Data

The Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) is a small, non-colonial seabird endemic to marine waters of Alaska and eastern Russia that may have experienced significant population decline in recent decades, in part because of low reproductive success and terrestrial threats. Although recent studies have shed new light on Kittlitz's Murrelet nesting habitat in a few discrete areas, the loc

The data are .csv files of tagged sea otter re-sighting locations (henceforth, resights) collected in the field using a combination of VHF radio telemetry and direct observation using high powered (80x) telescopes. Sea otters were tracked by shore based observers from the date of tagging until the time of radio battery failure or the animals death, whichever comes first. The frequency of re-sighti

The goal of this project was to primarily assess east-west connectivity across Route 67 and secondarily, north-south connectivity across Scripps Poway Parkway and Poway Road, two highly trafficked roads to the west of Route 67. We collected deer scat piles from both sides of these crossings in spring between March and June of 2015, and again in fall throughout October 2015. Collected pellets were

Successful adaptive management hinges largely upon integrating new and improved sources of information as they become available. Updating management tools for greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter referred to as sage-grouse) populations, which are indicators for the large-scale health of sagebrush ( Artemisia spp.) ecosystems in the Great Basin of North America, provide a time

Greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus; hereinafter, sage-grouse) are a sagebrush obligate species that has declined concomitantly with the loss and fragmentation of sagebrush ecosystems across most of its geographical range. The species has been considered for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act multiple times, and was most recently ruled to not warrant protection as of Sept

Fragmentation and loss of natural habitat have important consequences for wild populations. Reductions in population size, density and connectivity can disrupt the distribution of genetic diversity within species and negatively impact long-term viability and resilience to environmental change. Genetic assessments of population structure, diversity and gene flow can provide important insights into

These datasets (S1-S4) document the transmission of a bacterial pathogen (Mycoplasma agassizii) between desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii). The desert tortoises were experimentally introduced in captivity and were used to create and compare models predicting transmission probability given data on the hosts and their interactions. Datasets S1 & S2 include variables describing the individual tort

Parental incubation behavior largely influences nest survival, a critical demographic process in avian population dynamics, and behaviors vary across species with different life history breeding strategies. Although research has identified nest survival advantages of mixing colonies, behavioral mechanisms that might explain these effects is largely lacking. We examined parental incubation behavior

Ecological factors favoring either resprouting or obligate seeding in plants have received considerable attention recently. Three ecological models have been proposed to explain patterns of these two life history types. In this study we test these three models using data from California chaparral. We take an innovative approach to testing these models by not testing community or landscape patterns

This study provides timely and highly useful information about greater sage-grouse over a large area of the Great Basin. USGS researchers and their colleagues created a template for combining landscape-scale occurrence or abundance data with habitat selection data in order to identify areas most critical to sustaining populations of species of conservation concern. The template also identifies tho

Fire ranks among the top three threats to the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) throughout its range, and among the top two threats in the western part of its range. The national research strategy for this species and the recent U.S. Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3336 call for science-based threats assessment of fire to inform conservation planning and fire management

The spring 2015 mainland sea otter count began on 2 May and wasn't completed until 2 July. The delay in finishing the census was due primarily to limited availability of the survey plane (because of the need for the plane during the oil spill in the Refugio State Beach area). Overall viewing conditions this year were more favorable than those during the 2014 spring census (View Score = 2.6 vs.