Call for Papers and Posters:

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The Call for Papers and Posters closed on October 20, 2014.

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We are soliciting abstracts for posters and 20-minute oral presentations for the concurrent technical and poster sessions. Abstract content should be related to technical session topics listed above but additional topics may be entertained if sufficient presentations are submitted. Presentations may consist of either final or interim original research results. The conference program and session chairs will evaluate submitted abstracts to determine final concurrent session topics.

All papers associated with the general meeting will be presented Wednesday through Friday, January 28 to January 30, 2015. In general, presenters should expect to speak for no more than 17 minutes, allowing for an introduction and limited Q&A after each presentation.

A poster session will be held on the evening of Thursday, January 29, 2015. At this time, authors will be available to answer questions about their posters. Hors d’ouevres will be served and a no-host bar will be available. Posters will be displayed starting at 1pm on Wednesday, January 28 and will be available for viewing through the Thursday evening poster reception. Posters should be no more than 3 feet high by 4 feet wide. Presenters must bring their own supplies (T-pins, push pins, etc.) to attach posters to the display boards. Display boards will be provided.

Call for Session Chairpersons: We are seeking individuals who are interested in volunteering to serve as the chairperson of each technical session. The session chair will help select abstracts to accept and coordinate with presenters. They will moderate the technical session at the conference. If you are interested, please contact Don Yasuda at dyasudaTWS@gmail.com.

Abstract Submission Process:
The deadline for submission of both Oral Presentation and Poster abstracts is October 20, 2014.
Abstracts should not exceed 200 words, excluding title and author addresses, should be in Arial 12-point font, and must adhere to format and layout elements provided in the example below. Indicate the preferred session and whether the paper will be an oral presentation or a poster. Student presentations are eligible for cash awards. Students should indicate their intent to compete for these awards.

Please submit abstracts electronically by filling out the interactive form on the Section website at https://www.wildlifeprofessional.org/western/ac2015_abstract_submit.php

Oral and Poster Presenters are expected to pay the conference registration fee and cover their own travel and lodging expenses. See the Western Section website for registration and other conference information.

We will review the submitted abstracts and will notify the submitters of their status by December 1, 2014. Thank you, in advance, for your time and effort in the submission process.

ABSTRACT FORMAT EXAMPLE:
Preferred Session: Ecology and Management of Shorebirds
Type of paper: Oral presentation
If a student, indicate if you intend to participate in the Student Judging.

Paper Title: Status and Habitat Use of Long-Billed Curlews in the Central Valley in Fall
W. David Shuford, PRBO Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA 94954, dshuford@prbo.org, (415) 868-0371×310; Co–authors: Gary W. Page; Gary M. Langham; and Catherine Hickey

Abstract: The long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) – a large shorebird of conservation concern at the continental level – is a migrant and winter resident in California’s Central Valley, where it concentrates primarily in agricultural lands. Despite recent estimates of the size of the curlew’s North American breeding population, little is known about its abundance and habitat needs at migratory stopovers and wintering areas. To help fill these gaps, we coordinated three broad-scale surveys of curlews in the central and southern portions of the Central Valley in fall and winter in 2007-2008 and a more comprehensive survey of the entire Central Valley in August 2009. On the latter survey, we recorded 20,775 curlews in 197 flocks. In all years in autumn, the vast majority of curlews were found in irrigated croplands, primarily alfalfa and irrigated pastures, during this otherwise arid season. More frequent surveys at the local level in Solano County and more recent radio-telemetry studies indicate that some curlews shift their distribution from fall to winter. More work on fine-scale habitat preferences and movements in the Central Valley is needed to aid in the conservation of this at-risk shorebird.