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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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This raster dataset depicts percent canopy cover derived from 1-m conifer classifications when aggregated to 30-m cells. Conifer features were classified from 2010, 2012, and 2013 NAIP Digital Ortho Quarter Quads (DOQQ) using the Feature Analyst 5.0 extension for ArcGIS 10.1. Tiles were organized and grouped by Nevada Department of Wildlife Population Management Unit (PMU) locations, plus a 10 km area beyond the PMU extent. Analysts visually identified conifers in the imagery using false color infrared settings and digitized multiple trees per tile as training locations for classification. After performing hierarchical learning and clutter removal with Feature Analyst to remove non-conifer features on output shapefiles,...
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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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Five principal components are used to represent the climate variation in an original set of 12 composite climate variables reflecting complex precipitation and temperature gradients. The dataset provides coverage for future climate (defined as the 2040-2070 normal period) under the RCP4.5 emission scenarios. Climate variables were chosen based on their known influence on local adaptation in plants, and include: mean annual temperature, summer maximum temperature, winter minimum temperature, annual temperature range, temperature seasonality (coefficient of variation in monthly average temperatures), mean annual precipitation, winter precipitation, summer precipitation, proportion of summer precipitation, precipitation...
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In 30 surveys, we mapped 21,486 birds comprising 88 species “interact with” the intertidal habitat. Each full “survey” represents a unique month-year-tide combination (but not necessarily a unique day). Specifically, for each of 15 months between January 2012 and March 2013 we conducted separate, but temporally adjacent high-tide and low-tide bird surveys (30 in total) throughout the intertidal habitats. Back to back surveys within the same month are not meant to be independent measures of bird abundance and should be averaged to get an idea of bird abundance in a particular month. Birds were counted if they were in the intertidal habitat. We also counted some species, like raptors, if they were perched in adjacent...
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Climate Distance Mapper is an interactive web mapping application designed to facilitate informed seed sourcing decisions and to aid in directing regional seed collections. Implemented as a shiny web application (Chang et al. 2017), Climate Distance Mapper is hosted on the web at: https://usgs-werc-shinytools.shinyapps.io/Climate_Distance_Mapper/. The application is designed to guide restoration seed sourcing in the desert southwest by allowing users to interactively match seed sources with restoration sites climatic differences – in the form of multivariate climate distance values – between restoration sites and the surrounding landscape. Climatic distances are based on a combination of variables likely to influence...
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Five principal components are used to represent the climate variation in an original set of 12 composite climate variables reflecting complex precipitation and temperature gradients. The dataset provides coverage for future climate (defined as the 2040-2070 normal period) under the RCP8.5 emission scenarios. Climate variables were chosen based on their known influence on local adaptation in plants, and include: mean annual temperature, summer maximum temperature, winter minimum temperature, annual temperature range, temperature seasonality (coefficient of variation in monthly average temperatures), mean annual precipitation, winter precipitation, summer precipitation, proportion of summer precipitation, precipitation...
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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During a multi-year demographic study of Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) at the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area (Natural Area), in the western Mojave Desert, USA, we recorded evidence of evidence of mesocarnivores that commonly prey on desert tortoises on a 7.77 square-kilometer study area. The study area included land inside and outside the fenced boundary of the Natural Area. We recorded locations, condition and recency of sign, and type of sign present at burrows, dens, and den complexes used by desert kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis), coyotes (Canis latrans), American badgers (Taxidea taxus), and bobcats (Lynx rufus). We also recorded scat piles by species using them, amount, and relative ages...
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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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The data represent hourly temperatures recorded at four permanent subtidal monitoring sites around San Nicolas Island, CA between November 2015 and October 2019. The temperatures were recorded by TidbiT (registered trademark) v2 model UTBI-001 (Onset Computer Corporation, Bourne, Massachusetts) archival temperature loggers attached at the sea floor. The loggers were deployed approximately 10-12 m deep at Nav Fac (12 m) on the north side of the island, at West End Urchin (11 m) on the southwest side, at east Dutch Harbor (11 m) on the south side, and at Daytona Beach (10 m) near the east end of the island.
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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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Data presented are results of surveys in 2021 for Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) in San Diego County, California. Surveys were conducted at the 2016-19 nest monitoring locations (Cleveland National Forest, Rey River Ranch, and Vista Irrigation District) and at Lake Henshaw along the Upper San Luis Rey River. Surveys were conducted along multiple sections of the river where permission to access properties could be obtained. Locations were surveyed using a standardized protocol three to four times between 15 May and 31 July. The number, age (adult or juvenile), sex, banding status (color banded or not, and if so, color combination), and breeding status (paired, undetermined, or transient)...
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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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We used a hierarchical Bayesian modeling framework to estimate resource selection functions and survival for early and late brood-rearing stages of sage-grouse in relation to a broad suite of habitat characteristics evaluated at multiple spatial scales within the Great Basin from 2009 to 2019. Sage-grouse selected for greater perennial grass cover, higher relative elevations, and areas closer to springs and wet meadows during both early and late brood-rearing. Terrain characteristics, including heat load and aspect, were important in survival models, as was variation in shrub height. We also found strong evidence for higher survival for both early and late broods within previously burned areas, but survival within...
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Ranked habitat classes for sage-grouse brood-rearing productivity at each 90 m pixel. Habitat classes represent areas where high brood selection and high brood survival intersected, whereas the lowest ranks represent areas where high brood habitat selection intersected with the low brood survival. Hierarchical models of brood selection and survival were fit to landscape covariates within a Bayesian modeling framework in Nevada and California from 2009 - 2017 to develop spatially explicit information about brood habitat selection and survival.


map background search result map search result map Bird locations by date and species Percent canopy cover of conifers within Nevada and northeastern California sage-grouse habitat (2017) Annual California Sea Otter Census - 2017 Spring Census Summary Annual California Sea Otter Census - 1985-2014 Spring Census Summary Principal components of climate variation in the Desert Southwest for the future time period 2040-2070 (RCP 4.5) Climate Distance Mapper R Script Principal components of climate variation in the Desert Southwest for the future time period 2040-2070 (RCP 8.5) Evidence of Mammalian Carnivores at the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area, Western Mojave Desert, USA, between 1989 and 2012. 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 Hourly Sea Floor Water Temperatures Recorded at Four Kelp Forest Monitoring Sites at San Nicolas Island, California (2015-2019) Fire Response Effects, Biocrust, and Vascular Plant Abundance Following Wildfire near Boise, Idaho (October 2021) Spatially-Explicit Predictive Maps of Greater Sage-Grouse Brood Selection Integrated with Brood Survival in Nevada and Northeastern California, USA Ranked Habitat Classes for Sage-Grouse Brood-Rearing Productivity, Nevada and California Surveys and Monitoring of Coastal Cactus Wren in Southern San Diego County, 2021 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) Surveys in San Diego County, California, 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 Bird locations by date and species Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) Surveys in San Diego County, California, 2021 Evidence of Mammalian Carnivores at the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area, Western Mojave Desert, USA, between 1989 and 2012. Hourly Sea Floor Water Temperatures Recorded at Four Kelp Forest Monitoring Sites at San Nicolas Island, California (2015-2019) 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 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) Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks Mortality and Fire Data (1990-2019) for Competition-Fire-Drought Interaction Analysis Annual California Sea Otter Census - 2017 Spring Census Summary Annual California Sea Otter Census - 1985-2014 Spring Census Summary Percent canopy cover of conifers within Nevada and northeastern California sage-grouse habitat (2017) Spatially-Explicit Predictive Maps of Greater Sage-Grouse Brood Selection Integrated with Brood Survival in Nevada and Northeastern California, USA Ranked Habitat Classes for Sage-Grouse Brood-Rearing Productivity, Nevada and California Raven Observations near Greater Sage-Grouse Nests in the Great Basin and Bi-State Regions of the Western United States (2009 - 2019) Climate Distance Mapper R Script Principal components of climate variation in the Desert Southwest for the future time period 2040-2070 (RCP 4.5) Principal components of climate variation in the Desert Southwest for the future time period 2040-2070 (RCP 8.5) Maternal Transfer of Mercury to Northern Elephant Seal Pups