WERC Highlights -- January 2008

USGS Scientists Participate in Fire Conference: USGS scientists presented over a dozen papers on fire studies on a variety of topics and ecosystems at the “Fire in the Southwest: Integrating Fire into Management of Changing Ecosystems” conference, held in Tucson, Arizona, Jan. 28-31. The Association for Fire Ecology, Geological Society of America, and University of Arizona presented the conference to provide a timely forum for the exchange of scientific information on the ecology and management of fire adapted and affected ecosystems in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, in a time of changing climate. See: http://www.humboldt.edu/swfire/program.html. (Gloria Maender, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-5596)

Quantifying Landscape Ruggedness for Habitat Analysis: Terrain ruggedness is often an important variable in habitat models for wildlife such as desert bighorn sheep, which occupy mountain ranges in the American Southwest. One of the most important determinants of sheep habitat within these ranges is the presence of escape terrain, cliffs or steep, rocky slopes where sheep can outdistance or outmaneuver predators. Most methods used to quantify ruggedness are indices derived from measures of slope, and these indices may not clearly distinguish steep, even terrain from steep terrain that is uneven and broken. USGS scientist Kathleen Longshore and coauthors from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, have developed a tool for biologists that provides a quantitative measure of terrain that can be used for habitat analyses where topography affects the distribution of vegetation or wildlife. Their study is published in the Journal of Wildlife Management. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/longshorepbjan2008.html. (Kathleen Longshore, Henderson, NV, 702-564-4505) Citation: Sappington, J. M., K. M. Longshore, and D. B. Thompson. 2007. Quantifying landscape ruggedness for animal habitat analysis: A Case Study Using Bighorn Sheep in the Mojave Desert. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:1419–1426.

Wildlife and Wildfire: USGS scientists Robert Fisher and Adam Backlin were interviewed for a January 25 NPR “All Things Considered” broadcast about native southern California wildlife species being victims of the recent wildfires and subsequent flooding. See: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18426140

Drought and Vegetation: USGS scientist Jon Keeley was interviewed for a Jan. 22 Los Angeles Times article about a drier than usual weather forecast for this winter, and the effect on moisture in vegetation. See: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-weather22jan22,1,196649.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs: USGS scientist Adam Backlin was interviewed in a Jan. 21 Press-Enterprise story on the collaborative, multi-agency conservation effort to raise and captively breed mountain yellow-legged frogs to help restore wild populations of these endangered frogs to southern California. This frog is one of four U.S. frogs identified as most critically endangered by the World Conservation Union in the declaration by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and three other international groups that 2008 is the year of the frog. See: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_frogs20.3268f5b.html.

Elephant Seals: USGS scientist Brian Hatfield was interviewed by phone for a Jan. 19 story in the San Luis Obispo Tribune about a wayward elephant seal helped by a team from federal and state agencies and a non-profit organization back across Highway 1 to rejoin elephant seals on a beach near San Simeon. Hatfield was also interviewed on Jan. 25 by the Los Angeles Times.

Elephant Seals: USGS scientist Brian Hatfield was interviewed by phone for a Jan. 18 story on KSBY-TV (San Luis Obispo, CA, NBC affiliate) about a wayward elephant seal helped by a team from federal and state agencies and a non-profit organization back across Highway 1 to rejoin elephant seals on a beach near San Simeon. See: http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=7744176.

Study Examines Environmental Factors and Argentine Ant Invasion in Southern California: The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), an ecologically and economically destructive invasive species, responds to the environment differently compared to native ant species, according to a study in the December 2007 issue of Ecology by USGS scientist Robert Fisher and colleagues at the University of California at San Diego. The researchers used a combination of experimental and analytical approaches to test the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors in determining the local and regional occurrence of Argentine ants in southern California. Their results illustrate surprising complexities with respect to how environmental factors limiting invasion can change with spatial scale. For more, see: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/fisherpbjan2008.html. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422)

Sea Otters: United Press International (January 16) and the Santa Cruz Sentinel (January 15) reported on a study of southern sea otters by University of California, Santa Cruz, and USGS researchers that found individual sea otters become more specialized in their diets when food is limited, rather than consuming a wider variety of prey. See: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/01/16/sea_otter_study_unveils_feeding_strategies/5803/ and http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/story.php?storySection=Local&sid=64912

USGS Scientist is Recipient of a National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Scholarship: USGS scientist Nicole Athearn has received a scholarship from the 2007 National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Scholarship Program in recognition of her research modeling bird habitat in South San Francisco Bay salt ponds. In honor of the refuge centennial, The Walt Disney Company, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation support the 2007 National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Scholarship Program, which recognizes students whose research will contribute toward improved management and understanding of the diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources found on our national wildlife refuges. These merit-based awards take into consideration the value of the research and the student’s academic achievements. See: http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Browse_All_Programs&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8031. (Nicole Athearn, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-2002)

USGS Scientist Invited as Selection Panelist of Top Environmental Achievements in Southern California for 2007: USGS scientist Jon Keeley has been invited to participate as a selection co-panelist with Congresswoman Hilda Solis (32nd District of California) to help determine the top achievement and setback for the year in the category of Forest Protection for Environment Now’s 2007 Top Achievements of the Environmental Community in Southern California report. The report serves as a resource for the environmental community. Environment Now is a private, non-profit organization, with a mission of creating measurably effective environmental programs to protect and restore California’s environment. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170)

USGS Scientist Presents Yosemite Plant Survey Results at Botanical Conference: USGS Botanist Alison Colwell is an invited speaker at the Northern California Botanists Association Symposium at California State University, Chico, on January 14-15, 2008. At a session titled Northern California Botanical and Ecological Discoveries, Alison will present new botanical finds resulting from a two-year survey of mineral spring and metamorphic rock habitats in Yosemite National Park. Coauthors are Peggy Moore (USGS) and Dena Grossenbacher (NPS). See conference info at http://rce.csuchico.edu/norcalbotany/. (Alison E.L. Colwell, El Portal, CA, 209-379-1308)

Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs: USGS scientist Adam Backlin was interviewed by the Press-Enterprise for a follow-up story about the mountain yellow-legged frog captive breeding program, a collaborative conservation effort for this endangered species. The story is expected on Jan 16.

Wildlife/Wildfire: Dramatic USGS wildlife photos from a motion-triggered camera during the Santiago Fire in Orange County, California, were featured in the 2007 gallery of images of the year in Nature. See: http://www.nature.com/news/2007/071219/pdf/4501144a.pdf.

Pesticides and Frogs: USGS scientist Gary Fellers was interviewed for a January 5 story in The Australian on the role of pesticides in frog declines in California and Australia. The story was cited by Greenwire on January 7. See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23008909-12332,00.html.

California Wildfires: USGS scientist Jon Keeley was interviewed regarding the October 2007 southern California firestorms and ways to lessen the impacts of future fires in a December 24 Washington Post article that reported a leading cause of ignitions of the 2007 fires was from power lines downed by Santa Ana winds. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/23/AR2007122302283.html?hpid=sec-nation.

Climate Warming: USGS scientists Nate Stephenson and Jim Estes were interviewed by the Associated Press for a December 29 story that examines how climate warming could alter California’s landscape and what that might mean for its plants and animals, such as iconic giant sequoias and sea otters, and people that live there. See: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/12/29/state/n092100S48.DTL.

Elephant Seals: USGS scientist Brian Hatfield was interviewed for a January 8 story by KSBY-TV (NBC affiliate in San Luis Obispo, CA) following an unsuccessful multi-agency effort to relocate a subadult male elephant seal that had made its way across Highway 1, just south of Piedras Blancas. See: http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=7598667.

Parasites: On January 2, USGS scientist Kevin Lafferty was contacted by a German radio station (M 94.5) interested in interviewing him for a science story on the role that a common brain parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) may play in cultural change in human populations.

Post-fire Effects on Wildlife: USGS scientists Robert Fisher and Adam Backlin were interviewed by NPR on the effects of post-fire debris flows on wildlife, including the mountain yellow-legged frog and native trout, for an upcoming story.