Jonathan Richmond is a geneticist at the Western Ecological Research Center.
Science and Products
Microsatellite genotype scores for a contemporary, range-wide sample of Santa Ana sucker in southern California
New record of California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) in Whitewater Canyon, Riverside County, CA, USA
Data release for persistence of historical population structure in an endangered species despite near-complete biome conversion in Californias San Joaquin Desert
Prioritizing the risk and management of introduced species in a landscape with high indigenous biodiversity
Reference genome of an iconic lizard in western North America, Blainville’s horned lizard Phrynosoma blainvillii
Skinks of Oceania, New Guinea, and Eastern Wallacea: An underexplored biodiversity hotspot
Genetic structure and historic demography of endangered unarmoured threespine stickleback at southern latitudes signals a potential new management approach
Natural and anthropogenic landscape factors shape functional connectivity of an ecological specialist in urban Southern California
Reference genome of the California glossy snake, Arizona elegans occidentalis: A declining California Species of Special Concern
Taking the leap: A binational translocation effort to close the 420-km gap in the Baja California lineage of the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii)
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 entire ecosyst
Range eclipse leads to tenuous survival of a rare lizard species on a barrier atoll
Predictability of invasive Argentine ant distribution across Mediterranean ecoregions of southern California
New faunal records from a World Heritage Site in danger: Rennell Island, Solomon Islands
Genetic considerations for rewilding the San Joaquin Desert
Science and Products
- Data
Microsatellite genotype scores for a contemporary, range-wide sample of Santa Ana sucker in southern California
These data consist of microsatellite genotype scores for all samples of Santa Ana sucker (Catostomus santaanae) used in the study. Scores represent the allele calls for each microsatellite locus (i.e. DNA fragment length containing the microsatellite repeats), with each locus containing two scores representing the two allele copies detected. Included are five tables: Full dataset (includes genotypNew record of California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) in Whitewater Canyon, Riverside County, CA, USA
In February 2017, a population of California red-legged frog Rana draytonii was discovered in the southern foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains of Riverside County, California, near the edge of the species historic distribution. A few days after the first sightings of R. draytonii at the Whitewater Preserve, we conducted a visual daytime search for frogs, tadpoles and egg masses followed by aData release for persistence of historical population structure in an endangered species despite near-complete biome conversion in Californias San Joaquin Desert
The recency of large-scale land conversion in Californias San Joaquin Desert raises the probability that the regions numerous endemic species still retain genetic signatures of historical population connectivity. If so, genomic data can serve as a guidance tool for conserving lands that once supported habitat for gene movement. We studied the genetic structuring of the endangered blunt-nosed leopa - Publications
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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 Ecoregion near theAuthorsJonathan 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. FisherReference genome of an iconic lizard in western North America, Blainville’s horned lizard Phrynosoma blainvillii
Genome assemblies are increasingly being used to identify adaptive genetic variation that can help prioritize the population management of protected species. This approach may be particularly relevant to species like Blainville’s horned lizard, Phrynosoma blainvillii, due to its specialized diet on noxious harvester ants, numerous adaptative traits for avoiding predation (e.g. cranial horns, dorsoAuthorsJonathan Q. Richmond, Jimmy A. McGuire, Merly Escalona, Mohan P. A. Marimuthu, Oanh Nguyen, Samuel Sacco, Eric Beraut, Erin Toffelmier, Robert N. Fisher, Ian J. Wang, H.B. ShafferSkinks of Oceania, New Guinea, and Eastern Wallacea: An underexplored biodiversity hotspot
Context: Skinks comprise the dominant component of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna in Oceania, New Guinea, and Eastern Wallacea (ONGEW). However, knowledge of their diversity is incomplete, and their conservation needs are poorly understood.Aims: To explore the diversity and threat status of the skinks of ONGEW and identify knowledge gaps and conservation needs.Methods: We compiled a list of allAuthorsAlex Slavenko, Allen Allison, Christopher C. Austin, Aaron Bauer, Rafe M. Brown, Robert N. Fisher, Ivan Ineich, Bulisa Iova, Benjamin R. Karin, Frederick Kraus, Sven Mecke, Shai Meiri, Clare Morrison, Paul M. Oliver, Mark O'Shea, Jonathan Q. Richmond, Glenn M. Shea, Oliver J. S. Tallowin, David G. ChappleGenetic structure and historic demography of endangered unarmoured threespine stickleback at southern latitudes signals a potential new management approach
Habitat loss, flood control infrastructure, and drought have left most of southern California and northern Baja California's native freshwater fish near extinction, including the endangered unarmoured threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni). This subspecies, an unusual morph lacking the typical lateral bony plates of the G. aculeatus complex, occurs at arid southern latitudes iAuthorsRachel Turba, Jonathan Q. Richmond, Sorel Fitz-Gibbon, Marco Morselli, Robert N. Fisher, Camm C. Swift, Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos, Adam R. Backlin, Chris Dellith, David K. JacobsNatural and anthropogenic landscape factors shape functional connectivity of an ecological specialist in urban Southern California
Identifying how natural (i.e., unaltered by human activity) and anthropogenic landscape variables influence contemporary functional connectivity in terrestrial organisms can elucidate the genetic consequences of environmental change. We examine population genetic structure and functional connectivity among populations of a declining species, the Blainville's horned lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii),AuthorsSarah M Wenner, Melanie A. Murphy, Kathleen Semple Delaney, Gregory B. Pauly, Jonathan Q. Richmond, Robert N. Fisher, Jeanne M. RobertsonReference genome of the California glossy snake, Arizona elegans occidentalis: A declining California Species of Special Concern
The glossy snake (Arizona elegans) is a polytypic species broadly distributed across southwestern North America. The species occupies habitats ranging from California’s coastal chaparral to the shortgrass prairies of Texas and southeastern Nebraska, to the extensive arid scrublands of central México. Three subspecies are currently recognized in California, one of which is afforded state-level protAuthorsDustin A. Wood, Jonathan Q. Richmond, Merly Escalona, Mohan P. A. Marimuthu, Oanh Nguyen, Samuel Sacco, Eric Beraut, Michael F. Westphal, Robert N. Fisher, A. G. Vandergast, Erin Toffelmier, Ian J Wang, H. Bradley ShafferTaking the leap: A binational translocation effort to close the 420-km gap in the Baja California lineage of the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii)
Conservation translocations, the human-mediated movement and release of a living organism for a conservation benefit, are increasingly recommended in species’ recovery plans as a technique for mitigating population declines or augmenting genetic diversity. However, translocation protocols for species with broad distributions may require regionally specific considerations to increase success, as enAuthorsSusan North, Jonathan Q. Richmond, Frank E. Santana, Anny Peralta-García, Elizabeth Gallegos, Adam R. Backlin, Cynthia Joan Hitchcock, Bradford Hollingsworth, Jorge H. Valdez-Villavicencio, Zachary Principe, Robert N. Fisher, Clark S. WinchellImpacts 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 entire ecosyst
AuthorsJonathan 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. FisherRange eclipse leads to tenuous survival of a rare lizard species on a barrier atoll
Rediscovery of living populations of a species that was presumed to be extirpated can generate new narratives for conservation in areas suffering from losses in biodiversity. We used field observations and DNA sequence data to verify the rediscovery of the Critically Endangered scincid lizard Emoia slevini on Dåno′, an islet off the coast of Guam in the southern Mariana Islands, where for > 20 yeaAuthorsJonathan Q. Richmond, Elijah Wostl, Robert Reed, Robert N. FisherPredictability of invasive Argentine ant distribution across Mediterranean ecoregions of southern California
The invasiveness of nonnative taxa can vary across a landscape due to environmental gradients, suggesting that location-dependent management strategies may be more effective at reducing spread compared to a “one size fits all” approach across the entire introduced range. Using bait stations placed along linear transects within habitat preserves, we tested for effects of ecoregion, vegetation, soilAuthorsJonathan Q. Richmond, Tritia Matsuda, Cheryl S. Brehme, Emily E. Perkins, Robert N. FisherNew faunal records from a World Heritage Site in danger: Rennell Island, Solomon Islands
Remote oceanic islands have high potential to harbor unique fauna and flora, but opportunities to conduct in-depth biotic surveys are often limited. Furthermore, underrepresentation of existing biodiversity in the literature has the potential to detract from conservation planning and action. Between 18 and 29 October 2018, we surveyed the terrestrial vertebrates of East Rennell, a UNESCO World HerAuthorsTyrone H Laverty, Lucas H. DeCicco, Jonathan Q. Richmond, Ikuo G Tigulu, Michael J. Anderson, David Boseto, Robert G MoyleGenetic considerations for rewilding the San Joaquin Desert
Genetic data are a powerful and important tool for guiding rewilding efforts and for monitoring the recovery outcomes of those efforts. When used in conjunction with historic species’ distribution records and predictive habitat suitability modeling, genetic information adds a key piece to the puzzle that will increase the probability of successful ecosystem restoration.AuthorsJonathan Q. Richmond, Dustin A. Wood, Marjorie D Matocq