Mule Deer Conservation and Management

The southern mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus fuliginatus) conservation and management research project aims to improve upon past deer population surveys in San Diego County.

Historic deer population data collected from aerial surveys underestimated population size and resulted in low precision due to visibility bias and inefficient sampling design.

In collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), IEMM is currently working to address the need for more robust and accurate deer population data.

In addition to addressing the research needs of CDFW to improve management of southern mule deer as a game species, we are also investigating questions of conservation concern. These questions address:

disease and health status of deer
impacts of habitat fragmentation on deer movement and landscape connectivity
gene flow among populations of southern mule deer in San Diego County

Learn more about this project

Hybrid mark–resight approaches account for heterogeneous detection bias in aerial surveys

Limited resources shape home range patterns of an insular ungulate in a semi-arid ecosystem

Landscape Seroprevalence of Three Hemorrhagic Disease-Causing Viruses in a Wild Cervid

County of San Diego Targeted Monitoring Plan

Project Partner

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Feral Pig Monitoring in San Diego County

IEMM’s feral pig monitoring program informs the strategy and actions of a county-wide cooperative wild pig eradication effort. Since 2014, SDSU scientists have been part of the Feral Pig Working Group, which includes 11 state, local, federal, and Tribal government agencies.

California Least Tern Monitoring and Management in San Diego County

Led by IEMM in 2014, this project is facilitating the implementation of a scientifically robust, statewide monitoring and management program for California least terns. Species recovery objectives and current understanding of California least tern ecology guide IEMM’s research methods and goals.

Population Modeling of Peninsular Bighorn Sheep

Working in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, SDSU researchers are determining demographic parameters that drive Peninsular bighorn sheep population growth. Our up-to-date population models inform targeted management options in response to predicted sources of population decline.

Planning for Wildlife Movement Across San Diego’s SR-67

Since 2014, IEMM has worked with Caltrans to study wildlife movement along Highway 67 in San Diego as part of a long-term highway expansion project. Our work includes the study of existing culvert structures, roadkill investigations, and assessment of previously collected bobcat movement data.

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