Predation on Western Pond Turtles

The western pond turtle (Emys marmorata) is native to the west coast of North America, and although it is a species of special concern under the California Endangered Species Act, there is no recovery plan to address its declining populations. A known significant...

Fisher and Tree Mortality in the southern Sierra Nevada

The isolated southern Sierra Nevada fisher (Pekania pennanti) population is considered an ecologically significant segment which was listed as federally endangered in 2020. The combination of changing forest conditions and associated forest management activities is of...
Long-Term Monitoring of Yellow-legged Frogs

Long-Term Monitoring of Yellow-legged Frogs

IERC began working with mountain and foothill yellow-legged frogs in 2005, assisting on a project tracking both species using VHF transmitter belts in a northern Sierra Nevada stream. IERC assisted in the capture, safe handling, and weekly monitoring of frogs for this...
Spatial Ecology of Carnivores

Spatial Ecology of Carnivores

A keystone species is a species that has a significant influence on an ecosystem, yet is low in number when compared to the rest of its community assemblage. The role of the keystone species can be filled by various taxa, including plants, wildlife, fish, and even...
Forensic Investigation of Predators

Forensic Investigation of Predators

Since 2006, IERC has been studying the relationships between fishers and their main predators in California, bobcats, mountain lions, and coyotes. After concern by the Hoopa Fisher Project that their radio-collared fishers were experiencing an unexpectedly high rate...