About 90% of wetlands have been lost in California. Of those that remain, many are degraded by invasive species, such as Iris pseudacorus (IRPS). IRPS has invaded freshwater (FW), brackish (BW), and marine (MW) wetlands in southern California estuaries. Using various sampling methods, our objective was to determine if IRPS impacts the invertebrate community relative to uninvaded areas in Los Peñasquitos Lagoon in North County San Diego. Preliminary data collected using sticky traps showed no difference in abundance of aerial insect communities between IRPS and non-IRPS canopies in FW and BW, but there was higher abundance in IRPS relative to non-IRPS at MW. The aerial insect community composition differed among sites with more Culicidae and Muscidae in FW, higher Agromyzidae in BW, and higher Thysanoptera in MW. Pitfall traps showed differences among sites and plot types where FW sites had higher abundance compared to BW sites, and abundance was higher in non-IRPS compared to IRPS. Community composition showed more Linepithema humile and Transorchestia enigmatica in the FW compared to BW. Exploring the impacts of IRPS on insect communities can inform and prioritize management strategies by determining the extent of impacts and most impacted locations.

Anita got her first exposure to wetlands and research in 2012 during a summer research internship, and she immediately fell in love with wetland research. She graduated with her Bachelor in Science from Cal State Long Beach in 2017. After she graduated, she started working with Endemic Environmental Services in 2018 where she learned some new skills, and also started to work for a non-profit called ICRE. After a couple of years Anita decided to go back to school in 2020 to get her Masters in Science at Cal State Long Beach while still working for EES and ICRE.

We used hand-held GPS Receivers, baited minnow traps, visual encounter surveys, air rifles, and Fyke nets, to map and collect American Bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana, at wetland sites over the ca. 455 acres Resighini Rancheria, in Klamath, Del Norte County, California from 2018 through 2022. We were able to identify seven (N=7) distinct age-classes from collected samples. We dissected the metamorph, juvenile, sub-adult and adult frogs obtained, in order to record prey item types, and prey sizes, relative to frog size. Prey base diversity was high, and impacts on a wide array of pollinating insects was observed, including: hornets, wasps, bumble bees, dragonflies, gnats, crane flies, beetles and honey bees. We correlated our diet data with a prey item dataset from a 2004 study site in Merced County, and found additional evidence for the impacts of bullfrog predation on pollinating insects. A truncated discussion of how our data support previous studies on the predatory impacts of non-native, invasive bullfrogs at wetland eco-systems, is presented.

Bradford Norman works as the Wetlands Program Coordinator for the Resighini Rancheria's Natural Resources Department and has since 2018 to the present. He studied pre-Medicine, Herpetology and Languages at the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington and has conducted field research on the reptiles and amphibians, fisheries and malacology of the Pacific Northwest for over 30 years while employed by the US Forest Service, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Humboldt State University Foundation, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and private companies and has published 18 papers in herpetology and ichthyology and authored scores of biological reports. His recent research involves fisheries and amphibian populations and wetland bio-diversity in northern California.

The Delhi Sands Flower-Loving Fly is an imperiled, obligate sand dune species that hasn’t been thoroughly studied due to its rarity and largely subterranean life cycle. Although much of this fly’s remaining habitat is protected, the species still faces a myriad of threats including invasive weeds, sand stabilization, sand loss, soil type conversion, and trespassing. Armed with what is known about the life history of the fly, 17 years of survey data, and hands on experience, management efforts have been undertaken to optimize suitable habitat for the Delhi Sands Flower-Loving Fly, with some promising results. Thus far, tangible successes have included localized range expansions and the recolonization of recently abandoned area, underscoring the importance of adaptive management for bolstering populations of declining species.

Jonathan Reinig has an B.S. in Biology, with an emphasis on evolution and ecology from the University of California, Davis. He has spent the past 14 years working with the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. First as a field biologist for its monitoring program, then later as a natural resource specialist, and most recently as the Natural Resource Manager for its Land Management Program. During his tenure he has been lucky enough to work with many of southern California’s rare species, including one that he is particularly fond of; The Delhi Sands Flower Loving Fly.

California State Parks plays a critically important role in supporting western monarchs. The agency protects and manages around thirty overwintering sites along the coast of California, providing crucial habitat to the species. As western monarch populations have experienced significant declines, their habitats have been impacted by development and other disturbances that leave them vulnerable to senescence and severe wildfire. Given the importance of State Parks to the species, we partnered with Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to obtain Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Rescue Program funds to enhance monarch habitat. Through this project, we have conducted habitat assessments and developed management and restoration plans. We are currently restoring and enhancing habitat at four overwintering sites, with additional sites planned for 2023. Restoration actions include tree planting, trimming, and removal; nectar resource planting; and allowing for natural recruitment of key tree species. Several challenges have been identified, including roosting tree species choice, coordination with landscape-scale wildfire resilience work, and long-term maintenance. Management and restoration methods will be evaluated and adapted over time in consultation with species experts and researchers. This project ensures that State Parks-protected land will continue to provide high quality habitat for overwintering western monarchs into the future.

Heather White is a Senior Scientist on the Wildlife Management Team in California State Parks’ Natural Resource Division (NRD) at headquarters. In this role, Heather works with district staff on wildlife issues that cross district boundaries. She leads NRD’s partnership with nonprofit organizations, consulting groups, and district staff to assess, prioritize, and plan for the management and restoration of monarch overwintering groves across six State Park districts. To support broader pollinator needs in Parks, she represents the department in cross-agency collaborative efforts regarding pollinator conservation.

As pollinators of native plants, bumble bees play a key role in structuring ecosystems. They also deliver the ecosystem service of pollination to many crops, providing a substantial monetary benefit to US agriculture. These bees are negatively impacted by agriculture, climate change, and habitat loss, with one-quarter of species native to North America now threatened with extinction. California is a bee biodiversity hotspot, but systematic surveys to document bumble bees have never been performed. Launched in 2022, the California Bumble Bee Atlas is a community science collaboration filling this gap, with volunteers gathering non-lethal survey data around the state, identifying species in need of conservation, and assisting partners with recovery efforts. This talk will describe the ecology and conservation of bumble bees, as well as the first year of results from the California Bumble Bee Atlas community science project.

Leif is a conservation biologist who leads the California Bumble Bee Atlas project. His research focuses on the ecology, distribution, and declines of North American bumble bees. Leif previously worked as an environmental consultant, studying pesticide risk to bee pollinators, and as an ecologist for Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. He is co-author of a range of scientific publications on bees, including Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide, the standard reference manual on this group of insects.