WERC Highlights -- November 2005

Shearwater Research: Scientist Josh Adams (WERC SCEP) and collaborators will present a research poster entitled “Tracking Sooty Shearwaters to measure pan-Pacific connectivity: implications for regional fisheries management and international conservation” at the Australasian Ornithological Meeting, December 6-10, 2005, in Blenheim, New Zealand. The study examines the use by satellite tracked Sooty Shearwaters in 2004 and 2005 of west coast National Marine Sanctuaries, the U.S. EEZ (exclusive economic zone), and the migration route between California and the South Pacific. Adams and colleagues will also present new data seeking to quantify molecular phylogeography of shearwaters off California, Chile, and New Zealand. (Josh Adams, Moss Landing, CA, 831-771-4138, josh_adams@usgs.gov)

Mercury Contamination of Snowy Plover Eggs: Mercury contamination poses a potential threat to western snowy plovers on the outer coast of Point Reyes, California, according to a new study published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin. Embryos of 11 unhatched eggs from 6 nests on beaches of Point Reyes National Seashore, including one abandoned nest, were analyzed for mercury. Findings indicated that mercury concentrations were from 5 to 10 times higher than those in plover eggs analyzed by a previous study at 5 southern California sites; and eggs of nest siblings in the current study had similar mercury concentrations. The authors hypothesized that the source of mercury contamination may have been from adult plovers eating maggots on decomposing marine mammal carcasses, including a harbor seal near the study site that may have foraged in the nearshore environment of Tomales Bay. An inoperative mercury mine nearby has discharged thousands of kilograms of mercury into Tomales Bay since mining ceased in 1972. This toxicity study, conducted in 2000 by USGS scientist Steve Schwarzbach of the Western Ecological Research Center and scientists at the California Department of Fish and Game, Point Reyes Bird Observatory and Point Reyes National Seashore, was part of a monitoring project to quantify the impacts of predation and human disturbance on chick loss and to evaluate the success of enclosures designed to protect nesting plovers. The mercury study is now being followed up by USGS scientist Keith Miles in a NRPP grant in partnership with the National Park Service. (Steve Schwarzbach, Sacramento, CA, Sacramento, CA, 916-278-9490, steven_schwarzbach@usgs.gov; Keith Miles, Davis, CA, 530-752-5365, keith_miles@usgs.gov) Citation: Schwarzbach, S. E., M. Stephenson, T. Ruhlen, S. Abbott, G. W. Page, D. Adams. 2005. Elevated mercury concentrations in failed eggs of Snowy Plovers at Point Reyes National Seashore. Marine Pollution Bulletin (50):1433-1456.

Parasitic Worms in Pacific Island Skinks: Scientists from the USGS, Whittier University, and Pennsylvania State University recently identified 7 intestinal worm species (1 digenean, 6 nematodes) from a collection of 11 skink species from Belau, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu. They reported 17 new host records and 8 new locality records. The parasitic worms identified in this study have been reported previously from other lizard species. By studying parasites and their hosts, scientists gain a better understanding of the historical biogeography of the Pacific Basin islands. They hope to learn how different species were able to move to these islands, and the role the first humans to the region had in moving these species around. The findings of this study are published in the journal Pacific Science. (Robert N. Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov) Citation: Goldberg, S. R., C. R. Bursey, and R. N. Fisher. 2005. Helminth records from eleven species of Emoia (Sauria: Scincidae) from Oceania. Pacific Science 59(4):609-614.

USGS Scientist Invited to Join Oecologia Editorial Board: USGS scientist Jon Keeley of the Western Ecological Research Center has been invited to serve a three-year term on the editorial board for the scientific journal Oecologia, for his expertise in plant community ecology and fire ecology. Oecologia is a peer-reviewed journal from Springer Verlag that publishes ecological research of international interest. Editorial board members are responsible for seeing a manuscript through the review process, which usually includes providing one of the reviews needed to evaluate a paper and handling initial communications with the author. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Grinnell Resurvey: On November 30, 2005, USGS scientist Les Chow of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times for a story about the Grinnell Resurvey Project. The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley, with support from the USGS and the Yosemite Fund is revisiting 40 sites in Yosemite National Park that were surveyed nearly 100 years ago by Joseph Grinnell, the founding director of the Museum. Grinnell and colleagues traveled throughout California between 1904 and the late 1930s, gathering thousands of vertebrate specimens. These specimens, along with field notes and photographs comprise a huge database that enables today’s biologists to look at change over time. (Leslie Chow, El Portal, CA, 209-379-1307, les_chow@usgs.gov)

Desert Tortoise Social Behavior: On November 29, 2005, USGS scientist Kristin Berry of the Western Ecological Research Center had a live interview by phone on desert tortoise social behavior for an international current affairs program on BBC Radio. In a November 28 story in the Los Angeles Times, Berry was interviewed about desert tortoise behavior and social interactions research, which is part of the short and long-term research program associated with the translocation of tortoises at Ft. Irwin, California, to make way for an expansion of the battlefield exercise area: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tortoise28nov28,1,7301083.story?coll=la-headlines-california. The story was reprinted on the Web by KTLA-TV (Los Angeles): http://ktla.trb.com/news/la-me-tortoise28nov28,0,5487621.story?coll=ktla-news-1. (Kristin Berry, Moreno Valley, CA, 951-697-5361, kristin_berry@usgs.gov)

Coyote Recolonization: A November 27, 2005, story in the San Francisco Chronicle on increasing numbers of human encounters with coyotes in Marin County mentioned a USGS study in which scientists had tracked the movements of radio-collared coyotes in Golden Gate National Recreation Area: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/27/MNGKPFUQ851.DTL&hw=fimrite+coyotes&sn=001&sc=1000 (Erin Boydston, Henderson, NV, 702-564-4504, eboydston@usgs.gov)

USGS Wildland Fire Science Workshop: Fire ecologists from the USGS Western Ecological Research Center will be among participants at the 4th USGS Wildland Fire Science Workshop, to be held December 6-9, 2005, in Tucson, Arizona. Presentations by WERC scientists include: Jon Keeley giving an overview of fire in the western United States; Jan van Wagtendonk speaking on fire risk in relation to vegetation structure and fuels accumulation; Todd Esque on plant-animal interactions in post-fire landscapes in the Mojave Desert; Matt Brooks on invasive plants, ecosystem restoration, and post-fire rehabilitation in arid ecosystems of the western U.S.; Brooks will also speak on evaluating effects of fuels treatments in semiarid shrublands and woodlands; Dylan Schwilk on monitoring and evaluating effects of fuels treatments in forest and shrub-steppe ecosystems. For more: http://www.ag.arizona.edu/srnr/usgs/. (Gloria Maender, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-5596, gloria_maender@usgs.gov)

Conservation Planning: USGS geneticist Amy Vandergast of the Western Ecological Research Center is participating in a workshop with University of California and California State University scientists to develop concepts and strategies for incorporating “Evolutionary Hotspots” into planning for protected areas in California. The workshop, to be held at UC Berkeley on Nov. 17-18, comprises a first step in the “California Evolutionary Hotspots Project,” initiated by California State Parks and The Nature Conservancy to determine how current knowledge of evolutionary processes can inform strategies for expanding protected areas in California. Results from the workshop will be incorporated into a pilot project focusing on land conservation in the Tehachapi Mountains to begin in January 2006, and a final workshop is planned upon its completion. (Amy Vandergast, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6445, avandergast@usgs.gov)

Fire Threatens Saguaros: A November 13, 2005, story in the Arizona Republic on loss of saguaro cacti from habitat fragmentation and fire cited a USGS study of the 1994 Mother’s Day fire in Saguaro National Park, in which scientists found that young saguaros less than 3 feet tall are the size class most sensitive to the effects of a moderate-intensity fire: http://www.azcentral.com/php-bin/clicktrack/print.php?referer=http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1113saguaro30sidebar.html. (Todd Esque, Henderson, NV, 702-564-4506, todd_esque@usgs.gov)

Park Science: The fall 2005 issue of Park Science includes three articles relating to research by scientists of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center: “George Wright Society honors natural resource experts,” “Understanding the Life of Point Loma,” and “To core or not to core? That is the question.” (Gloria Maender, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-5596, gloria_maender@usgs.gov)

Cold Water Abalones May Owe Large Size to Sea Otters: A new study by evolutionary biologists at the USGS and University of California-Berkeley of the interactions between abalones and California’s coastal kelp forests suggests that the sea otter played a key role in driving up the size of abalones from about 5 million years ago, culminating in the 12-inch diameter red abalone. By preying on sea urchins and smaller snails, otters kept herbivores at bay, and the kelp had no need to develop chemical deterrents. As a result abalones, which live off the drifting, abundant dead kelp along the Pacific coast, could thrive in crevices and grow huge on the highly nutritious food. Long before humans arrived on the scene, sea otters would have had a very limiting effect on abalones and their distribution, but maintained a dynamic equilibrium in which the abalone populations in crevices built up and abalone at the edge would be pushed out and accessible to otters. The fur trade drove sea otters to near extinction and upset that balance, allowing abalone populations to grow and move into more open spots, even developing a more peaked shell since they no longer needed a slim shell to hide in crevices. By contrast, in tropical waters there are no sea otters, abalones are only 2-4 inches in size, and kelp and algae developed toxic chemicals to ward off voracious grazers; tropical abalones no longer feed on tropical kelp but on blue green algae and diatoms that form a scum on reef surfaces. By demonstrating that the large size increase in abalones took place in the presence of sea otters, a broader implication of this study is that the cause of the demise of a lot of abalone stock may be human overfishing and habitat destruction. The study’s findings are published in the journal Paleobiology. (Jim Estes, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2820, jim_estes@usgs.gov) Citation: Estes, J. A., D. R. Lindberg, and C. Wray. 2005. Evolution of large body size in abalones (Haliotis): patterns and implications. Paleobiology 31(4):591-606.

California Sea Otters: On November 8, 2005, USGS scientist Brian Hatfield of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed about sea otter survey methodology for an upcoming story in the Monterey County Herald. (Brian Hatfield, San Simeon, CA, 805-927-3893, brian_hatfield@usgs.gov)

Science and the News Media: On November 15, 2005, USGS scientist Jim Estes of the Western Ecological Research Center will speak to college students about what it's like to work with the news media, for a class in the Science Communication Program at the University of California at Santa Cruz taught by Glennda Chui, science reporter for the San Jose Mercury News. (Jim Estes, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2820, jim_estes@usgs.gov)

California Sea Otters: An upcoming production of a T.V. program for Animal Planet will focus on a wildlife disease event in which a brain disease caused by an opossum parasite was linked to sea otter deaths that occurred during April 2004 in California. Scientists from the USGS, California Department of Fish and Game, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and University of California are expected to be filmed in the story, and footage to be included from the USGS video “Precipice of Survival: The Southern Sea Otter.” (Gloria Maender, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-5596, gloria_maender@usgs.gov)

Contaminants and Declining Amphibians in California’s Sierra Nevada: USGS scientist Gary Fellers of the Western Ecological Research Center will be giving the lead talk (invited) at a symposium on the role of pesticides in the decline of amphibians in California, at the 26th annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), to be held November 13-17, 2005, in Baltimore, Maryland. Fellers will discuss research indicating that most species of pond-breeding amphibians in the Sierra Nevada are declining and that contaminants appear to be playing a significant role in the declines. USGS WERC scientist Patrick Kleeman is the presentation’s coauthor. For more: http://www.setac.org/baltimore/baltimore.html. (Gary Fellers, Point Reyes, CA, 415-464-5185, gary_fellers@usgs.gov; Patrick Kleeman, 415-464-5184, pkleeman@usgs.gov)

USGS Seaduck Research: Scientists of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center will participate in the Second North American Seaduck Conference, Nov. 7-11, 2005, in Annapolis, Maryland. Susan Wainwright-De La Cruz will give a presentation on “Spring migration chronology and breeding areas of surf scoters: a synthesis of Pacific Coast population studies” and John Takekawa will lead a workshop on satellite telemetry. For more: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/seaduck_conf2005/ . (Susan Wainwright-De La Cruz, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-2004, susan_wainwright@usgs.gov); John Takekawa, 707-562-2000, john_takekawa@usgs.gov)

New Website on Pintail Conservation: A newly created website for the Pintail Action Group (PAG) is available for viewing at: http://www.siu.edu/~wildlife/PAG/Index.asp. The group was formed in August 2003 to address the long-term decline of the northern pintail, which was once one of the most common waterfowl species in North America. As an international cooperative group of public and private interests, the PAG's mission is to advocate and support planning, coordination, and evaluation of Northern Pintail management and research actions. Endorsed by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) Committee, the group operates under and reports to NAWMP's Science Support Team. The PAG includes scientific community members from organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, including Ducks Unlimited Canada, Ducks Unlimited, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, California Waterfowl Association, and other public agencies, private organizations, and joint ventures. USGS scientist Joe Fleskes of the Western Ecological Research Center is currently serving as Chair of the group. The group’s newsletters are posted on the "About" web page. (Joe Fleskes, Dixon, CA, 707-678-0682 ext 628, joe_fleskes@usgs.gov)

Scientists Evaluate the Effectiveness of Cowbird Control in Recovery of Endangered Passerines in California: USGS scientist Dr. Barbara Kus of the Western Ecological Research Center and Mary Whitfield of the Southern Sierra Research Station recently collaborated to evaluate the effectiveness of cowbird control relative to the goal of increasing populations of federally endangered least Bell’s vireos and southwestern willow flycatchers, and comment on the role of cowbird management in the recovery of endangered species. Examining data from their long-term field studies in California, the authors showed that annual trapping of cowbirds at vireo and flycatcher breeding sites during the last 20 years has eliminated or reduced cowbird parasitism relative to pre-trapping rates, and thereby significantly increased seasonal productivity of nesting pairs. Enhanced productivity, in turn, has resulted in an 8-fold increase in least Bell’s vireo numbers, which grew from approximately 300 territorial males rangewide in 1986 when the species was listed to nearly 2,500 males today. In contrast, they found that southwestern willow flycatcher abundance has changed little, and at some sites has declined despite cowbird control, leaving the statewide population at roughly 200 territories; lack of sustained growth suggests something other than parasitism is currently limiting this species. Based on their analyses, the authors recommend that cowbird control be reserved for short-term crisis management, to be replaced as appropriate by practices emphasizing restoration and maintenance of natural processes upon which species depend. The results of their analyses are included in an Ornithological Monograph devoted to management of cowbirds and their hosts, published by the American Ornithologists’ Union. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/kuspbnov2005.html. (Barbara Kus, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6421, barbara_kus@usgs.gov) Citation: Kus, B. E. and M. J. Whitfield. 2005. Parasitism, productivity, and population growth: response of Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus) and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus) to cowbird (Molothrus spp.) control. Ornithological Monographs 57:16–27.

Urbanization Leads to Amphibian Declines in Southern California Streams: Scientists have long realized that urbanization is likely a major contributor to the disappearance of amphibians, but a new study conducted by biologists of the National Park Service, Pepperdine University, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains indicates that as little as 8 percent urbanization can result in habitat changes that make streams unsuitable for native frogs and salamanders. The biologists intensively surveyed 35 Los Angeles area streams in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills in the 3-year study. The watersheds surveyed ranged from those in national or state parks with no development, to those where up to 37 percent of the watershed area was urbanized, including roads and commercial, industrial, and residential areas. Urban streams often had long uniform stretches of deeper water and lacked the variety of deep pools and shallow riffles needed to support native biodiversity. Urban streams were missing native amphibians such as California newts and California treefrogs, but were rife with introduced invasive species including crayfish, bass, bluegill, and bullfrogs. Southern California streams often dry up in the late summer and in dry years, but the urban streams continued flowing year-round every year, likely as a result of increased run-off and water inputs. The urban-related changes aid invasion by the non-native animals that compete with or prey upon native amphibians. The results of the study have been published online and will appear in the December issue of the scientific journal Conservation Biology. (Robert N. Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov) Citation: Riley, S. P. D., G. T. Busteed, L. B Kats, T. L. Vandergon, L. F. S. Lee, R. G. Dagit, J. L. Kerby, R. N. Fisher, and R. M. Sauvajot. 2005. Effects of urbanization on the distribution and abundance of amphibians and invasive species in Southern California streams. Conservation Biology ***-***. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00295.x.

Southern California Amphibians: A Nov. 2, 2005, story in the Los Angeles Daily News reported on an amphibian study of Los Angeles area streams to be published in the December issue of the scientific journal Conservation Biology that indicates as little as 8 percent urbanization can result in habitat changes that make streams unsuitable for native frogs and salamanders. Biologists of the National Park Service, Pepperdine University, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains conducted the study: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_3173173. (Robert N. Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)