There are many and increasing threats to biodiversity. To protect the plants and animals that share our world, we need to understand what they need to survive – and ideally, thrive – in a warming, more crowded world. And we need to better understand how meeting those needs can align with other societal values.
To do that, our scientists conduct ecological research to elucidate conservation problems, test hypotheses and solutions, and monitor results. We collaborate with the scientific community to inform and review our work, and share our findings with scientists and conservation practitioners around the world.
Science in Action
Terrestrial | Marine | Science
TNC and FEMA
How do we increase climate resilience in ways that work for people and nature?
Freshwater | Terrestrial | Science
Rewilding the San Joaquin Valley
40 years of science sets the course for the largest recovery of species in U.S. history
2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Partitioning the sources of demographic variation reveals density‐dependent nest predation in an island bird populationv
H.R. Sofaer, T.S. Sillett, K.M. Langin, S.A. Morrison, C.K. Ghalambor
The density of birds in their breeding areas can affect reproductive success in myriad ways – and it is often difficult to distinguish which factors are more influential. For example, areas that…
2014 | Terrestrial | Planning | Science | Maps & Webmaps
Actions Likely to Increase Plant and Animal Resilience to Climate Change
This webmap provides regional climate projections with information about topography, coastal proximity and level of habitat fragmentation to help land managers identify concrete conservation…
2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
A bird in our hand: weighing uncertainty about the past against uncertainty about the future in Channel Islands National Park
When should managers intervene if threats from climate change are likely but there is uncertainty about when those threats would actually jeopardize a conservation value? This paper presents a case…
2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Reintroduction of historically extirpated taxa on the California Channel Islands
S.A. Morrison, K.A. Parker, P.W. Collins, W.C. Funk, T.S. Sillett
Pest eradication as a means to restore island ecosystems may come too late for populations that have already been driven extinct. Over decades, the California islands have been the focus of numerous…
2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Argentine ant management in conservation areas: results of a pilot study
CL Boser, C Hanna, KR Faulkner, C Cory, JM Randall, SA Morrison
Argentine ants are a highly aggressive and impactful non-native species introduced to California and around the world, impacting ecologically sensitive areas, commercial industries and residential…
2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
On the fast track to recovery: island foxes on the northern Channel Islands
TJ Coonan, V Bakker, B Hudgens, CL Boser, DK Garcelon, SA Morrison
The island fox is a rare carnivore existing on only six California Channel Islands. In the late 1990’s, due to new and excessive golden eagle predation, it was threatened with extinction on the…
2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Identifying evolutionarily significant units and prioritizing populations for management on islands
Jeanne M. Robertson, Kathryn M. Langin, T. Scott Sillett, Scott A. Morrison, Cameron K. Ghalambor, W. Chris Funk
Conservation of biodiversity can be complicated when there are many priority taxa and tradeoffs in management need to be made. This can be especially challenging on islands, where populations with…
2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Stand structure and acorn production of the island scrub oak (Quercus pacifica)
Mario B. Pesendorfer, Kathryn M. Langin, Brian Cohen, Zachary Principe, Scott A. Morrison, T. Scott Sillett
Acorns are an important food resource for many species that occupy oak habitats. Patterns of acorn abundance across time and space, however, are often difficult to characterize. This paper describes…
2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Strategies for biosecurity on a nearshore island in California
CL Boser, C Cory, KR Faulkner, JM Randall, JJ Knapp, SA Morrison
Biosecurity is the prevention of damaging non-native species’ arrival and establishment to new areas, for the protection of native plants and animals. This paper discusses the first iterations…
2013 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
Successes, Failures and Suggested Future Directions for Ecosystem Restoration of the Middle Sacramento River, CA
Golet G.H., D.L. Brown, M. Carlson, T. Gardali, A. Henderson, K.D. Holl, C.A. Howell, M. Holyoak, J. Hunt, G.M. Kondolf, E.W. Larsen, R.A. Luster, C. McClain, C. Nelson, S. Paine, W. Rainey, Z. Rubin, F. Shilling, J.G. Silveira, H. Swagerty, N.M. Williams, D.M. Wood
Large-scale ecosystem restoration projects seldom undergo comprehensive evaluation to determine project effectiveness. Consequently, there are missed opportunities for learning and strategy…
2013 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Male's return rate, rather than territory fidelity and breeding dispersal, explains geographic variation in song sharing in two populations of an oscine passerine (Oreothlypis celata)
J Yoon, TS Sillett, SA Morrison, CK Ghalambor
When members of a single species display very different behavioral patterns it can present a helpful model for ecological study. This paper examines two breeding populations of a songbird species: one…
2013 | Terrestrial | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
50-Year Climate Scenarios and Plant Species Distribution Forecasts for Setting Conservation Priorities in Southwestern California
Principe, Z., J.B. MacKenzie, B. Cohen, J.M. Randall, W. Tippets, T. Smith, S.A. Morrison
Coastal southern California has long been the focus of regional conservation planning efforts. Decades ago – and prior to today’s heightened awareness of the magnitude of the likely…
2013 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Vinecology: Pairing Wine with Nature
Joshua H. Viers, John N. Williams, Kimberly A. Nicholas, Olga Barbosa, Inge Kotzé, Liz Spence, Leanne B. Webb, Adina Merenlender, Mark Reynolds
As an essential component of food security, agricultural landscapes must play a role in conservation efforts because they occupy large areas of land, are adjacent to critical habitat, and both depend…
2013 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Reproductive ecology of the island scrub-jay
Luke Caldwell, Victoria J. Bakker, T. Scott Sillett, Michelle A. Desrosiers, Scott A. Morrison, Lisa M. Angeloni
The Island Scrub-Jay is the only island restricted bird species in the continental U.S. This study presents findings of a comprehensive breeding ecology study, aimed at elucidating demographic…
2013 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Farm practices for food safety: an emerging threat to floodplain and riparian ecosystem
Gennet, S., J. Howard, J. Langholz, K. Andrews, M.D. Reynolds, S.A. Morrison
This paper discusses the 2006 outbreak of toxic foodborne E. coli and its impact on wildlife. The authors explain how farming practices for food safety that target wildlife can damage ecosystems but…
2013 | Freshwater | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
Below the Surface: California’s Freshwater Diversity
Jeanette Howard, Kirk Klausmeyer, Kurt Fesenmyer
Californians face profound decisions regarding the management of their state’s increasingly limited water supply. Critical for decision-making is information about the plants and animals that…
2013 | Marine | Technology | Science | Blogs
Quick Study: A California-Style Approach to Sustainable Fisheries
Darci Palmquist, Mary Gleason, Matt Merrifield
2013 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Decline and Recovery of Small Mammals after Flooding: Implications for Pest Management and Floodplain Community Dynamics
Golet G.H., J. Hunt, D. Koenig
Floodplains often are managed both for agriculture and as habitat for native species. On the Sacramento River, farmers have expressed concern that natural areas may be sources of pests to adjoining…