Products
We identify issues and uncertainties that pose obstacles to conservation and then—in collaboration with internal and external colleagues—develop science products that help overcome those obstacles.
2013 | Marine | Science | Publications & Reports
Central Coast Trawl Impact and Recovery Study: 2009-2012 Final Report
James Lindholm, Mary Gleason, Donna Kline, Larissa Clary, Steve Rienecke, Michael Bell
This report summarizes the results of a multi-year study (June 2009 to December 2012) to assess the impacts of bottom trawling on seafloor habitats and associated biological communities. This project…
2012 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Differential effects of food availability and nest predation risk on avian reproductive strategies
HR Sofaer, TS Sillett, SI Peluc, SA Morrison, CK Ghalambor
Island archipelagos can provide useful opportunities for comparative studies in ecology. In this paper, for example, breeding ecology of a songbird was studied on two of the California Channel…
2012 | Marine | Planning | Science | Maps & Webmaps
California Coastal and Marine Program: Protecting Fish Stocks and Livelihoods
Since 2007, The Nature Conservancy has pioneered a first-of-its-kind fishery reform approach that aligns communities, the fishing industry, and conservation interests to drive strategic changes in…
2012 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Hierarchical distance-sampling models to estimate population size and habitat-specific abundance of an island endemic
TS Sillett, RB Chandler, JA Royle, M Kéry, SA Morrison
The Island Scrub-Jay occurs only on 250 km2 Santa Cruz Island. This study combined an intensive, short-term field survey with novel statistical modeling to generate estimates of population abundance,…
2012 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Breeding density, not life history, predicts interpopulation differences in territorial aggression in a passerine bird
JongminYoon, T. Scott Sillett, Scott A.Morrison, Cameron K. Ghalambora
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…
2012 | Terrestrial | Technology | Science | Publications & Reports
An evaluation of monitoring methods for the endangered giant kangaroo rat
Tim Bean, Bob Stafford, Laura Prugh, Scott Butterfield, Justin Brashares
This paper compares the efficacy of different monitoring methods for estimating distribution, abundance, and population growth of the endangered giant kangaroo rat to determine the best practices for…
2012 | Terrestrial | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
Small Reserves Can Successfully Preserve Rare Plants Despite Management Challenges
Small preserves are difficult to manage, but they can be important for rare plant protection. The article outlines the management challenges faced by small preserves, provides a case study from The…
2012 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Marine | Science | Publications & Reports
Restoring Salmon Habitat: Garcia River Forest
Jennifer Carah, Jason Pelletier
A two-page summary of salmon restoration efforts at the Garcia River Forest on the North Cost of California focusing on the reintroduction of wood in streams as a strategy.
2012 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Marine | Science | Video
Saving Salmon One Log at a Time
The Nature Conservancy, Jennifer Carah
Salmon and trout thrive in streams with cool water, low levels of sand and silt, and deep, shaded pools. Intensive forest management in California over the last 150 years led to the removal of these…
2012 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Grassland community composition drives small-scale spatial patterns in soil properties and processes
Parker, S.S., E.W. Seabloom, J.P. Schimel
Understanding how plant invasions occur is vitally important for land managers and conservationists working to enhance biodiversity in California grasslands. While much of the research on this topic…
2011 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Proactive Conservation Management of an Island-endemic Bird Species in the Face of Global Change
Scott A. Morrison, T. Scott Sillett, Cameron K. Ghalambor, John W. Fitzpatrick, David M. Graber, Victoria J. Bakker, Reed Bowman, Charles T. Collins, Paul W. Collins, Kathleen Semple Delaney, Daniel F. Doak, Walter D. Koenig, Lyndal Laughrin, Alan A. Lieberman, John M. Marzluff, Mark D. Reynolds, J. Michael Scott, Jerre Ann Stallcup, Winston Vickers, Walter M. Boyce
This paper discusses conservation of the Island Scrub-Jay in the context of novel threats posed by climate change. The authors discuss management actions that could reduce extinction…
2011 | Freshwater | Terrestrial | Marine | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
The impact of climate change on California’s ecosystem services
Shaw, M.R., L. Pendleton, D.R. Cameron, B. Morris, D. Bachelet, K. Klausmeyer, J. MacKenzie, D.R. Conklin, G.N. Bratman, J. Lenihan, E. Haunreiter, C. Daly, P.R. Roehrdanz
As the climate warms, changes in ecosystems will impact human communities and livelihoods. This paper, together with a California Energy Commission Scenarios Report of the same name, explores the…
2011 | Terrestrial | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
Trophic considerations in eradicating multiple pests
Invasive species can have profound effects on island ecosystems. So, too, can their removal. And interactions among species can both help and hinder the attainment of restoration goals. This paper…
2011 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Surveillance for West Nile virus and vaccination of free-ranging island scrub-jays (Aphelocoma insularis) on Santa Cruz Island, California
Walter M. Boyce, Winston Vickers, Scott A. Morrison, Scott Sillett, Luke Caldwell, Sarah S. Wheeler, Christopher M. Barker, Robert Cummings, William K. Reisen
As West Nile virus invaded the mainland southern California coast in 2003 there were widespread die-offs of certain species of bird. Corvids (e.g., jays, ravens, crows) were especially susceptible.…
2011 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Efficacy of three vaccines in protecting Western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) from experimental infection with West Nile virus: implications for vaccination of Island scrub-jays (Aphelocoma insularis)
Sarah S. Wheeler, Stanley Langevin, Leslie Woods, Brian D. Carroll, Winston Vickers, Scott A. Morrison, Gwong-Jen J. Chang, William K. Reisen, Walter M. Boyce
Concerns about the spread of West Nile virus in North America and the high mortality it causes in corvids have led managers to consider vaccination as a strategy to proactively protect free-ranging…
2011 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Landscape-scale indicators of biodiversity's vulnerability to climate change
Klausmeyer, K. R., M. R. Shaw, J.B. MacKenzie, D.R.Cameron
This analysis provides an approach for distilling complex climate and landscape data into actions land managers can take to help plants and animals adapt to a changing climate. Based on historical…
2011 | Terrestrial | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
The essential non-science of eradication programmes: creating conditions for success
SA Morrison, KR Faulkner, LA Vermeer, L Lozier, MR Shaw
Eradication programs are complex undertakings that require comprehensive multidisciplinary planning and nimble adaptive implementation. This paper discusses the preparation that went into the most…
2011 | Terrestrial | Planning | Science | Publications & Reports
Increasing the return on investments in island restoration
A Saunders, JP Parkes, A Aguirre-Munoz, SA Morrison
Tremendous advances over recent decades in eradication of invasive species on islands raise the question whether there are now opportunities to further increase the pace and scale of that work. This…
2011 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports
Temporal and taxonomic variability in response of fauna to riparian restoration
G.H. Golet, T. Gardali, J.W. Hunt, D.A. Koenig, N.M. Williams
Most assessments of ecological restoration success track a single type of species over a single season. This study explores the limitations of such studies by examining how birds, rodents, bees…