We used carbon and nitrogen isotopes to investigate changes in the diet of California condors from the Pleistocene to the recent. During the Pleistocene, condors from California fed on both terrestrial megafauna and marine mammals. Early accounts reported condors feeding on the carcasses of marine mammals, but by the late 1700s, condor diets had shifted predominantly to terrestrial animals, following the commercial harvesting of marine mammals and the development of cattle ranching on land. At present, dairy calves provided by humans significantly augment condor diet, constituting an artificial support of the current population. Reestablishing a marine mammal component in the condor diet may be an effective strategy for fostering viable condor populations independent of direct human subsidies.carbon isotopes ͉ nitrogen isotopes ͉ paleodiet D uring the Pleistocene, California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) ranged from the Pacific coast of North America across the southern U.S. to Florida and north to western New York (1, 2). Historical records show that by the 17th century, condors were restricted to the west coast of North America, from Baja California to British Columbia (3, 4). At present, small reintroduced populations live in California, Arizona, and Baja California. Paleontological evidence suggests that populations of these obligate scavengers were associated with the carcasses of large animals (1). After the late Pleistocene extinction of most large terrestrial mammals in North America (5), condors appear to have been restricted to the west coast, where stranded marine mammals offered the only remaining abundant source of large animal carcasses (1).There is little direct evidence that marine mammals were a significant component of condor diets, however, beyond scattered historical observations. In 1806, Lewis and Clark observed condors feeding on whales near the mouth of the Columbia River (6). Captain Clark wrote on February 16, 1806: ''This bird fly's very clumsily, nor do I know whether it ever seizes it's prey alive, but am induced to believe it does not. We have seen it feeding on the remains of the whale and other fish which have been thrown up by the waves on the sea coast. These I believe constitute their principal food, but I have no doubt but that they also feed on flesh.'' In 1855, Taylor found hundreds of condors feeding on sea lion carcasses on the California coast (7). He wrote: ''During the early part of the present month, large quantities of sea lions have been killed on the southern coast for the oil; the carcasses of these animals on the beach may be seen at times surrounded by hundreds of the Condors. A friend of ours informed us that he saw a few days ago, as many as three hundred of these creatures near such feeding ground, within a distance of a league.'' (7). In the 1860s, Cooper reported on condors feeding on seal and whale carcasses in California, although he never directly observed them doing so (8).To investigate changes in condor diets, we determined the stable carbon ( 12 C...

Information about the location and magnitudes of natural gas (NG) leaks from urban distribution pipelines is important for minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and optimizing investment in pipeline management. To enable rapid collection of such data, we developed a relatively simple method using high-precision methane analyzers in Google Street View cars. Our data indicate that this automated leak survey system can document patterns in leak location and magnitude within and among cities, even without wind data. We found that urban areas with prevalent corrosion-prone distribution lines (Boston, MA, Staten Island, NY, and Syracuse, NY), leaked approximately 25-fold more methane than cities with more modern pipeline materials (Burlington, VT, and Indianapolis, IN). Although this mobile monitoring method produces conservative estimates of leak rates and leak counts, it can still help prioritize both leak repairs and replacement of leak-prone sections of distribution lines, thus minimizing methane emissions over short and long terms.

No abstract

No abstract