WRA’s Katie Smith, PhD to Present at Bay-Delta Science Conference
The 2024 Bay-Delta Science Conference will be held September 30-October 2, 2024 in Sacramento, California. The theme for this year’s biannual event is “Cultivating Connections in a Dynamically Changing Environment”.
WRA’s Katie Smith will present on Day 1 of the conference on Monday, September 30 at 4:10pm. Her talk, ”An updated state of the mouse: A dynamic species in a dynamic environment”, is part of Session 4 Beyond Fish (Mammals and Herps) in Room B-9. The full conference schedule is available here.
Abstract:
Since the last in-person BDSC the state of our understanding of the status, ecology, and conservation of the salt marsh harvest mouse (SMHM) has developed immensely. Yet even as we learn more about how this species fits into the estuary community, broader conservation actions become less community focused and more driven by singular focal species. By increasing our knowledge of the status of the SMHM we can better incorporate their needs into conservation and management actions, like tidal restoration, leading to improved implementation of goals related to multispecies benefits. Recent survey results have dramatically changed our understanding of occupancy and densities. These include the first ever rangewide survey and other intensive seasonal monitoring which have illuminated relative densities across the range as well as the influences of annual rain patterns. Various studies have also illuminated the importance of refuge on the marsh plain. These efforts have been supplemented by a novel fecal eDNA survey method that provides a lower cost, less invasive survey method to supplement live surveys, opening the door to more regular and comprehensive survey methods, as well as improved ID tools.Analyses performed on data from ongoing monitoring indicate that SMHM are relatively generalist when it comes to marsh habitat, and that patch size, connectivity, vegetation cover and complexity, and elevation have the greatest influences on densities. Additionally, site-specific studies have revealed the importance of dynamics like regular inundation in minimizing populations of competitors, and research over the last decade has indicated that community dynamics may be just as influential as habitat characteristics on SMHM densities. Overall, this work will aid in science-based decision-making that will benefit the full Bay-Delta Estuary community as we face future management challenges in the Bay-Delta Estuary such as climate change and sea level rise.
To learn more about Katie’s SMHM research: