Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), often referred to as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones, are experiencing increasing use by wildlife researchers and for a variety of purposes. When equipped with one or more of the various sensors currently available, these remotely operated platforms are being used to conduct aerial surveys of large mammals occupying a diversity of ecosystems, but more so for species that occupy terrain that is neither as rugged nor topographically extreme as that occupied by mountain sheep. Despite some of the potential advantages offered by this technology, UAVs have not been used extensively to survey populations of mountain sheep. In this paper, we provide some background information regarding the (1) utility of these platforms to survey mountain sheep; (2) types of unmanned aerial vehicles currently available; (3) types and limitations of currently available sensors; (4) factors that complicate use of these technologies specifically for surveys of mountain sheep populations; and (5) some additional suggestions, including ways to mitigate some of those complications. For reasons enumerated herein, these aerial platforms and associated sensors currently are used sparingly in mountain sheep habitat, but we predict use will increase substantially as a result of technological advances and the human safety advantages associated with these devices.

A key aspect related to successful hemp cultivation is an understanding of the physiological performance of hemp and how differing cultivars and genotypes respond physiologically to cultivation practices and environmental stressors. In this study, we examine the leaf-level physiological response of two hemp cultivars (“Boax” and “Cherry-Wine”) across the growing season from late vegetative phase to late flowering, with a specific focus on leaf-level gas exchange, photosynthetic capacity, and cannabinoid content. We observed similar and high photosynthetic capacity for the hemp cultivars in our study during late vegetative and early to mid-flowering phases of crop development. Prior to harvest, we observed a seasonal decline in leaf physiological function and photosynthetic capacity in late flowering for both cultivars, and we conclude that a reduction in photosynthetic capacity along with the onset of plant senescence explains much of the reduced physiological performance that we observed as hemp matured into late flower. Plastic mulching cover over planting rows had no significant effect on leaf physiological function or final cannabidiol (CBD) content, and we attribute this lack of any treatment effect to the fact that plastic mulch cover did not significantly affect canopy microclimate, nor did it significantly affect plant-available soil water in any physiological impactful manner. The Boax and Cherry-Wine cultivars exhibit high physiological performance in relation to photosynthetic capacity and a correspondingly high CBD content; however, despite the inherent productivity of these two cultivars, growers should be cautious when utilizing these hemp cultivars given their potential to exceed tetrahydrocannabinol (THC%) regulatory thresholds during compliance testing.

The Marine Life Management Act (MLMA), California Fish and Game Code, sections 7050–7090, requires an ecosystem-based approach for managing the state’s fisheries, using the best available science, and involving stakeholders in a comprehensive and transparent process. The 2018 MLMA Master Plan for Fisheries (Master Plan) provides guidance and methods for implementing MLMA goals and objectives and is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) document for managing state finfish, invertebrate, and algal commercial and recreational fisheries. The California Halibut Trawl Grounds (CHTG), created through legislation (1971), provides trawl fishermen access to a section of state waters off Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to target California halibut (Paralichthys californicus). Legislation (Fish & G. Code, § 8495) requires the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) to evaluate trawl gear effects on specific Performance Criteria every three years. The CFGC is required to close any area within the CHTG where trawl gear does not meet the required criteria. The last evaluation of the CHTG occurred in 2008, with the CFGC closing one area due to the presence of hard bottom habitat and least fiscal impact to the fishing fleet. From 2022–2023, we re-assessed these Performance Criteria by incorporating recent catch disposition data, West Coast Groundfish Observer Program data, current biogeographical data, and relevant scientific literature. We assessed 2,152 individual organisms, representing 55 species, with 77.9% released live. No species of concern were caught, and minimal bottom contact was evident. We identified management control measures which protect distinct aspects of ecosystem function. Spatial analysis using GIS compared kelp, hard bottom, and biogenic habitats against trawl locations which showed no overlap. Our findings suggest that light touch trawl gear in the CHTG fishery meets the Performance Criteria in Fish and Game Code, section 8495. These findings suggest that additional closures within the CHTG are not currently warranted.

The immense ecological plasticity of coyotes (Canis latrans) facilitates their use of anthropogenically altered habitats including urban areas. We analyzed scat samples to compare food item use by coyotes in urban, peri-urban, and non-urban zones in and around the city of Bakersfield, California. Coyotes consumed primarily rabbits and rodents in all three zones although species composition varied among the zones. Other important foods included birds and invertebrates in the urban zone, commercial grapes in the peri-urban zone, and birds and fruits in the non-urban zone. Frequency of occurrence of anthropogenic items was not statistically different between zones but exhibited an increasing trend from the non-urban zone to the urban zone. However, coyotes in the urban zone do not appear to be dependent on these items. The relatively low use of anthropogenic foods may reduce the potential for human-coyote conflicts in Bakersfield.

Minerals are important nutrients and are essential components of the diets of animals. Nutritional requirements or minimum concentrations of minerals for nutritional health are largely unknown for the majority of large, free-ranging herbivores. We investigated concentrations of 9 trace minerals in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) inhabiting 3 distinct geographic areas—Cima Dome, New York Mountains, and the Mid Hills—in the eastern Mojave Desert, San Bernardino Co., California from 2008 to 2016. These areas differed in vegetative communities, topography, water availability, and fire histories. Telemetered mule deer demonstrated high fidelity to each of these areas, and movement by those individuals between study areas was not detected. During our investigation, overall differences occurred in mean concentrations of magnesium (P < 0.001), calcium (P = 0.022), phosphorus (P = 0.023), potassium (P = 0.042), and selenium (P < 0.001) among the 3 geographic areas. Among years, differences occurred in concentrations of the trace elements investigated in the New York Mountains with the exceptions of magnesium and potassium; at Cima Dome with the exceptions of iron, sodium, potassium, and selenium; and in the Mid Hills with the exceptions of magnesium and zinc. A positive upward trend existed between selenium concentration in the New York Mountains and the year of sample collection (P < 0.05), and a similar—albeit not significant—upward trend was discernible in the Mid Hills, but no such relationship was apparent at Cima Dome. These results emphasize the importance of investigating micronutrient status of mule deer on a local scale and temporally and add to the sparse information available on trace mineral concentrations in mule deer. Despite limited samples (≤165), we make available for the first time reference values for mule deer inhabiting the Mojave Desert, to serve as a baseline against which to measure responses to future environmental perturbations or for comparison with deer occupying other disparate ecosystems, and further contribute to the derivation of reference values for mule deer in general.