Equipping tomorrow's historical ecologist: priorities for documenting conditions of the terrestrial fauna of Santa Cruz Island, California

Authors

Christina L. Boser, The Nature Conservancy, Ventura, CA 93001Follow
T. Scott Sillett, Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20013
Paul W. Collins, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Kathryn R. Faulkner, United States National Park Service, Ventura, CA 93001
W. Chris Funk, Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523; Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Cameron K. Ghalambor, Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
Lyndal Laughrin, University of California Natural Reserve System, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Gregory B. Pauly, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007; Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91220
Jeanne M. Robertson, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007; Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91220
Robyn Shea, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA 93012
Winston Vickers, The Institute for Wildlife Studies, Arcadia, CA 90704

Abstract

Historical ecological research provides valuable insights for contemporary conservation management. Gaps in historical records, however, can limit the utility of that research. Future conservationists may therefore find themselves disadvantaged by the current societal trend of underinvestment in systematic collection of museum specimens and natural history information. To reduce that risk, we asked what managers and scientists could do today to better document the past and present conditions of Santa Cruz Island, California, as a means to improve both contemporary and future conservation. We focused our inquiry on the island’s terrestrial fauna, which includes numerous taxa of conservation concern. Here we present recommendations for research and collection that will enhance not only the understanding of past and present ecological conditions on the island but also the records that will be accessible to future historical ecologists.


La investigación ecológica histórica proporciona datos de gran utilidad para la gestión de la conservación contemporánea. Sin embargo, las lagunas en los registros históricos, pueden limitar la utilidad de dicha investigación. Por lo tanto, los futuros conservacionistas pueden verse en desventaja, por la actual tendencia social de insuficiente inversión para la recopilación sistemática de especímenes para museos y por la escasa información sobre su historia natural. Con el propósito de reducir este riesgo, nos preguntamos qué pueden hacer hoy en día los gestores y científicos para documentar las condiciones pasadas y presentes de la Isla Santa Cruz, California, como un medio para mejorar tanto la conservación actual como la futura. Centramos nuestra investigación en la fauna terrestre de la isla, que incluye numerosos taxones de interés para la conservación. Aquí presentamos recomendaciones para la investigación y la recopilación, que mejorarán no sólo la comprensión de las condiciones ecológicas pasadas y presentes en la isla, sino también el acceso a los registros para futuros ecólogos históricos.

Recommended Citation

Boser, Christina L.; Sillett, T. Scott; Collins, Paul W.; Faulkner, Kathryn R.; Funk, W. Chris; Ghalambor, Cameron K.; Laughrin, Lyndal; Pauly, Gregory B.; Robertson, Jeanne M.; Shea, Robyn; and Vickers, Winston (2018) "Equipping tomorrow's historical ecologist: priorities for documenting conditions of the terrestrial fauna of Santa Cruz Island, California," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 78: No. 4, Article 45.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol78/iss4/45