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Laura A Tennant (Former Employee)

Science and Products

Proceedings of the Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Reporting Meeting to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program

(Hartwell) This report is prepared primarily to account for work conducted and products delivered in FY 2022 by GCMRC and to inform the Technical Work Group of science conducted by GCMRC and its cooperators in support of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP). It includes a summary of accomplishments, modifications to work plans, results, and recommendations related to projects i
Authors
David Topping, Paul Grams, Emily C. Palmquist, Joel B. Sankey, Helen C. Fairley, Bridget Deemer, Charles Yackulic, Theodore Kennedy, Anya Metcalfe, Maria C. Dzul, David Ward, Mariah Aurelia Giardina, Lucas Bair, Thomas Gushue, Caitlin M. Andrews, Ronald E. Griffiths, David Dean, Keith Kohl, Michael J Moran, Nicholas Voichick, Thomas A. Sabol, Laura A. Tennant, Kimberly Dibble, Michael C. Runge
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Comparison of electrofishing and PIT antennas for detection of hatchery-reared Roundtail Chub (Gila robusta) stocked into a desert stream

Stocking of rare native fishes for conservation purposes is a common practice in the southwestern United States. Monitoring typically occurs after hatchery-reared fish are released to assess post-stocking movement and survival. We conducted a two-year study, in which tow-barge electrofishing and portable, flat-bed passive integrated transponder (PIT) antennas were used to monitor PIT-tagged, hatch
Authors
Laura A. Tennant, David Ward, Alice C. Gibb
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Birds not in flight: Using camera traps to observe ground use of birds at a wind-energy facility

Context: Camera trapping is increasingly used to collect information on wildlife occurrence and behaviour remotely. Not only does the technique provide insights into habitat use by species of interest, it also gathers information on non-target species.Aims: We implemented ground-based camera trapping to investigate the behaviours of ground-dwelling birds, a technique that has largely been unutilis
Authors
Shellie R. Puffer, Laura A. Tennant, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Mickey Agha, Amanda L. Smith, David Delaney, Terence R. Arundel, Leo J. Fleckenstein, Jessica Briggs, Andrew Walde, Joshua Ennen
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

An evaluation of sedatives for use in transport of juvenile endangered fishes in plastic bags

Trucks and aircraft typically transport rare or endangered fishes in large unsealed tanks containing large volumes of water (typically hundreds of liters) during conservation efforts. Ornamental fishes, however, are commonly sent by mail in small sealed plastic bags filled with oxygen, minimal water, and a small amount of sedative to reduce weight and overall shipping costs. Our goal was to evalua
Authors
Laura A. Tennant, Ben M. Vaage, David L. Ward
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Reproductive output and clutch phenology of female Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in the Sonoran Desert region of Joshua Tree National Park

Agassiz's desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) reaches the southern edge of its range in the Sonoran Desert of California. The reproductive ecology of this wideranging species is understudied here compared to populations in the adjacent Mojave Desert. Understanding potential geographic variation in reproductive ecology is important for effective management of conservation-reliant species like G. a
Authors
Jeffrey E. Lovich, Shellie R. Puffer, Mickey Agha, Joshua R. Ennen, Kathie Meyer-Wilkins, Laura A. Tennant, Amanda L Smith, Terence R. Arundel, Kathleen D. Brundige, Michael S. Vamstad
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Southwest Biological Science Center

Mammalian mesocarnivore visitation at tortoise burrows in a wind farm

There is little information on predator–prey interactions in wind energy landscapes in North America, especially among terrestrial vertebrates. Here, we evaluated how proximity to roads and wind turbines affect mesocarnivore visitation with desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and their burrows in a wind energy landscape. In 2013, we placed motion-sensor cameras facing the entrances of 46 active
Authors
Mickey Agha, Amanda L. Smith, Jeffrey E. Lovich, David F. Delaney, Joshua R. Ennen, Jessica R. Briggs, Leo J. Fleckenstein, Laura A. Tennant, Shellie R. Puffer, Andrew D. Walde, Terence R. Arundel, Steven J. Price, Brian D. Todd
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center

The evolution of different maternal investment strategies in two closely related desert vertebrates

We compared egg size phenotypes and tested several predictions from the optimal egg size (OES) and bet-hedging theories in two North American desert-dwelling sister tortoise taxa, Gopherus agassizii and G. morafkai, that inhabit different climate spaces: relatively unpredictable and more predictable climate spaces, respectively. Observed patterns in both species differed from the predictions of OE
Authors
Joshua R. Ennen, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Roy C. Averill-Murray, Charles B. Yackulic, Mickey Agha, Caleb Loughran, Laura A. Tennant, Barry Sinervo
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center

A potential predator-prey interaction of an American badger and an Agassiz's desert tortoise with a review of badger predation on turtles

The federally threatened Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) was listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1990, but thus far, recovery efforts have been unsuccessful (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] 2015). Predation has been identified as a contributing factor to declining G. agassizii populations range-wide (e.g., Esque et al. 2010, Lovich et al. 2014). Understanding and
Authors
Amanda L. Smith, Shellie R. Puffer, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Laura A. Tennant, Terence R. Arundel, Michael S. Vamstad, Kathleen D. Brundige
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Gopherus Agassizii (Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise). Mechanical Injury

On 3 June 2015 at 1024 h, a team of U.S. Geological Survey scientists located an immature Gopherus agassizii (Agassiz’s desert tortoise) at Joshua Tree National Park, near the southern Cottonwood Canyon entrance. The habitat in the area is typical of the Sonoran Desert in that part of California with various trees and shrubs including Larrea tridentate (creosote bush), Parkinsonia florida (blue pa
Authors
Amanda Smith, Laura A. Tennant, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Terence R. Arundel
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

The effect of research activities and winter precipitation on voiding behaviour of Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii)

Context: There is little information available on how research activities might cause stress responses in wildlife, especially responses of threatened species such as the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). Aims: The present study aims to detect behavioural effects of researcher handling and winter precipitation on a natural population of desert tortoises in the desert of Southwestern United Sta
Authors
Mickey Agha, Mason O. Murphy, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Joshua R. Ennen, Christian R. Oldham, Kathie Meyer-Wilkins, Curtis Bjurlin, Meaghan Austin, Sheila V. Madrak, Caleb L. Loughran, Laura A. Tennant, Steven J. Price
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Southwest Biological Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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A huge canyon surrounded by deep-set cliffs opens to reveal a sunny gorge and part of the Colorado River.

Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Projects

The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently functions under a Triennial Work Plan (TWP) which is thoroughly reviewed and vetted both internally within the Center and through the GCDAMP Technical Work Group (TWG) and the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG). These advisory panels have been a part of the Glen Canyon Dam adaptive management process since the inception of the GCDAMP...
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Southwest Biological Science Center
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Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Projects

The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently functions under a Triennial Work Plan (TWP) which is thoroughly reviewed and vetted both internally within the Center and through the GCDAMP Technical Work Group (TWG) and the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG). These advisory panels have been a part of the Glen Canyon Dam adaptive management process since the inception of the GCDAMP...
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Hatchery-reared Roundtail Chub Data, Arizona USA

These data were compiled as part of a larger study to evaluate post-stocking survival of hatchery-reared Roundtail Chub. We conducted a two year study (Dec. 2015 – Mar. 2017) in the upper Verde River at the Burnt Ranch stocking location near Paulden, Arizona. Young of year Roundtail Chub were acquired from the Arizona Research and Conservation Center in Cornville, Arizona. Passive integrated trans
By
Southwest Biological Science Center
Image: Greenhouses and Shadehouses
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Birds Use Tortoise Burrows, Too

Remote camera monitoring allows us to see wildlife behavior without disturbance. Instead of from a 'bird's eye view,' this study approaches...

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Science and Products