WERC Highlights -- December 2007

Best Publication in The Condor: USGS scientist Josh Ackerman and coauthors John Eadie and Tom Moore at the University of California-Davis are recipients of the Harry R. Painton Award for 2007 from the Cooper Ornithological Society for the best publication over the past 4 years in its journal The Condor. Ackerman and his collaborators investigated the risk-taking behavior and life-history characteristics of dabbling ducks by measuring their approach behavior during the waterfowl hunting season. They found that species characterized by a “slow” life-history strategy (e.g., northern pintails and mallards, which are less fecund but longer-lived) were more risk-averse than species with a “fast” life-history strategy (e.g., cinnamon teal and green-winged teal, which are more fecund but shorter-lived). Their results indicate that life history influences the risk-taking behavior of dabbling ducks and provides an explanation for the differential vulnerability of waterfowl to harvest. The award announcement appears in the latest issue of The Condor (volume 109:991–994). Citation of the award-winning article: Ackerman, J. T., J. M. Eadie, and T. G. Moore. 2006. Does life history predict risk-taking behavior of wintering dabbling ducks? Condor 108:530–546. (Josh Ackerman, Davis, CA, 530-752-0485, jackerman@usgs.gov)

Isolated Native Trout Population Lost to Post-Fire Debris Flow: USGS scientist Adam Backlin was interviewed for a December 12, 2007, story in the Orange County Register about a post-fire debris flow after the Santiago Fire that appears to have buried a section of stream in Orange County’s Harding Canyon and a population of native rainbow trout that has been isolated for 70 years from other trout in southern California. A search by biologists turned up no trout that might have escaped downstream of the mudslide. See: http://www.ocregister.com/news/trout-one-backlin-1940164-southern-fish. (Adam Backlin, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4702, abacklin@usgs.gov)

Tidewater Gobies: On December 11, 2007, USGS scientist Kevin Lafferty was interviewed about endangered tidewater gobies by the San Diego Union-Tribune for an upcoming story on species that might be salvaged from burned areas in southern California to breed in captivity for repatriation in the wild when their habitat has recovered sufficiently to support them. (Kevin Lafferty, Santa Barbara, CA, 805-893-8778, klafferty@usgs.gov)

Where Have All the Frogs Gone? Conservation of California's Amphibians: On December 7, 2007, USGS scientist Gary Fellers will deliver a lecture and slide show to the Marin Audubon Society at the Bay Audubon Sanctuary in Tiburon, California. He will discuss frog biology, California amphibian species, and his frog research. Much of the presentation will focus on disease and pesticides as likely factors that are causing amphibian declines occurring throughout much of California and the world. See: http://www.marinaudubon.org/#. (Gary Fellers, Point Reyes, CA, 415-464-5185, gary_fellers@usgs.gov)

Sierra Nevada Trees: USGS scientist Phil van Mantgem was interviewed for a November 29, 2007, story by German National Public Radio on USGS research that shows increasing forest mortality rates in the Sierra Nevada. See: http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/forschak/704136/. (Phil van Mantgem, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3179, pvanmantgem@usgs.gov)

Postfire Recovery: The fall 2007 newsletter of Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, WatershedWise, is based on the symposium held this summer following the Griffith Park fire to address postfire recovery best practices. An article titled “Appropriate postfire management for the 2007 Griffith Park fire” was contributed by USGS scientist Jon Keeley, an invited speaker for the symposium. See: http://www.lasgrwc.org/newsletters/Fall2007.pdf. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs: An article in the December issue of Connect, the magazine of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, describes how two zoos assisted USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in non-native fish removal to aid endangered mountain yellow-legged frogs in the Angeles National Forest. See: http://www.aza.org/Publications/2007/12/. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)