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The spring 2017 mainland sea otter count began on April 30, and although the shore-based counts were completed by May 12, 2017, the aerial counts were not completed until July 12, 2017. Overall viewing conditions this year were good, although not as good as conditions experienced during the 2016 spring census (View Score 2.4 versus 3.1, where 0=poor, 1=fair, 2=good, 3=very good, and 4=excellent). The surface canopies of kelp (Macrocystis sp.) were considered by most participants to be considerably below normal for this time of year in most areas of the mainland range. Sea otters along the mainland coast were surveyed from Pillar Point in San Mateo County in the north to Rincon Point in the south at the Santa Barbara/Ventura...
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The U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center (USGS-WERC) was requested by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to create a database for marine birds of the California Current System (CCS) that would allow quantification and species ranking regarding vulnerability to offshore wind energy infrastructure (OWEI). This was needed so that resource managers could evaluate potential impacts associated with siting and construction of OWEI within the California Current System section of the Pacific Offshore Continental Shelf, including California, Oregon, and Washington. Along with its accompanying Open File Report (OFR), this comprehensive database can be used (and modified or updated) to quantify...
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To improve our understanding of health and immune function in tortoises, we evaluated both standard blood diagnostic (body condition, hematologic, plasma biochemistry values, trace elements, plasma proteins, vitamin A levels) and gene transcription profiles in 21 adult tortoises (11 clinically abnormal; 10 clinically normal) from Clark County, NV, USA. Necropsy and histology evaluations from clinically abnormal tortoises revealed multiple physiological complications, with moderate to severe rhinitis or pneumonia being the primary cause of morbidity in all but one of the examined animals. Improved methods for health assessments are an important element of monitoring tortoise population recovery and can support the...
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This dataset represents an archived record of annual California sea otter surveys from 1985-2014. Survey procedures involve counting animals during the "spring survey" -- generally beginning in late April or early May and usually ending in late May early June but may extend into early July, depending on weather conditions. Annual surveys are organized by survey year and within each year, three shapefiles are included: census summary of southern sea otter, extra limit counts of southern sea otter, and range extent of southern sea otter. The surveys, conducted cooperatively by scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Monterey Bay Aquarium...
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This dataset provides spatial predictions of habitat suitability for Gopherus agassizii (Agassiz’s desert tortoise), Gopherus morafkai (Morafka’s desert tortoise) and a pooled-species model under current conditions (1950 – 2000 yr). The raster layers contained here accompany the manuscript Inman et al. 2019 and were used to evaluate subtle ecological niche differences between G. agassizii and G. morafkai, and identify local species-environment relationships. Spatial predictions of habitat suitability were created using MaxEnt version 3.4.0 (Phillips et al., 2006), a widely-used software for SDM in presence-background frameworks. Detailed methods are provided in Inman et al. 2019. Inman et al. 2019. Local niche...
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This raster represents a continuous surface of sage-grouse habitat suitability index (HSI) values for northeastern California. HSIs were calculated for spring (mid-March to June), summer (July to mid-October), and winter (November to March) sage-grouse seasons, and then multiplied together to create this composite dataset.
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These data include a row for each duck nest equipped with a small video camera. We present the location of the nest, the timing of the start of hatch, the timing of the end of hatch, and the timing of the departure of the hen and ducklings from the nest. Additionally, this table includes any predators that were observed at the nest depredating eggs prior to hatch and any predators that were observed at the nest between hatch and departure from the nest. These data support the following publication: "Sitting ducklings: Timing of hatch, nest departure, and predation risk for dabbling duck broods" by Sarah H. Peterson, Joshua T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog, C. Alex Hartman, Rebecca Croston, Cliff L. Feldheim, and Michael...
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The sea-cliff bedstraw (Galium buxifolium) data set contains two types of information, formatted as CSVs: 1) Spatial coordinates (WGS 84) of known population occurrences on Santa Cruz and San Miguel Islands, California, as of 2006 (sensitive locality information); 2) Demographic data measured at four populations growing on Santa Cruz Island. Three of the populations were measured in 2005 and 2006, the fourth was measured in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2014. These data support the following publication: McEachern, K., Chess, K.A., Flagg, K., and Niessen, K.G., 2019, Sea-cliff bedstraw (Galium buxifolium) patterns and trends, 2005–14, on Santa Cruz and San Miguel Islands, Channel Islands National Park, California:...
We conducted a radio telemetry study of adult western spadefoots (Spea hammondii) at 2 sites in southern California to characterize their survival, behavior, and movements from breeding through aestivation to inform conservation and management for the species. These data support the following publication: Halstead, B.J., Baumberger, K.L., Backlin, A.R., Kleeman, P.M., Wong, M.N., Gallegos, E.A., Rose, J.P., and Fisher, R.N., 2021. Conservation implications of spatiotemporal variation in the terrestrial ecology of an ephemeral pool-breeding amphibian. The Journal of Wildlife Management.
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These data include egg mass counts and adult capture-mark-recapture histories for Foothill Yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii) at two streams in northern California. Data were collected from the South Fork Eel River and its tributary, Fox Creek, from 1993-2019. Data from Hurdygurdy Creek were collected from 2002-2008.
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This USGS data release represents geospatial data for the sage-grouse habitat mapping project. This study provides timely and highly useful information about greater sage-grouse over a large area of the Great Basin. USGS researchers and their colleagues created a template for combining landscape-scale occurrence or abundance data with habitat selection data in order to identify areas most critical to sustaining populations of species of conservation concern. The template also identifies those areas where land use changes have minimal impact. To inform greater sage-grouse conservation planning, the researchers developed greater sage-grouse habitat management categories based on habitat selection indices (HSI) and...
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Accurate input data are important for making site-specific projections of tidal wetlands into the future. We developed bias-corrected digital elevation models (DEM) using the LEAN approach (LiDAR Elevation Adjustment with NDVI). LEAN DEMs were used as the initial elevation for model projections. Further, we conducted elevation and vegetation surveys across each study site to characterize elevation profiles of dominant species, which were used to inform organic productivity functions in WARMER-2.
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Twenty quadrats within the burn perimeter of a September 2021 wildfire outside of Boise, Idaho were surveyed for the abundance of fire effects, biocrusts and vascular plants immediately post-fire. The fire was too small to be named. Char was measured as a proxy for fire intensity. Biocrusts were surveyed by morphogroup (crustose lichens, cup lichens, fruticose lichens, gelatinous lichens, short moss, tall moss) and vascular plants were surveyed by functional group (annual forbs, perennial grasses). Char was measured ocularly and biocrust/plant abundance was measured via point-vertex intercept at 40 points per quadrat. These data support the following publication: Condon, L.A., Shinneman, D.J., Rosentreter, R. and...
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This dataset records mortality-- including involvement of bark beetles-- and burn severity information for trees in long term forest dynamics plots in Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park that experienced fire. These data support the following publication: Furniss, T.J., Das, A.J., van Mantgem, P.J., Stephenson, N.L. and Lutz, J.A., 2021. Crowding, climate, and the case for social distancing among trees. Ecological Applications, p.e2507, https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2507
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Data presented are results of surveys in 2021 for San Diego Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) in southern San Diego County. Surveys were conducted at 378 plots. Plots were surveyed twice in 2021 and the number, age (adult or juvenile), banding status (color banded or not), and breeding status (paired, unpaired, or unknown) of all wrens recorded. Habitat covariate data were collected including amount of dead and stressed cactus in the plot, percent cover of bare ground, and the dominant and percent cover of invasive species.
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This dataset describes mesopredator locations (raccoons and striped skunks), dabbling duck nest locations (mallard, gadwall, and cinnamon teal), northern harrier nest locations, and random locations in relation to a set of habitat features in Suisun Marsh, California during 2016 through 2019. We designed a series of questions to link fine-scale predator movements and vulnerability of dabbling duck nests to predator encounters and egg predation. We conducted our study over a 4-year period using 41 GPS-collared raccoons and striped skunks, two of the most widespread mammalian predators of waterfowl eggs in North America, and more than 2000 monitored duck nests. Each night of movement for mesopredators contains the...
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These data represent trapping effort and captures of deer mice at Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California. Deer mice were captured and marked with ear tags to allow identification of individuals. The location of captures can be used in a spatially explicit capture recapture model to estimate density of mice and how mouse density varies by site and habitat type.
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We used free-ranging northern elephant seals as a model species to investigate maternal transfer of mercury (Hg) to pups in relation to maternal traits, including maternal blood mercury concentrations, and to quantify the links between pup lanugo mercury concentrations and maternal mesopelagic foraging behavior during gestation. We satellite tracked known-age adult females at sea during their seven-month-long foraging trip to determine maternal foraging strategies (geographic locations and diving depths) and quantified mercury concentrations in maternal blood and their pups’ blood and lanugo (which is defined as pup hair grown in utero) early in lactation when seals were hauled out. We then tested how the maternal...
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These tables serve as input data for hierarchical models investigating interactions between raven density and Greater Sage-grouse nest success. Observations were recorded over an 11 year time period, spanning from 2009 through 2019. The model is run in JAGS via R, the code is publicly available via the U.S. Geological Survey's GitLab (O'Neil et al. 2023). We recommend not making any changes or edits to the tables unless the user is experienced with hierarchical modeling. References: O'Neil, S.T., Coates, P.S., Webster, S.C., Brussee, B.E., Dettenmaier, S.J., Tull, J.C., Jackson, P.J., Casazza, M.L., and Espinosa, S.P., 2023, Code for a hierarchical model of raven densities linked with sage-grouse nest survival...
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These data represent an annotated training data for machine learned life history classification of the daily activity of dabbling ducks (f. Anatidae sf. Anatinae) using hourly GPS data. Each row of data represents a single GPS location for one of 5 species of dabbling duck. Note: the machine learned model was developed to be general across sf. Anatinae and does not include specific reference to the species included. That information is obtainable from the point of contact upon request. Each data record contains unique identifiers for individual bird, individual date of locations for an individual bird, and for individual location. Each record contains spatial, temporal and associated habitat information. Each record...
map background search result map search result map Integrating Spatially Explicit Indices of Abundance and Habitat Quality: An Applied Example for Greater Sage-grouse Management Data for calculating population, collision and displacement vulnerability among marine birds of the California Current System associated with offshore wind energy infrastructure (ver. 2.0, June 2017) Blood variable data for clinically normal and clinically abnormal Mojave Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in 2013 Annual California Sea Otter Census - 2017 Spring Census Summary Annual California Sea Otter Census - 1985-2014 Spring Census Summary Demographic data and location information for the endangered Gailum buxifolium from 2005 to 2014 on Santa Cruz and San Miguel Islands, California Composite Habitat Suitability Index Raster Dataset The timing of dabbling duckling hatch, nest departure and depredation in Suisun Marsh, California from 2015-2017 Spatial Predictions of Mojave Desert Tortoise, Sonoran Desert Tortoise and Pooled Species Habitat Suitability for present-day (1950 – 2000 yr) Data to fit an Integrated Population Model for the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog, Rana boylii, in Northern California Western Spadefoot Habitat Selection Based on Radio Telemetry in Orange County, California 2019 Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks Mortality and Fire Data (1990-2019) for Competition-Fire-Drought Interaction Analysis WARMER-2 Model Inputs for Three Tidal Wetland Sites Across San Francisco Bay Estuary Predator Movements and Duck Nests in Relation to Habitat Features in Suisun Marsh, CA (2016-2019) Fire Response Effects, Biocrust, and Vascular Plant Abundance Following Wildfire near Boise, Idaho (October 2021) Hourly GPS Locations, Associated Habitat Condition, and Annotated Life History State for Training Machine Learned Models of Waterfowl Daily Activity Surveys and Monitoring of Coastal Cactus Wren in Southern San Diego County, 2021 Raven Observations near Greater Sage-Grouse Nests in the Great Basin and Bi-State Regions of the Western United States (2009 - 2019) Captures and Trapping Effort for Deer Mice (Peromyscus sonoriensis) at Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA from 2021 to 2022 Maternal Transfer of Mercury to Northern Elephant Seal Pups The timing of dabbling duckling hatch, nest departure and depredation in Suisun Marsh, California from 2015-2017 Surveys and Monitoring of Coastal Cactus Wren in Southern San Diego County, 2021 Captures and Trapping Effort for Deer Mice (Peromyscus sonoriensis) at Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA from 2021 to 2022 Predator Movements and Duck Nests in Relation to Habitat Features in Suisun Marsh, CA (2016-2019) Western Spadefoot Habitat Selection Based on Radio Telemetry in Orange County, California 2019 Fire Response Effects, Biocrust, and Vascular Plant Abundance Following Wildfire near Boise, Idaho (October 2021) Composite Habitat Suitability Index Raster Dataset Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks Mortality and Fire Data (1990-2019) for Competition-Fire-Drought Interaction Analysis Blood variable data for clinically normal and clinically abnormal Mojave Desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in 2013 Annual California Sea Otter Census - 2017 Spring Census Summary Data to fit an Integrated Population Model for the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog, Rana boylii, in Northern California Annual California Sea Otter Census - 1985-2014 Spring Census Summary Integrating Spatially Explicit Indices of Abundance and Habitat Quality: An Applied Example for Greater Sage-grouse Management Raven Observations near Greater Sage-Grouse Nests in the Great Basin and Bi-State Regions of the Western United States (2009 - 2019) Spatial Predictions of Mojave Desert Tortoise, Sonoran Desert Tortoise and Pooled Species Habitat Suitability for present-day (1950 – 2000 yr) Data for calculating population, collision and displacement vulnerability among marine birds of the California Current System associated with offshore wind energy infrastructure (ver. 2.0, June 2017) Hourly GPS Locations, Associated Habitat Condition, and Annotated Life History State for Training Machine Learned Models of Waterfowl Daily Activity Maternal Transfer of Mercury to Northern Elephant Seal Pups