Notes from the Editor

While it’s not technically winter, here’s the first issue of 2025 as close as we could get it to official winter.

The issue’s first article is a research note from two Westervelt Ecological Services scientists. The note documents the record of Lynch tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus lemmoni) in several vernal pools of the Central Valley of California. While the species is known to occur in California, this is the first documented record in the state’s Central Valley region; previously, it had only been known to occur in the alkali playas of the Great Basin and Mojave Desert.

The second article, also a note, by scientists in CDFW’s Northern Region, documents known predations of Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae) by brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). The authors discuss the potential impacts of this predation by an invasive fish on the recruitment of a species that is currently a candidate for listing under the California Endangered Species Act.

Next up, frequent Journal contributor Dan Airola and his collaborators examined the population dynamics, reproductive success, and nesting habitat of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in central California. They documented a population increase of the species in this area, despite continued threats (e.g., climate-induced wildfire, human disturbance, electrocution, and lead and rodenticide poisoning), and suggested a need for bald eagle surveys and status evaluations elsewhere in California to determine if delisting under CESA may be warranted.

The fourth article, by Dr. David Germano of California State University, Bakersfield and two collaborators from the Endangered Species Recovery Program (out of CSU, Stanislaus) and Northeastern University, detailed a study of simulated rodent burrows to examine the impacts of livestock grazing. They found burrows in the grazed plot were cooler and more humid than those in the control plot (for all seasons except winter) and attributed this result to the dense cover of non-native grass in the control plot, which likely increased soil moisture loss by acting as a wick that pulled more moisture from the soil. They concluded that in areas with high cover of non-native grasses, cattle grazing may benefit burrowing rodents and other vertebrate burrow users by keeping burrows cooler and more humid.

The final article, another research note, is authored by CDFW Central Region scientists and provides the third documented record in the San Joaquin River basin and the second documented record in the Stanislaus River of the presence of green sturgeon (Acipsenser medirostris). The Stanislaus River is one of three tributaries within the San Joaquin River watershed that flows from the Sierra Nevada to the San Joaquin River in the eastern part of the Central Valley.

The issue concludes with a review of Large Scale Traps of the Great Basin by Dr. Vernon Bleich, frequent contributor and former Editor-in-Chief of this Journal.

As always, a reminder that the Journal has a subscriber listserv. Anyone interested in receiving updates from the Journal and being notified when new issues are available can subscribe here.

Happy (almost) Spring!

Ange Darnell Baker, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
California Fish and Wildlife Journal