In the spring of 2023, record rainfall and snowmelt levels resulted in the flooding of the historic Tulare Lake Basin. In April of 2023, approximately 178 square miles of agricultural land was inundated. During emergency response, PG&E removed all oil filled electrical equipment that was either under or over the water to eliminate the chance of a spill or leak contaminating the Lake. Fifteen active raven and red-tailed hawk nests were observed on this equipment. Working under PG&E’s USFWS SPUTE Permit, 10 nests were relocated to nest platforms bolted to the same pole from which equipment was removed. Relocations were performed by trained linemen using bucket airboats. For the remainder (five nests), personnel were able to drain the oil from the equipment bearing the nests and leave the nests in place. PG&E biologists made follow up visits to each nest to confirm that adults had returned to the nests and observed live nestlings and fledglings, as well as adult behavior suggesting nest success for all relocated and temporarily disturbed nests. These observations provide insight into the resilience of these two species to disturbance and provide an example of how we can respond to unprecedented weather events while protecting wildlife.

ecoSnap is a state-of-the-art mobile application designed for meticulous site monitoring. Rooted in the essence of tracking environmental and structural transformations, ecoSnap ensures continuity and consistency in photographic records over the years. Features include: Augmented Reality Mode: Enables users to return to their original photo stations, ensuring photos are taken from identical positions across different time frames. Assisted Photo Mode: Seamlessly guides users to capture images at all cardinal directions, aligning them perfectly with past snapshots. This ensures a precise year-by-year comparison. Interactive Gallery: Displays a curated collection of photos from various projects, offering a comparative view of changes throughout the years. Uploading Modes: Simplifies the process of adding photos to stations, whether in-field or remotely. Map Mode: A user-friendly interface pinning the precise location of photo stations across the project site, making navigation effortless. Export Mode: Allows users to preview and generate a comprehensive photo plate in a formatted PDF. EcoSnap is not just an app; it's a reliable companion for professionals who value precision and continuity in their monitoring projects. Emphasizing its efficacy, this poster showcases its value in a prolonged habitat restoration endeavor along the Santa Ana River in Riverside, CA for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Understanding the factors influencing changes in bird biomass and species richness is essential for effective conservation and management efforts. Climate change is often cited as one of these potential factors, yet the degree to which microclimate influences bird biomass remains largely unexplored. We used data from the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest in central Oregon from the years 2014 to 2018 to calculate average biomass and species richness of birds, as well as average air temperatures using long-term data loggers. Through a multiple regression analysis, I examined the relationship of both bird biomass and species richness with air temperature. Using Geographic Information System software, I visualized these data and the relationship with the average annual microclimate from each respective site across the HJ Andrews. These data can further aid managers and scientists in the monitoring of bird biomass, species diversity, and their relationships with microclimates over time.

Fire activity during 2020-2021 in California, USA was unprecedented in the modern record. More than 19,000 km2 of forest vegetation burned (10× more than the historical average), potentially affecting the habitat of 508 vertebrate species. Of the >9,000 km2 that burned at high severity, 87% occurred in very large patches that exceeded historical estimates of maximum high-severity patch size. In this two-year period, 100 vertebrate species experienced fire across >10% of their geographic range, 16 of which were species of conservation concern. These 100 species experienced high-severity fire across 5-14% of their ranges, underscoring potentially important changes to habitat structure. Species in this region are not adapted to high-severity megafires. Management actions, such as prescribed fires and mechanical thinning, can curb severe fire behavior and reduce the potential negative impacts of uncharacteristic fires on wildlife.

The California Fish and Wildlife Journal, formerly California Fish and Game, is California’s longest-running, continuously published scientific journal. Over its 110-year history, the Journal has been a well-regarded and rigorous scientific journal that has undergone numerous changes over the years. Following a shift to online, open-source publishing in 2014, the Journal is now easily accessible to researchers, resource managers, and other interested parties around the world. Other recent changes include the publication of special issues on current topics, publication directly in HTML (to increase accessibility, navigability, and translatability), and updating of the Journal’s title and cover. Due to these improvements and the implementation of permanent object identifiers (DOIs), the Journal’s impact factor has increased by over 400% in the last five years and is now higher than many other journals of similar scope. As a result of these changes, the Journal is now indexed among other scholarly works (e.g., Google Scholar, Web of Science). This poster will provide an overview of the Journal’s changes and include metrics on its 110-year history, including changes in the representation of different taxonomic groups, game vs. nongame species, and the numbers and types of papers published.

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and related chytridiomycosis disease, has led to dramatic population declines and extinction of amphibian species worldwide. The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae) is highly susceptible to Bd and natural recovery of populations where Bd has become established in the ecosystem is limited. Currently, Bd-related disease mitigation strategies primarily focus on preventing spread of the pathogen. There is a need to better understand the dynamics of amphibian responses to the pathogen and increase the tools available to managers to assist population recovery. Here we explore the idea of immune priming as a tool for increasing the resilience of R. sierrae to Bd. In 2022, the US Forest Service in collaboration with the San Franscisco Zoo, utilized captive-reared R. sierrae to apply experimental immune priming for chytridiomycosis. Zoo-reared frogs were inoculated with Bd and then treated with the antifungal medication itraconazole prior to being released back into their wild habitat where Bd is present. Preliminary results of monitoring chytrid infection levels for individuals recaptured during surveys found similar infection levels of Bd between the experimental and control group in the first year. Ongoing monitoring will explore potential longer-term effects of immune priming.

Jaguars (Panthera onca) are key predators and the largest felid in the Americas. The species is listed as near threatened globally due to habitat loss and population decline. Jaguar population decline can have negative consequences for the structure and functioning of the ecosystems they inhabit. Panamá is a narrow land bridge connecting Central and South America, making it integral to the movement and conservation of jaguars across both land masses. We apply spatial models to evaluate the movement and conservation status of the jaguar population in Panamá. To monitor the presence of jaguars, we installed 48 camera trap stations in three ecologically important protected areas in Eastern Panamá: Narganá Protected Wildlands, Chagres National Park, and Mamoní Valley Preserve. The cameras functioned year-round from 2016-2022, collecting over 1,700 photos and videos of jaguars. We visually examined each photo and video from the camera traps, identifying individual jaguars using unique markings and spot patterns. To contribute to our understanding of jaguars in Panamá, we use these data to estimate jaguar population density with spatially-explicit capture and recapture models. Our findings suggest the dire need for immediate actions to increase conservation efforts and protection for jaguars and their habitat in Panamá.

Glucocorticoid hormones, such as corticosterone and cortisol (CORT), are commonly used indicators of physiological stress in vertebrate animals. Despite being listed as an endangered species for over 50y and substantial research on decline of native habitat, response to environmental stressors, and physiology of other lizard species, no information is currently available on CORT physiology in blunt-nosed leopard lizards, Gambelia sila. This gap in knowledge limits our ability to assess relative stress levels among extant populations of G. sila or in response to captivity. We quantified corticosterone metabolites in opportunistically-collected fecal samples to assess baselines and natural variation in CORT throughout the active season. We also compared these CORT concentrations between a wild-reared population from the Panoche Hills Valley and a captive-reared population collected from the Panoche Hills Plateau and bred at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. We validated and used a commercially-available corticosterone competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to quantify the concentration of CORT metabolites in fecal samples. This provides an indication of the average amount of CORT circulating in the plasma during the period that the feces was produced. Our results provide an important baseline for future studies and repatriation efforts in this endangered lizard.

Pismo Clams (Tivela stultorum) were once abundant on Pismo Beach until the 1980s when populations declined. However, recent years have seen a notable increase in their numbers. With the potential return of these clam populations to their legal size, we sought to investigate the factors that contribute to their predation, such as humans, otters, and shorebirds. This study focused on quantifying the extent of shorebird predation. We observed a specific clam-dropping predation behavior, where shorebirds dropped clams onto compact sand to crack them open, allowing them to feed on the clam. Our research aimed to identify the species of shorebirds involved, the size of clams they targeted, and the spatial distribution of predation on the beach. Through surveys on Pismo Beach, we found that Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) were the sole shorebirds engaging in this behavior. The median clam size targeted was 71 millimeters, and predation almost entirely occurred in areas of the beach in which cars weren’t allowed. Based on this spatial trend, we hypothesize that anthropogenic disturbance from vehicles is a major factor influencing predation frequency. Future work will further explore the impact of Off-Highway Vehicles and other environmental factors on gull predation.

Understanding how animals move across broad geographic areas can inform management, conservation, and research needs in the 21st Century. Since 2021, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has been leading efforts across the state of California to facilitate the tracking of animal movement using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus). Motus is a worldwide network of stationary radio telemetry receivers used to track the movement of various taxa. Transmitters that communicate with Motus receiver stations are relatively inexpensive and small, providing researchers previously unavailable opportunities to study the movements of highly mobile small-bodied animals, like shorebirds, songbirds, bats, and insects. To date, CDFW has installed 15 Motus stations on CDFW lands and through collaborations have supported the deployment of over 200 Motus tags covering a diverse array of ecoregions and species. CDFW Motus stations have resulted in over 600 tag detections, comprised of over 140 individuals, 2 bat species, and 18 bird species across 8 orders. CDFW plans to continue expanding Motus substantially to complement the ongoing establishment of CDFW’s Climate-Biodiversity Sentinel Site Network. The collaborative nature of Motus leverages the capabilities of a broad spectrum of organizations and is a model for cutting-edge wildlife research and conservation.

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a small, herbivorous mammal native to western North America. While there have been recent population declines across the species range, population trajectories vary considerably. Within the Sierra Nevada (SN) subspecies (O. p. schisticeps), Great Basin (GB) populations have experienced declines at a much faster rate than populations in the SN mountain range. Differences in habitat quality between the ecoregions likely plays an important role in this difference. Various factors shape habitat quality. In this study we characterize diet as one proxy for habitat quality. GB populations are declining more quickly, therefore we hypothesized that habitat quality would be lower in the GB as compared to the SN populations. Specifically, we predicted that the SN samples would have greater taxonomic diversity and higher nutritional value. We used a DNA metabarcoding approach to characterize diets of pika populations throughout California and Nevada. We analyzed 384 pika fecal samples and identified more than 90 plant genera. There was no significant difference between the SN and GB pika diets in terms of taxonomic diversity. However, diet composition was distinct with few genera shared between the regions. Analysis of whether diets vary in terms of nutritional quality is ongoing.

Common ravens (Corvus corax) are intelligent, synanthropic predators with populations increasing throughout their North American range. Growing raven numbers and densities has intensified predation risk for many protected species, including the federally Western snowy plover (WSP, Charadrius nivosus nivosus). The breeding population of WSP in Northwestern California has continued to fall below recovery goals, and nest predation by ravens is the dominant direct cause of WSP reproductive failure. Using GPS units to track raven movement and resource use, behavioral surveys of beach-going ravens, and stable isotope analysis to examine raven diet, we are seeking to inform raven management strategies around WSP nesting areas. Results from GPS data reveal a multitude of small and large-scale food resources accessed by beach-going ravens, suggesting strategies utilizing outreach and education and assisting agricultural operations with raven deterrence may be beneficial in reducing raven density locally. Behavioral surveys indicate a lack of correlation between raven numbers and risk of WSP nest predation, suggesting that a few specialized ravens are responsible for WSP nest predation and indicating a targeted raven hazing approach may be most effective where appropriate. The impact of avian influenza which began in Fall, 2022 and served as a sort of natural removal experiment will also be discussed.

California's Central Valley has undergone large-scale agricultural development fragmenting the desert ecosystem and putting many species, such as the giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens), at risk of extinction. Dispersal and population structuring must be considered when designing and implementing conservation efforts. We aimed to noninvasively identify potential dispersal behaviors that may affect mate choice. Fecal samples were collected from the Carrizo Plain in the southern Central Valley from two trapping grids approximately 100 meters apart. We genotyped samples at 15 microsatellite loci and a newly developed sex marker. We recovered genotypes from 145 (of 200) samples and identified 83 distinct individuals. Next, we examined individuals' relatedness and geographic position to determine the species' population structure. The mean distance between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order relatives were 77, 52, and 132 meters respectively with a significant difference only between 2nd and 3rd order pairings. 1st order pairings followed a bimodal distribution with relatives being either near (~10-20m) or far (~200m) apart. We examined the sex of individuals in 1st order pairings to assess if sex bias explains the bimodal dispersal distance. Male-male 1st order pairings were found both near and far, suggesting that male offspring do not uniformly disperse long distances.

The consumption of an astounding one million acres resulted in California’s largest single fire to date, the 2021 Dixie Fire. The social and economic losses associated with the fire were immediately apparent, but the effects on wildlife remained unknown. While previous research has suggested mixed or low severity fire may be beneficial to certain wildlife species, the responses to megafires are poorly understood for many carnivores. To better understand these responses to severe fire, we used a random sampling design stratified by burn severity to survey in and around the Dixie Fire footprint using baited camera stations. This allowed us to determine the occurrence of mesocarnivores including Pacific marten (Martes caurina) and fisher (Pekania pennanti) in a post-fire landscape. We estimated occupancy at multiple scales using forest structure metrics related to burn severity, basal area, and prey availability. Our results provide insight into whether and how mesocarnivores adapt to high severity fires. We equip land managers with applicable information for restoration and future conservation of forest-obligate species.

Montane ecosystems support high endemism and biodiversity. As Neotropical communities encounter climactic pressures, measuring species richness and abundance across an elevational gradient provides insight into their responses. Amphibians (Order: Anura) are uniquely sensitive to environmental change and are experiencing severe declines globally. In this study, Anuran surveys were conducted across four distinct Holdridge life zones in Monteverde, Costa Rica, to compare with a corresponding study in 2019. Visual encounter surveys (VES) and audio encounter surveys (AES) methodologies were used at five non-continuous locations. Data from 134 individuals across 17 species was collected during May 2023. Fewer species were encountered as elevation increased, as expected. An analysis of observed species’ zonal distributions revealed two species (C. bransfordii, C. stejnegerianus) outside and upslope of their expected Holdridge life-zones based on recent species distribution guides. A high variability in precipitation was observed, consistent with decades of climate change data. Our results did not indicate a significant difference in Anuran community composition related to precipitation. This study demonstrates the necessity for sustained, long-term collection of amphibian data in biodiversity hotspots. In turn, a cohesive understanding of community responses can inform conservation efforts.

Insectivorous bats are known to consume arthropods from several orders, and have a significant impact on agricultural ecosystems by reducing crop pests. However, information is still lacking about geographic and seasonal variation in diet. Although studies of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) in Texas demonstrate the importance of this species on agricultural pests like the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), less is known about the diet of the species towards the edge of its range. This study investigates the dietary preferences of bats by analyzing genomic information found in their guano. We examined the diet of T. b. mexicana in Butte County, California by collecting guano from 20 bat houses during the winter of 2020-2021 and used DNA metabarcoding to identify prey. Thirty-one species, twenty-seven families and eleven orders were identified, with Diptera representing 54% of all reads. Although Coleoptera (22%) and Hemiptera (11%) were also common, Lepidoptera only accounted for 8% of their winter diet. The most common species in the diet were moth flies (Psychoda albipennis), ground beetles (Tanystoma cuyama) and pine-needle aphids (Essigella californica). We plan to continue this study throughout an entire year to examine seasonal variation in diet.

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a continental-scale observation facility that collects long-term, open access ecological data to better understand how ecosystems are changing across the United States. NEON will provide 30 years of data from 81 terrestrial and aquatic field sites, including seven sites within the Great Basin and Pacific Southwest. NEON data cover a range of subject areas within ecology, including organismal observations, biogeochemistry, hyperspectral imagery, and micrometeorology. NEON’s observational wildlife data assesses the pathogen status, abundance, diversity, and phenology of organisms across the US. All samples and data collected by NEON are publicly available and can be accessed digitally through the NEON website. This poster will provide an introduction to NEON as well as an overview of NEON’s observational wildlife data collection systems. Additionally, it will highlight research using NEON data with implications for our understanding of climate change impacts on wildlife communities. Lastly, it will highlight the Observatory’s Assignable Assets program, which makes available components of NEON’s infrastructure to outside researchers and community members to support their research or other activities.

Having worked in a wildlife center for 25 years where human wildlife conflict is the main reason for intakes and intervention of wildlife patients, we’ve had to find ways to resolve the issues through education and creating practices that would prevent the need for an animal to be admitted to our wildlife hospital. The main reason for intakes were the results of a parent animal being trapped and relocated, euthanized or poisoned, leaving orphaned wildlife behind. Issues with other wildlife considered by humans as a potential threat, presented the same tragic results for patient intakes and calls for help. We also look at wildlife populations that don’t have the typical fears of animals that live in more remote habitats, compared to the species that live and dwell in urban settings and are very comfortable living in close proximity to humans. Much of our education is focused on the value of a species which is the focus of conflict, and how hazing and deterrents are a significant reason conflicts can be resolved. This presentation will discuss how hazing and deterrents are defined for use when humans and wildlife are experiencing conflict. Understanding the history before and what led up to the conflict from the human and wildlife perspective, so the best plan and methods can be determined. Having learned from trial and error and with new and challenging conflicts always emerging, we will look at how networking, training and preparation are key to resolving human wildlife conflicts. Since so much time and effort goes into the practice of hazing and deterrent use, we will look at what works and what doesn’t work. Different scenarios in human wildlife conflict will be presented with what hazing or deterrent was used and how the methods were planned and executed. We will focus on the challenge of making those methods successful. In conclusion, we will look at how emerging conflicts between humans and wildlife will always be present and how our use of hazing and deterrents could help with these issues. Future networking and training can provide relief to those who work in the fields of wildlife and are often challenged with the task of how to resolve human wildlife conflicts.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was first detected in the US in 1996 with new variant outbreaks occurring every few years. When a new variant emerged in January 2022, the California Condor Recovery Program implemented protocols to prevent its potential spread to these critically-endangered birds. Condors evaded the virus until 2023, when an outbreak in Arizona killed 21 condors in 18 days. Many feared HPAI might spread outside of Arizona, because of the condors’ social proclivity to feed and roost together. In response, Ventana Wildlife Society, who co-manages the Central California Condor population with Pinnacles National Park, retrofitted flight pens and began construction of a quarantine facility in the event of a future outbreak. USFWS, in collaboration with USDA, conducted vaccine trials in hopes of protecting Condors against the deadly virus. Lead poisoning remains the leading cause of death for Condors, and while HPAI symptoms are nearly identical to those of lead poisoning, their management differs significantly. The emergence of HPAI as a novel threat to condor survival highlights the need for an adaptive management response, one which allows for the flexibility and ingenuity necessary to overcome the many obstacles condors face to recovery.

In tidal wetlands, hardstem bulrush (or tule; Schoenoplectus acutus) may break off in rooted masses and float with the tide, relocating on mudflats and shorelines as the tide recedes. In newly constructed tidal wetlands, where vegetation can sometimes take years or decades to successfully colonize, these clumps can develop roots and rapidly become established. During this process, sediment is attracted to these clumps and mounds will form where other plants can establish and climb up the tules themselves. Using camera traps, we documented use of these mounds as high tide refugia by small mammals at a newly restored marsh located on the Hill Slough Wildlife Area, Suisun Marsh, where salt marsh harvest mice (Reithrodontomys raviventris) are known to occur. Even as the tules themselves senesce, vegetated mounds remain and are still used by wildlife. Other emergent macrophytes can serve the same purpose through different modes of establishment. Tule masses can be transported artificially into newly constructed wetlands to accelerate sedimentation and provide habitat for small mammals. This method could be an effective but inexpensive and easy habitat management strategy that could be incorporated into restoration projects at the planning phase.

Bat houses are known to experience temperatures that can exceed suitable levels. For example, 40°C is considered an upper threshold for bat houses, and Tadarida brasiliensis can exhibit increased mortality above 45°C. Thus, artificial roosts could possibly become heat traps for bats and reduce survival. Yet, little is known about how bats adapt to environs that normally experience high temperatures, often exceeding 40°C. We monitored bat activity in northern California along the Sierra foothills. Twenty bat houses and the surrounding habitat were censused by guano counts and by acoustic recorders. We compared the daily temperature inside the bat house with ambient during 2023. For 51 days between April and September, the maximum roost temperature was above 40°C (42.55±0.28) and the ambient temperature averaged 38.31±0.42. The bat houses were on average 4.24° warmer than ambient. Bat activity decreased during the peak summer temperatures, indicating that the bat houses may be too warm for the bats. However, the decrease of bat house activity was also mirrored in some of the acoustic data, suggesting that this may be in response to the high ambient temperatures, and species may adapt by migrating into the foothills.

Survey protocols that maximize species detection are critical to successful wildlife inventories and monitoring. We surveyed riparian scrub habitats along the Santa Margarita River on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California; with emphasis on suitable habitat for two rare snake species, the California glossy snake and California red-sided garter snake. We monitored 14 specialized active-infrared cameras in 7 paired arrays from May – October 2023. Although we only detected 1 California glossy snake and 0 California red-sided garter snakes, the cameras were successful at detecting 32 reptile, amphibian, and small mammal species. Time-to-detection occupancy models for the small animal community revealed high variability in community detection rates, with species falling into 3 broad categories: Readily detectable and common, moderately detectable and moderately common, and poorly detectable and rare. Using data-augmentation, the cumulative detection probability for California red-sided garter snakes was 0.44, indicating longer camera surveys are required to indicate absence across their area of inference. Overall, we found the cameras documented more species than active searches, road surveys, and coverboard surveys, however, a combination of techniques for rare species is warranted. Time-to-detection occupancy models inform the duration needed for camera surveys and enhance our understanding of probability that rare species persist.

American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) are a prolific invasive species worldwide, and one of increasing regulatory and management interest in California. Valley Water, as part of the Upper Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project, was required to perform bullfrog control in accordance with permit conditions following wetland restoration at Lake Silveira in southern Santa Clara County. As part of the comprehensive habitat mitigation and monitoring plan Valley Water implemented, Sequoia conducted bullfrog control at Lake Silveira in 2022 and 2023. Field efforts consisted of a reconnaissance survey to identify life stages present and appropriate methods of control. Control efforts consisted of three nights of removal in September, in both 2022 and 2023. In 2022, a total of 203 post-metamorphic bullfrogs were culled during shoreline-based surveys using gig and air rifle techniques. In 2023, a total of 210 post- metamorphic bullfrogs were culled during a mix of shoreline- and boat-based surveys, using air rifle techniques almost exclusively. Between 2022 and 2023, strong regrowth of shoreline riparian vegetation necessitated the introduction of boat-based surveys to effectively approach bullfrogs. This poster presents preliminary results in demographics, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE; frogs/person-minute) data by year and encounter type, field method efficacy, and recommendations for future work.

Alliance-level vegetation classification methods are typically used for landscape scale assessments and accordingly may not represent the exact species composition of the ground cover on a fine scale. This methodology contains opportunity for error related to human influence, field limitations, and/or recording of spatial data. Human-related error may include inadvertent biases or subjectivity, such as differences in classification methods or measurements between surveyors. By leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), sources of human error and survey area constraints may be largely eliminated. In 2022, Understory (formerly Comon Solutions) contracted Sequoia Ecological Consulting, Inc. (Sequoia) to provide field services and data analysis in support of the Doty Ravine Pilot Study, an effort to train Understory’s AI algorithm on plant species identification as well as vegetation classification across a landscape. Sequoia collected full-coverage vegetation classification using typical, standardized field techniques; captured near-simultaneous, high-resolution aerial imagery with small, unmanned aerial systems (sUAS); compared the results of different data capture methods; and provided recommendations for integration of future sampling efforts to continue refinement of training methods and the algorithm itself. Algorithmic data showed agreement with botanist-defined alliance polygons, and the study results provided insight on improving validation methods.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus serotype-2 (RHDV2), the cause of a highly contagious and frequently fatal disease in lagomorphs, was first detected in the United States in March 2020. After a confirmed wild black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) RHDV2 mortality from Riverside County in May 2020, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife established a website for the public, wildlife rehabilitators, and biologists to report dead lagomorphs. For reports that raised suspicion of RHDV2, whenever feasible at least one carcass was tested for RHDV2 using RT-PCR. Herein we summarize the geographic, temporal, and species distribution of 1,074 mortality reports collected from May 2020 through September 2023 and examine which reports were more predictive of confirmed RHDV2 cases. Public reports of dead lagomorphs had a seasonal pattern: reports increased in spring, peaked in summer, then declined through fall and winter. The likelihood of an RHDV2 positive detection was highest after reports of 10 or more dead lagomorphs. Of tested animals, a higher proportion of black-tailed jackrabbits were positive for RHDV2 than desert cottontails (Sylvilagus audubonii). Public reporting of wildlife mortalities can be useful for disease detection and increasing public awareness of wildlife disease.

The National Park Service monitors coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to detect population trends within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument, and Point Reyes National Seashore. Coho have a complex life cycle: early life stages inhabit park streams while adults inhabit open ocean, returning to spawn. They are semelparous and typically have a three-year lifespan. Juvenile data are particularly useful for understanding how coho are influenced by environmental factors occurring within the parks, but current protocols require relatively intensive effort. We evaluated three methods for estimating juvenile abundance: the current method, which uses a stream-wide correction factor to account for imperfect detection, and two alternatives, which incorporate environmental covariates to estimate spatially explicit detection rates and coho densities within streams. We found that the two methods incorporating environmental covariates yielded similar results, and produced significantly more precise estimates of streamwide abundance than the current method. The two alternative methods, but not the current method, allowed us to detect a climate effect on juvenile recruitment at one of the two watersheds. Our analyses demonstrated that investing in understanding environmental influences on detection and abundance at finer spatial scales can lead to a more efficient and robust watershed monitoring program.

Determining space use for species is fundamental to understanding their ecology. We tested whether miniaturized GPS tags can allow us to understand space use of migratory birds away from their capture sites. We used GPS tags to characterize home ranges on the breeding grounds for a migratory songbird with limited available breeding information, the Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla). Using GPS points from 23 individuals across 26 tags (three birds tagged twice), we found home ranges in Alaska and British Columbia were on average 44.1 ha (95% Kernel Density Estimate). In addition, estimates of territory sizes based on field observations (mean 2.1 ha, 95% Minimum Convex Polygon [MCP]) were three times smaller than 95% MCPs created using GPS tags (mean 6.5 ha). Home ranges included a variety of land cover classes, with shrubland particularly dominant (64-100% of home range cover for all but one bird). Three birds tracked twice returned to the same breeding area each year, supporting high breeding site fidelity for this species. We found reverse spring migration for five birds that flew up to 154 km past breeding destinations before returning. GPS-tracking technology allowed for critical ecological insights into this migratory species that breeds in very remote locations.

Conservation of ecosystems in western North America relies fundamentally on conservation of wildlands on public land. However, these areas often contain trespass cannabis grows where threats from pesticides and other deleterious factors pose both direct and indirect threats to wildlife. Using camera traps, we monitored wildlife visitation at 5 trespass cannabis grows under a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design framework (approach A), and at 89 trespass cannabis grows under a Before-After design framework (approach B), on public land across California. We aimed to quantify the visitation rates of several wildlife guilds to cannabis grows and determine whether reclamation of all infrastructure and hazards reduced visitation rates and thus risks to wildlife. Results for approach A show that overall wildlife visitation rate averaged >2x at impact relative to control locations (Fig. 2). Three of five foraging guilds preferred cannabis grows: visitation rate was 2.0x higher for herbivores (non-deer), 3.2x for omnivores (non-bear), and 4.1x for omnivores (bear). Grow reclamation did not remove preference within the study interval. In approach B, wildlife visitation dropped slightly following reclamation and peaked 1.5 yrs since grow eradication and around August. Overall, our findings support previous literature that illicit cannabis grows pose direct and indirect threats to wildlife by attracting them to contaminated areas, but also highlight an effective mitigation and restoration strategy.

Integrated pest management (IPM) often focuses on enhancing the control of pests by arthropod natural enemies (i.e., predators/parasitoids), but less work has focused on vertebrate predators of pests. In California, winegrapes are a key crop that may benefit from bird-mediated pest control of insect pests (e.g. sharpshooters carrying Pierce’s disease). Insecticide use by California winegrape growers has increased over time, with ~45M lbs applied in 2018. Birds could provide growers with an alternative, especially on organic fields where fewer insecticides can be applied. Despite the potential for birds to contribute to IPM, more research is needed to understand and harness their benefits for winegrape growers. Here, we report on the use of nest boxes to attract Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to vineyards in Napa Valley, documenting patterns of nest box selection. We found that both species preferred nest boxes in more open areas farther from wooded habitats and fitted with predator guards. Future work will examine the diet of both species, assess their capacity to affect pest numbers, and examine their response to local and landscape habitat features.

The movement of waterfowl across the Pacific Flyway creates ecological interdependencies across the entire landscape. However, management of waterfowl is fragmented between organizations operating at various scales, in different sectors, and within multiple jurisdictions creating a need for cross-boundary collaboration. We aim to evaluate drivers of collaboration nested within regional Migratory Bird Joint Venture partnerships. Based on 221 survey responses (34% response rate), we created a governance network of 1,153 organizations. We analyzed the waterfowl management network using valued exponential random graph models based on types of collaborative activities in which organizations engage. Results show that collaboration is particularly driven by state agencies and organizations operating at a regional scale. Involvement in Joint Ventures significantly increases the likelihood that any organization will collaborate in the broader management network. There are also significant differences between collaboration within each Joint Venture region. Organizations working within the Central Valley and California Central Coast regions are significantly more likely to engage in collaboration. These patterns reflect both ecological patterns of waterfowl as well as institutional dynamics of regional management structures. This work reveals a more complex picture of social-ecological alignment, necessitating future research of nuanced ecological patterns and regional differences in management.

Introduced wild ungulates such as sheep, goats, and deer disturb native ecosystems where large-mammal herbivory is non-native. Islands often lack large predators to help control these ungulate populations, resulting in adverse environmental effects by overgrazing and sometimes proliferation and spread of disease on native and naturalized landscapes alike. In Hawaii, around one million acres are designated as pasture for livestock production, but in recent years, ranchers have been forced to reduce stocking rates by 25-30% due to competition for forage with axis deer, mouflon sheep, and feral goats. Impacts have also become exacerbated with an increased frequency of drought. This study aimed to understand the relationship between wild ungulate populations and pasture forage biomass on Hawaiian ranchlands using game cameras, grazing exclusion cages, and line-transect sampling. Preliminary findings show wild ungulates significantly reduce forage biomass and alter plant community composition. The results will inform a multi-criteria decision analysis for ranchers that will help determine sustainable wild ungulate populations for their lands and effective methods for management. This research contributes to the growing body of literature addressing the global impact of introduced ungulates and offers potential solutions to mitigate impacts while promoting thriving native ecosystems and sustainable food production.

Wildlife conservation and management efforts often rely on accurate differentiation of morphologically similar taxa. While effective management of a single taxon is dependent on accurate harvest estimates, subtle morphological differences can make subspecies determination error-prone and time consuming for even experienced field biologists. Here we demonstrate that genetic approaches to identification can provide accurate subspecies typing results while remaining cost effective. The Tule Goose (Anser albifrons elgasi) is a demographically vulnerable subspecies of the Greater White-fronted Goose (A. albifrons, GWFG), that overwinters in the Sacramento Valley and Bay-Delta regions of California alongside the more abundant Pacific GWFG (A. a. sponsa). This sympatry creates a management challenge for estimating and limiting seasonal Tule Goose harvest. Using a panel of 83 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) we can efficiently and accurately distinguish Tule Geese from Pacific GWFG from samples easily obtained at hunter check stations. SNP genotypes show clear differentiation through principal component analysis and estimation of STRUCTURE ancestry coefficients. Multi-year analyses suggest Tule Geese typically average 5% of the GWFG harvest at designated check stations. Yet during 2021-2022 drought conditions, genetic typing discovered Tule Goose harvest increased to 29% of GWFG harvest, providing robust support for the management decision to limit duration of the hunting season.

Pest management is a foremost challenge of California’s winegrape growers. Common methods to reduce rodent pests are expensive, labor intensive, and harmful to the environment. Barn owls (Tyto furcata) provide a promising alternative, though their effectiveness for pest control has received little ecological research. To help fill this gap, we deployed rodent chew blocks, trays mixed with seed and sand to measure giving up density (GUD), and remote cameras on three vineyards with and three without barn owl boxes in Napa Valley in February through July 2023. We found that the effect of owl nest boxes on rodent activity, as measured by chew blocks and camera traps, was mediated by vegetation cover. Likewise, the effect of expected barn owl hunting pressure on rodents’ perceived predation risk, as measured by GUD, also varied with vegetation cover. Specifically, vegetative cover dampened the effect of the presence of owl nest boxes, and rodents exhibited less response to owl hunting pressure in areas with high vegetative cover. These results help reveal where and when barn owls can meaningfully affect rodent pests in vineyards, and they also highlight how spatial and temporal variation in vegetation adds complexity to predator-prey dynamics for barn owls and their prey.

Rats have contributed to a large number of passerine extinctions after introduction on island ecosystems. Black rats (Rattus rattus) are a prominent nest predator of the endangered San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi; SCLS) on San Clemente Island. Efforts have been made to reduce rat predation of SCLS nests for decades using rodenticides and trapping. Since 2019, rat trapping efforts in excess of 5,000 trap nights per year have been used to reduce rat densities in passerine nesting habitat. In an effort to improve efficacy in our rat removal efforts, we collected microhabitat and trap placement data for 278 rat traps placed on 28 trap lines between April and September of 2023. This dataset includes variables such as overhead vegetation height, and surrounding vegetation and substrate type. We analyzed this data alongside remotely-sensed macrohabitat data (e.g., vegetation community, NDVI) and rat capture data using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) to assess what factors play the largest roles in a trap’s capture probability. The results may allow us to maximize our removal rates by targeting microhabitat with a comparatively high likelihood of trap success.

Foraging is a critical survival skill to consider when reintroducing endangered species to the wild. The endangered Pacific pocket mouse, Perognathus longimembris pacificus, is being reintroduced to parts of its historic range where multiple species of native rodents have high dietary overlap. These species are nocturnal, solitary and granivorous, and to varying degrees store seasonally available seeds in caches, either in shallow pits (scatter-hoards) or inside the burrow (larder hoards). Although wild pocket mouse caches are subject to pilfer, they have also been shown to steal from caches of other species. Pocket mice raised in captivity have not experienced this same competition, which could put them at a disadvantage following release to the wild. We investigated if captive pocket mice (N = 56) pilfer from the caches of conspecifics when given access, and whether pocket mice that are pilfered from adjust their caching behavior. Experimental trials were conducted in pairs of two across 3 treatment stages. Our results suggest that captive pocket mice may pilfer from caches of conspecifics, but mice that are pilfered from do not make observable adjustments to their caching behavior. We place these results in the context of larger efforts to promote post-release survival.

Wildlife conservation, historically a white male dominated field, has in recent years shifted demographically. At the early career level Women are now the majority, but the perspectives and logistics of the field have not caught up with this shift. During a virtual Western Section Women of Wildlife mixer in 2021 it became clear that there was a need for a dedicated event where the Women+ of the section could gather and address their needs and challenges. In response the Western Section hosted the Resource Retreat for Women+ of Wildlife in 2022 and 2023. At these retreats Women were able to entrust each other with the obstacles, struggles, and grievances they've encountered while working in this industry. Participants especially appreciated the support, resources, and networking that resulted from the events. The retreat inspired others to create their own opportunities and grow as professionals and individuals. What has resulted is a new community where Women are supported by other Women as well as similar events being hosted at the local level. The importance of events like this cannot be overstated and should be provided for all marginalized groups within wildlife organizations (e.g., BIPOC, LGBTQ).

Large-scale and high severity fires are increasing in frequency across the Sierra Nevada mountains, leading to shifts in the habitat elements available for different bat species across the landscape. Wildfire can affect individual bat species occupancy both positively and negatively and is predicted to favor species adapted to foraging in open habitats. In 2021, the Dixie Fire burned throughout a large portion of the Plumas National Forest, creating a unique opportunity to revisit sites sampled prior to the fire (2015-2021) and examine changes in bat communities post-fire. In 2022 and 2023, we resurveyed 10 study sites, 7 within the Dixie Fire footprint and 3 in unburned forests, using Pettersson 500x bat detectors to record ultrasonic echolocation calls and Sonobat software to analyze recordings. Species presence-absence was then compared between the pre- and post-fire sampling results. Preliminary analysis indicates a shift in bat communities post-fire. These results further support the importance of managing for pyrodiversity in coniferous forests of the Sierra Nevada.

Dietary plasticity can reveal species’ responses to changes in resource availability due to changes in competition and landscape structure. Small-bodied carnivores occupy a unique trophic position, needing to consume relatively large amounts of prey to meet energetic requirements while also avoiding intraguild conflict from larger predators. Often, this results in foraging plasticity, with facultative variation among individuals and populations rather than obligate dependence on certain prey. Pacific martens (Martes caurina) are small-bodied carnivores who occupy a subordinate trophic role and are considered sensitive to changes in land use, cover, and climate. Despite their perceived sensitivity to change, they are considered dietary generalists that meet energetic needs from varied prey. Here, we examined the foraging patterns of martens in four sampling areas in the coastal and montane forests of western Oregon and northern California. Using DNA metabarcoding, we detected 59 prey species in 400 scats. Coastal sites exhibited marginally higher prey richness than montane sites, but several prey items, including red-backed voles (Myodes californicus), deer mice (Peromyscus spp.), and chipmunks (Tamias spp.) were consistently observed across sampling areas. Preliminary results suggest foraging patterns were associated with land cover composition and sampling location, with potential implications for effects of future landscape change.

Pismo clam (Tivela stultorum) populations were previously abundant on the California central coast before declining dramatically in the late 1970s and 1980s. However, recently their population has been increasing. The southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) was hunted to near extinction in the 1800s, leading to a dramatic reduction of their range, including their extirpation from Pismo Beach. Their population has since been recovering, and they are repopulating historic range locations including Pismo Beach in the 1970s, which coincided with the decline in clam populations locally. Since sea otters are an important predator of Pismo clams, we sought to explore the potential impact of sea otter predation on Pismo clam population abundance and recovery by conducting otter foraging surveys on three local beaches. Our preliminary results found that sea otters are commonly seen at the north-most end of Pismo State Beach, and their diet consists of primarily Pismo clams. This data will help illuminate the impact of sea otter predation on Pismo clam populations, and we hope it can help inform management practices to support both species’ recoveries on the Central Coast.

Captive breeding and reintroduction programs of threatened amphibian populations is an important conservation management strategy. These programs have the potential to prevent extinction of at-risk species and to help maintain genetic diversity. However, frogs reared in captivity develop in an aqueous environment that differs microbially and chemically from natural systems and may consume atypical food compared to natural resources available at release sites. It is unclear how or if this captive environment influences the fitness and survival of these individuals when they are reintroduced into the wild. The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana sierrae) is an endangered species endemic to California. In 2022, the US Forest Service in collaboration with the San Franscisco Zoo, released 164 captive-reared frogs into known critical habitat for a population of R. sierrae as part of a long-term monitoring and mark recapture study. One year post-release, we use size, weight, and conditional indices of recaptured individuals to compare wild and zoo-reared frogs. 

Barred owls (Strix varia) are an invasive species that have rapidly expanded from their native range in the eastern U.S. into the Pacific Northwest, threatening native wildlife populations including the threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). Understanding occupancy dynamics of barred owls is increasingly important to manage the negative impacts of invasive barred owls on spotted owls. Our study aimed to identify the key drivers of barred owl settlement patterns in northern California using 2 approaches - regression models of spatial barred owl removal data and 2-species robust design occupancy models on 30 years of barred and spotted owl occupancy data in northern California. We analyzed data on vegetation, topography, and biological factors to identify factors associated with areas of high colonization by barred owls. We found that barred owls within a landscape historically occupied by northern spotted owls are associated with wetter areas of larger trees and less open forest, with old conifer and hardwood trees, tree size, and wetness as the primary drivers of barred owl settlement patterns. Our study provides valuable insights that can help inform management strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of this invasive species on native wildlife.

Fire disturbance shapes the structure and composition of faunal communities in many forested ecosystems, but a new era of megafires that result from land use legacies and climate change has led to prolonged negative consequences for some forest specialists. Forest owls in the Sierra Nevada are presumably adapted to shorter-interval fires of mixed severity, but we have yet to quantify the distributions of this assemblage of species and their immediate and persistent responses to disturbance. In this study, we leveraged ecosystem-scale passive acoustic monitoring in the Sierra Nevada and occupancy models to 1) examine species-specific associations with burned habitat and fire legacies and 2) quantify the effect of novel fire disturbance on forest owl populations. Large areas of high-severity fire reduced site occupancy for most species in this assemblage of forest owls, including a mature-forest species for up to 20 years. Low- to moderate-severity fire benefited small cavity-nesting species, while patchy high-severity fire benefited one generalist species. As the climate continues to warm, fires that eliminate large, contiguous areas of live canopy cover could increasingly threaten many of these ecologically important species and the roles they play in ecosystems. Management strategies that reduce fuel loads, restore historical low-moderate severity fire with small patches of high severity fire, and promote a mosaic of forest conditions will likely facilitate the conservation of these nocturnal avian predators.

Endemic to California’s arid Central Valley, endangered Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards (Gambelia sila) have adapted to xeric conditions but like many desert lizards remain at-risk to extinction. Understanding how G. sila maintains water balance through cutaneous evaporative water loss (CEWL) and water intake from prey can help inform endangered reptile conservation strategies in warmer, drier environments. We hypothesized that seasonal changes in climate drive variation in prey water quantity and water loss across the skin, and thus hydration for insectivorous G. sila. To study the lizards’ osmoregulation, we measured CEWL and plasma osmolality of the same individuals throughout the field season. We also collected invertebrate specimens and quantified water content. We found great variability in lizard hydration during the field season. Meanwhile, prey species exhibit variable water content throughout the lizards’ active season, but their average water content remains consistent between wet and dry years. As the effects of climate change intensify, megadroughts may increase hydric pressure on G. sila and other sensitive species, so it will be important to identify which prey species contain the most water — making them integral to survival.

Management must consider landscape characteristics at multiple scales.  We evaluated presence and density for California quail (Callipepla californica) on the Carrizo Plains Ecological Reserve using Distance point count data (2007, 2016, and 2018).  We compared quail locations to the landscape across Carrizo with National Land Cover data, and at the home range scale using VegCAMP data (CDFW).  We determined percent land cover by class on occupied and unoccupied areas of Carrizo.  At the home range level we used class level landscape characteristics to evaluate habitat.  California quail density for 2018, following the wettest winter, was 35 birds/km².  Occupied sites had more shrub-scrub (54.42%) and less herbaceous vegetation (36.35%) than unoccupied areas (21.73%, 63.52%).  At the home-range scale, quail occupied sites with more shrub/scrub, more forest, and less herbaceous vegetation than random points.  Patches of moderate heterogeneity were larger at quail sites (46.07 ± 2.10), compared to random points (32.11 ± 2.92).  This research provides empirical evidence that California quail need for large patches of shrub-scrub vegetation, with adequate edge to bare ground and forbs, and moderate heterogeneity for California quail populations.  Little is known about California quail movements, but land managers must also consider the importance of corridors for dispersal.

The bizarre, spiked profile of the western Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is a quintessential part of the Southern California desert ecosystem. Moreso, the western Joshua tree is central to the desert community both ecologically and culturally. However, the species’ future is uncertain, primarily due to habitat loss to human development in its range and effects of climate change. To protect this iconic species, on July 10, 2023, the California legislature passed the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act (WJTCA), which protects western Joshua tree from take, offers new permitting pathways to legally remove trees and creates a fund for the conservation of the species. The Act also requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop and implement a conservation plan. The multiple permitting pathways include incidental take permit options, which allows the applicant to pay a fee in lieu of traditional mitigation methods like land conservation, and a hazard management permit option, which allow homeowners to remove or trim trees that have fallen on or are close to a structure and constitute a hazard. This poster will summarize the new permitting options created by WJTCA and applicant resources associated with these options.

Ventana Wildlife Society (VWS), in collaboration with Pinnacles National Park, monitors a population of 94 critically-endangered California Condors in central California. Determining causes of condor mortality by recovering dead or injured condors from the wild remains a top management priority. To track condor movements, each bird carries a VHF radio transmitter, while only approximately 30% of the flock is also equipped with more costly GPS transmitters. Since 2014, VWS has partnered with volunteer pilot group LightHawk to locate missing condors using aerial telemetry. When sick, condors self-isolate from the flock in remote areas, which complicates tracking and rescue efforts. To quickly locate these birds, LightHawk’s pilots have conducted 42 aerial surveys to date, contributing 119 total pilot hours. These flights enable biologists to recover condors that otherwise would have remained missing, providing invaluable data on condor mortality and allowing birds to receive life-saving care. Pilots also provide critical detection data when natural disasters like wildfire and severe rainfall prevent access to management sites. As the condor population continues to expand, requiring more efficient monitoring, aerial telemetry becomes an increasingly important tool to monitor this wide-ranging species.

Chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (“Bd”), has been associated with amphibian declines worldwide. While Bd infection can be visually identified at amphibian larval stages, diagnoses for adults often rely on swabbing and quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays. However, processing samples via qPCR requires expensive instrumentation, molecular biology experience, and several hours of benchwork to produce results. Outsourcing to laboratories with the necessary equipment can further increase project costs and waiting times for results. Advances in CRISPR-based diagnostics have enabled the development of novel methods for pathogen detection. Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing (SHERLOCK) assays use the CRISPR-Cas13a enzyme complex to detect target nucleic acids and produce a measurable fluorescent signal. These assays are rapid (< 1 hr), sensitive at low DNA concentrations, and can be performed by non-experts under field conditions. We developed a SHERLOCK assay to detect genome fragments of the Global Panzootic Lineage of Bd (“BdGPL”) on swabs and eDNA samples. Our assay detected culture derived BdGPL DNA within 20 minutes of SHERLOCK reaction initiation in the laboratory. Field trials are in-progress. Findings are preliminary and provided for timely best science.

Axis deer (Axis axis), native to the Indian subcontinent, have been introduced to regions throughout North and South America, Asia, and the Pacific as prized game mammals for hunting. However, beyond their native range, they pose a substantial threat to native flora, ecosystem health, and food security through prolific grazing and habitat degradation. Recent population growth in the Hawaiian Islands has increased public recognition of impacts to agricultural production and native ecosystems, but their population size and movement patterns remain largely unknown, hampering management responses. In this study we aimed to identify drivers that influence movement patterns and home range size utilizing 30 GPS collared deer. Preliminary results suggest movement patterns are correlated with rainfall and elevation while anthropogenic factors serve as major barriers to movement with limited dispersal between areas segmented by these features. Further, Axis deer had relatively small home ranges and dispersal events are largely associated with herds reaching carrying capacity. These results are consistent with movement patterns in their native range and suggest that targeted management aimed at isolating axis deer herds within controllable units may serve as an effective management tool to minimize both the economic and ecological impact of deer in the Hawaiian Islands.

Ranchers and predators have been at odds since the domestication of livestock began thousands of years ago. In present-day California, sheep ranchers remain in conflict with coyotes despite there existing effective nonlethal predator management tools. There is limited understanding of the social factors driving how ranchers make decisions about which predator management strategies to implement in their operations. With targeted grazing taking on a growing role in the California sheep industry, I aim to explore these sheep ranchers’ perspectives and attitudes towards coyotes and other predator management to understand how support for nonlethal methods might be increased among producers. Using a qualitative study design, I conducted semi-structured interviews with sheep ranchers whose main product was grazing services and analyzed the interview transcripts using an inductive coding process. Here, I will present my preliminary results. This research may provide insight on future directions of the sheep industry, providing pathways for increasing tolerance of wild predators among livestock producers and facilitating the success of management efforts, particularly nonlethal control tools.

California has strong regulations in place to protect natural resources from impacts of development and resource extraction. Unfortunately, beneficial habitat restoration can be slowed by these regulations. Historically, the pace and scale of environmental restoration has been insufficient to address threats to California’s biodiversity from anthropogenic stressors such as habitat loss and climate change. Complex and overlapping permitting processes can result in fewer and smaller restoration actions at a slower pace and greater expense. In response, the state of California has identified “Cutting the Green Tape” as a priority initiative to increase the pace and scale of environmental restoration. Many are familiar with the concept of “red tape,” and in this context, “green tape” represents the extra time, money, and effort required to implement restoration projects because of inefficiencies in environmental review, permitting, and granting processes. Cutting the Green Tape means improving regulatory processes and policies so that habitat restoration can occur more quickly, simply, and cost-effectively. This presentation provides an overview of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Cutting the Green Tape Program, and the specific permitting and regulatory tools that are in use or under development for increasing the pace and scale of restoration in California.

California Assembly Bill 1254 tasked the California Department of Fish and Wildlife with developing a statewide bobcat management plan which will include 1) a statewide bobcat population estimate, 2) an assessment of population health, 3) a comprehensive management strategy, 4) an investigation of nonlethal predation solutions, and 5) recommendations for regulatory or statutory changes. To develop the plan, we collected data at 48 study areas across California, each with a grid of 40 two-camera survey stations and 40 km of scat survey transects. Additionally, we deployed GPS collars on 45 bobcats across 12 different counties. This resulted in over 21 million photos, 3,000 scat samples, and 64,000 GPS locations. With help from Wildlife Insights, an online platform for organizing, and processing camera trap images, and the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, University of California, Davis, we identified individual bobcats based on pelage patterns and genotypes from fecal DNA. We developed separate spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) models for each data source (photos and DNA) to estimate population size and used Kernel Density home range estimates and Resource Selection Probability Functions (RSPFs) to assess individual-level habitat selection. This project is unique due to its scale and its multi-faceted approach to assessing California’s bobcat population.

There are a large number of wildlife crossing planning projects occurring throughout California. Because these facilities are permanent and expensive, it is important to inform location decisions using a wide variety of data. We describe 5 wildlife crossing projects in California at various stages of planning, supported by the Wildlife Conservation Board, Peninsula Open Space Trust, and Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, with implementation planned within 5-10 years. In the Bay Area, projects address a city road in an undeveloped valley, another includes SR 152, paralleling the proposed alignment for high-speed rail, and a third includes 2 interstates (I-580 and I-680) and a state highway (SR 84). In southern California, a project along I-8 addresses endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep crossings. In northern California, the fifth project incorporates 2 crossings across US 395. The planning studies generally include informally established lists of focal species, including mountain lion, black bear, elk, mule deer, Peninsular bighorn sheep, wolf, pronghorn, western pond turtle, and other species. All projects follow a general rubric of: 1) existing or new biological data collection, 2) spatial modeling for crossing siting, 3) engineering feasibility, 4) Caltrans/local transportation agency documentation, 5) environmental permitting, and 6) engineering design and cost estimation.

The Pacific coast distinct population segment (DPS) of western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) is a federally threatened small shorebird that nests primarily on ocean-fronting beaches along the Pacific coast. Recovery Unit 2 (RU2) of this DPS includes Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties in northwestern California. RU2 was deemed a ‘population sink,’ which can largely be attributed to the predation risks that corvids and mesopredators such as skunks, opossums, foxes, and raccoons pose on the population. Many questions remain about the relative impact of these predators on snowy plovers, as well as how predator populations are influenced by human activity. We examined whether local human population can have indirect negative consequences on snowy plovers by presenting a comparison of nest predation events due to mesopredators from 2012-2023 to human population density from U.S. Census Bureau data. 42 mesopredator predation events were found from 11 different sites. A generalized linear mixed model found no significant effect on mesopredator predation from human density by census tracts. Further investigation into the effect of human population on mesopredator release throughout the entire range of snowy plovers may help to inform future management decisions.

Butte Valley, California hosts robust numbers of raptors, including at least a dozen species that breed on the valley floor. However, habitat conversion resulting from large scale agriculture has reduced availability of native habitat, including nest sites. The most common tree species used by nesting raptors in this area is western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), followed by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), as well as occasional deciduous trees (e.g., Fremont’s cottonwood [Populus fremontii]). Some raptors have also been observed nesting on artificial structures such as platforms on electrical poles and irrigation pivots. We collected microhabitat data at nest trees to determine if Swainson's (Buteo swainsoni) and Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) showed a preference for certain tree characteristics. These data were collected from occupied nest trees and the nearest neighbors, alongside long-term population monitoring efforts. Microhabitat data included tree height, nest height, number of primary trunks, diameter at breast height, density of canopy, the presence or absence of lichen, lichen type (macro- versus micro lichens), and local tree density. We used logistic regression to test the expectation that Swainson's and Red-tailed Hawks select older and larger trees relative to local availability. The implications of these results could inform which trees are selected for western juniper removal, which is an anticipated treatment conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in Butte Valley.

Faced with climatic extremes, desert species may be at increased risk of depleting water and energy reserves in summer, thus, understanding their thermal ecology and microhabitat use is more crucial than ever to predict responses to climate change. Like many species, desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) utilize burrows as refugia from high daytime surface temperatures to avoid overheating and conserve energy and water. However, nighttime temperatures are lower at the surface than in burrows, particularly in smaller, less ventilated burrows. This raises the question of whether juvenile tortoises will shift from using burrows at night to overnighting at the surface to reduce energy expenditure in hotter seasons. Cameras can address this question, but they are limited by tortoise movements among burrows and do not provide key information on temperature. In August of 2023, we observed juvenile tortoise activity in the wild using time-lapse cameras and simultaneously recorded tortoise and environmental temperatures using temperature loggers (iButtons) affixed to juveniles and positioned in burrow and surface microhabitats. We will use camera data to assess whether temperature data from tortoises and burrow and surface environments can be used to reliably estimate nighttime microhabitat use and potential activity shifts in response to climate change.

Urban development and roads, especially freeways, can isolate mammal populations, increasing the risk of low genetic diversity through genetic drift and inbreeding (i.e., matings between closely related individuals). This low diversity can result in genetic disorders and a decline in fitness known as inbreeding depression. The mountain lion population in California's Santa Monica Mountains (SMM) has become increasingly isolated due to human activities. To evaluate the effects of isolation, we conducted genotyping-by-sequencing of >100 individual mountain lions collected by the National Park Service from the SMM and adjacent Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains (2002–2023), and employed both pedigree-based and direct estimation methods to infer levels of inbreeding. This research has significant conservation implications for this vulnerable population, particularly as ongoing urban expansion threatens habitat connectivity. This study is particularly relevant and timely as the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is due for completion in 2025. This wildlife crossing was designed to increase connectivity for this and other populations, and the data generated from this study establishes a critical baseline for assessing this population's future genetic health and fitness, offering insights that are essential for effective conservation planning.

East Bay Regional Park District’s McCosker Sub-Area Creek Restoration and Recreational Improvements Project aimed to restore vital habitat for special-status species like rainbow trout and federal- and state-listed California red-legged frog while enhancing recreational opportunities for the public. Active construction on the project spanned from 2020 to 2023, and involved a comprehensive restoration effort, including the daylighting of a once-buried creek through culvert removal, construction of two creek channels (Alder and Leatherwood Creek), and installation of in-stream habitat features and riparian plantings. Preliminary post-construction observations revealed promising outcomes. The once-fragmented habitat saw the immediate return of rainbow trout, indicating improved habitat connectivity and ecological conditions. Approximately 2,000 healthy riparian plantings have thrived, contributing to the restoration of the habitat and enhancing its overall ecological value. These habitat improvements have also led to increased native vegetation cover, providing important resources for native wildlife such as nesting birds and the San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat, a state species of special concern. This poster highlights the success of the McCosker Project in its initial post-construction monitoring stages, demonstrating its positive impact on both listed species and sensitive habitats, and emphasizing the importance of such ecological restoration initiatives for the community and the environment.

The introduction of rats (Rattus spp.) to island ecosystems has resulted in widespread decline and extinction of birds. Rats impact birds by spreading disease, depredating eggs, chicks, and adults, and competing for food, yet the effect of rats on both the demography and health of these species is poorly understood. Our objective was to determine if rodent control can influence physiological effects and demographics of island forest birds. To address this objective, we examined the sex and body condition of four focal Hawaiian forest bird species residing in Kaua'i’s Alaka'i Wilderness Preserve in relation to proximity and density of rat traps, as well as topographic variables within their home range. Birds were captured within and around areas that have had active rodent control for the past 5-8 years. Data analysis is currently underway and results of three field seasons of data collection from 2021-2023 will be discussed. Over this period, we collected data from more than 570 focal species captures. This information will be important in prioritizing management actions to protect Hawai'i’s ecologically and culturally important avian populations and contribute to a deeper understanding of rat impacts on forest bird health and demography.

In the Pacific Northwest region of North America, precipitation is predicted to be reduced by climate change (Maurer & Duffy 2005), with trends toward fewer, more extreme rainfall events in the winter and longer, drier, hotter summers (Flint & Flint 2012, Mallakpour 2018). Landscapes in mountainous regions are more vulnerable to these climactic perturbations, as they lose water at higher rates and require more rainfall to replenish groundwater stores in steep terrain (Flint et al 2018). With less water, first order streams are at risk of transforming into a series of intermittent pools (Bogan et al 2019). This has the potential to completely alter the form and function of the stream environment on which amphibian egg and larvae development depend. While much is known about the life histories of terrestrial adult lotic-breeding amphibians, much less is known about their egg and larval phases; those that are completely dependent on the quantity and quality of rainfall and associated streamflow. This study strives to understand at potential small-scale habitat associations between abiotic factors including meso- and micro-habitat structure, substrate type, flow rate, water depth, canopy closure, dissolved oxygen, water temperature and observations of egg mass deposition locations and larvael habitat use by foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) and red-belied newt (Tarciha rivularis). 

The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program is a continent-wide collaboration facilitated by the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), which utilizes standardized protocols to research avian populations and ultimately aid in their conservation. In the summer of 2022, during the passerine breeding season, the Institute for Conservation Research & Education collaborated with IBP and the Orange County Water District to establish a new MAPS station within the Prado Wetlands; this station successfully continued its second year of research this past summer. As the largest reconstructed wetland on the United States West Coast, the Prado wetlands provide a unique habitat for various rare and endangered birds -- the least Bell's vireo being one of them. The Prado station's banding efforts focus on passerine activity along a 0.79-mile stretch within riparian woodland. Throughout the past two seasons of operation, 26 passerine species have been banded, with the Song Sparrow and Common Yellowthroat being the most prevalent. Upon capturing individuals, they are banded with a unique ID and assessed for demographic data values such as sex, age, molt, etc. This station intends to run for at least five years, with a long-term plan to analyze survivorship, reproduction, and the prevalence of diseases like avian pox.

In urbanized landscapes, people, their pets, and wildlife may intersect through potential exposure to ectoparasites, such as hard ticks. This project explores potential risks for tick exposure and interaction with urban-dwelling wildlife along a gradient of urbanization in the San Gabriel Valley in eastern Los Angeles County. Camera traps are used to document urban wildlife species in recreational spaces including hiking areas, city parks, and other open spaces. The drag cloth method is used to collect ticks from vegetation. Tick presence is noted, and collected ticks are identified to species and quantified. Finally, a public survey was developed to gauge public knowledge and perceptions surrounding pet ownership, outdoor recreation, urban wildlife, and ticks in the study area. To date, 7 Ixodes pacificus ticks and 43 Dermacentor occidentalis ticks have been collected, 130 species of wildlife have been identified, and the survey garnered 105 responses. This information will be synthesized to describe the risk of potential exposure to ticks and interaction with wildlife in urban greenspaces in the San Gabriel Valley.

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus) network is increasingly used to track movements of migratory species including monarch butterflies. In addition to their long-distance migraoty movements, western monarchs are also known to move between overwintering sites. We piloted the use of Lotek dataloggers to track lightweight Motus tags attached to western monarchs to examine inter-site movements and butterfly response to tagging. We placed receivers adjacent to and between two overwintering sites that were 1.34 miles apart at Montana de Oro State Park in central California. We affixed Lotek nanopin Motus tags to 18 monarchs using superglue. We determined only one centrally located receiver tower was necessary to pick up between grove movements, therefore only report the data from this location. We collected over 19,000 detections during a 7-day trial. Thirteen monarchs (72%) moved between the sites, though the majority of detections for a given individual were at the site where they were tagged. Four monarchs either departed the study area or their tags stopped working. The datalogger batteries used to power the towers lost power after 7 days, well before the tag batteries died. Using a handheld device, we dected one tag 81 days after deployment, well beyond the tag's predicted 15 day lifespan. Motus tags display promise as a tool that can improve understanding of monarch movements during the overwintering period, a critical part of their multi-generational life cycle.

Urbanization is an increasing threat to biodiversity worldwide. In California, the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and the San Francisco Bay Area exemplify this replacement of wildlife habitat with urban sprawl, displacement of native wildlife and replacement with non-native, urban-tolerant species. In this study, we placed 66 wildlife cameras in two urban industrial parks in California: Venice, Los Angeles County and Mountain View, Santa Clara County. While both sites are in urban areas in close proximity to either the Pacific Ocean or San Francisco Bay, respectively, the human population density is greater in Venice than Mountain View. Additionally, significant effort has been made to replace traditional landscaping with native vegetation at the Mountain View site, as well as maintaining existing natural areas and constructed wetlands. We found that the Venice site was dominated by invasive rodents and non-native species, while the Mountain View site had significantly greater species richness overall and of native species in particular. Of note, canids and native mesocarnivores were abundant in Mountain View and largely absent in Venice. Our results indicate that maintaining native vegetation significantly increases biodiversity, including multiple trophic levels, and that the presence of mammalian predators may significantly reduce invasive rodent populations.

The Blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is an endangered and charismatic lizard species native to California’s Central Valley. The Fresno Chaffee Zoo (FCZ) has maintained a captive assurance colony of G.sila since the summer of 2020. The spring and summer of 2023 marks the third breeding season for the colony. We founded the colony with seven lizards captured from Panoche Plateau and the colony has since produced 107 animals and we released 17 back to Panoche Plateau in 2023. Our rapidly growing colony is now housed in a newly constructed Conservation Action Center building on zoo grounds. In addition to housing the colony, this building will highlight FCZ’s local conservation work and will provide literal windows into the conservation science happening at FCZ as we study G. sila. We will continue producing, releasing, and monitoring G. sila annually until >50 natural born females successfully reproduce on the Panoche Plateau and the population can grow without further captive propagation.

Adult migrating newts and metamorphs are at risk of becoming road-kill when they are moving to and from their aquatic breeding waters. Roads that bisect a migration route can accumulate high numbers of mortalities throughout the season. We setup a walking survey of 1.8 kilometers of road in southern Santa Clara County. Over the course of the winter and early spring of 2009 & 2010, we conducted 14 surveys and collected data on 626 Taricha torosa mortalities. The carcasses of other amphibians and reptiles disappeared from the survey area quite quickly, while the carcasses of the newts remained on the road for longer periods of time. With the longevity of the newt carcasses and the locating of new mortalities, hotspots of mortality should be able to be determined and compared to topographical draw features and aid in the placement of suitable amphibian crossing structures.

Urban environments provide novel resources for urban wildlife. The diets of urban-living animals often shift in response to resource availability, with cascading impacts on population health and behavior, ecosystem processes, and human-wildlife conflict. To better understand how urbanization alters the diet of wildlife, we compared the diets of an urban and non-urban population of coyotes (Canis latrans) using stable isotope analysis. We measured δ13C and δ15N of coyote vibrissae from 48 individual coyotes from San Francisco (urban) and Marin (non-urban) counties. We compared δ13C, a proxy for anthropogenic food consumption, and δ15N, a measure of protein assimilation, between the two populations. We also compared the isotopic dietary niche breadths between the two populations. By comparing the diets of urban and non-urban coyote populations, we shed light on how diet composition and breadth are altered by urbanization. Further investigation of the physiological effects of altered urban diets is needed to refine understanding of how urban environments impact wildlife.

Head-started animals often lack natural predator responses, prompting pre-release anti-predator training in conservation head-starting programs to enhance post-release survival. This behavioral conditioning method aims to improve predator recognition and responses. The endangered Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is increasingly involved in head-starting programs but faces high depredation risk, including by subsidized predators like the common raven (Corvus corax). This study investigated impacts of anti-predator training on head-started juvenile desert tortoise behavior. Utilizing a before-after, control-impact experimental design, all tortoises were exposed to predator cues (model raven flyover paired with raven calls). The treatment group then received predator cues paired with an aversive experience, while the control group was exposed to predator cues without negative consequences. Tortoises received predator cues again. Behavioral data were collected for 24 hours before and after each predator exposure to quantify changes in predator responses between control and trained tortoises before and after treatment. Preliminary results suggest no significant behavioral changes in trained tortoises. However, our results also reveal notable individual variation in predator responses, which could be related to sources of environmental variation (e.g. air temperature) or to individual behavioral differences (“personality”). Post-release survival measurement will enable further evaluation of this anti-predator training approach.

Tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) – a subspecies of North American elk – are endemic to California. Suisun Marsh, which consists of brackish water tidal and managed wetlands, supports a herd of approximately 280 tule elk. However, increasing salinities, due to increased demand of water in the Delta and climate change, pose a threat to the quality of habitat to support fish and wildlife in Suisun Marsh. It’s clear that increased salinity will have a profound effect on aquatic species, but terrestrial mammals may also be affected by various factors, such as a lack of available water within their respective salinity tolerances and decreased quality forage.

We compared the weights of tule elk harvested on Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in the Suisun Marsh between dry and wet years. We looked at the weights 43 tule elk calves, and 63 female subadults collected over a period of nine years. Average weights for calves were generally lower during periods of drought than during wet years. Female subadult weights were less affected. Increased monitoring of reproduction and mortality on tule elk during periods of drought would allow us to better predict how increasing salinity will affect terrestrial species in Suisun Marsh in the future.

The federally endangered and California Species of Special Concern Buena Vista Lake ornate shrew (BVLOS; Sorex ornatus relictus) is a focal species of the proposed California Department of Water Resources State Water Project San Joaquin Field Division Habitat Conservation Plan. Initially, protocol-level (USFWS 2012) trapping studies for BVLOS were proposed. Ultimately, based on work performed by Tennant (2020) and Cypher et al (2017), the project team determined that camera studies would be more effective than trapping, and was supported by the wildlife agencies (US Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife). Per Cypher et al (2017), Reconyx HC600 HyperFire Covert model cameras factory modified to take close focal-length photographs were used. These cameras are expensive, so while the study was performed using the agency required Reconyx cameras, we also performed a supplemental study on a subset of the camera stations where Reconyx cameras were paired with much less expensive Browning Dark Ops trail cameras. The use of acceptable lower-cost cameras could help make larger and longer-term studies more cost effective and provide more data that could be leveraged toward species conservation and monitoring. This poster discusses and depicts the favorable results in support of this approach.

Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are long-lived, top predators and are vulnerable to a variety of threats. There is increasing concern about the declining population in coastal southern California, which has largely coincided with habitat loss due to urbanization of the region. This Mediterranean-type ecosystem is also experiencing more prolonged and intense droughts. The impact of drought on Golden Eagles is unknown, although drought can reduce populations of their key local prey, such as jackrabbits. Here, we used GPS tracking data to calculate eagle home ranges and hypothesized that home range size would be influenced by drought such that home ranges would be larger to meet their resource needs with worsening drought severity. Fifty individual eagles were captured over seven breeding seasons, spanning the time both during and after the historic 2012-2016 drought. We found that drought severity predicted Golden Eagle home range size and as drought severity worsened, home range sizes for adults increased in area. Drought-breaking rainfall corresponded with dramatically smaller home ranges compared to home range sizes during drought years. Our results suggest that the frequent and severe drought that is projected for this region could lead to lowered nesting density and an increased risk of further decline.

The Island Spotted Skunk, Spilogale gracilis amphialus, and the Island Fox, Urocyon littoralis, are two mesocarnivores that co-occur on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands, part of the California Channel Islands archipelago. For almost 20 years, the National Park Service has been laying out grids of traps to monitor the fox population on Santa Rosa Island, and skunks are incidentally caught in the traps as well. Through these monitoring efforts, it was observed that when the fox population declined, the skunk population increased, but has fallen again since the recovery of the foxes. This information suggests that the foxes and the skunks have a competitive relationship. Both species occupy similar niches, but the foxes have a competitive advantage due to their larger size, broader diet, and range of temporal activity. We are investigating the extent to which this competitive relationship is partitioned by the vegetation these animals rely on for habitat and food. Using historical trapping data on Santa Rosa Island, we compared the fox grid locations and trapping success rates to vegetation maps in order to visualize the habitat utilization of each species and ran statistical tests in R to determine if specific vegetation associations were significant.

Climate change has significantly impacted the phenology of plant/pollinator mutualistic relationships, leading to a timing mismatch. While much research has focused on phenological mismatch, more fine-scale temporal changes may also impact pollinator foraging biology, and thus pollination success. In this study, we evaluate whether hummingbirds prefer to feed from sources with high-quality nectar to maximize energy versus a preference to perch while feeding to conserve energy when given the choice. I predict hummingbirds will display time minimizer behavior and perch to feed in higher temperatures to maintain temperature homeostasis and reduce heat production. Anna’s hummingbirds were subjected to an environment with a low-effort and high-effort feeder containing either a high or low sugar solution in two different temperatures. The hummingbirds displayed an inverse relationship between food consumption and feeding method, preferring to hover feed in high temperatures and perch feed in low temperatures, and demonstrating an energy budget plan of higher food consumption with an increased demand for rest at low temperatures, while consuming less and dedicating less energy towards rest at high temperatures. Based on this information, we can predict that Calypte annas may adapt well to extreme heat events associated with climate change due to their increased foraging efficiency at high temperatures.

Coastal California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica (CAGN) numbers have decreased from historical levels due to multiple factors such as the loss of coastal sage scrub habitat, wildfires and invasive plants. However, our team documented a high number of nesting pairs at the University of California Irvine, San Joaquin Marsh, Orange County. We are currently studying the reproduction and dispersal of CAGN by color-banding juvenile birds and re-sighting them after dispersal. Our research will identify the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve, as a source or a sink for CAGN, as well as quantify regional nest survivorship, natal dispersal and inform adaptive management recommendations for local conservation and recovery. In the initial year of our study, 2023, we documented 10 CAGN pairs on breeding territories at the marsh and banded a total of 46 CAGN. In the spring of 2024, we will continue banding at the marsh and start a comprehensive re-sighting effort. The marsh is a managed and restored site and the results of our study will provide insights into long-term management of coastal sage scrub (CSS) for CAGN habitat. In addition, this study is a test of the core and linkage reserve design and will provide information about current dispersal movement.

Bumble bees (genus Bombus) are an economically and ecologically important group of pollinators that have been negatively impacted by habitat loss, pesticide use, pathogens and climate change. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife considers six bumble bees Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), and four of those are candidates for listing under the California Endangered Species Act. Further, there is little available baseline data on the population abundance, distribution, and floral preferences of most species. The California Bumble Bee Atlas (Atlas) community science initiative was launched in 2022 to systematically, non-lethally survey bumble bees in all parts of California. Atlas volunteers have documented over 10,000 bumble bee observations and their associated forage plants. In this poster, using data collected to date through the Atlas, we explore forage plant preferences of California’s native bumble bees. We concentrate on plants visited by four bumble bee SGCN, the change in forage plant species from early to late season, and diversity of native forage plants used. By identifying floral associates that bumble bees rely on for nectar and pollen, we can help inform habitat conservation and restoration of these important pollinators.

California’s vernal pools are unique and delicate ecosystems that face growing challenges from climate change including wildfires. In contrast to conventional perceptions, wildfires can be a transformative catalyst for these environments. Recognizing the constructive role of fire is essential for informed conservation strategies, emphasizing the need to integrate fire as a natural ecological process in managing and preserving these dynamic landscapes. In 2022, a wildfire ran through Westervelt Ecological Service’s Burke Ranch Conservation Bank located in Solano County. This property contains habitat for many sensitive wildlife and plant species, including California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) and San Joaquin spearscale (Atriplex joaquiniana). The data shown in this poster will highlight the ecological resilience of vernal pools and grasslands to periodic fires, with a focus on San Joaquin spearscale, how the fire could benefit California tiger salamander migrations, and what that could mean for long-term management of vernal pool properties in the face of evolving environmental challenges.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal neurologic disease of cervids, including mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis). CWD has not yet been detected in California’s mule deer and elk population. To monitor California’s herds, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has developed and implemented a CWD surveillance program. The program seeks to enlist the help of California’s deer hunters, meat processors, and taxidermists to monitor for CWD.This voluntary program encourages partners who harvest or handle a harvested deer from California to submit medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLN) for CWD testing.

The northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) is one of the smallest raptors in North America, and breeds in primarily coniferous forests in the intermountain west, as well as the boreal forest from Alaska to Nova Scotia. In the fall, saw-whet owls migrate to lower elevations and latitudes in large numbers, allowing them to be one of the most banded avian species in North America. Thanks to the efforts of Project Owlnet, a large-scale network of researchers collaborating to understand the species’ migration, migration pathways and population trends, these objectives are well understood in the eastern portion of the species range, but less understood in the west. A banding station was established in 2019 in the east Bay Area in partnership with the Mt. Diablo Audubon Society to broaden the collaboration effort in the west, and was run at least four nights a week during peak saw-whet owl migration (October-November) for five years, to determine scale and timing of the owl’s movement in the area. Preliminary results suggest the Bay Area provides a critical migration path and stopover area for saw-whet owls, but additional data and regional collaboration is needed to fully understand the species’ stopover use and scale of migration.