California Fish and Wildlife Journal Documents

Appendix 2 for Tanaka et al. 2025

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:10:38 -0800

Appendix 2 for Tanaka et al. 2025 - Appendix 2 for Tanaka et al. 2025

Appendix 1 for Tanaka et al. 2025

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:09:18 -0800

Appendix 1 for Tanaka et al. 2025 - Appendix 1 for Tanaka et al. 2025

Supplemental Information for Pangel et al. 2025

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 10:11:56 -0800

Supplemental Information for Pangel et al. 2025 - Supplemental Information for Pangel et al. 2025

Appendix I for Bleich and Stewart 2025

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 11:23:23 -0700

Appendix -

Appendix for Denryter et al. 2025

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:54:58 -0700

Appendix -

Supplemental Tables for Foott 2025

Tue, 20 May 2025 14:08:37 -0700

Ceratonova shasta infection in Chinook salmon -

Supplemental Information for Leitner and Leitner 2025

Tue, 20 May 2025 12:54:00 -0700

Mohave ground squirrel -

Appendix 1 for Airola et al. Bald eagle population increase, reproductive success, and nesting habitat in central interior California

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:03:24 -0700

bald eagle -

Appendix C for Germano et al. 2025

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:56:08 -0700

appendix - The range of means of means, minimum and maximum values, and the range of standard deviations (SD) for overall means for data loggers above ground and in burrows on the control plot and treatment plot in January 2006 (31 d) and July 2006 (31 d). Sample size (n) refers to the number of data loggers from which data were derived. See Figure 9 for the approximate value of means recorded at 0000 and 1200 each day.

Appendix B for Germano et al. 2025

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:54:45 -0700

appendix - Effect of plot type, position (data logger above or below ground), season, and time of day (0000, 0600, 1200, 1600) on humidity relative to baseline category (Control, Above Ground, Fall) using the mgcv and gam packages for the Generalized Additive Model in R. Significant effects are indicated by P-values in bold.

Appendix A for Germano et al. 2025

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:52:46 -0700

appendix - Effect of plot type, position (data logger above or below ground), season, and time of day (0000, 0600, 1200, 1600) on temperature relative to baseline category (Control, Above Ground, Fall) using the mgcv and gam packages for the Generalized Additive Model in R. Significant effects are indicated by P-values in bold.Effect of plot type, position (data logger above or below ground), season, and time of day (0000, 0600, 1200, 1600) on temperature relative to baseline category (Control, Above Ground, Fall) using the mgcv and gam packages for the Generalized Additive Model in R. Significant effects are indicated by P-values in bold.

Appendix I for Bleich 2024

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 08:46:20 -0700

Trends in pinniped interactions with commercial passenger fisheries vessels in California Supplemental Information

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:08:05 -0700

pinniped -

Mammal Species of Special Concern - Appendix 2

Thu, 30 May 2024 19:19:48 -0700

CFWJ Revised Submission Guidelines (December 2020)

Mon, 20 May 2024 13:57:33 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Journal - Revised submission guidelines for CFWJ for electronic submission system.

Appendix for Airola 2024 Survey Methods of Purple Martins

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:51:05 -0700

purple martin -

Supplemental Information for Aiello et al.

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 11:30:16 -0700

Supplemental Information for Highway underpasses offer little fragmentation relief for desert bighorn sheep near Mojave National Preserve, CA -

Supplemental Information for Bean et al.

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:04:49 -0800

Supplemental Information for Fecal Genotyping of Small Mammals -

Supplemental Information for Wehausen 2023

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 07:53:30 -0800

Appendices for: Development of habitat suitability criteria for macroinvertebrate community metrics for use in habitat restoration projects

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:31:35 -0800

macroinvertebrates - Appendices for: Development of habitat suitability criteria for macroinvertebrate community metrics for use in habitat restoration projects

Appendices for: Central Valley anadromous salmonid habitat suitability criteria

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:29:16 -0800

Salmonids - Appendices for: Central Valley anadromous salmonid habitat suitability criteria

Supplemental Information for: Spatial relationships and mesoscale habitat variance in co-occurring populations of Church's sideband and Trinity bristle snail in the Greater Trinity Basin, northern California

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:47:52 -0800

Supplemental Information for Snail Paper - Supplemental Information for: Spatial relationships and mesoscale habitat variance in co-occurring populations of Church's sideband and Trinity bristle snail in the Greater Trinity Basin, northern California

Appendices for: Spatial relationships and mesoscale habitat variance in co-occurring populations of Church's sideband and Trinity bristle snail in the Greater Trinity Basin, northern California

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:45:19 -0800

Snail Appendices - Appendices for: Spatial relationships and mesoscale habitat variance in co-occurring populations of Church's sideband and Trinity bristle snail in the Greater Trinity Basin, northern California

A novel method using camera traps to record effectiveness of artificial perches for raptors

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 08:47:35 -0700

A novel method using camera traps to record effectiveness of artificial perches for raptors -

Notes from the Editor (103) 2

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 18:02:17 -0700

Notes from the Editor (103) 2 -

From the Archives: Bighorn Sheep in the Vicinity of Claremont, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 18:02:16 -0700

From the Archives: Bighorn Sheep in the Vicinity of Claremont, California -

A previously undocumented life history behavior in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) from the Klamath River, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 18:02:14 -0700

A previously undocumented life history behavior in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) from the Klamath River, California -

“Mr. Bighorn”: Richard A. Weaver (1926–2017)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 18:02:11 -0700

“Mr. Bighorn”: Richard A. Weaver (1926–2017) -

Fecundity and reproductive potential of wild female Delta Smelt in the upper San Francisco Estuary, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 17:43:53 -0700

Fecundity and reproductive potential of wild female Delta Smelt in the upper San Francisco Estuary, California -

Environmental extremes and biotic interactions facilitate depredation of endangered California Ridgway’s rail in a San Francisco Bay tidal marsh

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 17:43:49 -0700

Environmental extremes and biotic interactions facilitate depredation of endangered California Ridgway’s rail in a San Francisco Bay tidal marsh -

Assessment of length- and age-at-maturity for California halibut (Paralichthys californicus), including a histologically-based description of the reproductive cycle

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 17:35:44 -0700

Assessment of length- and age-at-maturity for California halibut (Paralichthys californicus), including a histologically-based description of the reproductive cycle -

California Fish and Game 102 (2) Spring 2016 High Resolution

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 17:29:28 -0700

California Fish and Game 102 (2) Spring 2016 -

William E. (Bill) Clark: Tough Texan to the “Glass Half-full Guy”

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:09:08 -0700

December 9, 2013 was a sad day for the family, friends, and colleagues of Bill Clark. His sudden passing was a loss felt heavily by the wildlife conservation community throughout California. Bill’s professional career was cut short by a life threatening stroke in 1995, and we lost him to a similar event in December last year.

Mallard feeding on kokanee salmon eggs, Taylor Creek, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:09:06 -0700

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are an abundant breeding duck throughout California (Kozlik 1974) and feed widely on both animal and plant materials (Martin et al. 1961, Swanson et al. 1985, Bellrose 1980, Cederholm et al. 1989). Munro (1923) appears to be the first published record of mallards consuming salmon eggs. In Alaska, Gleason (2007) reported mallards eating salmon carcasses, as well as a personal communication that the use of salmon eggs is a common foraging strategy of mallards. Gleason (2007) also included additional second-hand reports that anecdotally suggest that salmon form an important food source for mallards. Other reports (Munroe 1943, Willson and Halupka 1995), combined with observations from Canada (J. S. Gleason, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, personal communication June 2014) and California (E. G. Hunt, CDFW retired, personal communication June 2014) suggest that this foraging strategy is more common than is indicated in the literature.

Density dependence in ungulates: a review of causes, and concepts with some clarifications

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:09:03 -0700

Understanding population dynamics of ungulates is not conceptually simple, in part, because there are many counter intuitive processes. We attempt to disentangle important concepts, including density dependence, density independence, limitation, regulation, compensatory and additive mortality, and top-down versus bottom-up forcing by examining how those ideas are related to the carrying capacity (K) of the environment. We contend that the K-selected, life-history characteristics of ungulates account for major components of their population dynamics. Those density-dependent attributes of ungulates require different management strategies than for species with attributes that are influenced primarily by density-independent processes. We offer a conceptual framework to help explain how density-dependent processes can be confused with those that are density-independent. We also discuss why regulation is the correct term for describing demographics of ungulates when limiting factors have density-dependent feedbacks. We emphasize that density per se is not valuable for understanding density dependence—rather, the population size relative to K is the critical factor. Comparisons among populations or within a population through time based on density alone are flawed, because K is not necessarily constant and can result in misleading results and conclusions. Whether mortality is compensatory or additive is a function of where the population is in relation to K, which is critically important when determining if and when predator control is biologically justified. We provide a model based on life-history characteristics to help parameterize where the population is in relation to K, and discuss a new nutritional model (nutritional carry capacity; NCC) for determining the relative degree of compensatory or additive mortality and the proximity of a population to its food supply.

Use of water developments by female elk at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:09:02 -0700

Development of water sources for wildlife is a widespread management practice with a long history; however, needs of wildlife and availability of water depend on myriad interacting factors that vary among species and localities. Benefits are therefore situational, establishing a need for evaluation of water use in varied settings. We used global-positioning system (GPS) collars and time-lapse videography to estimate the distribution of elk (Cervus elaphus) activity and frequency of water development use at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, during June–September, 2003–2006. Elk were located further than expected from the Little Missouri River and did not preferentially use areas near developments. Of 26,081 relocations obtained at 7-h intervals, 88% were >800 m and 74% were >1600 m from permanent surface water. Elk were videotaped at water developments on 90 occasions during 19,402 h of monitoring but used water in only 52% of cases (SE = 5.3%). The probability of detecting elk at developments during visits was 0.51 (SE = 0.08). Nevertheless, elk tracked with GPS collars at 15-min intervals approached to within 100 m of developments on only 2.7% (SE = 0.6%) of 766 days, and approached randomly selected locations nearly as frequently (x¯ = 2.2%, SE = 0.13%). Our results do not rule out use of drinking water by elk at THRO; however, elk were not dependent on water from developments or the Little Missouri River. Prevailing perceptions of water use by elk derive primarily from general associations of elk activity with locations of water sources. Technological advances that permit nearly continuous, precise monitoring present an opportunity to improve understanding of water use by elk, incidental to other investigations.

Enumerating mountain lions: a comparison of two indices

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:59 -0700

Assessing mountain lion (Puma concolor) populations is difficult due to their inherently low densities, secretive nature, and a near absence of demographically closed populations. We developed and compared two methods of indexing the number of mountain lions within a subset (referred to in this paper as the core area) of a total study area. The study area was defined as the outer boundary of combined home range polygons for all collared mountain lions. Therefore, the study area was regularly occupied by uncollared individuals whose home ranges overlapped the study area boundary. We determined through intensive capture efforts and monitoring that the much smaller core area was used only by adult mountain lions that we had identified and collared and was not used in any significant manner by uncollared adults. We derived two indices to the number of lions using the core area. One index is based on location data from VHF aerial telemetry (“fixed wing index”); the second index is based on a combination of fixed wing locations and GPS collar data combined (“location data index”). The fixed wing index yields the mean number (and variance) of adult individuals located in the core region of the study area each of 15 winters during weekly telemetry flights. The location data index is based on the sum of the proportions of locations for each individual that are within the core area each winter. The two indices were highly correlated, and the trends generally were in the same direction and changes in each were of a similar magnitude. These methods are preferable to attempting total counts because the periphery of any study area will occasionally be occupied by unmarked animals. Our methods account for those individuals, but they are not afforded the same weight as mountain lions that use the area frequently or exclusively. Managers with GPS radio collar data are encouraged to delineate a core area, where all lions known to use the area are collared, and use the sum of the proportion of locations from each individual in that area to index density, population size, number of animals present, or use.

Evolution of ungulate capture techniques in California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:57 -0700

When a great need, the right people, and the right tools come together, history is sometimes made. From the late 1970s through the late 1980s that happened in California. At that time there was a need to capture elk, then deer and pronghorn, then bighorn sheep?the “big game species”?in previously unprecedented numbers. The need focused primarily on translocation to re-establish populations in areas of historic range and to consolidate gains in lands available for wildlife conservation. These efforts also advanced wild ungulate research and management. The tools were helicopters, dart guns and new drugs, various ways to physically capture wildlife including net guns, and other advances in capture technology. The right people were a small group of California Department Fish and Game employees, contract pilots, graduate students, and a host of other agency personnel, friends and volunteers. The history they made lives on in the mountains, savannahs, deserts, and grasslands of California as a wildlife legacy of more elk, deer, pronghorn and bighorn that, with continued conservation, will pass from generation to generation of future Californians.

Bringing science to waterfowl management in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:50 -0700

In this invited paper we summarize some of the scientific work produced to inform waterfowl management in California and the Pacific Flyway, with an emphasis on those contributions by Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) waterfowl biologists assigned to Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Project W30R and chronicled in California Fish and Game. Investigations carried out by other Pittman-Robertson projects also contributed substantially to the Department’s science-based programs for waterfowl, particularly regarding waterfowl disease and food habits investigations. Important information needs, addressed by the best scientific methods of the day, included population abundance and trend, breeding and wintering distributions, critical habitat needs, vital rates (survival, recruitment), the establishment of appropriate hunting regulations, and how problems identified could best be addressed to maintain the abundance and distribution of waterfowl for future generations.

History of the conservation of critical deer ranges in California: concepts and terminology

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:48 -0700

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are a highly visible, well-known large mammal of great recreational, conservation, and scientific interest. They are among the best-studied ungulates in North America, with a long history of conservation and management in California. Mule deer also are important because they frequently serve as a surrogate for the requirements of less well-studied species, particularly those dependent on early successional habitats. Numerous terms or phrases have been coined over the past century to categorize or describe those areas used by mule deer for all or part of their life history cycles. In this paper, we describe some of the regulatory and legislative efforts to codify the importance and protection of mule deer habitat in California and review the historical context of the origin and evolution of terms used to describe those areas, and present a standardized list of terms used to address habitats used by mule deer that, hopefully, will become commonplace and simplify conservation planning or other efforts to protect wildlife habitat.

The historical distribution of bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:45 -0700

Bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada disappeared from most of their historic range, surviving in only 3 populations west of the town of Independence in the Owens Valley. As a primary basis for restoration of these sheep, we compiled historical sightings and skull remains for Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep by twelve geographic regions, along with early estimates of population sizes where they existed. Historic sightings suggest that at least 10 populations survived to the twentieth century of which 2 persisted to the middle of that century before disappearing; but the sighting record does not distinguish viable populations from those that may have been declining to extinction. While it is possible for some populations to assign a decade when they disappeared, those populations may have lost viability earlier. Our data base probably represents the historical north-south distribution of these sheep and provides distributional details for some populations. However, it is remarkably sparse for some regions, suggesting that it may not have captured the full historical distribution of this animal, particularly west of the Sierra crest, where the earliest population losses may have occurred. Restoration efforts need to recognize this potential shortcoming.

Nest site characteristics, nesting movements, and lack of long-term nest site fidelity in Agassiz’s desert tortoises at a wind energy facility in southern California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:42 -0700

Nest site selection has important consequences for maternal and offspring survival and fitness. Females of some species return to the same nesting areas year after year. We studied nest site characteristics, fidelity, and daily pre-nesting movements in a population of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) at a wind energy facility in southern California during two field seasons separated by over a decade. No females returned to the same exact nest site within or between years but several nested in the same general area. However, distances between first and second clutches within a year (2000) were not significantly different from distances between nests among years (2000 and 2011) for a small sample of females, suggesting some degree of fidelity within their normal activity areas. Environmental attributes of nest sites did not differ significantly among females but did among years due largely to changes in perennial plant structure as a result of multiple fires. Daily pre-nesting distances moved by females decreased consistently from the time shelled eggs were first visible in X-radiographs until oviposition, again suggesting some degree of nest site selection. Tortoises appear to select nest sites that are within their long-term activity areas, inside the climate-moderated confines of one of their self-constructed burrows, and specifically, at a depth in the burrow that minimizes exposure of eggs and embryos to lethal incubation temperatures. Nesting in “climate-controlled” burrows and nest guarding by females relaxes some of the constraints that drive nest site selection in other oviparous species.

Shrub regeneration after removal of feral sheep from Santa Cruz Island, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:40 -0700

I assessed shrub regeneration 29 years after removal of feral sheep (Ovis aries) from Santa Cruz Island by measuring shrub density during 1980 and 2013. Collectively, shrubs showed a three- to four-fold increase in density and a near-doubling of species richness. Individually, most species increased, some dramatically so, but a few species showed little change or even decreased. The explanation might be differing strategies for regeneration; most shrubs that did not increase lack a persistent seedbank and germinate best in mesic conditions, under the canopy in a substantial litter layer, and such conditions have been slow to develop. These shrubs should eventually regenerate and could even become dominant, highlighting the importance of a long-term perspective in assessing recovery of insular vegetation from herbivore damage.

A primer in ecoimmunology and immunology for wildlife research and management

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:38 -0700

Two predictions of changing climate are the emergence of new diseases and the expansion of the ranges of existing parasites. Variation among individuals, especially in response to parasites, directly affects population dynamics and how populations respond to management. Immune function, therefore is a key individual-level trait that influences demographic characteristics and life-history traits because it directly affects the survival outcome of a parasitic challenge. Mounting an immune response is expensive in energy and resources and, thus, the principle of allocation predicts that trade-offs will occur with other energetically demanding tasks, such as survival or reproduction. Therefore, understanding immune function in wild animals is important for predicting how animal populations will respond to management, and we recommend that managers integrate data on immune function into larger studies of population dynamics and management of populations. In this review, we introduce how types of immune function are classified within traditional immunology and the emerging field of ecological immunology (ecoimmunology). We also review the resources available to wildlife managers for learning about techniques in ecoimmunology, and provide guidance for developing studies of immune function within larger projects on demography among populations.

Notes from the Editor

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:08:35 -0700

Readers of this column will note that Volume 100(3), originally scheduled to be a special issue addressing fresh water ecology and fisheries, has become the Special Wildlife Issue. This change occurred as a result of the extremely heavy workload experienced by California Department of Wildlife inland fisheries staff as a result of the ongoing, historic drought. Fisheries Branch personnel were to be the primary contributors to the Special Fisheries Issue, and other staff were to serve as Corresponding Editors. It remains my intent to produce the Special Fisheries Issue in tribute to this journal’s centennial year, but it is uncertain as to the publication date given the drought-related challenges that Fisheries Branch personnel continue to address.

Book Review: A manual of California vegetation. Second Edition.

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:38:16 -0700

In 1995 the California Native Plant Society(CNPS) published A Manual of California Vegetation (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995) (hereafter, the MCV 1st Edition) with the goals of developing common language and clear definitions to further the inventory and understanding of all plant communities within California and developing quantitative, defensible definitions of rare and threatened communities. After 14 years of rigorous surveys, analyses, descriptions, and mapping of vegetation, original authors John Sawyer of Humboldt State University and Todd Keeler-Wolf of the California Department of Fish and Game (California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW] as of 2013) were joined by Julie Evens, California Native Plant Society Vegetation Program Director, to produce the second edition of the manual.

Doing adaptive management: improving the application of science to the restoration of a rare Lake Tahoe plant

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:38:15 -0700

Adaptive management is probably the best available structure for linking science with decision-making when conserving biological resources. We have found that implementation of adaptive management requires: (1) modification of the conceptual model to include benefits to biological resources in situ; (2) upfront participation of all stakeholders in the conservation strategy and design of the adaptive management program with clear structuring of information flow and the sequence of project stages to facilitate stakeholder responses within a reasonable timeframe; and (3) use of key management questions to focus data collection and identify beneficial management actions. These guidelines are illustrated using our experience with Tahoe yellow cress (Rorippa subumbellata Rollins, Brassicaceae), a plant endemic to the shores of Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada and a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The project provides an operative example of science-driven decision-making that has been ongoing for over ten years. Several corollary ingredients are identified that have improved the chances of project success and helped to sustain the long-term effort.

Plant community characterization and ranking of fens in the Lake Tahoe Basin, California and Nevada

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:38:13 -0700

The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) Vegetation Program worked collaboratively with the USDA Forest Service (USFS) and California Department of Parks and Recreation to produce a vegetation classification, map, and quantitative ranking of sites with fens and wet meadows in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Project goals included surveying and classifying fen sites for their vegetation type, vegetation diversity, and presence of rare species, and ranking sites for their ecological integrity and quality. CNPS staff visited 15 sites in 2010, and completed 57 vegetation stand surveys. We recorded field data using standard CNPS vegetation plot protocols in combination with an expanded USFS Region 5 Fen survey protocol developed for this project. We analyzed the field data from CNPS in 2010 with pre-existing USFS data from 2009-2010. The analysis resulted in a classification of 26 alliances and 38 associations, which are floristically and environmentally defined plant communities per the National Vegetation Classification System. We also established a system for ranking fen sites to assist land managers in recognizing high priority sites and in making long-term management decisions.

Tanoak conservation: a role for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:38:06 -0700

Tanoak trees and forests are ecologically, culturally, and economically important, providing valued wildlife habitat and forest products. Since the horticultural trade accidentally introduced the sudden oak death pathogen (Phytophthora ramorum) to North America, well over a million tanoaks (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) have died, and an unknown number are infected. In roughly twenty years, the lethal disease has spread extensively south and north of San Francisco with disjunct outbreaks as far as southwestern Oregon, despite efforts to contain it. Currently no cure exists for infected trees, and thus far tanoak exhibits little genetic resistance to the exotic water mold that causes the disease. Fortunately large areas remain uninfected, but computer models rank uninfected areas on the north coast of California as high risk for infection. The current sudden oak death epidemic warrants concern because tanoak provides food and habitat for many wildlife species. People also value this evergreen, flowering tree as a source of nuts, edible fungi, and hardwood.

Utilizing the California Natural Diversity Database to aid in plant conservation: a case study from the California desert

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:38:03 -0700

The California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) inventories the status and locations of rare taxa and natural communities within California. Due to the fast-tracking of renewable energy projects within the desert regions of California, there has been concern over how best to balance the need for renewable energy development with the conservation of desert biological resources. With this in mind, the CNDDB botany program, in conjunction with the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), has made an effort since 2008 to determine the status of many plant taxa in the desert regions of California. CNDDB staff have also made an effort to enter all available information for rare plant taxa from the desert regions into the CNDDB. This has resulted in an approximate 50% increase in the number of CNDDB rare plant occurrences known from desert regions, and updating the CNDDB has resulted in a more complete picture of the status of rare taxa in the desert regions of California. This information can be used to aid in plant conservation and management, especially within the area covered by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.

Seed banking California’s rare plants

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:38:01 -0700

In addition to the protection and management of native habitats, preservation of biodiversity in ex situ storage facilities is an important component of plant conservation. In this article we provide an overview of the field of ex situ seed storage. We describe the basic guidelines of seed storage and how seed banks operate and manage genetic diversity. Focusing on the rare, wild plants of California, we examine the progress that has been made in long-term genetic conservation. We report data showing the numbers of rare taxa currently in seed bank storage, and show which institutions currently house seeds of Californian rare plant taxa. Using accession data from these institutions, we show that rare taxa with legal protection status under federal or state law have been relatively well covered in ex situ storage facilities (59% of taxa), while rare plants not afforded state or federal listing status have lower coverage (17% of taxa).

Identifying practical, small-scale disturbance to restore habitat for an endangered annual forb

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:59 -0700

We sought to identify appropriate treatments to restore a small, urban patch of habitat for the endangered Clarkia franciscana (Presidio clarkia) in serpentine grassland. Goals included identifying effective and pragmatic treatments for introducing disturbance to the site and determining whether treatments used to establish Presidio clarkia would be appropriate in areas already occupied by this endangered serpentine endemic. This experiment tested fall burning, fall flaming, fall mowing with thatch reduction, fall scraping, fall tarping, spring burning, and spring mowing with and without thatch reduction. Half of all treated plots were seeded with clarkia. Clarkia density and vegetation composition were measured one and two years after treatment. Fall scraping, fall tarping, and fall flaming stood out as the most effective methods for increasing density. Fall scraping and fall flaming enhanced clarkia populations in unseeded plots where clarkia was initially present. In Year 1, these three treatments were also most successful in reducing annual grass cover and decreasing nonnative plant cover. Although other studies have shown spring treatments to be useful for reducing annual grass and thatch, and increasing native forbs, this study found that treating in late fall, after annual grasses had germinated, was critical for this site – and not, as was previously presumed, harmful to the clarkia.

Translocation as a conservation measure for endangered Bakersfield cactus

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:57 -0700

Bakersfield cactus (Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei) is a succulent perennial in the cactus family (Cactaceae) and is endemic to Kern County, California. Due to habitat conversion and fragmentation, competition from non-native plants, and ongoing habitat degradation, Bakersfield cactus is listed as federally and state endangered. We tested a technique for establishing new populations of this taxon by translocating Bakersfield cactus pads (i.e., stem segments) and clumps (i.e., intact plants) to two sites within the historic range. Translocated clumps were more successful than pads in terms of survival, growth, and flowering. However, removal of clumps may constitute more of an impact to source populations. Cattle guards were effective in preventing damage from cows. Strategies such as supplemental water during dry summer weather and propagation of pads into small plants prior to translocation are recommended to increase the success of pads. Translocation could contribute significantly to conservation and recovery efforts for Bakersfield cactus.

Status survey for endangered Bakersfield cactus

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:55 -0700

Bakersfield cactus (Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei) is endemic to the southeastern corner of the San Joaquin Valley, California. Populations of Bakersfield cactus continue to be lost due to conversion of habitat to agricultural and urban uses. We conducted a status survey of sites with Bakersfield cactus based on occurrence records from the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). Of the 39 sites in the CNDDB (30 presumed extant and 9 presumed extirpated), we visited 33 and examined aerial photography or conducted aerial surveys of the remaining sites. Based on our surveys, 25 populations were confirmed extant, 11 are believed to be extirpated, and the status of 3 could not be determined. Furthermore, two previously unreported populations were documented, and six undocumented translocated populations were identified. Of 33 sites with Bakersfield cactus, 27 occur entirely or partly on private lands. For the 27 naturally occurring extant populations, estimated size ranges from 2 to over 11,000 plants, but 16 (59%) populations have 100 plants or fewer. Habitat conditions within extant populations ranged from relatively undisturbed to highly disturbed, and remaining populations are fragmented and generally occur on small parcels. Only four entire populations and parts of eight others are permanently conserved. Based on the reduced number of extant populations and the reduced number of plants within many populations, Bakersfield cactus appears to be declining on multiple landscape scales. Conservation needs include the permanent conservation of additional populations, increased protections from impacts, vegetation management within populations, increasing the number of populations and the number of plants within populations, a population viability analysis, surveys for additional populations, and outreach programs.

Characterizing habitat suitability for disturbance-dependent rare plants of gabbro soils

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:53 -0700

Assessing habitat quality to identify the highest priority sites for conservation planning is a complex task, and requires an understanding of which habitat attributes are most important for species population success. I explored the relative importance of biotic, abiotic, spatial, or disturbance-related habitat attributes to the population abundance of four edaphic-endemic, disturbance-dependent rare plant species. Variable selection provided a way to evaluate the relative importance of ecologically relevant groups of habitat attributes. Overall, biotic and disturbance history variables were the best predictors of population abundance for all four gabbro rare plant species, while spatial and abiotic variables were not found to be strong drivers of population abundance. Habitat quality for the four rare plants evaluated here may be best characterized by the associated species in the vegetation community, and an appropriate disturbance regime is a key component to maintain populations over time.

Past, present, and future of native plant conservation within the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:51 -0700

Native plant conservation is an essential part of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) mission to manage California’s diverse natural resources. The awareness of the need to conserve native plants gained a strong foothold in the 1960s and 1970s due to activities of the California Native Plant Society as well as enactment of conservation-minded legislation, such as the Native Plant Protection Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. CDFW responded to this surge in attention to native plant conservation by creating staff positions and programs to help address the need for botanical expertise throughout California. CDFW botanical staff and programs have been, and will continue to be, an essential component to maintaining the biodiversity of California’s native flora

Introduction to the special native plant issue

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:50 -0700

This very special issue of California Fish and Game is the first to be dedicated exclusively to California’s special plants and spectacular flora. It is an historic volume, suited to celebrate the 100th anniversary of a journal that, like the Fish and Game Commission and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife,have long embraced a commitment to understanding and conserving California’s plants and plant communities. Indeed, the very first issue of this journal featured an essay by former Governor George C. Pardee clearly explaining that: “Everybody therefore, who believes — as almost everybody does — in the conservation of fish and game must, if he takes a second thought, believe just as thoroughly in the conservation …of our forests and our waters. The fish and game conservationist therefore must be a forest and water and waste places conservationist, whether they be publicly or privately owned. For it is just as much an injury to the public, including the hunter, if our forests be destroyed no matter whether they be publicly or privately owned.”

Congratulatory remarks regarding California Fish and Game volume 100

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:48 -0700

Volume 1, Number 1 of California Fish and Game was published in October 1914. This volume is the Centennial Anniversary of the journal. In 1914, Germany had a Kaiser, Russia had a Czar, and California’s population was approximately 2.7 million people. Climate change was neither known nor discussed. In 2014, California has more than 38 million people and climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time.

Notes from the Editor - Vernon C. Bleich

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:47 -0700

California Fish and Game 100(1), low resolution

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:45 -0700

Special Botany Issue -

California Fish and Game 100(1) High Resolution version

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:37:39 -0700

Noties form the Editor

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:43 -0700

OCEO-CFGJournal -

Information for Contributors

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:35 -0700

California Fish and Game is a peer-reviewed, scientific journal focused on the biology, ecology, and conservation of the flora and fauna of California or the surrounding area, and the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Authors may submit papers for consideration as an article, note, review, or comment. The most recent instructions for authors are published in Volume 97(1) of this journal (Bleich et al. 2011), and are accessible through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife web site (www.dfg.ca.gov/publications). Planning is in progress to provide an avenue for authors to submit manuscripts directly through the web site, and to enable restricted and confidential access for reviewers. In the meantime, manuscripts should be submitted by e-mail following directions provided by Bleich et al. (2011). The journal standard for style is consistent with the Council of Science Editors (CSE) Style Manual (CSE 2006). Instructions in Bleich et al. (2011) supersede the CSE Style Manual where differences exist between formats. Authors of manuscripts that are accepted for publication will be invoiced for charges at the rate of $50 per printed page at the time page proofs are distributed. Authors should state acceptance of page charges in their submittal letters. The corresponding author will receive a PDF file of his or her publication without additional fees, and may distribute those copies without restriction. Plans are underway to make the complete series of California Fish and Game available as PDF documents on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife web site.

Books Received and Available for Review

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:34 -0700

Books Received and Available for Review

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 99 (2013)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:32 -0700

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 99 (2013)

Author Index for California Fish and Game 99 (2013)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:31 -0700

Author Index

Subject matter index for California Fish and Game 99 (2013)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:29 -0700

Search by subject

Orange coloration in a black-and-yellow rockfish (Sebastes chrysomelas) from central California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:28 -0700

In November 2010 an orange colored rockfish (Sebastes sp.) was caught by hook and line off Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo County, California (35º 14’ N, 120º 64’ W) at a depth of 6 m near the Point San Luis Lighthouse. The fish initially was not identifiable with any of the shallow-water rockfishes, yet had the general conformation of a member of the Pteropodus rockfish complex. Through analysis of morphological characters the specimen was determined to be either a black-and-yellow rockfish (S. chrysomelas) or gopher rockfish (S. carnatus). Both are considered as shallow-water species with gopher rockfish generally found deeper than black-and-yellow rockfish (Larson 1980, Love et al. 2002) and we initially assumed that the orange colored rockfish was a black-and-yellow rockfish. Within aquarium conditions, the fish demonstrated behavioral characteristics similar to those of both black-and- yellow rockfish and gopher rockfish by hiding in cracks in rocks covered with invertebrates such as California hydrocoral (Stylaster californicus), strawberry anemone (Corynactis californica), sponges (Porifera), and algae (Figure 1). As coloration is the primary character used to separate these species, we incorporated genetic techniques to confirm identification.

Observations on the ectoparasites of elasmobranchs in San Francisco Bay, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:26 -0700

There has been considerable documentation of the ectoparasites of elasmobranchs along the Pacific Coast (Moore 1952; Cressey 1966, 1967, 1968; Russo 1975; Robinson 1982; Love and Moser 1983; Moser and Sakanari 1985; Deets and Dojiri 1989; Benz et al. 2002, 2003). While some of this information is specific to leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) and brown smoothhound shark (Mustelus henlei) along the California coast, little is known concerning frequency of occurrence of ectoparasites on these and other inshore sharks in San Francisco Bay. Between 1970 and 1996, I captured 3,790 sharks and rays through the use of longline, otter trawl, and rod and reel fishing efforts, primarily from South San Francisco Bay. All sharks captured were sexed and measured, and most were checked for parasites over the full length of the body including gill tissues, and buccal and nare cavities, noting location of attachment for each species of parasite. Parasites initially were separated into labeled vials and preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol for later identification by R. Cressey (copepods), E. Burreson (leeches), and J. Sakanari (isopods) who presumably deposited the specimens in their respective collections. I retained a duplicate set to aid field identifications.

Desert tortoise road mortality in Mojave National Preserve, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:25 -0700

Direct impact by motor vehicles is a known threat to the federally- and California state-listed Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Tortoise sign adjacent to paved roads is depressed, indicating that roads can have a population-level effect extending up to 400im away from the road edge. We found that temporarily erected warning signs equipped with flashing lights had no effect on driver awareness of a potential tortoise on the road and that population depression adjacent to roads with lower speeds and greater driver awareness was similar to roads with heavier traffic traveling at higher speeds and lower driver awareness. The management implications are that slowing traffic with lower posted speed limits and increased law enforcement and improving driver awareness may not reduce impacts to tortoise populations.

The historical range of beaver (Castor canadensis) in coastal California: an updated review of the evidence

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:22 -0700

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) has not been considered native to the watersheds of coastal California or the San Francisco Bay Area. These assertions form the basis of current wildlife management policies regarding that aquatic mammal, and they date to the first half of the 20th century. This review challenges those long-held assumptions based on verifiable (physical) and documented (reliable observational) records. Novel findings are facilitated by recently digitized information largely inaccessible prior to the 21st century. Understanding that beaver are native to California’s coastal watersheds is important, as their role in groundwater recharge, repair of stream channel incision, and restoration of wetlands may be critically important to the conservation of threatened salmonids, as well as endangered amphibians and riparian-dependent birds.

Checklist of inland aquatic Isopoda (Crustacea: Malacostraca) of California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:16 -0700

We present the first comprehensive checklist of Isopoda in Californian inland waters. Isopod distribution records were based upon a thorough literature review, unpublished data of colleagues, and collections of the authors. We present 17 species in 12 genera and 7 families, with additional potentially new taxa awaiting formal description. Six species are exotic and five species are California endemics. At least four of the native species are subterranean obligates. Conservation status rank revisions are offered in order to update the California Natural Diversity Database and IUCN Red List.

Barotrauma related mortality of Florida-strain largemouth bass from winter tournaments in Diamond Valley Lake, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:14 -0700

Fish captured and retained during fishing tournaments can experience initial or delayed mortality from barotrauma caused by the rapid elimination of hydrostatic pressure that occurs when a fish is brought from depth to the surface. Florida-strain largemouth bass (FLMB), (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) in Diamond Valley Lake, California are vulnerable to barotrauma-related stress when caught, due to their consistent habitation in depths that result in barotrauma (9 to 27 meters; personal observations). Bass tournaments are held on Diamond Valley Lake (DVL) up to 85% of all weekends annually. The small size of the reservoir, large number of tournaments and the vulnerability of FLMB to barotrauma-related stress can potentially affect the fishery. Eight bass tournaments were sampled for the incidence of barotrauma-related symptoms and 36-hour delayed mortality rates of bass with and without physical signs of barotrauma,caught as part of catch-and-release fishing tournaments during winter. The 36-hour delayed mortality rates of manually deflated FLMB with barotrauma were determined to be significantly lower than those that were not deflated following capture in winter tournaments. Florida-strain bass caught in tournaments with physical symptoms of barotrauma were also more likely to die than those asymptomatic. Bass tournament organizations that manually deflate barotrauma afflicted FLMB by knowledgeable and qualified staff would reduce 36-hour mortalities.

California Fish and Game 99(4)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:43:07 -0700

Complete issue for downloading.

California Fish and Game 99(2)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:37:52 -0700

California Fish and Game 99(2) complete issue

Continued absence of sabellid fan worms (Terebrasabella heterouncinata) among intertidal gastropods at a site of eradication in California, USA

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:37:38 -0700

Reaching a conclusion that a non-indigenous species is truly absent following an eradication process requires sampling at relevant spatial and temporal scales. The South African gastropod shell-dwelling sabellid polychaete Terebrasabella heterouncinata became locally established within abalone farms in California, USA in the mid-1990s and among turban snails Chlorostoma (Tegula) spp. in the intertidal discharge zone outside one farm. An eradication program was developed and implemented in the farm discharge zone in 1996 by reducing local host density, and sampling during 1998 detected no sabellids. We conducted nine thorough follow-up surveys annually from 2001 to 2009 (mean 1,738 shells per annum, N = 15,647) and found no sabellids present at the farm discharge location. It appears that the sabellid worm has been eradicated from this site despite the continued abundance of hosts. These data provide confirmation of the successful application of the host-density threshold approach to achieving eradication of a host-dependent invasive species.

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 98 (2012)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:01:24 -0700

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 98 (2012)

Author Index for California Fish and Game 98 (2012)

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 14:01:23 -0700

Author Index, 98 (2012)

Novel physical evidence that beaver historically were native to the Sierra Nevada

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 13:54:27 -0700

North American beaver (Castor canadensis) have been considered native to northern California’s Klamath and Pit River watersheds and the Central Valley, but not the Sierra Nevada (Zeiner et al. 1990). Current wildlife management policies in California and Nevada continue to cite early twentieth century zoologists Joseph Grinnell (Grinnell et al. 1937:636) and Donald Tappe (1942), who concluded that beaver were not historically extant at elevations above 305 meters (1,000 feet) on the western slope, nor on the eastern slope, of the Sierra Nevada.

First record of an established population of the convict cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) in California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 13:54:26 -0700

In June of 2007 a large population of convict cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) was discovered in the Bouquet Canyon Water District outflow into the Santa Clara River, Los Angeles County, California.

In memoriam, Stephen A. Holl

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 13:54:21 -0700

Stephen A. Holl, who is best known for his work on bighorn sheep in the San Gabriel Mountains of California, passed away on 13 January 2012 at the age of 62 following a valiant battle with brain cancer.

Monitoring distribution and abundance of nesting Swainson’s hawks in the Sacramento Valley and Sacramento River Delta, California

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 13:54:17 -0700

We surveyed for nesting Swainson’s hawks (Buteo swainsoni) using a stratified random sample design during the years 2002, 2003, and 2009 in portions of the Sacramento Valley and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA. We estimated the number of active nests in the study area to be 593, 1008, and 941 in each of those years, respectively. We found the number of nests per survey block to be significantly higher in 2003 than 2002, while 2003 and 2009 did not differ statistically. Significant concentration of nests was found on the flat valley floor, notably in Yolo, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Solano counties, and fewer nests were found toward the valley margins. We intend that monitoring of this population be continued in the future and that methods described herein provide a repeatable approach to investigating Swainson’s hawk population trends in the Sacramento Valley. The results of surveys will be used to update nest records for the Swainson’s hawk in the California Natural Diversity Data Base.

A retrospective look at mountain lion populations in California (1906-2018)

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:08:08 -0800

A retrospective look at mountain lion populations in California (1906-2018) -

Appendix ! for Article #23 in 108-4

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 07:26:51 -0800

appendix -

Supplemental Information for Article #22 Sullivan 2022

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 07:41:30 -0800

Supplemental Information - Supplemental Information for Sullivan 2022

Appendix 1 for Sullivan, Article #22 in Volume 108, Issue 4

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 07:40:56 -0800

Appendix 1 - Appendix 1 for Sullivan, Article #22 in Volume 108, Issue 4

Appendix 1 for 108-24: Sea level rise vulnerability assessment for State wildlife areas surrounding Humboldt Bay, northern California

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 11:39:41 -0800

Appendix 1 -

Appendix 2 for 108-24: Sea level rise vulnerability assessment for State wildlife areas surrounding Humboldt Bay, northern California

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 11:39:23 -0800

Appendix 2 -

Appendix 3 for 108-24: Sea level rise vulnerability assessment for State wildlife areas surrounding Humboldt Bay, northern California

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 11:39:12 -0800

Appendix 3 -

Appendix 3 for 108-20: Time series modeling of rainfall and lake elevation in relation to breaching events at the Lake Earl and Tolowa lagoon system, coastal northern California

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:21:13 -0800

Appendix 3 -

Appendix 2 for 108-20: Time series modeling of rainfall and lake elevation in relation to breaching events at the Lake Earl and Tolowa lagoon system, coastal northern California

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:18:32 -0800

Appendix 2 -

Appendix 1 for 108-20: Time series modeling of rainfall and lake elevation in relation to breaching events at the Lake Earl and Tolowa lagoon system, coastal northern California

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:17:14 -0800

Appendix 1 -

Appendix I for White and Baxter, Article #21 in Volume 108, Issue 4

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:14:11 -0800

Appendix 1 - Appendix I for White and Baxter, Article #21 in Volume 108, Issue 4

Appendix 2 for White and Baxter, Article #21 in Volume 108, Issue 4

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:13:37 -0800

Appendix 2 - Appendix 2 for White and Baxter, Article #21 in Volume 108, Issue 4

Companion Files for White and Baxter 2022 CFWJ

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:48:34 -0700

companion files -

Supplemental Information for Batter et al. 2022

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 08:21:37 -0700

Supplemental Information - Supplemental Information for Batter et al. 2022

Appendix II CA Reg History

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 09:26:36 -0700

Appendix - Appendix II for Article 13 in volume 108

Appendix I CSUS Survey

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 09:26:23 -0700

Appendix - Appendix I of Article 13 in volume 108

Appendix for Ruiz-Campos et al.

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 07:47:34 -0700

Appendix San Pedro Martire rainbow trout - Appendix San Pedro Martire rainbow trout

Appendix V for Sullivan, Article #3 in Volume 108, Issue 1

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 12:34:51 -0700

appendix - Trinity bristle snail appendix

Appendix IV for Sullivan, Article #3 in Volume 108, Issue 1

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 12:34:08 -0700

Appendix - Trinity bristle snail appendix

Appendix III for Sullivan, Article #3 in Volume 108, Issue 1

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 12:33:16 -0700

appendix - Trinity bristle snail appendix

Appendix II for Sullivan, Article #3 in Volume 108, Issue 1

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 12:32:30 -0700

appendix - Trinity bristle snail appendix

Appendix I for Sullivan, Article #3 in Volume 108, Issue 1

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 12:31:30 -0700

Appendix - Trinity bristle snail appendix

Appendix for Sullivan, Article #2 in Volume 108, Issue 1

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 08:17:36 -0700

Trinity bristle snail appendix - Trinity bristle snail appendix

Testing a single-visit sampling approach for fecal DNA abundance estimation of tule elk in the Lake Pillsbury Basin

Tue, 17 May 2022 16:12:30 -0700

Testing a single-visit sampling approach for fecal DNA abundance estimation of tule elk in the Lake Pillsbury Basin -

In Memoriam: Nina Jo Kogut

Thu, 12 May 2022 20:43:46 -0700

In Memoriam: Nina Jo Kogut -

Notes from the Editor

Thu, 12 May 2022 20:39:32 -0700

Notes from the Editor -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 108 1 low res

Thu, 12 May 2022 14:00:20 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 108 1 low res -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 108 1 high res

Thu, 12 May 2022 13:58:20 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 108 1 high res -

Macrohabitat suitability model for the Trinity bristle snail in the Greater Trinity Basin of northern California

Thu, 12 May 2022 13:53:23 -0700

Macrohabitat suitability model for the Trinity bristle snail in the Greater Trinity Basin of northern California -

Machine learning to understand patterns of burn severity from the SCU Lightning Complex Fires of August 2020

Thu, 12 May 2022 13:51:44 -0700

Machine learning to understand patterns of burn severity from the SCU Lightning Complex Fires of August 2020 -

Population density and habitat selection in the San Pedro Mártir rainbow trout in mountain streams of northwestern Baja California, Mexico

Thu, 12 May 2022 13:48:12 -0700

Population density and habitat selection in the San Pedro Mártir rainbow trout in mountain streams of northwestern Baja California, Mexico -

Microhabitat characteristics and management of the Trinity bristle snail in the Greater Trinity Basin of northern California

Thu, 12 May 2022 13:44:14 -0700

Microhabitat characteristics and management of the Trinity bristle snail in the Greater Trinity Basin of northern California -

Status and distribution of Arroyo Chub within its native range

Thu, 12 May 2022 13:33:55 -0700

Status and distribution of Arroyo Chub within its native range -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 3 high res

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 12:56:57 -0800

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 3 high res -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 3 low res

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 12:56:14 -0800

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 3 low res -

Conflict, coexistence, or both? Cougar habitat selection, prey composition, and mortality in a multiple-use landscape

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 12:55:35 -0800

Conflict, coexistence, or both? Cougar habitat selection, prey composition, and mortality in a multiple-use landscape -

Information for Authors

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:27:48 -0700

Information for Authors -

Human impacts on the environment and wildlife in California’s past: Lessons from California archaeology

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:26:55 -0700

Human impacts on the environment and wildlife in California’s past: Lessons from California archaeology -

The Respect Wildlife Campaign: A collaborative effort to reduce human disturbance to California’s coastal wildlife

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:25:41 -0700

The Respect Wildlife Campaign: A collaborative effort to reduce human disturbance to California’s coastal wildlife -

Coyote Management Plans and Wildlife Watch: implications for community coaching approach to public outreach in southern California

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:24:32 -0700

Coyote Management Plans and Wildlife Watch: implications for community coaching approach to public outreach in southern California -

Environmental values of California winegrape growers and the use of barn owl nest boxes as a tool for integrated pest management

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:21:22 -0700

Environmental values of California winegrape growers and the use of barn owl nest boxes as a tool for integrated pest management -

Factors influencing the abundance of wintering western snowy plovers at Crown Memorial State Beach

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:18:48 -0700

Factors influencing the abundance of wintering western snowy plovers at Crown Memorial State Beach -

Photovoltaic solar farms in California: can we have renewable electricity and our species, too?

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:16:40 -0700

Photovoltaic solar farms in California: can we have renewable electricity and our species, too? -

An innovative temporary escape ramp for deer and other wildlife

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:14:53 -0700

An innovative temporary escape ramp for deer and other wildlife -

Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:12:32 -0700

Relocation of habituated black bears in the Klamath Mountains of California: an adaptive management case study -

Thematic and hotspot analysis of human-elk conflicts statewide in California

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:08:58 -0700

Thematic and hotspot analysis of human-elk conflicts statewide in California -

The case for case studies: A new approach to evaluating the effectiveness of livestock protection tools

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:06:28 -0700

The case for case studies: A new approach to evaluating the effectiveness of livestock protection tools -

Summer diet of California’s recolonizing gray wolves

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 11:03:25 -0700

Summer diet of California’s recolonizing gray wolves -

Introduction

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 10:57:37 -0700

Introduction -

Notes From the Editor

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 10:56:15 -0700

Notes From the Editor -

Artificial dens for the conservation of San Joaquin kit foxes

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:40:10 -0700

Artificial dens for the conservation of San Joaquin kit foxes -

Editors for this issue

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:40:00 -0700

Editors for this issue -

BOOK REVIEW: Into Wild Mongolia

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:39:48 -0700

BOOK REVIEW: Into Wild Mongolia -

In Memoriam: Andrew M. Pauli

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:39:34 -0700

In Memoriam: Andrew M. Pauli -

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:39:25 -0700

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS -

The distribution of anadromy and residency in steelhead/rainbow trout in the Eel River, northwestern California

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:39:10 -0700

The distribution of anadromy and residency in steelhead/rainbow trout in the Eel River, northwestern California -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 2 high res

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:39:01 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 2 high res -

California Fish and Wildlife 107 Special CESA Issue

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:38:51 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife 107 Special CESA Issue -

Predation impedes recovery of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:38:41 -0700

Predation impedes recovery of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep -

California Fish and Wildlife 107 Special CESA Issue low resolution

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:38:09 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife 107 Special CESA Issue low resolution -

Comparing camera traps and visual encounter surveys for monitoring small animals

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 17:30:31 -0700

Comparing camera traps and visual encounter surveys for monitoring small animals -

Western Message Petroglyphs indicate historic beaver presence in a San Francisco Bay Area watershed

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 17:29:08 -0700

Western Message Petroglyphs indicate historic beaver presence in a San Francisco Bay Area watershed -

Field Trial Comparing Two Materials for Marine Oil Sheen Sampling

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 17:25:41 -0700

Field Trial Comparing Two Materials for Marine Oil Sheen Sampling -

Advancing bird survey efforts through novel recorder technology and automated species identification

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 17:24:00 -0700

Advancing bird survey efforts through novel recorder technology and automated species identification -

Notes from the Editor

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 17:22:57 -0700

Notes from the Editor -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 2 low res

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 17:21:33 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 2 low res -

Population ecology and survivorship of San Joaquin antelope squirrels in grazed and control plots in the San Joaquin Desert of California

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:10:53 -0700

Population ecology and survivorship of San Joaquin antelope squirrels in grazed and control plots in the San Joaquin Desert of California -

Development of a morphological key for the southern salt marsh harvest mouse using genetically verified individuals

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 11:42:39 -0700

Development of a morphological key for the southern salt marsh harvest mouse using genetically verified individuals -

Species Listed Under the California Endangered Species Act

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 07:37:29 -0700

Species Listed Under the California Endangered Species Act -

California Fish and Wildlife 2021 Special cover

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 14:03:48 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife 2021 Special cover -

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 08:25:06 -0700

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS -

New detections extend the known range of the state-threatened Sierra Nevada red fox

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 08:21:24 -0700

New detections extend the known range of the state-threatened Sierra Nevada red fox -

Ecological variation among island foxes relative to reproductive events

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 08:18:03 -0700

Ecological variation among island foxes relative to reproductive events -

Conservation of endangered Tipton kangaroo rats (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides): status surveys, habitat suitability, and conservation recommendations

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 08:16:41 -0700

Conservation of endangered Tipton kangaroo rats (Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides): status surveys, habitat suitability, and conservation recommendations -

Conservation of threatened San Joaquin antelope squirrels: distribution surveys, habitat suitability, and conservation recommendations

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 08:12:16 -0700

Conservation of threatened San Joaquin antelope squirrels: distribution surveys, habitat suitability, and conservation recommendations -

Home range and movements of San Joaquin antelope squirrels in the San Joaquin Desert of California

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 08:07:34 -0700

Home range and movements of San Joaquin antelope squirrels in the San Joaquin Desert of California -

Current status of the Mohave ground squirrel: an update covering the period 2013–2020

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 08:05:38 -0700

Current status of the Mohave ground squirrel: an update covering the period 2013–2020 -

Owens Valley nesting willow flycatcher under pressure

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 08:04:04 -0700

Owens Valley nesting willow flycatcher under pressure -

A tale of two valleys: endangered species policy and the fate of the giant gartersnake

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:54:10 -0700

A tale of two valleys: endangered species policy and the fate of the giant gartersnake -

Observations on the phenology of the threatened Alameda whipsnake

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:51:14 -0700

Observations on the phenology of the threatened Alameda whipsnake -

Forty years later: monitoring and status of the endangered Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:49:34 -0700

Forty years later: monitoring and status of the endangered Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard -

Use of atypical aquatic breeding habitat by the California tiger salamander

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:39:11 -0700

Use of atypical aquatic breeding habitat by the California tiger salamander -

Salvage and translocation of endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander larvae

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:37:18 -0700

Salvage and translocation of endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander larvae -

Notes on reproduction of black toads from California

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:29:37 -0700

Notes on reproduction of black toads from California -

Foothill yellow-legged frog breeding biology in a semi-regulated river, Humboldt County, CA

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:28:21 -0700

Foothill yellow-legged frog breeding biology in a semi-regulated river, Humboldt County, CA -

Assessing the distribution and abundance of larval Longfin Smelt: What can a larval monitoring program tell us about the distribution of a rare species?

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:24:21 -0700

Assessing the distribution and abundance of larval Longfin Smelt: What can a larval monitoring program tell us about the distribution of a rare species? -

Protecting a displaced species in an altered river: a case study of the endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook Salmon

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 06:21:58 -0700

Protecting a displaced species in an altered river: a case study of the endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook Salmon -

The value of long-term monitoring of the San Francisco Estuary for Delta Smelt and Longfin Smelt

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 17:07:27 -0700

The value of long-term monitoring of the San Francisco Estuary for Delta Smelt and Longfin Smelt -

Phylogenetic relationships among subclades within the Trinity bristle snail species complex, riverine barriers, and re-classification

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 16:22:57 -0700

Phylogenetic relationships among subclades within the Trinity bristle snail species complex, riverine barriers, and re-classification -

A conservation conundrum: protecting bumble bees under the California Endangered Species Act

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 16:19:49 -0700

A conservation conundrum: protecting bumble bees under the California Endangered Species Act -

Status of the Amargosa niterwort (Amaranthaceae) in California and Nevada

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 16:12:59 -0700

Status of the Amargosa niterwort (Amaranthaceae) in California and Nevada -

Development of ecologically meaningful, multiple-species conservation strategies under the California and U.S. Endangered Species Acts

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 15:08:13 -0700

Development of ecologically meaningful, multiple-species conservation strategies under the California and U.S. Endangered Species Acts -

The Explicit Integration of Species Conceptual Models and Species Distribution Models as a Best Practice for Systematic Conservation Planning in California

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 15:05:24 -0700

The Explicit Integration of Species Conceptual Models and Species Distribution Models as a Best Practice for Systematic Conservation Planning in California -

An overview of the listing process under the California Endangered Species Act

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 15:02:29 -0700

An overview of the listing process under the California Endangered Species Act -

Introduction--California Fish and Wildlife 107 Special CESA Issue

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 14:56:48 -0700

Introduction--California Fish and Wildlife 107 Special CESA Issue -

Population estimate of wild rainbow trout in a remote stream of southern California

Wed, 19 May 2021 12:59:05 -0700

Population estimate of wild rainbow trout in a remote stream of southern California -

Notes from the Editor

Wed, 19 May 2021 12:55:24 -0700

Notes from the Editor -

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS

Wed, 19 May 2021 12:54:38 -0700

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS -

Fire on the mountain—run boys, run!

Wed, 19 May 2021 12:53:48 -0700

Fire on the mountain—run boys, run! -

An Open Pit Visible from the Moon: The Wilderness Act and the Fight to Protect Miners Ridge and the Public Interest

Wed, 19 May 2021 12:53:01 -0700

An Open Pit Visible from the Moon: The Wilderness Act and the Fight to Protect Miners Ridge and the Public Interest -

An endemic anuran and a horny toad: distributional histories, the potential for sympatry, and implications for conservation

Wed, 19 May 2021 12:52:05 -0700

An endemic anuran and a horny toad: distributional histories, the potential for sympatry, and implications for conservation -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 1 low res

Wed, 12 May 2021 15:08:24 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 1 low res -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 1 high res

Wed, 12 May 2021 15:06:20 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 107 1 high res -

Editors for this issue

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 09:29:30 -0800

Editors for this issue -

California Fish and Wildlife Special 3 low resolution

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 09:25:32 -0800

California Fish and Wildlife Special 3 low resolution -

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special 3 high resolution

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 09:08:35 -0800

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special 3 high resolution -

Book Review 1

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:49:00 -0800

Book Review 1 -

Book Review 2

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:48:37 -0800

Book Review 2 -

Information For Authors

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:48:14 -0800

Information For Authors -

Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in the San Joaquin River, California: new record

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:47:42 -0800

Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in the San Joaquin River, California: new record -

Validated age and growth of Barred Sand Bass within the Southern California Bight

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:47:15 -0800

Validated age and growth of Barred Sand Bass within the Southern California Bight -

Time series modeling and forecasting of a highly regulated riverine system: implications for fisheries management

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:46:46 -0800

Time series modeling and forecasting of a highly regulated riverine system: implications for fisheries management -

Ecology of Northwestern Pond Turtles in a Sierran Foothill Population, California

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:45:53 -0800

Ecology of Northwestern Pond Turtles in a Sierran Foothill Population, California -

California Fish and Wildlife 106-4 Subject Matter Index

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:45:20 -0800

California Fish and Wildlife 106-4 Subject Matter Index -

Notes From the Editor

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:37:42 -0800

Notes From the Editor -

Subject Matter Index

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:22:03 -0800

Subject Matter Index -

Author Index

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:17:18 -0800

Author Index -

Fish and Wildlife Journal 106-4 high resolution

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 09:42:04 -0800

Fish and Wildlife Journal 106-4 high resolution -

California Fish and Wildlife 106-4 low res

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 09:40:26 -0800

Fish and Wildlife Journal 106-4 low resolution -

California Fish and Wildlife Special 2 low resolution

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 12:35:44 -0800

California Fish and Wildlife Special Cannabis issue low resolution -

Introduction

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 10:17:35 -0800

Introduction -

Information for authors

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 12:17:22 -0800

Information for authors -

Post-wildfire response of Shasta snow-wreath

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 09:53:56 -0800

Post-wildfire response of Shasta snow-wreath -

Journal 2020 Special Issue #3 Cover

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 13:23:24 -0800

Journal 2020 Special Issue #3 Cover -

Analysis of the impacts of the Soberanes Wildfire on stream ecosystems

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:46:28 -0800

Analysis of the impacts of the Soberanes Wildfire on stream ecosystems -

Post-fire species composition and abundance of a lentic-breeding amphibian assemblage: case study of Ledson Marsh

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:44:27 -0800

Post-fire species composition and abundance of a lentic-breeding amphibian assemblage: case study of Ledson Marsh -

Elk forage response to prescribed fire in Boyes meadow, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:42:53 -0800

Elk forage response to prescribed fire in Boyes meadow, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California -

Survival of the rare Packera layneae (Asteraceae), under chaparral and after fire

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:38:29 -0800

Survival of the rare Packera layneae (Asteraceae), under chaparral and after fire -

Effects of a firebreak on plants and wildlife at Pine Hill, a biodiversity hotspot, El Dorado County, California

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:37:06 -0800

Effects of a firebreak on plants and wildlife at Pine Hill, a biodiversity hotspot, El Dorado County, California -

Caltrans’ efforts to reduce the frequency and severity of wildfires while protecting California’s valuable resources

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:35:22 -0800

Caltrans’ efforts to reduce the frequency and severity of wildfires while protecting California’s valuable resources -

The California Vegetation Treatment Program: integrating biological resource protection into wildfire risk reduction

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:34:08 -0800

The California Vegetation Treatment Program: integrating biological resource protection into wildfire risk reduction -

Sonoma County Complex Fires of 2017: Remote sensing data and modeling to support ecosystem and community resiliency

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:32:46 -0800

Sonoma County Complex Fires of 2017: Remote sensing data and modeling to support ecosystem and community resiliency -

Potential impacts of plastic from cannabis cultivation on fish and wildlife resources

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:41:09 -0800

Potential impacts of plastic from cannabis cultivation on fish and wildlife resources -

Anthropogenic noise: potential influences on wildlife and applications to cannabis cultivation

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:39:54 -0800

Anthropogenic noise: potential influences on wildlife and applications to cannabis cultivation -

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special 2 high resolution

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:35:37 -0800

Fish and Wildlife Journal Special Cannabis Issue -

Pesticides in California: their potential impacts on wildlife resources and their use in permitted cannabis cultivation

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:56:57 -0700

Pesticides in California: their potential impacts on wildlife resources and their use in permitted cannabis cultivation -

California Fish and Wildlife Special 2 - Introduction

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:56:11 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Special 2 - Introduction -

Applied Science to Inform Management Efforts for Cannabis Cultivation, Humboldt, County, California

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:51:45 -0700

Applied Science to Inform Management Efforts for Cannabis Cultivation, Humboldt, County, California -

A review of the potential impacts of artificial lights on fish and wildlife and how this may apply to cannabis cultivation

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:48:33 -0700

A review of the potential impacts of artificial lights on fish and wildlife and how this may apply to cannabis cultivation -

CDFW’s history with cannabis cultivation

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:46:52 -0700

CDFW’s history with cannabis cultivation -

Information for authors

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:46:16 -0700

Information for authors -

Coexisting with cannabis: wildlife response to marijuana cultivation in the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:45:26 -0700

Coexisting with cannabis: wildlife response to marijuana cultivation in the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion -

Two years after legalization: implementing the Cannabis Cultivation Policy in southern coastal California

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:44:33 -0700

Two years after legalization: implementing the Cannabis Cultivation Policy in southern coastal California -

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 106 2 Special Introduction

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 11:43:05 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Journal 106 2 Special Introduction -

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special 2 cover

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 13:44:45 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special 2 cover -

Mineral content of forage plants of mountain sheep, Mojave Desert, USA

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 15:41:10 -0700

Mineral content of forage plants of mountain sheep, Mojave Desert, USA -

California Fish and Game 103 (2) Spring 2017 High Resolution

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 15:40:39 -0700

California Fish and Game 103 (2) Spring 2017 High Resolution -

California Fish and Game 103 (2) Spring 2017 Low Resolution

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 15:39:17 -0700

California Fish and Game 103 (2) Spring 2017 Low Resolution -

Locality records for Woodhouse’s toad: have wet washes in a dry desert led to extralimital occurrences of an adaptable anuran?

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 09:18:46 -0700

Locality records for Woodhouse’s toad: have wet washes in a dry desert led to extralimital occurrences of an adaptable anuran? -

California Fish and Wildlife Summer 106-3 low res

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 09:17:42 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Summer 106-3 low res -

California Fish and Wildlife Summer 106-3 high res

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 09:16:15 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Summer 106-3 -

Striped Bass on the coast of California: a review

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 21:20:14 -0700

Striped Bass on the coast of California: a review -

Notes on reproduction of Cascades frogs from California

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 21:19:26 -0700

Notes on reproduction of Cascades frogs from California -

Nearly all California monarch overwintering groves require non-native trees

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 21:18:52 -0700

Nearly all California monarch overwintering groves require non-native trees -

Notes From the Editor 106-3

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 21:17:29 -0700

Notes From the Editor 106-3 -

In Memoriam: Robert L. Vernoy (1926–2020)

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 21:16:51 -0700

In Memoriam: Robert L. Vernoy (1926–2020) -

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 21:16:17 -0700

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS -

Fish and Wildlife 106(3) Cover

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 08:36:30 -0700

Fish and Wildlife 106(3) Cover -

Science Institute Progress Report 2018-2019

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 07:39:51 -0700

Science Institute Progress Report 2018-2019 - The Science Institute represents and promotes the interests and needs of all CDFW scientists. “Scientist” includes all science-oriented classifications at CDFW (including technicians, engineers, scientific aids and more) – in essence, all science and technical staff ARE the Science Institute

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special-1; Effects of non-consumptive recreation on wildlife in California COVER

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:52:55 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special-1; Effects of non-consumptive recreation on wildlife in California COVER -

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special-1; HIGH RES

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:43:26 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special-1; HIGH RES -

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special-1 LOW RES

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:41:34 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special-1 LOW RES -

Balancing conservation and recreation

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:40:36 -0700

Balancing conservation and recreation -

Recreation-related disturbance to wildlife in California – better planning for and management of recreation are vital to conserve wildlife in protected areas where recreation occurs

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:39:31 -0700

Recreation-related disturbance to wildlife in California – better planning for and management of recreation are vital to conserve wildlife in protected areas where recreation occurs -

Increased hiking and mountain biking are associated with declines in urban mammal activity

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:39:03 -0700

Increased hiking and mountain biking are associated with declines in urban mammal activity -

An assessment of non-consumptive recreation effects on wildlife: current and future research, management implications, and next steps

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:38:05 -0700

An assessment of non-consumptive recreation effects on wildlife: current and future research, management implications, and next steps -

A review of trail-related fragmentation, unauthorized trails, and other aspects of recreation ecology in protected areas

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:37:33 -0700

A review of trail-related fragmentation, unauthorized trails, and other aspects of recreation ecology in protected areas -

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:36:55 -0700

INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS -

Introduction: Can our outdoor enthusiasm and nature coexist?

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:36:37 -0700

Introduction: Can our outdoor enthusiasm and nature coexist? -

Non-consumptive recreation and wildlife conservation: Coexistence through collaboration

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:36:12 -0700

Non-consumptive recreation and wildlife conservation: Coexistence through collaboration -

Wildlife occupancy and trail use before and after a park opens to the public

Thu, 07 May 2020 13:35:26 -0700

Wildlife occupancy and trail use before and after a park opens to the public -

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special-1 INTRODUCTION

Tue, 05 May 2020 11:25:27 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife 2020 Special-1 INTRODUCTION -

Notes from the editor 106-2

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:37:34 -0700

Notes from the Editor -

Fish and Wildlife Spring 106-2 high resolution

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:33:51 -0700

California Fish and Wildlife Spring 106-2 low resolution

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:32:53 -0700

Comparative Analyses of Upstream Migration in a Multispecies Assemblage of Fish in Response to Highly Managed Flow Regimes

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:32:07 -0700

Comparative Analyses of Upstream Migration in a Multispecies Assemblage of Fish in Response to Highly Managed Flow Regimes -

Feasibility of hydroacoustic surveys of spawning aggregations for monitoring Barred Sand Bass populations off southern California

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:31:34 -0700

Feasibility of hydroacoustic surveys of spawning aggregations for monitoring Barred Sand Bass populations off southern California -

First record of pughead deformity in the threatened Clear Lake Hitch

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:31:10 -0700

First record of pughead deformity in the threatened Clear Lake Hitch -

Hematology of mountain lions (Puma concolor) in the Sierra Nevada, California, USA: effect of sex, season, or location?

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:30:50 -0700

Hematology of mountain lions (Puma concolor) in the Sierra Nevada, California, USA: effect of sex, season, or location? -

Information for authors

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:30:10 -0700

Information for authors -

Migration and seasonal ranges of the Eastern Tehama deer herd in northern California

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:29:45 -0700

Migration and seasonal ranges of the Eastern Tehama deer herd in northern California -

Unusual feeding observations of the California condor in the wild

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:29:11 -0700

Unusual feeding observations of the California condor in the wild -

California Fish and Wildlife Cover

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 12:36:41 -0700

Notes From the Editor 106-1

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:14:59 -0800

California Department of Fish and Wildlife -

Information for authors

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:14:25 -0800

Information for authors -

Book Review—Wildlife Ecology and Management in Mexico

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:14:07 -0800

Book Review—Wildlife Ecology and Management in Mexico -

Reported vessel strike as a source of mortality of White Sturgeon in San Francisco Bay

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:13:45 -0800

Reported vessel strike as a source of mortality of White Sturgeon in San Francisco Bay -

Occurrences of Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in southern California, 1994-2018

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:13:31 -0800

Occurrences of Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in southern California, 1994-2018 -

San Francisco Estuary mysid abundance in the fall, and the potential for competitive advantage of Hyperacanthomysis longirostris over Neomysis mercedis

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:13:15 -0800

San Francisco Estuary mysid abundance in the fall, and the potential for competitive advantage of Hyperacanthomysis longirostris over Neomysis mercedis -

Planning shoreline infrastructure projects at Redondo Beach, California to avoid impacting a Giant Sea Bass nursery site

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:12:57 -0800

Planning shoreline infrastructure projects at Redondo Beach, California to avoid impacting a Giant Sea Bass nursery site -

Notes on reproduction of the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog from California

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:12:25 -0800

Notes on reproduction of the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog from California -

California Fish and Wildlife Winter 106-1 low resolution

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:11:32 -0800

California Fish and Wildlife Winter 106-1 low resolution -

California Fish and Wildlife Winter 106-1 high resolution

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:11:15 -0800

California Fish and Wildlife Winter 106-1 high resolution -

California Fish and Wildilfe Cover

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 06:03:55 -0800

Observations of the spawning ecology of the imperiled Clear Lake Hitch

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 18:07:30 -0800

Observations of the spawning ecology of the imperiled Clear Lake Hitch -

Determining sexual maturity in male leopard sharks in San Francisco Bay, California

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:40:23 -0800

Determining sexual maturity in male leopard sharks in San Francisco Bay, California -

Habitat selection by bighorn sheep in a mesic ecosystem: the San Rafael Mountains, California, USA

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:39:16 -0800

Habitat selection by bighorn sheep in a mesic ecosystem: the San Rafael Mountains, California, USA -

Notes from the Editor 105 (4)

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:36:45 -0800

Notes from the Editor 105 (4) -

Reviewers of Manuscripts Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 105 (2019)

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:36:07 -0800

Reviewers of Manuscripts Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 105 (2019) -

Author Index for California Fish and Game 105 (2019)

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:34:52 -0800

Author Index for California Fish and Game 105 (2019) -

California Fish and Game 105 (4) fall high resolution

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:34:03 -0800

California Fish and Game 105 (4) fall high resolution -

California Fish and Game 105 (4) fall low resolution

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:30:20 -0800

California Fish and Game 105 (4) fall low resolution -

Information for authors

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:28:41 -0800

Information for authors -

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 105 (2019)

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:27:44 -0800

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 105 (2019) -

Comparing video and visual survey techniques for Barred Sand Bass in rocky reef ecotone habitats

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 05:26:26 -0800

Comparing video and visual survey techniques for Barred Sand Bass in rocky reef ecotone habitats -

California Fish and Game Cover 105 (4)

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 12:14:24 -0700

California Fish and Game Cover 105 (4) -

Submission Guidelines for CFG Journal

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 13:51:58 -0700

California Fish and Game 105(3) Summer low resolution

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:34:22 -0700

California Fish and Game 105(3) Summer low resolution -

California Fish and Game 105 (3) Summer high resolution

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:33:58 -0700

California Fish and Game 105 (3) Summer high resolution -

Information for contributors

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:31:29 -0700

Information for contributors -

Notes from the Editor

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:27:12 -0700

Notes from the Editor -

Using eDNA to validate predation on native Oncorhynchus mykiss by invasive Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis)

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:19:02 -0700

Using eDNA to validate predation on native Oncorhynchus mykiss by invasive Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis) -

Effects of managed flows on Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in relation to run-timing, fertility, and fluctuations in water temperature and flow volume

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:16:06 -0700

Effects of managed flows on Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in relation to run-timing, fertility, and fluctuations in water temperature and flow volume -

Response of the catchable Largemouth Bass population to long-term water level reductions in Lake Perris, Riverside County, California

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:14:06 -0700

Response of the catchable Largemouth Bass population to long-term water level reductions in Lake Perris, Riverside County, California -

Assessment of the status of the Townsend’s big-eared bat in California

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:09:25 -0700

Assessment of the status of the Townsend’s big-eared bat in California -

California Fish and Game 105(3) Cover

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 10:55:16 -0700

California Fish and Game 105(3) Cover -

California Fish and Game 105 (2) Spring 2019 Cover

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:25:10 -0700

California Fish and Game 105 (2) Spring 2019 Cover -

Information for contributors

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:07:16 -0700

Information for contributors -

Book Review: Path of the puma—the remarkable resilience of the mountain lion

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:04:45 -0700

Book Review: Path of the puma—the remarkable resilience of the mountain lion -

Serum chemistry of wild, free-ranging mountain lions (Puma concolor) in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:01:16 -0700

The Rio Grande leopard frog (Lithobates berlandieri) and other introduced and native riparian herpetofauna of the Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:57:14 -0700

The Rio Grande leopard frog (Lithobates berlandieri) and other introduced and native riparian herpetofauna of the Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California -

Length-weight relationship and condition factor of butterfish Peprilus medius (Peters, 1869) in the southeast Gulf of California

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:51:22 -0700

Length-weight relationship and condition factor of butterfish Peprilus medius (Peters, 1869) in the southeast Gulf of California -

Notes from the Editor (105) 2

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:46:27 -0700

Notes from the Editor (105) 2 -

California Fish and Game 105 (2) Spring 2019, Low Resolution

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:41:01 -0700

California Fish and Game 105 (2) Spring 2019, Low Resolution -

California Fish and Game 105 (2) Spring 2019, High Resolution

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:36:58 -0700

California Fish and Game 105 (2) Spring 2019, Low Resolution -

Information for contributors to California Fish and Game

Wed, 15 May 2019 12:48:29 -0700

Submission guidelines and instructions for contributing authors.

Impacts of Recreation Special Issue Flyer

Tue, 07 May 2019 09:16:54 -0700

Information for contributors

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:48:14 -0800

Information for contributors -

Primary and secondary nursery areas for leopard and brown smoothhound sharks in San Francisco Bay, California

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:45:19 -0800

Primary and secondary nursery areas for leopard and brown smoothhound sharks in San Francisco Bay, California -

POTENTIAL USE OF DORSAL FIN SPINES OF THE ROOSTERFISH FOR AGE ESTIMATION

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:42:16 -0800

POTENTIAL USE OF DORSAL FIN SPINES OF THE ROOSTERFISH FOR AGE ESTIMATION -

A very long term tag recovery of a California scorpionfish (Scorpaena guttata)

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:28:59 -0800

A very long term tag recovery of a California scorpionfish (Scorpaena guttata) -

Notes From the Editor

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:26:02 -0800

Notes from the Editor -

California Fish and Game 105(1) Cover

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:22:02 -0800

California Fish and Game 105(1) Cover -

California Fish and Game 105(1) Low Resolution version

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:19:49 -0800

California Fish and Game 105(1) -

California Fish and Game 105(1) High Resolution version

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:17:12 -0800

California Fish and Game 105(1) -

Prey of neonate leopard sharks in San Francisco Bay, California

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 12:48:02 -0800

Prey of neonate leopard sharks in San Francisco Bay, California -

Within-talus temperatures are not limiting for pikas in the northern Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:06:23 -0800

Within-talus temperatures are not limiting for pikas in the northern Sierra Nevada, California, USA -

Volume 20 (1934)

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 07:56:42 -0800

Volume 19 (1933)

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 07:55:44 -0800

California Fish and Game 104-4 low resolution

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:57:34 -0800

California Fish and Game 104-4 low resolution -

Reviewers of Manuscripts Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 104 (2018)

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:55:37 -0800

Reviewers of Manuscripts Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 104 (2018) -

Author Index for California Fish and Game 104 (2018).

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:54:45 -0800

Author Index for California Fish and Game 104 (2018). -

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 104 (2018).

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:54:09 -0800

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 104 (2018). -

Information for contributors

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:53:25 -0800

Information for contributors -

Ground-nesting great horned owl in Suisun Marsh, California

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:41:15 -0800

Ground-nesting great horned owl in Suisun Marsh, California -

Notes from the Editor 104-4

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:36:29 -0800

Notes from the Editor 104-4 -

California Fish and Game 104-4 Cover

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:35:07 -0800

California Fish and Game 104-4 Cover -

California Fish and Game 104-4 high resolution

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:32:46 -0800

California Fish and Game 104-4 high resolution -

Cover Photo 104 (3)

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:22:59 -0800

Cover Photo 104(3) -

Information for contributors

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:21:38 -0800

Information for contributors -

Geographic range and biology of Spinyeye Rockfish (Sebastes spinorbis Chen, 1975), an endemic species to the Gulf of California, Mexico

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:17:08 -0800

Geographic range and biology of Spinyeye Rockfish (Sebastes spinorbis Chen, 1975), an endemic species to the Gulf of California, Mexico -

Biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles at the Camp Cady Wildlife Area, Mojave Desert, California and comparisons with other desert locations

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:15:52 -0800

Biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles at the Camp Cady Wildlife Area, Mojave Desert, California and comparisons with other desert locations -

Annual and seasonal variation, relative abundance, and effects of managed flows on timing of migration in Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) in the upper Trinity River

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:14:07 -0800

Annual and seasonal variation, relative abundance, and effects of managed flows on timing of migration in Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) in the upper Trinity River -

Notes from the Editor

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:12:44 -0800

Notes from the Editor -

California Fish and Game 104(3) Summer Low Resolution

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:10:42 -0800

California Fish and Game 104(3) Summer Low Resolution -

California Fish and Game 104(3) Summer Hi Resolution

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:07:04 -0800

California Fish and Game 104(3) Summer Hi Resolution -

California Fish and Game 104(2), Spring 2018, High Resolution version

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:01:32 -0700

California Fish and Game 104(2), Spring 2018, High Resolution version -

California Fish and Game 104(2), Spring 2018, Low Resolution version

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:59:35 -0700

Information for Contributors

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:33:30 -0700

Information for Contributors -

Book Review—Mountain lions of the Black Hills: history and ecology

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:30:56 -0700

Book Review—Mountain lions of the Black Hills: history and ecology -

Book Review—Serendipity: an ecologist’s quest to understand nature

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:29:25 -0700

Book Review—Serendipity: an ecologist’s quest to understand nature -

Using citizen science to estimate the Coastal Rainbow Trout population of Grass Valley Creek Reservoir

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:26:46 -0700

Using citizen science to estimate the Coastal Rainbow Trout population of Grass Valley Creek Reservoir -

Abundance, habitat and occupancy of Roosevelt Elk in the Bald Hills of Redwood National Park

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:21:44 -0700

Abundance, habitat and occupancy of Roosevelt Elk in the Bald Hills of Redwood National Park -

California mallards: a review

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:18:14 -0700

California mallards: a review -

California Fish and Game Cover 104 (2)

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:13:19 -0700

California Fish and Game Cover 104 (2) -

Notes from the Editor

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:05:58 -0700

Notes from the Editor -

Information for contributors

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:27:40 -0700

Information for contributors -

From the archives: Ecology of a cottontail rabbit (sylvilagus Auduboni) population in Central California

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:24:20 -0700

From the archives: Ecology of a cottontail rabbit (sylvilagus Auduboni) population in Central California -

Book Review: Population ecology of Roosevelt elk: conservation and management in Redwood National and State Parks

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:20:37 -0700

Book Review: Population ecology of Roosevelt elk: conservation and management in Redwood National and State Parks -

Field method for estimating the weight of tule elk from chest circumference

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:18:10 -0700

Field method for estimating the weight of tule elk from chest circumference -

Comparison of rabbit abundance survey techniques in arid habitats

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:15:28 -0700

Comparison of rabbit abundance survey techniques in arid habitats -

Reproductive aspects of Sphyraena ensis (Perciformes: Sphyraenidae) inhabiting the coast of San Blas Nayarit, southeast Gulf of California

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:11:58 -0700

Reproductive aspects of Sphyraena ensis (Perciformes: Sphyraenidae) inhabiting the coast of San Blas Nayarit, southeast Gulf of California -

California Fish and Game 104 (1) Spring 2018 Low Resolution

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:03:55 -0700

California Fish and Game 104 (1) Spring 2018 Low Resolution -

California Fish and Game 104 (1) Spring 2018 High Resolution

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 11:01:03 -0700

California Fish and Game 104 (1) Spring 2018 High Resolution -

Notes From the Editor

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 10:52:08 -0700

Notes from the Editor -

California Fish and Game 104(1) Cover

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 10:49:21 -0700

California Fish and Game 104(1) Cover -

Author Index for California Fish and Game 103 (2017)

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 12:58:32 -0700

Author Index for California Fish and Game 103 (2017) -

New depth record of the Thorny stingray (Urotrygon rogersi) in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 09:34:01 -0700

New depth record of the Thorny stingray (Urotrygon rogersi) in the Gulf of California, Mexico -

California Fish and Game 103(4) Fall Cover

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 11:01:08 -0700

California Fish and Game 103(4) Fall Cover -

Reviewers for manuscripts considered for publication for California Fish and Game 103 (2017)

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:57:53 -0700

Reviewers for manuscripts considered for publication for California Fish and Game 103 (2017) -

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 103 (2017)

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:54:11 -0700

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 103 (2017) -

From the Archives - The Relative Maturity Of The Chinook Salmon Taken In The Ocean Along The Pacific Coast

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:52:39 -0700

From the Archives - The Relative Maturity Of The Chinook Salmon Taken In The Ocean Along The Pacific Coast -

Outplanting large adult green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) as a strategy for population restoration

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:51:28 -0700

Outplanting large adult green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) as a strategy for population restoration -

Impacts of El Niño on Adult Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Weight in the Gulf of the Farallones from 1983 to 2015

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:50:11 -0700

Impacts of El Niño on Adult Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Weight in the Gulf of the Farallones from 1983 to 2015 -

Notes From the Editor 103(4)

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:47:46 -0700

Notes From the Editor 103(4) -

California Fish and Game 103(4) Fall Low Resolution

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:43:19 -0700

California Fish and Game 103(4) Fall Low Resolution -

California Fish and Game 103(4) Fall 2017 High Resolution

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 10:33:56 -0700

California Fish and Game 103(4) Fall High Resolution -

Distribution and derivation of dabbling duck harvests in the Pacific Flyway

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 10:26:07 -0800

Distribution and derivation of dabbling duck harvests in the Pacific Flyway -

Historic and contemporary distribution of Longfin Smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) along the California coast

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 10:25:42 -0800

Historic and contemporary distribution of Longfin Smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) along the California coast -

California Fish and Game 103(3) Summer 2017 low resolution

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 10:25:01 -0800

California Fish and Game 103(3) Summer 2017 low resolution - California Fish and Game 103(3) Summer 2017 low resolution

Distribution of Amargosa River pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae) in Death Valley National Park, CA

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 10:24:32 -0800

Distribution of Amargosa River pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae) in Death Valley National Park, CA -

California Fish and Game 103(3) Summer 2017 high resolution

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 10:23:27 -0800

California Fish and Game 103(3) Summer 2017 high resolution - California Fish and Game 103(3) Summer 2017 high resolution

From the Archives - Nesting studies of ducks and coots in Honey Lake Valley

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:47:23 -0800

From the Archives - Nesting studies of ducks and coots in Honey Lake Valley -

Book Review - And then there were none: the demise of desert bighorn sheep in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:45:34 -0800

Book Review - And then there were none: the demise of desert bighorn sheep in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness -

Notes from the Editor (103)3

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:38:05 -0800

Notes from the Editor -

California Fish and Game 103 (3) Cover

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:29:57 -0800

Traditional surveys may underestimate Rana draytonii egg-mass counts in perennial stock ponds

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:10:23 -0700

Traditional surveys may underestimate Rana draytonii egg-mass counts in perennial stock ponds -

Cover: California Fish and Game Winter Issue 103 (1)

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:10:04 -0700

Notes from the Editor (103) 1

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 13:57:26 -0700

scientific journal -

From the Archives: Deer Licks of the Trinity National Forest Game Refuge

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:22:58 -0700

scientific journal -

Elemental Content Of Mineral Licks In The Klamath Mountains, Siskiyou County, California

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:21:47 -0700

scientific journal -

Mussels of the Upper Klamath River, Oregon and California

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:19:59 -0700

scientific journal -

Potential evidence of communal nesting, mate guarding, or biparental care in the salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris halicoetes)

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:17:43 -0700

scientific journal -

Documentation of mountain lion occurrence and reproduction in the Sacramento Valley of California

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:13:25 -0700

scientific journal -

California Fish and Game 103(1) Low Resolution

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:11:25 -0700

scientific journal -

California Fish and Game 103(1) High Resolution

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:09:56 -0700

scientific journal -

Notes from the Editor

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 09:25:39 -0700

Notes from the Editor -

California Fish and Game 102(4) Fall low resolution

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 11:47:52 -0700

California Fish and Game 102(4) Fall low resolution -

California Fish and Game 102(4) Fall high resolution

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 11:47:23 -0700

California Fish and Game 102(4) Fall high resolution -

Year-class strength predicts commercial catch 11 years later for white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, off southern California

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:12:02 -0700

Year-class strength predicts commercial catch 11 years later for white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, off southern California -

Reviewers for manuscripts considered for publication for California Fish and Game 102 (2016)

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:07:41 -0700

Reviewers for manuscripts considered for publication for California Fish and Game 102 (2016) -

Author Index for California Fish and Game 102 (2016)

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:06:07 -0700

Author Index for California Fish and Game 102 (2016) -

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 102 (2016)

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:04:58 -0700

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 102 (2016) -

Fish and game conservation dependent on conservation of other natural resources

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:03:29 -0700

Fish and game conservation dependent on conservation of other natural resources -

Length-weight and length-length relationships, and condition factor of the pelican barracuda Sphyraena idiastes Heller and Snodgrass, 1903 (Perciformes: Sphyraenidae) in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:01:01 -0700

Length-weight and length-length relationships, and condition factor of the pelican barracuda Sphyraena idiastes Heller and Snodgrass, 1903 (Perciformes: Sphyraenidae) in the Gulf of California, Mexico -

Breeding chronology, movements, and life history observations of tricolored blackbirds in the California Central Coast

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 10:59:06 -0700

Breeding chronology, movements, and life history observations of tricolored blackbirds in the California Central Coast -

Absence of leopard sharks in catch surveys in Puget Sound, Washington

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 13:24:37 -0800

Absence of leopard sharks in catch surveys in Puget Sound, Washington -

A potential predator-prey interaction of an American badger and an Agassiz’s desert tortoise with a review of badger predation on turtles

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 13:23:16 -0800

A potential predator-prey interaction of an American badger and an Agassiz’s desert tortoise with a review of badger predation on turtles -

The economic value of the recreational red abalone fishery in northern California

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 13:21:50 -0800

The economic value of the recreational red abalone fishery in northern California -

Sexual development and symbionts of native Olympia oysters Ostrea lurida naturally settled on cultch deployed in San Francisco Bay, California

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 13:20:00 -0800

Sexual development and symbionts of native Olympia oysters Ostrea lurida naturally settled on cultch deployed in San Francisco Bay, California -

Notes from the Editor

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 11:19:31 -0800

Editor's note for California Fish and Game 102(3) -

California Fish and Game 102 (3) Summer Low Resolution

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 11:15:58 -0800

California Fish and Game 102 (3) Summer Low Resolution -

California Fish and Game 102 (3) Summer High Resolution

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 11:13:53 -0800

California Fish and Game 102 (3) Summer High Resolution -

Spatiotemporal trends analysis of benthic communities and physical habitat during non-severe drought and severe-drought years in a residential creek in California

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 17:02:02 -0700

Spatiotemporal trends analysis of benthic communities and physical habitat during non-severe drought and severe-drought years in a residential creek in California -

Weight-length relationship and condition factor of leopard grouper Mycteroperca rosacea (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Gulf of California

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:58:51 -0700

Weight-length relationship and condition factor of leopard grouper Mycteroperca rosacea (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Gulf of California -

Range expansion of the Shimofuri goby (Tridentiger bifasciatus) in southern California, with emphasis on the Santa Clara River

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:55:18 -0700

Range expansion of the Shimofuri goby (Tridentiger bifasciatus) in southern California, with emphasis on the Santa Clara River -

Incidence of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) predation by green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:47:20 -0700

Incidence of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) predation by green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) -

Northward range extension of the crowned sea urchin to Monterey Bay, California

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:43:52 -0700

Northward range extension of the crowned sea urchin to Monterey Bay, California -

Notes from the Editor

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:30:07 -0700

Editor's note for California Fish and Game 102(2) - Notes from the editor in chief

California Fish and Game 102 (2) Spring 2016 Low Resolution

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 16:48:14 -0700

California Fish and Game 102 (2) Spring 2016 -

California Fish and Game 102 (1) Winter 2016 High Resolution

Mon, 23 May 2016 13:04:55 -0700

California Fish and Game 102 (1) Winter 2016 -

California Fish and Game 102 (1) Winter 2016 Low Resolution

Mon, 23 May 2016 13:04:40 -0700

California Fish and Game 102 (1) Winter 2016 -

Notes from the Editor

Tue, 17 May 2016 11:07:12 -0700

Editor's note for California Fish and Game 102(1) -

Book Review: Closer to the ground

Tue, 17 May 2016 11:04:27 -0700

Book Review: Closer to the ground -

Upward shifts in recruitment of high-elevation tree species in the northern Sierra Nevada, California

Tue, 17 May 2016 11:00:51 -0700

Upward shifts in recruitment of high-elevation tree species in the northern Sierra Nevada, California - We compared presence or absence of tree species recruitment in 381 recent random plots in the northern Sierra Nevada of California with 2160 Vegetation Type Map project plots of the 1930s. Of 12 tree species with adequate sample sizes for analysis, we found a significant upward elevation shift in recruitment in three species over this 80-year interval: red fir, western white pine, and mountain hemlock. A marginally significant upward shift was seen in lodgepole pine. All four species are higher elevation conifers in our study area. A few significant latitudinal shifts were also observed, but in a direction counter to the expectation of poleward shift. We believe this reversal is because more northerly latitudes in our study area have lower maximum elevations, whereas the more southerly latitudes have high mountains. One especially high-elevation species, mountain hemlock, became rare to lacking in the northern parts of our region, where the elevations at which it was formerly found may no longer be cool enough for the species. Because our measure of recruitment integrates over multiple years of seed germination and seedling and sapling survival, we believe these changes in small trees may reflect ongoing climatic changes in the Sierra Nevada, foreshadowing changes in plant communities and wildlife habitats.

Habitat use by male and female Roosevelt elk in northwestern California

Tue, 17 May 2016 11:00:21 -0700

Habitat use by male and female Roosevelt elk in northwestern California - The female substitution hypothesis proposes that sexual selection influences intersexual resource use. In forage habitat, females may exhibit increases in reproductive success if there are more females than males. In such a circumstance, males may evolve a broader feeding niche that allows females to use prime foraging habitat. For grazing species, a broader forage niche could manifest as males using a wider range of forage habitats than females. Redwood National and State Parks, California, USA, is home to a non-migratory Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) population that inhabits a landscape in which forage habitat is divided into meadow and forest matrices. These categories are defined by high- and low-quality forage, respectively, based on forage quantity and forage species composition. Surveys of naturally marked male and female elk were conducted during January and February from 1997 to 2015 to provide data to estimate the probability of meadow use and forest use by each sex. When group size and whether or not prescribed burning occurred was statistically controlled, our analysis demonstrated that males were less likely than females to use meadows. Both male and female elk used meadows more frequently following prescribed burns. Our results demonstrating intersexual variation in habitat use by Roosevelt elk in winter are consistent with the female substitution hypothesis.

Comparison of selected population characteristics of adult Chinook salmon during upstream passage through a resistance board weir and during carcass surveys

Mon, 04 Jan 2016 09:36:07 -0800

Chinook salmon - We compared population characteristics of adult Chinook salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) during 2003–2006 in the lower Stanislaus River, Stanislaus County, California, by counting and measuring live fish moving past a resistance board weir and dead fish counted and measured by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) during annual carcass surveys. The comparison of annual escapement was extended to 2007–2009 by including unpublished data. Although annual salmon passage counts at the weir were significantly correlated with estimates of carcass survey escapement, size estimates of live fish passing the weir were smaller on average than dead fish measured during carcass surveys. Sex ratios also differed for fish counted at the weir compared to those counted during carcass surveys. In general, females outnumbered males in both datasets, except in 2004 when more males than females were counted at the weir. Ratios of clipped to unclipped adipose fins differed significantly between fish from the weir and from the carcass surveys during 2005–2006, but not during 2004. These results suggest that population characteristics of adult salmon returning to the Stanislaus River may be better represented by the relatively high numbers of live fish examined during their concentrated passage through the weir than by the lower numbers of widely dispersed dead fish examined during carcass surveys.

Book Review: Desert bighorn sheep: wilderness icon

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:25:44 -0800

Book Review: Desert bighorn sheep: wilderness icon -

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 101 (2015)

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:15:05 -0800

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication - Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 101 (2015)

Author Index for California Fish and Game 101 (2015)

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:08:27 -0800

Author index -

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 101 (2015)

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:05:42 -0800

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 101 (2015) -

101(4) Books Received and Available for Review

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:00:44 -0800

Books Received and Available for Review - Books Received and Available for Review

Notes from the Editor

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:55:23 -0800

Editor's note for California Fish and Game 101(4) -

First record of striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) in Humboldt Bay, California

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:46:15 -0800

striped mullet -

A potential range expansion of the coastal fisher (Pekania pennanti) population in California

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:36:28 -0800

coastal fisher population in California -

Importance of the stream-estuary ecotone to juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Humboldt Bay, California

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:27:37 -0800

Importance of the stream-estuary ecotone to juvenile coho salmon in Humboldt Bay, California - Recent studies have shown the broad role estuaries plays in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) life history; however, most of these studies were limited to the Pacific Northwest and did not include information from the southern end of its range in California. We sampled the stream-estuary ecotone (SEE) of numerous Humboldt Bay tributaries from 2003 to 2011 to document use by juvenile coho salmon. We sampled fish using seine nets and baited minnow traps and found that young-ofthe-year (YOY) and yearling plus (1+) coho salmon reared primarily in freshwater or tidal freshwater habitat in the SEE. We detected three basic life history strategies employed by juvenile coho salmon regarding their use of the SEE. The first group were YOY fish that arrived in the spring and resided mostly in mainstem channel habitat in the summer and early fall; the second group of nearly 1+ fish arrived after the first large stream flow event in the fall and resided extensively in smaller tributary and off-channel habitat during the winter and spring; and finally a third group of stream-reared 1+ coho salmon emigrated through the SEE quickly during the following spring. Juvenile coho salmon resided in the SEE an average of one to two months but some individuals reared there for over a year. We found that about 40% of the coho salmon smolt production from Freshwater Creek, Humboldt Bay’s largest tributary, originated from the SEE. Juvenile coho salmon rearing in the SEE were larger than their cohorts rearing in stream habitat upstream of the SEE. Our results demonstrate that juvenile coho salmon utilize portions of the Humboldt Bay SEE in ways similar to those reported in Pacific Northwest estuaries, and suggest that the SEE of Humboldt Bay provides quality rearing habitat—especially over winter rearing habitat—for those juveniles. By incorporating this knowledge into habitat restoration plans we can design effective habitat restoration projects to improve habitat conditions and non-natal rearing for juvenile coho salmon.

Habitat selection and survival of pronghorn fawns at the Carrizo Plain National Monument, California

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:23:26 -0800

pronghorn fawns at the Carrizo Plain National Monument - On the Carrizo Plain National Monument (CPNM), California, little is known about survival rates and habitat characteristics of pronghorn fawns(Antilocapra americana). A marked decline in pronghorn numbers on the CPNM (from approximately 200 to <30 individuals from 1989 to 2011)prompted a study of fawn habitat use and fawn survival from 2009 to 2011. Only 45 fawns were born during this period. We attached GPS collars to 44% of these fawns (<5 days-of-age). We then used the locations of collared fawns to develop two separate binary logistic regression models to explore the best combination of micro- and macrohabitat-scale environmental variables for predicting (1) fawn habitat selection and (2) fawn survival. Model results for habitat selection showed that fawn locations were associated with increased concealment at close distances (5 m and 50 m) and decreased concealment at far distances (100 m). Fawn locations were on lower sloped terrain and closer to available drinking water and saltbush (Atriplex spp.). Model results for fawn survival showed that increased survival time was associated with higher sloped terrain, proximity to available drinking water and saltbush, and increased distance from high-use roads. Collectively, these results demonstrate that fawn habitat selection is scale-dependent and likely influenced by the combined spatio-temporal needs of both females and their young. The results of this study can be used to inform critical management actions on the CPNM.

Potential mitigation of and adaptation to climate-driven changes in California's highlands through increased beaver populations

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:03:34 -0800

Potential mitigation of and adaptation to climate-driven changes in California's highlands through increased beaver populations - Climate models forecast significant changes in California’s temperature and precipitation patterns. Those changes are likely to affect fluvial and riparian habitat. Across the American West several researchers and civil society groups promote increased beaver (Castor canadensis) presence as a means to moderate such changes. This study reviews three literatures in an effort to evaluate the potential for beaver to adapt to and to mitigate anticipated changes in California’s higher elevation land- and waterscapes. First, I provide a synopsis of modeled changes in temperatures and precipitation. Forecasts agree that temperatures will continue to increase, to 1.5–4.0° C by 2060; however, forecasts for precipitation are more variable in sign and among models. Second, researchers anticipate climate-driven changes in stream and riparian areas and project that snowpacks and summer flows will continue to decline, winter and spring flood magnitudes will increase, spring stream recession will likely continue to occur earlier and more quickly, and highland fires will be more extensive. Each of these changes has important implications for wildlife and public lands managers. A third focus reviews beaver natural histories and finds that where beaver dams are persistent, they may sequester sediment and create wet meadows that can moderate floods, augment early summer baseflows, sequester carbon in soils and standing biomass, decrease ecological problems posed by earlier spring stream recession, and potentially help cool early summer and post-wildfire stream temperatures. However, due in part to currently limited habitat suitability and to conflicts with other human interests, mitigation would likely be most meaningful on local rather than statewide scales.

Home-range overlap of Roosevelt elk herds in the Bald Hills of Redwood National

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 13:59:16 -0800

Home-range overlap of Roosevelt elk herds in the Bald Hills of Redwood National -

California Fish and Game 101(4) Low Resolution Version

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 13:54:57 -0800

California Fish and Game 101(4) -

California Fish and Game 101(4) High Resolution Version

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 13:53:08 -0800

California Fish and Game 101(4) -

Commentary: Wildlife, the public trust, and the modern-day “Tragedy of the Commons”

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 11:11:31 -0700

Notes from the Editor

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:45:32 -0700

Coyote visitation to water sources as evidence of a decline in coyote numbers

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:40:23 -0700

First case of abnormality in the chilhuil sea catfish (Bagre panamensis) from Mexican waters

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:38:28 -0700

Abundance, size, and occurrence of Arbacia stellata in Orange County, California

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:34:02 -0700

A fortuitous mitigation for desert mule deer along the All-American Canal

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 16:39:32 -0700

A fortuitous mitigation for desert mule deer along the All-American Canal - We studied mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) presence associated with the All-American Canal (AAC) before, during, and after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Imperial Irrigation District replaced a 36.8- km section of the earthen canal in Imperial County, California with a concrete-lined canal. The concrete-lined canal had steeper sides and higher water velocities than the unlined canal, increasing the risk of mule deer drowning in the canal. Our objective was to determine if the concrete-lined canal had an effect on the occurrence of mule deer along the AAC based on observations, aerial surveys, track plots, and camera traps. We examined deer presence at the AAC prior to lining (2004–2006), during lining (2007–2009), and post-lining (2010–2014). We monitored 1-m2 track plots north and south of the AAC from 2004 to 2010. We did not find deer south of the canal and deer were rarely found north of the canal from December to April; thus, during 2011–2014, we monitored areas north of the canal from May to November. We also monitored deer at two mitigation catchments (established based on the first years of the study), one previously established catchment, and a sheet pile seam (i.e., 6-m wide gap or seam where the canal has a piece of sheet metal covered with rip-rap rock and dirt instead of cement) that deer used to access the canal. During the pre-lining phase, only one deer was reported near the canal. During the lining-phase we detected deer in a small area north of and adjacent to the canal. There were occasional observations of deer: three that drowned and two that were rescued from the canal. During the post-lining phase we documented continued deer presence at the canal and mitigation catchments. One deer drowned in the canal 166 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME Vol. 101, No. 3 and one was rescued. The number of deer tracks at the canal remained consistent from 2008 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2014 as did the number of photos; thus, the mitigation catchments did not reduce deer use of the canal. We recommend that the sheet pile seam deer use to access the canal be maintained and kept free of vegetation. Further, we conclude the development of water catchments for this small population of deer crossing sand dunes to acquire water was not necessary. Deer use of the sheet pile seam was unanticipated and fortuitous for deer attempting to acquire water from the AAC.

Length-weight and length-length relationships, condition index, and trophic level of Sphyraena idiastes Heller and Snodgrass, 1903 (Teleostei: Sphyraenidae)

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 16:37:27 -0700

101(3) Books Received and Available for Review

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 16:22:11 -0700

Book Review -

California Fish and Game 101(3) Summer 2015 Low Resolution

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 16:20:08 -0700

California Fish and Game 101(3) Summer 2015 High Resolution Version

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 16:17:13 -0700

Implementing California’s Nearshore Fishery Management Plan — twelve years later

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 10:17:42 -0700

The Nearshore Fishery Management Plan (NFMP) mandated by California’s Marine Life Management Act of 1998 was adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission in October 2002. The NFMP provides a framework for managing the nearshore species complex under joint state-federal authority using more conservative measures, while in close coordination with federal management. Since 2002, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has managed 19 nearshore species in accordance with NFMP management measures. Prior to adoption of the NFMP, all nearshore species were considered data-poor. Since implementation, half of the nearshore species have been assessed, moving from data-poor to more informed. The status of assessed stocks is healthy or precautionary, which has resulted in increased total allowable catches. Regional management, as envisioned by the NFMP, has yet to be fully implemented, although progress has been made in the form of regional recreational and commercial catch monitoring and estimation of catch and effort, and a restricted access program instituted on a regional basis in 2003 for the commercial fishery. Since 2003, the number of restricted access permits has been reduced by 29%. Allocation of harvest limits between the recreational and commercial sectors continues to be based on historic landings. Recent implementation of a statewide network of marine protected areas provides protection to approximately 20% of nearshore habitat important to NFMP species and provides the opportunity to investigate the utility of marine protected areas as reference reserves for stock monitoring and assessment. Research on nearshore species is progressing, albeit slowly, given limited CDFW resources and by virtue of collaborative partnerships. Although the state intended to pursue federal transfer of authority to gain sole management authority, most of the NFMP species continue to be jointly managed.

California Fish and Game 101(2), Spring 2015, High Resolution version

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 16:09:50 -0700

Experimental enhancement of pickleweed, Suisun Bay, California

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:54:14 -0700

As mitigation for habitat impacted by the expansion of a pier on Suisun Bay, California, two vehicle parking lots (0.36 ha and 0.13 ha) were restored by being excavated, graded, and contoured using dredged sediments to the topography or elevation of nearby wetlands. We asked if pickleweed (Sarcocornia pacifica L, [Amaranthaceae]) colonization could be enhanced by experimental manipulation on these new wetlands. Pickleweed dominates ecologically important communities at adjacent San Francisco Bay, but is not typically dominant at Suisun Bay probably because of widely fluctuating water salinity and is outcompeted by other brackish water plants. Experimental treatments (1.0-m2 plots) included mulching with pickleweed cuttings in either the fall or the spring, tilling in the fall, or applying organic enrichments in the fall. Control plots received no treatment. Pickleweed colonization was most enhanced at treatment plots that were mulched with pickleweed in the fall. Since exotic vegetation can colonize bare sites within the early phases of restoration and reduce habitat quality, we concluded that mulching was most effective in the fall by reducing invasive plant cover while facilitating native plant colonization.

California Fish and Game 101(2), Spring 2015, Low Resolution version

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:49:14 -0700

Books Received and Available for Review

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:42:09 -0700

Copies of the following books have been received and are available for review by interested parties. Individuals interested in preparing a formal review that will be published in California Fish and Game should contact the editor (Vern.Bleich@wildlife.ca.gov) with a request to do so.

Becoming a compelling communicator for conservation: the essential reference for everyone who desires to make a difference.

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:39:48 -0700

Book Review - Bill Dunn, a friend and colleague for more than three decades, claims that the inspiration for this book originated during the first national meeting of The Wildlife Society in Albuquerque, New Mexico, back in 1994. Indeed, we sat through 45 minutes of a mostly droll and boring presentation one evening, following which we questioned the speaker’s ability to convey a meaningful message, and wondered why we had wasted our time listening to him.

Kimberly A. Nicol, 1956–2015

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:35:51 -0700

Long time Department family member and Regional Manager, Kim Nicol passed away on 20 January 2015 following an extended and courageous battle with cancer. Kim worked in Region 6 for more than 25 years, and became the manager of the Inland Deserts Region in July 2010. In that capacity, Kim employed a firm leadership style that quickly earned her the respect and admiration of many Regional Staff and Department Administrators.

Observations of predation and loss among leopard sharks and brown smoothhounds in San Francisco Bay, California

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:32:46 -0700

The San Francisco Bay is the largest along the Pacific coast of the United States (Conomos et al 1985). With deepwater channels, shallow mudflats, and marsh sloughs and channels, it supports a variety of elasmobranchs including leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata), brown smoothhound (Mustelus henlei), spiny dogfish (Squalus suckleyi), soupfin shark (Galeorhinus galeus), sevengill shark (Notorynchus cepedianus), bat ray (Myliobatis californicus) and big skate (Raja binoculata).

A swimming deep-sea peneaoid shrimp photographed off California

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:29:24 -0700

During a study of long-term cycles in deep benthic communities, the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts photographed a large deep-sea shrimp (Figure 1) west of Morro Bay (35o 10’ N, 122o 59’ W, 3,949 m, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) station M, 24 May 2011). Further details of the study location, methods, and results are available in Kuhnz et al. (2014). Laser dots on the photograph are 29 cm apart, from which the total length of the shrimp can be estimated at 15 cm. During 2007–2012, this shrimp was seen in eight quantitative video transects but in low abundance—no more than one shrimp per 100 m2, and was not collected.

Mitochondrial DNA perspectives on the introduction and spread of wild pigs in California

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:24:47 -0700

Domestic pigs were first introduced to California by Spanish explorers and missionaries in the 1700s and were soon established as feral populations in coastal regions. Feral pigs are currently abundant in mainland California where their presence in 56 of the state’s 58 counties is ecologically problematic. We used molecular techniques to inform on an incomplete record of human introductions associated with escape or purposed release of domestic and European-type wild swine in California, and to provide insight on the mechanisms that produced an accelerated expansion dynamic in the state after the 1970s. We developed mtDNA sequence data for 151 tissue or blood samples from wild pigs spanning their distribution in California, and a 550 base pair segment of the control region was used in phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analyses included our data and 904 published sequences for wild and domestic swine from elsewhere in the U.S. and around the world. Gene flow indicative of natural spread in California was assessed from population-level mtDNA sequence relationships for five population groupings, and we assessed mtDNA haplotypes associated with different periods of invasion by partitioning samples originating from “Historic” occupied counties (before 1968), and “Recent” occupied counties. Nine mtDNA haplotypes were identified among wild pigs California, including three that were unique to California,three that were common elsewhere in the United States, two that were known from Hawaii or other Pacific Islands, and one that was known only from Kentucky, USA. Apparent gene flow between Recent and Historic ranges indicated that pigs dispersed at the regional level, and we identified evidence for expansion by anthropogenic and natural processes from presence of several haplotypes only in Recent range. MtDNA sequence data provided new insight on wild pig expansion in California, including evidence that contemporary translocations promoted hybridization and subsequent spread by natural population growth. Considered together, information on the distribution of common and unique haplotypes and gene flow suggests that range expansion by wild pigs in California is progressing by natural and human-facilitated dispersal, and new introductions from outside of the state. We advocate against additional anthropogenic movement of wild pigs within the state or from other U. S. states because these animals are known to be detrimental to native plants and animals in California ecosystems.

Effects of loading density during transport on physiological stress and survival of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta fishes

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:18:57 -0700

Truck transportation from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Tracy Fish Collection Facility in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the final phase of a multi-component process that results in the capture and release of >50 fish species, thereby preventing entrainment at a downstream water pumping facility. Fish-transport tables (termed Bates Tables) developed in 1955 do not take into consideration the fish loading process, commonly transported sensitive species, or physiological effects of elevated densities. To investigate suitability of the Bates Tables, effects of loading and transport at recommended and twice-recommended transport densities on physiological stress and survival of threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense), Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and striped bass (Morone saxatilis) were tested. Density did not have a significant effect on fish survival or physiological stress, as indicated by blood plasma constituent levels. At both densities, mean post-transport (168 hour) survival of all species was high (>98%), and ammonia and carbon dioxide levels increased in transport water as a result of fish metabolism, but levels remained below lethal levels. Among all species tested blood cortisol, glucose, and lactate levels followed a predictive adaptive response, with levels tending to peak immediately following transport and returning to basal levels within 24 hours.

Observations of the non-native Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) in San Diego County, California

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:15:30 -0700

California’s coastline continues to accumulate species introduced from all over the world. In San Diego County’s estuarine and marine waters, the number of reported non-native species now stands at around 100 (Crooks 1998, unpublished data, Preisler et al. 2009). Among the many different taxa of invaders in this region, bivalve molluscs are of particular interest given their potential ecological and economic impacts and the relatively well-documented history of changes in bivalve assemblages over time (Crooks 2001). Bivalves in general are a relatively conspicuous group, their representation in the fossil record and in archeological sites make the deeper history of these organisms accessible, and local molluscan assemblages have also been focal organisms for study by scientists for 150 years. Some of the non-native molluscs reported in the San Diego area include the bay mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), the Japanese mussel (Musculista senhousia), and the Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum). These are in addition to freshwater invaders of the county, including the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) and the notorious quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis). Despite repeated intentional introductions in San Diego, and California in general, one notable absence in the list of established mollusk invaders has been oysters. Herein we review isolated reports of introduced oysters into San Diego County and nearby areas in the 19th and 20th centuries, and then note what appears to be a successful establishment of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) that began around the turn of the 21st century.

Note from editor

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:07:49 -0700

Wow... it’s not yet the end of May, and the spring issue of California Fish and Game has hit the streets. This issue, 101(2), of the journal has been in the making for nearly a year, but production of the four special issues celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of California’s longest-running, continuously published scientific journal took an inordinate amount of time and effort to produce. Fortunately, the Associate Editors, Corresponding Editors, reviewers, and Debra Hamilton, who handles the production and layout of the journal, were able to work both on the special issues as well as papers scheduled to appear in 101(1) and 101(2) simultaneously. Without that ability to multitask, we would be months behind in our publication schedule. Thank you to everyone that has worked so hard over the last 18 months to keep us on track.

Notes from the Editor Vernon C. Bleich

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:57:49 -0700

Volume 100, published in the centennial year of California Fish and Game, has been completed. This effort, to commemorate the 100th year of publication of California’s longest running, continuously published scientific journal, was the result of the efforts of many individuals, including researchers, corresponding editors, and reviewers. The centennial volume, which consisted of four special issues each addressing a particular aspect of fish and wildlife conservation, was the largest ever published by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Publication began in 1914 under the California Division of Wildlife, and continued for many decades under the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG). Legislation implemented in 2013 resulted in the renaming CDFG, which became the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). One hundred years from now we cannot predict what CDFW will be called, but we can hope that the support for its journal, California Fish and Game, will remain strong. Volume 100 consisted of 758 total pages, which were nearly evenly distributed among the four special issues.

Books Received and Available for Review

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:51:21 -0700

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in the San Joaquin River, California: new record

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:47:31 -0700

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) are the most widely distributed and abundant in terms of total biomass of all Pacific salmon, and may have contributed up to 50 percent of the annual biomass of the seven species of Pacific salmon in the North Pacific Ocean (Salo 1991). In North America, they are found from the Sacramento River in California (Hallock and Fry 1967) northward to the Arctic shore of Alaska (Walters 1955), with a southernmost record in the USA from the San Lorenzo River near Monterey Bay, California (Behnke 2002). Chum salmon are not historically known from the San Joaquin River system (Behnke 2002, Moyle 2002).

Implications of predation by wild pigs on native vertebrates: a case study

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:41:25 -0700

Following escape from a purposeful introduction on Hooper Bald in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina in 1912, European wild boars (Sus scrofa) have spread across the United States via invasions and translocations; they now occur in an estimated 44 of 50 states (for a complete review, see McCann et al. 2014). An early translocation from the North Carolina population brought wild pigs to California in 1925, where they were introduced into Monterey County by private landowners for sport hunting (Hoene 1994). From the Monterey County introduction and subsequent translocations, wild pigs spread throughout California, hybridizing with domestic pigs brought by 18th-century Spanish explorers and 19th-century immigrants to America. Vigorous hybrids now occur in 56 of 58 counties within California (Waithman et al. 1999, McCann 2012, McCann et al. 2014, CDFW 2015). Hereafter, I refer to these hybrids as wild pigs.

Documentation of mountain lions in Marin County, California, 2010–2013

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:37:04 -0700

Prior to 2010, mountain lions (Puma concolor) have rarely been documented in Marin County, California. Although there are reports of sightings of mountain lions or observations of mountain lion sign, most have not been verified by photographs or physical samples. A search of museums throughout the United States (Long and Sweitzer 2001)revealed that the only specimen from Marin County appears to be a mountain lion collected in 1931 (MVZ:Mamm:47199). Gross and Fitzhugh (1985) compiled a list of 148 reports of mountain lion observations in Marin County from 1961 to 1984 based on agency records or personal communications with local residents. The majority of those accounts were visual recollections that could not be verified, and no physical or photographic documentation accompanied any of the reports. Since 1972, four depredation permits have been issued for mountain lions in Marin County, with no confirmed kills under those permits (CDFW 2014).

Feeding and spatial ecology of mountain lions in the Mendocino National Forest, California

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:32:50 -0700

Between 2010 and 2012, we studied the feeding and spatial ecology of mountain lions (Puma concolor) in the Mendocino National Forest, California, a single-ungulate system in which their main prey were blacktailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus). Mountain lions displayed relatively high ungulate kill rates (x¯ = 1.07 ungulates/week, and x¯ = 5.78 kg/day), and also displayed individual variation in diet composition. The majority (77.6%) of deer =1 year old killed by mountain lions were in fair or better condition despite possible observed selection towards deer in older age classes (=9 years old). Analyses of hunting behavior indicated that prey types were killed in varying proportions among different time periods, with fawns more frequently killed during diurnal hours. We also found differences in habitat characteristics between kill sites and subsequent feeding sites, with feeding sites lower in elevation, flatter in slope, and with greater canopy density. Individual 95% fixed kernel home ranges varied between 102 and 614 km2. Estimated population densities of mountain lions including known kittens were comparatively low (0.68 mountain lions/100 km2).

Managing monarch butterfly overwintering groves: making room among the eucalyptus

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:28:33 -0700

Proper management and conservation of the coastal California overwintering sites used by western monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) is critical for continued use of these sites by monarchs. Many management efforts are currently concentrating on eucalyptus-only sites because of the prevailing notion that monarchs “prefer” eucalyptus over native tree species. Herein, we test the “eucalyptus preference” hypothesis with data from five overwintering sites comprised of blue gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and at least one other native tree species from fall 2009 to spring 2012. We found that when monarchs clustered disproportionately on a tree species relative to its availability, they clustered significantly more than expected on native trees and significantly less than expected on eucalyptus. Also, in years when the overwintering population was highest, monarchs clustered disproportionately on native conifers, and they often switched from clustering on eucalyptus in the early winter to native conifers in the middle or late winter. Our results suggest that overwintering groves should be managed to include a mixture of tree species.

The decline of native freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida) in California as determined from historical and current surveys

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:21:39 -0700

Freshwater mussels are increasingly recognized as important components of aquatic ecosystems but paradoxically are one of the most critically imperiled faunal groups in North America. In California the conservation status of all three native genera had not been comprehensively evaluated in over 30 years. We determined the current distribution of freshwater mussels in California by resurveying historical sites of known occurrences and evaluating the relative change between historical and contemporary surveys. A total of 450 historical records were compiled and represented 116 unique, locatable sites. Nearly 70% of the historical sites were resurveyed, and freshwater mussels were found at 47% of the resurveyed sites. Of the three mussel genera (Anodonta, Gonidea and Margaritifera) known from California, Anodonta was historically the most commonly observed genus, but was only found at 33% of the resurveyed sites. Although Margaritifera and Gonidea were historically found at fewer sites than Anodonta, they were extant at 65% and 55% of the resurveyed sites, respectively. Mussel losses were especially apparent in southern California, with mussels extirpated from 13 of 14 resurveyed sites. The absence of mussels from many historical sites, especially in southern California, parallels the on-going decline of freshwater mussel populations nationally.

California Fish and Game 101(1) Low Resolution version

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:09:27 -0700

California Fish and Game 101(1) High Resolution version

Wed, 13 May 2015 13:10:27 -0700

Information for Contributors

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:07:56 -0700

Books Received and Available for Review

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:07:07 -0700

Books Received and Available for Review

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:05:44 -0700

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Author Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:04:00 -0700

Author Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:01:47 -0700

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Book Review: Fishing the River of Time

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:54:20 -0700

Book Review - Author Tony Taylor, a geologist by training, has written a whimsically brief glimpse into his long life. He weaves a story that combines several disciples, including ecology, geology, boating, history, fishing, and the art of observation. He traveled back to Lake Cowichan, in western Canada, after a several decade absence, rented a cabin and awaited the arrival of his grandson. He arrived a few days early to scout out the local rivers in hopes of catching a fish and show his grandson a land he once knew and enjoyed. The book, however, is much more than meets the eye. It’s a journey into the past, present, and future. Taylor enjoys water and especially rivers. Watching the flowing water allows one to reflect and think. Thinking is important; it helps sort out the day’s experiences and allows the mind to float hoping to pick up on a different perspective on something so common. While preparing for his grandson’s arrival, Taylor was quick to explore the landscape and tells the reader stories about his experiences at Lake Cowichan and its people. Nature is an important theme in the book and Taylor’s discussions and storytelling does not disappoint.

Book Review: The Fish in the Forest – Salmon and the Web of Life

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:51:50 -0700

In The Fish in the Forest - Salmon and the Web of Life, author Dale Stokes has provided the curious reader a succinct account of the Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus). In his easy to read book, Stokes explains in detail how salmon along the Pacific coast of North America have influenced and sculpted the ecology of the temperate ecosystem. The book is divided into six sections, each addressing a particular aspect of the salmon and its role ecologically and culturally: The Forest and the Fish, Life and Death of a Salmon, The Salmon Signature, Salmon Gestalt, The Salmon Forest, and Full Circle. In each of these sections, Stokes skillfully connects the salmon with the environment in which it survives. As the story unfolds the reader finds him or herself learning ecological principles, biological terminology, and basic concepts of chemistry. Salmon taxonomy is covered as well as the role of indigenous peoples and their cultural connection to salmon. Scattered throughout the book - almost on every page - are outstanding photos by photographer Doc White. The photos supplement the text by providing a glimpse into salmon day to day life, their predators, and the landscape the fish support. A reference section is included at the end of the book.

A synopsis of recent history of California’s inland trout management programs: litigation and legislation

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:47:21 -0700

The management of trout fishing, trout fisheries, and the culture and distribution of hatchery-reared trout have been important features of inland fishery management programs for over 140 years. California’s fishery managers have striven to respond to the perceived needs and preferences of the state’s inland anglers and to include the values of the larger society. Over the decades those needs and values have changed and resulted in changes in the direction of trout management. In this paper we look at a series of events over the past 25 years and examine how those events are influencing the direction of California trout management programs.

Morphometric variation among four distinct population segments of California steelhead trout

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:39:25 -0700

Salmonid morphology can vary due to many factors including phenotypic expression in response to immediate environment, anthropogenic influences such as artificial propagation, and difficulty and distance of spawning migration. Because reproductive homing minimizes genetic interchange and promotes the maintenance of local adaptations, morphology of adult steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) should be distinguishable between geographically isolated populations. The objective of this study was to compare adult steelhead trout morphometrics among four distinct population segments in California, including both coastal and inland populations groups. This study is the first to examine morphometric variation on a regional scale in California. We predicted that means of each morphometric response variable—body depth, fork length, and weight—would differ statistically by distinct population segment, sex, origin, and by the interactions of these factors. Adult steelhead trout were sampled at 11 locations in four distinct population segments over two sampling seasons, yielding a sample size of 4,986 steelhead trout. We found significant trends among distinct population segments, including a clear morphological distinction between coastal and inland populations where, on average, steelhead trout in coastal populations were significantly larger and morphologically more robust than those in inland populations. The Nimbus Hatchery stock within the Central Valley Distinct Population Segment was a notable exception that included, on average, the largest and most robust steelhead trout observed in this study. It is important to understand how adult steelhead trout morphology not only varies among and within geographically isolated populations, but also how morphology functions as a locally adapted life history trait, which will aid fishery managers in establishing instream flow requirements that accommodate passage of larger bodied individuals, and may also aid in the successful replacement of out-of-basin broodstocks with others exhibiting morphological traits in agreement with local environmental conditions.

Investigation of the relationship between physical habitat and salmonid abundance in two coastal northern California streams

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:17:48 -0700

Understanding the relationship between fish abundance and stream habitat variables is critical to designing and implementing effective freshwater habitat restoration projects for coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and other anadromous salmonids. In this study, we investigated the relationship between summer coho salmon and steelhead trout (O. mykiss) parr abundance and physical stream habitat variables in Caspar and Pudding creeks in Mendocino County, California. Relationships between summer habitat and juvenile abundance were investigated using a stratified random experimental design. Our hypothesis was that one or more of the habitat unit types and variables examined would be associated with salmonid abundance. Habitat differences were examined between the two streams, and we tested our hypotheses regarding habitat variables and salmonid abundance using a variety of statistical tools that included two way ANOVA, factor analysis, and negative binomial regression modeling. The results indicated that juvenile coho salmon abundance was positively (proportionally) associated with slow water, water volume, and dry large-wood abundance, and negatively associated with fast-water habitat variables. Young-of-the-year steelhead trout were positively associated with water volume and dry large-wood and negatively (or inversely) associated with overhead vegetation and fast water habitats. Older age steelhead abundance was positively associated with slow water, water volume; cover habitat formed by wet and dry wood, and undercut banks. We discuss our findings relative to the use of large wood in anadromous salmonid habitat recovery programs in California coastal watersheds.

Straying of late-fall-run Chinook salmon from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery into the lower American River, California

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:13:16 -0700

Salmon typically home to their natal streams when returning to spawn in fresh water. Straying, however, is a natural behavior for a small fraction of individuals in a population, and may have an adaptive advantage under some circumstances. In the winter of 2006–2007, tens of thousands of late-fall run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) reared in the Coleman National Fish Hatchery (CNFH) were released at several downstream locations as part of a Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta survival study. In the winter of 2008–2009, biologists observed a pulse of late-season spawners in the American River, which turned out to be stray late-fall run Chinook salmon from the CNFH, spawning where the American River fall-run Chinook salmon were completing their spawning. Late-fall run Chinook salmon have not been known to spawn in the American River and understanding the reason for this unusual behavior was the basis for this project. We used coded-wire tag inland return data to test the hypothesis that salmon released close to the mouth of the American River are more likely to stray into the river during their return spawning migration than are fish released farther from the river’s mouth. Results indicated that straying increased relative to proximity of release location to the mouth of the American River and with respect to downstream releases in general. No salmon released in the vicinity of the CNFH were recovered in the lower American River. This study indicates that release location should be carefully evaluated if future downstream releases are conducted by Sacramento River watershed hatcheries.

Flathead catfish population estimate and assessment of population characteristics, Diamond Valley Lake, California

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:11:10 -0700

Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) were inadvertently introduced to Diamond Valley Lake, Riverside Co., California, where their population has become well-established. The species is highly piscivorous, extremely opportunistic, and is the least gape-limited of North American piscivores. Flathead catfish can exhibit extreme predatory pressure on existing fish populations in waters where they are introduced. Multiple markrecapture methods were used to estimate the flathead catfish population in Diamond Valley Lake. Population characteristics including proportional stock distribution (PSD), relative stock distribution (RSD) and relative weight (Wr) were evaluated. Anchor tag retention was also evaluated. Understanding the status and characteristics of the flathead catfish populations will aid fisheries management decisions for the reservoir.

Assessment of quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) veliger survival under thermal, temporal and emersion conditions simulating overland transport

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:05:49 -0700

Invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) were first detected on the lower Colorado River at Lake Mead in January 2007 and have spread to a number of southern California reservoirs. Though it is highly likely that larval transportation along connected waters was the primary cause of these infestations, little is known about the potential for larval conveyance in association with trailered watercraft. We conducted laboratory experiments at the Lake Mead fish hatchery to determine the potential for larvae (veliger) survival under immersion and emersion conditions that simulate those potentially encountered on recreational watercraft when trailered from infested to uninfested waterbodies. Our results demonstrate that at or above an air temperature of 35°C there is no practical risk of conveyance under any condition of emersion or low volume immersion. For emersed veligers in high relative humidity microenvironments there is risk of conveyance over a ‘next day’ time frame at temperatures up to 25°C. For immersed veligers in volumes as small as 31 µl there is risk of conveyance for at least 20 hours at 30°C and for at least seven days at 25°C or lower. Larval densities in infested waters are low enough that a volume on the order of one droplet is unlikely to contain veligers, but low volume itself does not appear to be a significant impediment to survival. These studies support the development and implementation of robust decontamination methods for watercraft moving from infested or potentially infested waters to those assumed to be uninfested.

Estimating juvenile winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon entrainment onto the Yolo Bypass over a notched Fremont Weir

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:01:40 -0700

In this study, a proposed notching of the Fremont Weir was analyzed compared to existing conditions using empirical data to estimate the proportion of juvenile Sacramento River winter-run and Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) entrained onto the Yolo Bypass. Using historic flow and rotary screw trap data from water years 1997-2011, we found that entrainment of listed juvenile salmon onto the Yolo Bypass was higher on average across all water year types under evaluated notch conditions than occurred under existing conditions. We found that notching the weir resulted in increased listed juvenile salmon entrainment onto the Yolo Bypass in the months of November through March, but not in April. Our results indicate that lowering the required river stage for Sacramento River flows to enter the Yolo Bypass by notching the Fremont Weir is likely to increase entrainment of listed juvenile salmon onto the bypass for the majority of the listed juvenile salmon emigration seasons.

Potential mechanisms in the early mortality of juvenile Chinook salmon exposed concurrently to Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHNV) and esfenvalerate

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:56:13 -0700

Replicate groups of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were exposed to infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), sub-lethal levels of esfenvalerate, or to both agents concurrently. A lethal synergistic effect of concurrent exposure to IHNV and esfenvalerate resulted in 24.1% mortality by 68 h post-virus exposure with no mortality observed in any other treatment groups at this time. Analyses of spleen samples from fish sampled at 68 h following exposure to both IHNV and esfenvalerate was suggestive of a disruption of transcription, and demonstrated a significant decrease in the production of two early, non-specific anti-viral genes (Mx-1 and Vig-8). Analyses of blood serum suggested that osmolality was not a contributing factor to the observed early mortality event. Examinations of stained sections of the gill and anterior kidney from fish in all treatment groups at 68 h did not reveal pathologic microscopic changes. This study suggests that the lethal synergistic effect of exposure to IHNV and esfenvalerate to juvenile Chinook salmon may be related to inhibited transcription of early, non-specific, anti-viral cytokines.

Seasonal microhabitat selectivity by juvenile steelhead in a central California coastal river

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:44:33 -0700

Microhabitat data were collected at focal positions of juvenile steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Big Sur River, California during spring, summer, and fall. An equal-area sampling approach was used to guide fish surveys and allocate habitat availability sampling among seasons, river reaches, and mesohabitat types. Juvenile steelhead trout habitat selection changed with fish size, season, discharge, and habitat availability. Water depth and water velocity were of primary importance in habitat selection for all size groups of rearing steelhead. Habitat Suitability Criteria (HSC) were prepared for water depth, mean water velocity, focal velocity, specific escape cover types, and distance to in-water escape cover to reflect seasonal habitat selectivity for rearing steelhead. Habitat “preference” HSC (use adjusted for availability using the U/A forage ratio) were also developed and compared with the equal-area selectivity HSC and with habitat availability. The U/A results produced extreme shifts in maximum suitability for several curves, and perhaps more significantly the U/A ratios severely deflated suitabilities where the majority of the fish were observed. With proper habitat stratification and non-limiting sampling conditions (e.g., adequate flows and non-degraded habitat), use of an equal-area sampling design for site-specific selectivity HSC development was determined to be a viable option for development of biologically relevant and representative HSC, and apt for effective environmental flow recommendations.

Introduction to the special fisheries issue from the California State Senate

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:40:07 -0700

One hundred years! How many journals of any kind have been around that long? Only a few can make that claim, which is why I’m particularly proud to introduce this issue of California Fish and Game, the scientific journal produced by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). This fourth issue in the centennial volume is focused on our fresh water fisheries and ecosystems. This topic is appropriate—or perhaps ironic—in this third year of severe drought, when fresh water supply is a critical issue for all Californians. The drought’s effects may be even more severe on wildlife than on humans, since fish and animals can’t store, import, pump groundwater, or buy water in bottles. They live or die with what nature (and sometimes we) can provide. Since 1914, California Fish and Game has kept its managers, scientific researchers, students and the public up to date on the science of environmental conservation. That year the department—then called the Fish and Game Commission—created a new branch, the Bureau of Education, Publicity and Research. The need for more scientific research and to share it with the general public must have been obvious by then, since California’s natural resources had been severely damaged by both Gold Rush activities and industrialization. Compiling the latest research and publishing the results in a scientific journal was an excellent way to turn the tide toward conservation.

Introduction to California Fish and Game 100(4)

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:36:07 -0700

In 1953 a young biologist, fresh out of graduate school, started as a Seasonal Aid with the California Department of Fish and Game. His name was Phil Pister. He is a co-author of this Introduction to the Special Fisheries Issue of the 100th year of California Fish and Game. Phil traces his fisheries conservation roots back to joining one of Starker Leopold’s first wildlife classes at the University of California, Berkeley. We thought that this Introduction could take a tour through Phil’s life and career as a way to help explain modern inland fisheries conservation in California as we know it today.

Notes from the Editor Vernon C. Bleich

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:30:44 -0700

Volume 100 of California Fish and Game is now complete. This special issue, with an emphasis on freshwater fisheries, includes a number of important contributions to our understanding of the ecology, management, or control of freshwater organisms. Among those discussed in this issue are endangered taxa, invasive species, and species native to California. This issue has been long in preparation, but the contents will be of substantial value to managers of freshwater fisheries and researchers working in the field of aquatic ecology.

California Fish and Game 100 (4) Fall 2014, Low Resolution

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:27:09 -0700

Special Fisheries Issue

Dynamics and social issues of overpopulated deer ranges in the United States: a long term assessment

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:40:29 -0700

Overabundant deer (Odocoileus spp.) populations can be detrimental to forests, agriculture, transportation, and human safety, and can alter abundance of flora and fauna causing shifts in ecosystem dynamics and sustainability. Deer populations were classified as irruptive, chronic, or troubled in 1947 and 1986 to document changes over 4 decades. We again conducted a survey of deer biologists in 2013 throughout the U.S. to determine how deer population status has changed since 1986. All states surveyed in 1947 and 1986 were included in the survey, and we also included other states to obtain information on status of their deer herds. We contacted the primary deer biologist in each state and asked a series of questions about status of deer. In 1947, biologists in 30 states reported that they had irruptive, chronic, or troubled deer ranges. In 1986 only Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas reported overpopulated deer ranges. In contrast, in 2013, 18 of 47 states surveyed reported issues with overpopulated deer herds in urban areas. In many states the deer population is at or below biological carrying capacity (K)but exceeds social carrying capacity. Many current issues with white-tailed deer are related to an increasingly urban human population that is less tolerant of deer, and not necessarily with increases in deer populations. Mule deer populations have declined from drought, but humans have also encroached upon winter ranges, thereby causing a deterioration of their habitat.

Aerial sardine surveys in the Southern California Bight

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:36:20 -0700

Current survey indices used in annual stock assessments to manage the federal Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax caerulea) fishery do not include nearshore sardine biomass in southern California waters. This survey uses direct observer estimates of sardine biomass in nearshore and offshore waters of the Southern California Bight to calculate an index of relative abundance. Surveys have been conducted since summer of 2012 and have continued through the spring and summer 2013 seasons. Aerial identifications of fish school species have been validated using boat sampling of aerial sightings, and demographic information obtained from collected samples. Additionally, habitat analyses compared sardine distribution with environmental variables (sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentrations).

California Fish and Game 100 (2) Spring 2014 Low Resolution

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:24:33 -0700

Special Marine Issue -

California Fish and Game 100 (2) Spring 2014 High Resolution

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:23:05 -0700

Special Marine Issue -

California Fish and Game 100 (3) Summer 2014 Low Resolution

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:21:04 -0700

Special Wildlife Issue - Readers of this column will note that Volume 100(3), originally scheduled to be a special issue addressing fresh water ecology and fisheries, has become the Special Wildlife Issue. This change occurred as a result of the extremely heavy workload experienced by California Department of Wildlife inland fisheries staff as a result of the ongoing, historic drought. Fisheries Branch personnel were to be the primary contributors to the Special Fisheries Issue, and other staff were to serve as Corresponding Editors. It remains my intent to produce the Special Fisheries Issue in tribute to this journal’s centennial year, but it is uncertain as to the publication date given the drought-related challenges that Fisheries Branch personnel continue to address. This Special Wildlife Issue is comprised of the largest number of pages ever published in a single issue of California Fish and Game, and is the now third in the series of four special issues originally planned to comprise the centennial volume of the journal. Production of these special issues has not been without its challenges, many of which have been overcome or are in the process of being resolved. Among these challenges were the continuing transition to electronic publication; development of a mailing list of those libraries, universities, and other institutions that wish to continue to receive a print edition of the journal; preparation and approval of a contract for transitioning from the Office of State Printing to a private contractor for the production of the print edition of Volume 100; and changes in publishing software, among others. As has been the case with the earlier special issues, Chuck Bonham?Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife?and a scientist of his choice have contributed an introduction to this issue, and Anthony Rendon?Member of the State Assembly and Chair of the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee?provides additional recognition regarding the 100-year publication history of California Fish and Game.

California Fish and Game 100 (3) Summer 2014 High Resolution

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:19:40 -0700

California Fish and Game 100(4) High Resolution

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 12:17:40 -0700

Special Fisheries Issue - Volume 100 of California Fish and Game is now complete. This special issue, with an emphasis on freshwater fisheries, includes a number of important contributions to our understanding of the ecology, management, or control of freshwater organisms. Among those discussed in this issue are endangered taxa, invasive species, and species native to California. This issue has been long in preparation, but the contents will be of substantial value to managers of freshwater fisheries and researchers working in the field of aquatic ecology. It is essential that I extend my gratitude to Stafford Lehr, Kevin Shaffer, Roger Bloom, and Rob Titus, all of whom played substantial roles in arranging for reviewers, working directly with the corresponding authors, revising manuscripts, and providing me with near-final versions of each of the manuscripts. It also is appropriate to acknowledge the corresponding authors, all of whom met necessarily short deadlines associated with manuscript revisions and, especially, with respect to reading and returning page proofs. The level of professionalism reflected in those rapid responses is truly appreciated. Director Chuck Bonham and retired fisheries biologist Phil Pister open this issue with a partial account of the evolution of fisheries management activities within the Department of Fish and Wildlife, a subject that is expanded upon in the last paper contained in this issue. Fran Pavley, Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee also provides meaningful introductory comments.

Print on demand order form

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 13:00:11 -0700

POD Order form - Online order form for printed copies of the anniversary issues comprising Volume 100.

Flathead catfish population estimate and assessment of population characteristics, Diamond Valley Lake, California

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 15:11:37 -0700

Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) were inadvertently introduced to Diamond Valley Lake, Riverside Co., California, where their population has become well-established. The species is highly piscivorous, extremely opportunistic, and is the least gape-limited of North American piscivores. Flathead catfish can exhibit extreme predatory pressure on existing fish populations in waters where they are introduced. Multiple mark-recapture methods were used to estimate the flathead catfish population in Diamond Valley Lake. Population characteristics including proportional stock distribution (PSD), relative stock distribution (RSD) and relative weight (Wr) were evaluated. Anchor tag retention was also evaluated. Understanding the status and characteristics of the flathead catfish populations will aid fisheries management decisions for the reservoir.

Straying of late-fall run Chinook salmon from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery into the lower American River, California

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:47:21 -0700

Investigation of the relationship between physical habitat and salmonid abundance in two coastal northern California streams

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:38:50 -0700

Understanding the relationship between fish abundance and stream habitat variables is critical to designing and implementing effective freshwater habitat restoration projects for coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and other anadromous salmonids. In this study, we investigated the relationship between summer coho salmon and steelhead trout (O. mykiss) parr abundance and physical stream habitat variables in Caspar and Pudding creeks in Mendocino County, California. Relationships between summer habitat and juvenile abundance were investigated using a stratified random experimental design. Our hypothesis was that one or more of the habitat unit types and variables examined would be associated with salmonid abundance. Habitat differences were examined between the two streams, and we tested our hypotheses regarding habitat variables and salmonid abundance using a variety of statistical tools that included two-way ANOVA, factor analysis, and negative binomial regression modeling. The results indicated that juvenile coho salmon abundance was positively (proportionally) associated with slow water, water volume, and dry large-wood abundance, and negatively associated with fast-water habitat variables. Young-of-the-year steelhead trout were positively associated with water volume and dry large-wood and negatively (or inversely) associated with overhead vegetation and fast water habitats. Older age steelhead abundance was positively associated with slow water, water volume; cover habitat formed by wet and dry wood, and undercut banks. We discuss our findings relative to the use of large wood in anadromous salmonid habitat recovery programs in California coastal watersheds.

Morphometric variation among four distinct population segments of California steelhead trout

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:29:41 -0700

A synopsis of recent history of California’s inland trout management programs: litigation and legislation

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:25:27 -0700

Book Review, The Fish in the Forest – Salmon and the Web of Life

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:21:11 -0700

Book Review - In The Fish in the Forest - Salmon and the Web of Life, author Dale Stokes has provided the curious reader a succinct account of the Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus). In his easy to read book, Stokes explains in detail how salmon along the Pacific coast of North America have influenced and sculpted the ecology of the temperate ecosystem.

Book Review, Fishing the River of Time

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:17:55 -0700

Author Tony Taylor, a geologist by training, has written a whimsically brief glimpse into his long life. He weaves a story that combines several disciples, including ecology, geology, boating, history, fishing, and the art of observation. He traveled back to Lake Cowichan, in western Canada, after a several decade absence, rented a cabin and awaited the arrival of his grandson. He arrived a few days early to scout out the local rivers in hopes of catching a fish and show his grandson a land he once knew and enjoyed.

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:14:40 -0700

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Author Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:12:50 -0700

Author Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014) - Author Index for California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:06:10 -0700

Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication - Reviewers of Papers Considered for Publication in California Fish and Game 100 (2014)

Books Received and Available for Review

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 14:01:07 -0700

Copies of the following books have been received, and are available for review by interested parties. Individuals interested in preparing a formal review that will be published in California Fish and Game should contact the editor (Vern.Bleich@wildlife.ca.gov) with their request to do so.

Information for Contributors

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 13:57:32 -0700

Comparisons of intermediately ranked species in avian rank-abundance distributions from four California forests

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:24:41 -0800

Biodiversity indices, such as those that measure species richness or evenness, provide limited information about ecological communities. The species abundance distributions from which these indices are derived contain greater detail about community structure. For this reason conservation planners and land managers would benefit from methods that allow more informative comparisons of these distributions than offered by traditional indices. We used bird survey data from four research forests in California to construct rank-abundance distributions. Using bootstrap re-sampling, we created uncertainty bands associated with the empirical shapes of these curves, allowing identification of significant (P<0.05) differences between distributions over a portion of their ranks. We found higher abundances of intermediately ranked species on two of the forests, and ascribe this result to differences in forest productivity and habitat complexity leading to greater niche partitioning of resources. Diversity indices derived from these data were less informative.

California Fish and Game 100(3): the special wildlife issue

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:21:49 -0800

Welcome to issue 3 of the 100th Anniversary volume of California Fish and Game. As Chair of the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, I am pleased to introduce this special issue devoted to terrestrial wildlife and ecosystems. The fact that this is California’s longest-running, continuously published scientific journal is a testament to the commitment of our state scientists, their pursuit of knowledge, and their dedication to our exceptionally diverse wildlife populations. It also reflects the increasing interest of world-renowned scientists in publishing in California Fish and Game. The work of scientists at the Department of Fish and Wildlife and elsewhere has helped guide decisions and the direction of natural resource conservation and management programs for more than a century. It has also helped educate the public, with the result that they are able to provide better informed comments to their elected representatives regarding legislation or regulations.

Introduction to the special wildlife issue

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:19:57 -0800

California Fish and Game has been and will continue to be an important resource for scientists around the world. The Frontispiece for this issue is a February 14, 1930 letter found in Also Leopold’s archives in which he noted, “I have long regarded ‘California Fish and Game’ as the only game magazine, outside of ‘American Game,’ that was worth reading.” Leopold, the author of A Sand County Almanac, was a pioneer of wildlife science, conservation, and ecology. Following its humble beginnings in 1914, California Fish and Game has become California’s longest continuously running in-state scientific publication. Over the last century, there have been a number of special issues produced. As you know, we are now publishing volume 100 of the journal, which is planned to consist of four special issues averaging about 200 pages in length. This special issue of Volume 100 focuses on the conservation and management of terrestrial wildlife. Although “evolution” appears in the title of one contribution, many of the papers included in this issue are based on the evolution of thoughts, statistical techniques, physiology, and methods of spatial analyses. Further, a number of papers germane to the current status or management of several species of wildlife are included.

Descriptive analyses and extended distribution records of macroinvertebrates based on remotely operated vehicle surveys offshore of the northern Channel Islands

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 18:35:49 -0800

In 2003, marine protected areas (MPAs) were established offshore of the northern Channel Islands, California. The MPAs are surveyed by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) as part of a larger, ongoing effort to evaluate their effectiveness. To determine macroinvertebrate species distribution and richness, we analyzed the ROV video data collected at five paired sites during 2007–2009. Percent occurrence was used to estimate species richness. Macroinvertebrates observed included harvested species and species with structure-forming potential. Fifty-three invertebrate species were identified along with 20 higher taxonomic complex level classifications when identification to species level was not possible. Two of the five site-pairs formed clusters in two different cluster analyses. Site clustering suggested an island effect or clinal change in the biogeographic regions from the Oregonian Province through the Transition Zone to the Californian Province. The ROV surveys yielded new depth records for three invertebrate species. In addition, the cnidarian Stylaster californicus was found offshore of Santa Rosa Island, expanding its documented distribution within the northern Channel Islands.

Books Received and Available for Review

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 18:33:31 -0800

California Fish and Game 100(2): the special marine issue

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:51:17 -0800

It is my privilege to introduce this second issue of California Fish and Game in its 100th anniversary year. Having worked extensively for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other organizations focused on ocean conservation, I am especially pleased that this issue is devoted entirely to the marine ecosystem. You are reading a highly respected, regional scientific journal with a strong emphasis on the eastern Pacific Ocean and western North America. In this time of rapidly changing media, it is a testament to the quality of this publication that it has survived and continues to thrive into its second century. Volume 100, Issue 2, is filled with reviews or the results of studies related to California’s marine environment and the many species of plants and animals that it supports. On the surface, the Pacific Ocean looks to some rather like an aquatic “desert.” We often don’t see very much life there. But, from just beneath the surface to the depths of Monterey Canyon, our ocean is teeming with plant and animal life.

Notes from the Editor - Vernon C. Bleich

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:47:37 -0800

Welcome to California Fish and Game 100(2), the second of four special issues assembled to celebrate the centennial anniversary of California’s longest-running, continuously published scientific journal. As the Editor-in-Chief, I remain pleased that this journal is celebrating with a series of special issues that ultimately will comprise Volume 100. I am also proud to be responsible for the production of Volume 100, but I am especially proud of the work accomplished by three individuals that took on many responsibilities in addition to their “day jobs” and, thereby, helped to ensure the quality of this special issue. They invited the authors, sought reviews, passed judgment on the acceptability of contributions for publication, assisted with copy editing, and helped to read page proofs. Two of those individuals, Pete Kalvass and Ian Taniguchi, served as Corresponding Editors, a task usually handled by the Editor-in-Chief; Nina Kogut unselfishly lent her editorial expertise to ensure consistency and quality of material published herein. Pete, Ian, and Nina each deserve special recognition and many thanks for their efforts and, as I promised previously (California Fish and Game 100:7-8), am again providing additional background information on those that were so instrumental in creating this special issue.

Introduction to the special marine issue

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:43:09 -0800

Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS), such as the California Current, the Peru-Humboldt, the Canary, and the Benguela Systems, are among the most productive marine ecosystems of the world’s oceans. Of these, the best studied is the California Current Ecosystem (CCE) resulting from the vision, collaboration and sustained support from the State of California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a broad host of academic, agency and non-governmental partners. While EBUS are productive they are also characterized by boom-bust cycles of some of their commercial fisheries that, in turn, affect the health of California’s coastal communities, such as that of Monterey’s Cannery Row immortalized in John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel.

The rise of invertebrate fisheries and the fishing down of marine food webs in California

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:33:03 -0800

Invertebrate fisheries are growing in importance worldwide and are now California’s most important fisheries by both volume and value. There has been a 174% increase in the value of marine invertebrate fisheries in California since 1980. Although there is a long tradition of fishing for invertebrates in California, recently there has been a rise in their importance and they now (2008–2012) comprise four of the top five fisheries by value. In the 1980s, finfish fisheries dominated both the value and the volume of landings. Finfish and invertebrates were comparable in the 1990s in terms of both value and landings. Since 2000, there has been a shift toward invertebrate fisheries due to decreases in finfish fisheries, increases in invertebrate fisheries, and increases in novel or emerging invertebrate fisheries. The trends observed in California fisheries are consistent with the hypothesis that marine food webs have been fished down. In the 1980s (1980–1989), 90% of the top fisheries by value were for predators, while in the recent past almost half of the top fisheries species were from lower trophic levels such as herbivores and scavengers. This trend in the expansion of California invertebrate fisheries follows global fishery trends. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, there has been a 400% increase in the landings of invertebrate fisheries from 1950 to 2011. Despite this growth, fishery assessment and management of invertebrate fisheries are lagging behind. As we work to sustainably manage California invertebrate fisheries it is imperative that we continue to advance our knowledge of their biology, life history, and drivers of population fluctuations in a variable ocean environment.

Effects of fishing and the environment on the long-term sustainability of the recreational saltwater bass fishery in southern California

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:27:20 -0800

Unlike several boom-and-bust fisheries of the last century, the recreational saltwater bass (Paralabrax spp.) fishery in southern California has endured oceanographic regime cycles and nearly a century of increasing anthropogenic impacts. We examined regulatory changes and several fishery-dependent and fishery-independent time series to determine historical influences on the fishery and causes of dramatic catch declines in recent years. Our results reveal a complex relationship between bass abundance and harvest rules, fishery recruitment, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), ocean regimes, and fishing. Recent trends in larval abundance and lengths of harvested fish suggest recruitment failure occurred during the last oceanographic regime shift coincident with a peak in exploitation rates. We believe this contributed to poor fishery recruitment, associated declines in catch-per-unit-effort, and a depressed population since the mid-2000s. Although long-standing regulations and periods of optimal environmental conditions appear to have sustained the fishery, we recommend an adaptive management approach to mitigate the effects of fishing pressure during unfavorable ocean conditions.

Changes in biological characteristics of the California market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens) from the California commercial fishery from 2000–01 to 2012–13

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:20:24 -0800

The commercial market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens) fishery began in Monterey, California during the mid-1800s. In the 1990s, increased market demand emerged overseas, primarily in Europe and Asia, and caused the fishery to grow substantially over the past two decades, and eventually becoming California’s top commercial fishery in terms of value and volume. Biological data were obtained through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife sampling program for commercial landings of market squid. Commercial samples were collected at ports from San Francisco to southern California, from the 2000–01 to 2012–13 seasons. This study examines the spatial and temporal trends in biological aspects of captured market squid to determine if dorsal mantle length, whole mass, and sex ratios have significantly changed through time, and if these variables presently differ among seasons, geographic region, or by sex. The length and mass of market squid have fluctuated from season to season, and there were significant differences between regions. Likewise, there are statistically significant interactions between season, region, and sex for both the length and mass of market squid. Specifically, the length and mass of squid depends on the combined interactions of season, region, and sex. Monitoring these biological trends can help inform management about the health of the current stock.

Reproductive potential and spawning periodicity in barred sand bass (Paralabrax nebulifer) from the San Pedro Shelf, southern California

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:16:21 -0800

Barred sand bass (Paralabrax nebulifer) form large, predictable spawning aggregations that are heavily exploited in the recreational fishery, but robust reproductive estimates (i.e., essential fishery information) are lacking for this species. Barred sand bass were collected on the San Pedro Shelf during June–September 2011 to improve estimates of gonadosomatic index (GSI), spawning fraction, batch fecundity, and spawning periodicity. We calculated spawning fraction using the post-ovulatory follicle method; batch fecundity was estimated using the hydrated oocyte method. Blood plasma samples were analyzed for concentrations of 17ß-estradiol (E2, n=160), 11-ketotestosterone (11KT, n=96), and progesterone (P4, n=153) to examine spawning periodicity. Spawning occurred predominantly in July and August, peaking just days before the new and full moon phases. Sea surface temperature (ß=0.45) and time of capture (ß=-0.35) were the most significant predictors of female E2 (R2=0.38, F(6,139)=9.2, P<0.001); E2 concentrations positively fluctuated with temperature and were significantly higher before noon than after noon (W=10263.5, P=0.0001). The relationship between batch fecundity (n=40, range 204 to 461 mm SL) and ovary mass was Log10y=0.9815(Log10x)+3.1353 (R2=0.94); batch fecundity ranged from 23,536 to 330,443 oocytes, and females were estimated to spawn 42 times. Based on our estimates of spawning frequency and batch fecundity, potential annual fecundity for female barred sand bass ranged from 0.98 to 13.9 million oocytes, and averaged 3.5±2.5 million. These newly available reproductive estimates should enhance fishery assessments and management of this popular sport fish.

Influence of bucket trap hole diameter on retention of immature hagfish

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:11:24 -0800

In California, the commercial fishery for Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii)has exported over one million pounds annually in recent years, primarily to South Korea where they are considered a delicacy. Comparatively little research exists to support management decisions for this species. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) sought to evaluate the influence of trap hole diameter, which is presently unregulated, on the take of immature hagfish. Using standard 20-L bucket trap gear, we tested four hole diameters (9.5 mm, 12.7 mm, 14.3 mm, and 15.9 mm), which are currently or have been previously used by the fishery. We found that the percentage of immature female hagfish declined with increasing trap hole diameter. The smallest hole diameter tested resulted in catch where approximately 17.5% of female fish were of immature size. Although the take of immature hagfish was not completely eliminated until the largest of these hole diameters was used, a 10.5% reduction in the percentage of immature female hagfish occurred between 12.7 and 14.3 mm. The number of larger hagfish increased with increasing hole diameter, yet overall catch weight decreased, suggesting that hole diameter currently utilized by fishermen represents a conscious tradeoff between these competing factors.

Overview of the creation and management of California’s marine protected area network

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:02:21 -0800

In December 2012, with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)as a lead agency, the State of California completed a comprehensive network of marine protected areas (MPAs). The MPA network spans the California coastline (state waters including bays, except the San Francisco Bay, estuaries, and offshore islands) and encompasses approximately 2200 km2 of state waters. The first of its kind in the United States, this landmark MPA network was developed through a robust public process based on sound scientific guidance and a strong legal mandate and was designed to be a biologically functioning network with each MPA contributing to its overall success. Prior to completing this effort, California had a series of individual, unrelated MPAs that often lacked clearly defined purposes (California Fish and Game Code Section 2851[a]). Three separate but complementary pieces of legislation provided the necessary guidance, mandate, and authority to ensure the successful creation of the statewide MPA network. Legislative background.—In 1998, the Marine Life Management Act (MLMA; California Fish and Game Code Sections 90-99.5, 105, 7050-7090, 8585-8589.7, 8842, and 9001.7) created a broad scale programmatic framework for managing fisheries through a variety of conservation measures, including MPAs. In 1999, the Marine Life Protection Act(MLPA; California Fish and Game Code Sections 2850-2863) recognized that MPAs and sound fisheries management were complementary components of a comprehensive effort to sustain marine habitat and fisheries (California Fish and Game Code Section 2851[d]) and established a programmatic framework for the creation of a statewide MPA network. In 2000, the Marine Managed Areas Improvement Act (MMAIA; California Public Resources Code Sections 36600-36900) standardized and clarified a statewide classification system for marine managed areas (MMAs), of which MPAs are a subset. It was this classification system of MPAs that was used when implementing the MLPA. The combined effect of these three laws was, in large part, to shift marine resource management away from a single species approach to one that focuses on sustaining marine resources by considering ecosystem function and biodiversity in management measures.

Information for Contributors

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:53:46 -0800

Observation of mating behavior of the Santa Ana speckled dace

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:07:16 -0800

The speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) is one of the most widely distributed native fish in the western United States (Girard 1856, Moyle 2002). There are numerous forms of speckled dace and Moyle (2002) lists 7 undescribed subspecies in California. The Santa Ana speckled dace (R. osculus ssp.) is a small, rare, stream-dwelling cyprinid endemic to the mountains and foothills of coastal southern California. Mueller (1984) described the spawning activity of speckled dace in a small stream in New Mexico and Kaya (1991) described reproduction of the species in captivity. Little is known, however, of the life history of the Santa Ana speckled dace, and spawning activity has not been described.

First record of endangered southern California steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Conejo Creek, Ventura County, California

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:04:23 -0800

Southern California steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), referred to as southern steelhead, historically occurred from Santa Maria River, Santa Barbara County, to Santo Domingo River in northern Baja California. Major streams within this geographic region (Santa Ynez River, Ventura River, Santa Clara River, Malibu Creek, Arroyo Trabuco Creek, Santa Margarita River, and San Mateo Creek) supported runs of southern steelhead in the beginning of the twentieth century.

Angler catch-per-unit-effort in restored and reference sections of the Merced River, California: a preliminary analysis

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:00:57 -0800

The headwaters of the Merced River originate in the western Sierra Nevada, California. The river then flows 217 km westward through Yosemite National Park (YNP)and into the San Joaquin Valley, where it flows into the San Joaquin River south of Modesto, California. Due to its proximity to large population centers and its path through the popular YNP, the Merced River gets extensive recreational pressure from rafters, photographers, swimmers, and fishermen. Recreation, through fishing license sales, equipment sales, and area hotel and camping fees produces high revenue for state and local economies. From 2003–2011, the State of California generated an average of $58,347,000 in sport fishing license sales, with a high of $65,174,000 in 2009 (CDFG 2012). A portion of the revenue generated by fishing is allocated for fish stocking and habitat restoration efforts.

Longfin smelt: spatial dynamics and ontogeny in the San Francisco Estuary, California

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:57:09 -0800

We utilized recently available sampling data (~1959-2012) from the Interagency Ecological Program and regional monitoring programs to provide a comprehensive description of the range and temporal and geographic distribution of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) by life stage within the San Francisco Estuary, California (Estuary). Within 22 sampling regions, we identified 357,538 survey events at 1,203 monitoring stations. A total of 1,035,183 longfin smelt (LFS) were observed at 643 stations (53%) in an area from Central San Francisco Bay (Tiburon) in the west, to Colusa on the Sacramento (Sacramento Valley region) in the north, Lathrop on the San Joaquin River (border of South Delta and San Joaquin River regions) to the east and South San Francisco Bay (Dumbarton Bridge) to the south, an area of approximately 137,500 ha. We found that LFS were frequently observed across a relatively large portion of their range, including East San Pablo Bay north into Suisun Marsh down through Grizzly Bay and all four regions of Suisun Bay through the Confluence to the Lower Sacramento River region. Unlike juvenile LFS, whose locations fluctuate between the bays and Suisun Marsh in relation to the low salinity zone, adults during the spawning period appeared to be not only in these locations but also in upper Delta reaches and also into San Francisco Bay, likely indicating that LFS spawning habitat may extend further upstream and downstream than LFS rearing habitat. The anadromous life stage declined in spring and mid-summer but increased throughout fall months across all areas, suggesting immigration and emigration through the Estuary. Longfin smelt appeared to migrate completely out of the lower rivers by July but some adults consistently remained in downstream Estuary areas, suggesting not all individuals demonstrate marine migration. This comprehensive data review provides managers and scientists an improved depiction of the spatial and temporal California Fish and Game 99(3):122-148; 2013 Summer 2013 123 extent of LFS throughout its range within the Estuary and lends itself to future population analysis and restoration planning for this species.

Notes from the Editor

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:46:04 -0800

Welcome to California Fish and Game 99(3), the “Summer” issue. Over the past six months, numerous software changes occurred for Department of Fish and Wildlife e-mail users, and to the operating system and software available to those that edit and produce the journal. As Editor-in-Chief, I am a bit embarrassed by the tardiness of this issue but, suffice to say, it is finally available. Readers will likely note the extended time between date of submission of papers appearing herein, and the date (10 December 2013) this issue went to the printer (x¯ = 5.3 ± 1.5 [SD = 1.5] months); in most previous issues, that period has averaged only about 3 months. Those of us involved in the production of California Fish and Game will do our best to get back on the regular schedule of publication now that many of the unforeseen software glitches have been worked out. This is the first issue of California Fish and Game that will be published simultaneously in hard copy and electronically. We have received our ISSN for electronic publication, and it now is prominently displayed below our print ISSN. The ISSN for electronic publication will further facilitate indexing of this journal by the numerous literature search and retrieval services that now dwell on the web. During 2014, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will publish the 100th volume of California Fish and Game. Several special issues are planned to commemorate this occasion, with the plan that each special issue will follow a particular theme. We look forward to the publication of volume 100, and to continuing the fine tradition that has been the flagship of this publication over the past 100 years. Vernon C. Bleich, Editor-in-Chief California Fish and Game

California Fish and Game 99(3)

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:22:43 -0800

Complete issue for downloading

California Fish and Game 99(1)

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:15:56 -0700

Complete issue for download

Notes from the Editor

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:48:43 -0700

Welcome to this somewhat-belated issue of California Fish and Game; the delay is the result of expired printing contracts, end-of-year account closures, and shifting of accounts from the previous (2012 – 2013) to the current (2013 – 2014) fiscal year. Budget policies and regulations precluded publication of this issue prior to 1 July.

In Memoriam - James D. Yoakum

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:47:31 -0700

The wildlife profession lost a dedicated colleague on 21 November 2012 with the passing of Jim Yoakum.

IN MEMORIAM - James J. Navicky

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:46:32 -0700

On 27 July 2012, the conservation community lost a true friend, ambassador, and family member. Born in Sacramento on June 23, 1970, and after a second bout with cancer (he had been in remission for 10 years), James Joseph Navicky was taken from us at the very young age of 42.

Habitat characteristics, a range extension, and an elevational record for Shasta salamanders

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:45:02 -0700

The Shasta salamander (Hydromantes shastae) is a state-listed threatened species known from the southeastern Klamath Mountains located north and northeast of Redding, Shasta County, California. Historically described as a habitat specialist associated with limestone rock formations (Gorman and Camp 1953, Stebbins 2003, Olson 2005), Shasta salamanders were recently found in and are now known to occupy various non-limestone habitats (Lindstrand 2000, Nauman and Olson 2004, Olson 2005). These non-limestone habitats include coniferous forests and mixed woodlands with metasedimentary or metavolcanic rock outcrops and talus, and areas with little or scattered surface rock. The recorded elevations at known localities range from 244 to 1158 m, the highest being limestone habitat (Lindstrand 2008).

Notes from the Editor

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:41:18 -0700

Another year has gone by, and another volume of California Fish and Game has been published and distributed to investigators around the world. During 2012, total pages numbered 244, as compared to the 220 pages making up Volume 97 (2011), and the 268 pages that made up Volume 96 (2010). Over the past three years, each volume of the journal has averaged roughly 250 pages. During that period, 53 manuscripts were submitted to be considered for publication, of which 41 were accepted and published and 12 were rejected. Thus, the overall rejection rate for manuscripts considered for publication in the last 3 volumes was roughly 23%. That figure can be expected to increase in the future, however, as more and more investigators submit their work to be considered for publication in California’s longest-running professional journal, California Fish and Game.

The native and introduced fishes of Clear Lake: a review of the past to assist with decisions of the future

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:41:00 -0700

We reviewed the history of Clear Lake, California, and its fish community, including geology, limnology, aquatic biology, and human influences that have shaped the condition of the lake and the composition and abundance of native and introduced fish species. We summarized impacts experienced by the lake and its fish community, identified correlations between native fish abundance and non-native fish introductions and abundance, and described other human impacts. Causal relationships were difficult to ascertain from existing data, but we identified numerous research opportunities that would address these uncertainties, including: (1) field studies of Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) interactions; (2) field surveys to determine the current population dynamics of native fish species, including hitch, Sacramento blackfish (Orthodon microlepidotus), and Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis); (3) development of a hitch population dynamics model to explore the relative importance of potential bottlenecks in the species’ life cycle; (4) development of a multi-species computer simulation model to bring together the existing knowledge about the Clear Lake ecosystem, and use of the model to simulate the results of management choices; (5) development of a watershed hydrology model, incorporating predictions of future climate through the 21st century, to predict how spring stream flows may change under climate change, and how this may affect hitch spawning access and timing; and, (6) conduct of a nation-wide survey of lake managers to identify management strategies that have been effective in delaying or halting the invasion of dreissenid mussels, and to discover how invasions have been addressed.

Invertebrate assemblages in the lower Klamath River, with reference to Manayunkia speciosa

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:40:43 -0700

The freshwater polychaete, Manayunkia speciosa Leidy (Canalipalpata: Sabellidae), is the intermediate host for two myxozoan pathogens (Ceratomyxa shasta and Parvicapsula minibicornis) that cause substantial mortalities of juvenile salmon in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam in California. Information on the distribution of M. speciosa in the Klamath River may facilitate targeted control of polychaete populations to disrupt the parasites that affect fish populations. We sampled invertebrate assemblages in the lower Klamath River in the summer and fall of 2005 and 2006 to estimate distribution patterns of M. speciosa and to characterize assemblage structure of invertebrates in reaches where the polychaete was both collected and not collected. The polychaete was most often found in a reach of river extending 100 km downstream from the Shasta River (river km 185–287). The reach in which it was found supported high taxonomic richness of invertebrates and a high abundance of filtering collectors including marine relicts such as sponges, unionid mussels, and bryozoans. We suggest that the large, stable substrate on which these were found represents primary, optimal habitat for the polychaete, also a marine relict. Reaches above and below the zone where we collected polychaetes showed a general trend of reduced taxonomic richness as distance away from the polychaete zone increased, and also showed differing relative abundances of non-insect taxa and functional feeding groups. Differences in invertebrate assemblages between years were coincident with large differences in water flows. We suggest flows and food resources may play important roles in invertebrate distribution patterns.

Notes from the Editor

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:40:36 -0700

Welcome to volume 98 of California Fish and Game. Since assuming the role of Editor-in-Chief in 2010, I have introduced each issue with this column. Recently, I was provided an opportunity to meet Director Bonham and, at the end of our conversation, I invited him to introduce himself to the readers of this journal, and to contribute some thoughts on science and, specifically, science within the California Department of Fish and Game (Department). In addition to employees of the Department, individuals from numerous disciplines, and representing hundreds of affiliations, have published results of their research in this internationally recognized journal. Among those are individuals working in government agencies, academia, non-governmental organizations, consultants, and interested members of the public.

Notes From the Editor

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:40:27 -0700

In the previous issue of California Fish and Game, Director Chuck Bonham voiced his strong support for science as the driving force for wildlife conservation in California. Shortly thereafter, he announced the establishment of a new entity in the Department, which has been termed the Science Institute. Although numerous prior directors have recognized that science should play a role in resource management, Director Bonahm has stepped up to the plate and advocated that the conservation responsibilities of the Department be based on the most pertinent data, and that management decisions be grounded in the most meaningful scientific information available. Indeed, a stated role of the Science Institute is, “To ensure quality, visibility, and integrity of the science that is conducted and used within the Department of Fish and Game”

Subject Matter Index for California Fish and Game 98 (2012)

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:40:15 -0700

Subject Matter Index

Sympatry in California tiger salamander and California redlegged frog breeding habitat within their overlapping range

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:39:40 -0700

Co-occurrence of two or more species of bi-phasic amphibians—those whose larvae develop in aquatic habitats and become terrestrial, air-breathing adults at metamorphosis—is extremely common in North America (Petranka 1998, Lannoo 2005, Stebbins and McGinnis 2012). In California, sympatry in amphibians occurs among a wide range of genera and species, including various assemblages of Ambystoma, Taricha, Dicamptodon, Pseudacris, Spea, Anaxyrus, Rana, Lithobates, and others (Storer 1925, Petranka 1998, Stebbins 2003, Lannoo 2005). The terrestrial stages of northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) and California giant salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus), for instance, are commonly found under the same cover and often breed in the same aquatic habitats (Storer 1925, Stebbins 2003). Similarly, the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa) and California newt (T. torosa) are often found together in both terrestrial and aquatic breeding habitat where the species overlap (Stebbins 2003, Stebbins and McGinnis 2012).

Group size dynamics of female Roosevelt elk in Redwood National and State Parks, California

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:39:29 -0700

Roosevelt elk, Cervus elaphus roosevelti, have inhabited the area in and around Prairie Creek and lower Redwood Creek drainages in Redwood National and State Parks for at least a century (Harper et al. 1967). In this small (<60 km2) geographic area, five distinct groups of elk have been identified (Franklin et al. 1975, Bowyer 1981, Jenkins and Starkey 1982, Weckerly et al. 2004). These groups are mainly comprised of females, juveniles and sub-adult males, and we refer to them as female groups. The individuals in these groups are socially bonded and may spend their entire lives together (Leib 1973, Franklin et al. 1975, Weckerly 1999, Bowyer 2004). The high degree of social bonding may be associated with the landscape configuration and arrangement of habitats, lack of timber harvest or forest fires that alter composition of habitats, and availability of foraging habitat (Jenkins and Starkey 1982, Weckerly 2004). Foraging habitat for elk in this landscape is primarily grassland that occurs in discrete patches in the lowlands of the coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forest; forage in grasslands is of much higher quality and more abundant than in forests (Jenkins and Starkey 1982, Weckerly 1999).

Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in the Salinas River, California: new record and historical perspectives

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:39:19 -0700

Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) are widely distributed in northern latitude coastal streams of North America and Asia, but the Puget Sound region is generally regarded as the southernmost extent of their recent spawning range on the west coast of North America (Heard 1991). Although observations of them are now uncommon, pink salmon have long been known to occur in California (Jordan and Evermann 1896, Moyle 2002, Moyle et al. 2008) and have even been reported south of the San Francisco Bay in the San Lorenzo River (Monterey Bay; Scofield 1916), Lagunitas Creek (Tomales Bay; Moyle et al. 2008), the Sacramento River and its tributaries (Hallock and Fry 1967) and, in 1945, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography verified the identity of a pink salmon that had been caught as far south as La Jolla, California (Hubbs 1946).

Home range and habitat use by desert mule deer in altered habitats

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:38:53 -0700

Alterations of desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus) habitat in Sonora, Mexico include overgrazing by livestock, additions of water sources, and transformation of desert scrub into pastures of exotic buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris). No previous research has been conducted to understand how mule deer respond to these alterations. We studied radiocollared mule deer from April 2002-June 2004 to evaluate home range sizes and habitat use of altered habitats in central and western Sonora, Mexico. Sizes of home ranges were larger in the more arid environments of western Sonora (27.3 km2 ± 2.6 [SE]) than in central Sonora (14.5 km2 ± 2.0 [SE]). During summer, mule deer home ranges were smaller than in any other season in western and central Sonora. There was no statistical difference in the size of home ranges of mule deer in areas with buffelgrass when compared to the size of home ranges of deer using native scrub vegetation. Desert mule deer did not use the vegetation associations in proportion to their availability, but selected xeroriparian vegetation and sites closer to water in both areas. Thermal cover was greater at deer sites than random sites in most seasons. Vegetation cover was greater and gravel cover less at mule deer locations on one area in one season. Desert mule deer used altered areas with buffelgrass; however, they selected sites with larger amount of shrubs or trees that supplied thermal cover. Researchers and managers should focus conservation efforts to identify threshold limits of altered habitats, determine differences in mule deer densities, and evaluate productivity and survival rates of desert mule deer in relation to those alterations.

An ectoparasitic snail (Evalea tenuisculpta) infects red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) in northern California

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:38:31 -0700

We document the presence of the ectoparasitic fine-sculptured odostome snail (Evalea tenuisculpta) on red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) in northern California. Red abalone form the basis for an important recreational fishery north of San Francisco. We found that 82% of the red abalone examined from three sites (n=73) in Sonoma County had these small snail parasites. We document that the parasitic snails also infects northern abalone (H. kamtschatkana). Infected red abalone had an average of 12 parasitic snails, averaging 4.8mm in length (range 1.0 to 8.8 mm) on their shell. In the laboratory, starved parasitic snails presented with live abalone elongated their proboscis to feed. Over three days, parasitic snails (85%) laid at least one egg mass, with larger snails laying more egg masses (containing more eggs) than smaller snails. Egg masses averaged 360 eggs per mass. More work is needed on the biology of this parasitic snail to determine its impacts on abalone, abalone populations, and the abalone fishery.

Translocating endangered kangaroo rats in the San Joaquin Valley of California: recommendations for future efforts

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:37:56 -0700

Since the early 1990s, translocation has been advocated as a means of mitigating impacts to endangered kangaroo rats from development activities in the San Joaquin Valley. The factors affecting translocation are numerous and complex, and failure rates are high. Based on work we have done primarily with Tipton kangaroo rats and on published information on translocations and reintroductions, we provide recommendations for future translocations or reintroductions of kangaroo rats. If the recommended criteria we offer cannot be satisfied, we advocate that translocations not be attempted. Translocation under less than optimal conditions significantly reduces the probability of success and also raises ethical questions.

Treatment of laboratory waste formalin solutions with Neutralex®

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:37:46 -0700

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Stockton office has collected several thousand zooplankton, larval fish, fish diets, and other biological samples annually from the San Francisco Estuary that were processed in their laboratories. Most of those samples were fixed and preserved in a 10% formalin (3.7% formaldehyde with 1.0 to 1.5% methanol) solution and many were archived in 5 or 10% formalin solutions. The formalin solutions were often amended with sodium borate to increase the pH or buffered with sodium phosphate monobasic and sodium phosphate dibasic.

Handling adjustments to reduce chemical capture-related mortality in black-tailed deer

Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:37:36 -0700

The capture of free-roaming animals is an important foundation of wildlife research and minimizing harm, especially mortality, is a paramount ethical concern (Kilpatrick and Spohr 1999, DelGiudice et al. 2005, Wildlife Investigations Lab 2010, Sikes et al. 2011). However, injuries or mortality are inherent to capture and chemical immobilization, and often necessitate adjustments to accepted techniques (Valkenburg et al. 1983, 1999; Jessup 2001; DelGiudice et al. 2005). In order to limit the potential for harm to study animals the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has formalized training and ethical guidelines for capture and chemical immobilization of wildlife (Wildlife Investigations Lab 2010). Nevertheless, training cannot replace real-time field experience and handling of animals; it is through experience that biologists are able to minimize injuries or mortalities to animals by making proactive adjustments to standardized capture protocols (Jessup 2001; DelGiudice et al. 2001, 2005).

Notes from the Editor

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:06:54 -0700

Another year has gone by, and another volume of California Fish and Game has been published. During 2012 (Volume 98), total pages numbered 244, as compared to the 220 pages making up Volume 97 (2011), and the 268 pages that made up Volume 96 (2010). Over the past three years, each volume of the journal has averaged roughly 250 pages, and expectations are that pages published will increase in the future.

Notes from the Editor

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:01:52 -0700

Some of the most frustrating things about being the editor of this journal revolve around formatting issues, and the effort it takes to revise manuscripts that do not meet those requirements. Many authors have had a tendency to not follow the most recent formatting instructions but, for that, I accept responsibility. I have, however, taken steps to make the most recent formatting instructions more readily available. Prospective authors can access the current instructions on the Department of Fish and Game web site (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/publications/journal/editpolicy.html). Additionally, the inside back cover of the journal has been modified to include information to that effect.

Conservation status of the Tomales Bay Isopod Caecidotea tomalensis (Malacostraca: Isopoda)

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:10:31 -0700

Almost 50 years have lapsed since the last publication on the distribution and ecology of the Tomales Bay Isopod, Caecidotea tomalensis, a rare crustacean endemic to California’s north coastal mountain region. The loss of the type specimen, taxonomic errors, and the presence of morphologically similar congeners have made it difficult to accurately assess its distribution and abundance. We revisited most of the historic locations of C. tomalensis, and present the results of these and other aquatic bioinventories and the examination of museum accession records. We detected at least 40 new populations and we expanded the species’ range into Del Norte, Monterey, and Sonoma Counties. We also document the disappearance of several known populations, which is attributed to habitat degradation. We also made recommendations on the conservation ranking of the taxon and future research directions.

Identifying factors limiting coho salmon to inform stream restoration in coastal Northern California

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:05:59 -0700

We evaluated an eleven-year (2000 to 2011) coho salmon adult, parr, and smolt abundance data stream from three census watersheds in coastal Mendocino County, California to determine how this information can provide a scientific basis for directing life-stage specific stream restoration activities. The three census watersheds: Caspar Creek, Pudding Creek, and the South Fork Noyo River called Life Cycle Monitoring Streams (LCMS), are part of the California Coastal Salmonid Monitoring Plan. These LCMS are places where we estimate adult, parr, and smolt abundance; make connections between life stage abundance and abiotic factors; and serve as focal points to foster additional watershed and salmon research. Adult and smolt abundance was estimated using capture-recapture methods where fish were marked with either batch marks or individual identifiers and we estimated parr abundance with depletion sampling. Since 2006, we have applied Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags to parr and smolts >70 mm and used this information to estimate abundance and survival. We used these data to calculate marine and freshwater survival, estimate carrying capacity of the three streams, and investigate the relationship between survival and abiotic factors (stream flow, turbidity, and temperature). We present the findings of this analysis and our results in relation to habitat census evaluations conducted during summer 2011. Finally, we discuss the application of our findings to restoration using large wood, and provide recommendations for future work to increase coho salmon production.

Recent observations of porcupines in El Dorado County, California

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:53:18 -0700

Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) have been in decline in parts of western North America including Mexico, Arizona, and Montana (List et al. 1999, Mally 2008, Brown and Babb 2009), and may also be declining in California (CSERC 2011, Weiser 2012). Porcupine populations often follow a boom or bust cycle over the course of decades (Spencer 1964); in California, populations of porcupines increased greatly from the early 1900s to the 1970s (Yocum 1971), and then appear to have declined since the 1990s. Population declines at the local level have been linked to changes in habitat, as well as predation by mountain lions (Puma concolor) or fishers (Martes pennanti) (Earle and Kramm 1982, Sweitzer et al. 1997, Brown and Babb 2009). In California, it is unclear why porcupine numbers appear to have been dropping in recent decades, but potential reasons include changes in habitat, poisoning, and their low reproductive potential (Weiser 2012).

Occurrence of delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) in the lower Sacramento River near Knights Landing, California

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:50:07 -0700

The delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus [McAllister 1963]), is a small, slenderbodied smelt (Family Osmeridae) endemic to the San Francisco Estuary, California. These near-annual fish typically grow to a length of 55-70mm FL and will rarely grow to lengths exceeding 80mm (Moyle et al. 1992). Delta smelt, though able to withstand a wide range of salinities, typically reside in the upper region of the estuary, where fresh water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s (Delta) brackish water mix, leading to a low level of salinity ranging from 2-7 ppt (Moyle et al.1992, Swanson et al. 2000, Moyle 2002). The location of these areas in the water system fluctuates annually, and is impacted by changes in incoming fresh water flows (Moyle et al. 1992).

Pulmonate gastropod species composition inside and outside eucalyptus forests

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:46:32 -0700

In coastal San Luis Obispo County, California, USA, forests of introduced eucalyptus occupy 61 ha of Montana de Oro State Park in an area of high endemism of plants and animals, including the federally listed Morro shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta walkeriana; MSS). We used mapping layers of soil types, occupied snail habitat, and current and predicted historic vegetation composition, to locate eucalyptus within historic suitable MSS habitat. We then tested the hypothesis that eucalyptus excludes MSS while also noting the occurrences of three other terrestrial pulmonate gastropods. Thirty-seven MSS or their shells were found outside the eucalyptus canopy and one was found inside a Eucalyptus cephalocarpa stand. When comparing forested areas to areas of native vegetation we found the assemblages of the four snail species differed significantly. Study results show that MSS are excluded from eucalyptus forests for unknown reasons. Three other snail species, including two predatory species, increased in number within the eucalyptus forests.

Framework for understanding the influences of wildlife water developments in the western United States

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:41:54 -0700

Water both limits and supports life; as such, it is essential for life processes. Free water is a limiting factor for some wildlife species in arid regions of the world. In the western United States, management agencies have installed numerous water developments to benefit wildlife. Despite >50 years as an active management practice, questions have been raised concerning the efficacy and potential negative impacts of wildlife water developments. We propose a conceptual framework for understanding more generally how, when, and where water developments are likely to benefit wildlife that are intended to use such devices. We argue that five elements are fundamental to an integrated understanding of the use of water developments by wildlife: (1) availability of free water in time and space; (2) water state (free, metabolic, or pre-formed) used by wildlife; (3) seasonal temperature and precipitation patterns that influence the physiological need for water by wildlife; (4) behavioral constraints that limit use of otherwise available free water; and (5) proper spacing and placement of water developments for targeted species. These elements are intended to help guide research and management efforts concerning the influences of wildlife water developments.

Aerial survey estimates of fallow deer abundance

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:37:40 -0700

Reliable estimates of the distribution and abundance of an ungulate species is essential prior to establishing and implementing a management program. We used ground surveys to determine distribution and ground and aerial surveys and individually marked deer to estimate the abundance of fallow deer (Dama dama) in north-coastal California. Fallow deer had a limited distribution at heterogeneous densities. Estimated post-rut densities across 4 annual surveys ranged from a low of 1.4 (SE = 0.2) deer/km2 to a high of 3.3 (SE = 0.5) deer/km2 in a low density stratum and from 49.0 (SE = 8.3) deer/km2 to 111.6 (SE = 18.7) deer/km2 in a high density stratum. Sightability was positively influenced by the presence of white color-phase deer in a group and group size, and varied between aerial and groundbased observers and by density strata. Our findings underscore the utility of double-observer surveys and aerial surveys with individually marked deer, both incorporating covariates to model sightability, to estimate deer abundance.

Trophic ecology and population attributes of two resident non-game fishes in riverine habitat engineered to enhance salmon spawning success

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:09:52 -0700

Habitat enhancement efforts meant to improve conditions for fish in degraded rivers have the potential to impact all resident fishes — not just the focal population. Yet post-project ecological monitoring is often inadequately conducted, and in cases where restoration targets a single species, the impact on non-target fishes may be neglected. We investigated the diet and population attributes of two non-focal, resident fish species, the Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis) and prickly sculpin (Cottus asper), upstream of and within engineered habitat (hereafter the reference and restored reaches, respectively) intended to improve Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawning success. Population density, body size, stomach fullness, and prey importance were compared between populations residing in the reference and restored reaches. We also determined if the primary carbon source that supported common pikeminnow and sculpin prey differed between reaches using stable isotope analysis. Pikeminnow residing in the restored reach were significantly larger but less densely populated, exhibited greater condition factor values, and consumed more large-bodied prey. In contrast, sculpin in the restored reach were significantly smaller and more densely populated relative to the reference reach. Analysis of isotopic signatures suggests that macroinvertebrates supporting fish populations as prey principally depend on diatomaceous algae in the restored habitat, while filamentous algae were most important in the reference reach. Results suggest that restored salmonid habitat may represent significantly different environmental settings for non-target fish species, with consequences for population structure and diet.

Diets of desert mule deer in altered habitats in the lower Sonoran Desert

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:54:54 -0700

We conducted microhistological analyses of feces to identify diets of desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus) in four areas of central and western Sonora, Mexico, to evaluate seasonal variation in forage classes, and compare diets of mule deer and cattle in altered habitat with buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris). For mule deer, we identified 96 plant species, 69 of which have not previously been reported as forage for this wild herbivore. From these species, 44 occurred in the mule deer diet >1%. Browse was the most important forage class consumed by mule deer at all study areas (77–88%). Forbs comprised an average of 5–10% of the diet of mule deer among all areas. Use of succulents was highly variable among areas, but chainfruit cholla (Opuntia fulgida) occurred consistently in all areas and most seasons. Grass species were consumed the least by desert mule deer throughout the areas and seasons. Buffelgrass was not important in diets of desert mule deer. Conversely, buffelgrass was the most important forage species for cattle. Also, two of the most important browse species (i.e., mesquite [Prosopis juliflora] and ironwood [Olneya tesota]) for mule deer were the most important browse species for cattle. Desert mule deer and cattle shared 45 forage species from central Sonora. However, biological overlap of diets occurred only for spring (Morisita coefficient = 0.67). Plant diversity in diets of mule deer was slightly different among areas and seasons. The Shannon-Wiener (H’) index was different only between the area with higher precipitation and the area with lowest precipitation. Our data contribute to understanding the primary resources for desert mule deer in altered habitats of the Lower Sonoran Desert.

The historical range of beaver in the Sierra Nevada: a review of the evidence

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:47:25 -0700

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) has not been considered native to the mid- or high-elevations of the western Sierra Nevada or along its eastern slope, although this mountain range is adjacent to the mammal’s historical range in the Pit, Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries. Current California and Nevada beaver management policies appear to rest on assertions that date from the first half of the twentieth century. This review challenges those long-held assumptions. Novel physical evidence of ancient beaver dams in the north central Sierra (James and Lanman 2012) is here supported by a contemporary and expanded re-evaluation of historical records of occurrence by additional reliable observers, as well as new sources of indirect evidence including newspaper accounts, geographical place names, Native American ethnographic information, and assessments of habitat suitability. Understanding that beaver are native to the Sierra Nevada is important to contemporary management of rapidly expanding beaver populations. These populations were established by translocation, and have been shown to have beneficial effects on fish abundance and diversity in the Sierra Nevada, to stabilize stream incision in montane meadows, and to reduce discharge of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment loads into fragile water bodies such as Lake Tahoe.

In memoriam, Alan Nack

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:41:04 -0700

Alan Nack, a retired game warden, passed away on August 12, 2010 after he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Cattle egret predation causing reproductive failures of nesting tricolored blackbirds

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:22:53 -0700

The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a medium-sized Old World wading bird that recently has become well established in western North America (Crosby 1972, Telfair 2006). The diet of the cattle egret consists primarily of large insects and other invertebrates (Mora 1992, Telfair 2006), with frogs and fishes taken opportunistically during periods of enhanced prey availability (Sodhi 1989, Maddock 1995). In rare cases, exhausted migratory passerine birds have been taken (Cunningham 1965, Myers and Wallace 2003). This note reports the consumption of nestling tricolored blackbirds (Agelaius tricolor) by cattle egrets and documents the first known widespread and sustained consumption of birds by cattle egrets. Since 2006, when predation by cattle egrets upon tricolored blackbird nestlings was first noted, the number of cattle egrets observed to prey upon tricolored blackbird nestlings has increased and is believed to have caused the complete, or near-complete, reproductive failures of even large (ca. 80,000 breeding birds) breeding colonies.

Growing up fast in a small creek: diet and growth of a population of Oncorhynchus mykiss in Topanga Creek, California

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:20:07 -0700

Despite the endangered status of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in southern California since 1997, few studies have reported on their life history and population dynamics (Tobias 2006, Spina 2007, Bell et al. 2011a, Bell et al. 2011b). As summarized by Boughton et al. (2006) and Boughton et al. (2009), O. mykiss is a highly plastic species in terms of phenotypic and life-history variability, and capable of exploiting a wide variety of habitats. A thorough understanding of the mechanisms that allow for the survival and persistence of O. mykiss in the southern portion of its geographical range, where highly variable flow regimes, high water temperatures, and frequent isolation from the Pacific Ocean are the norm, is important to better guide management practices and to protect and recover these populations (NMFS 2011).

Water temperature thresholds for coho salmon in a spring-fed river, Siskiyou County, California

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:13:59 -0700

Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations in California have declined at an alarming rate in the last 40 to 50 years. Detrimental water temperatures in the Shasta River have contributed to this decline. At one time, the Shasta River was a cool water stream with flows dominated by springs originating from underground flow from Mt. Shasta and snowmelt from the Eddy Mountains. Agricultural practices and water diversions have eliminated much of the historic high-quality aquatic habitat, and only remnants of the once abundant cool water habitat exist. Cool water temperatures are critical for the freshwater phase of the coho salmon life cycle, and are imperative for population recovery. Based on a literature review of the effects on the physiology, behavior, and survival of coho salmon, we break water temperatures into optimal, suboptimal, and detrimental ranges. Identifying water temperature thresholds for coho salmon will support the implementation of monitoring stations and adaptive management practices to assure that suboptimal temperature thresholds are not exceeded. It is well documented that the establishment and use of locally determined thresholds as performance criteria in the monitoring and adaptive management of ecosystems is critical to conducting restoration activities. We conclude that protecting the cool water produced by springs located in the upper Shasta River springs complex will improve the likelihood of coho salmon persistence in this watershed and contribute to coho salmon recovery.

Observations on the distribution and abundance of bighorn sheep in Baja California, Mexico

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:35 -0700

The Baja California peninsula is an area of considerable interest for ecological investigations and conservation efforts. It supports a wide variety of marine and terrestrial fauna, including bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis ssp.). Using the Bering land bridge, wild sheep from Asia entered North America more than 70,000 years ago (Brown 1989). In Mexico, they eventually reached as far south as La Paz on the Baja California peninsula and the western mountains of Sonora, near Guaymas (Leopold 1959).

Assessing a point count sampling protocol in montane meadows

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 13:20:49 -0700

We conducted 142 unlimited distance point counts for birds in 15 Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range montane meadows from May to August 2006 to evaluate the effect of protocol variations on estimates of species richness and abundance. Developing a long-term strategy to inventory and monitor montane meadow birds was a priority for the California Department of Fish and Game Resource Assessment Program. Point count and species-specific surveys are widely used to infer avian abundance and species richness. We surveyed each meadow every 7 to 10 days for a total of eight times during the summer. Vocalizations of willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii), Lincoln’s sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii), and Wilson’s warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) were broadcast at every point count station to increase their detections. Our results suggest that three point count survey cycles per field season, using point count durations of 10 minutes, optimize the number of species detected and sampling effort expended. Aural stimuli by song tape playback can supplement point counts as a quick and easy method to increase detections of the three focal species.

Comparison of two camera trap systems for detecion of American marten on a winter landscape

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:31:49 -0700

Camera traps are commonly deployed to detect carnivores for a variety of research objectives and situations. However, having the correct camera model, type, and configuration is critical in order to detect the target species. We compared two camera models and configurations to detect the American marten in a montane coniferous forest during the winter. The Trailmaster® system did not detect marten and some landscape elements consistently compromised its effectiveness. Cuddeback™ systems, not vulnerable to these elements, successfully detected the target species.

A change in waterfowl species composition in the Honey Lake Valley, California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:31:29 -0700

Observations and prey of white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, at Point Reyes National Seashore: 1982-2004

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:31:14 -0700

We compiled a 23-year record of 71 incidental sightings and 11 years of decoy surveys (with 45 encounters) of white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, at Point Reyes National Seashore, California. Sharks were generally sighted in rocky, nearshore habitats (5 – 30 m water depth), and appeared to be more likely to prey on California sea lions and harbor seals than on northern elephant seals, which are their primary prey at other areas in California. Decoy surveys suggest somewhat low densities of white sharks at Tomales Point averaging only one sighting every 6 h from 1994 – 2003, while similar surveys at the Farallon Islands reported observations every 1.9 h. However, these observations at Tomales Point increased to one every 1.9 h in 2004. Sex ratios (M:F = 4:9) were also inverse to those found at the Farallon Islands in recent studies (M:F: = 14:8).

Spawning time, fecundity, habitat utilization, and parasites of a northern California population of tidewater goby, Eucyclogobius newberryi

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:31:01 -0700

Eucyclogobius newberryi, the tidewater goby, is a Federally Endangered species endemic to coastal lagoons and estuaries in California. Little is known about the biology of this species in northern California; thus we conducted a 14- month study (November 2004-December 2005) to assess spawning time, fecundity, habitat utilization, and parasites of a northern California tidewater goby population in Big Lagoon, Humboldt County, CA. The presence of individuals less than 20 mm indicated that spawning occurred every month except March and April. Gravid females were observed in March and May-July 2005; fecundity ranged from 190 to 531 eggs. Goby habitat utilization was evaluated on a seasonal basis using a stratified random sampling technique. High goby densities were associated with vegetation in silt and sand substrates. Minimum population estimates of tidewater gobies in the southern end of Big Lagoon were highest in winter 2005 (N=2714) and lowest in fall 2005 (N=163). Parasitological analysis revealed the presence of a newly described microsporidian species infecting muscle tissue of the tidewater goby. A total of 105 of 1513 fish were visibly infected. Visibly infected gobies ranged in total length between 19 and 56 mm and were observed in every month except February 2005.

Abundance and distribution of marine mammals in nearshore waters of Monterey Bay, California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:30:47 -0700

We studied the seasonal abundance and spatial distribution of marine mammals in nearshore waters (<1 km from shore) of Monterey Bay, California, during 1999 and 2000. The most abundant mammal was California sea lion, Zalophus californianus, followed by harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, sea otter, Enhydra lutris, and harbor seal, Phoca vitulina. Seasonal abundance of harbor porpoise in the survey area was greatest during winter, pinnipeds were most abundant during autumn, and sea otters were most abundant during spring and autumn. California sea lions were more abundant in 2000 than in 1999. Harbor porpoise were found in water of lesser clarity than expected by chance, and sea lions were found more often in water of intermediate clarity. Distribution of sea otters and harbor seals were not affected by water clarity.

A new elevation record for shasta salamander, Hydromantes shastae, in northern California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:30:28 -0700

Status of the desert tortoise in Red Rock Canyon State Park

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:30:11 -0700

We surveyed for desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii, in the western part of Red Rock Canyon State Park and watershed in eastern Kern County, California, between 2002 and 2004. We used two techniques: a single demographic plot (~4 km2) and 37 landscape plots (1-ha each). We estimated population densities of tortoises to be between 2.7 and 3.57/km2 and the population in the Park to be 108 tortoises. We estimated the death rate at 67% for subadults and adults during the last 4 yrs. Mortality was high for several reasons: gunshot deaths, avian predation, mammalian predation, and probably disease. Historic and recent anthropogenic impacts from State Highway 14, secondary roads, trash, cross-country vehicle tracks, and livestock have contributed to elevated death rates and degradation of habitat. We propose conservation actions to reduce mortality.

When desert tortoises are rare: testing a new protocol for assessing status

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:29:56 -0700

We developed and tested a new protocol for sampling populations of the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, a state- and federally listed species, in areas where population densities are very low, historical data are sparse, and anthropogenic uses may threaten the well-being of tortoise populations and habitat. We conducted a 3-year (2002–2004) survey in Jawbone-Butterbredt Area of Critical Environmental Concern and Red Rock Canyon State Park in the western Mojave Desert of California where the status was previously unknown. We stratified the study area and used 751, 1-ha plots to evaluate 187.7 km2 of habitat, a 4% sample. Tortoise sign was found on 31 of the 751 plots (4.1%) in two limited areas: ~14 km2 on the Kiavah Apron and ~40 km2 in the Red Rock Canyon watershed. Density estimates for adults were <9 tortoises/km2 for each of the two areas and were lower (0.4 tortoises/km2) elsewhere in the study area. An estimated 72 adult tortoises (95% CI = 15-210) live in the entire study area. Five live and nine dead tortoises were found, as well as 62 cover sites, 136 scats, and other sign. The data were insufficient for establishing a baseline for future population monitoring, but the protocol was suitable for locating clusters of tortoise sign, which could be the focus of future surveys. We coupled the data for tortoises with data on historical and current anthropogenic uses to interpret potential population trends and existing risks. The study area has been an important transportation corridor for people and grazed by livestock since the mid-1800s. Tortoise sign was found in areas with significantly lower impacts from livestock or off-highway vehicles than elsewhere. Land managers must often make decisions about threatened and endangered species based on limited data. Our protocol and synthesis of current population status, historical land uses, and current impacts offer a new approach that may be useful for other species.

Carnivore use of an avocado orchard in southern California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:29:39 -0700

In southern California avocados are an important commercial fruit that often are planted near or immediately adjacent to wildlands. Among cultivated fruits, avocados are unusually high in both lipids and proteins. Fruits remain green on the tree and ripen only after they fall to the ground or are harvested. As a result, they offer a relatively constant, year-round food source in the form of unharvested, fallen fruit. In 2005 for 5.5 months, we camera-trapped medium and large mammals in 13.5 ha of a 55.5 ha commercial avocado orchard in southern California. We also monitored fruit fall and subsequent removal to quantify the amount of energy available to mammals and estimated how much of the ground fruit they consumed. Cameras captured 7 carnivores: black bear, Ursus americanus, domestic dog, coyote, Canis latrans, bobcat, Lynx rufus, gray fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus, raccoon, Procyon lotor, and striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis; non-carnivores included western gray squirrel, Sciurus griseus and Virginia opossum, Didelphia virginiana. All but bobcats were photographed eating avocados. Black bears, gray foxes and striped skunks frequented the part of the orchard least affected by human activities. In contrast, coyotes and raccoons were more common where humans and domestic dogs were present. Mammals consumed all or nearly all marked avocados on the ground, usually within 50 days. We estimated that they consumed only a small portion (<2%) of the total fruit crop. Avocado orchards offer super-rich food patches that are readily accessible to an array of medium and large mammals.

First records of the fringed sculpin, Icelinus fimbriatus (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae), off the west coast of Baja California, Mexico

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:29:18 -0700

Overbite clam, Corbula amurensis, defecated alive by white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:28:56 -0700

Influence of age and sex on dressed-whole body weight relationships in black-tailed deer

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:28:43 -0700

Relationships of dressed and whole body weights were evaluated among age-sex categories in 54 female and 46 male black-tailed deer, Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. Using model selection techniques we found that regressions between dressed and whole body weight differed between the sexes and among age categories. Dressed-whole body weight relationships varied among female and male age categories and between the sexes. Dressed-whole body weight relationships should be site- and season-specific to obtain unbiased estimates of whole body weight because of season, geographic variation in morphology, and nutritional state

Notes on the life history traits of the rosethorn rockfish, Sebastes helvomaculatus

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:28:23 -0700

The rosethorn rockfish, Sebastes helvomaculatus, inhabits the Northeast Pacific Ocean along the west coast of North America from the Coronado Islands, California to Cape Yakataga, Alaska in the north and the Shumagin Islands, Alaska to the west. Adults inhabit depths ranging from 22 to 507 m and are usually found resting solitary in crevices or caves on vertical wall habitat or in mud protected by boulders or cobble. The maximum observed size was found in a female specimen 420 mm fork length (FL) and 1200 g. Age composition and growth were estimated from sectioned sagittal otoliths of 194 fish collected in 1995. Ages ranged from 6 to 64 years. Growth was slow and was best described by the von Bertalanffy growth model. A total of 82 gonads was collected throughout 1995. Reproductive observations for rosethorn rockfish showed an annual cycle with group synchronous development producing only one brood per year. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) peaked in November for males and in May for females. Parturition occurs from May to June. The length at 50% maturity was 228 mm FL for males and 208 mm FL for females. The rate of natural mortality (M) was estimated to be 0.04 using the GSI method and 0.07 using the maximum age method

First record of a cymothoid isopod from a tidewater goby and three new tidewater goby localities in Humboldt County, California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:28:01 -0700

Pacific harbor seal census in California during May-July 2002 and 2004

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:27:46 -0700

An aerial photographic census of Pacific harbor seals, Phoca vitulina richardsi, was conducted in California from May to July in 2002 and 2004 to document the number of seals hauled out during the molt period. To compensate for latitudinal differences in the timing of the molt, the state was divided into three strata. Surveys began in the southernmost stratum in May of each year and progressed north in June and July. Aerial photographic surveys at the Channel Islands and the mainland coast of southern California occurred during the afternoon high-low tide cycle. Surveys in central and northern California generally occurred after 0800 hours during the morning low-low tide cycle at tide levels of +0.5 m (re: MLLW) or less. Color transparency photographs of harbor seals were taken from an aircraft flying at an altitude of about 213 m with a 126-mm-format camera equipped with image motion compensation and the geographical position of each photograph was recorded by linking the camera to a computer and Global Positioning System (GPS). In 2002, there were 3,878 harbor seals counted onshore at the Channel Islands, 17,555 along the mainland coast and San Francisco Bay estuary, and 21,433 harbor seals statewide. In 2004, there were 4,344 harbor seals counted onshore at the Channel Islands, 21,989 along the mainland coast and San Francisco Bay estuary, and 26,333 statewide. In southern California, approximately 70% of seals were found at Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel islands. After dividing the mainland counts by 0.5° latitude segments to document distribution of seals, segment 37.50° to 37.99° N latitude had the highest number of seals. No seals were found along the mainland along the section of coastline that included Los Angeles and Orange counties, and north San Diego County. The population of harbor seals in California during 2004 was estimated to be 43,449 individuals using a factor of 1.65 to correct for the fraction of seals not hauled out during overflights.

Aerial implementation monitoring of green tree retention in clearcuts on northern California private timperlands

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:27:17 -0700

this effort was conducted to monitor the level of green-tree retention within clearcut harvest units in northern California. A sample of clearcuts containing habitat retention areas (hrAs) were photographed from a fixed-wing Cessna aircraft in September 2005. Photographs were then georectified to topographic maps where harvest and aggregated retention units could be digitized in Arcmap 8.3 and 9.1. the retention standard generally committed to in approved timber harvest plans is 1.5 to 2 % of the total harvest area. Our monitoring effort indicates that the agreed-to retention standard is generally being met. depending on the value we placed on specific HRAs, retention varied between 1.7 and 2.3 percent. Size and content of HRAs, and their placement within harvest units should be evaluated in future assessments.

Evaluating GPS collar error: a critical evaluation of Televilt Posrec-Science™ collars and a method for screening location data

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:27:03 -0700

Wildlife telemetry collars incorporating Global Positioning System (GPS) units are thought to provide accurate locations when the GPS receiver obtains an adequate sky view. We deployed 32 POSREC-Science™ 600 series 12-channel GPS collars (Televilt/TVP Positioning AB, Lindesberg, Sweden) on mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, and bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, in three California mountain ranges from 2002 to 2005. Evaluation of data from those deployments showed numerous implausible movements, which lead us to question the accuracy of POSREC GPS collars. Because of the questionable data encountered, we tested the precision of Televilt POSREC-Science™ 600 collars under several conditions: 1) an area of optimal sky visibility; 2) ad hoc test locations where collars remained attached to deceased mule deer prior to recovery of the collar; and 3) ad hoc test locations inside a 1-floor, wood-framed building, or outside the homes of two biologists, for a total of 663 GPS positions. Unprecedented errors in excess of 2 km occurred in 2% of fixes, whereas 12% of fixes were >1 km and 53% > 100 m from the true location. Comparisons among six additional GPS collar models from three manufacturers showed POSREC collars to be unique in their lack of precision. Because viewing point data alone may belie the presence of flawed GPS fixes, we urge researchers using GPS collars, particularly Televilt POSREC collars, to evaluate patterns of movement to ensure that data are not affected by sampling artifacts. We developed a method for screening GPS collar data and provide an ArcView extension useful for removing erroneous fixes. We suggest researchers contemplating purchases of GPS collars obtain test data from the individual collars they will deploy, to ensure that real-world precision meets study objectives.

Field assessment of Bayluscide treatments for the control of New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum in a concrete-lined canal

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:26:42 -0700

Survival of New Zealand mudsnail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, was tested against exposure to BayluscideR (active ingredient: nicolosamide) in a concrete-lined irrigation canal. Concentrations of niclosamide in water and sediment were monitored in the canal. Test snails in live cages were exposed to niclosamide concentrations of approximately 1 mg/L for eight or 17 hours. The results of this study indicate that almost complete mortality of New Zealand mudsnails is achieved at 1 mg/L for eight hours. No additional mortality was seen in the 17-hour treatments. The half-lives of niclosamide in water and sediment were 1.8 and 1.6 days, respectively.

Northern range extension of the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:26:20 -0700

We compared the relative catch efficiencies of two types of hoop net commonly used in the recreational California Spiny Lobster fishery. One net type is basket shaped but lies flat on the bottom during deployment and represents the traditional hoop net design. The other type is a recent development that maintains its rigid, conical shape during both deployment and recovery. Our study took place at Zuniga Jetty, a submerged rock jetty in San Diego, over 7 nights in August/September, 2008. A total of 96 nets (48 of each type) were deployed. Catches of the two net types differed with the rigid hoop nets catching 57% more lobster total than the traditional hoop nets (Rigid:Traditional = 259:165 lobsters caught). In addition to lobster, deployment of both styles of nets resulted in bycatch of various finfish and invertebrate species. This increased catch efficiency of a net type that is growing in popularity, coupled with increases in access to lobsters, interest in lobster fishing, and marketing of hoop nets, has the potential of enlarging recreational catch

A comparison of catch rate between a traditional, basket-style hoop net and a rigid, conical-style hoop net used in the California recreational lobster fishery

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:25:59 -0700

Utilization by fishes of the Alviso Island ponds and adjacent waters in South San Francisco Bay following restoration to tidal influence

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:25:17 -0700

Earthen levees of three isolated salt ponds known locally as the Alviso Island Ponds were intentionally breached in March 2006 to allow tidal exchange of the ponds with water from Coyote Creek. The water exchange transformed the previously fishless hypersaline ponds into lower salinity habitats suitable for fish life. This study documented fish utilization of the ponds, adjacent reaches of Coyote Creek, and an upstream reach in nearby Artesian Slough during May-July 2006. By the time the study was initiated, water quality conditions in the ponds were similar to conditions in adjacent reaches of Coyote Creek. The only variable exhibiting a strong gradient within the study area was salinity, which increased progressively from upstream to downstream in Coyote Creek. A total of 4,034 fish represented by 18 species from 14 families was caught during the study. Judging from cluster analysis of presence-absence data that excluded rare fish species, the 10 sampling units (3 ponds, 6 reaches in Coyote Creek, and 1 reach in Artesian Slough) formed two clusters or groups, suggesting two species assemblages. The existence of two groups was also suggested by ordination with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS). One group, which was composed of the three ponds and four of the lowermost reaches of Coyote Creek, was characterized by mostly estuarine or marine species (e.g., topsmelt, Atherinops affinis; northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax; and longjaw mudsucker, Gillichthys mirabilis). The second group, which was composed of the two uppermost reaches of Coyote Creek and the one reach of Artesian Slough, was characterized by freshwater species (e.g., Sacramento sucker, Catostomus occidentalis) and by an absence of the estuarine/marine species noted in the first assemblage. Judging from a joint plot of selected water quality variables overlaying the ordination results, salinity was the only important variable associated with spatial distribution of fish species. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH had little influence on fish distribution during this study.

A new perspective and methods for pheasant management

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:25:04 -0700

We have developed a new concept and methods for management of the ring-necked pheasant, Phasianus colchicus. These methods have produced high-density, local populations in small areas of nonagricultural, irrigated habitat by increasing chick production and survival, and related juvenile recruitment. We use enhanced territory cover to concentrate higher-density breeding populations in such suitable management units to achieve greater chick production. We obtain higher chick survival and recruitment primarily by producing abundant insect/arthropod food for chicks and other young pheasants, achieved by management of natural cover, mainly by timely disturbance and supplemental irrigation, but without plantings. We discuss development and application of the implementation methods and their biological basis, mainly a product of our studies in combination with results of relevant British research. In field-testing this system at Grizzly Island Wildlife Area (GIWA), located in a mild-winter region in central California, pheasant production over a 3-year period (2001-2003) was approximately 4-6 times greater than from a comparable, conventionally managed area; also, in the third year, the 73 acre (29.5 ha) test unit produced >2-3 pheasants/acre (0.4 ha), approximately doubling the density record for pheasants in California. At Sodhouse Farms, a private ranch in a severe-winter region in central Oregon, prescribed implementation of the system in 2005 was followed by an increase in the pheasant bag that year from a previous average of 4 to 144, indicative of a population density as high or higher than at GIWA. These examples illustrate the potential that the concept and methods can have, in appropriate circumstances, to develop, maintain, or restore viable pheasant populations, especially in small areas of non-cropland habitat. However, the system needs to be adapted to regional or local conditions and tested more widely over longer periods to better assess the potential and role it can play in future management for pheasants, or possibly other wildlife species, which we encourage with this publication.

The number of census days needed to detect blunt-nosed leopard lizards, Gambelia sila

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:24:48 -0700

In addition to determining the population size and dynamics of a species, censuses are used to determine the quality of a site as habitat and the value of a site from a conservation standpoint (Sutherland 1996). For vertebrates, some studies may only require determining presence-absence of individuals at a site. For conservation planning, it often is useful to compare sites that still harbor the species of interest with those sites that do not (Sutherland 1996). The time necessary to detect a species in its habitat varies by the species under study, the type and quality of the habitat, the environmental conditions during the survey, and the skill of the surveyor. Minimizing the number of surveys necessary to confidently determine whether a particular species is absent can allow time for additional surveys. Although there can never be certainty that a species does not occur on a site, no matter how many surveys are undertaken, determining the optimal number needed for a high probability of detection can be critical.

Chinook salmon length/fecundity: a regression model for the Mokelumne River, California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:24:29 -0700

From the fecundity data for Chinook salmon stocks, variability has been found both within and between populations. This variability increases the difficulty in predicting recruitment, even if numbers and sizes of returning female spawners can be estimated. We constructed length/fecundity models for fall run Chinook salmon on the Mokelumne River, a flow-regulated river in California, using 93 pre-spawn females. Our model using non-loge- transformed data (y = 11.137x-3065.5; r2=0.54; n=93) had equivalent predictive power to models using loge-transformed data (y = 1.7x-2.7068, r2=0.57; n=93). In these models, fish length (x) accounted for 54-57% of the variability in fecundity (y), similar to that determined for Chinook salmon from other watersheds throughout the Pacific Northwest. These regression models should assist natural resources managers in regulating river flows and temperatures to maximize wild Chinook salmon spawning success and assist hatchery managers in improving salmon population maintenance and restoration.

Panel trapping and reversible immobilization of wild Roosevelt elk with Telazol® and medetomidine

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:24:12 -0700

We used a portable panel trap to capture and chemically immobilize eight adult Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) using Telazol® (500 mg) and medetomidine (20 mg). Atipamezole (100 mg) antagonized the effects of medetomidine intramuscularly. Mean induction and anesthesia (to administration of reversal) times were 7.25 + 2.7 and 70 + 13.8 min., respectively. Mean recovery times after reversal were 6 + 2.7 min. Elk weights based on girth measurements ranged from 215-294 kg and all elk were >3yrs old. Heart rates averaged 61.3 and ranged from 43-96 bpm. Mean O2 saturation was 71.8 ± 7.2%, with all elks’ % O2 increasing during anesthesia. Physiological monitoring indicated a surgical or deep plane of anesthesia; however, inductions and reversals were smooth and unremarkable and all elk were alive at >12 months. Three additional free ranging elk have been immobilized successfully using an identical protocol. With refinement of dosages and under similar conditions, this combination shows promise as a reversible, non-opiate alternative for immobilizing wild elk.

Reconstructing the San Gabriel Mountains bighorn sheep population

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:23:56 -0700

The San Gabriel Mountains bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis nelsoni, population has undergone substantial changes during 1976-2006 and it has been hypothesized that wildfires and predation by mountain lions, Puma concolor, have been responsible for the changes between 1976 and 1995. During1995-2002 an estimated 90 bighorn sheep inhabited the San Gabriel Mountains and it was thought the population was stable. In 2006, the population estimate was 292 ± 69 (±SE) and the population increase during 2002-2006 exceeded the intrinsic rate of increase reported for bighorn sheep. We used survey results, survival rates of adult animals, and recruitment rates to reconstruct the population. The results indicated the population had been increasing slowly since 1995. The recent population increase coincided with wildfires in 1997 and 2003 that burned 36% of winter-spring ranges occupied by bighorn sheep, and a decline in mountain lion activity, suggested a reduction in predation also played a role in the population increase.

Experimental scavenging preference for the adult white shark, Carcharodon carcharias

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:22:04 -0700

White sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, are opportunistic predators and scavengers, consuming a wide variety of prey to meet their caloric requirements. As juveniles, the white shark diet consists mainly of nearshore fishes while marine mammals make up a significant portion of the adult diet (Ainley et al. 1981, Tricas and McCosker 1984, McCosker 1985, Klimley 1985, Klimley et al. 1996, Estrada et al. 2006). In addition to predation on live mammals, adult white sharks are known to scavenge marine mammal carcasses (Carey et al. 1982; Pratt et al. 1982; Casey and Pratt 1985; Long and Jones 1996; Curtis et al. 2006; Dicken 2008); an event thought to be an important part of the ecology of these large predators (Carey et al. 1982, Long and Jones 1996). Although marine mammals have long been considered important only to adult white sharks, young of the year and juvenile white sharks have recently been observed scavenging a decomposing humpback whale carcass (Dicken 2008).

Thermal landscapes and resource selection by black-tailed deer: implications for large herbivores

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:21:43 -0700

We studied black-tailed deer, Odocoileus hemionus columbianus, in northern California, USA, during winter to test the importance of thermal conditions on habitat selection. During warm days, temperatures from black-body devices were higher than ambient air temperatures in habitats other than live oak, Quercus wislizenii, but were closer to ambient temperatures in dense live-oak cover. Deer were more likely to occur in or near (= 150 m) live oak than were random locations, spending 80% of their time in or near live oak during day and 70% of their time in that habitat at night. We determined whether deer would occur in or near live oak based on the interaction between wind speed and relative humidity, which had an 18% probability of being the best model. We formulated a resource-selection function, which indicated that a point in or near liveoak cover was more likely to be a deer location than a random point (P = 0.004). When it was windy, habitat was not a significant predictor of deer locations versus random points (P > 0.05). When it was calm, not only was habitat a significant predictor (P = 0.035), but the model performed substantially better than did the model for all wind conditions based on Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) scores. We concluded that black-tailed deer in winter pelage were using live-oak thickets to ameliorate heat gain on calm, warm days with low humidity, but acknowledge that other factors, such as risk of predation, also may play a role. Our results have implications for assessing thermal data in studies of resource selection by other large herbivores.

The impact of the herbicides Imazapyr and Triclopyr Triethylamine on bullfrog tadpoles

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:21:27 -0700

the imazapyr-based herbicides stalker® and habitat® and the triclopyrbased herbicide garlon® 3a are commonly used to control invasive, exotic plants in wildland settings where non-target amphibian species may be present. of particular concern is the federally-threatened California red-legged frog, Rana aurora draytonii, (crlf). in order to assess the toxicity risk to amphibians, acute toxicity tests were conducted with the herbicide formulations and their active ingredients, using bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, tadpoles. all of the herbicides, with the exception of stalker®, were found to be within the u.s. epa’s “practically non-toxic” category for acute lethality to aquatic organisms. stalker® was found to be in the ‘slightly toxic’ range. the calculated toxicity values were then compared to herbicide environmental concentrations using the risk quotient (rQ) method. rQ values for all the herbicides were below the u.s. epa’s level of concern for listed aquatic species.

Bioenergetic modeling evidence for a context-dependent role of food limitaion in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:21:10 -0700

Striped bass, Morone saxatilis, and largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, are two of the top piscivores in California’s San Francisco Estuary. The relative abundance of age-0 striped bass has plummeted since the late 1960s, whereas the abundance of largemouth bass has increased since the early 1990s. Major changes to the estuarine food web have made it a likely place for significant striped bass food limitation, and despite their population increase, there is evidence that young largemouth bass might also be chronically food-limited. Food limitation can be thought of as a context-dependent stressor, meaning that population-level consequences of food limitation are discernable only when they are severe enough to override other factors influencing the growth and mortality of young fishes. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role that food limitation plays in the early life history of striped bass and largemouth bass. I used a combination of previously published beach seine data and bioenergetic modeling (BEM) to evaluate the question, which species is likely more food-limited during its first growing season? I hypothesized that age-0 striped bass would show evidence of greater food limitation than largemouth bass (as indexed by realized vs. potential growth). The BEM simulations predicted that largemouth bass would grow larger than striped bass given the water temperature histories these fish experienced in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta during summer-autumn 2001 and 2003. However, the striped bass collected during autumn were larger than the largemouth bass and had thus performed better relative to BEM predictions. I conclude that age-0 striped bass were less food limited than age-0 largemouth bass in these recent years. As discussed, the upsurge of largemouth bass is likely the outcome of low survival in an expanding area of suitable habitat, whereas striped bass food limitation covaries in time with high entrainment loss and declining abiotic habitat suitability. This contrast provides a counter-intuitive example of the context-dependence of food limitation in these sympatric fish populations.

Occurrence of juvenile Mexican lookdown, Selene brevoortii (Gill, 1863) in Seal Beach, California.

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:20:46 -0700

The use of eastern Sacramento Valley vernal pool habitats by geese and swans

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:20:33 -0700

During each of nine diurnal and six nocturnal (1999-2000 field season only) surveys, we recorded the presence or absence of each species and subspecies, as well as flock sizes, habitats used, and activity patterns. Although all goose and swan species and most subspecies that winter in the Central Valley were observed using study area habitats, lesser Canada/ Taverner’s cackling geese, Branta canadensis parvipes/Branta hutchinsii taverneri, Ridgway’s cackling geese, B. h. minima, and western Canada geese, B. c. moffitti, were observed most regularly and in the greatest numbers. In general, Canada and cackling geese (hereafter white-cheeked geese) used study area habitats from November through March, with regular use by large flocks of small and mid-sized subspecies in December and January. Smaller numbers of western Canada geese used study area habitats from December through the end of March, with the largest flocks occurring from late December through February. Monthly occurrence and maximum flock size values for lesser Canada/Taverner’s cackling geese differed significantly throughout this 4-year study, although changes in these variables in successive months did not. Monthly changes in these variables for all other white-cheeked geese were insignificant. Following their arrival in November and early December, white-cheeked geese used artificial stock ponds as nocturnal roost sites and then departed for disjunct foraging habitats during the day. Small and mid-sized subspecies roosted primarily on vernal pools, beginning in late December or January, following the onset of ponding; most roosting western Canada geese continued to use stock ponds through the end of March. With the growth of herbaceous vegetation beginning in late December or January, small and mid-sized white-cheeked geese shifted to a general pattern of day-long grazing activities on study area pastures. This regular and predictable shift suggests a pattern of long-term traditional use. We believe, therefore, that the protection of these remnant high-terrace vernal pool landscapes may be critical to the maintenance of California’s small and mid-sized white-cheeked goose populations throughout the winter, during spring migration, and also to their success during the subsequent nesting season.

Estimating fish length from vertical morphometric parameters

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:20:20 -0700

Fish lengths are important for resource assessment and management, particularly when methods to obtain age or weight are impractical or harmful to the resource. Underwater videos are commonly used to monitor fisheries because they are less invasive than other sampling methods. However, because of a fish’s continuous lateral flexion while swimming and angle to the viewer, its length is often difficult to estimate from videos. In many cases, vertical morphometric parameters may be measured more accurately than horizontal parameters. To evaluate vertical parameters as predictors of length, regression equations were developed for species observed in underwater videos along the California coast, including kelp greenling, Hexagrammos decagrammus, lingcod, Ophiodon elongatus, black rockfish, Sebastes melanops, and blue rockfish, S. mystinus. A separate regression was calculated for combined rockfish, Sebastes spp., to serve as a monitoring tool until sufficient samples are collected for more specific regressions. Species combined were gopher rockfish, S. carnatus, copper rockfish S. caurinus, black and yellow rockfish, S. chrysomelas, yellowtail rockfish, S. flavidus, quillback rockfish, S. maliger, black rockfish, S. melanops, vermilion rockfish, S. miniatus, blue rockfish, S. mystinus, China rockfish, S. nebulosus, canary rockfish, S. pinniger, and olive rockfish, S. serranoides. Vertical parameters were depth at midorbit, depth at pelvic fin origin, depth at anal fin origin, and least depth at caudal peduncle. Relationships between each vertical parameter and fork length were strongly correlated for individual species (r > 0.973) and combined rockfish species (r > 0.947).

Factors to consider when reprovisioning water developments used by mountain sheep

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:20:06 -0700

Mountain sheep, Ovis canadensis, occur in a naturally fragmented population structure, but have been extirpated from much of their historical distribution. Further, extant populations are subject to disruption of movement corridors, which exacerbates fragmentation. Water developments have been established to enhance the probability of persistence of the subpopulations that comprise metapopulations of those large herbivores, but such developments sometimes become dry. Suggestions are presented to help managers prioritize the order in which to reprovision water in the event that multiple developments become dry simultaneously. Given that a metapopulation contains habitat patches of differing quality, and that large subpopulations usually exhibit greater genetic diversity than small populations, reprovisioning is best prioritized in terms of benefits to (1) small, isolated subpopulations that are most subject to stochastic events and least likely to receive immigrants; (2) large, well-connected subpopulations in which intervention might be expected to benefit many individuals and, thereby, provide more potential colonists than would smaller, isolated subpopulations; and (3) small, wellconnected subpopulations that are most apt to receive immigrants from nearby subpopulations. Elevation, rainfall, and availability

New records of Aldrovandia oleosa (Notacanthiformes: Halosauridae) from the eastern North Pacific Ocean

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:19:17 -0700

The teleost family Halosauridae includes seventeen species in three genera distributed throughout the oceans of the world. The elongate body is covered with large scales and ends in a strongly tapered tail. The small dorsal fin originates close to the pointed head, which is largely scaleless; the slender pectoral fins and the anal fin are long; and, the mouth is large with the upper jaw extending beyond the lower jaw. The genus Aldrovandia currently includes at least five species, and is diagnosed within the family by the lack of scales on the vertex of the head, the lack of a distinct row of lateral-line scales, and by the heavily pigmented pyloric caeca aligned in a single row (McDowell 1973, Sulak 1977). Species of Aldrovandia are diagnosed by the coloration of the anal opening, morphometrics, meristics, and by the size and relative position of the palatine and pterygoid tooth patches. Members of this genus tend to be widespread, and at least three species (A. oleosa, A. affinis, and A. phalacra) are known from both the Atlantic and Pacific basins.

Pathogen survey, gill Na-K-ATPase activity, and leukocyte profile of adult delta smelt

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:18:53 -0700

Delta smelt abundance has declined drastically and the species was listed as threatened in 1993. The role of disease in this decline is largely unknown. One hundred and five adult smelt, collected from the lower Sacramento River between January and May 2010, were surveyed for infectious agents, blood leukocyte profile, and gill Na-K-ATPase activity. Few tissue changes or significant parasitic infections were observed in histological specimens and there was a low incidence of bacterial isolations. Asymptomatic Mycobacterium sp. infection was detected in 54% of the samples by PCR; however, this bacterial group was not isolated in culture. Gill Na-K-ATPase activity was lower in the January sample than subsequent month collections. The number of blood granulocytes increased between March and May. Disease did not appear to be an overt influence on the surveyed population in the spring of 2010.

In memoriam

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:18:38 -0700

The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and the wildlife profession in general lost four colleagues on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. Three CDFG wildlife biologists and a contract helicopter pilot died in a crash while conducting an aerial deer survey in a remote section of Madera County. Kevin O’Connor (Senior Wildlife Biologist), Clu Cotter (Associate Wildlife Biologist) and Tom Stolberg (Scientific Aid) lost their lives in the crash, which also claimed Mike Donovan of Landells Aviation.

Using dual-frequency identification sonar (DIDSON) to estimate adult steelhead escapement in the San Lorenzo River, California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:18:24 -0700

Steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss, are currently listed under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) in central and southern California. In most of this region, steelhead are considered threatened, but the Southern California Distinct Population Segment (DPS), comprising populations in Santa Barbara County and southward is listed as endangered, with only very small numbers of steelhead reported from the Santa Maria River south to the United States-Mexico border (Good et al. 2005). The listings are based mainly on anecdotal information of adult steelhead abundance, with the exception of escapement estimates based on dam counts on the Carmel River (part of the South-Central California Coast DPS), and recently initiated monitoring efforts in two tributaries of the Santa Ynez River system and on the mainstem of the Ventura River (part of the Southern California Coast DPS).

Survivorship of translocated kangaroo rats in the San Joaquin Valley, California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:17:52 -0700

Efforts to protect endangered species sometimes involve removing animals from sites to be developed and translocating them to protected sites. This method has rarely been successful. Protected kangaroo rats in the San Joaquin Valley of California continue to lose habitat to development. In 2001, I monitored four Tipton kangaroo rats( Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides) and seven Heermann’s kangaroo rats (D. heermanni ssp.) fitted with radio transmitters that were translocated away from development at an electrical substation to protected native land of the San Joaquin Valley, Kern County, California. I released translocated kangaroo rats into individual artificial burrows that were spaced 10–15 m apart and that were provisioned with bird seed. Only 1 individual survived the 45 days of the study. All four Tipton kangaroo rats were dead within 5 days of release, and all appear to have been eaten by predators. Two Heermann’s kangaroo rats appeared to have been killed by conspecifics, three were killed by predators, and the fate of one was undetermined. If translocation is to be considered a useful conservation measure, kangaroo rats need to be released into habitat that is unoccupied, or nearly so, by conspecifics and the use of additional methods of protecting translocated individuals may be necessary.

Prospective (a priori) power analysis for detecting changes in density when sampling with strip transects

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:17:37 -0700

When designing a monitoring program, it is important to determine how much sampling is needed prior to data collection. Programs with too little statistical power produce ambiguous results and public debate that cannot be resolved. However, prospective power analysis requires an estimate of sample variance. In this paper, data from strip transect surveys using remote operated vehicle (ROV) of fish on temperate subtidal rocky reefs were used to establish the relationship between density and variance needed for power analysis. The relationship was used to select the optimal sample unit (transect) size and estimate the total sampling effort needed to measure specific changes in density between two sampling study areas. In general, smaller transects were more efficient than larger transects. The smallest transects (50 m2) were most efficient, but the difference between 50-m2 transects and 100-, 200-, and 400-m2 transects was relatively small (11% to 28%). The largest transects (800 m2), however, required 57% more sampling area than 50-m2 transects. The total sampling area needed to detect a significant difference in density increased with decreasing effect size, as expected. Also as expected, some species (e.g. copper rockfish) required more sampling effort than others (e.g. vermilion rockfish). These results demonstrate that pre-existing data may be used to establish relationships between means and variances, and to determine the optimal transect size and the amount of sampling effort needed to measure statistically significant differences in fish density between study areas.

Gender-mediated patterns in the movement of Calfiornia sheephead in the northern Channel Islands (Eastern Pacific)

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:17:21 -0700

The biology of sex-changing fishes is well-established in tropical coral reef ecosystems, and has been described for selected temperate marine species. Comparatively less is known about the ecology of these fishes, particularly in temperate systems. For instance, the extent to which gender mediates behavior within and among species, and precisely which behaviors are mediated remains unclear for many species. The California (CA) sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher [Labridae]), is a protogynous hermaphrodite found on rocky reefs and in kelp forests along the west coast of North America. Previous studies have shown significant variation in life history characteristics of CA sheephead across the southern portion of its range. In the present study, the movement behavior of 45 adult CA sheephead (26 initial phase [Iph] females and 19 terminal phase [Tph] males) was monitored for 2.5 years by an array of acoustic receivers deployed around Anacapa Island in the northern Channel Islands (California). Results clearly indicated that patterns in the movement of CA sheephead at Anacapa Island were mediated by fish gender. Tph males and Iph females differed significantly with respect to several important behavioral metrics recorded by the passive acoustic receiver array. Further, these results also differed from previous telemetric research conducted at Catalina Island (approximately 102 km to the southeast of the study area), suggesting that the vagility of CA sheephead, like other life history characteristics, changes with local environmental conditions.

Age, growth, and matrurity of cabezon, Scorpaenichthys marmoratus, in California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:17:02 -0700

The age, growth, and maturity of cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) from California were studied from July 2000 – July 2001. Ages were estimated using otoliths (n = 641) and validated using edge analysis. Errors in age estimates were calculated using average percent error, coefficient of variation, and index of precision. Growth was represented by the von Bertalanffy growth equation and statistically compared between sexes using Analysis of Residual Sum of Squares. Length and age at 50 % maturity was modeled for both sexes using a logistic curve. Females attained a larger size and grew slower (L8?= 647.2 mm TL, k = 0.17) than males (L8?= 440.7 mm TL, k = 0.35). Growth appeared to be rapid through age 4 for males and age 6 for females. The oldest male was 13 years old; the oldest female, 14 years. Growth curves were statistically different between sexes (P < .001). Length and age at maturity were estimated for males and females, with males maturing at 297 mm TL (1.9 yrs) and females at 337 mm TL (2.3 yrs).

Safe and effective methods for trapping and color banding tricolored blackbirds in the Central Valley of California

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:16:48 -0700

We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of two trap designs, two hands-off methods for transferring trapped birds from traps to transport cages, and five methods for sealing plastic color bands placed on tricolored blackbirds, Agelaius tricolor, at six breeding colonies in the Central Valley. Nearly 7,000 tricolored blackbirds were banded in 68 days of banding, an efficient hands-free method for transferring birds from traps to transport cages was developed, and a small electric soldering iron attached to an automobile battery through a power inverter was found to be the most efficient method to seal colored plastic bands. Our materials and techniques may be useful to capture and band a wide variety of granivorous and omnivorous birds, especially where portability and low cost are important.

Influence of coyotes on habitat use by mule deer following a wildfire

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:16:33 -0700

Predators can cause prey to make habitat choices that could affect their survival. We studied the influence of coyote, Canis latrans, presence on habitat use by desert mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus eremicus. Our study was conducted in 2000 in the Walnut Canyon Enclosure, a 246-ha enclosure on the Three Bar Wildlife Area, central Arizona. We radiotracked six mule deer (5 F, 1 M) in the enclosure with and without coyotes present during 2000 and compared our data with data obtained in the enclosure in 1998 when coyotes were absent. We compared habitat use among four environmental settings: burned and unburned interior chaparral and Sonoran desertscrub. We found evidence of changes in habitat use between years and after coyotes were introduced. Deer increased use of areas with the greatest vegetation cover when coyotes were present.

Salt marsh harvest mice and width of salt marshes in the south San Franciso Bay

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:16:16 -0700

Most of the once broad and continuous salt marshes of the South San Francisco Bay (South Bay), California have been converted into salt ponds or have been filled. The marshes are much narrower, more fragmented, and increasingly impacted by subsidence and rising sea level than those present at the beginning of the 20th Century. This is especially the case with the nineteen fringing marshes (i.e., long and narrow marshes that extend between the few remaining large salt marshes).

Distribution and ecology of the Russian River tule perch

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:15:57 -0700

The Russian River is a coastal stream located north of the San Francisco Bay drainage, California, and has a fish fauna derived from the Sacramento River system. Although the Russian River tule perch (Hysterocarpus traski pomo) is the only endemic fish in the watershed, this taxon has received limited study. Historic and recent records indicate that Russian River tule perch are widespread in the Russian River. Tule perch were found in 94% of the 156-km-long river mainstem, and the lower valley reaches of 9 large tributaries. No tule perch were found in 2 large reservoirs located on tributaries, although they occurred in freeflowing waters prior to the construction of these reservoirs. Dive surveys in the upper Russian River found tule perch abundance as high as 2,424 fish/km and they comprised 2.9% to 9.5% of the fish observed. In other mainstem sections, tule perch were approximately 12.5% of the fish observed. Our life history findings were similar to other studies where females give birth in May, young double or triple in length the first summer, and few adults are greater than 1 year of age. We found tule perch use mostly complex wood debris habitats associated with riparian forest, and also utilize boulders and widgeon weed for cover when present.

Cost of vessel insurance in collaborative fisheries research: strategies and perspectives from a program in California, USA

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:15:45 -0700

Collaborative fisheries research (CFR) is an emerging alternative to traditionally centralized approaches to resource management, and it is considered attractive because of the social and scientific benefits of including stakeholders in research. Although CFR now has institutional support and precedent in California, it is often impeded by the cost and difficulty of procuring vessel insurance for commercial vessels. This report summarizes important financial and logistical considerations from our experience procuring vessel insurance as University of California (UC) researchers building a collaborative fishery research program with commercial fishermen and oversight from the California Department of Fish and Game. Current UC policies require that charter vessels carry $1 million in Protection and Indemnity (P&I) coverage, and in our research program this cost an average of $4889 annually per commercial lobster vessel (n=5). This level of insurance is typical of other universities, nongovernmental organizations, and management agencies. Participation of multiple commercial fishing vessels benefits CFR programs by providing logistical flexibility, increasing sampling efficiency, and maximizing community participation. High total insurance costs, however, reduce direct funds for research. We present strategies for minimizing insurance costs in programs that employ multiple vessels. Alternatives to multiple vessel use are the dedication of a single (and insured) commercial vessel whose activity can be directed by additional onboard fishermen, as well as retrofitted research boats that can be used as fishing vessels that are captained by fishermen or researchers trained to use fishing gear by master fishermen collaborators. We explore the costs and benefits of these different strategies and we present additional recommendations for managing the cost of vessel insurance while maintaining the benefits of stakeholder participation in CFR.

Analyzing and mapping fish assemblages off central California, USA

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:15:31 -0700

This study describes fish assemblages and their spatial patterns off the coast of California from Point Arena to Point Sal, by combining the results of the multivariate analyses of several fisheries datasets with a geographic information system. In order to provide comprehensive spatial coverage for the areas of inshore, continental shelf, and continental slope, three fisheries datasets were analyzed: 1) Inshore: the California Department of Fish and Game dataset of fishery-dependent commercial passenger fishing vessel trips that targeted rockfish; 2) Continental Shelf: the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) fishery-independent bottom trawls; and 3) Continental Slope: the NMFS fishery-independent bottom trawls on the continental slope. One-hundred seven species were analyzed. These species represented those captured in at least 5% of the fishing trips or trawls in at least one of the three data sets. We analyzed each of the three datasets separately, and the three sets of results were combined to define 28 species assemblages and 23 site groups. A species assemblage consisted of species caught together, whereas a site group consisted of fishing trips or trawl locations that tended to have the same species assemblages. At the scale of these datasets, 97% of all site groups were significantly segregated by depth.

Comparison of motion-activated cameras for wildlife invstigations

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:14:51 -0700

Motion-triggered cameras are useful in wildlife investigations but quantitative metrics derived from photographs potentially include substantial error. We compared six models of cameras placed sideby- side at a small spring in Mojave National Preserve, California, for 63 days in the spring of 2006, and for 40 days in the fall of 2007. Total number of different species detected varied by camera from 2 to 14 in the first trial and from 1 to 6 in the second. Total number of wildlife photographs taken by each camera ranged from 18 to 348 in the first trial and from 0 to 95 in the second. Photographic rates of a single species, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), differed by as much as 100% between two units of the same camera model. We did find, however, that the distribution of time intervals between photographs of mule deer was similar for different cameras. These results indicate that photographic rates and number of species detected by motiontriggered cameras can vary significantly even for identical models placed side by side, and have important implications regarding the interpretation of such data across areas.

Intraspecific predation in endangered Mohave tui chub

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:14:33 -0700

Mohave tui chub (Siphateles bicolor mohavensis) is the only native fish in the Mojave River basin of California. Populations declined during the 1930s, due to competition with arroyo chubs (Gila orcutti) that were believed to have been introduced into the headwaters of the Mojave River by anglers (Hubbs and Miller 1943). Mohave tui chubs were eliminated from the Mojave River system by the late 1960s, and existed only at Zzyzx Mineral Springs in San Bernardino County (Miller 1968). The Mohave tui chub was federally listed as endangered in 1970 (United States Fish and Wildlife Service 1984). Recovery efforts have included transplants of fish to establish new populations but, despite many attempts, only four populations exist in southern California: one at Lark Seep on the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, one at Camp Cady ponds about 40 km east of Barstow, one at Zzyzx Mineral Springs, and a recently established population at the Lewis Center for Educational Research in Apple Valley (Garron 2006; S. Parmenter, California Department of Fish and Game, personal communication).

A brief survey of the mesopelagic fishes of the Gulf of Alaska

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:14:03 -0700

In April 2007 and March 2008 a midwater-trawl survey of the Mesopelagic zone was conducted over the continental slope of the Gulf of Alaska between Kodiak Island and Prince William Sound. A total of 59 hauls were made at 6 sample stations during both day and night at target depths of 250, 500, and 1000 m using an open-mouth net. Fifty-two species of fishes representing 29 families were identified during the course of this survey. The Myctophidae was the most diverse as well as the most abundant family encountered, followed by the Bathylagidae, Melamphaidae, and Stomiidae. The most common species caught was Stenobrachius leucopsarus, which accounted for nearly half of the fish, and the 10 most abundant species accounted for over 90% of all specimens. Myctophids were found in every haul and the families Bathylagidae, Microstomatidae, Melamphaidae, Macrouridae, Stomiidae, and Scopelarchidae were present in more than half of the hauls.

Managing the Tuolumne River for salmonids: assessment of the 1995 settlement agreement

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:13:38 -0700

The Tuolumne River originates at elevations over 3,900 meters in Yosemite Valley, California along the Western Sierra and is the largest tributary to the San Joaquin River of the Central Valley, draining an area of approximately 2,500 km2. The Tuolumne River was once home to a healthy population of spring and fall-run Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, the spring-run likely ascending upstream as high as the boundary of Yosemite National Park, at an elevation of nearly 760 meters. Although historical records of the presence of Central Valley steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss are poor, they were believed to be well distributed in the Tuolumne River and its smaller tributaries. A series of dams for water supply, hydroelectric generation, and flood control were constructed starting in the 1890s. These dams cut off access by native anadromous fish to as much as 90 % of their spawning habitat. In 1996 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order amending a 1964 license, which included a 1995 Settlement Agreement. The 1995 Settlement Agreement designated a Technical Advisory Committee to oversee implementation of the agreement and its requirements. A review of the hydrographs of the Tuolumne River during the first 8 years under the Settlement Agreement revealed they were significantly different in timing and magnitude than recommended by resource agencies. This paper discusses management implications of the Settlement Agreement, and also offers recommendations for improvement.

Erratum

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:13:13 -0700

CFG_096-4_2010-4-Mice - The following tables inadvertently were not included in the paper by Karpov et al., cited above. The authors and the editor regret this omission.

Use of brackish marshes in the south San Francisco Bay by salt marsh harvest mice

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:13:03 -0700

Sport clamming in Humboldt Bay, California during 2008: comparisons with historical data

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:12:50 -0700

A sport clam survey, conducted January through December 2008 in Humboldt Bay, California, was the continuation of a creel-type survey conducted by the California Department of Fish and Game from 1975 through 1989. Surveys were conducted on low tides in the south arm of Humboldt Bay. Data were collected on clammer effort and catch resulting in bootstrapped estimates of the number of clammer trips (clammer-days) per year, catch per unit effort, total catch by species, and spatial distribution of effort within the bay. The survey revealed an important shift in harvested clam species composition, a decrease in harvest level, and methods of harvest apparently unique to Humboldt Bay.

Questioning reliability of bursa depth for age determination in ring-necked pheasants

Wed, 30 May 2012 14:12:32 -0700

We determined the bursa depth method to be unreliable, subjective,and problematic for age determination in ring-necked pheasants Phasianus colchicus). Rigorous testing during a 6-year study in the Sutter Basin, California revealed that bursa depth was not distinctive for age class in wild pheasants, and we recommend abandoning the method. Results showed that bursa regression adequate to overlap adult standards for the method began in juveniles at 5 months-ofage, with closures starting at 6 months, and with regression completed before adulthood, demonstrating that shallow (<8 mm) and closed bursas are not distinctive for adults. Among known-age pheasants in the hunter bag, the method produced age misclassifications for 20% of adult males, 26% of adult females, 6% of juvenile males, and 10% of juvenile females. Probe measurements were 5-12 mm deeper in dead adults than in the same birds when alive 2-4 months earlier, a result of post-mortem loss of tissue elasticity. Closure was the most consistent bursa characteristic in wild, adult pheasants, occurring in 21% of males and 88% of females.

Domestic sheep, bighorn sheep, and respiratory disease: a review of the experimental evidence

Wed, 30 May 2012 12:19:47 -0700

Introduced infectious diseases pose a significant threat to wildlife populations and are exceptional conservation challenges, in part because they can precipitate much more rapid and devastating population declines than habitat encroachment. Pneumonia epizootics have played a major role in the dynamics and conservation challenges of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations. A large proportion of native bighorn sheep populations south of Canada went extinct beginning in the second half of the 19th century. It has long been postulated, based on temporal and spatial correlations, that diseases transferred from domestic sheep (Ovis aries) played a major role in those losses. Although experimental research has repeatedly tested the hypothesis that domestic sheep carry strains of respiratory tract pathogens potentially fatal to bighorn sheep, debate continues over the role of domestic sheep in this disease process. In the context of a hierarchical set of hypotheses we review this experimental research that includes (1) contact trials involving bighorn sheep penned with domestic sheep and a variety of other native and domestic animal species; (2) inoculation experiments with no animal contact; (3) attempts to isolate and identify specific organisms responsible for pneumonia in bighorn sheep; and (4) vaccination experiments. Our review reveals that (1) experiments have repeatedly corroborated the hypothesis that bighorn sheep have a high probability of contracting fatal pneumonia following contact with domestic sheep; (2) low disease and mortality rates in numerous co-pasturing pen studies involving bighorn sheep and animals other than domestic sheep do not support the alternative explanation that the results of the co-pasturing studies involving domestic sheep were an artifact of captivity; (3) the identification of which organism(s) cause pneumonia in bighorn sheep following contact with domestic sheep remains unresolved, possibly because of disease complexity (multiple pathogens) and limitations of research tools applied; and (4) vaccination trials largely have failed to mitigate the spread of respiratory disease and appear to be an unrealistic solution to the problem. We discuss these findings relative to a variety of questions, misinterpretations, and implications for management decisions concerning bighorn sheep conservation.

New record of Pacific sierra (Scomberomorus sierra) with notes on previous California records

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:42:04 -0700

[Note] New record of Pacific sierra (Scomberomorus sierra) with notes on previous California records

First specimen of the white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus Richardson, 1836) in coastal waters of Mexico with data on its genetic identity

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:37:16 -0700

[Note] First specimen of the white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus Richardson, 1836) in coastal waters of Mexico with data on its genetic identity

Juvenile growth in a population of southern California steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:32:08 -0700

The life histories of Oncorhynchus mykiss populations in the southern portion of their range have received less attention than in the Pacific Northwest, and have only recently been the subject of focused studies. Here we examine size-at-age data collected from O. mykiss in Topanga Creek, Los Angeles County, California, where research has been conducted for nearly a decade. Our results suggest that all age classes of resident and anadromous O. mykiss in Topanga Creek grow yearround despite high summer water temperatures. In addition, age 2 steelhead smolts attain a size that has been associated with high (>10%) marine survival in other studies.

First record and establishment of an exotic molly (Poecilia butleri) in the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:01:13 -0700

[Note] First record and establishment of an exotic molly (Poecilia butleri) in the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Evidence of relationships between El Niño Southern Oscillation and mule deer harvest in California

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:54:27 -0700

A growing body of research has demonstrated relationships between population dynamics of large herbivores and large-scale climatic phenomena. We investigated gradients in the effects of one such phenomenon, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), to look for evidence of its influence on mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) harvest. Based on the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and reported deer harvest for 55 counties in California, USA, there was evidence that arid and climatically more variable counties to the south and west were more likely to demonstrate a relationship between deer harvest and SOI. Eighteen counties demonstrated a relationship between harvest and SOI, and for 16 of those, harvest was positively related to intensity of ENSO activity. A growing recognition of the role of extrinsic variation, such as that associated with large-scale climate phenomena, means that management of mule deer populations increasingly will have to incorporate an understanding of the mechanisms connecting those phenomena to local weather patterns, forage dynamics, and population dynamics.

A histopathology survey of California oysters

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:50:24 -0700

Pathogen surveys form an essential component of effective aquatic animal disease surveillance programs. We report the results of a histological examination of farmed (Crassostrea gigas, C. sikamea, C. virginica, Ostrea edulis) and wild Olympia (O. lurida) oysters collected from locations throughout the state of California during 2004-2005. Most of the symbionts encountered among 1676 oysters examined are commonly observed in oyster populations worldwide and are usually of negligible or minor significance as pathogens. These include ciliates, copepods, cestode larvae, gregarine protozoa, and Rickettsiales-like prokaryotes. Conditions or agents more commonly associated with disease include the protozoan Bonamia sp. in O. edulis and disseminated neoplasia in O. lurida. No organisms potentially pathogenic to humans were identified. Farmed and wild oyster populations in California generally appeared healthy in accordance with a lack of reports of significant mortality events with the exception of summer mortality of juvenile C. gigas in Tomales Bay which is associated with herpesvirus infection.

Discrimination of Ross’s Geese and Lesser Snow Geese using rectrices in California

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:46:20 -0700

Measurements of the central tail fan rectrix on geese are used to distinguish species of white geese in recreational harvest surveys. Recently, population growth and range wide population shifts warrant reexamination of current techniques used to distinguish white goose species in the Pacific Flyway. We collected 706 hunter-shot white goose tail fans at Sacramento and Delevan National Wildlife Refuges in the upper Sacramento Valley, California, from 8 November 2008 - 2 February 2009. We classified each as after-hatch year or hatch year Ross’s goose (Chen rossii) or lesser snow goose (Chen caerulescens caerulescens), and measured lengths and shaft widths of central rectrices. We used discriminant function analysis to examine if current methodologies used in harvest surveys correctly identified white goose species in the sample, and determined that total length of the central rectrix can be used to correctly identify about 92% of after-hatch year white geese. Total lengths of central rectrix measuring >143 mm are classified as after hatch-year snow geese. For hatch year geese, the ability to correctly identify species is reduced (80%), and central rectrix lengths of >127 mm are classified as snow geese. Differences among past methodologies may have been due to physiological changes among snow goose colonies or geographic differences in body size. We recommend that current methods used in the Parts Collection Survey be updated for the Pacific Flyway to account for these results.

Burrow occupancy and nesting phenology of bank swallows along the Sacramento River

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:39:13 -0700

The bank swallow (Riparia riparia), a threatened species in California, has been monitored along the Sacramento River since 1986. Annual counts of burrows and past data on the rate of burrow occupancy have been used to estimate the number of nesting pairs of bank swallows. However, the burrow occupancy figure in use (45 percent of burrows occupied) has not been updated for nearly 20 years. We conducted surveys of burrow occupancy at nine bank swallow colonies along the Sacramento River during and after the breeding season of 2010. We tracked changes in colony extent and number of burrows and made observations of burrow contents. Burrow counts increased through the latter half of June and then remained relatively constant through early August. Eggs and young were observed from the beginning of the study on April 26 through early July, but eggs were common only through June. Nests with eggs peaked in early May and again in the third week of June; nests with chicks were highest in late May and showed a lesser peak in early July. We observed wide variation in the proportion of burrows occupied before mid-June. Measurable occupancy was higher and relatively consistent after mid-June, including a post-breeding survey. Based on these results we recommend that (1) unconverted burrow counts should be used whenever possible as a rough abundance index to avoid introducing an additional variable (occupancy) and its associated uncertainty; (2) when an estimate of birds rather than burrows is essential, an approximate burrow occupancy value of 0.5 should be used to calculate nesting pairs from burrow counts; and, (3) in the future, burrow occupancy monitoring should be done regularly (e.g., every five years) and can take place in late July or early August, after juveniles have left the nest, to minimize disturbance of active nests.

Sex ratio estimates of Roosevelt elk using counts and Bowden’s estimator

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:34:42 -0700

Adult sex ratios were calculated with count data, and with Bowden’s estimator, and results were evaluated for potential bias in a population of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) surveyed from 1997 to 2011. The mean and high count sex ratio estimates were two to eight percent lower, on average, than the Bowden’s sex ratio estimates. Bowden’s estimator accounts for imperfect detection and is more likely to reliably estimate sex ratios of Roosevelt elk and, potentially, other ungulates.

Assessment of habitat for the potential reintroduction of tule elk to the San Joaquin Valley, California

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:31:13 -0700

Reintroductions of wildlife populations to their former range in California are often undertaken without systematic, spatially-explicit habitat analyses as part of feasibility studies. This has been true for the tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes), a California endemic subspecies brought to the brink of extinction a century ago. We evaluated the Grasslands Ecological Area of Merced County as potential habitat for a future free-ranging herd. The study area was modeled using three variables: cover/forage, habitat diversity, and human impacts. Within 11,650 ha of likely usable habitat, we found two large areas of very high quality habitat (totaling 4,638 ha). These areas contained forage and cover in close proximity, low levels of human disturbance, and a variety of habitats for use by elk. Carrying capacity of these areas was estimated at 180-320 individuals. We suggest that this type of systematic evaluation should be a component of future reintroduction efforts for tule elk and other native species of California wildlife.

Largemouth bass population estimates from Diamond Valley Lake, Riverside County, California

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:27:00 -0700

A combination of boat electrofishing and bass angling tournaments was used to estimate the 2008 population of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) =300 mm TL at Diamond Valley Lake, Riverside County, California. We compared three combinations of sampling techniques to determine the most reliable method for estimating population size. A modified proportional stock density (PSD) was used to extrapolate the tournament data for legal size largemouth bass (=380 mm TL) to population estimates for bass =300 mm TL. Each of the 3 mark and recapture combinations yielded different population estimates. The combination of both electrofishing and angling for mark and recapture of largemouth bass, along with the PSD extrapolation, produced the most precise estimate. Utilizing this PSD extrapolation would allow fishery managers for other waters with larger legal size restrictions to estimate population size by taking advantage of tournament data.

Status of fishes in the Upper San Gabriel River Basin, Los Angeles County, California

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:22:10 -0700

We studied the distribution and relative abundance of fishes in the Upper San Gabriel River (USGR), Los Angeles County, California, during the spring and summer of 2007 and 2008. The USGR is one of the few basins in southern California that still supports an abundant endemic fish community, and is widely recognized as an important area for the conservation of native fishes. Three species of native fishes currently occupy the basin; the most abundant and widely distributed is Santa Ana speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus ssp.), followed by Santa Ana sucker (Catostomus santaanae), and arroyo chub (Gila orcutti). Santa Ana sucker were most abundant and widely distributed in the East Fork of the San Gabriel River. Santa Ana speckled dace were most abundant in the North Fork and most widely distributed in the West Fork, and arroyo chub were most abundant and widely distributed in the West Fork. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) also inhabit the USGR and were the most abundant and widely distributed fish in the basin. Like speckled dace, rainbow trout were most abundant in the North Fork and most widely distributed in the West Fork. The overall distribution of the native fish assemblage is comparable, albeit slightly lower, than basinwide distribution surveys conducted in 1975 and 1991. The USGR lies within one of the most frequently visited national forests in the United States, is essential to the conservation of the imperiled Santa Ana sucker and Santa Ana speckled dace, and should be managed both for endemic taxa and recreational values.

Spatial perspective for delta smelt: a summary of contemporary survey data

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:19:31 -0700

We utilized recently available data from the 20-mm Tow-Net and Spring Kodiak Trawl, together with other Interagency Ecological Program and regional monitoring programs, to provide a comprehensive description of the range and temporal and geographic distribution of delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) by life stage within the San Francisco Estuary, California. Within 21 sampled regions we identified 289,401 survey events at 624 monitoring stations. Delta smelt were observed at 430 stations (69%) in an area from northern San Francisco Bay in the west, to the confluence of the Sacramento and Feather rivers in the north, and to the disjunction of Old and San Joaquin rivers in the south, an area of approximately 51,800 ha. Delta smelt were observed more frequently and at higher densities (at all life stages) near the center of their range, from Suisun Marsh down through Grizzly Bay and east Suisun Bay through the Confluence to the Lower Sacramento region, and into the Cache Slough region. Delta smelt larvae were observed in the San Francisco Estuary from March through July, sub-juveniles in April through August, juveniles in May through December, sub-adults in September through December, and pre-spawning and spawning adults in January through May. This comprehensive review provides managers and scientists an improved depiction of the spatial and temporal extent of the delta smelt throughout its range and lends itself to future analysis of delta smelt population assessment and restoration planning.

What have we learned about water developments for wildlife? Not enough!

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:17:41 -0700

Species inhabiting arid environments often contend with ambient temperatures as high as 45°C and that are coupled with unpredictable availability of resources. Free-standing water has been considered to be a resource that limits distribution and abundance of many species of wildlife in arid regions of the United States, and water developments have been used since the 1940s to improve habitat. Provision of water has been assumed to be beneficial to wildlife, particularly during dry seasons and in those environments where surface water is scarce. In recent decades, degradation of naturally occurring water sources resulting from anthropogenic factors has further decreased surface water available to wildlife. Nevertheless, water developments have become controversial, in part, because their ecological effects are difficult to quantify. We compiled and evaluated recently available literature for evidence of effects of water sources on wildlife populations. Critics have expressed concern about water quality, species-specific benefits, mortalities of entrapped animals, enhancement of predator populations, increases in predation rates near water sources, and competition; in general, these negative effects are not supported by available data and remain highly speculative. Positive effects of water developments on wildlife have been documented, and species thought previously not to use free-standing water do so when it is available. Long-term studies with strong experimental designs are needed to examine the effects of water developments on productivity, recruitment, and survival of wildlife populations.