WERC Highlights -- July 2006

USGS to Receive Waterfowl Award: USGS scientist Joseph Fleskes of the Western Ecological Research Center has been selected to receive the 2006 "Dennis Raveling Award” from the California Waterfowl Association (CWA). One of CWA's most prestigious honors, the award is presented to the person or group that has made vital contributions to the field of waterfowl research. Fleskes was selected as the most deserving from a number of candidates who have demonstrated exceptional service and contributions. He will receive the award at the state-wide “An Evening With Our Stars” banquet on August 12 in Sacramento. (Joe Fleskes, Dixon, CA, 707-678-0682 x628, joe_fleskes@usgs.gov)

USGS Scientists to Participate at Mercury Pollution Conference: Several USGS scientists from the Western Ecological Research Center are among coauthors of three posters that will be presented during the 8th international conference on mercury as a global pollutant, to be held in Madison, Wisconsin, August 6-11, 2006. The posters discuss studies that assessed bioaccumulation of mercury in aquatic animals and suggested species useful as eco-indicators of mercury contamination; watersheds studied were in northern California and Washington, and sites affected by historical mining were included. For more: http://www.mercury2006.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1435. (Roger Hothem, Dixon, CA, 707-678-0682 x626, roger_hothem@usgs.gov)

USGS Scientists to Participate at Ecological Society of America Conference: USGS scientists from the Western Ecological Research Center, will be among USGS scientists giving presentations during the 91st annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, to be held in Memphis, Tenn., August 6-11, 2006. Their topics involve prescribed fire and cheatgrass invasion in ponderosa forests, Mojave Desert shrubland seed dynamics associated with disturbance and revegetation, and the effectiveness of trained dogs in finding desert tortoises. For more: http://www.esa.org/memphis/. (Gloria Maender, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-5596; gloria_maender@usgs.gov)

USGS Scientist Discusses Fire and California Shrublands at Botanical Meeting: USGS scientist Jon Keeley of the Western Ecological Research Center will give two presentations in symposia at the 2006 Botanical Society of America meeting in Chico, California, July 28 – August 2, 2006. In one presentation, Keeley examines the potential for fire in San Francisco Bay region and evidence of changes in the second half of the 20th century that would account for shrubland expansion. In the second, he discusses evidence that Native Americans significantly altered vegetation distribution in the coastal ranges of California with the widespread use of fire long before Euro-American colonization. For more: http://www.2006.botanyconference.org/ (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Turtles: A follow-up story with photos on USGS efforts in an invasive turtle removal at the Fullerton Arboretum appeared in the Orange County Register July 28, 2006. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)

Early Detection Surveillance for H5N1 Avian Influenza: A reporter and photographer from USA Today plan to accompany a USGS Western Ecological Research Center field crew that will be conducting early detection surveillance sampling on shorebirds (western sandpipers) for H5N1 avian influenza in the San Francisco Bay on August 1, 2006. The biologists will capture the birds with mist nets and take cloacal swab samples, which will be sent to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. This work is part of the early detection program funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1 and coordinated by the State of California, conducted cooperatively with PRBO Conservation Science and the Wildlife Health Center of the University of California, Davis. (Sam Iverson, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-3003, saiverson@usgs.gov)

USGS at San Diego County MSCP Workshop: USGS participation (poster presentations and exhibit by USGS scientists from the Western Ecological Research Center) at the San Diego County annual report workshop of the Multiple Species Conservation Program held June 17 at Mission Trails Regional Park is mentioned in the summer 2006 issue of the newsletter MSCP News: http://dplu-mscp.sdcounty.ca.gov/Summer2006.pdf. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)

Mechanical Duck Decoys: Although mechanical spinning-wing decoys are known to be strong attractants to ducks and increase harvest rates over traditional decoying methods, few scientific data have been available to guide management decisions regarding the use of this new technology. A new study by USGS scientist Josh Ackerman and twelve other collaborators from around North America indicates that the effectiveness of spinning-wing decoys differs among dabbling duck species and changes with latitude. Consideration of these effects may be warranted in setting duck harvest regulations and methods of take. The researchers investigated the effectiveness of spinning-wing decoys during experimental hunts at 6 study sites in the United States and Canada and reported their results in a recent issue of the Journal of Wildlife Management. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/ackermanpbjul2006.html. Citation: Ackerman, J. T., J. M. Eadie, M. L. Szymanski, J. H. Caswell, M. P. Vrtiska, A. H. Raedeke, J. M. Checkett, A. D. Afton, T. G. Moore, F. D. Caswell, R. A. Walters, D. D. Humburg, and J. L. Yee. 2006. Effectiveness of spinning-wing decoys varies among dabbling duck species and locations. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:799–804.

Parasites: A recent study on the dominance of parasites in food web links coauthored by USGS scientist Kevin Lafferty was highlighted in the Observatory column in the July 18, 2006 edition of the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/science/18observ.html (Kevin Lafferty, Santa Barbara, CA, 805-893-8778, klafferty@usgs.gov)

Southern California Wildfires: In a July 15, 2006, story in the North County Times, USGS scientist Jon Keeley pointed out the importance of weather conditions (Santa Ana winds) as a driver of wildfires in southern California: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/07/16/science/20_03_117_14_06.txt (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

USGS to Participate at NOAA Open House: USGS sea otter scientist Alisha Kage of the Western Ecological Research Center has been invited to discuss USGS sea otter research at NOAA’s “Partners in Conservation” open house to be held July 22, 2006, at the W.R. Hearst Memorial State Beach in San Simeon, CA. Children visiting the USGS exhibit booth will get to learn such things as how sea otters find food and what they like to eat. About 2,500 visitors are expected. (Alisha Kage, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2357, akage@usgs.gov)

USGS Assists in Nonnative Turtle Removal at Southern California Site: For a July 14, 2006, story a writer and photographer from the Orange County Register accompanied USGS scientist Sara Compton of the Western Ecological Research Center to Fullerton Arboretum (California State University-Fullerton), where she helped to remove nonnative turtles, over 175 of which were captured in a 5-day effort. The object of the effort was to remove all of the nonnative turtles, leaving behind only the native pond turtles. The California Turtle and Tortoise Society will place the removed turtles (red-ear sliders, mud turtles, map turtles, yellow-bellied sliders) in its adoption program. (Sara Compton, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4705, scompton@usgs.gov)

Parasites in Food Webs: United Press International (July 12) and Astrobiology Magazine (July 14) reported on a study on the role of parasites in food webs by USGS, Princeton University, and University of California, Santa Barbara, published this week in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences includes: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060712-110808-7652r; http://www.astrobio.net/news/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2021&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 (Kevin Lafferty, Santa Barbara, CA, 805-893-8778, klafferty@usgs.gov)

Avian Influenza Surveillance: On July 13, 2006, USA Today contacted USGS scientist and WERC center director Steve Schwarzbach expressing interest in observing collections and sampling for avian influenza surveillance efforts geared towards shorebirds of the Pacific Flyway at California sites. (Steve Schwarzbach, Sacramento, CA, 916-278-9490, steven_schwarzbach@usgs.gov)

Parasites, the Thread of Food Webs? Food webs trace the flow of energy through an ecosystem and extend the concept of food chains to biological communities, but rarely include parasites because of the difficulty in quantifying them by standard ecological methods. However, parasites strongly affect food web structure and parasite links are necessary for measuring ecosystem stability according to a new study by scientists with the USGS, Princeton University and the University of California at Santa Barbara. Scientists have recognized that food web theory is the framework for modern ecology, but until now parasites have been missing from this framework resulting in sparse knowledge about about the role of parasites in ecosystems. Studying four relatively comprehensive food webs that contain parasites, the scientists examined how parasites affected the food webs and found that parasites dominated the food web links between species, concluding that parasites may well be the thread that holds the structure of ecological communities together. Once the food web structure and the role of parasites is entirely documented, scientists will have a much better understanding of how the loss of biodiversity will affect the quality of life for the surviving species. The study is published in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, week of July 10-14, 2006. (Kevin Lafferty, Santa Barbara, CA, 805-893-8778, klafferty@usgs.gov)

Redwood Creek: USGS research on sediment and water temperatures in Redwood Creek, California, was referenced in a July 9, 2006, Eureka Times-Standard (Eureka, CA) article about opportunities for restoration and rebuilding of the creek. (Mary Ann Madej, Arcata, CA, 707-825-5148, mary_ann_madej@usgs.gov)

RAPID Training Session for Avian Influenza Subtype Identification: On June 26-28, 2006, USGS scientist John Takekawa of the Western Ecological Research Center hosted a training session in Vallejo, CA, with Idaho Technologies, manufacturer of the RAPID, a portable, impact-resistant, genetic screening (RT-PCR) unit for use in field studies. Attendees were 4 biologists involved in a collaborative research project of the USGS-WERC, Prince William Sound Science Center, University of California-Davis Wildlife Health Center, and industry partners which will use the RAPID to screen avian influenza swab samples and compare results to laboratory findings. The study will utilize swab samples taken from shorebirds in the Pacific Flyway (Note: these samples are not part of the APHIS-funded early detection sampling). Additional training was provided by CombiMatrix Corp., which has developed a RAPID-compatible microarray chip for immediate identification of avian influenza subtypes. (Sam Iverson, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-3003, saiverson@usgs.gov)