GARY
BUCCIARELLI
Ecologist
Evolutionary Biologist
INVASIVE SPECIES
Removal and control of introduced species in the Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles, CA
I have worked with agencies, local researchers, and undergraduate students to research and manage aquatic invasive species in southern California. This work has primarily focused on introduced crayfish (Procamburas clarkii) and New Zealand mud snails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) and researching what effects they may have on local amphibians, specifically California newts (Taricha torosa) and tree frog species (Pseudacris cadaverina and P. regilla) as well as native turtles (Emys pallida) and freshwater macroinvertebrates.
Crayfish and amphibians
The results of collaborative research projects have shown that native amphibian breeding and recruitment are negatively affected by crayfish predation and aggressive behaviors.
Crayfish and trapping
Collaborators and I have found that trapping improves amphibian breeding and reproductive success, especially in above average rainfall years when many crayfish are washed out of streams.
Mentoring undergraduates in field techniques
Newts and crayfish coexist in this stream, which is rare in southern California. Here, I'm showing students how to estimate crayfish density, sample for newts, and set crayfish traps.