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Click on the articles below to read about the latest WERC scientific discoveries.

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Current Conservation Efforts May Not Be Enough for California’s Central Valley Waterbirds

Current Conservation Efforts May Not Be Enough for California’s Central Valley Waterbirds

A new study published in PLOS ONE demonstrates that current conservation planning efforts for waterbird habitat in the Central Valley can likely...

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Not Just for Kissing: Mistletoe and Birds, Bees, and Other Beasts

Not Just for Kissing: Mistletoe and Birds, Bees, and Other Beasts

Perhaps some of you have already experienced a sweet smooch or two under the holiday mistletoe, enjoying this fairly old kissing ritual for people...

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In Orlando, USGS Science on the Health of the Environment is on Display

In Orlando, USGS Science on the Health of the Environment is on Display

Studies on the aquatic food web, tree swallows, and the spread of contaminants take center stage at SETAC 2016.

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How Is A 1,600-Year-Old Tree Weathering California's Drought? (NPR)

How Is A 1,600-Year-Old Tree Weathering California's Drought? (NPR)

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, California — Nate Stephenson was a guest on NPR's "All Things Considered." The segment featured collaborative research on the...

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Stories from the Field: Ecology of California Ridgway's Rails

Stories from the Field: Ecology of California Ridgway's Rails

Notes from field biologists studying the endangered Ridgway's rail.

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Sea Otter Survey Encouraging, but Comes Up Short of the “Perfect Story”

Sea Otter Survey Encouraging, but Comes Up Short of the “Perfect Story”

SANTA CRUZ, California — The southern sea otter, Enhydra lutris nereis, continues its climb toward recovery, according to the annual count released...

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Drought and Wildfires Threaten the Endangered Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog (Los Angeles Times)

Drought and Wildfires Threaten the Endangered Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog (Los Angeles Times)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Wildfires are affecting endangered Mountain yellow-legged frogs in San Diego and other counties.

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How Climate Change Will Transform the National Parks' Iconic Animals and Plants (Smithsonian)

How Climate Change Will Transform the National Parks' Iconic Animals and Plants (Smithsonian)

WERC Ecologist Nate Stephenson talks about how climate change could affect trees in National Parks in this article from Smithsonian.com.

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A Creative Approach to Controlling a Deadly Snail (NPR, Science Friday)

A Creative Approach to Controlling a Deadly Snail (NPR, Science Friday)

Ecologist Kevin Lafferty was co-author of a paper that inspired this segment on NPR's Science Friday.

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Prescribed Fires Reduce Tree Death from Drought

Prescribed Fires Reduce Tree Death from Drought

Fighting Drought with Fire

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Study Shows Sea Level Rise to Threaten West Coast Tidal Wetlands Over the Next 100 Years

Study Shows Sea Level Rise to Threaten West Coast Tidal Wetlands Over the Next 100 Years

The U.S. Geological Survey and Oregon State University released a report this week examining Pacific Northwest tidal wetland vulnerability to sea...

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Virus Calculated as Culprit Killing Sea Stars

Virus Calculated as Culprit Killing Sea Stars

Sea stars are soft-bodied, colorful, mobile animals that hunt and feed on the ocean bottom, and since 2013, a mysterious disease has been killing them...

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