Science Spotlight

The latest two issues of California Fish and Game, CDFW’s long-running scientific journal, are now available online.

Issue 104(3) features a rather dignified-looking desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister) on the cover. It is one of 15 species captured and documented by Cummings et. al in Biodiversity of amphibians and reptiles at the Camp Cady Wildlife Area, Mojave Desert, California and comparison with other desert locations. The paper’s eight authors spent months in the Mojave desert location, trapping and identifying its inhabitants. The finding were combined with a review of scientific literature to document the biological diversity of the area in comparison to other desert habitats.

Also in Issue 104(3):

• Annual and seasonal variation, relative abundance, and effects of managed flows on timing of migration in Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) in the upper Trinity River, by Sullivan and Hilemen, challenges a previous study suggesting that brown trout populations are increasing in the upper Trinity River and are having a negative impact on native juvenile anadromous salmonids. The authors assert that previous trapping data suggest a behavioral response to managed flow regimes rather than an increasing population. Further, they provide management recommendations to determine whether the removal of brown trout—an important economic sport fishery resource—is necessary and has the potential to be successful.
• Geographic range and biology of Spinyeye Rockfish (Sebastes spinorbis Chen, 1975), an endemic species to the Gulf of California, Mexico, by Acevedo-Cervantes et. al. The authors add to the existing knowledge of a marine species that is currently not a fishing target and about which little is known.

Issue 104(4)’s cover photo illustrates the article Ground-nesting great horned owl in Suisun Marsh, California. Skalos et. al provide vivid descriptions and photographs of great horned owl nest sites, ranging from non-native eucalyptus trees to man-made structures (such as the dock piling shown in the cover photo) and even ground nests. Though great horned owl nest sites are known to be diverse, little documentation exists to support some of these observations. In fact, Skalos et. al’s ground nest observation is the first documented case in California.

Also in Issue 104(4):

• Prey of neonate leopards Sharks in San Francisco Bay, California by R. Russo. The leopard shark has been the focus of several studies documenting the diet of juvenile through adult stage animals. The author examined the stomach contents of neonate leopard sharks and found that small, easily accessible prey items such as bay shrimps and polychaete worms are important for rapid growth of leopard sharks during the first year of life.
• Within-Talus temperatures are not limiting for pikas in the Northern Sierra Nevada, by Wright and Stewart. Pikas are small herbivores related to rabbits that live in fields of broken rock (talus) in the mountains of western North America. Researchers examined potentially suitable talus habitats at various elevations in the northern Sierra Nevada. Their findings suggest that the cooler temperatures provided by talus is not sufficient to sustain pikas. The aboveground air and surface temperatures, rather than temperatures within talus, pose a greater challenge to pika survival.

California Fish and Game provides important contributions to the existing body of scientific knowledge. First published in 1914, California Fish and Game is the longest continuously published scientific journal. For more information and other back issues, please visit CDFW’s website.

CDFW Photos.

Media Contact:
Lorna Bernard, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-8911

California Fish and Game, Volume 104, Issue 2, is now available online! California Fish and Game is CDFW's official, quarterly, scientific journal devoted to the conservation and understanding of the flora and fauna of California and surrounding areas, and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

A mallard in flight appears on the cover of the newest installment of the journal. With its iridescent green head and school bus yellow legs, the male mallard is one of the most recognizable species of duck in California. It is also the most abundant breeding species of waterfowl in the state. However, California’s mallard population estimates have generally declined since the mid-1990s. In California mallards: a review, Feldheim et. al synthesizes volumes of research in an effort to identify long-term research needs and monitoring activities to help improve management of this iconic species.

In another paper, entitled Abundance, habitat and occupancy of Roosevelt Elk in the Bald Hills of Redwood National Park, Tolliver and Weckerly seek to understand the relationship between a species’ occupancy-abundance rate and its habitat use. Using elk sign surveys (i.e, counting tracks and feces at standardized locations) researchers found that, as population density increases, Roosevelt elk will move into other (lower quality) habitats. This was true for two herds of vastly different sizes, although the occupancy rate remained comparable.

Finally, Hiney et. al looks at recruiting experienced anglers and using citizen science to help document and survey the native Coastal Rainbow Trout population of Grass Valley Creek Reservoir. The authors look at methods of overcoming the time and resource limitations of assessing wild trout populations.

Also included in this issue are reviews of two books that make meaningful contributions to the field of wildlife research.

As it has for the past 104 years, California Fish and Game continues to publish high-quality, peer-reviewed science that contributes to the understanding and conservation of California’s wildlife. We look forward to witnessing the contributions of the next installment.

The latest issue of the scientific journal California Fish and Game is now available online (for free!). Volume 104, Number 1 features a gorgeous photo of a black-tailed jackrabbit in sunlit profile taken by renowned photographer David Jesse McChesney. The back cover image, also by McChesney, features two cottontails at play. We are fortunate to be allowed the use of these amazing images to promote the content of the latest issue. Individual papers in this issue include:

• Reproductive aspects of Sphyraena ensis (Perciformes: Sphyraenidae) inhabiting the coast of San Blas Nayarit, southeast Gulf of California (PDF). The Mexican barracuda is the subject of a study that gathers baseline data for this important fishery resource. Although the species constitutes one of the main economic pursuits along the coast of Nayari, Mexico, little is known about its reproductive biology. A one-year study of specimens caught via commercial fishing revealed that females outnumber males (1:1.87 male:female). They also grow larger—a reproductive strategy that allows them to produce more eggs. By comparing the size of the liver and reproductive organs of the specimens, relative to their overall size, researchers were able to determine that both sexes are at their reproductive peak from April to June. The study results suggest that a fishery closure during this peak reproductive time can provide long-term population benefits for the species.
• Comparison of rabbit abundance survey techniques in arid habitats (PDF). An important component of any species management plan is population data, which is why it is important to know which survey methods are most effective and cost-efficient. Cypher et. al assesses four methods for counting rabbits and hares in arid climates: 1) visual encounter surveys (walking slowly and counting every animal observed); 2) spotlight surveys (driving slowly at night while shining spotlights out each side of the vehicle); 3) aerial surveys (using a low-flying helicopter to flush and count animals along transect routes); and 4) track stations (putting bait in clearings that have been raked smooth, then counting tracks). The results provide interesting observations to consider based upon the individual researcher’s budget, the habitat being studied, and staff time and availability.
• Field method for estimating the weight of tule elk from chest circumference (PDF). Studying larger animals provides an entirely different set of challenges. CDFW biologists frequently capture tule elk for the purpose of relocating them, gathering data and/or providing veterinary care. Administering a proper dose of sedatives and reversal agents is critical for the safety of the animal as well as its human handlers. Since the dosage is based upon weight, the challenge is figuring out how to accurately estimate the weight of an animal that is the size of a full-grown cow. Langner and Casady address this issue by determining a field method for estimating the weight of tule elk. The researchers captured and weighed more than 50 elk over a four-year period, measuring the chest circumference of each animal. The data were analyzed and resulted in a conversion chart that aids researchers in more accurately estimating weights of tule elk in the field.

The latest issue also contains a review of Butch Weckerly’s book, Population ecology of Roosevelt elk: conservation and management in Redwood National and State Parks and a reprint of a scientific paper originally published in 1947 entitled, “Ecology of a cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus audubonii) population in Central California."

California Fish and Game is CDFW’s official scientific journal devoted to the conservation and understanding of the state’s plants and animals. This issue (either in hi-res or low-res) can be found in its entirety online.

CDFW Photos.

The latest issue of California Fish and Game, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s scientific journal, is now available online! Issue 103(4) features articles that add to the knowledge base for three marine species, all of which face potential threats from overharvesting, incidental take and loss of habitat: Thorny stingray, Chinook salmon and green abalone. 

The Thorny stingray (Urotrygon rogersi) (PDF) is common in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California south to Ecuador, and is frequently a by-catch of commercial shrimp trawlers. Little is known about its life history and movements. It was thought to occupy relatively shallow depths ranging from two to 15 meters, with a maximum recorded depth of 30 meters. In their published research, Acevedo-Cervantes et al. report the discovery of specimens at a depth of 235 meters—an indicator that the Thorny stingray has the capacity to survive beneath the disturbance of commercial shrimping activity. According to the authors, this new information is “of vital relevance” for the management of the species.

Adams et al. examined the effects of El Niño on adult Chinook salmon as they migrate through the Gulf of the Farallones (PDF). Researchers found that the dressed weight of commercial landed Chinook was lower during El Niño compared to non-El Niño years, a reduction attributed to a disruption in the normal feeding cycle in the Gulf of the Farallones. The analysis suggests that management agencies need to give more consideration to ocean conditions as risk factors in planning the recovery of endangered and at-risk Chinook salmon spawning runs.

Green abalone (Haliotis fulgens; Philippi) (PDF) were once part of a large recreational and commercial fishery, but are now estimated to be at less than 1% of their baseline density. Past attempts at restocking wild populations using juvenile farm-raised green abalone have resulted in high mortality rates. In “Outplanting large adult green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) as a strategy for population restoration,” author Caruso explores the efficacy of using adult specimens—at least 10 years old—to augment wild populations. The resulting 40 percent survival rate is much higher than the survival rates of previous projects that used juveniles. Although it is costly to raise green abalone to adult size, it may be the best method, given the decades of past unsuccessful restocking attempts.

These articles provide information useful to fisheries managers and should be helpful for future recovery efforts.

Cover photo © Peter Hemming

The latest issue of California Fish and Game, 103-3, makes a significant contribution to the body of research related to longfin smelt in California. A paper titled, “Historic and contemporary distribution of Longfin Smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) along the California coast (PDF)” analyzes and presents observation data for this species from a variety of published and unpublished sources dating from 1889 to 2016. This anadromous fish, which is listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act, has been documented in a diverse range of habitats, including coastal lagoons, bays, estuaries, sloughs, tidal freshwater streams and nearshore habitats. In addition to providing a comprehensive look at the existing information available for longfin smelt along the California coast, this paper identifies additional information needed to improve management and enhance recovery of the species within the state.

In “Distribution and derivation of dabbling duck harvests in the Pacific Flyway (PDF),” the authors look at abundance, banding and harvest data from throughout the Pacific Flyway and other important source areas in the Central Flyway to estimate the distribution and derivation of Pacific Flyway dabbling duck harvests during 1966−2013. The Pacific Flyway has long been considered an important wintering area for dabbling ducks. Better knowledge of the origins of these birds could assist in both harvest and habitat management.

The authors of “Distribution of Amargosa River pupfish (Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae) in Death Valley National Park, CA (PDF)” endured harsh environmental conditions to document the occurrence of Amargosa River pupfish along the lower Amargosa River drainage where the species has not been previously documented. The downstream-most location of Amargosa pupfish captured in this study extends the previously recorded geographic range approximately 49 river km. The findings not only determine the distribution of Amargosa River pupfish within Death Valley National Park, but will help identify suitable locations at which to establish long-term monitoring sites.

California Fish and Game has published high-quality, peer-reviewed science for the past 103 years, making important contributions to the understanding and conservation of California’s wildlife.

Cover photo courtesy of Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences.