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• 1. [Article] Principal indicator species of forested plant associations on national forests in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Principal indicator species of forested plant associations on national forests in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington Author: Johnson, Charles G., United States. Forest Service. Pacific Northwest Region Title: Principal indicator species of forested plant associations on national forests in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington Author: Johnson, Charles G., United States. Forest Service. Pacific Northwest Region Close

• 2. [Article] An Integrated Approach to Gauge the Effects of Global Climate Change on Headwater Stream Ecosystems

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: An Integrated Approach to Gauge the Effects of Global Climate Change on Headwater Stream Ecosystems Author: Bury, Gwendolynn Wolfheim Title: An Integrated Approach to Gauge the Effects of Global Climate Change on Headwater Stream Ecosystems Author: Bury, Gwendolynn Wolfheim Close

• 3. [Article] Considering the Great Blue Heron as an Indicator Species for Organochlorine Contamination in the Willamette River, Oregon

  18 p. Term paper produced for HC 441: Science Colloquium: Willamette River Environmental Health, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon , Spring term, 2004.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Considering the Great Blue Heron as an Indicator Species for Organochlorine Contamination in the Willamette River, Oregon Author: Gordon, Eleanor Year: 2005, 2004 18 p. Term paper produced for HC 441: Science Colloquium: Willamette River Environmental Health, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon , Spring term, 2004. Title: Considering the Great Blue Heron as an Indicator Species for Organochlorine Contamination in the Willamette River, Oregon Author: Gordon, Eleanor Year: 2005, 2004 18 p. Term paper produced for HC 441: Science Colloquium: Willamette River Environmental Health, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon , Spring term, 2004. Close

• 4. [Article] Ground dwelling beetles in early and late successional forests in the western Cascades of Oregon

  The effects of forest cutting on forested systems and the biotic components of those systems has been at the forefront of scientific research. The inventory and monitoring of biodiversity is one technique ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Ground dwelling beetles in early and late successional forests in the western Cascades of Oregon Author: Heyborne, William H. The effects of forest cutting on forested systems and the biotic components of those systems has been at the forefront of scientific research. The inventory and monitoring of biodiversity is one technique used for measuring the effects of forest management. Because bioinventory studies are expensive, indicator species are often sought to serve as surrogates for the entire biotic community. Insects may be useful as indicator species. The purpose of this study was to perform an inventory of the ground dwelling beetles of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, and then use that inventory to assess the impact of forest management. Beetle communities were compared over time (17 years) and across variously aged stands and associated floral communities to determine the effects of clear-cut management. Pitfall traps were used at 37 sites to collect ground dwelling Coleoptera over a three week period in 1982, 1983, and 1999. A total of 11,191 individuals of 224 species were collected. The resultant catch was analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Results showed significantly different beetle communities among the four seral stages sampled. Beetles were more abundant in old growth sites. Species diversity was highest in clear-cut sites. Vegetation association was shown to significantly affect beetle communities, but was dependent on level of definition. Time also significantly affected beetle communities, with the beetle assemblages following a predictable trajectory parallel to vegetation succession. Functional group composition was found to change significantly over time, but was inconsistent between years. Title: Ground dwelling beetles in early and late successional forests in the western Cascades of Oregon Author: Heyborne, William H. The effects of forest cutting on forested systems and the biotic components of those systems has been at the forefront of scientific research. The inventory and monitoring of biodiversity is one technique used for measuring the effects of forest management. Because bioinventory studies are expensive, indicator species are often sought to serve as surrogates for the entire biotic community. Insects may be useful as indicator species. The purpose of this study was to perform an inventory of the ground dwelling beetles of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, and then use that inventory to assess the impact of forest management. Beetle communities were compared over time (17 years) and across variously aged stands and associated floral communities to determine the effects of clear-cut management. Pitfall traps were used at 37 sites to collect ground dwelling Coleoptera over a three week period in 1982, 1983, and 1999. A total of 11,191 individuals of 224 species were collected. The resultant catch was analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Results showed significantly different beetle communities among the four seral stages sampled. Beetles were more abundant in old growth sites. Species diversity was highest in clear-cut sites. Vegetation association was shown to significantly affect beetle communities, but was dependent on level of definition. Time also significantly affected beetle communities, with the beetle assemblages following a predictable trajectory parallel to vegetation succession. Functional group composition was found to change significantly over time, but was inconsistent between years. Close

• 5. [Article] Distribution and abundance of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates in the Galapagos Islands

  The Galapagos Islands, located off the coast of Ecuador, have a spatially diverse marine environment suitable for a variety of species with different climatic requirements. A year-long inventory program ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Distribution and abundance of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates in the Galapagos Islands Author: Figueroa, Diego The Galapagos Islands, located off the coast of Ecuador, have a spatially diverse marine environment suitable for a variety of species with different climatic requirements. A year-long inventory program was carried out in 2000-2001 to provide baseline data on the abundances and distribution of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates. The purposes of this analysis are to use these data to describe the major trends in the community composition of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates and to relate the observed community structure to environmental parameters. A series of Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NIMS) ordinations, Multi-Response Permutation Procedures (MRPP) and Indicator Species Analyses (ISA) were performed on the community data. The results are analyzed with respect to major climate zones, upwelling regimes, prevalent benthic community, regional distribution of species, and habitat preferences. The results show that the community of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates in the Galapagos has a considerable degree of structure. Although most environmental variables do not show a strong relationship with individual ordination axes, a clear pattern can be discerned. The species composition of the communities in the warm tropical zone to the north is different from that of the coldest zone of the islands in the west. The community composition of the central and southern zones do not separate as clearly in the ordination space, but the communities belonging to the cool southern region are more similar to those of the tropical zone than to those of the coldest western region. Weaker patterns of community structure are observed when analyzing the data with respect to upwelling regime and community type (algal or coral). When groups of sites are defined with respect to environmental attributes, MRPP shows that there are small differences in species composition between groups, while Indicator Species Analysis yields several strong indicators for each group. The results of the ordination, MRPP tests, and Indicator Species Analysis suggest that the majority of fish and macro-invertebrate species of Galapagos are generalists, found across all environmental gradients; but that there are also significant numbers of more specialized species that occur in only limited regions. In order to properly protect these specialized species, fully protected zones should be established in each of these different regions. This study provides a baseline for future studies of nearshore marine faunistics in Galapagos. Future studies of the community structure of fish and macro-invertebrates in the Galapagos Islands will be able to document changes by comparing their results to those presented here. This information can then be used to help identify causes for changes, whether they are natural or anthropogenic. Title: Distribution and abundance of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates in the Galapagos Islands Author: Figueroa, Diego The Galapagos Islands, located off the coast of Ecuador, have a spatially diverse marine environment suitable for a variety of species with different climatic requirements. A year-long inventory program was carried out in 2000-2001 to provide baseline data on the abundances and distribution of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates. The purposes of this analysis are to use these data to describe the major trends in the community composition of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates and to relate the observed community structure to environmental parameters. A series of Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NIMS) ordinations, Multi-Response Permutation Procedures (MRPP) and Indicator Species Analyses (ISA) were performed on the community data. The results are analyzed with respect to major climate zones, upwelling regimes, prevalent benthic community, regional distribution of species, and habitat preferences. The results show that the community of coastal fish and macro-invertebrates in the Galapagos has a considerable degree of structure. Although most environmental variables do not show a strong relationship with individual ordination axes, a clear pattern can be discerned. The species composition of the communities in the warm tropical zone to the north is different from that of the coldest zone of the islands in the west. The community composition of the central and southern zones do not separate as clearly in the ordination space, but the communities belonging to the cool southern region are more similar to those of the tropical zone than to those of the coldest western region. Weaker patterns of community structure are observed when analyzing the data with respect to upwelling regime and community type (algal or coral). When groups of sites are defined with respect to environmental attributes, MRPP shows that there are small differences in species composition between groups, while Indicator Species Analysis yields several strong indicators for each group. The results of the ordination, MRPP tests, and Indicator Species Analysis suggest that the majority of fish and macro-invertebrate species of Galapagos are generalists, found across all environmental gradients; but that there are also significant numbers of more specialized species that occur in only limited regions. In order to properly protect these specialized species, fully protected zones should be established in each of these different regions. This study provides a baseline for future studies of nearshore marine faunistics in Galapagos. Future studies of the community structure of fish and macro-invertebrates in the Galapagos Islands will be able to document changes by comparing their results to those presented here. This information can then be used to help identify causes for changes, whether they are natural or anthropogenic. Close

• 6. [Article] Non-native and native plant species distributions and variability along an elevation gradient in the Wallowa Mountains, Oregon

  Invasion by non-native plants into natural areas is an important component of global change that threatens biodiversity and ecosystem structure and function. Mountains are currently among the least invaded ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Non-native and native plant species distributions and variability along an elevation gradient in the Wallowa Mountains, Oregon Author: Averett, Joshua P. Invasion by non-native plants into natural areas is an important component of global change that threatens biodiversity and ecosystem structure and function. Mountains are currently among the least invaded ecosystems, however, these biodiversity hotspots are increasingly under threat of exotic plant invasion. Evaluation of plant species distribution patterns in mountain ecosystems can provide insight into dominant processes of plant invasion and inform management to reduce the spread of non-native plants in mountains. The objectives of this study were to: 1) evaluate the main drivers of plant invasions in the Wallowa Mountain Range of northeastern Oregon, and the extent patterns of native species distributions and their causes differed from non-native species along an elevation gradient; and 2) investigate inter- and intra-annual understory vascular plant species variability along an elevation gradient to inform long-term monitoring of plant invasion dynamics in the Wallowa Mountains. We sampled understory vascular plant communities in summer 2012 along three forest roads in the Wallowa Mountains. Transects (n=20) were evenly stratified by elevation (60 meters) along each road. Indicator species analysis (ISA) was used to identify habitat tendencies for non-native species. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) related community composition to environmental and species trait factors. Predictors of non-native and native species abundance and richness were evaluated using Non-parametric multiplicative regression (NPMR). Canopy openness and elevation niche widths were modeled for all common species and evaluated for evidence of high elevation or closed canopy specialization. Non-native species richness decreased continuously with increasing elevation. In contrast, native species richness displayed a unimodal distribution with maximum richness at the mid-elevations. According to NMS and NPMR, elevation, canopy openness, and disturbance were the strongest correlates of non-native species abundance. Non-native species were concentrated in low elevation bunchgrass, roadside, and open forest habitats with high canopy openness, and moderate to high disturbance intensity. Overlays of species trait factors onto ordinations revealed that the transition into the subalpine community and over-story canopy closure exceeding approximately 60 percent were potential barriers to non-native species establishment. Vegetation sampling was repeated three times (June, July, and August 2013) during the growing season in summer 2013 for a subset (n=10) of our transects. Blocked Multi Response Permutation Procedure (MRBP) was used to test the hypothesis of no change in species composition between years (summer 2012 and summer 2013) and between each sampling period (June, July, and August) within one growing season. NMS related community composition at different times to environmental and trait category factors. Blocked Indicator Species Analysis was used to identify species with tendencies towards specific sampling periods. Important predictors of vegetation change were identified and indicator species distributions were related to NMS axes using NPMR. Vegetation composition changed both between years and between each sampling period within one growing season. Species richness increased with sampling effort, dominant species were consistently found throughout all sampling periods and rare species showed the highest rate of turnover between sampling periods. The highest species richness and greatest number of indicator species were associated with the early summer (June) sampling period. Approximately 25% of all non-native species showed tendencies towards a specific sampling period where greater than half favored the June sampling period within lowland bunchgrass communities. Annual species including the most dominant non-native species within the lowland and montane zones showed the highest inter- and intra-annual variability compared to other trait categories. Total species richness was positively related to turnover and was the most important predictor of relative abundance change between all sampling periods. Species turnover was highest in species rich montane plots; however, trait abundance and richness did not statistically differ in montane plots. These data suggest that elevation, canopy, openness, and disturbance are important factors structuring non-native plant distributions in the Wallowa Mountains. Our findings that non-native species tended to be concentrated in low elevation, early successional habitats coupled with a lack of high elevation or closed canopy specialization indicates that non-native plants that occurr at the highest elevations are likely generalist species that depend on disturbance (primarily open over-story canopy) for spread into higher elevation sites until they are eventually filtered out by harsh environmental conditions coincident with the subalpine transition zone. Collectively these results suggest that interactions between introduction pathways that favor human assisted dispersal into the low-elevations where ruderal species are favored and environmental filters (elevation, canopy openness, and disturbance) are the dominant factors structuring non-native plant distributions in the Wallowa Mountains. Our results also indicate that long-term monitoring of vegetation change in the Wallowa Mountains will be improved through periodic sampling during each growing season. Sampling once during the spring or early summer and then again coincident with peak biomass should improve estimates of species distributions and diversity patterns by capturing both vernal and late season species. Early season sampling may be particularly important for monitoring non-native plants in the Wallowa Mountains as most non-natives were concentrated in low elevation semiarid bunchgrass communities where spring and early summer specialization is common. Title: Non-native and native plant species distributions and variability along an elevation gradient in the Wallowa Mountains, Oregon Author: Averett, Joshua P. Invasion by non-native plants into natural areas is an important component of global change that threatens biodiversity and ecosystem structure and function. Mountains are currently among the least invaded ecosystems, however, these biodiversity hotspots are increasingly under threat of exotic plant invasion. Evaluation of plant species distribution patterns in mountain ecosystems can provide insight into dominant processes of plant invasion and inform management to reduce the spread of non-native plants in mountains. The objectives of this study were to: 1) evaluate the main drivers of plant invasions in the Wallowa Mountain Range of northeastern Oregon, and the extent patterns of native species distributions and their causes differed from non-native species along an elevation gradient; and 2) investigate inter- and intra-annual understory vascular plant species variability along an elevation gradient to inform long-term monitoring of plant invasion dynamics in the Wallowa Mountains. We sampled understory vascular plant communities in summer 2012 along three forest roads in the Wallowa Mountains. Transects (n=20) were evenly stratified by elevation (60 meters) along each road. Indicator species analysis (ISA) was used to identify habitat tendencies for non-native species. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) related community composition to environmental and species trait factors. Predictors of non-native and native species abundance and richness were evaluated using Non-parametric multiplicative regression (NPMR). Canopy openness and elevation niche widths were modeled for all common species and evaluated for evidence of high elevation or closed canopy specialization. Non-native species richness decreased continuously with increasing elevation. In contrast, native species richness displayed a unimodal distribution with maximum richness at the mid-elevations. According to NMS and NPMR, elevation, canopy openness, and disturbance were the strongest correlates of non-native species abundance. Non-native species were concentrated in low elevation bunchgrass, roadside, and open forest habitats with high canopy openness, and moderate to high disturbance intensity. Overlays of species trait factors onto ordinations revealed that the transition into the subalpine community and over-story canopy closure exceeding approximately 60 percent were potential barriers to non-native species establishment. Vegetation sampling was repeated three times (June, July, and August 2013) during the growing season in summer 2013 for a subset (n=10) of our transects. Blocked Multi Response Permutation Procedure (MRBP) was used to test the hypothesis of no change in species composition between years (summer 2012 and summer 2013) and between each sampling period (June, July, and August) within one growing season. NMS related community composition at different times to environmental and trait category factors. Blocked Indicator Species Analysis was used to identify species with tendencies towards specific sampling periods. Important predictors of vegetation change were identified and indicator species distributions were related to NMS axes using NPMR. Vegetation composition changed both between years and between each sampling period within one growing season. Species richness increased with sampling effort, dominant species were consistently found throughout all sampling periods and rare species showed the highest rate of turnover between sampling periods. The highest species richness and greatest number of indicator species were associated with the early summer (June) sampling period. Approximately 25% of all non-native species showed tendencies towards a specific sampling period where greater than half favored the June sampling period within lowland bunchgrass communities. Annual species including the most dominant non-native species within the lowland and montane zones showed the highest inter- and intra-annual variability compared to other trait categories. Total species richness was positively related to turnover and was the most important predictor of relative abundance change between all sampling periods. Species turnover was highest in species rich montane plots; however, trait abundance and richness did not statistically differ in montane plots. These data suggest that elevation, canopy, openness, and disturbance are important factors structuring non-native plant distributions in the Wallowa Mountains. Our findings that non-native species tended to be concentrated in low elevation, early successional habitats coupled with a lack of high elevation or closed canopy specialization indicates that non-native plants that occurr at the highest elevations are likely generalist species that depend on disturbance (primarily open over-story canopy) for spread into higher elevation sites until they are eventually filtered out by harsh environmental conditions coincident with the subalpine transition zone. Collectively these results suggest that interactions between introduction pathways that favor human assisted dispersal into the low-elevations where ruderal species are favored and environmental filters (elevation, canopy openness, and disturbance) are the dominant factors structuring non-native plant distributions in the Wallowa Mountains. Our results also indicate that long-term monitoring of vegetation change in the Wallowa Mountains will be improved through periodic sampling during each growing season. Sampling once during the spring or early summer and then again coincident with peak biomass should improve estimates of species distributions and diversity patterns by capturing both vernal and late season species. Early season sampling may be particularly important for monitoring non-native plants in the Wallowa Mountains as most non-natives were concentrated in low elevation semiarid bunchgrass communities where spring and early summer specialization is common. Close

• 7. [Article] Using Landsat TM Imagery to Monitor Vegetation Change Following Flow Restoration to the Lower Owens River, California

  Rehabilitating river corridors to restore valuable riparian habitat consumes significant resources from both governments and private companies. Given these considerable expenditures, it is important to ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Using Landsat TM Imagery to Monitor Vegetation Change Following Flow Restoration to the Lower Owens River, California Author: Bross, Lesley Crandell Year: 2015 Rehabilitating river corridors to restore valuable riparian habitat consumes significant resources from both governments and private companies. Given these considerable expenditures, it is important to monitor the progress of such projects. This study evaluated the utility of using Landsat Thematic Mapper remotely-sensed data from 2002 and 2009 to monitor vegetation change induced by instream flow restoration to the Lower Owens River in central California. This study compared the results of an unsupervised classification with an NDVI threshold classification to appraise the resources required and effectiveness of each analysis method. The results were inspected by creating standard remote sensing accuracy error matrices and by correlating landscape pattern metrics with bird indicator species. Both sets of classified maps show a noticeable increase in riparian vegetation in the study area following flow restoration in 2006, indicating an improvement of the quality of bird habitat. The study concluded that analyzing vegetation change using the unsupervised classification technique required more effort, expert knowledge, and supplementary data than using the NDVI threshold method. If these prerequisites are met, the output from the unsupervised classification process produces a more precise map of land cover change than the NDVI threshold method. However, if an analyst is lacking either resources or ground verification data, the NDVI threshold technique is capable of providing a generalized, but still valid evaluation of vegetation change. This conclusion is supported by higher correlations between indicator bird species under the unsupervised classification method than were found with the NDVI threshold method. Title: Using Landsat TM Imagery to Monitor Vegetation Change Following Flow Restoration to the Lower Owens River, California Author: Bross, Lesley Crandell Year: 2015 Rehabilitating river corridors to restore valuable riparian habitat consumes significant resources from both governments and private companies. Given these considerable expenditures, it is important to monitor the progress of such projects. This study evaluated the utility of using Landsat Thematic Mapper remotely-sensed data from 2002 and 2009 to monitor vegetation change induced by instream flow restoration to the Lower Owens River in central California. This study compared the results of an unsupervised classification with an NDVI threshold classification to appraise the resources required and effectiveness of each analysis method. The results were inspected by creating standard remote sensing accuracy error matrices and by correlating landscape pattern metrics with bird indicator species. Both sets of classified maps show a noticeable increase in riparian vegetation in the study area following flow restoration in 2006, indicating an improvement of the quality of bird habitat. The study concluded that analyzing vegetation change using the unsupervised classification technique required more effort, expert knowledge, and supplementary data than using the NDVI threshold method. If these prerequisites are met, the output from the unsupervised classification process produces a more precise map of land cover change than the NDVI threshold method. However, if an analyst is lacking either resources or ground verification data, the NDVI threshold technique is capable of providing a generalized, but still valid evaluation of vegetation change. This conclusion is supported by higher correlations between indicator bird species under the unsupervised classification method than were found with the NDVI threshold method. Close

• 8. [Article] Non-forest Plant Communities of the Northern Oregon Coast Range and Vicinity Draft Report

  DRAFT REPORT. In 2013 – 2015, reconnaissance observations were made across non-forest habitats on FS and BLM land in the Coast Range and Cascade foothills within the Salem and Eugene BLM district areas ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Non-forest Plant Communities of the Northern Oregon Coast Range and Vicinity Draft Report Author: Glavich, Doug DRAFT REPORT. In 2013 – 2015, reconnaissance observations were made across non-forest habitats on FS and BLM land in the Coast Range and Cascade foothills within the Salem and Eugene BLM district areas for plant communities that did not fit the USFS Northwest Oregon Non-forest Plant Community guide. Surveys were limited to prioritized selected USGS quad maps and some additional known special habitat areas. The objective was to sample a minimum of 5 plots per suspected new plant community across all topographic positions observed. Plots were placed to best represent the plant community. Environmental data and percent cover were recorded. Data from similar plant communities in the Non-forest Plant Communities of the northern Oregon Cascades (McCain et al. 2014) were combined with the new data and analyzed with One-Way Cluster Analysis using PC-ORD software (McCune & Mefford 2002) to determine group membership of the plots. Indicator Species Analysis was used to identify plant species indicators for each of the communities, and these were further tested in Multiple Response Permutation Procedures analysis in PC-ORD software, which tests membership among groups (McCune & Mefford 2002). Plant community groups were named based on most significant indicator species or highest constancy in the group. The plant community data set and a secondary matrix of field collected and calculated environmental data were run through Non-metrical Multidimensional Scaling Ordination (NMS) in PC-ORD software to examine community and environmental relationships. Cascade plant community plots reasonably separated from new plant community plots in cluster analysis. 12 plant communities that appear different than those found in the Cascades: Roemer’s fescue – coastal, Roemer’s fescue—high bald, blue wild rye, star-flowered lily-of-the-valley—California sedge, golden slenderbanner, California fescue, Virginia strawberry—California oatgrass, Oregon Sunshine –Coast Range, spreading phlox –Coast Range, Wallace’s spikemoss—Cascade desert parsley, rusty saxifrage—short camas, crevice alumroot—wood saxifrage. These plant communities are draft types and review is needed to determine final defined plant communities. Title: Non-forest Plant Communities of the Northern Oregon Coast Range and Vicinity Draft Report Author: Glavich, Doug DRAFT REPORT. In 2013 – 2015, reconnaissance observations were made across non-forest habitats on FS and BLM land in the Coast Range and Cascade foothills within the Salem and Eugene BLM district areas for plant communities that did not fit the USFS Northwest Oregon Non-forest Plant Community guide. Surveys were limited to prioritized selected USGS quad maps and some additional known special habitat areas. The objective was to sample a minimum of 5 plots per suspected new plant community across all topographic positions observed. Plots were placed to best represent the plant community. Environmental data and percent cover were recorded. Data from similar plant communities in the Non-forest Plant Communities of the northern Oregon Cascades (McCain et al. 2014) were combined with the new data and analyzed with One-Way Cluster Analysis using PC-ORD software (McCune & Mefford 2002) to determine group membership of the plots. Indicator Species Analysis was used to identify plant species indicators for each of the communities, and these were further tested in Multiple Response Permutation Procedures analysis in PC-ORD software, which tests membership among groups (McCune & Mefford 2002). Plant community groups were named based on most significant indicator species or highest constancy in the group. The plant community data set and a secondary matrix of field collected and calculated environmental data were run through Non-metrical Multidimensional Scaling Ordination (NMS) in PC-ORD software to examine community and environmental relationships. Cascade plant community plots reasonably separated from new plant community plots in cluster analysis. 12 plant communities that appear different than those found in the Cascades: Roemer’s fescue – coastal, Roemer’s fescue—high bald, blue wild rye, star-flowered lily-of-the-valley—California sedge, golden slenderbanner, California fescue, Virginia strawberry—California oatgrass, Oregon Sunshine –Coast Range, spreading phlox –Coast Range, Wallace’s spikemoss—Cascade desert parsley, rusty saxifrage—short camas, crevice alumroot—wood saxifrage. These plant communities are draft types and review is needed to determine final defined plant communities. Close

• 9. [Article] 60 years of avian community change in the Willamette Valley, Oregon

  Birds perform valuable ecological functions and are useful environmental indicators. Avian distributions and diversity are predicted to change over the next 50 years. Little information exists on the role ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: 60 years of avian community change in the Willamette Valley, Oregon Author: Curtis, Jenna Birds perform valuable ecological functions and are useful environmental indicators. Avian distributions and diversity are predicted to change over the next 50 years. Little information exists on the role of local and regional conditions in fluctuations of avian communities over time. Historic datasets present a legacy of information that helps to understand changes in avian community composition. This study utilizes a rare, highly detailed avian survey of sites in the Willamette Valley, Oregon from 1952 (Eddy 1953). Because they include counts for all species detected on each survey, these data are uniquely valuable to understanding how avian species assemblages in the Willamette Valley changed. I resurveyed sites in 2013 to quantify the nature and extent of avian community compositional change. I used aerial photographs and satellite imagery to quantify changes in land use and habitat cover between periods. I compared metrics of avian alpha, beta, and gamma diversity between survey periods on multiple spatial extents. I also tested for shifts in categorical species abundances. Data was ordinated along environmental gradients to determine important axes of change between historic and modern species assemblages. Nonparametric procedures identified indicator species for each survey era. Observed differences between historic and modern communities suggested substantial turnover; nearly 50% of species were replaced over 60 years. Species richness increased on both local and regional spatial extents. Modern avian communities tended towards bimodal, less even distributions of abundances. Ordination of survey sites in species space confirmed modern avian communities were different from their historic counterparts. However, sites underwent relatively little change in vegetation and land use cover between survey eras. Indicator species characterized changes in regional abundances as well as differences in survey methodologies between eras. I took additional steps to confirm discrepancies in site location, survey effort, and detection probabilities did not influence analyses. These results suggest avian species assemblages are naturally dynamic. Complex processes outside of local habitat characteristics may influence community composition. Additional factors, such as vegetation structure and composition should be considered when modeling future shifts in species assemblage. Despite uncertainties in methodology, the historic data in this research provided unique, valuable insight into long-term changes in avian communities. Title: 60 years of avian community change in the Willamette Valley, Oregon Author: Curtis, Jenna Birds perform valuable ecological functions and are useful environmental indicators. Avian distributions and diversity are predicted to change over the next 50 years. Little information exists on the role of local and regional conditions in fluctuations of avian communities over time. Historic datasets present a legacy of information that helps to understand changes in avian community composition. This study utilizes a rare, highly detailed avian survey of sites in the Willamette Valley, Oregon from 1952 (Eddy 1953). Because they include counts for all species detected on each survey, these data are uniquely valuable to understanding how avian species assemblages in the Willamette Valley changed. I resurveyed sites in 2013 to quantify the nature and extent of avian community compositional change. I used aerial photographs and satellite imagery to quantify changes in land use and habitat cover between periods. I compared metrics of avian alpha, beta, and gamma diversity between survey periods on multiple spatial extents. I also tested for shifts in categorical species abundances. Data was ordinated along environmental gradients to determine important axes of change between historic and modern species assemblages. Nonparametric procedures identified indicator species for each survey era. Observed differences between historic and modern communities suggested substantial turnover; nearly 50% of species were replaced over 60 years. Species richness increased on both local and regional spatial extents. Modern avian communities tended towards bimodal, less even distributions of abundances. Ordination of survey sites in species space confirmed modern avian communities were different from their historic counterparts. However, sites underwent relatively little change in vegetation and land use cover between survey eras. Indicator species characterized changes in regional abundances as well as differences in survey methodologies between eras. I took additional steps to confirm discrepancies in site location, survey effort, and detection probabilities did not influence analyses. These results suggest avian species assemblages are naturally dynamic. Complex processes outside of local habitat characteristics may influence community composition. Additional factors, such as vegetation structure and composition should be considered when modeling future shifts in species assemblage. Despite uncertainties in methodology, the historic data in this research provided unique, valuable insight into long-term changes in avian communities. Close

• 10. [Article] General management principles and a checklist of strategies to guide forest biodiversity conservation

  Many indicators and criteria have been proposed to assess the sustainable management of forests but their scientific validity remains uncertain. Because the effects of forest disturbances (such as logging) ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: General management principles and a checklist of strategies to guide forest biodiversity conservation Author: Fischer, J., Lindenmayer, D.B., Franklin, J.F. Many indicators and criteria have been proposed to assess the sustainable management of forests but their scientific validity remains uncertain. Because the effects of forest disturbances (such as logging) are often specific to particular species, sites, landscapes, regions and forest types, management ‘‘shortcuts’’ such as indicator species, focal species and threshold levels of vegetation cover may be of limited generic value. We propose an alternative approach based on a set of five guiding principles for biodiversity conservation that are broadly applicable to any forested area: (1) the maintenance of connectivity; (2) the maintenance of landscape heterogeneity; (3) the maintenance of stand structural complexity; and (4) the maintenance of aquatic ecosystem integrity; (5) the use of natural disturbance regimes to guide human disturbance regimes. We present a checklist of measures for forest biodiversity conservation that reflects the multi-scaled nature of conservation approaches on forested land. At the regional scale, management should ensure the establishment of large ecological reserves. At the landscape scale, off-reserve conservation measures should include: (1) protected areas within production forests; (2) buffers for aquatic ecosystems; (3) appropriately designed and located road networks; (4) the careful spatial and temporal arrangement of harvest units; and (5) appropriate fire management practices. At the stand level, off-reserve conservation measures should include: (1) the retention of key elements of stand structural complexity (e.g., large living and dead trees with hollows, understorey thickets, and large fallen logs); (2) long rotation times (coupled with structural retention at harvest); (3) silvicultural systems alternative to traditional high impact ones (e.g., clearcutting in some forest types); and (4) appropriate fire management practices and practices for the management of other kinds of disturbances. Although the general ecological principles and associated checklist are intuitive, data to evaluate the effectiveness of many specific on-the-ground management actions are limited. Considerable effort is needed to adopt adaptive management ‘‘natural experiments’’ and monitoring to: (1) better identify the impacts of logging operations and other kinds of management activities on biodiversity, and; (2) quantify the effectiveness of impact mitigation strategies; and (3) identify ways to improve management practices. Title: General management principles and a checklist of strategies to guide forest biodiversity conservation Author: Fischer, J., Lindenmayer, D.B., Franklin, J.F. Many indicators and criteria have been proposed to assess the sustainable management of forests but their scientific validity remains uncertain. Because the effects of forest disturbances (such as logging) are often specific to particular species, sites, landscapes, regions and forest types, management ‘‘shortcuts’’ such as indicator species, focal species and threshold levels of vegetation cover may be of limited generic value. We propose an alternative approach based on a set of five guiding principles for biodiversity conservation that are broadly applicable to any forested area: (1) the maintenance of connectivity; (2) the maintenance of landscape heterogeneity; (3) the maintenance of stand structural complexity; and (4) the maintenance of aquatic ecosystem integrity; (5) the use of natural disturbance regimes to guide human disturbance regimes. We present a checklist of measures for forest biodiversity conservation that reflects the multi-scaled nature of conservation approaches on forested land. At the regional scale, management should ensure the establishment of large ecological reserves. At the landscape scale, off-reserve conservation measures should include: (1) protected areas within production forests; (2) buffers for aquatic ecosystems; (3) appropriately designed and located road networks; (4) the careful spatial and temporal arrangement of harvest units; and (5) appropriate fire management practices. At the stand level, off-reserve conservation measures should include: (1) the retention of key elements of stand structural complexity (e.g., large living and dead trees with hollows, understorey thickets, and large fallen logs); (2) long rotation times (coupled with structural retention at harvest); (3) silvicultural systems alternative to traditional high impact ones (e.g., clearcutting in some forest types); and (4) appropriate fire management practices and practices for the management of other kinds of disturbances. Although the general ecological principles and associated checklist are intuitive, data to evaluate the effectiveness of many specific on-the-ground management actions are limited. Considerable effort is needed to adopt adaptive management ‘‘natural experiments’’ and monitoring to: (1) better identify the impacts of logging operations and other kinds of management activities on biodiversity, and; (2) quantify the effectiveness of impact mitigation strategies; and (3) identify ways to improve management practices. Close