WERC Highlights -- December 2000

Quoth the Raven: If Edgar Allan Poe’s "ebony bird" were to make a midnight appearance this December, perhaps the "beguiling" visitor could say where it is headed as a species. Why? Because in new genetic research, research ecologist William I. Boarman of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center and his colleagues from other research institutions have discovered that the common raven in California is quite unlike common ravens elsewhere. DNA sequence data revealed a deep genetic split between ravens from the southwest United States compared to the rest of the world, according to an article in the December 22 issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Biological Sciences. (William I. Boarman, Riverside, CA, 909-697-5237) Official news release

Vegetation Monitoring Program Review Recommends Refocus of Effort: A review panel of 12 government and non-government scientists recommends streamlining the long-term plant community monitoring program at Channel Islands National Park in order to add a landscape-scaled focus on weeds and rare plants. The park is one of four original National Park Service prototype parks funded in 1992 to develop and conduct long-term terrestrial and marine monitoring. USGS scientists Kathryn McEachern of the Western Ecological Research Center and Paul Geissler of the Monitoring and Applications Team presented trend and classification analyses of the data at an early December meeting, and McEachern facilitated the review. The review panel agreed that this long-term monitoring program is providing important information on post-grazing recovery in unique Mediterranean island ecosystems. Results of the review will be published as a USGS open-file report in spring 2001. (Kathryn McEachern, Ventura, CA, 805-658-5753)

USGS Scientists Contributors to New Guide to Invasive Plants: California land managers, volunteer stewards, conservationists, and others concerned with wildlands in the western United States can better understand invasive plants by reading Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands, Carla C. Bossard, John M. Randall, and Marc C. Hoshovsky, editors. This 360-page book with line drawings and photographs provides specific information about the biology and control of the 78 nonnative plant species that are listed by the California Exotic Pest Plant Council (CalEPPC) as being of greatest ecological concern in California. All of the species accounts contain the following sections: how do I recognize it? where would I find it? where did it come from and how does it spread? what problems does it cause? how does it grow and reproduce? how can I get rid of it? Scientists Jeff Lovich and Matt Brooks of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center have chapters in the volume on saltcedar, fountain grass, red brome, and Mediterranean grass. (Jeff Lovich, Sacramento, CA, 916-278-3210; Matt Brooks, Three Rivers, CA, 559-561- 6511).

Map Turtles Are Stop 30 on Virtual Tour of Southeast's Reptiles and Amphibians: USGS research manager Jeff Lovich narrates his adventures in the field (that is to say, in rivers) with elusive map turtles at an educational website designed by the Student Partners for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SPARC). He also provides detailed information about the several species of map turtles, which are so-named because of the map-like contour markings on their upper shells. PARC is a multi-sector partnership dedicated to the conservation of herpetofauna. You can take the educational tour of 36 stops by going to the PARC home page at http://parcplace.org and clicking on the SPARC link and then clicking at the top of the SPARC page on "go straight to the SPARC map." (Jeff Lovich, Sacramento, CA, 916-278-3210)

How Effective is Road Restoration? In the February 2001 issue of Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Mary Ann Madej, research geologist at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, evaluates the effectiveness of a 20-year program to remove abandoned forest roads in reducing sediment loads to important salmon-bearing streams. Although watershed restoration activities are becoming commonplace, few studies have assessed their performance and effectiveness. Erosion and sediment delivery to streams was substantially reduced following removal of abandoned roads, but the effectiveness of various road treatments was strongly dependent on the geomorphic setting of the restoration site. (Mary Ann Madej, Arcata, CA, 707-825-5148).

Declines in California Amphibians Linked to Contaminants: Scientists have confirmed that agricultural contaminants may be an important factor in amphibian declines in California. According to an article recently accepted by the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, a study by scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that organophosphorus pesticides from agricultural areas, which are transported to the Sierra Nevada on prevailing summer winds, may be affecting populations of amphibians that breed in mountain ponds and streams. News stories have appeared in the Fresno Bee, Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, the Stockton Record, and UniSci.com. (Don Sparling, Laurel, MD, 301-497-5723; Gary Fellers, Pt. Reyes, CA, 415-663-8522 x 236) Official news release

Younger Giant Sequoias: New age estimates of several of the largest living giant sequoias by research ecologist Nate Stephenson of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center indicate that they’re younger than earlier thought. Most of the huge sequoias owe their size to rapid growth, not extreme age. The General Sherman tree, the world’s largest tree, is now estimated to be about 2,150 years old, the General Grant tree (the “Nation’s Christmas Tree”) is about 1,650, and the Grizzly Giant is about 1,800. Stephenson’s estimates are in an article in the upcoming issue of the journal Madroño. A news story has appeared in the BBC News, Die Welt, Katrillion.com, Salt Lake City Deseret News, San Francisco Chronicle, and UniSci.com. (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3171) Official news release