WERC Publication Briefs
		Publication briefs from the USGS Western Ecological Research Center complement other USGS communications such as fact sheets and news releases. The purpose of a publication brief is to provide a non-technical summary of research findings published in a recent scientific article by one or more of WERC's research scientists. Emphasis is placed on a clear articulation of the management implications of the research. Publication briefs will be mailed with a copy of the publication to selected resource managers having a potential interest in the implications of the research. In addition, each brief will be posted at this web site, in some cases along with a copy of the scientific publication. To receive electronic notification of new Publication Briefs, please send your email address to Gloria Maender at gloria_maender@usgs.gov. Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Fire and Nonnative Invasive Plants Unraveling the Morphological and Genetic Diversity in the Western Shovel-nosed Snake Fire Severity and Ecosystem Responses Loss of Genetic Connectivity and Diversity in Urban Microreserves in a Southern California Endemic Jerusalem Cricket Evolutionary Hotspots for Conservation Planning in Southern California Waterfowl Distribution and Abundance During Spring Migration in Southern Oregon and Northeastern California Mercury in Forster’s Terns in Relation to Space Use of San Francisco Bay Habitats Mercury Contamination and Effects on Avocet and Stilt Chick Survival Quantifying Landscape Ruggedness for Habitat Analysis Biotic and Abiotic Controls of Argentine Ant Invasion Success at Local and Landscape Scales Mercury in American Avocets and Black-necked Stilts Breeding in San Francisco Bay A Critical Assessment of the Burning Index Used in Fighting Wildland Fires Tree Deaths in California’s Sierra Nevada Increase as Temperatures Rise Human Influence on California Fire Regimes California Red-Legged Frog Movement and Habitat Use Desert Tortoise Hibernation: Temperatures, Timing, and Environment Comparative Toxicity of Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Malathion and Their Oxons to Amphibians Competitive Interactions Between a Non-native Annual Grass and Mojave Desert Perennials The Role of Fuel Breaks in the Invasion of Nonnative Plants Spatial Patterns of Large Natural Fires in Sierra Nevada Wilderness Areas Role of Burning Season on Understory Vegetation in a Mixed Conifer Forest Joshua Tree Seed Dispersal by Seed-Caching Rodents Genetic Effects of Recent Habitat Fragmentation on the Mahogany Jerusalem Cricket Prescribed Fire Effects on Cheatgrass Persistence in a Sierra Nevada Ponderosa Pine Forest Diurnal Versus Nocturnal Surveys for California Red-Legged Frogs Seed Production by the Non-Native Sahara Mustard Fire Dynamics of Foothill Pine in the Southern Sierra Nevada Fire in California’s Ecosystems Abundance and Distribution of Selected Elements from Tortoise Habitats in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Population Attributes of Desert Tortoises at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Wildfires in the Mojave Desert Effects of Livestock Watering Sites on Alien and Native Plants in the Mojave Desert Dominance and Environmental Correlates of Alien Annual Plants in the Mojave Desert Wildfire Management on a Human-Dominated Landscape Simulating the Effects of Frequent Fire on Southern California Shrublands Optimization Strategies for Sediment Reduction Practices on Roads in Steep, Forested Terrain Central Valley Habitat Changes Affect Space Use by White-fronted Geese Spring Migration of Northern Pintails Assessed with Satellite Telemetry Life History Predicts Risk-taking Behavior of Ducks Factors Influencing the Incidence of Cowbird Parasitism of Least Bell's Vireos Using Fire for Invasive Plant Control in Wildlands Hunting Vulnerability of Dabbling Ducks to Spinning-wing Decoys Varies among Species and Locations Band-tailed Pigeon Population Indices and Mineral Site Use Assessing Possible Thermal Rearing Restrictions for Juvenile Coho Salmon in Redwood Creek, California Postfire Plant Demography and Functional Types Factors Determining Species Diversity in Postfire California Chaparral and Sage Scrub Fire Management Impacts on Invasive Plants Fuel Modification Impacts on Nonnative Plant Invasion Forest Seedlings and Climate California Clapper Rail Reproductive Success Forest Heterogeneity and Prescribed Burning Alien Plant Invasion Following Fire in California Shrublands Endangered Passerine Response to Cowbird Control Early Successional Changes Following Fire in California Chaparral San Francisco East Bay Fire History, Landscape Changes Fire Suppression Impacts on Postfire Recovery of Sierra Nevada Chaparral Shrublands Tree Populations, Present and Future A Different Perspective on Global Fire Plot Shape Effects on Plant Species Diversity Measurements Forest Turnover Rates and Forest Productivity Vary in Parallel African Clawed Frog in Southern California Does Coring Contribute to Tree Mortality? Effects of Radio Transmitters on the Reproductive Performance of Cassin’s Auklets Examining Trends in Ocean Disease Predicting Patterns of Non-native Plant Invasions Fire Effects on the Point Reyes Mountain Beaver Saguaros Under Siege: Invasive Species and Fire Fungi, Fire Exclusion, and the Fate of Sugar Pine in the Sierra Nevada Lessons From the October 2003 Wildfires in Southern California Cardiac Response of Free-living Tule Greater White-fronted Geese to Human Disturbance VTM Plots and Historical Vegetation Change Sunrise Nest Attendance and Aggression by Least Bell’s Vireos Fail to Deter Cowbird Parasitism Effects of TCE and PCE on Burrowing Animals at Edwards Air Force Base How Are Trees Killed by Fire? Effects of Invasive Alien Plants on Fire Regimes Climate Impacts on Fire Regimes in Coastal California Plant Functional Traits in Relation to Fire in Shrubland Crown-Fire Ecosystems Ecological Impacts of Wheat Seeding After a Sierra Nevada Wildfire Black-Crowned Night-Heron Nesting on Alcatraz Island: a 13-Year Study on “the Rock” Long-term Productivity of Canvasbacks in a Snowpack-Driven Desert Marsh Winter Distribution and Survival of a High-Desert Breeding Population of Canvasbacks Testing a Basic Assumption of Shrubland Fire Management: How Important is Fuel Age? Bullfrogs are Significant Predators of Giant Garter Snake Young of the Year Determining Nest Predators of the Least Bell's Vireo An Approach for Monitoring Bird Communities to Assess Development of Restored Riparian Habitat Winter Habitat Selection by Female Northern Pintails in the Tulare Basin, California Fire and Grazing Impacts on Plant Diversity and Alien Plant Invasions in the Southern Sierra Nevada Species Diversity Patterns in Mediterranean-Climate Ecosystems Plant Diversity and Fire Effects in Blackbrush Shrublands Evaluation of Mohave Ground Squirrel Trapping Data Assessing Alien Plant Threats in Sierra Nevada Parks and Setting Priorities for Managing Problem Species Resistance of Small Trees to Fire-caused Stem Damage Which Trees Will Be Killed by Fire? Pre-Fire Growth Rate is a Factor Potential Effects of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition on Alien Annual Plants in the Mojave Desert Alien Plants and Fire in Desert Tortoise Habitat Introduced Species and Their Missing Parasites Past, Present, and Future Fire Regimes in Chaparral Fire Temperature Patterns and Effects on Annual Plants in the Mojave Desert September–March Survival Of Female Northern Pintails Radiotagged in San Joaquin Valley, California Distribution and Movements of Female Northern Pintails Radiotagged in San Joaquin Valley, California Native American Impacts on Fire Regimes of the California Coastal Ranges Human Disturbance of Shorebirds on California Beaches Invasive Plants and Fire in the Deserts of North America Fire and Invasive Plants in California Ecosystems Prescription Burning in Chaparral Shrublands Historic Fire Regime in Southern California Shrublands Publication Briefs by former WERC scientists: Diversity of Terrestrial Avifauna in Response to Distance from the Shoreline of the Salton Sea Tree Mortality After Early and Late Season Burning Common Raven Juvenile Survival in a Human-Augmented Landscape Diet Composition of Common Ravens Across the Urban-Wildland Interface of the West Mojave Desert Managing a Subsidized Predator Population: Reducing Common Raven Predation on Young Desert Tortoises Spatial Distribution of Risk of Desert Tortoise Predation by Common Ravens Lead in Wetlands

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