WERC Highlights -- October 2007

Adapting to Fires: On October 31, USGS scientist Jon Keeley was interviewed for a weekend story by Fox News Radio (D.C.) on the southern California wildfires about how chaparral shrublands have adapted to burn and recover from fire, and about the need for Californians to also adapt to living with fire, as people do for other natural hazards. He was also interviewed by the North County Times (Escondido, CA). (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

California in the Greenhouse: On October 30, USGS scientist Nate Stephenson was interviewed by the Associated Press (AP) for an upcoming article (for late in the year) about how California might look in the year 2100, assuming global warming proceeds as expected. In particular, Stephenson talked about the fates of forests in the future when their ideal climates might be thousands of feet higher than they are today. (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3176, nstephenson@usgs.gov)

Fires and Wildlife: On October 30, USGS scientist Liz Gallegos was interviewed for the KDOC-TV (Orange County) morning show (to air this week) about effects of fire on wildlife and habitat in Orange County, as well as concerns over how habitat downstream of fires may later be affected by postfire debris flows and flooding. (Liz Gallegos, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4703, egallegos@usgs.gov)

USGS Avian Influenza Research at Waterbirds Society Meeting: USGS scientists Steve Schwarzbach and John Takekawa (Western Ecological Research Center), Michael Erwin and Diann Prosser (Patuxent Wildlife Research Center), and Hon Ip (National Wildlife Health Center) will participate in a USGS-led avian disease symposium at the Waterbirds Society conference in Barcelona, Spain, October 30-November 3, presenting information about the role of wild waterfowl and their movements in the geographic distribution of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. Schwarzbach and Takekawa have also been invited to participate in a salt ponds seminar in Seville, Spain, November 9, where they will discuss how science is guiding the wetlands restoration of salt ponds in San Francisco Bay estuary. (Steve Schwarzbach, Sacramento, CA, 916-278-9490, steven_schwarzbach@usgs.gov; John Takekawa, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-2000, john_takekawa@usgs.gov)

Southern California Wildfires and Wildlife: On October 29, USGS in San Diego is hosting a workshop as part of the efforts of the San Diego Fire Recovery Network (http://sdfrn.org/who/history.html), to plan for the ongoing fires and necessary responses regarding wildlife and habitat. From 50-70 representatives from many federal, state, and local land management and regulatory agencies are expected to attend. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)

Southern California Wildfires in the News: USGS scientist Jon Keeley was interviewed numerous times during the week by the news media, both national and local, about fires burning in southern California; in addition, a half dozen reporters attended his lecture on the role of wildfire in ecosystem processes, October 25 at Menlo Park. Media outlets include: Associated Press, Time Magazine, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, NPR, KPCC (southern California public radio), KCBS radio, KTVU-TV. He was also interviewed in a November issue story of Los Angeles Magazine about the May 2007 fire in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Southern California Wildfires and Wildlife in the News: USGS scientists Robert Fisher and Adam Backlin were interviewed for a story in the October 27 Orange County Register about effects of fires on wildlife from the Santiago Fire; Backlin was also quoted in the newspaper on October 26. On October 26, Robert Fisher was interviewed by the San Diego Union-Tribune about the fires and effects on wildlife and their habitat. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov; Adam Backlin, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4702, abacklin@usgs.gov)

Dog Threat to Desert Tortoise: On October 19, USGS scientist Kristin Berry was interviewed by KUAZ-FM radio (public radio in Tucson, AZ) regarding the threat to wild desert tortoises from dog attacks at the urban-desert interface. Tortoises attacked by dogs are likely to receive more severe chewing and gnawing compared to attacks from coyotes or kit foxes, predators that kill their prey for food. (Kristin Berry, Moreno Valley, CA, 951-697-5361, kristin_berry@usgs.gov)

Wetland Restoration: USGS scientist Isa Woo was interviewed by “Bay Area Backroads,” a weekly TV show on KRON-TV channel 4 (San Francisco), about the wetland restoration along Highway 37 in San Pablo Bay. Story link: http://www.bayareabackroads.com/index.php/pastshows/highway_37/ (Isa Woo, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-2001, iwoo@usgs.gov)

Sierra Nevada Trees: USGS scientist Phil van Mantgem was interviewed by the Union Democrat for an October 16 story on the role of bark beetles as a contributing factor in tree deaths in California’s Sierra Nevada. He was also interviewed by German National Public Radio last week about the same issues (the story should be coming out in Nov.). (Phil van Mantgem, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3179, pvanmantgem@usgs.gov)

Fallow Deer Damage to Soil and Vegetation: According to a recent USGS study, nonnative fallow deer are having a measurable impact on the soil and vegetation at Point Reyes National Seashore. Male fallow deer aggregate in areas known as “leks” where they display to potential mates. As part of the display, males dig rutting pits with their hooves and antlers, and scrape bushes and trees adjacent to the pits. This results in soil disturbance, loss of vegetation, and occasional damage to the trunks and limbs of nearby vegetation. A total of 159 fallow deer leks was located within the 298.8 hectares of the study areas. In the Olema Valley, where fallow deer densities were high, there were 116 leks, compared with 43 in the similar-sized Estero trailhead study area, where deer density was moderate. A total of 705 rutting pits was found in the two study areas, with a mean of 5.1 pits per lek in the Olema Valley and 2.5 for Estero trailhead. More than 1 percent of the total land area surveyed in the study was impacted by lek damage, with riparian areas being disproportionately affected. (Gary Fellers, Pt. Reyes, CA, 415-464-5185, gary_fellers@usgs.gov) Citation: Fellers, Gary M. and Michael Osbourn. 2007. Distribution and Abundance of Fallow Deer Leks at Point Reyes National Seashore. California Fish and Game 93 (3):149-160.

Yosemite bog-orchid: USGS scientist Peggy Moore was contacted by a writer working on an upcoming article for Sunset Magazine about the new Yosemite bog-orchid. (Peggy Moore, El Portal, CA, 209-379-1309, peggy_moore@usgs.gov)