Products

We identify issues and uncertainties that pose obstacles to conservation and then—in collaboration with internal and external colleagues—develop science products that help overcome those obstacles.

2014 | Terrestrial | Maps & Webmaps

California Rangeland Conversion webmap

Dick Cameron

This webmap shows regions of California converted from rangeland land use to development, intensive agriculture, or other miscellaneous land uses between 1984 and 2008. See related publication…

2014 | Terrestrial | Planning | Publications & Reports

Whither the Rangeland?: Protection and Conversion of California’s Rangeland Ecosystems

Cameron DR, Marty J, Holland RF

This study assesses the amount of rangeland conversion between 1984 and 2008 in California. The researchers analyzed data from the California Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program to see where…

2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports

Ecological change on California's Channel Islands from the Pleistocene to the Anthropocene

Rick, T.C, T.S. Sillett, C.K. Ghalambor, C.A. Hofman, K. Ralls, R.S. Anderson, C.L. Boser, T.J. Braje, D.R. Cayan, R.T. Chesser, P.W. Collins, J.M. Erlandson, K.R. Faulkner, R. Fleischer, W.C. Funk, R. Galipeau, A. Huston, J. King, L. Laughrin, J. Maldonado, K. McEachern, D.R. Muhs, S.D. Newsome, L. Reeder-Myers, C. Still, S.A. Morrison

Understanding the deep history of places and resources, and the interplay between natural and cultural histories, can be critical to science-based conservation management. This paper explores the case…

2014 | Terrestrial | Planning | Publications & Reports

Demography linked to climate change projections in an ecoregional case study

B. C. Mclaughlin, C. N. Morozumi, J. MacKenzie, A. Cole, S. Gennet

Anticipating how species will move as the climate changes is a fundamental concern in 21st century conservation. This study modeled potential responses of blue oak (Quercus douglasii), an…

2014 | Freshwater | Maps & Webmaps

Hope Runs Deep: Conservation Solutions for Salmon in Shasta Valley

Jeanette Howard, Megan Webb, Katie Andrews

Using maps, images, and video, this interactive StoryMap illustrates how The Nature Conservancy works with partners in Shasta Valley, California to find conservation solutions that work for…

2014 | Terrestrial | Technology | Publications & Reports

Remote Sensing and Residual Dry Matter Monitoring

H. Scott Butterfield, Miriam Tsalyuk, Carrie Schloss

The Nature Conservancy in California monitors residual dry matter (RDM) on approximately 300,000 acres of conservation lands. Researchers evaluated whether satellite remote sensing data could be used…

2014 | Terrestrial | Technology | Science | Publications & Reports

Species distribution models of an endangered rodent offer conflicting measures of habitat quality at multiple scales

Tim Bean, Laura Prugh, Bob Stafford, Scott Butterfield, Mike Westphal, Justin Brashares

In this study, the authors developed a suite of species distribution models (SDMs) for the endangered giant kangaroo rat using the machine-learning method Maxent. They compared these models with three…

2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports

Partitioning the sources of demographic variation reveals density‐dependent nest predation in an island bird populationv

H.R. Sofaer, T.S. Sillett, K.M. Langin, S.A. Morrison, C.K. Ghalambor

The density of birds in their breeding areas can affect reproductive success in myriad ways – and it is often difficult to distinguish which factors are more influential. For example, areas that…

2014 | Terrestrial | Planning | Science | Maps & Webmaps

Actions Likely to Increase Plant and Animal Resilience to Climate Change

Kirk Klausmeyer

This webmap provides regional climate projections with information about topography, coastal proximity and level of habitat fragmentation to help land managers identify concrete conservation…

2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports

A bird in our hand: weighing uncertainty about the past against uncertainty about the future in Channel Islands National Park

S.A. Morrison

When should managers intervene if threats from climate change are likely but there is uncertainty about when those threats would actually jeopardize a conservation value? This paper presents a case…

2014 | Freshwater | Publications & Reports

Restoring conservation nodes on the Santa Clara River

Parker, Sophie, Remson, E.J, Verdone, Lily

This paper reviews how the Conservancy has maximized its return on investment on the Santa Clara River in Ventura County, California by focusing riparian restoration efforts in a few…

2014 | | Technology | Publications & Reports

eBird enterprise: integrated approach to development and application of citizen science

Brian L. Sullivan, Jocelyn L. Aycrigg, Jessie H. Barry , Rick E. Bonney, Nicholas Bruns, Caren B. Cooper, Theo Damoulas, André A. Dhondt , Tom Dietterich, Andrew Farnsworth, Daniel Fink, John W. Fitzpatrick, Thomas Fredericks, Jeff Gerbracht, Carla Gomes, Wesley M. Hochachka, Marshall J. Iliff, Carl Lagoze, Frank A. La Sorte, Matthew Merrifield, Will Morris, Tina B. Phillips, Mark Reynolds, Amanda D. Rodewald, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Nancy M. Trautmann, Andrea Wiggins, David W. Winkler, Weng-Keen Wong, Christopher L. Wood, Jun Yu, Steve Kelling

This paper outlines how eBird has evolved from a basic citizen-science project into a collective enterprise, taking a novel approach to citizen science by developing cooperative partnerships…

2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports

Reintroduction of historically extirpated taxa on the California Channel Islands

S.A. Morrison, K.A. Parker, P.W. Collins, W.C. Funk, T.S. Sillett

Pest eradication as a means to restore island ecosystems may come too late for populations that have already been driven extinct. Over decades, the California islands have been the focus of numerous…

2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports

Argentine ant management in conservation areas: results of a pilot study

CL Boser, C Hanna, KR Faulkner, C Cory, JM Randall, SA Morrison

Argentine ants are a highly aggressive and impactful non-native species introduced to California and around the world, impacting ecologically sensitive areas, commercial industries and residential…

2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports

On the fast track to recovery: island foxes on the northern Channel Islands

TJ Coonan, V Bakker, B Hudgens, CL Boser, DK Garcelon, SA Morrison

The island fox is a rare carnivore existing on only six California Channel Islands. In the late 1990’s, due to new and excessive golden eagle predation, it was threatened with extinction on the…

2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports

Identifying evolutionarily significant units and prioritizing populations for management on islands

Jeanne M. Robertson, Kathryn M. Langin, T. Scott Sillett, Scott A. Morrison, Cameron K. Ghalambor, W. Chris Funk

Conservation of biodiversity can be complicated when there are many priority taxa and tradeoffs in management need to be made. This can be especially challenging on islands, where populations with…

2014 | Terrestrial | Science | Publications & Reports

Stand structure and acorn production of the island scrub oak (Quercus pacifica)

Mario B. Pesendorfer, Kathryn M. Langin, Brian Cohen, Zachary Principe, Scott A. Morrison, T. Scott Sillett

Acorns are an important food resource for many species that occupy oak habitats. Patterns of acorn abundance across time and space, however, are often difficult to characterize. This paper describes…