In science news this week:
Trucking is Mucking Up Chinook Salmon Diversity: “We’ve all heard that “variety is the spice of life,” but a conservation biologist might suggest “variety is essential for life.” It’s understood that the more genetic diversity a population has, the more likely it will be to be able to adapt to future changes. A loss of diversity may occur as a result of a bottleneck, in which a species is reduced to very few individuals, but it can also result from increasing the connectivity of populations that were historically isolated from one another. In the case of Central Valley fall-run Chinook salmon, both of these factors have led to a loss of genetic diversity. Historically, numerous streams throughout the Valley hosted unique populations of fall-run Chinook, each with their own genetic characteristics. However, a recent publication by researchers at UC Davis has added to the body of knowledge indicating that hatchery practices have led to a more genetically homogenous (less diverse) population, which in turn has become less stable and more vulnerable (Dedrick and Baskett 2018). … ” Read more from FishBio here: Trucking is Mucking Up Chinook Salmon Diversity
Spring-run are back! “Last week, adult spring-run salmon made made headlines by returning to the restoration area of the San Joaquin River – the first generation of salmon to fully complete a roundtrip journey to and from the Pacific since the restoration program began. But our Chico office was buzzing about the welcome return of spring-run to a slightly smaller waterway further north – our local Big Chico Creek. With the wet season winding down in California, creeks and rivers are running high and pretty this spring thanks to above-average rainfall and snowpack during past months. As the days begin to warm, the native fish fauna of the Central Valley is on full display, especially in small streams. Large schools of suckers are congregating near riffles and getting ready to spawn. ... ” Read more from FishBio here: Spring-run are back!
From devastation to collaboration: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joins partnership to restore native habitat after devastating wildfire: “Just two hours northwest of Los Angeles you’ll find a small city called Ojai. The perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of big city life, Ojai provides urban professionals an escape to a picturesque valley backdropped by the Topatopa mountains. A town like no other, it’s no surprise that many of those visitors end up living the rest of their lives here. The tight-knit community of artists, free spirits and outdoor enthusiasts take pride in their beloved town and local natural resources. … ” Read more from the US FWS here: From devastation to collaboration: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joins partnership to restore native habitat after devastating wildfire
Video: Identifying the Oily “Fingerprint” at CDFW’s Petroleum Chemistry Laboratory: “You’ve seen television forensic dramas where sleuths use science to help find a killer. What many don’t know is these same types of similar techniques like fingerprinting can help investigators track down the source of an oil spill. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Petroleum Chemistry Laboratory (PCL), located east of Sacramento in Rancho Cordova, is tasked with determining the origin of oil spills, which can lead to criminal charges in California. They do this by comparing the chemical properties of the oil to known sources from around the world. The end result is sound scientific evidence that can hold up in a court of law.” Watch the video here: Video: Identifying the Oily “Fingerprint” at CDFW’s Petroleum Chemistry Laboratory
Natural landscapes? Scientists call for a paradigm shift in restoration projects: “Regardless of whether we are dealing with a floodplain landscape or an entire national park, the success of a restoration project depends on more than just the reintroduction of individual plant or animal species into an area. An international team of researchers led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig reveals it is more a matter of helping the damaged ecosystem to regenerate and sustain itself. In the current issue of the journal Science the researchers describe how rewilding measures can be better planned and implemented—and the benefits this can have on humans. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Natural landscapes? Scientists call for a paradigm shift in restoration projects Read the study here: Rewilding complex ecosystems
The value of a species: the whooping crane conservation paradox: “The endangered Whooping Crane is one of the world’s rarest species, with only around 600 individuals, including one wild self-sustaining population (French et al., 2018). Reintroduced populations have had limited success, largely due to low hatching success. One multi-year study demonstrates the role that some endemic species of black flies play in Whooping crane nest desertion. This work also illustrates how conservation approaches should evaluate trade-offs and utilize a decision-analysis framework to construct management strategies that incorporate the needs of all endemic species, rather than pining the value of one species above the other. ... ” Read more from EnviroBites here: The value of a species: the whooping crane conservation paradox
The secret sauce of environmental problem solving: ““Enough! Cut it with the prima donna nonsense. There is no ‘I’ in TEAM!” I can still see Mr. Stephensen railing at me and my rugby squad as we stood shivering in the rain and covered in mud, after being beaten by a school we should have trounced. “It’s teamwork, collaboration that makes us mighty, better than the sum of our parts. We can always do better when we do it together.” That is true in rugby, but is it true in science? My earliest heroes were Gregor Mendel, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, E.O. Wilson, Rachel Carson and Margaret Mead. All seemed to be loners, solitary strivers, mulling and solving life’s hardest problems, and doing so largely by themselves. What would they think of the growing calls for more collaborative science? … ” Read more from Cool Green Science here: The secret sauce of environmental problem solving
Maven’s XKCD Comic Pick of the Week …
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About Science News and Reports: This weekly feature, posted every Thursday, is a collection of the latest scientific research and reports with a focus on relevant issues to the Delta and to California water, although other issues such as climate change are sometimes included. Do you have an item to be included here? Submissions of relevant research and other materials is welcome. Email Maven
