Wildlife Fish and Conservation Biology Content

Arctic Plants React Unexpectedly to Climate Change

Katherine E Kerlin — April 30, 2025 - 8:00am

Rapid climate change is upending established plant diversity and growth patterns in the Arctic, with species blooming in some areas and declining in others, suggests a study published today in the journal Nature.

The decades-long study of more than 2,000 plant communities across 45 areas in the Arctic tundra found that many locations saw vegetation change in type, abundance and growth, between 1981 and 2022.

Restored Stream Supports New Wild Salmon Run

Katherine E Kerlin — March 20, 2025 - 9:00am

A UC Davis study confirms Putah Creek origin salmon for first time, marking a win for creek restoration and wild salmon, and providing hope for other degraded streams around the globe.

California Rice and Wildlife Report Released

Katherine E Kerlin — February 27, 2025 - 9:00am

How many acres of rice are needed to support wildlife? UC Davis outlines a conservation footprint for the state's rice in a report for the California Rice Commission.

Mountain Lions Coexist with Outdoor Recreationists by Taking the Night Shift

Katherine E Kerlin — November 15, 2024 - 9:25am

Mountain lions in greater Los Angeles are proactively shifting their activity to avoid interacting with cyclists, hikers, joggers and other recreationists, finds a UC Davis study.

In Greening Arctic, Caribou and Muskoxen Play Key Role

Katherine E Kerlin — November 12, 2024 - 5:30am

A UC Davis study highlights the importance of caribou and muskoxen to the greening Arctic tundra, linking grazing with plant phenology and abundance in the Arctic tundra.

Chinook Salmon Face Habitat Challenges

Katherine E Kerlin — October 14, 2024 - 10:23am

A UC Davis study finds that decades of human activities have not only reduced the size of Chinook salmon, but also disrupted their ability to spawn.

The Salmon Diaries: Life Before and After Klamath Dam Removal

Katherine E Kerlin — July 15, 2024 - 9:00am

From the Klamath River to the lab, to the ear bones of fish, UC Davis scientists are helping to answer a big dam question: How will salmon use the river following the world's largest dam removal project?

U.S. Reservoirs Hold Billions of Pounds of Fish

Katherine E Kerlin — April 29, 2024 - 8:57am

U.S. reservoirs hold more than 7 billion pounds of fish, a UC Davis study estimates. Properly managed, these existing reservoir ecosystems could help food security and conservation.

Squidtoons: A Science Communication Cartoon Series

Malia N Reiss — February 22, 2024 - 11:09am

Scientists and Squidtoons creators Garfield Kwan and Dana Song are using their comic series as fun science communication tool.

Saving the Green Sturgeon

Andy Fell — February 05, 2024 - 10:23am

Like salmon, green sturgeon hatch in California streams, migrate to spend most of their lives at sea and return to fresh water to spawn. But unlike the flashier salmon, much of the green sturgeon's life history is as murky as the waters in which the adults like to feed. They can live for up to 60 years and grow to great size for a freshwater fish -- but they do not begin to breed until they are about 15.