them. We evaluated survival and mortality risks among 232 radiocollared fishers in the Sierra National Forest. We estimated mortality rates using non-parametric incidence functions, and integrated risk-specific survival rates into a Leslie matrix to evaluate how population growth (λ) might improve if management can reduce mortality. Cause of death was determined for 93 of 121 fishers, and annual survival was 0.72 for female fishers. Mortality rates were 19.5% for predation, 2.5% for disease+injury+starvation, and 1.9% for toxicant exposure+vehicle strikes. Predation rates were similar between sexes, but predation risk was 51% lower in fall and winter compared to spring and summer. The mortality rate from disease+injuries+starvation+vehicle strikes+toxicants was 4.4%, and 11 times higher for males than females. We estimated a base λ of 0.96, which had the potential to increase to 1.03 or 1.11 if predation were reduced by 25% or 50%. Lambda could increase to 0.97 in the absence of all other risks besides predation. Predation was the dominant limiting factor, and research is needed on habitat conditions that facilitate contact between fishers and larger predators | | Ecology and Conservation of Mesocarnivores | | |
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| PARENTAL CARE IN URBAN SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOXES (VULPES MACROTIS MUTICA): RELATIVE ROLES OF ADULT GROUP MEMBERS IN PUP REARING | | Tory L Westall; CSUS-Endangered Species Recovery Program; twestall@esrp.csustan.edu; Brian L. Cypher, Katherine Rals, David J. Germano | | A substantial population of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes exists in the City of Bakersfield and is critical to conservation and recovery. We investigated parental care among these urban kit foxes. We quantified relative time contributions of adults, tasks performed, and changes in behavior over time through focal observation sessions. To determine role, we used behaviors and genetic analyses to classify adults into categories: Mother, Father, or Helper. To monitor behavioral changes over time, we split the breeding season into periods: Preparturition, Nursing, and Weaned. We monitored four family groups in Bakersfield during the 2011 and 2012 breeding seasons. We found that Mothers spend significantly more time at the den than either Fathers or Helpers. Fathers provision the same amount as Mothers, whereas Helpers provisioned significantly less than either Mothers or Fathers. Mothers primarily groomed young, provisioned, guarded, and performed den defense. Fathers primarily provisioned and provided den defense. Helpers mostly interacted with the pups through play, though on occasion provided care. Helpers do not significantly assist in rearing pups and Fathers are not as necessary to successful pup rearing. Mothers play an essential role in pup rearing and are necessary for successful reproduction in the urban environment. | | Ecology and Conservation of Mesocarnivores | | Student Paper |
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| MONITORING ENDANGERED BLACK ABALONE ON VANDENBERG AND SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND | | Karah N Ammann; karah.ammann@ucsc.edu; Christy Bell, Pete Raimondi, Melissa Miner, Nate Fletcher | | Since the mid 1980s, black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) have experienced mass mortalities due to "withering syndrome" and are currently protected under the Endangered Species Act. Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe) has monitored abalone populations on the California coast for over 20 years and have documented their decline. Monitoring data show that once a population crashes, community structure changes, possibly contributing to recruitment failure. We have assessed abalone populations and habitat quality on two military lands: Vandenberg Air Force Base (US Air Force) and San Clemente Island (US Navy). Abalone populations on Vandenberg were some of the earliest on the mainland to experience decline. We have monitored sites since 1992 on Vandenberg and monitoring here was crucial to documenting the northward spread of the disease. In 2011-12 we conducted abalone population and habitat surveys on San Clemente Island. These surveys found only a remnant population of black abalone and suggested that the lack of adults may reduce suitable recruitment habitat. We initiated a habitat restoration trial in which cracks were cleared of fouling organisms to conditions consistent with the presence of adults. We are continuing this restoration approach by maintaining crack clearings, installing and testing abalone recruitment modules, and monitoring for recruitment and signs of disease. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| SPECIES LEVEL IDENTIFICATION: GENETIC APPROACHES ARE CLOSER TO BECOMING ROUTINE | | Dou-Shuan Yang; California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo; dou.s.yang@gmail.com; Francis X Villablanca | | There are a number of wildlife species in the state of California that are difficult to
identify. Kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spp.) are a good example, especially at the
species and sub-species levels. Genetic analyses could provide an alternative way to
survey for, and monitor, species that are difficult to identify, or difficult to capture.
Yet, applying genetic analyses to listed taxa can be hindered by the invasive nature
of blood and tissue sampling or by the fact that they are rare and difficult to sample
directly. Therefore we developed a method of non-invasive indirect (scat and hair)
sampling for kangaroo rats that improves on existing DNA protocols. To generalize
this method, we developed a database of diagnostic mitochondrial DNA sequences
for each listed kangaroo rat taxon in California, and applied this method in a species-
level survey. We also used the method to assess survivorship and reproduction in a
translocated population of listed kangaroo rats. We show it is possible to use an
indirect, non-invasive, approach for the identify of individual kangaroo rats and for
species level assignments, and argue that this approach could be extended to other
listed taxa. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| ENDANGERED SPECIES PREDATOR CONTROL STRATEGIES, MCB CAMP PENDLETON | | Sparrow McMorran; US Marine Corps; joy.mcmorran@usmc.mil; | | One of the last undeveloped stretches of coastline in Southern California, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton beaches are important nesting grounds for federally endangered California least terns and federally threatened western snowy plovers. Camp Pendleton's 125,000 acres encompass a variety of habitat types such as grassland, oak woodland, coastal sage scrub and riparian, enabling a healthy population of raptors, corvids, and other avian, mammalian, and reptilian predators. Many of these forage on the beaches and pose a significant threat to the recovery of nesting terns and plovers. Predator removal is an effective management tool that has been used on Base for more than 20 years to protect endangered shorebird populations. Various non-lethal methodologies implemented on Base include hazing, trapping, taste aversion conditioning, and translocation; lethal removal is also employed when necessary. Nests lost to depredation have gradually decreased over the last five years in California least terns (11%) and western snowy plovers (24%) concurrent with drought conditions and change in management strategy. Accurate identification of individual predators for removal and effectiveness of non-lethal methodologies continue to present challenges to predator control. Camp Pendleton continues to seek new and innovative strategies to reduce predation pressure on federally protected species and contribute to ultimate recovery goals. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| LONG-TERM MOVEMENTS OF TRANSLOCATED RAPTORS, MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, 2013 - 2015 | | Wendy J Pearson-Prestera; US Marine Corps; wendyjhoo@yahoo.com; Jeff W. Kidd, Barak Shemai | | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton utilizes a variety of techniques to manage predators, including translocation, as part of its efforts to protect federally listed species that nest on Base. This study quantified return rates and survival of raptors fitted with satellite transmitters and translocated at least 240 mi. Over three breeding seasons we translocated 20 raptors of five different species. Northern harriers (Circus cyaneus) were the most frequently documented and translocated species. Eleven individuals returned. Most (80%) birds survived 60 days or longer following translocation. There is some evidence to suggest that birds that had achieved breeding age returned more quickly to the Base and survived longer. However, our sample size was small and there were no significant differences in return rates or mortality based on species, age, sex, or breeding status. We recommend an approach for "problem raptors" of different species and breeding status based on these initial results. Additional research is needed to compare return rates of raptors translocated the shorter USFWS recommended distances with the results from this effort and also to research the effects of a short period of captivity, to further reduce homing behavior, coupled with translocation. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| THE CURRENT STATUS OF GOLDEN EAGLES ON THE NEVADA TEST AND TRAINING RANGE (NTTR) | | Robert J Turner; Nellis Air Force Base; robert.turner.3@us.af.mil; Deborah S. Sitarek | | Since 2011, Annual Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) surveys have been conducted on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). NTTR is a closed and access restricted active military test and training range approximately 3.0 million acres in size. NTTR is composed of Mohave desert habitat (South Range) and Great Basin habitat (North Range).The purpose of these surveys were to locate all known and potential nests, nesting activity and annual production of golden eagles. Due to access and equipment restrictions, it was necessary to implement unique survey techniques. Survey techniques, nesting data collected, nest productivity and recommendations will be presented. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| DESERT TORTOISE HEAD-START RESEARCH AT THREE MILITARY BASES IN CALIFORNIA'S MOJAVE DESERT | | Kenneth A Nagy; University of California, Los Angeles, Dept EEBiology; kennagy@biology.ucla.edu; L. Scott Hillard, David J. Morafka (deceased) | | In 1989, D.J. Morafka began implementing his head-starting strategy for conserving desert tortoises at the US Army's Ft. Irwin by building large enclosures over natural habitat that were fenced and netted to exclude tortoise predators. Similar pens were subsequently built at Edwards Air Force Base and at Twentynine Palms Marine Base. Local wild adult female tortoises were moved inside temporarily in spring in time to prepare their nests in existing or new burrows and to donate their first clutch of eggs before being returned "home". Enclosed nests, eggs, hatchlings, yearlings and juveniles have long-term protection from predators along with natural foods, and young tortoises are given drinking opportunities (mimicking natural rainfall events) until they are large enough for likely survival to adulthood after release to the wild. Specific research projects that have been done by the UCLA group on enclosed young tortoises include measurements of burrow characteristics and preferences, winter activity and behavior, daily and annual food, energy and water requirements, diet, water budgets and dehydration rates under differing burrow conditions, shell hardening rates, multiple paternity frequencies, the influence of supplemental irrigation on juvenile growth, body condition and survivorship, post-release behavior, survivorship and mortality, and variation in head-started hatchling sex ratios. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN: HEALTH AND SURVIVAL OF 119 HEAD-STARTED AGASSIZ'S DESERT TORTOISES AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CA | | Jeremy S Mack; U.S. Geological Survey; jmack@usgs.gov; Kristin H. Berry, Wesley King, Misty Hailstone | | Edwards Air Force Base initiated an Agassiz's desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) head start program in 2002. Head-start pens were installed and adult females from surrounding areas were used to deposit eggs from 2003 through 2010. A staggered release of 119 juveniles commenced in 2013, occurred in three seasonal groups and at two release locations: (1) fall 2013 - 35 juveniles released at Leuhman Ridge; (2) spring 2014 - 36 juveniles released at Baker-Nunn; and (3) fall 2014 - 48 additional juveniles released at Leuhman Ridge. As of October 2015, 63 (53%) are known to be alive, 17 (14%) are dead and 39 (33%) are missing. Survival has varied among release groups. The majority of dead animals appear to have been killed by small mammals, with a novel observation of a predation attempt by a glossy snake (Arizona elegans). Since release, we observed seasonal shifts in condition indices, with median values approaching a prime index value (0.64) in spring and falling below a level expected for dehydrated tortoises (0.45) in fall. Growth in midline carapace length has been minimal, a possible consequence of recent drought and/or stunting as a result of high densities in the head-start pens. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| LANDSCAPE GENETICS OF THE SAN DIEGO FAIRY SHRIMP (BRANCHINECTA SANDIEGONENSIS) | | Natalie S Goddard; San Diego State University; ngoddard@mail.sdsu.edu; Andrew J Bohonak, Marie A Simovich, Charles Black, Ketan V Patel, Nicholas S Graige | | The San Diego fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis) is listed as federally endangered as a result of large-scale urbanization and subsequent vernal pool habitat loss. When new pools are created for mitigation or disturbed pools are restored, sediment from existing pools may be used for inoculation. The success of these projects can depend on whether source material is taken from a gene pool that is differentially adapted from the destination. Previous studies have suggested that there are at least two relatively differentiated gene pools of San Diego fairy shrimp within San Diego County. A putative contact zone between these gene pools occurs primarily on land owned by the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar (MCAS Miramar). Using the mitochondrial gene COI in conjunction with seven microsatellite loci, we have delineated the relatively abrupt gene pool boundary with greater precision than was previously known. We have also tested for additional population structure within each of these regional gene pools, based on a variety of pool-specific and landscape features. A greater understanding of the processes underlying genetic population structure in endangered species such as the San Diego fairy shrimp can lead to more effective management and conservation decisions. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | Student Paper |
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| UNDERSTANDING FERAL CAT ECOLOGY IN AN ISLAND ECOSYSTEM: RESEARCH ALLOWS FOR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT MITIGATING IMPACTS ON SENSITIVE ENDEMIC SPECIES | | Andrew S. Bridges; Institute for Wildlife Studies; bridges@iws.org; Curtis L. Twellmann, Daniel S. Biteman, Jessica N. Sanchez, Jared F. Duqette, Melissa A. Booker, David K. Garcelon | | Because invasive species pose tangible and often immediate threats to native biota, conservation biologists often focus on controlling or eradicating them without first understanding their ecology or functional roles in their adopted ecosystems. On San Clemente Island, California, feral cat (Felis catus) control has occurred for >20 years. Our long-term dietary analyses revealed a strong preference for native rodents, transition to reptilian and avian prey when rodents declined, and substantial cumulative impacts on the vertebrate prey base. We used GPS collars to examine home-range, habitat use, and to evaluate population control efficacy. Cementum annuli age estimates and population reconstruction analyses revealed a relatively stable population with some individuals living >15 years. In addition to direct effects through predation, we found cats likely compete for resources in both time and space with endemic island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) and endangered San Clemente loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi). Cats are more robust to removal techniques than was previously thought, and individuals may persist for many years despite the seemingly harsh environment and intensive control program. Our findings provide insight into interactions with native species, allow us to evaluate the feasibility and possible cascade effects of eradication, and inform future conservation efforts. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| SNOWY PLOVER NEST SITE SELECTION AND DISTRIBUTION BEFORE AND AFTER RESTORING COASTAL DUNE HABITAT ON VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA | | Jamie K. Miller; jmiller@pointblue.org; Lynne Hargett, Julie Howar, Samantha Kaisersatt, Emily Rice, Dan Robinette | | Eradication of non-native invasive vegetation within breeding habitat for the Western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) began on Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2009. After adequate invasive plant treatment had been completed, two sections of coastal dunes were mechanically contoured to create optimal snowy plover breeding habitat; one in early 2014 and the other in early 2015, opening up 30.5 hectares of previously marginal habitat. We assessed the response of nesting plovers by analyzing changes in nest density, hatch success, and nest site selection inside contoured areas and at adjacent control sites from five seasons (2011-2015). Both contoured sites showed increased nest densities during the first year post-contouring, but still had lower densities compared to control sites. Thus, it appears that nesting plovers moved into contoured areas to reduce overall nest densities and increase territory size. In 2014, the first contoured site showed increased hatching success compared to prior years and higher hatching success than control sites where predation rates were high. In 2015, hatching success increased at all sites compared to prior years and was similar between contoured and control sites. Further investigation will be required to determine whether dune contouring will have a lasting impact on hatching success. | | Ecology and Management of Wildlife on Military Lands | | |
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| (sorted by presentation order) | |
| BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION - PEOPLE MATTER (A POSITIVE VIEW) | | Tonya M Moore; Ironwood Consulting. Inc.; tonya@ironwoodbio.com; | | Can the foundation of biological conservation be human relationships (feelings)? Being able to work with people with different interests, views and values on an individual level, may result in better conservation ideals. As scientists we are taught to think in absolutes; however, the general public usually does not decide on issues through facts. As a society, we decide on issues through relationships and feelings. Sometimes scientist forget that conservation does not mean the absence of humans. As a whole, the scientific community does not focus on the human to human relationships. We believe ensuring good science and giving the facts of our research should be worthy enough for conservation. Gradually, conservationists are recognizing what the current research is proving; good science is only a part of conservation. Communities want and need good science to point them in the right direction and to help ensure that what they want to protect is important. However to understand what is important to a community, we must begin by building positive human to human relationships.
| | Human-Wildlife Conflict and Solutions | | |
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| OPPORTUNITY FROM CONFLICT: RESTORING SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES HABITAT ON CALIFORNIA'S NORTH COAST | | Kenneth S. Mierzwa; GHD Inc.; ken.mierzwa@ghd.com; | | In the mid-1960s, Pacific Shores Subdivision was carved from the coastal dunes and wetlands of Del Norte County, California. The site was never fully developed, although 27 miles of roads were built to access 1,500 half-acre lots which sit vacant today except for scattered homeless encampments. Coastal prairie, marshes, wetlands, and spruce forest provide habitat for diverse wildlife including black bear, porcupine, northern harrier, Oregon vesper sparrow, northern red-legged frog, and Oregon silverspot butterfly. Although half the parcels have been acquired by state agencies and local non-profits, frequent conflict and litigation between property rights advocates and conservation organizations prevented restoration. Congressionally mandated runway safety area improvements at Crescent City Airport provided an opportunity to build political support and provided a federal funding source for mitigation. Eleven acres of roads are currently in the process of being removed and wetland and dune re-established. This is the first meaningful effort to reduce habitat fragmentation in 50 years. Restoration has been made possible despite challenges because of recognition of opportunities presented by regional economic development, and with the resulting support of local elected officials and constituencies from the full political spectrum. | | Human-Wildlife Conflict and Solutions | | |
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| USING A FREE NON-LEAD AMMUNITION PROGRAM TO ENGAGE HUNTERS AND RANCHERS IN THE GOAL OF REDUCING LEAD EXPOSURE FOR CALIFORNIA CONDORS | | Mike M Stake; Ventana Wildlife Society; mikestake@ventanaws.org; Kelly Sorenson, Joe Burnett | | Despite recent legislation banning the use of lead for hunting in California, lead poisoning from spent ammunition still threatens the full recovery of California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus). In 2012, we began a free non-lead ammunition program in central California to complement other local non-lead outreach programs provided by Pinnacles National Park and Institute for Wildlife Studies. We have given away more than 3,200 boxes of non-lead ammunition in drawings and giveaways in the last four years. Survey responses indicate that the program has helped improve opinions of non-lead ammunition quality and has made many hunters more willing to use non-lead ammunition. Because the availability of non-lead rimfire is particularly limited, condors are at risk of lead poisoning when scavenging non-game carcasses, such as ground squirrels, on private rural ranches. Satellite GPS tracking data help identify condor feeding areas, and we provide free rimfire periodically to key landowners in those areas, working with collaborators to help distribute products. Fewer condors have died of lead poisoning in central California during the last two years, indicating that this collaborative effort might be helping to reduce lead exposure for condors.
| | Human-Wildlife Conflict and Solutions | | |
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| EXAMINING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND DIS-SERVICES OF BEAR DAMAGE ON HOOPA VALLEY RESERVATION | | Shannon M Mendia; Humboldt State University; smw55@humboldt.edu; Matthew D. Johnson, J. Mark Higley | | Economic loss due to tree damage on managed timberlands by black bears (Ursus americanus) has been valued at several million dollars annually in the Pacific Northwest. However, damage to trees in otherwise homogeneous regenerating stands can alters forest structure and habitat that may contribute to forest wildlife diversity. To the Hupa people in northwestern California, pileated (Dryocopus pileatus) and other woodpecker species are considered culturally significant. We studied the relationship between bear damage to Douglas fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and bird community composition and structure, focusing on cavity-nesting birds such as woodpeckers. Measurements of damage to trees confirmed that bear foraging negatively affected tree growth and estimated lumber recovery. However, analyses of points counts revealed that woodpecker activity and habitat selection increased with increasing number of dead and decaying bear damaged trees. Information from this study can better inform our current understanding of the potential for bear foraging to negatively affect economic revenue, and the trade-offs which help to create habitat conditions favoring other important wildlife species. Understanding the costs and benefits of bear damage can help guide management decisions vital to forest managers both on and off tribal lands. | | Human-Wildlife Conflict and Solutions | | Student Paper |
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| MAPPING, PRIORITIZING, AND INCREASING SEASONAL HABITATS FOR GREATER SAGE-GROUSE IN COLORADO | | Brett L Walker; Colorado Parks and Wildlife; brett.walker@state.co.us; Brett L. Walker | | Delineating and prioritizing seasonal habitats for wildlife is critical for successful conservation and management of at-risk populations. Many local populations of greater sage-grouse face continuing habitat loss and degradation associated with increasing energy development. In such populations, wildlife managers need accurate fine-scale maps of important seasonal habitats, guidelines for managing habitat at landscape scales, defensible methods for prioritizing habitat, and effective options for increasing habitat as mitigation for energy development. I describe current research efforts in the Parachute-Piceance-Roan population in northwestern Colorado geared toward answering pressing management and conservation questions, including: (1) results of population-level, multi-scale resource selection function analyses to model and map sage-grouse seasonal habitats, (2) application of absolute validation index analyses to identify key areas of concentrated use to help managers prioritize habitat, (3) results suggesting mixed success of efforts to improve grouse habitat through removal of encroaching pinyon-juniper. | | Human-Wildlife Conflict and Solutions | | |
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| (sorted by presentation order) | |
| AMAZING ANGUIDS: THE NORTHERN ALLIGATOR LIZARD (ELGARIA COERULEA) AND BEYOND | | Brian R Lavin; Sonoma State University; lavin@sonoma.edu; | | Genetic Patterns in the Northern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea) are examined for approximately 180 individuals with mtDNA and nuclear DNA and possible environmental causes of biogeographic patterns are examined. The Northern Alligator Lizard is then examined in context of what is known from other alligator lizards (Elgaria sp.) and Anguid lizards (Anniella sp.) in Western North America. Western North American Patterns are then expanded to briefly examine if they hold for Anguid Lizards outside of North America (Anguinae). The potential of climate change on Anguid Lizards are discussed in light of past biogeographical patterns. | | Molecular Ecology and Wildlife Conservation Genetics | | Student Paper |
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| GENETIC ADMIXTURE IN THE SAN DIEGO FAIRY SHRIMP (BRANCHINECTA SANDIEGONENSIS) | | Ketan V Patel; San Diego State University; Kpatel102486@gmail.com; Andrew J. Bohonak PhD, Marie Simovich PhD, Chuck Black PhD, Natalie S. Goddard, Nicholas Graige | | Because only 3-7% of historically present vernal pool habitat remains in coastal San Diego County, conservation efforts must prioritize both maintenance of these pools and the genetic integrity of their inhabitants. Simovich et al (2013) suggested admixture between the endemic San Diego fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis) and the versatile fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lindahli). They published a hybrid index based on female dorsolateral spinal patterns (which cannot be used for males and immature individuals). Using morphologically scored females from multiple source populations, we have developed a genomic hybrid index comprised of 23 single nucleotide polymorphisms that are alternatively fixed between the two Branchinecta species. This genomic hybrid index can be used to validate the existing morphological hybrid index, detect hybrid individuals, identify admixture in juveniles and males, and estimate natural admixture rates. Genetic assessment San Diego Fairy Shrimp populations and genetic monitoring over time will better inform management and conservation practices in the remaining coastal vernal pool ecosystems.
| | Molecular Ecology and Wildlife Conservation Genetics | | Student Paper |
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| SCALING-UP NON-INVASIVE GENETIC CAPTURE-MARK-RECAPTURE ESTIMATION TO THE REGIONAL SCALE: AN EXAMPLE WITH THE PACIFIC DEER HERD | | Jennifer L. Brazeal; UC Davis MECU; jlbrazeal@ucdavis.edu; Terri Weist, Ben Sacks | | Deer numbers have been in decline across the West since the 1960s. Understanding the causes and assessing the success of management actions designed to counter them require robust estimates of abundance, which are difficult to obtain in forested regions, where aerial counts are not feasible. The use of non-invasive fecal DNA capture-recapture (CR) methods has been proposed to address this problem. Because landscapes are heterogeneous, scaling up estimates derived from localized sampling units to broader regions can pose challenges. We present an approach that uses habitat-based modeling from CR data collected from a black-tailed deer herd on their summer migratory range in the El Dorado National Forest. We selected four rectangular plots with habitat composition representative of the study area and randomly established 24 transects, 6 within each plot, for pellet collection. This design increased our ability to extrapolate density estimates to a larger study area of interest. Specifically, using the transect as the sample unit, we built and tested models relating CR-based estimates of abundance to habitat variables. Models resulted in continuous density surfaces extrapolated over the broader study area, providing region-wide estimates. Pitfalls and potential of this and other approaches to habitat modeling of density will be discussed.
| | Molecular Ecology and Wildlife Conservation Genetics | | |
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| A VIEW INTO THE PHYLOGEOGRAPHY, HISTORICAL DEMOGRAPHY, AND SPECIATION IN THE WORLD'S MOST BASAL CANID, UROCYON SPP | | Ben Sacks; eric.renger@gmail.com; Mark Statham, Natalie Goddard, Laurel Serieys, Seth Riley | | We investigated cross-continental and regional phylogeography of Urocyon, the most basal extant lineage of canid in the world. In North America, many temperate forest-associated vertebrates split into eastern and western lineages due to Pleistocene aridification in the central portion of the continent, yet currently occur in continuous distributions due to secondary contact associated with Holocene expansions. Because of the antiquity of Urocyon in the fossil record on both ends of the North American continent, we investigated whether gray foxes Urocyon exhibited a deep, cryptic divergence associated with eastern and western refugia. Sequence divergence and coalescent simulations based on mitochondrial DNA sequences from 180 foxes indicated divergence between eastern and western foxes approximately 500,000 years ago, which is comparable to that between recognized sister species within the Canidae. Second, we investigated the regional phylogeography of gray (U. cinereoargenteus) and island (U. littoralis) foxes associated with the putative western refugium. Analysis of mtDNA and microsatellites revealed some unexpected findings, prompting new questions about the origins of island foxes relative to contemporary mainland gray foxes. | | Molecular Ecology and Wildlife Conservation Genetics | | |
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| USE OF NON-INVASIVE DNA TO CHARACTERIZE A HIGH-SIERRA COYOTE POPULATION POTENTIALLY IMPACTING THE ENDANGERED SIERRA NEVADA RED FOX DURING FOUR YEARS OF DROUGHT | | Cate B Quinn; University of California, Davis; cbquinn@ucdavis.edu; Benjamin, N, Sacks | | Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator; SNRF) is distinguished from other subspecies by its tight association with the upper life zones of major mountain ranges in Oregon and California. One hypothesis to explain its narrow bioclimatic niche is that the characteristically deep winter snow of the subalpine zone provides a refuge, preventing establishment of breeding territories by competitively dominant coyotes. If so, climate-mediated upslope range shifts of coyotes potentially threaten persistence of SNRF populations, a danger accelerated in recent years by massive drought. During the past four years of this drought period, we collected coyote fecal DNA on a 25 km stretch of the Sierra Nevada crest encompassing the known distribution of the Sierra Nevada Distinct Population Segment of SNRF. We used microsatellites to determine the individual identity, sex, and inter-relatedness associated with each scat sample. These data were then used to determine spatial distribution and reproductive success of resident individuals, relative abundance of transient individuals, and population abundance in the vicinity of known red fox occurrences. Our results establish a baseline for coyote residence in low-snow years and provide a novel opportunity for future comparison in high-snow years. | | Molecular Ecology and Wildlife Conservation Genetics | | Student Paper |
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| (sorted by presentation order) | |
| WHO'S ON FIRST? AN OVERVIEW OF THE KEY ROLES AND ENTITIES INVOLVED IN COMPENSATORY MITIGATION | | Travis Hemmen; Westervelt Ecological Services; themmen@westervelt.com; | | Compensatory mitigation for either wetlands or species has evolved over the past 10 years. The success (or failure) of these projects depends greatly on the individuals and entities involved in the long-term stewardship of a mitigation site.
What roles are important in this process? Who can (legally) fill those roles? What are some of the common missteps taken in mitigation planning? How does all this coordination work?
This presentation seeks to outline and discuss the various roles entities playing during compensatory mitigation projects and how these roles work together during the process of implementing mitigation.
| | Policy, Management, and Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management | | |
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| SPECIES FUNDS: ESTABLISHING CONSERVATION FUNDS TO BENEFIT LISTED SPECIES RECOVERY | | Andrea L Henke; Pacific Gas & Electric; DIH2@pge.com; | | Land acquisition is not the first priority in most Species Recovery Plans, and yet acquiring Conservation Bank (CB) credits or establishing Conservation Easements (CE) are the two most utilized methods to meet compensatory mitigation requirements for most permits authorizing incidental take. How might a Species Fund be structured and managed to benefit listed species populations? Although habitat loss figures prominently in many listed species declines, for certain species, habitat conservation may be outranked by other population limiting factors. We outline a process for setting up species specific funds to assist in financing established recovery goals already prioritized within Species Recovery Plans. Species-specific challenges surrounding standard compensatory mitigation practices are considered. Since Species Funds are only limited by fund parameters defined at the time of fund establishment, traditional mitigation approaches are not excluded by this process, and this mitigation approach can be used to aggregate funding for larger-scale CB or CE purchases. | | Policy, Management, and Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management | | |
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| CLIMATE CHANGE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: HOW CLIMATE ADAPTATION CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS | | Linda W. Leeman; Ascent Environmental, Inc.; Linda.Leeman@ascentenvironmental; Erik de Kok | | Climate change is having profound effects on California’s environment and these effects are projected to increase considerably over time. Climate-induced effects on wildlife, in combination with other factors, have the potential to greatly diminish vulnerable wildlife populations and habitats. In this presentation, we will discuss numerous opportunities to consider climate change when making natural resource management decisions at the local, regional, and state levels. We will focus particularly on ways that climate vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning can influence management of lands, water, fish, and wildlife, using the existing legal and policy framework and through new tools and policy mechanisms. Several examples of how the practices of climate vulnerability assessment, adaptation strategies, and climate action plans are influencing natural resource management will be described. | | Policy, Management, and Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management | | |
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| ASSESSING CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY OF CALIFORNIA'S VEGETATION: RESEARCH RESULTS AND APPLICATION TO CONSERVATION PLANNING | | Whitney L Albright; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Whitney.Albright@wildlife.ca.gov; Jim H. Thorne, Ryan M. Boynton, Andrew J. Holguin, Jacquelyn Bjorkman | | The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recognizes that climate change is a major challenge to the conservation of California's natural resources and is taking an active role in planning for and responding to this challenge. Effectively addressing climate change requires an understanding of the major risks that it poses to fish, wildlife, and habitats in California. In 2015, in association with the State Wildlife Action Plan update, CDFW partnered with the University of California, Davis to assess the vulnerability of natural vegetative communities state-wide to climate change. Vulnerability was determined by using a detailed map of the spatial patterns of California's vegetation community types, and examining how climate conditions will change at those locations. Sixteen of 29 natural vegetation community types in California were found to be highly or nearly highly vulnerable to four alternate projected climates by the end of this century. Efforts are currently underway to incorporate the results of this study into CDFW conservation planning activities. Utilizing the best available science for climate adaptation planning will help to ensure successful conservation and management of California's valued natural resources. | | Policy, Management, and Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management | | |
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| (sorted by presentation order) | |
| FINE-SCALE MOVEMENT DECISIONS IN RELATION TO HABITAT SUITABILITY: A CASE STUDY WITH TULE ELK IN THE CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT | | William T Bean; Humboldt State University; bean@humboldt.edu; Robert Stafford, Xeronimo Castaneda, Madeline Cooper, Kelly Commons, Caylen Cummins, Dylan Schertz, Christopher Teague, Colton Wise | | Movement is a fundamental process that shapes the distribution and abundance of wildlife. With the advent of GPS collars that can record animal locations at fine spatial and temporal scales, we have incredible power to understand how animals make decisions across these scales. Relying on GPS collar data from seven Tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes) in the Carrizo Plain National Monument, we used kernel density estimates and time-dependent local convex hulls (t-LoCoH) to examine 2nd and 3rd order habitat selection and movement at day, week, month, and seasonal scales at an individual- and herd-level. In this talk, we will present habitat suitability models developed from these approaches. Then, we will examine whether habitat suitability plays an important role in movement decisions, characterized by velocity, elongation, patch visitation rates and duration of visits. Finally, we will also explore when other factors (e.g. weather, topography, and life history events) are more important to understanding such decisions. | | Spatial Analysis of Wildlife-Habitat Relationships | | |
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| HABITAT SELECTION OF PILEATED WOODPECKERS (DRYOCOPUS PILEATUS) IN A MANAGED FOREST ON THE HOOPA VALLEY RESERVATION | | Dawn M Blake; Humboldt State University; don@hoopa-nsn.gov; Dawn, M. Blake, Matthew, D. Johnson, J. Mark Higley | | Pileated woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) are associated with characteristics of older forest stages, such as larger diameter trees and the presence of snags used for roosting, nesting and foraging. However, pileated woodpeckers are also known to use managed forests. The Hoopa Valley Reservation (HVR) is approximately 37,000 ha of mostly forested area with an array of seral stages from old growth to recently cut stands. The Hoopa Tribe manages timber, and makes provisions for the persistence of woodpeckers. However, no formal study has assessed pileated woodpecker habitat on the HVR, and habitat has not been well described in this region. We caught and outfitted 11 pileated woodpeckers with 10g transmitter backpacks between April 2009 and May 2013. We examined habitat selection with Resource Utilization Functions, which give a weighted value of bird use for every GIS cell. We created a fixed kernel estimator and with the plug-in method as the smoothing parameter, and then applied multiple regression to fit a model to the habitat covariates. We found that birds selected late seral attributes within their home ranges. This study will help address the need to inform the Tribe's current practices with knowledge of habitat for pileated woodpeckers.
| | Spatial Analysis of Wildlife-Habitat Relationships | | Student Paper |
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| TALKING ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES: ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY OF BIRDS AND BUMBLE BEES IN BURNED AND UNBURNED RIPARIAN HABITATS IN THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA | | Julia S. Polasik; The Institute for Bird Populations; jpolasik@birdpop.org; Helen Loffland, Rodney B. Siegel, Erin Elsey | | We conducted non-lethal bumble bee surveys on 413 study plots in meadows and along streams inside and outside the footprint of the 2007 Moonlight fire on Plumas National Forest in 2015. We caught, identified and released 1,243 individual bumble bees of 13 species, including the Western Bumble Bee (Bombus occidentalis), which is increasingly considered a species of management concern in California. Significant declines in Western Bumble Bee from southern British Columbia to central California have been observed but little is known about its current distribution. We describe habitat associations of the different bee species, including elevation range and affinity to particular floral resources, and compare bee survey results between burned and unburned plots along streams and in meadows. In general, we found more bees at higher elevations within our study area, more bees in unburned than moderate or high burn severity plots, and more bees in meadows than along streams. At 181 of the streamside plots, we also conducted point count surveys for birds. We assess how well abundance and diversity of riparian birds predicts the abundance and diversity of bumble bees and explore implications for multi-species conservation planning and identifying priority areas for riparian restoration efforts. | | Spatial Analysis of Wildlife-Habitat Relationships | | |
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| BUMBLE BEE USE OF MONTANE CHAPARRAL AND RIPARIAN VEGETATION AFTER WILDFIRE IN THE CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA | | Helen L Loffland; The Institute for Bird Populations; hloffland@birdpop.org; Julia S. Polasik, Rodney B. Siegel, Erin Elsey, Chuck R. Loffland | | During spring and summer of 2015, we studied habitat usage by bumble bees (Bombus spp.) across two areas burned by wildfire on the Eldorado National Forest in 2004. We conducted 966 survey visits to 495 plots, during which we captured, identified, and released 676 individuals of 12 Bombus spp. We examined bumble bee use of floral resources, abundance, and diversity in upland post-fire chaparral, burned forest, and riparian zones. Six species were found across both fire areas. Each fire also supported an additional three species not found in the other, even though the two areas had similar habitats and elevation, and were separated by only 25 km. Bombus abundance and diversity were significantly greater in riparian areas than upland habitats. Within upland chaparral, Bombus preferentially foraged on bear clover (Chamaebatia foliolosa), and largely avoided mountain whitethorn (Ceanothus cordulatus) and deer brush (Ceanothus integerrimus). The differential use of chaparral shrub species for foraging by Bombus species has management implications for post-fire land management, particularly the timing and use of mechanical and chemical treatments to discourage or remove chaparral, and the selection of chaparral patches for retention or removal. | | Spatial Analysis of Wildlife-Habitat Relationships | | |
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| MAKING GRAZING WORK AS A CONSERVATION TOOL | | Pete Van Hoorn; LD Ford Rangeland Conservation Science; petevanhoorn@gmail.com; Lawrence D. Ford | | California annual grasslands are highly dominated by non-native species, and are among the most invaded terrestrial systems in the world. The unchecked growth of non-native grasses and weeds is a frequent cause of habitat degradation and loss of biodiversity. Livestock grazing is generally the only practicable means of managing non-native herbaceous biomass on large acreages. This presents challenges to agency staff wary of grazing or unfamiliar with its capabilities, limitations, and operational requirements. A successful planning process will bolster the compatibility of species' and ranchers' needs. An interdisciplinary, collaborative, performance-based approach is key. We have developed over 30 regulator-approved grazing management plans for California grasslands, addressing the habitat needs of California red-legged frogs, California tiger salamanders, San Joaquin kit foxes, Bay checkerspot butterflies, Ohlone tiger beetles, and other listed wildlife. Elements of such plans include: (1) translating habitat needs into performance standards; (2) designating special management areas for targeted grazing; (3) providing structural heterogeneity of habitat; and (4) maintaining flexibility and feasibility. Here we present examples from plans for several listed animals, and broadly applicable lessons learned. | | Spatial Analysis of Wildlife-Habitat Relationships | | |
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| GRANIVORE MOVEMENT IN RELATION TO THE CONSERVATION OF THE RARE, ENDEMIC PLANT LASSICS LUPINE (LUPINUS CONSTANCEI) | | Emily B Cate; Humboldt State University; Emily.Cate@humboldt.edu; Gary Falxa, Daniel C. Barton | | Lassics lupine (Lupinus constancei) is a rare perennial forb endemic to a 1-km2 serpentine community on Mount Lassic and Red Lassic in Northern California. Pre-dispersal granivory by small mammals such as deer mice (Peromyscus spp.) and chipmunks (Tamias spp.) has led to a recent population decline. Granivore exclusion increased population viability, yet this is not a practical long-term management solution. Encroachment of chaparral and forest communities may facilitate granivory on lupine. Quantifying movement of small mammals in and among the chaparral, forest, and serpentine communities given their potential effects on the Lassics lupine's reproductive success, may aid in effectively conserving this plant species. We marked animals using ear tags and PIT tags in Summer 2015. Using a capture/recapture approach, we modeled granivore movement within and among the different communities. Deer mice moved an average of 34.1 meters whereas chipmunks moved 39.5 meters between trapping occasions. Deer mice movements were mainly within serpentine or chaparral communities with ~17% among community types. Chipmunks stayed mostly within forest or chaparral communities and moved more often among community types (~37%). Examination of granivore movement into different community types may yield novel insight into habitat based, long-term management actions for rare, endemic plants. | | The Effects of Drought and Water Management on Wildlife | | Student Paper |
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| GRASSHOPPER ABUNDANCE IN BLUNT-NOSED LEOPARD LIZARD HABITAT DURING A MAJOR DROUGHT | | Michael F. Westphal; US Bureau of Land Management; mwestpha@blm.gov; Erin Tennant, Jennifer Michalski, Karin Middleton, Michael Powers | | Observed variation in numbers of blunt-nosed leopard lizard neonates in 2014 following a multi-year drought suggested that winter precipitation plays a role in lizard reproduction and recruitment. One potential causal link between precipitation and lizard recruitment is grasshopper abundance, which is expected to be higher when productivity is high. We gathered preliminary data to assess the abundance of grasshoppers over the leopard lizard breeding season at multiple sites occupied by leopard lizards. We found significant temporal variation over the course of the seven month breeding period at all sites, and a shared pattern of early season high abundance, a mid-summer drop in abundance, and a rise in abundance in the fall. The pattern tracks the observed activity pattern of leopard lizards, where individuals are highly active in spring and early summer, absent in mid-to late summer, and active again in the fall. We interpret our findings as providing support for the hypothesis that grasshopper abundance partially mediates seasonal lizard activity. | | The Effects of Drought and Water Management on Wildlife | | |
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| CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSLOCATION OF A FEDERALLY THREATENED AMPHIBIAN DURING THE WORST DROUGHT IN A GENERATION | | Rob A Schell; WRA, Inc.; schell@wra-ca.com; | | California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii: CRLF) is a federally threatened species and a California Species of Special Concern. Historically, little has been done with amphibian translocations to unoccupied habitat as a recovery tool for listed species. WRA has implemented phased restoration of four of 12 ponds located at Ridge Top Ranch Conservation Bank, a 744-acre working cattle ranch. In consultation with USFWS, WRA translocated egg-masses to the restored ponds in 2012 and 2013, which coincided with the onset of a four year-long drought. Following a successful first year, the ongoing drought conditions have resulted in increasingly arid site conditions, adding an additional stressor to the population. Since translocation, constant vigilance and monitoring have been required to ensure the CRLF populations persist through years of consecutive drought. Despite the challenges and with forecasts suggesting a wet-year ahead, there is every reason to be optimistic that CRLF will begin to proliferate at Ridge Top Ranch. If translocation can ultimately prove successful in the face of the worst drought conditions in a generation, this method of reintroduction may be proven as a viable tool to help recover the species. | | The Effects of Drought and Water Management on Wildlife | | |
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| QUANTIFYING CHANGE IN WETLAND EXTENT AND ITS EFFECT ON A WESTERN AND CLARK'S GREBE BREEDING POPULATION AT EAGLE LAKE, CA 1997-2010 | | Renee E Robison; Colibri Ecological Consulting; rrobison@colibri-ecology.com; Daniel W. Anderson, Kristofer M. Robison | | Western and Clark's grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis and A. clarkii; respectively) are sympatric water birds that breed at inland lakes and reservoirs. Both species are wetland-obligate nesters that build floating nests constructed-of and anchored-to emergent vegetation. Despite grebe dependence on flooded wetland habitat for nesting, the relationships among lake level, wetland availability, and reproductive success have not been well quantified. We modeled thirteen years of reproductive data collected at Eagle Lake, California. This lake is a closed-drainage system, whose annual lake level varies drastically with annual rainfall and evaporation. We used remote sensing techniques to quantify changes in wetland availability relative to inter-annual lake level changes. An information-theoretic approach was used to assess the relationship among and importance of these habitat variables in relation to grebe reproductive success. Our results indicate that lake level is a key factor affecting wetland availability and population-level reproductive success. Our findings also indicate an optimum water level where management is likely to be most effective. We strongly recommend that wetland managers consider the effects of water level on breeding habitat availability and reproductive success of grebes and other over-water nesting birds. | | The Effects of Drought and Water Management on Wildlife | | |
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| A NEW APPROACH TO MANAGING DESERT TORTOISE DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES | | Robert K Burton; California State University Monterey Bay; rburton@csumb.edu; Brian L. Cypher | | Topaz Solar Farm (TSF) and California Valley Solar Ranch (CVSR) were constructed on over 2000 hectares that support significant numbers of endangered, threatened, and special-status species within the Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obispo County, California. Species present include San Joaquin kit fox, American badger, giant kangaroo rat, San Joaquin antelope squirrel, and burrowing owl. Detailed species distributions were incorporated during project design to minimize impacts. For example, the initial CVSR layout would have impacted over 90% of giant kangaroo rats on site, yet construction impacted less then 10%. San Joaquin kit fox were observed within the CVSR construction footprint on over 1000 occasions and at TSF radio-collared kit foxes were located daily within the construction footprint. No construction related injury or mortality of kit foxes or giant kangaroo rats occurred at either site during the multi-year build out. Monitoring and avoidance techniques utilized during construction and operation of these facilities would be highly applicable to monitoring and avoiding desert tortoise at similar facilities in the Mojave Desert; negating or reducing the need for permanent removal of tortoises, while reducing mortality and loss of habitat. Here we present practical recommendations for managing tortoise populations within renewable energy facilities during and post-construction. | | Wildlife and Renewable Energy | | |
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| SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX HABITAT UTILIZATION AT A LARGE-SCALE SOLAR FACILITY | | Daniel E. Meade; Althouse and Meade, Inc.; dan@althouseandmeade.com; Brian Cypher, Jason Dart, Christine Van Horn Job, Tory Westall, Erica Kelly, Ken Spencer, Jacqueline Tilligkeit | | San Joaquin kit fox (SJKF) use of habitat on and around Topaz Solar Farms has been studied since 2008 over an approximately 10,000 acre study area. A combination of annual scat surveys and radio collars has allowed tracking of kit fox individuals, locations, and habitat use. We present data from the first full year of post-construction kit fox tracking and the first year of GPS collar data. Currently, kit foxes regularly utilize completed solar array fields, and additional individuals are present in the vicinity. SJKF continue to be tracked post-construction with scat studies for five years and with GPS telemetry on up to 20 individual kit foxes for three years. Information gathered will provide a measurement of SJKF use on and near this large PV solar facility, and could help inform management decisions on future large-scale energy projects. | | Wildlife and Renewable Energy | | |
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| BACKGROUND AND RESULTS OF THE LARGEST AND LONGEST AVIAN FATALITY MONITORING PROGRAM AT A WIND FARM IN HISTORY, THE ALTAMONT PASS | | Douglas G Leslie; ICF International; douglas.leslie@icfi.com; | | A lawsuit over the high number of raptor fatalities in the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) prompted Alameda County to institute the largest avian fatality monitoring program in the history of the wind industry. The monitoring program lasted over 9 years (ending September 2014), and was overseen by a scientific review committee with representatives appointed by the County, the Wind Energy Industry, and environmental groups. Previous estimates of fatalities in the APWRA were base on "average" detection probabilities that varied greatly from one analysis to the next, leading to controversy and confusion. Results of the recent effort were based on detection probabilities estimated from several studies implemented by the monitoring team over several years. Lessons learned from this program with respect to sampling design, statistical rigor, the pitfalls of drawing premature conclusions and making predictions based on a limited data set, and how to set up and manage and scientifically credible, responsible, and effective scientific oversight process have wide-spread applicability. In the end, the monitoring program produced a new paradigm for estimating detection probability, implemented several important studies, and identified one major confounding factor precluding an accurate assessment of the effectiveness of management actions to reduce raptor fatalities.
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| EFFECTIVENESS OF CUT-IN SPEED ADJUSTMENTS ON REDUCING IMPACTS TO MEXICAN FREE-TAILED BATS AT A WIND ENERGY FACILITY IN NEVADA | | Joel L Thompson; Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. ; jthompson@west-inc.com; Wallace Erickson, Rene Braud, Paul Rabie | | Direct impacts to bats at wind energy development projects are one of the biggest issues facing the wind industry; however, much of the research on reducing impacts to bats has largely focused on migratory tree-roosting bats (e.g., hoary bat [Lasiurus cinereus]) and listed species (e.g., Indiana bat [Myotis sodalis]) in the eastern US, where adjustments to turbine cut-in speeds have shown to be an effective tool for reducing impacts to these focal species. In general, direct impacts to bats have not been as great in the western US; therefore research on mitigation and minimization opportunities for bats have been rare in western parts of the country. The Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is among the most commonly found bat fatalities at some western wind energy facilities, whereas this species does not typically occur in the eastern US. In this presentation we present the results of studies investigating the effect of increasing turbine cut-in speeds on reducing bat fatalities, including Mexican free-tailed bats, at a wind energy facility in eastern Nevada. This facility is located near a migratory stopover site/cave used by large numbers of migrating Mexican free-tailed bats. Increasing cut-in speeds has reduced bat mortality rates at the project. | | Wildlife and Renewable Energy | | |
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| PREDATION ECOLOGY OF VERTEBRATES AT A CALIFORNIA WIND FARM | | Jade E Keehn; University of Nevada, Reno; keehnj@hotmail.com; | | The global benefits of renewable energy come at a local cost to ecosystems and communities. For example, wind energy developments have the potential to kill birds and bats and fragment habitat for local terrestrial vertebrates. If sensitive species are extirpated, patterns of biotic interactions may be altered at wind farms. In this study, I address the effects of wind farms on local wildlife by comparing abundance and richness of target species known to prey upon a ubiquitous lizard, Uta stansburiana, at similar sites with and without turbines in the San Gorgonio Pass in California. I quantify wariness, survival rates, and population sizes of U. stansburiana to identify whether changes in wind farm predator communities affect prey populations in ecologically important ways. Analyses indicated that wind farms were less diverse; turbine presence significantly explained observed predator assemblage patterns. For U. stansburiana, I found no difference in behavior or demographic parameters between site types, implying similar levels of apparent predation. My results suggest that small vertebrate prey may not be affected directly by habitat loss, nor by higher trophic level changes at wind energy developments. Some predators were less abundant at wind farms and further research is needed to better understand the factors driving these changes. | | Wildlife and Renewable Energy | | Student Paper |
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| EXPOSURE OF TURKEY VULTURES TO PENTOBARBITAL IN MARIN COUNTY | | Stella C McMillin; California Department of Fish and Wildlife; stella.mcmillin@wildlife.ca.gov; Melanie Piazza, Robert H. Poppenga | | Between July 2014 and July 2015, seven turkey vultures, Cathartes aura, were found immobilized in Marin County due to pentobarbital exposure. Sodium pentobarbital is a barbiturate used for veterinary euthanasia. Pentobarbital intoxication has been documented in many scavenging species, most notably golden and bald eagles, presumably from consuming euthanized animals. While clinical data of pentobarbital toxicity to raptors is scarce, incidents of multiple raptors being poisoned from a single large carcass have been reported. In addition, pentobarbital is persistent in tissue and has been detected in carcasses for up to two years. Typically, intoxicated animals are found dead, comatose, or staggering within a short distance of the site of exposure. However, these turkey vultures were found throughout Marin County within 15 miles of each other, and no probable source(s) of exposure could be located. All vultures eventually recovered with supportive care and were released. Given the inability to determine the source(s) of the contaminated carcasses, outreach efforts were made to veterinarians and livestock groups regarding the proper disposal of euthanized carcasses. | | Wildlife Health and Disease Ecology | | |
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| SARCOPTIC MANGE IN URBAN SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOXES: STATUS, ASSESSMENT, AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES | | Brian Cypher; CSU-Stanislaus, Endangered Species Recovery Program; bcypher@esrp.csustan.edu; Tory Westall, Jaime Rudd, Donanld Richardson, Erica Kelly, Janey Foley, Leslie Woods, Diego Montecino, Deana Clifford | | Sarcoptic mange was confirmed in an urban population of San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) inhabiting Bakersfield, CA in March 2013. Since then, over 100 cases of kit fox mange have been detected and the disease has been fatal without intervention. At least 39 foxes are known to have died from mange and the number is likely much higher. With funding from the Morris Animal Foundation, we conducted camera surveys throughout Bakersfield to locate foxes with mange and identify epidemiological foci. During summer 2015, 105 camera stations were established in 1-km sq grid cells and operated for 7 nights. Kit foxes were detected in 69 (66%) cells and foxes with mange were detected in 9 (9%) cells. As with opportunistic detections, attempts were made to trap and treat affected animals. While survey results indicated that mange is now widespread in the Bakersfield population, we foxes in many parts of the city that are not yet infected. Future actions include continuing to trap and treat foxes as they are detected, testing the efficacy of protecting foxes with Seresto acaricidal collars, and exploring strategies for treating earthen dens where the majority of transmissions may be occurring. | | Wildlife Health and Disease Ecology | | |
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| POST-RELEASE MONITORING OF OILED AND REHABILITATED BROWN PELICANS (PELECANUS OCCIDENTALIS) AFFECTED BY THE 2015 REFUGIO OIL SPILL | | Christine Fiorello; Oiled Wildlife Care Network, UC Davis; cvfiorello@ucdavis.edu; Patrick G. Jodice, Kyra Mills-Parker, Juliet S. Lamb, Richard T. Golightly, Yvan S. Satge, Laird A. Henkel, Robert McMorran, Michael Ziccardi | | Despite the enormous amount of financial resources, personnel, and time devoted to oiled wildlife rehabilitation, there remains a paucity of information on post-release survival and behavior of most affected species. Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) are near-shore seabirds that are frequently affected by oil spills. In a previously published study of brown pelicans that were oiled, rehabilitated, and released in California in 1990-91, oiled birds disappeared at a higher rate than control birds, showed movement patterns typical of nonbreeding birds, and did not demonstrate any evidence of breeding activity. In May 2015, Plains Pipeline 901 spilled >100,000 gallons of oil near Refugio State Beach, California. Fifty oiled pelicans were captured and subjected to rehabilitation efforts. Forty-six survived and were released following rehabilitation using established protocols. Of these, 12 adults (6M, 6F) were fitted with solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters and released in June. In early July, we captured 8 adult (3M, 4F, 1U), unoiled pelicans near Ventura CA. These were similarly instrumented and released immediately. Four months after release, transmitters from 11 of 12 oiled and all 8 control pelicans were still transmitting. One oiled bird disappeared abruptly in mid-September; despite multiple searches, no carcass was found. Oiled pelicans traveled >5000 km, ranging from the central Oregon coast to the western Mexican coast of the Gulf of California. Although our sample size is limited, these data demonstrate that pelicans can survive oiling and rehabilitation, and that their movements are similar to those of controls for at least 4 months post-release. | | Wildlife Health and Disease Ecology | | |
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| INCREASING EVIDENCE FOR A NOVEL MARINE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND PUTATIVE ANTHROPOGENIC POLLUTANT: UPDATE ON CYANOTOXIN (MICROCYSTIN) TRANSFER FROM LAND TO SEA OTTERS | | Melissa A Miller; CDFW, Santa Cruz; Melissa.Miller@wildlife.ca.gov; Alicia Coupe, Corrine M Gibble, Rapahael M Kudela, Erin M Dodd, Francesca Batac, Jan Landsberg | | Cyanobacteria, or "blue-green algae"ÂÂ, thrive in warm, nutrient-enriched, anthropogenically degraded watersheds worldwide. Under optimal conditions, cyanobacteria can form super-blooms, releasing potent cyanotoxins into lakes, rivers and estuaries. Once formed, these toxins can concentrate in food webs and spread downstream, killing animals and posing human health risks. Over the past 30 years, an increased distribution, severity and duration of these blooms has been noted worldwide. One of the most common and concerning is the hepatotoxin microcystin. Until recently, microcystin was considered to be a problem solely of freshwater and estuarine systems, primarily affecting livestock and pets. However, numerous reports have documented marine outflow of microcystin from impaired watersheds. In 2007, deaths of Southern sea otters, a state and federally protected threatened marine mammal, were linked to microcystin intoxication, and microcystin was identified in nutrient-impaired watersheds flowing into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Spatial patterns are apparent between microcystin-positive sea otters and contaminated river outflows, and at present, no local marine source has been identified. Sea otter exposure may result from contact with microcystin-contaminated freshwater runoff, or consumption of marine filter-feeders. Because humans consume many of the same prey items, our preliminary findings raise concern regarding potential unrecognized human health risks. | | Wildlife Health and Disease Ecology | | |
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| ACUTE, SUB-LETHAL AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO DOMOIC ACID IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS) | | Tracey Goldstein; School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis; tgoldstein@ucdavis.edu; Tanya Zabka, Gregg Langlois, Mary Silver, Linda J. Lowenstine, Frances M. Van Dolah, Joanna A.L. Mazet, Frances M. Gulland | | The current unprecedented algal blooms off the California coast emphasize that domoic acid toxicosis is an increasing problem for marine vertebrates. Domoic acid is an excitatory neurotoxin produced by marine algae, such as Pseudo-nitzschia australis. Acute domoic acid toxicosis resulting from the glutamate agonist action of domoic acid was first documented in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) that stranded off California in 1998. Animals displayed neurologic signs, including ataxia, disorientation, seizures, and death. Pathologic findings in acutely affected animals consisted of acute, ischemic, neuronal necrosis in the pyrimadal cells of the hippocampus and granular cells of the dendate gyrus, and acute myocardial necrosis. Since then, thousands of sea lions have stranded with signs of neurological disease at times when domoic acid producing plankton blooms were not always detected along the Pacific coast. Approximately 50% of these animals exhibit neurological effects longer than 2 weeks after initial stranding. Additionally, approximately 10% of affected sea lions re-strand following release, compared with 0.5% that re-strand following treatment for other reasons. Magnetic resonance imaging on live animals and histopathology from animals that died or were euthanized revealed varying degrees of unilateral and bilateral hippocampal atrophy, neuronal necrosis and gliosis in the limbic system. While all age classes and sexes are affected, 79% of cases have been adult females. Reproductive failure as a result of abortion and premature parturition was observed in approximately 1/3 of affected adult females. Domoic acid has been detected in amniotic fluid, fetal urine and gastric fluid tested up to 2 weeks after stranding. This suggests the fetus acts as a sink for domoic acid that is typically rapidly cleared from mammalian species (half life in primates is 4 hours). These data suggest that exposure to domoic acid can have effects on sea lion reproduction and survival beyond acute mortality documented to date and that animals may be exhibiting signs of persistent, sub-lethal exposure to the toxin. | | Wildlife Health and Disease Ecology | | |
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| THE RELIABILITY OF POPULATION VIABILITY ANALYSIS FOR SPECIES WITH DIFFERENT GENERATION TIMES | | Pamela Rueda-Cediel; University of California; prued001@ucr.edu; Kurt Anderson, Tracey Regan, Helen M Regan | | Estimating and projecting population trends using population viability analysis (PVA) is crucial to identifying species at risk of extinction and for informing conservation management strategies. The reliability of PVA is highly susceptible to the underlying variability present in the system, the level of error in the data and the type of model used. Furthermore, since evidence indicates that generation time influences population dynamics by altering the variability present in the system, it is expected that PVAs perform differently across species with different life histories. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of predictions from PVA for hypothetical species with different generation times under different levels of environmental variability and uncertainty. PVA predictions were generated from simulated data using both matrix and scalar models and assessed with respect to Rule A.3 under the Red List of the IUCN. We found that the reliability of PVA predictions depended upon the interaction between generation time and growth rate. Specifically, both matrix and scalar models exhibited decent performance for "slow" life histories ( long generation time and low growth rates), although matrix models exhibited a more precautionary tendency. In contrast, we found that for "fast" life histories with short generation times and high growth rates PVA predictions exhibited less reliability, especially under high process and measurement error. In conclusions, our results indicate that caution must be taken when interpreting the results of PVAs with short generation times and high intrinsic growth rates. | | Wildlife Techniques and Technologies | | |
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| EVALUATING THE USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (UAS) FOR MONITORING COLONIAL NESTING WATERBIRDS | | Sharon Dulava; Humboldt State University; SD1249@humboldt.edu; Mark Bauer, Donna Withers, Orien M.W. Richmond, William | | Aerial imagery obtained from manned aircraft surveys is commonly used for monitoring colonial nesting waterbirds. Recent technological advances have spurred interest in the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for wildlife monitoring. UAS offer the ability to collect data at both high spatial and temporal resolutions while minimizing wildlife disturbance and observer safety risks. The potential advantages that UAS present depend on a number of factors including mission objectives, flight duration, sensor payload capacity, data processing workflows, and current regulatory requirements. In May 2015, we, in collaboration with the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, set out to conduct UAS flights at Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada. We targeted American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), and California gulls (Larus californicus) to evaluate the utility of UAS for monitoring and informing the reproductive biology of colonial nesting waterbirds. By using fine-scale change detection with a multi-temporal nearest neighbor analysis, we were able to develop a rapid, accurate method to differentiate nesting from non-nesting individuals. Here, I will present the results of our work and discuss recommendations for planning and conducting colonial nesting waterbird surveys, and processing and evaluating the resulting imagery. | | Wildlife Techniques and Technologies | | Student Paper |
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| RETAINED SATELLITE INFORMATION INFLUENCES PERFORMANCE OF MINIATURE GPS DEVICES (45-51G) IN A FORESTED ECOSYSTEM: A CASE STUDY WITH PACIFIC MARTEN | | Katie Moriarty; USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station; kmoriarty02@fs.fed.us; Clinton W. Epps | | GPS units used in animal telemetry suffer from non-random data loss and location error. GPS units use stored satellite information to estimate locations, including almanac and ephemeris data. Using the smallest GPS collars (45-51g) available for mammals, we evaluated how satellite information and environmental conditions affected GPS performance in 27 mobile trials and field reliability during 56 deployments on Pacific marten (Martes caurina). We programmed GPS units to retain or remove satellite data (i.e., continuous or cold start) before attempting a location (fix), thereby mimicking differing fix intervals. In continuous mode, fix success was 2.2 times higher, was not influenced by environmental obstructions, and improved after a location with satellites (3-D). In cold start mode, fix success was negatively correlated with vegetation cover. Location error was lower for 3-D fixes. Censoring cold start fixes with only 3 satellites (2-D) and 2-D locations prior to the first 3-D fix in continuous mode decreased location error by 91% and 55%, ensuring <50m accuracy. The significance of previous fix success and reduced battery expenditure underscores the benefits of ephemeris data and short fix intervals. Only 66% of 56 units functioned upon delivery for field deployment. Once tested and deployed, 28% malfunctioned. This study demonstrates that GPS tests should use the same schedules as field deployments, and GPS data quality in dense cover improves with short fix intervals. Lastly, with a short fix interval we reveal these devices can provide exceptional data for territorial carnivores. Miniature GPS units are a promising tool, but the study design should be carefully considered. | | Wildlife Techniques and Technologies | | |
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| GIS TECHNIQUES FOR ANALYZING AND MAPPING FIELD DATA | | Jennifer L Rechel; USDA Forest Service; jrechel@fs.fed.us; | | Biologists are interested in analyzing and communicating field data using GIS generated maps. Typical field data consists of GPS point locations and habitat or vegetation maps derived from satellite imagery or interpreted directly from aerial photographs. These data can be presented as basic mapped data whereby each vegetation polygon can be coded with species presence, thereby creating a habitat map of polygons that represent average activity values. Additional mapping techniques include spatial coincidence mapping of two or more data layers and using interpolation methods to analyze geographic patterns of species distributions. A result of interpolation methods is a surface that better represents the discrete field data points as a more realistic surface of continuous data. Standardized map variables and normalizing maps by the standard normal variable (SNV) can highlight underlying areas that are one or more standard deviation below or above the average, thus showing locations of unusually high or low values instead of the typical averages within each vegetation polygon. Because maps are numbers, then they can be added, divided and subtracted (difference maps). Advanced analysis includes map calculus: spatial integrals and spatial derivatives. Incorporating geographic science into biological and GIS helps explain animal activity patterns in geographic space. | | Wildlife Techniques and Technologies | | |
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