WERC Highlights -- September 2006

Central Valley Habitat Changes Affect Space Use by White-fronted Geese: During the past decade, changing agricultural practices and conservation programs have altered the landscape in the Central Valley of California, resulting in increased wintering habitat for waterfowl. Pacific greater white-fronted geese have altered their spatial use of the valley in response to these changes, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management. USGS scientists, with help from the California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Waterfowl Association, and Ducks Unlimited, radio-marked and tracked more than 200 white-fronted geese during the winters of 1987–1990, before these major habitat changes occurred, and again after changes, during 1998–2000. During 1998–2000, geese traveled shorter distances between roosting and feeding sites in the Central Valley and their population range size was smaller than during 1987–1990. Feeding and roosting distributions of geese also differed between decades, with geese shifting into basins that had the greatest increases in the amount of area in rice production, whereas use of wetlands declined for roosting and feeding. Post-harvest flooded rice fields drew a higher proportion of roosting and feeding geese than did post-harvest burned rice fields, the former practice. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/ackermanpbsepg2006.html. (Josh Ackerman, Davis, CA, 530-752-0485, jackerman@usgs.gov) Citation: Ackerman, J. T., J. Y. Takekawa, D. L. Orthmeyer, J. P. Fleskes, J. L. Yee, and K. L. Kruse. 2006. Spatial use by wintering greater white-fronted geese relative to a decade of habitat change in California’s Central Valley. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:965–976.

USGS Taught Docents about Geology and Dynamics of Sand Dunes: USGS scientist Mary Ann Madej of the Western Ecological Research Center led a training workshop on September 23, 2006 for 35 docents at the Lanphere Dunes, a nature preserve owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Arcata, California. Madej taught the staff about the geologic setting of the dunes and led a field trip to illustrate dune dynamics in action. (Mary Ann Madej, Arcata, CA, 707-825-5148, mary_ann_madej@usgs.gov)

Night Light Pollution: On September 29, 2006, Robert Fisher of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed about effects of night light pollution on wildlife for an upcoming article in Zoogoer, the magazine of Friends of the National Zoo (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/default.cfm). (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422, rfisher@usgs.gov)

The Root of the Issue: USGS scientist Nate Stephenson was interviewed by the Fresno Bee for an upcoming article on the restoration of the Giant Forest grove of sequoias in Sequoia National Park. Stephenson discussed issues of sequoia ecology and especially the importance of protecting their roots from disturbance. (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3176, nstephenson@usgs.gov).

Fire Lectures: USGS scientist Jon Keeley of the Western Ecological Research Center will give two fire-related presentations. On September 28, 2006, Keeley will give a seminar titled "Fire as an ecosystem process: Past, present and Future" at the University of Nevada, Reno. On October 18, he will address "Fire and alien plants in California ecosystems" for the annual workshop of the University of California Reserve Managers, to be held at the California State University Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Tree Mortality After Early and Late Season Burning: To restore forest structure and reduce the risk of large, intense fires in Sierra Nevada forests, managers have increasingly used prescription burning. However, legal and logistical constraints are causing managers increasingly to consider burning during the late spring and early summer, rather than late summer and early fall when fires burned prior to EuroAmerican settlement. In a study published in Forest Ecology and Management, scientists from the USGS, U.S. Forest Service, and University of California, Los Angeles examined the effects of fire on tree mortality and bark beetle attacks under prescription burning during early and late season. They established replicated early season burn, late season burn and unburned control plots in an old-growth mixed conifer forest in the Sierra Nevada that had not experienced a fire in over 120 years. Although prescribed burns resulted in significant mortality of particularly the smallest tree size classes, no mortality differences between early and late season burns were detected. Direct mortality due to fire was associated with fire intensity; secondary mortality due to bark beetles was not significantly correlated with fire intensity but in some cases showed slight increases with early season burns. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/schwilkpbsep2006.html (Dylan Schwilk, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3175, dschwilk@usgs.gov)

Fire/Invasive Plants: On September 21, 2006, USGS scientist Jon Keeley of the Western Ecological Research Center will speak on the relationship of fire and invasive species at the Los Angeles County Weed Management Meeting. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)

Spring Migration of Northern Pintails Assessed by Satellite Telemetry: Research led by USGS, and assisted by Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2, Playa Lakes Joint Venture, and California Waterfowl Association has provided information about the migration routes, timing, and destinations of northern pintails after they depart from major wintering regions in North America (northern Central Valley of California, Playa Region and Gulf Coast of Texas, and southcentral New Mexico). Using satellite telemetry, the researchers tracked migrating pintails from these wintering areas to stopover locations and ultimate nesting regions. Results of these studies have been published in recent issues of several scientific journals. Among findings, migration strategies differed by wintering regions, four different strategies were used by pintails that wintered in California, and a major spring staging area was identified for pintails that wintered in California but not for birds wintering in Texas or New Mexico. For more: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/millerpbsep2006.html. (Michael Miller, Dixon, CA, 707-678-0682 x618, michael_r_miller@usgs.gov)

Book Examines Fire in U.S.: A recent book from the Foundation for Deep Ecology and Island Press, edited by George Wuerthner and entitled Wild Fire: A Century of Failed Policy, examines fire landscapes across the United States and offers suggestions to more effectively manage and more safely live with fire. The coffee-table format (12" x 13.5") accommodates many impressive photographs taken by Wuerthner, a freelance writer and photographer with 33 books to his credit Numerous experts have contributed essays to this in-depth look at fire from ecological, economic, and social/political perspectives. Four USGS scientists (Craig D. Allen, Julio Betancourt, Jon Keeley, and Jan van Wagtendonk) are among these contributing authors. Their essays, in order of appearance in the book are: “Fire Ecology of the Sierra Nevada: Forests Born to Burn” by Jan W. van Wagtendonk; “Wildfire Management on a Human-dominated Landscape: California Chaparral Wildfires” by Jon E. Keeley and CJ Fotherinham; “Applied Historical Ecology: Using the Past to Manage for the Future” by Thomas W. Swetnam, Craig D. Allen, and Julio L. Betancourt; “Ecological Restoration of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems: A Broad Perspective” by Craig D. Allen, Melissa Savage, Donald A. Falk, Kieran F. Suckling, Thomas W. Swetnam, Todd Schulke, Peter B. Stacey, Penelope Morgan, Martos Hoffman, and Jon T. Klingel. (Jan van Wagtendonk, El Portal, CA, 209-379-1306, jan_van_wagtendonk@usgs.gov; Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov; Craig Allen, Los Alamos, NM, 505-672-3861 x541, craig_allen@usgs.gov; Julio Betancourt, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-6821 x107, jlbetanc@usgs.gov)

Desert Fires: On September 14, 2006, USGS scientist Todd Esque of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed for a National Geographic News online story about the role of invasive grasses in fueling desert wildfires and the threat to desert biodiversity. (Todd Esque, Henderson, NV, 702-564-4506, todd_esque@usgs.gov)

Wildlife Research: Several scientists from the USGS Western Ecological Research Center will be presenters or coauthors of papers or posters at the 2006 annual conference of the Wildlife Society, to be held in Anchorage, Alaska, September 23-27. Numerous presentations highlight their research on environmental contaminants in California (surf scoters, California black rails, giant garter snakes, amphibians) and in the Aleutian Islands (bald eagles, sea ducks), and research on sea otters/trophic cascades. For more: http://wildlife.org/index.cfm. (Keith Miles, Davis, CA, 530-752-5365, keith_miles@usgs.gov)

USGS to Participate in Sea Otter Awareness Week Events: On September 25, 2006, USGS scientist Jim Estes of the Western Ecological Research Center will present “Science, Society and Sea Otter Conservation” at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, Calif., during this year’s Sea Otter Awareness Week events organized by the Defenders of Wildlife. The USGS video “Precipice of Survival: The Southern Sea Otter” will be featured at several of the events. Events and activities are scheduled throughout the Monterey Bay area, and the counties of San Mateo, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, as well as participation from aquariums, zoos, and marine institutions throughout North America and abroad. (Jim Estes, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2820, jim_estes@usgs.gov)

Presidio Wildlife: USGS scientist Erin Boydston of the Western Ecological Research Center will be a participate in the Presidio Wildlife Workshop, organized and hosted by the Presidio Trust, to be held in San Francisco September 14, 2006. The workshop is to help inform and guide a wildlife management strategy for the Presidio, considering its role and value to wildlife and multiple uses in an urban setting. Other invitees to this small meeting include scientists from NPS, UC Berkeley, California Academy of Sciences, and other conservation-oriented groups. (Erin Boydston, Irvine, CA, 714-508-4704, eboydston@usgs.gov)

Open-Space Planning in Southern California: USGS scientist Lisa Lyren of the Western Ecological Research Center has been invited to participate in the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) workshop in Los Angeles on September 21, 2006. SCAG is in the process of developing a regional open space program to support, build on, and augment existing open space and habitat conservation programs in Southern California and provide a framework for mitigating impacts of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) on open space resources. To help guide the development of the natural open space and wildlife linkages component of the program, the workshop will feature a presentation by a technical team and a roundtable discussion by all participants. (Lisa Lyren, Carlsbad, CA, 760-931-1101, llyren@usgs.gov)

Scientists Track Migratory Birds with GPS Satellite Transmitters: USGS scientists, together with counterparts from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, are engaged in a surveillance project to track wild swans from Mongolia across Eurasia to their wintering grounds, hoping to learn how wild birds may be involved in the spread of avian influenza. The scientists, using lightweight solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters attached to wild whooper swans, are tracking their journeys on computers. Whooper swans drew increased attention after large numbers perished in Mongolia and western China in 2005-2006 in areas where few poultry are present. Subsequent sampling of the dead swans verified that some of the swans were infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The HPAI strain known as H5N1 is highly lethal for a variety of species, especially poultry and some waterfowl species, and worldwide leaders are concerned about a potential pandemic threat should the virus become transmissible among humans. The satellite data from this research will provide a better understanding of the linkage between wild birds and the spread of avian influenza, and will enhance conservation efforts through determining the non-breeding ranges of birds and the mechanisms involved in long-distance migration. Whooper swan locations are being updated twice weekly at www.werc.usgs.gov/sattrack/, which also provides access to the data in Google Earth format. (John Takekawa, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-2000, john_takekawa@usgs.gov)

Mojave Desert Fire: USGS scientist Matt Brooks of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed in a September 8, 2006, story in the Las Vegas Review Journal about difficulties of rehabilitation and complications for the recovery of native plants posed by invasive nonnative grasses, which fueled a lightning-sparked fire this week in the Red Rock Canyon area near Las Vegas, in the Mojave Desert where Joshua trees and desert tortoises occur. http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Sep-08-Fri-2006/news/9525531.html (Matt Brooks, Henderson, NV, 702-564-4615, matt_brooks@usgs.gov)

Sea Otters: On September 8, 2006, USGS scientist Jim Estes of the Western Ecological Research Center is to be interviewed about the role of sea otters as a keystone species for an article in Highlights Magazine. (Jim Estes, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2820, jim_estes@usgs.gov)

Managing Flammable Forests: On September 6, 2006, USGS scientist Nate Stephenson of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed by the Bakersfield Californian for an article on the tradeoffs between the two primary tools for reducing wildfire hazard in forests: prescribed fire and mechanical forest thinning (expected possibly Sept. 17 or later). (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3176, nstephenson@usgs.gov)

Fire Interviews: USGS scientist Jon Keeley of the Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed for a San Diego Union-Tribune article that will deal with goat use for fire hazard reduction (expected this week) and for a fire story in the weekly Ventura County Reporter, which may reprint a graph from one of his studies (expected sometime this week or next). (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170, jon_keeley@usgs.gov)