Species Management Research Program
Species Management Research Program
WERC scientists study the ecology of sensitive species, including threatened and endangered animals and plants. Their research supports the recovery and conservation of iconic species like the Greater Sage-grouse, Giant garter snake, Southern sea otter, and Desert tortoise, and inform critical decision-making by Department of the Interior (DOI) as well as other resource managers. WERC’s projects detect environmental threats that could affect the health of vulnerable species. Habitat loss, invasive species, and contaminants are some of the stressors that can change the way ecosystems function and affect the species that depend on them. Explore the projects below to learn more about how WERC scientists meet the needs of land and resource managers across California and Nevada, as well as international and indigenous lands.
Filter Total Items: 48
Waterbird Breeding Ecology and Management
The San Francisco Bay is designated as a site of hemispheric importance to shorebirds and annually supports over one million waterbirds. Within the USGS WERC waterbird breeding ecology program, Dr. Josh Ackerman and partners are studying habitat selection, movements, and factors influencing waterbird nest success and chick growth and survival.
Waterfowl Ecology in California and the Pacific Flyway
The Suisun Marsh and Central Valley in California offer some of the world’s most important wetland habitats for waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway. Mike Casazza and USGS WERC biologists are providing the science to support and evaluate waterfowl populations and habitat management in North America.
Wildland Fire Science in Forests and Deserts
Fuel conditions and fire regimes in western forests and deserts have been altered due to past land management, biological invasions, and recent extreme weather events and climate shifts. These changes have created extreme fire risk to local and regional communities, threatening their economic health related to wildland recreation, forest production, livestock operations, and other uses of public...
Greater Sage-Grouse Population Ecology
Greater Sage-grouse are iconic birds found only in the Great Basin of the western U.S. Known for their showy courting displays, sage-grouse rely on native sagebrush habitat to shelter their young. Dr. Pete Coates is providing resource managers with the tools and information they need to conserve sage-grouse as invasive plants, evolving wildfire patterns, and energy development change the Great...
Stressors to Greater Sage-Grouse
The Greater Sage-grouse is a small bird found only in the sagebrush steppe of the Great Basin. Invasions of non-native grasses, evolving wildfire patterns, grazing from livestock, and human land uses are changing this unique ecosystem. WERC’s Dr. Pete Coates studies sage-grouse populations to determine how these influences could affect the bird and other wildlife in the future.
Reproductive Success of Black-Crowned Night-Herons and Snowy Egrets on Alcatraz Island
Years after the last inmate departed Alcatraz Island, waterbirds like Black-crowned Night Herons and Snowy Egrets still make the forbidding island their home. The National Park Service has requested the aid of WERC’s Dr. Pete Coates to inform efforts to expand visitor access to the Island, and simultaneously maintain healthy waterbird populations.
Behavior, Ecology, and Disease of Bobcats in Southern California
As cities and highways expand to support growing communities, USGS scientists are studying wildlife ecology to inform conservation efforts. Dr. Erin Boydston collaborates with the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others to study the behaviors and disease ecology of bobcats and other carnivores in southern California. Explore this project’s “Science” tab to learn more...
Relocating and Augmenting Desert Tortoise Populations
As resource managers balance the needs of humans and wildlife, WERC’s Dr. Berry provides the necessary science to inform decisions on shared lands. Visit the “Science” tab to delve into specific projects.
Ecology and Biology of Desert Tortoises
WERC wildlife biologist Dr. Kristin Berry has more than forty years of experience studying Agassiz’s desert tortoise. As the lead on several USGS projects, Dr. Berry continues to lend her expertise to investigating the status, genetics, and behavior of Agassiz’s tortoise populations in the Mojave Desert.
Monitoring Mercury's Risk to Wildlife in California Lakes
USGS scientists sampled grebes in California lakes to compare mercury levels in these predators versus the small fish they prey on—developing a new tool for water quality monitoring.
Densovirus Calculated as Culprit Killing Sea Stars
A prime suspect has been identified as a probable cause of the "Sea Star Wasting Disease," a mysterious epidemic that has been killing these animals in droves along the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Coast. Researchers from Cornell University, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and other institutions published their findings on this "sea star associated densovirus (SSaDV)" in the December 2014 issue of...
Pesticides Found in Amphibians from Remote Areas in California
Amphibians from remote locations in California have accumulated several current-use pesticides, including fungicides, in their bodies. A team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists recently reported on field results in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry . Two fungicides, pyraclostrobin and tebuconazole, and the herbicide simazine were detected frequently in amphibians from all...