Rebecca Quiñones

Rebecca Quiñones

Postdoctoral Scholar Alum

I have been studying California freshwater fishes, as an academic and resource manager, since 1994. My current research examines the synergistic effects of global climate change, land use practices, and fisheries management on inland fishes in California.  I use conceptual and linear (generalized and mixed-effects) models to determine how these factors influence adult survival, community structure, and conservation status of species.  I also use time series analysis to determine trends within spawner numbers themselves.  When used together, these analyses help resource managers identify where and when different populations may experience bottlenecks and areas that can serve as biodiversity reserves.  This research is significant as the first to look at impacts from climate change concurrently with other factors that drive population abundances at multiple temporal and spatial scales.  Our group is also closely monitoring the effects of unprecedented drought and varying levels of habitat degradation on fish assemblages and ecosystem recovery.  In summer 2014, we evaluated the combined effects of habitat degradation and extreme drought on fish community structure in streams throughout the state.

The questions that drive my research are directly drawn from my experiences as a fisheries biologist for the U.S. Forest Service, a position I held for 11 years (2001-2012).  My career is based on the belief that science should be directly applied to make informed management decisions, particularly where threatened and endangered species are concerned.  Most of my work with the Forest Service was two-fold, as a field fish biologist and as a member of interdisciplinary teams.  In the field, I supervised and took part in population surveys, water quality assessments, and restoration projects.  Within interdisciplinary teams, I have developed research projects and policy recommendations, monitored land use practices (e.g. timber harvest, mining), developed conservation plans, and provided information on dam decommissioning and salmonid population trends to the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce.  I have worked closely with a myriad of stakeholders, including other Federal, state, and county agencies; recreational and commercial fishing groups; ranchers; farmers; Native American tribes; academics; and environmental groups. 

I also enjoy teaching and mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students.  I lead a seminar, Climate change and conservation of aquatic ecosystems, in Spring quarter.

Research Interests & Expertise
  • Native Fish Conservation
  • Habitat Restoration
  • Salmonid Conservation
  • Aquatic Biodiversity Protection

Rebecca Quiñones's Recent Projects

Conservation of inland fish biodiversity

Knowledge of species' spatial distributions is crucial to the identification and prioritization of watersheds in need of restoration. Coupled with species' status, the presence and or absence of species can indicate biologically diverse vs. depauperate areas.

PISCES - Fish Distribution Tracking, Modelling, and Analysis

PISCES is software and data describing the best-known ranges for California's native fish. The data is compiled from multiple sources and experts and is stored and exported as rangemaps and summary maps. As of December 2013, it includes data on all of the state's 131 native fish taxa as well as 48 non-native species.

El Ocote Reserve

Chiapas (Mexico) and California share many similar challenges regarding the conservation of rivers and streams and the organisms that dwell in them. Although fishes in both states are highly diverse, this biodiversity is under multiple threats including effects from cattle grazing, forest fires, dam operations, and climate change. Collaboration between the El Ocote Biosphere Reserve and the Klamath National Forest began in 1993 in order to provide research expertise and training between the two forests. Past efforts have documented fish species presence and distribution within the Reserve (2005-2008; Gonzalez-Diaz et al. 2008, Anzueto-Calvo et al. 2013), as well as identified threats to aquatic habitats (2010-2012).

Collaboration with Technische Universität München

UCD and the Technische Universität München (TUM) are conducting research to quantify changes in species distributions through the contraction or expansion of ranges. The collaborative effort began in 2011 with a two week summer school hosted by TUM. The main topic of the summer school was Life Sciences in the 21st Century with a Focus on Water. Later, beginning in April 2012, one of the participants of the summer school, Rebecca Quiñones, was awarded a one-year scholarship to pursue postdoctoral research at TUM.

Drought's Toll on Native Fish

Center scientists are evaluating habitat conditions (e.g. temperature, flow, riparian vegetation, sediment) and sampling by electrofishing to document the composition and density of fish communities. They are assisted by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Zone 7 Water District in the East Bay and Cache Creek Nature Preserve. The researchers chose streams that have data from earlier fish community surveys for comparative analysis. Some sites have been repeatedly sampled for 20 to 30 years.