Notes from the Editor
Our summer issue is coming out on time still in the midst of official summer—hooray! It always feels good to get things back on track. This issue has a number of excellent articles including an essay, short communication, and research note, as well as two full research articles.
Dr. Matt Johnson, a professor in the Wildlife Department at Cal Poly Humboldt, researches many aspects of wildlife conservation in what he calls “working landscapes, meaning farms, rangelands, and managed forests where many of the world’s people work, live, and play.”[i] He provided a thoughtful, well-cited essay on the value of agricultural lands for conserving wildlife. In the essay, he argues that agriculture is both “foundational to observed losses of biodiversity” and yet “crucial for the future of wildlife conservation.”
The next article, authored by Dr. Vernon Bleich (former Editor-in-Chief of this journal and frequent contributor since retirement) and Dr. Kelley Stewart from the University of Nevada, Reno, discusses trace mineral concentrations found in populations of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from three distinct geographic areas within the Mojave Desert of southeastern California. They found significant differences between the areas in the concentrations of several minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium) and highlighted the importance of understanding nutritional requirements for large, wild herbivores. Their study, which provides the first reference values for mule deer micronutrient requirements in the Mojave, can be used as a baseline for comparison to other populations as well as to monitor impacts of environmental change on these populations over time.
The other full research article by Drs. Brian Cypher and Erica Kelly of CSU, Stanislaus examined the diet of coyotes comparing urban, peri-urban, and non-urban areas. They found that species composition and important food sources differed along the urbanization gradient. Surprisingly, the frequency of anthropogenic food items did not differ significantly between areas, and coyotes are not likely reliant on such items, even in the urban areas, which the authors suggest may reduce the potential human-wildlife conflicts in the Bakersfield area.
Next is a short communication note by two researchers from the Natural History Museum of LA County and collaborators from CDFW and UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The article documents numerous recent beach strandings of the Pacific football fish (Himantolophus sagamius) along the U.S. Pacific coast. This is followed by a research note collaboration between Alaksa Department of Fish and Game, CDFW, and University of Wyoming’s Department of Zoology and Physiology, which focused on assumptions in the evaluation of gross energy for estimating the nutritional value of forage items. They present a case study using Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae).
And just one new Associate Editor this issue. Dr. Austin Roy is a small mammal ecologist whose goals include using his skills to be part of a productive team of researchers and managers to better understand the natural world. His research interests focus on the various ways that wildlife interact with their environment to influence ecosystems and to better understand how species management influences these interactions. Austin received his B.S. from Humboldt State University, after which, he worked various field positions before beginning as a Scientific Aid for CDFW in 2013 and later an Environmental Scientist in 2015. In 2017, he left CDFW to pursue a PhD from the University of Texas at El Paso. After finishing graduate school, he worked as a Postdoc at UC Davis before returning to CDFW in 2025. Austin is currently the CESA Recovery Coordinator for Wildlife Branch in the Wildlife Diversity Program. In addition to recovery planning for endangered species, Austin continues to work with collaborators throughout the state to conduct research involving endangered species conservation, small mammal ecology, disease ecology, plant ecology, and ecosystem ecology.
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.
Ange Darnell Baker, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
California Fish and Wildlife Journal
[i] From Dr. Johnson’s research website