Kristine Preston
Kristine Preston is an ecologist at the Western Ecological Research Center.
Science and Products
Raster data files for Prioritizing conserved areas threatened by wildfire for monitoring and management.
The data set consists of 12 input data rasters that cover San Diego County, California. These input rasters represent criteria used in a Pareto ranking algorithm in the manuscript. These include three rasters related to fire threats, three rasters related to habitat fragmentation threats, four rasters related to species biodiversity, and two rasters related to genetic biodiversity. (see...
Coastal California Gnatcatcher Habitat Suitability Model for Southern California (2015)
This habitat model was developed to delineate a sampling frame for regional monitoring of coastal California gnatcatchers (Polioptila californica californica) to determine: 1) percent area occupied (PAO) in high and very high suitability habitat across conserved lands and participating military lands in the U.S. range in southern California; 2) changes in PAO over time; and 3) extinction...
Least Bell's Vireo Habitat Suitability Model for California (2019)
This habitat model was developed to identify suitable habitat for the federally-endangered least Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) across its current and historic range in California. The vireo disappeared from most of its range by the 1980s, remaining only in small populations in southern California. Habitat protection and management since the mid-1980s has led to an increase in...
Quantification of threats to bats at localized spatial scales for conservation and management
In a rapidly changing world, where species conservation needs vary by local habitat, concentrated conservation efforts at small spatial scales can be critical. Bats provide an array of value to the ecosystems they inhabit; many bat species are also of conservation concern. San Diego County, California, contains 22 of the 41 bat species that occur in the United States, 16 of which are on...
Authors
Brian M. Myers, Drew Stokes, Kristine L. Preston, Robert N. Fisher, A. G. Vandergast
2023-2024 Coastal sage scrub and chaparral community monitoring for western San Diego County
Western San Diego County is dominated by shrublands supporting biologically diverse native plant and animal communities. Widespread urbanization has led to regional habitat loss and fragmentation, and many species in these shrubland communities are rare, threatened, or endangered. Large-scale, multiple-species conservation planning has resulted in a regional preserve system that focuses...
Authors
Emily E. Perkins, Philip Robert Gould, Jennifer Kingston, Christopher W. Brown, Kristine L. Preston, Robert N. Fisher
Occupancy dynamics of the California Gnatcatcher in southern California
Executive SummaryThe Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica: “gnatcatcher”) is a resident species restricted to coastal sage scrub habitat in southern California. Listed as federally threatened, the gnatcatcher is subject to multiple threats, including habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, particularly in association with the increasing frequency of...
Authors
Barbara E. Kus, Alexandra Houston, Kristine L. Preston
Rangewide occupancy of a flagship species, the Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) in southern California: Habitat associations and recovery from wildfire
The Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica), a federally threatened species, is a flagship species for regional conservation planning in southern California (USA). An inhabitant of coastal sage scrub vegetation, the gnatcatcher has declined in response to habitat loss and fragmentation, exacerbated by catastrophic wildfires. We documented the status of...
Authors
Barbara E. Kus, Kristine L. Preston, Alexandra Houston
Prioritizing the risk and management of introduced species in a landscape with high indigenous biodiversity
Risk analysis protocols for prioritizing the management of non-native species are numerous, yet few incorporate risk and management in the same analysis or accommodate a broad diversity of taxa outside of a specific geographic area. We adapted a protocol that accounts for these factors to address non-native animal species in the Southern California/Northern Baja California Coast...
Authors
Jonathan Q. Richmond, Jennifer Kingston, Brittany Ewing, Wendy M Bear, Stacie A. Hathaway, Cedric Lee, Camm C. Swift, Kristine L. Preston, Allison J. Schultz, Barbara E. Kus, Kerwin Russell, Philip Unitt, Bradford D. Hollingsworth, Robert E. Espinoza, Michael Wall, Scott Tremor, Kai Palenscar, Robert N. Fisher
State of the Regional Preserve System in western San Diego County
No abstract available.
Authors
Kristine L. Preston, Emily E. Perkins, Christopher W. Brown, Sarah Joelle McCutcheon, Annabelle E Bernabe, Emilie Luciani, Barbara E. Kus, Susan Wynn
Subspecies differentiation and range-wide genetic structure are driven by climate in the California gnatcatcher, a flagship species for coastal sage scrub conservation
Understanding genetic structure and diversity within species can uncover associations with environmental and geographic attributes that highlight adaptive potential and inform conservation and management. The California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica, is a small songbird found in desert and coastal scrub habitats from the southern end of Baja California Sur to Ventura County...
Authors
A. G. Vandergast, Barbara E. Kus, Dustin A. Wood, Elizabeth R. Milano, Kristine L. Preston
Impacts of a non-indigenous ecosystem engineer, the American beaver (Castor canadensis), in a biodiversity hotspot
Non-native species having high per capita impacts in invaded communities are those that modulate resource availability and alter disturbance regimes in ways that are biologically incompatible with the native biota. In areas where it has been introduced by humans, American beaver (Castor canadensis) is an iconic example of such species due to its capacity to alter trophic dynamics of...
Authors
Jonathan Q. Richmond, Camm C. Swift, Thomas A. Wake, Cheryl S. Brehme, Kristine L. Preston, Barbara E. Kus, Edward L Ervin, Scott Tremor, Tritia Matsuda, Robert N. Fisher
Modeling Least Bell’s Vireo habitat suitability in current and historic ranges in California
We developed a habitat suitability model for the federally endangered Least Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) across its current and historic range in California. The vireo disappeared from most of its range by the 1980s, remaining only in southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico. This decline was due to habitat loss and introduction of brood parasitic brown-headed...
Authors
Kristine L. Preston, Barbara E. Kus, Emily Perkins
Distinguishing recent dispersal from historical genetic connectivity in the coastal California gnatcatcher
Habitat loss and fragmentation are primary threats to biodiversity worldwide. We studied the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on genetic connectivity and diversity among local aggregations of the California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) across its U.S. range. With a dataset of 268 individuals genotyped at 19 microsatellite loci, we analyzed genetic structure...
Authors
Amy G. Vandergast, Barbara E. Kus, Kristine L. Preston, Kelly R. Barr
Prioritizing conserved areas threatened by wildfire and fragmentation for monitoring and management
In many parts of the world, the combined effects of habitat fragmentation and altered disturbance regimes pose a significant threat to biodiversity. This is particularly true in Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs), which tend to be fire-prone, species rich, and heavily impacted by human land use. Given the spatial complexity of overlapping threats and species’ vulnerability along with...
Authors
Jeff A. Tracey, Carlton J. Rochester, Stacie A. Hathaway, Kristine L. Preston, Alexandra D. Syphard, Amy G. Vandergast, James E. Diffendorfer, Janet Franklin, Jason B. MacKenzie, Tomas A. Oberbauer, Scott Tremor, Clark S. Winchell, Robert N. Fisher
Science and Products
Raster data files for Prioritizing conserved areas threatened by wildfire for monitoring and management.
The data set consists of 12 input data rasters that cover San Diego County, California. These input rasters represent criteria used in a Pareto ranking algorithm in the manuscript. These include three rasters related to fire threats, three rasters related to habitat fragmentation threats, four rasters related to species biodiversity, and two rasters related to genetic biodiversity. (see...
Coastal California Gnatcatcher Habitat Suitability Model for Southern California (2015)
This habitat model was developed to delineate a sampling frame for regional monitoring of coastal California gnatcatchers (Polioptila californica californica) to determine: 1) percent area occupied (PAO) in high and very high suitability habitat across conserved lands and participating military lands in the U.S. range in southern California; 2) changes in PAO over time; and 3) extinction...
Least Bell's Vireo Habitat Suitability Model for California (2019)
This habitat model was developed to identify suitable habitat for the federally-endangered least Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) across its current and historic range in California. The vireo disappeared from most of its range by the 1980s, remaining only in small populations in southern California. Habitat protection and management since the mid-1980s has led to an increase in...
Quantification of threats to bats at localized spatial scales for conservation and management
In a rapidly changing world, where species conservation needs vary by local habitat, concentrated conservation efforts at small spatial scales can be critical. Bats provide an array of value to the ecosystems they inhabit; many bat species are also of conservation concern. San Diego County, California, contains 22 of the 41 bat species that occur in the United States, 16 of which are on...
Authors
Brian M. Myers, Drew Stokes, Kristine L. Preston, Robert N. Fisher, A. G. Vandergast
2023-2024 Coastal sage scrub and chaparral community monitoring for western San Diego County
Western San Diego County is dominated by shrublands supporting biologically diverse native plant and animal communities. Widespread urbanization has led to regional habitat loss and fragmentation, and many species in these shrubland communities are rare, threatened, or endangered. Large-scale, multiple-species conservation planning has resulted in a regional preserve system that focuses...
Authors
Emily E. Perkins, Philip Robert Gould, Jennifer Kingston, Christopher W. Brown, Kristine L. Preston, Robert N. Fisher
Occupancy dynamics of the California Gnatcatcher in southern California
Executive SummaryThe Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica: “gnatcatcher”) is a resident species restricted to coastal sage scrub habitat in southern California. Listed as federally threatened, the gnatcatcher is subject to multiple threats, including habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, particularly in association with the increasing frequency of...
Authors
Barbara E. Kus, Alexandra Houston, Kristine L. Preston
Rangewide occupancy of a flagship species, the Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) in southern California: Habitat associations and recovery from wildfire
The Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica), a federally threatened species, is a flagship species for regional conservation planning in southern California (USA). An inhabitant of coastal sage scrub vegetation, the gnatcatcher has declined in response to habitat loss and fragmentation, exacerbated by catastrophic wildfires. We documented the status of...
Authors
Barbara E. Kus, Kristine L. Preston, Alexandra Houston
Prioritizing the risk and management of introduced species in a landscape with high indigenous biodiversity
Risk analysis protocols for prioritizing the management of non-native species are numerous, yet few incorporate risk and management in the same analysis or accommodate a broad diversity of taxa outside of a specific geographic area. We adapted a protocol that accounts for these factors to address non-native animal species in the Southern California/Northern Baja California Coast...
Authors
Jonathan Q. Richmond, Jennifer Kingston, Brittany Ewing, Wendy M Bear, Stacie A. Hathaway, Cedric Lee, Camm C. Swift, Kristine L. Preston, Allison J. Schultz, Barbara E. Kus, Kerwin Russell, Philip Unitt, Bradford D. Hollingsworth, Robert E. Espinoza, Michael Wall, Scott Tremor, Kai Palenscar, Robert N. Fisher
State of the Regional Preserve System in western San Diego County
No abstract available.
Authors
Kristine L. Preston, Emily E. Perkins, Christopher W. Brown, Sarah Joelle McCutcheon, Annabelle E Bernabe, Emilie Luciani, Barbara E. Kus, Susan Wynn
Subspecies differentiation and range-wide genetic structure are driven by climate in the California gnatcatcher, a flagship species for coastal sage scrub conservation
Understanding genetic structure and diversity within species can uncover associations with environmental and geographic attributes that highlight adaptive potential and inform conservation and management. The California gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica, is a small songbird found in desert and coastal scrub habitats from the southern end of Baja California Sur to Ventura County...
Authors
A. G. Vandergast, Barbara E. Kus, Dustin A. Wood, Elizabeth R. Milano, Kristine L. Preston
Impacts of a non-indigenous ecosystem engineer, the American beaver (Castor canadensis), in a biodiversity hotspot
Non-native species having high per capita impacts in invaded communities are those that modulate resource availability and alter disturbance regimes in ways that are biologically incompatible with the native biota. In areas where it has been introduced by humans, American beaver (Castor canadensis) is an iconic example of such species due to its capacity to alter trophic dynamics of...
Authors
Jonathan Q. Richmond, Camm C. Swift, Thomas A. Wake, Cheryl S. Brehme, Kristine L. Preston, Barbara E. Kus, Edward L Ervin, Scott Tremor, Tritia Matsuda, Robert N. Fisher
Modeling Least Bell’s Vireo habitat suitability in current and historic ranges in California
We developed a habitat suitability model for the federally endangered Least Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) across its current and historic range in California. The vireo disappeared from most of its range by the 1980s, remaining only in southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico. This decline was due to habitat loss and introduction of brood parasitic brown-headed...
Authors
Kristine L. Preston, Barbara E. Kus, Emily Perkins
Distinguishing recent dispersal from historical genetic connectivity in the coastal California gnatcatcher
Habitat loss and fragmentation are primary threats to biodiversity worldwide. We studied the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on genetic connectivity and diversity among local aggregations of the California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) across its U.S. range. With a dataset of 268 individuals genotyped at 19 microsatellite loci, we analyzed genetic structure...
Authors
Amy G. Vandergast, Barbara E. Kus, Kristine L. Preston, Kelly R. Barr
Prioritizing conserved areas threatened by wildfire and fragmentation for monitoring and management
In many parts of the world, the combined effects of habitat fragmentation and altered disturbance regimes pose a significant threat to biodiversity. This is particularly true in Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs), which tend to be fire-prone, species rich, and heavily impacted by human land use. Given the spatial complexity of overlapping threats and species’ vulnerability along with...
Authors
Jeff A. Tracey, Carlton J. Rochester, Stacie A. Hathaway, Kristine L. Preston, Alexandra D. Syphard, Amy G. Vandergast, James E. Diffendorfer, Janet Franklin, Jason B. MacKenzie, Tomas A. Oberbauer, Scott Tremor, Clark S. Winchell, Robert N. Fisher