Reprinted from Western Tanager 88(6):22-24. The challenges faced by the Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) are many as it winters and breeds along the coast of southern California. Beach grooming by heavy equipment perpetually remove valuable habitat and flatten out once-undulating dunes. Beachgoers and their pets use the land where they once nested. Predators … Continue reading Darkness as Refuge
Two students working in the Longcore Lab @ UCLA in the Sustainable Los Angeles Grand Challenge Undergraduate Research Program (URSP) have had presentations accepted to the Undergraduate Research & Creativity Showcase at UCLA Undergraduate Research Week. Here are their abstracts: Characterizing Nighttime Light Exposure Across Land Use and Demography Ahalya Sabaratnam and Travis Longcore As … Continue reading Two Light Pollution Projects Accepted to UCLA Undergraduate Research Week
Last session, the California Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, SB9, which allows by-right splits of any single-family residential parcel and then construction of a duplex on both parcels (at least four dwelling units where there was one before, and potentially accessory dwelling units, ADUs, in addition). Cities across the State are left with implementing … Continue reading On Mountain Lions, Woodside, and the Definition of “Habitat”
One of my side projects in grad school was to analyze data on the endangered El Segundo Blue that had been collected by Dr. Rudi Mattoni at the Los Angeles International Airport dunes. It eventually ended up as a bit larger collaboration with Dr. Cor Zonneveld from the Netherlands (Mattoni et al. 2001) and ended … Continue reading El Segundo Blue is a full species
Feral cat activists, who desperately would like excuses to avoid euthanasia, return time and again to the delusion that outdoor cats reduce rat numbers. The latest report on the variations on the “working cats” theme is a report about the Tree House Humane Society in Chicago, which dumps feral cats outside homes and businesses on … Continue reading No, Chicago, Feral Cats Don’t Control Rats
I would like to explain one thing, which is why the apparent death rate for cases of covid19 looks like it is declining. In part this is because I get sent links to things written by opinion writers who do not understand what they are talking about and I’d like to have a clear explanation … Continue reading Covid-19 Update: Why It Looks Like Death Rates are Going Down But Aren’t
What are the political situations that have resulted in decreasing case numbers of covid-19? I plotted daily case rate curves by the party of the governor (2 categories) and the vote for Trump (2 levels). My hypothesis was that governors that are Democratic will do more, but those that are in Republican leaning states will … Continue reading Covid-19 Update, June 23, 2020
I have seen criticism from conservatives that there is a double standard being applied to protests against racial injustice and the Trump rally tomorrow. The virus does not care how people get into contact with each other and actions have consequences. As a matter of risk assessment I would see the differences being outdoors vs. … Continue reading Covid-19 Update, June 19, 2020
I have been convinced from the start of the pandemic that Trumpism is a risk factor for spreading the virus. Today the Washington Post picked up this position and ran with it. Continue reading Covid-19 Update, June 18, 2020
It has been obvious for quite a while that death rates from covid-19 vary from rural to urban states, in somewhat the same manner as the transmission rates (overall) have varied — low in rural states, high in urban states. As the case rates for all states continue to converge (rural states on the upswing, … Continue reading Covid-19 Update, June 17, 2020
Travis Longcore 