Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology

Scientists are adopting new research techniques to tackle the most visible impact of climate change — the so-called greening of Arctic regions.

A paper published today in the journal Nature Climate Change describes how the latest drone and satellite technology is helping an international team of researchers better understand how the vast, treeless region called the tundra is becoming greener.

With 2019 on pace as one of the warmest years on record, a major new study from the University of California, Davis, reveals how rapidly the Arctic is warming and examines global consequences of continued polar warming. 

The study, published today in the journal Science Advances reports that the Arctic has warmed by 0.75 C in the last decade alone. By comparison, the Earth as a whole has warmed by nearly the same amount, 0.8 C, over the past 137 years.    

With 2019 on pace as one of the warmest years on record, a major new study from the University of California, Davis, reveals how rapidly the Arctic is warming and examines global consequences of continued polar warming. 

The study, published today in the journal Science Advances reports that the Arctic has warmed by 0.75 C in the last decade alone. By comparison, the Earth as a whole has warmed by nearly the same amount, 0.8 C, over the past 137 years.    

Marine protected areas, or MPAs, are an increasingly common way of protecting marine ecosystems by prohibiting fishing in specific locations. However, many people remain skeptical that MPAs actually benefit fish populations, and there has not yet been a way to demonstrate whether or not they are effective. Until now.

Fish die-offs in Wisconsin lakes are expected to double by mid-century and quadruple by 2100 due to warmer summer temperatures, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Privately owned, fragmented forests in Costa Rica can support as many vulnerable bird species as can nearby nature reserves, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. 

The research suggests that working with landowners to conserve or restore forests on working landscapes can help protect wildlife. In Costa Rica, working landscapes include forest patches, crops, pastures and small towns. 

Why do some tropical birds adapt better than others to changes in climate and land use? The answer will help conservationists protect wildlife as the Earth’s temperatures rise and rainforests give way to livestock production and other agricultural uses.

Scientists have known for decades that climate change would alter the rhythms of nature, but just how and when hasn’t been easy to predict. That’s why research, especially long-term research, is so important.

At a remote field site in Greenland, Professor Eric Post has studied changes in plant and animal communities for more than a quarter century. The UC Davis wildlife ecologist and his graduate students document how spring is arriving weeks earlier than it used to and what consequences that brings for herbivores like caribou and musk oxen.

Tim Caro knew from a very young age what he wanted to make of his life.

“My mother gave me a copy of The Observer’s Book of Birdsat the age of three, and from that point onward I wanted to be a zoologist,” said the British-born UC Davis wildlife distinguished professor.

At UC Davis, wood ducks are known among students majoring in wildlife, fish and conservation biology as the wildlife model for an internship program run by Professor John Eadie. Each year, from 50 to 90 interns learn how to check nests, measure eggs, band birds, collect blood samples and conduct field research on waterfowl behavior, reproduction and survival.