WERC Highlights -- June 2003

They’re Graduates: Congratulations to Anne Meckstroth and Sarah Spring, who were recently bestowed Master of Science degrees at the University of California, Davis, and to Carolyn Marn, who completed her dissertation at Oregon State University. All were in the student enhancement program of USGS, and are stationed at the Western Ecological Research Center in Davis. Working with their mentor and major advisor, USGS scientist Keith Miles, Sarah Spring completed her thesis and final report to the U.S. Air Force on "Biological impacts of TCE and PCE on wild rodents and reptiles, Edwards AFB," and Anne Meckstroth completed her thesis and final report to NASA on "Predation of nesting waterbirds in an urban environment." The two will give papers at the national meetings of the Wildlife Society in September. Under the guidance of her advisor, Robert Anthony, unit leader of the USGS Oregon Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Carolyn Marn's dissertation is entitled "Post-hatching survival and productivity of American avocets at drainwater evaporation ponds in the Tulare Basin, California." (Anne Meckstroth, Davis, CA, 530-752-0485, ameck@ucdavis.edu; Sarah Spring, Davis, CA, 530-752-0485, sarah_spring@usgs.gov; Carolyn Marn, Davis, CA, 530-752-9163, 752-9680, carolyn_marn@usgs.gov)

Contaminants: USGS scientist Gary Fellers was interviewed for a story on pesticides and endangered species in National Wildlife magazine. (Gary Fellers, Point Reyes, CA, 415-464-5185, gary_fellers@usgs.gov)

Urban Wildlife: USGS scientist Erin Boydston was interviewed about coyote biology and USGS research on urban carnivores living the San Francisco Bay area for a story in the San Francisco Chronicle. (Erin Boydston, Sausalito, CA, 415-331-0639, eboydston@usgs.gov)

Fungi, Fire Suppression, and the Fate of Sugar Pine in the Sierra Nevada: USGS scientist Phil van Mantgem of the Western Ecological Research Center will attend the Fourth North American Forest Ecology Workshop, June 17-20, in Corvallis Oregon. The goal of the workshop is to bring together current research on forest change, and discussions will include human influences on fire regimes, forest stand development, forest land use patterns, pathogens, global ecosystem cycles, and how these factors may affect rates of ecosystem change. van Mantgem will present results of 15 years of monitoring data on sugar pines in the Sierra Nevada that document the decline of this species, which is likely in response to an introduced fungal pathogen and fire suppression. The session will be open to the public, with an expected audience of about 50. For more information: http://outreach.cof.orst.edu/nafew/. (Phil van Mantgem, Three Rivers, CA 559 565-3179, pvanmantgem@usgs.gov).

Bugs’ World: USGS scientist Krista Pease of the Western Ecological Research Center will present “The World of Bugs” at a public campfire program at Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego on Saturday, June 28, 2003, at 8 p.m. With live and preserved specimens on hand, Pease will discuss arthropods (“bugs”) and their importance, how insects and spiders differ, and what USGS scientists are learning about arthropods in southern California. USGS research is shedding light on the ecology of native and alien ant species and little-known native Jerusalem crickets. USGS scientists have documented 8 species of ants in Mission Trails Regional Park. The campfire program audience includes young children and their parents or other adults, and other groups such as girl scouts, boy scouts, church and community youth groups. For more information: http://www.mtrp.org/. (Krista Pease, San Diego, CA, 858- 637-6888, kpease@usgs.gov)

Make Way for Roadrunner: USGS scientist Mark Mendelsohn gave a brief presentation on greater roadrunners at the unveiling of two-times life-size roadrunner sculpture at the Palomares Wildlife Sculpture Garden in Fallbrook, California on June 11, 2003. He co-authored the interpretive brochure that appears alongside the bronze sculpture. The roadrunner piece, titled “Crowned Prince,” along with the nearby life-size mountain lion sculpture, were created by local artists. The brochure and Mendelsohn’s Master's thesis research highlight the importance of maintaining large open spaces for the greater roadrunner, a species negatively affected by habitat fragmentation in San Diego County. (Mark Mendelsohn, San Diego, 858-637-6888, mmendelsohn@usgs.gov).

Sediment Specialist Invited to Japan: The Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau of Japan has invited Mary Ann Madej, a USGS research geologist at the Western Ecological Research Center, to present her research results at an International Workshop for "Source-to-Sink" Sedimentary Systems at the Catchment Scale." Madej is evaluating the transfer of sediment from its origins in landslides to its subsequent transport and deposition in large salmon-bearing rivers. The meeting and associated field trips will be held in Sapporo, Japan from June 12 to 20. Researchers from many Pacific Rim nations will be attending to share their knowledge of sediment disasters and mitigations as well as study results from large-scale river studies. (Mary Ann Madej, Arcata, CA, 707-825-5148, mary_ann_madej@usgs.gov)

California Sea Otter Numbers are Up for 2003 Census: The tally from the USGS-led spring survey of southern sea otters shows a total number of 2,505 California sea otters in 2003, 17 percent more sea otters than the total of 2,139 otters in 2002. This is the highest total count and the highest count of adult and young adult sea otters, 2,270, since current standardized methods came into practice in 1983. The total number of dependent pups counted was 235. The survey is conducted cooperatively with the California Department of Fish and Game, Monterey Bay Aquarium, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies and organizations. The information gathered from spring surveys is used by federal and state wildlife agencies in making decisions about the management of this sea mammal. USGS scientist Jim Estes of the Western Ecological Research Center announced the survey results at a media gathering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on June 6. With Greg Sanders, sea otter recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Andrew Johnson, sea otter program manager at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Estes discussed the significance of this year’s numbers and the long-term population trends. Media attending the event were KTVU-2, KNTV-11, KPIX-5, KION/KCBA, KSBW, KSMS, Monterey County Herald, with phone interviews by KGO radio, KCBS radio, San Jose Mercury News, Associated Press. (Jim Estes, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2820, jim_estes@usgs.gov; Brian Hatfield, San Simeon, CA, 805-927-3893, brian_hatfield@usgs.gov) Official news release