Activities, Meetings, Awards:
- USGS Scientists Participate in Fire Conference: USGS scientists presented over a dozen papers on fire studies on a variety of topics and ecosystems at the “Fire in the Southwest: Integrating Fire into Management of Changing Ecosystems” conference, held in Tucson, Arizona, Jan. 28-31. The Association for Fire Ecology, Geological Society of America, and University of Arizona presented the conference to provide a timely forum for the exchange of scientific information on the ecology and management of fire adapted and affected ecosystems in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, in a time of changing climate. WERC presentations included: Matt Brooks, “Fire and Shrublands of Southwestern North America: History, Status, and Trends” and “Lessons Learned from the Desert Fires of 2005”; Todd Esque, “Response of Vegetation and Soils to Fire in the Lower Colorado Subdivision of the Sonoran Desert at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge”; Jon Keeley, “Fire Severity and Ecosystem Responses”; JR Matchett, “Controlling Brome Grasses in Zion Canyon Using Imazapic”; Tom McGinnis, “Postfire Treatment Impacts on Fuels in Western Sierra Nevada Forests”; Steven Ostoja, “Fire, Weed Invasion, and Associated Modifications of Plant-Animal Interactions: Examples from the Great Basin.” See: http://www.humboldt.edu/swfire/program.html. (Gloria Maender, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-5596)
- USGS Scientist is Recipient of a National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Scholarship: USGS scientist Nicole Athearn received a scholarship from the 2007 National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Scholarship Program in recognition of her research modeling bird habitat in South San Francisco Bay salt ponds. In honor of the refuge centennial, The Walt Disney Company, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation support the 2007 National Wildlife Refuge System Centennial Scholarship Program, which recognizes students whose research will contribute toward improved management and understanding of the diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources found on our national wildlife refuges. These merit-based awards take into consideration the value of the research and the student’s academic achievements. See: http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Browse_All_Programs&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8031. (Nicole Athearn, Vallejo, CA, 707-562-2002)
- USGS Scientist Invited as Selection Panelist of Top Environmental Achievements in Southern California for 2007: USGS scientist Jon Keeley has been invited to participate as a selection co-panelist with Congresswoman Hilda Solis (32nd District of California) to help determine the top achievement and setback for the year in the category of Forest Protection for Environment Now’s 2007 Top Achievements of the Environmental Community in Southern California report. The report serves as a resource for the environmental community. Environment Now is a private, non-profit organization, with a mission of creating measurably effective environmental programs to protect and restore California’s environment. (Jon Keeley, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3170)
- USGS Scientist Presents Yosemite Plant Survey Results at Botanical Conference: USGS botanist Alison Colwell was an invited speaker at the Northern California Botanists Association Symposium at California State University, Chico, on January 14-15, 2008. At a session titled Northern California Botanical and Ecological Discoveries, Alison presented new botanical finds resulting from a two-year survey of mineral spring and metamorphic rock habitats in Yosemite National Park. Coauthors were Peggy Moore (USGS) and Dena Grossenbacher (NPS). See conference info at http://rce.csuchico.edu/norcalbotany/. (Alison E.L. Colwell, El Portal, CA, 209-379-1308)
Publications
- Study Examines Environmental Factors and Argentine Ant Invasion in Southern California: The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), an ecologically and economically destructive invasive species, responds to the environment differently compared to native ant species, according to a study in the December 2007 issue of Ecology by USGS scientist Robert Fisher and colleagues at the University of California at San Diego. The researchers used a combination of experimental and analytical approaches to test the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors in determining the local and regional occurrence of Argentine ants in southern California. Their results illustrate surprising complexities with respect to how environmental factors limiting invasion can change with spatial scale. For more, see Publication Brief for Resource Managers: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/fisherpbjan2008.html. (Robert Fisher, San Diego, CA, 619-225-6422) Citation: Menke, S. B., R. N. Fisher, W. Jetz, and D. A. Holway. 2007. Biotic and abiotic controls of Argentine ant invasion success at local and landscape scales. Ecology 88:3164–3173.
- Quantifying Landscape Ruggedness for Habitat Analysis: Terrain ruggedness is often an important variable in habitat models for wildlife such as desert bighorn sheep, which occupy mountain ranges in the American Southwest. One of the most important determinants of sheep habitat within these ranges is the presence of escape terrain, cliffs or steep, rocky slopes where sheep can outdistance or outmaneuver predators. Most methods used to quantify ruggedness are indices derived from measures of slope, and these indices may not clearly distinguish steep, even terrain from steep terrain that is uneven and broken. USGS scientist Kathleen Longshore and coauthors from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, have developed a tool for biologists that provides a quantitative measure of terrain that can be used for habitat analyses where topography affects the distribution of vegetation or wildlife. Their study is published in the Journal of Wildlife Management. For more, see Publication Brief for Resource Managers: http://www.werc.usgs.gov/pubbriefs/longshorepbjan2008.html. (Kathleen Longshore, Henderson, NV, 702-564-4505) Citation: Sappington, J. M., K. M. Longshore, and D. B. Thompson. 2007. Quantifying landscape ruggedness for animal habitat analysis: A Case Study Using Bighorn Sheep in the Mojave Desert. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:1419–1426.
WERC in the news
- Wildfire Woes for Those That Swim, Hop, Crawl and Eat a Lot; Frog Tracks; "Radio Active" Biologists Get the Skinny on a Rare Rail (USGS January Science Picks), January 29, 2008
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/leads.asp?ID=1862
- Native Species Among Victims of Calif. Fires, Floods (NPR, All Things Considered), January 25, 2008
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18426140
- Forecasters stick to dry weather predictions (Los Angeles Times), January 22, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-weather22jan22,1,196649.story?coll=la-headlines-california
- Inland frogs fighting for species’ survival (Press-Enterprise), January 21, 2008
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_frogs20.3268f5b.html
- Lucky is back on the beach with his pals, leaving Hearst Ranch behind (KSBY-TV), January 18, 2008
http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=7744176
- Sea Otter Show Striking Variability In Diets And Feeding Strategies (ScienceDaily), January 18, 2008
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114173901.htm
- Sea otter study unveils feeding strategies (United Press International) January 16, 2008
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/01/16/sea_otter_study_unveils_feeding_strategies/5803/
- Sea otter study shows variability in diets (Santa Cruz Sentinel), January 15, 2008
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/story.php?storySection=Local&sid=64912
- USGS Scientist Reveals 2007 California Wildfire Impacts on Wildlife (USGS news release and podcast), January 9, 2008
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1849
- Elephant seal refuses to go back to his beach, hanging out at Hearst Ranch (KSBY-TV), January 8, 2008
http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=7598667
- Chemicals linked to lost frogs (The Australian), January 5, 2008
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23008909-12332,00.html
Also:
- USGS scientist Brian Hatfield was interviewed by phone for a Jan. 19 story in the San Luis Obispo Tribune about a wayward elephant seal helped by a team from federal and state agencies and a non-profit organization back across Highway 1 to rejoin elephant seals on a beach near San Simeon. Hatfield was also interviewed on Jan. 25 by the Los Angeles Times.
- USGS scientist Kevin Lafferty was interviwed by a German radio station (M 94.5) for a science story on the role that a common brain parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) may play in cultural change in human populations.
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U.S. Geological Survey