WERC Highlights -- June 2006

California Sea Otters: While the USGS-led 2006 spring survey of California sea otters tallied a total of 2,692 California sea otters, a 1.6 percent decrease in otters since last spring, the overall population trend, which is assessed using 3-year running averages, remains up, at 2.3 percent over the previous average, to 2,751 sea otters. Like last year, there is a relatively large seasonal presence of otters at the southern end of their range. Federal and state wildlife agencies use the survey information in making management decisions about this threatened population. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/otters/ca-surveys.html. (Brian Hatfield, San Simeon, CA, 805-927-3893, brian_hatfield@usgs.gov)

California Sea Otters: USGS scientist Brian Hatfield of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed about the recently completed 2006 spring survey of California sea otters for stories in the San Luis Obispo Tribune (June 27 and 29), the weekly Cambrian (to run week of June 29), and the Orange County Register: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/14914502.htm; http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/local/14927431.htm. (Brian Hatfield, San Simeon, CA, 805-927-3893, brian_hatfield@usgs.gov)

Restoring Ecosystems in a Changing World: USGS scientist Nate Stephenson of the Western Ecological Research Center is an invited symposium speaker at the annual meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, June 24-28, in San Jose, California. Stephenson will speak on “Ecological restoration in an era of rapid global changes: potential pitfalls and redefinition of goals.” In this era of rapid global changes, efforts to restore ecosystems to their “natural” states might inadvertently result in ecosystems that are inherently unstable to these novel environmental conditions, potentially leading to the sudden loss of some of the resources we are trying to protect. Useful management alternatives might, instead, focus on maintaining biodiversity by enhancing ecosystem resistance and resilience to stresses, even if the resulting ecosystems have “unnatural” structure and composition. (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3176, nstephenson@usgs.gov)

Restoring Breeding Snowy Plovers: Loss of breeding sites is considered to be the main cause of decline of western snowy plovers. USGS scientist Kevin Lafferty of the Western Ecological Research Center and coauthors Darcie Goodman and Cristina Sandoval from the University of California at Santa Barbara investigated the effects of beach recreation on threatened western snowy plovers on Sands Beach, Coal Oil Point Reserve, California, and tested the effectiveness of management actions to restore a historical breeding site while still allowing recreation. Their study, recently published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation, illustrates the potential gain to wildlife obtained by creating small protected areas around special habitats, an approach that may also prove useful in other situations where human activity incidentally degrades habitat. The authors compared the changes in the distribution, abundance and reproductive success of snowy plovers before and during protection, which involved a barrier directing foot traffic away from a section of upper beach used by roosting plovers, educational signs, and a docent program. A total of 72 snowy plover chicks fledged during four years of protection compared with none fledged for the preceeding 30-year period of public use with no protection. (Kevin Lafferty, Santa Barbara, CA, 805-893-8778, 805-893-8062, klafferty@usgs.gov) Citation: Lafferty, K. D., D. Goodman, and C. P. Sandoval. 2006. Restoration of breeding by snowy plovers following protection from disturbance. Biodiversity and Conservation 15:2217-2230.

Fire and Plant Invasions: USGS scientist Jon Keeley of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed for the headline story on the front page of the June 16, 2006 print edition of the Pasadena Star-News (CA) about his recent publication in the journal Conservation Biology, which examined impacts on alien invasions associated with six fire management practices: fire suppression, forest fuel reduction, prescription burning in crown fire ecosystems, fuel breaks, targeting noxious aliens, and postfire rehabilitation. News story posted online June 17: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_3948621. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Band-tailed Pigeon Population Indices and Mineral Site Use: Wildlife managers have long recognized the need for a range-wide population survey for band-tailed pigeons, which would aid management of this popular western game species. Various surveys have indicated a long-term population decline. To help design a precise index to population abundance, USGS scientists examined the effectiveness of existing survey methods in detecting long- and short-term population changes. Research results have indicated 1) three- to five-year trends were most reliably estimated using counts conducted at mineral sites where pigeons congregate, 2) the importance of weather (rainfall) on the surveys, and 3) the importance of adjacent forestland and human use of mineral sites on the likelihood of persistent use by band-tailed pigeons. Preliminary studies now being conducted using satellite telemetry are showing patterns of migration and local movements of pigeons that winter in southern California. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/casazzapbjun2006.html. (Mike Casazza, Dixon, CA, 707- 678-0682 x629, mike_casazza@usgs.gov)

Southern California Deer: On June 14, 2006, USGS scientist Robert N. Fisher of the Western Ecological Research Center was contacted by KGTV (San Diego, ABC affiliate) regarding natural and urban factors that may influence deer populations in southern California. (Robert N. Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)

USGS Participates at MSCP Annual Workshop: On June 17, 2006, USGS scientist Robert N. Fisher and others from the Western Ecological Research Center will take part in a public workshop in San Diego to discuss the progress of habitat conservation in Multiple Species Conservation Programs in southern California during 2005. Several posters will describe USGS work that is providing science support to the MSCP, and USGS scientists will take part in discussing the Biogeographic Information and Observation System (BIOS), a statewide, integrated information management tool for biological field data. A poster by the City of San Diego highlights the rare plant monitoring program review, nearing completion; USGS scientist Kathryn McEachern (not attending) is lead scientist in the review effort. Visitors will also get to meet live animals at some of the displays and take an interpretive hike at Mission Trails Regional Park. The workshop is presented by the County of San Diego, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Fish and Game, City of San Diego, City of Chula Vista, and City of Poway. (Robert N. Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov; Kathryn McEachern, Ventura, CA, 805-658-5753, kathryn_mceachern@usgs.gov)

Channel Islands Rare Plants Lecture: USGS plant ecologist Kathryn McEachern of the Western Ecological Research Center will be the guest speaker for the June “From Shore to Sea” lecture sponsored by Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. McEachern will lecture on “Rare plants of the northern Channel Islands -- who are they, where do they live and how are they doing?” June 13 in Santa Barbara and June 14 in Ventura, California. Her lecture will highlight what USGS has learned about the most rare and endangered of the island plants over the past decade, and how this knowledge can be used to help the plants as the islands rebound from the effects of ranching and farming. From searches on foot and by helicopter, thorough yearly measurements of plant growth and using greenhouse and field experiments, scientists are learning where these plants live, how they grow, and how they respond to changes in their environments. (Kathryn McEachern, Ventura, CA, 805-658-5753, kathryn_mceachern@usgs.gov)

Warm Stream Temperatures Restrict Coho Salmon Rearing: Historically, coho salmon were found throughout most of the 108-km-long mainstem of Redwood Creek, Humboldt County, north coastal California. However, juvenile coho distribution is presently limited to the downstream-most 20 km of the mainstem and a few large low-gradient tributaries. In the June issue of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, USGS scientists Dr. Mary Ann Madej, Christopher Currens, and Julie Yee, with National Park Service colleagues Vicki Ozaki and David Anderson, hypothesized that elevated stream temperatures in the middle river reach constitute a thermal restriction for juvenile coho rearing. The scientists used seven years of in-stream temperature monitoring in conjunction with a thermal infra-red flight to identify warm reaches of Redwood Creek and to compare temperature regimes in coho-bearing and non-coho-bearing river reaches. Among their findings, summer water temperatures in the 50-km-long middle reach were significantly warmer than the temperatures recommended for coho. Besides efforts to control erosion in this watershed, active riparian restoration may be needed to restore the cool thermal regime along warm stretches of Redwood Creek. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/madejpbjun2006.html. (Mary Ann Madej, Arcata, CA, 707-825-5148, mary_ann_madej@usgs.gov) Citation: Madej, M. A., C. Currens, V. Ozaki, J. Yee and D. G. Anderson. 2006. Assessing possible thermal rearing restrictions for juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) through thermal infrared imaging and in-stream monitoring, Redwood Creek, California. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63:1384–1396.

Controlling Invasive Plants with Fire: A new publication on the current state of knowledge on the use of fire as a tool to manage invasive plants in wildlands is available at the website of the California Invasive Plant Council (http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/fire.php). The report summarizes (1) the risks and challenges of conducting prescribed burns, (2) the types of systems where burning, used alone or as part of an integrated approach, can be effective for the management of invasive plants; and (3) the impacts of prescribed burning on the broader plant community and soils. The publication is based on input from an expert committee of scientists and land managers experienced in the use of fire as a tool to manage invasive plants, and stems from a USGS-hosted workshop held in Henderson, NV, March 29-30, 2004. The publication was supported by the Center for Invasive Plant Management, the Joint Fire Science Program, and the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. (Matt Brooks, Henderson, NV, 702-564-4615, matt_brooks@usgs.gov) Citation: DiTomaso, J.M. and D.W. Johnson (eds.). 2006. The Use of Fire as a Tool for Controlling Invasive Plants. Cal-IPC Publication 2006-01. California Invasive Plant Council: Berkeley, CA. 56 pp.

Sequoias in a Changing Climate: USGS scientist Nate Stephenson was interviewed by France 2 (French Television) for a short news piece regarding possible effects of climatic changes on giant sequoias. (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3176, nstephenson@usgs.gov)

USGS Scientists to Participate at Society for Conservation Biology Conference: USGS scientist Jim Estes of the Western Ecological Research Center is the invited plenary speaker Tuesday, June 27 at the Society for Conservation Biology’s 20th annual meeting (Conservation without Borders), to be held June 24-28, 2006, in San Jose, Calif. Estes will examine the strength of effects and the diversity of ways by which large predatory mammals can shape ecosystem structure and function. There are also many contributed presentations that will be made by USGS scientists from across the country, and by their coauthors, on a variety of conservation topics. For example, USGS WERC scientists are presenters on the following topics: space use patterns of bobcats in the Santa Ana Mountains of southern California (Erin Boydston); multi-taxa assessment of genetic impacts of habitat fragmentation and urbanization in southern California (Amy Vandergast); bighorn sheep case study in predicting changes to habitat availability regarding artificial water sources management decisions (Kathy Longshore). For more: http://www.conbio.org/2006/. (Jim Estes, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2820, jim_estes@usgs.gov; Erin Boydston, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4704, eboydston@usgs.gov; Amy Vandergast, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6445, avandergast@usgs.gov; Kathy Longshore, Henderson, NV, 702-564-4505, longshore@usgs.gov)

Planning for Biodiversity: Southern California is a region characterized by both unparalleled natural biodiversity and an enormous human population whose growth and expansion threaten many native species and habitats, thus presenting a formidable challenge to manage resources in a way that maximizes biodiversity in remaining habitats, yet provides opportunities for other appropriate uses of the land. The papers in a newly published conference proceedings reflect the breadth of issues facing the science and management communities in southern California, ranging from the threats of fire, air pollution, grazing, exotic species invasion, and habitat loss on native habitats and sensitive species, including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, to the role of mycorrhizal fungi as indicators of biological change. Copies of the proceedings in CD or hardcopy may be requested from the USDA Forest Service by phone (970-498-1392) or email (rschneider@fs.fed.us). (Barbara Kus, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6421, barbara_kus@usgs.gov) Citation: Kus, Barbara E., and Beyers, Jan L., technical coordinators. 2005. Planning for Biodiversity: Bringing Research and Management Together: Proceedings of a symposium for the South Coast Ecoregion. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-195. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 274 p.