Bay Area Puma Project
Encyclopedia
The Bay Area Puma Project is the first major study of pumas (also called mountain lions or cougars) in the south San Francisco Bay Area
. Launched in May 2008 in the Santa Cruz Mountains
, the study is currently underway (in late 2009) with nine cats being tracked using GPS-accelerometer collars. This project is the first phase of a projected ten-year conservation effort to preserve and protect the Bay Area puma population. The study is being conducted by researchers at UC Santa Cruz
in partnership with Felidae Conservation Fund
, with coordination from the California Department of Fish and Game
and California State Parks
.
, a decline in the health of the puma population would affect the health of many other species and that of the ecosystem as a whole. In order to successfully address these challenges, greater understanding about the puma population is needed to enable more informed dialog among decision makers, so that the issues can be resolved effectively and healthy co-existence can be achieved between human communities and puma populations.
A puma also lives anywhere in the US that has a great natural predetor.
Specific conservations goals that will be supported by the study include:
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. Launched in May 2008 in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
, the study is currently underway (in late 2009) with nine cats being tracked using GPS-accelerometer collars. This project is the first phase of a projected ten-year conservation effort to preserve and protect the Bay Area puma population. The study is being conducted by researchers at UC Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
in partnership with Felidae Conservation Fund
Felidae Conservation Fund
Felidae Conservation Fund is a California-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving wild cats and their habitats. The organization supports and promotes international wild cat research and conservation by collaborating on field research projects, partnering with other environmental...
, with coordination from the California Department of Fish and Game
California Department of Fish and Game
The California Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of California, falling under its parent California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Game manages and protects the state's diverse fish, wildlife, plant resources, and native habitats...
and California State Parks
California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 278 parks and 1.4 million acres , with over of coastline; of lake and river frontage; nearly 15,000 campsites; and of hiking, biking, and...
.
Background
The puma is a close neighbor of many communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. In recent years, the rapid pace of development in the region has caused settled areas to expand into puma territory, resulting in more frequent human-puma encounters and creating serious challenges for habitat connectivity and the sustainability of the puma population. Moreover, because pumas are the top predator in the local ecosystemEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
, a decline in the health of the puma population would affect the health of many other species and that of the ecosystem as a whole. In order to successfully address these challenges, greater understanding about the puma population is needed to enable more informed dialog among decision makers, so that the issues can be resolved effectively and healthy co-existence can be achieved between human communities and puma populations.
A puma also lives anywhere in the US that has a great natural predetor.
Research objectives
The study is designed to reveal basic facts about the Bay Area's puma population, such as range, density, movement, feeding patterns, and the effects of roads and other human development. In addition, a novel feature of the study is an accelerometer on the collar that records precise data on activity and movement, measuring the acceleration behind each footstep. This feature will offer new insights into puma behavior and physiology, especially regarding interactions with habitat, prey, humans, and residential communities.Conservation goals
The information and insights gained from this study will help scientists and the public to better understand the critical role that pumas play in the region's natural ecosystem. The findings will be the basis for outreach and education programs that will help convince local communities and regional decision makers of the need to preserve habitats, stave off further extinctions, and promote healthy ways for humans to co-exist with wild cats.Specific conservations goals that will be supported by the study include:
- Securing habitat connectivity - The Santa Cruz Mountains are currently almost completely cut off from other ecosystems and are at serious risk of becoming a habitat island. If this happens, the wildlife of the region will lose genetic diversity and the health of the ecosystem will inexorably decline. To prevent this, the results from the research has been requested by the California Department of TransportationCalifornia Department of TransportationThe California Department of Transportation is a government department in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems throughout the state...
to determine the highest priority locations where wildlife overpasses and corridors might be built.
- Minimizing human-wildcat conflict - Reports of encounters between humans and pumas in the Santa Cruz region are on the rise. The causes of this increase, as well as the steps the community should take to reduce the likelihood of conflict, need to be well understood. The results of the study will be used by conservation organizations to support outreach programs designed to educate the community about how to live and coexist in puma habitat.
- Preserving puma habitats - As human development increasingly encroaches on puma habitats, the need to secure blocks of habitat for permanent preservation becomes more critical to the survival of the population. A key long-term objective of the study is to identify the geographical areas most essential to the health of the puma population, so that conservation organizations can more effectively raise public awareness and support to influence land use decisions that will have a major impact on the puma population.
See also
- Feline Conservation FederationFeline Conservation FederationThe Feline Conservation Federation is a 501 non-profit organization based in the United States dedicated to the preservation, protection, and propagation of all species of wild felines...
- Cheetah Conservation FoundationCheetah Conservation FoundationThe Cheetah Preservation Foundation is a conservation organization set up in South Africa in 1993 with special dedication to the protection of the endangered Cheetah. It is one of the largest wildlife organizations in Africa...
- Backyard Wildlife HabitatBackyard Wildlife HabitatBackyard Wildlife Habitat is a program of the National Wildlife Federation that encourages homeowners in the United States to manage their gardens and yards as a wildlife garden, with the goal of maintaining healthy and diverse animal habitats and ecosystems...
- European Green BeltEuropean Green BeltThe European Green Belt initiative is a grass-roots movement for nature conservation and sustainable development in the area of the former Iron Curtain. The term refers to both an environmental initiative as well as the area it concerns. The initiative is carried out under the patronage of the IUCN...
External links
- Bay Area Puma Project
- Bay Area Puma Project Web Portal
- KTVU Nightly News: Santa Cruz Mountains - Scientist Using High-Tech Collars To Track Mountain Lion Movement - March 11, 2010
- The Wilderness Center: Wild Ideas Podcast #49 - March 4, 2010
- KTVU: Santa Cruz Researchers Focus on Mountain Lion Whereabouts - October 9, 2009
- CBS 5: Project Keeps Track of Bay Area Mountain Lions - October 7, 2009
- NPR: Scientists Tracking Mountain Lions Near Urban Areas - February 10, 2009
- http://www.cityonahillpress.com/article.php?id=1548 Tracking Big Cats- City on a Hill Press - January 29th, 2009
- http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_11548958 Tracking study locates several lions in Santa Cruz Mountains - January 25th, 2009
- http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R901120833" Tracking Urban Lions- KQED 88.5 FM Interview with David Gorn - January 12, 2009
- http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0528-vinas_puma.html More on the Santa Cruz Mountains Puma Project from Mongabay.com - High-tech collars to reveal the secretive behaviors of mountain lions
- http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/press_releases/text.asp?pid=2173 Press Release- May 6, 2008