Search

Search Results

• 31. [Article] Vegetation, Environmental Characteristics, and their Relationships: Variation within the Annually Flooded Riparian Zones of the John Day River Basin, Oregon

  I hypothesized that vegetation and physical environmental characteristics would differ between the upper and lower extents of the annually flooded riparian zone on the John Day River, and that relationships ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Vegetation, Environmental Characteristics, and their Relationships: Variation within the Annually Flooded Riparian Zones of the John Day River Basin, Oregon Author: Hartsfield, Samuel J. Year: 2009 I hypothesized that vegetation and physical environmental characteristics would differ between the upper and lower extents of the annually flooded riparian zone on the John Day River, and that relationships between species and environmental variables would display differences between these two zones. Vegetation, environmental variables, and relationships between them were assessed for the entire annually flooded riparian zone, and for the proposed upper and lower zones. Data were collected from 60 one-square-meter quadrats: 30 in each the upper and lower zones. Sites were randomly selected and located so that flood duration was roughly equal at all sites within each zone. 34 plant species were encountered: 25 in the upper zone, 27 in the lower zone. Wetland obligate and facultative wetland species groups and eight individual species accounted for statistically different percentages ofquadrat cover between zones. ANOSIM analysis identified two statistically distinct vegetation communities between the two zones. Soil texture averaged 75.85% sand and 20.81% fines. Sand ranged between 36.69% and 95.55%. Fines ranged between 2.54% and 58.84%. A horizon depths and fine soil particle concentrations were greater in the upper zone. Coarser soils with more sand and gravel dominated the lower zone. All enviromnental variables studied, except pH, were highly variable throughout the study area. ANOSIM analysis results suggest that the upper and lower zones have distinct, statistically different physical environments from each other. Regression analyses relating species quadrat cover to physical environmental variables were performed for the total, upper, and lower riparian zones. Numerous differences were identified between the upper and lower riparian zones that the riparian scale analyses did not represent accurately. There were ten instances in which the zone scale analyses identified a relationship in either the upper or lower zone, while the corresponding riparian scale analysis failed to identify any relationship. The results of this study indicate that vegetation and the physical environment are statistically different between the upper and lower zones on this river, and that relationships between a given plant species and environmental variable can vary between zones. Future research and management efforts should consider and address the potential for such between-zone variation. Title: Vegetation, Environmental Characteristics, and their Relationships: Variation within the Annually Flooded Riparian Zones of the John Day River Basin, Oregon Author: Hartsfield, Samuel J. Year: 2009 I hypothesized that vegetation and physical environmental characteristics would differ between the upper and lower extents of the annually flooded riparian zone on the John Day River, and that relationships between species and environmental variables would display differences between these two zones. Vegetation, environmental variables, and relationships between them were assessed for the entire annually flooded riparian zone, and for the proposed upper and lower zones. Data were collected from 60 one-square-meter quadrats: 30 in each the upper and lower zones. Sites were randomly selected and located so that flood duration was roughly equal at all sites within each zone. 34 plant species were encountered: 25 in the upper zone, 27 in the lower zone. Wetland obligate and facultative wetland species groups and eight individual species accounted for statistically different percentages ofquadrat cover between zones. ANOSIM analysis identified two statistically distinct vegetation communities between the two zones. Soil texture averaged 75.85% sand and 20.81% fines. Sand ranged between 36.69% and 95.55%. Fines ranged between 2.54% and 58.84%. A horizon depths and fine soil particle concentrations were greater in the upper zone. Coarser soils with more sand and gravel dominated the lower zone. All enviromnental variables studied, except pH, were highly variable throughout the study area. ANOSIM analysis results suggest that the upper and lower zones have distinct, statistically different physical environments from each other. Regression analyses relating species quadrat cover to physical environmental variables were performed for the total, upper, and lower riparian zones. Numerous differences were identified between the upper and lower riparian zones that the riparian scale analyses did not represent accurately. There were ten instances in which the zone scale analyses identified a relationship in either the upper or lower zone, while the corresponding riparian scale analysis failed to identify any relationship. The results of this study indicate that vegetation and the physical environment are statistically different between the upper and lower zones on this river, and that relationships between a given plant species and environmental variable can vary between zones. Future research and management efforts should consider and address the potential for such between-zone variation. Close

• 32. [Article] Climate Change and Land Management Impact Rangeland Condition and Sage-Grouse Habitat in Southeastern Oregon

  Contemporary pressures on sagebrush steppe from climate change, exotic species, wildfire, and land use change threaten rangeland species such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). To ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Climate Change and Land Management Impact Rangeland Condition and Sage-Grouse Habitat in Southeastern Oregon Author: Creutzburg, Megan K., Henderson, Emilie B., Conklin, David R. Year: 2015 Contemporary pressures on sagebrush steppe from climate change, exotic species, wildfire, and land use change threaten rangeland species such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). To effectively manage sagebrush steppe landscapes for long-term goals, managers need information about the potential impacts of climate change, disturbances, and management activities. We integrated information from a dynamic global vegetation model, a sage-grouse habitat climate envelope model, and a state-and-transition simulation model to project broad-scale vegetation dynamics and potential sage-grouse habitat across 23.5 million acres in southeastern Oregon. We evaluated four climate scenarios, including continuing current climate and three scenarios of global climate change, and three management scenarios, including no management, current management and a sage-grouse habitat restoration scenario. All climate change scenarios projected expansion of moist shrub steppe and contraction of dry shrub steppe, but climate scenarios varied widely in the projected extent of xeric shrub steppe, where hot, dry summer conditions are unfavorable for sage-grouse. Wildfire increased by 26% over the century under current climate due to exotic grass encroachment, and by two- to four-fold across all climate change scenarios as extreme fire years became more frequent. Exotic grasses rapidly expanded in all scenarios as large areas of the landscape initially in semi-degraded condition converted to exotic-dominated systems. Due to the combination of exotic grass invasion, juniper encroachment, and climatic unsuitability for sage-grouse, projected sage-grouse habitat declined in the first several decades, but increased in area under the three climate change scenarios later in the century, as moist shrub steppe increased and rangeland condition improved. Management activities in the model were generally unsuccessful in controlling exotic grass invasion but were effective in slowing woodland expansion. Current levels of restoration treatments were insufficient to prevent some juniper expansion, but increased treatment rates under the restoration scenario maintained juniper near initial levels in priority treatment areas. Our simulations indicate that climate change may have both positive and negative implications for maintaining sage-grouse habitat. Title: Climate Change and Land Management Impact Rangeland Condition and Sage-Grouse Habitat in Southeastern Oregon Author: Creutzburg, Megan K., Henderson, Emilie B., Conklin, David R. Year: 2015 Contemporary pressures on sagebrush steppe from climate change, exotic species, wildfire, and land use change threaten rangeland species such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). To effectively manage sagebrush steppe landscapes for long-term goals, managers need information about the potential impacts of climate change, disturbances, and management activities. We integrated information from a dynamic global vegetation model, a sage-grouse habitat climate envelope model, and a state-and-transition simulation model to project broad-scale vegetation dynamics and potential sage-grouse habitat across 23.5 million acres in southeastern Oregon. We evaluated four climate scenarios, including continuing current climate and three scenarios of global climate change, and three management scenarios, including no management, current management and a sage-grouse habitat restoration scenario. All climate change scenarios projected expansion of moist shrub steppe and contraction of dry shrub steppe, but climate scenarios varied widely in the projected extent of xeric shrub steppe, where hot, dry summer conditions are unfavorable for sage-grouse. Wildfire increased by 26% over the century under current climate due to exotic grass encroachment, and by two- to four-fold across all climate change scenarios as extreme fire years became more frequent. Exotic grasses rapidly expanded in all scenarios as large areas of the landscape initially in semi-degraded condition converted to exotic-dominated systems. Due to the combination of exotic grass invasion, juniper encroachment, and climatic unsuitability for sage-grouse, projected sage-grouse habitat declined in the first several decades, but increased in area under the three climate change scenarios later in the century, as moist shrub steppe increased and rangeland condition improved. Management activities in the model were generally unsuccessful in controlling exotic grass invasion but were effective in slowing woodland expansion. Current levels of restoration treatments were insufficient to prevent some juniper expansion, but increased treatment rates under the restoration scenario maintained juniper near initial levels in priority treatment areas. Our simulations indicate that climate change may have both positive and negative implications for maintaining sage-grouse habitat. Close

• 33. [Article] Evaluation of Phase Change Materials for Cooling in a Super-Insulated Passive House

  Due to factors such as rising energy costs, diminishing resources, and climate change, the demand for high performance buildings is on the rise. As a result, several new building standards have emerged ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Evaluation of Phase Change Materials for Cooling in a Super-Insulated Passive House Author: Lauck, Jeffrey Stephen Year: 2013 Due to factors such as rising energy costs, diminishing resources, and climate change, the demand for high performance buildings is on the rise. As a result, several new building standards have emerged including the Passive House Standard, a rigorous energy-use standard based on a super-insulated and very tightly sealed building envelope. The standard requires that that air infiltration is less than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour at a 50 Pascal pressure difference, annual heating energy is less than or equal to 15kWh/m2, and total annual source energy is less than or equal to 120 kWh/m2. A common complaint about passive houses is that they tend to overheat. Prior research using simulation suggests that the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), which store heat as they melt and release heat as the freeze, can reduce the number of overheated hours and improve thermal comfort. In this study, an actual passive house duplex in Southeast Portland was thoroughly instrumented to monitor various air and surface temperatures. One unit contains 130kg of PCM while the other unit contains no PCM to serve as an experimental control. The performance of the PCM was evaluated through analysis of observed data and through additional simulation using an EnergyPlus model validated with observed data. The study found that installation of the PCM had a positive effect on thermal comfort, reducing the estimated overheated hours from about 400 to 200. Title: Evaluation of Phase Change Materials for Cooling in a Super-Insulated Passive House Author: Lauck, Jeffrey Stephen Year: 2013 Due to factors such as rising energy costs, diminishing resources, and climate change, the demand for high performance buildings is on the rise. As a result, several new building standards have emerged including the Passive House Standard, a rigorous energy-use standard based on a super-insulated and very tightly sealed building envelope. The standard requires that that air infiltration is less than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour at a 50 Pascal pressure difference, annual heating energy is less than or equal to 15kWh/m2, and total annual source energy is less than or equal to 120 kWh/m2. A common complaint about passive houses is that they tend to overheat. Prior research using simulation suggests that the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), which store heat as they melt and release heat as the freeze, can reduce the number of overheated hours and improve thermal comfort. In this study, an actual passive house duplex in Southeast Portland was thoroughly instrumented to monitor various air and surface temperatures. One unit contains 130kg of PCM while the other unit contains no PCM to serve as an experimental control. The performance of the PCM was evaluated through analysis of observed data and through additional simulation using an EnergyPlus model validated with observed data. The study found that installation of the PCM had a positive effect on thermal comfort, reducing the estimated overheated hours from about 400 to 200. Close

• 34. [Article] Conservation des habitats de Roussettes de Livingstone – Les Massifs Forestiers d’Anjouan et Moheli, Comores: Utilisation d’Indicateurs sociaux et ecologiques

  Le déboisement sur les lles d'Anjouan et Moheli a augmenté a un taux alarmant au cours de ce siecle (PNUD 1998). Ce changement de la couverture des sols et des forets naturelles a des consequences nefastes ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Conservation des habitats de Roussettes de Livingstone – Les Massifs Forestiers d’Anjouan et Moheli, Comores: Utilisation d’Indicateurs sociaux et ecologiques Author: Granek, Elise F. Year: 2000 Le déboisement sur les lles d'Anjouan et Moheli a augmenté a un taux alarmant au cours de ce siecle (PNUD 1998). Ce changement de la couverture des sols et des forets naturelles a des consequences nefastes pour toutes les especes vivant sur les iles, en particulier pour les especes vegetales et animales endemiques, et les communautes humaines locales. Pour diminuer la pression anthropique sur Ie milieu naturel, le Fonds pour l'Environnement Mondial et Ie PNUD ont mis en place un projet de cinq ans qui travaille avec Ie Ministere comorien de l'Environnement pour creer un reseau d'aires protegees dans les trois iles qui forment la Republique Federale Islamique des Comores (PNUD rapport non pub lie). Deux de ces aires protegees integreront le milieu forestier. II s'agit de l'aire protegee de Moheli et de celle de la foret de Lingoni it Anjouan. La creation d'une aire protegee capable d'assurer une protection durable de Ia faune endemique des milieux forestiers ne peut se faire qu'avec la participation des communautes locales. II est donc important de mettre en place une approche qui permette de considerer les dimensions sociales et ecologiques de la conservation. Title: Conservation des habitats de Roussettes de Livingstone – Les Massifs Forestiers d’Anjouan et Moheli, Comores: Utilisation d’Indicateurs sociaux et ecologiques Author: Granek, Elise F. Year: 2000 Le déboisement sur les lles d'Anjouan et Moheli a augmenté a un taux alarmant au cours de ce siecle (PNUD 1998). Ce changement de la couverture des sols et des forets naturelles a des consequences nefastes pour toutes les especes vivant sur les iles, en particulier pour les especes vegetales et animales endemiques, et les communautes humaines locales. Pour diminuer la pression anthropique sur Ie milieu naturel, le Fonds pour l'Environnement Mondial et Ie PNUD ont mis en place un projet de cinq ans qui travaille avec Ie Ministere comorien de l'Environnement pour creer un reseau d'aires protegees dans les trois iles qui forment la Republique Federale Islamique des Comores (PNUD rapport non pub lie). Deux de ces aires protegees integreront le milieu forestier. II s'agit de l'aire protegee de Moheli et de celle de la foret de Lingoni it Anjouan. La creation d'une aire protegee capable d'assurer une protection durable de Ia faune endemique des milieux forestiers ne peut se faire qu'avec la participation des communautes locales. II est donc important de mettre en place une approche qui permette de considerer les dimensions sociales et ecologiques de la conservation. Close

• 35. [Article] The Sociology of Landowner Interest in Restoring Fire-adapted, Biodiverse Habitats in the Wildland-Urban Interface Of Oregon's Willamette Valley Ecoregion

  In many parts of the world, the combined effects of wildfire, climate change, and population growth in the wildland-urban interface pose increasing risks to both people and biodiversity. These risks are ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Sociology of Landowner Interest in Restoring Fire-adapted, Biodiverse Habitats in the Wildland-Urban Interface Of Oregon's Willamette Valley Ecoregion Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max Year: 2011 In many parts of the world, the combined effects of wildfire, climate change, and population growth in the wildland-urban interface pose increasing risks to both people and biodiversity. These risks are exemplified in western Oregon’s Willamette Valley Ecoregion, where population is projected to double by 2050 and climate change is expected to increase wildfire risk. Restoring elements of the region’s historic fire-adapted prairie, savanna, and woodland habitats may help to reduce future wildfire risk and help conserve the region’s threatened biodiversity. We report on a mail survey (n = 939) examining the socio-demographic factors influencing private landowners’ likelihood of restoring fire-adapted habitats in the future. We found that newer landowners, landowners with a liberal political ideology, and landowners who have experienced wildfire are more likely to restore fire-adapted habitats in the future than their long-time owner, conservative, or inexperienced counterparts. However, experience with wildfire ceased to be a significant influence when we controlled for underlying landowner motivations for owning their property. Our findings can help planners and scientists better understand and account for the effects of a dynamic human population’s influence on landscape patterns, structures, and composition. Title: The Sociology of Landowner Interest in Restoring Fire-adapted, Biodiverse Habitats in the Wildland-Urban Interface Of Oregon's Willamette Valley Ecoregion Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max Year: 2011 In many parts of the world, the combined effects of wildfire, climate change, and population growth in the wildland-urban interface pose increasing risks to both people and biodiversity. These risks are exemplified in western Oregon’s Willamette Valley Ecoregion, where population is projected to double by 2050 and climate change is expected to increase wildfire risk. Restoring elements of the region’s historic fire-adapted prairie, savanna, and woodland habitats may help to reduce future wildfire risk and help conserve the region’s threatened biodiversity. We report on a mail survey (n = 939) examining the socio-demographic factors influencing private landowners’ likelihood of restoring fire-adapted habitats in the future. We found that newer landowners, landowners with a liberal political ideology, and landowners who have experienced wildfire are more likely to restore fire-adapted habitats in the future than their long-time owner, conservative, or inexperienced counterparts. However, experience with wildfire ceased to be a significant influence when we controlled for underlying landowner motivations for owning their property. Our findings can help planners and scientists better understand and account for the effects of a dynamic human population’s influence on landscape patterns, structures, and composition. Close

• 36. [Article] Relationships that Extend Beyond the Fence-Line: Private Landowner Attitudes and Interest in Conservation Easements

  Private land conservation provides an opportunity to address problems of habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss caused by an increase in the development and parcelization of private land. Conservation ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Relationships that Extend Beyond the Fence-Line: Private Landowner Attitudes and Interest in Conservation Easements Author: Vizek, Ashley Lyn Year: 2016 Private land conservation provides an opportunity to address problems of habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss caused by an increase in the development and parcelization of private land. Conservation easements (CEs) are an innovative tool used by land trusts to protect significant natural qualities of private land in perpetuity, while also allowing the land to remain in private ownership. Traditionally, property represents an individualistic relationship, however, CEs redefine this relationship by seeking to maximize the overlap in private and public goods in property. In this study, I explore the relationship between the common good and private property through an analysis of landowner attitudes and interest in conveying CEs. To address my research objectives I implemented a mixed-mode survey to 664 private landowners in the Whychus Creek Watershed in Deschutes County, OR. I received 257 survey responses, yielding a response rate of 41%. The first layer of this study focuses on landowner attitudes towards CEs (Chapter 2). The results of an exploratory factor analysis suggest there are two dimensions to landowner attitudes towards CEs--internal and external dimension. I constructed logistic regression models to predict positive internal and external attitudes and found that external attitudes are primarily influenced by environmental beliefs, whereas internal attitudes are influenced by a suite of factors including financial beliefs and perceived risk to private ownership. Furthermore, landowner knowledge and awareness of CEs may play a role in attitude development. I found that as awareness increased the number of landowners perceiving low risk also increased. Additionally, I found that those who learned about CEs from a peer were more likely to have an extreme positive or negative attitude towards CEs. The second part of this study focuses on landowner interest in conveying a CE (Chapter 3). The results of a multinomial logistic regression analysis suggest that positive external and internal attitudes towards CEs provide the foundation for CE, while personal incentives and connections to the social and/or natural community serve as the motivation driving CE conveyance. Although the results of this study are only representative of landowners in the Whychus Creek Watershed I argue that some of the findings may be more broadly applicable. Contributing to our conceptual understanding of CEs, I discuss how CEs may be beneficial in reintegrating the common good into private property. Further, I highlight that landowner connections to both the social community and natural environment are important characteristics of CE conveyance as well as private land conservation in general. Title: Relationships that Extend Beyond the Fence-Line: Private Landowner Attitudes and Interest in Conservation Easements Author: Vizek, Ashley Lyn Year: 2016 Private land conservation provides an opportunity to address problems of habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss caused by an increase in the development and parcelization of private land. Conservation easements (CEs) are an innovative tool used by land trusts to protect significant natural qualities of private land in perpetuity, while also allowing the land to remain in private ownership. Traditionally, property represents an individualistic relationship, however, CEs redefine this relationship by seeking to maximize the overlap in private and public goods in property. In this study, I explore the relationship between the common good and private property through an analysis of landowner attitudes and interest in conveying CEs. To address my research objectives I implemented a mixed-mode survey to 664 private landowners in the Whychus Creek Watershed in Deschutes County, OR. I received 257 survey responses, yielding a response rate of 41%. The first layer of this study focuses on landowner attitudes towards CEs (Chapter 2). The results of an exploratory factor analysis suggest there are two dimensions to landowner attitudes towards CEs--internal and external dimension. I constructed logistic regression models to predict positive internal and external attitudes and found that external attitudes are primarily influenced by environmental beliefs, whereas internal attitudes are influenced by a suite of factors including financial beliefs and perceived risk to private ownership. Furthermore, landowner knowledge and awareness of CEs may play a role in attitude development. I found that as awareness increased the number of landowners perceiving low risk also increased. Additionally, I found that those who learned about CEs from a peer were more likely to have an extreme positive or negative attitude towards CEs. The second part of this study focuses on landowner interest in conveying a CE (Chapter 3). The results of a multinomial logistic regression analysis suggest that positive external and internal attitudes towards CEs provide the foundation for CE, while personal incentives and connections to the social and/or natural community serve as the motivation driving CE conveyance. Although the results of this study are only representative of landowners in the Whychus Creek Watershed I argue that some of the findings may be more broadly applicable. Contributing to our conceptual understanding of CEs, I discuss how CEs may be beneficial in reintegrating the common good into private property. Further, I highlight that landowner connections to both the social community and natural environment are important characteristics of CE conveyance as well as private land conservation in general. Close

• 37. [Article] Can Salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) Be Identified to Species Using Vertebral Morphometrics?

  Remains of anadromous Pacific salmon and trout (genus Oncorhynchus) are common in archaeological sites from California to Alaska; however, morphological similarity generally precludes species identification, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Can Salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) Be Identified to Species Using Vertebral Morphometrics? Author: Huber, Harriet R., Jorgensen, Jeffery C., Butler, Virginia L., Baker, Greg, Stevens, Rebecca Year: 2011 Remains of anadromous Pacific salmon and trout (genus Oncorhynchus) are common in archaeological sites from California to Alaska; however, morphological similarity generally precludes species identification, limiting the range of questions that salmonid remains can address in relation to past human use and ongoing efforts in conservation biology. We developed a relatively simple, rapid, and non-destructive way to classify salmon and trout vertebrae from archaeological contexts to species using length, height and the ratio of length to height. Modern reference material was obtained from all seven anadromous Oncorhynchus species native to the west coast of North America. A minimum of ten adult Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), chum (O. keta), coho (O. kisutch), pink (O.gorbuscha), and sockeye salmon (O. nerka) and cutthroat (O. clarki clarki) and steelhead trout (O. mykiss) were skeletonized and vertebra length and height were measured. Morphometric analyses compared species classification success based on Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Classification and Regression Trees (CART), and randomForest, with CART performing the best. Classification analyses used all seven species individually, but because of considerable overlap among several species we also conducted analyses on four species groupings. We assigned Chinook salmon and cutthroat to their own groups based on their dissimilarities from each other and the other species. The remaining species were divided into two group complexes (a) chum, coho, and steelhead; and (b) pink and sockeye. When we grouped species according to similar morphology, CART overall success rates increased, ranging from 92 to 100%. Individual species with the highest successful classification rates using CART were Chinook salmon and cutthroat, from 92 to 100%, respectively. We applied our classification to an assemblage of ancient (1000 to 3000 year old) salmonid vertebrae from the Swiftwater Rockshelters excavations on the upper Wenatchee River in Washington State, U.S.A. Title: Can Salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) Be Identified to Species Using Vertebral Morphometrics? Author: Huber, Harriet R., Jorgensen, Jeffery C., Butler, Virginia L., Baker, Greg, Stevens, Rebecca Year: 2011 Remains of anadromous Pacific salmon and trout (genus Oncorhynchus) are common in archaeological sites from California to Alaska; however, morphological similarity generally precludes species identification, limiting the range of questions that salmonid remains can address in relation to past human use and ongoing efforts in conservation biology. We developed a relatively simple, rapid, and non-destructive way to classify salmon and trout vertebrae from archaeological contexts to species using length, height and the ratio of length to height. Modern reference material was obtained from all seven anadromous Oncorhynchus species native to the west coast of North America. A minimum of ten adult Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), chum (O. keta), coho (O. kisutch), pink (O.gorbuscha), and sockeye salmon (O. nerka) and cutthroat (O. clarki clarki) and steelhead trout (O. mykiss) were skeletonized and vertebra length and height were measured. Morphometric analyses compared species classification success based on Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Classification and Regression Trees (CART), and randomForest, with CART performing the best. Classification analyses used all seven species individually, but because of considerable overlap among several species we also conducted analyses on four species groupings. We assigned Chinook salmon and cutthroat to their own groups based on their dissimilarities from each other and the other species. The remaining species were divided into two group complexes (a) chum, coho, and steelhead; and (b) pink and sockeye. When we grouped species according to similar morphology, CART overall success rates increased, ranging from 92 to 100%. Individual species with the highest successful classification rates using CART were Chinook salmon and cutthroat, from 92 to 100%, respectively. We applied our classification to an assemblage of ancient (1000 to 3000 year old) salmonid vertebrae from the Swiftwater Rockshelters excavations on the upper Wenatchee River in Washington State, U.S.A. Close

• 38. [Article] Development of Dynamic Thermal Performance Metrics for Eco-roof Systems

  In order to obtain credit for an eco-roof in building energy load calculations the steady state and time-varying thermal properties (thermal mass with evapotranspiration) must be fully understood. The ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Development of Dynamic Thermal Performance Metrics for Eco-roof Systems Author: Moody, Seth Sinclair Year: 2013 In order to obtain credit for an eco-roof in building energy load calculations the steady state and time-varying thermal properties (thermal mass with evapotranspiration) must be fully understood. The following study presents results of experimentation and modeling in an effort to develop dynamic thermal mass performance metrics for eco-roof systems. The work is focused on understanding the thermal parameters (foliage & soil) of an eco-roof, further validation of the EnergyPlus Green Roof Module and development of a standardized metric for assessing the time-varying thermal benefits of eco-roof systems that can be applied across building types and climate zones. Eco-roof foliage, soil and weather parameters were continuously collected at the Green Roof Integrated PhotoVoltaic (GRIPV) project from 01/20/2011 to 08/28/2011. The parameters were used to develop an EnergyPlus eco-roof validation model. The validated eco-roof model was then used to estimate the Dynamic Benefit for Massive System (DBMS) in 4 climate-locations: Portland Oregon, Chicago Illinois, Atlanta Georgia and Houston Texas. GRIPV30 (GRIPV soil with 30% soil organic matter) was compared to 12 previously tested eco-roof soils. GRIPV30 reduced dry soil conductivity by 50%, increased field capacity by 21% and reduced dry soil mass per unit volume by 60%. GRIPV30 soil had low conductivity at all moisture contents and high heat capacity at moderate and high moisture content. The characteristics of the GRIPV30 soil make it a good choice for moisture retention and reduction of heat flux, improved thermal mass (heat storage) when integrating an eco-roof with a building. Eco-roof model validation was performed with constant seasonal moisture driven soil properties and resulted in acceptable measured - modeled eco-roof temperature validation. LAI has a large impact on how the Green Roof Module calculates the eco-roof energy balance with a higher impact on daytime (measured - modeled) soil temperature differential and most significant during summer. DBMS modeling found the mild climates of Atlanta Georgia and Houston Texas with eco-roof annual DBMS of 1.03, 3% performance improvement above the standard building, based on cooling, heating and fan energy consumption. The Chicago Illinois climate with severe winter and mild spring/summer/fall has an annual DBMS of 1.01. The moderate Portland Oregon climate has a below standard DBMS of 0.97. Title: Development of Dynamic Thermal Performance Metrics for Eco-roof Systems Author: Moody, Seth Sinclair Year: 2013 In order to obtain credit for an eco-roof in building energy load calculations the steady state and time-varying thermal properties (thermal mass with evapotranspiration) must be fully understood. The following study presents results of experimentation and modeling in an effort to develop dynamic thermal mass performance metrics for eco-roof systems. The work is focused on understanding the thermal parameters (foliage & soil) of an eco-roof, further validation of the EnergyPlus Green Roof Module and development of a standardized metric for assessing the time-varying thermal benefits of eco-roof systems that can be applied across building types and climate zones. Eco-roof foliage, soil and weather parameters were continuously collected at the Green Roof Integrated PhotoVoltaic (GRIPV) project from 01/20/2011 to 08/28/2011. The parameters were used to develop an EnergyPlus eco-roof validation model. The validated eco-roof model was then used to estimate the Dynamic Benefit for Massive System (DBMS) in 4 climate-locations: Portland Oregon, Chicago Illinois, Atlanta Georgia and Houston Texas. GRIPV30 (GRIPV soil with 30% soil organic matter) was compared to 12 previously tested eco-roof soils. GRIPV30 reduced dry soil conductivity by 50%, increased field capacity by 21% and reduced dry soil mass per unit volume by 60%. GRIPV30 soil had low conductivity at all moisture contents and high heat capacity at moderate and high moisture content. The characteristics of the GRIPV30 soil make it a good choice for moisture retention and reduction of heat flux, improved thermal mass (heat storage) when integrating an eco-roof with a building. Eco-roof model validation was performed with constant seasonal moisture driven soil properties and resulted in acceptable measured - modeled eco-roof temperature validation. LAI has a large impact on how the Green Roof Module calculates the eco-roof energy balance with a higher impact on daytime (measured - modeled) soil temperature differential and most significant during summer. DBMS modeling found the mild climates of Atlanta Georgia and Houston Texas with eco-roof annual DBMS of 1.03, 3% performance improvement above the standard building, based on cooling, heating and fan energy consumption. The Chicago Illinois climate with severe winter and mild spring/summer/fall has an annual DBMS of 1.01. The moderate Portland Oregon climate has a below standard DBMS of 0.97. Close

• 39. [Article] Increased Taxonomic and Functional Similarity Does Not Increase the Trophic Similarity of Communities

  Aim: Despite a long-standing research interest in the association between the biodiversity (i.e. taxonomic and functional composition) and trophic structure of communities, our understanding of the relationship ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Increased Taxonomic and Functional Similarity Does Not Increase the Trophic Similarity of Communities Author: Pool, Thomas K., Cucherousset, Julien, Boulêtreau, Stéphanie, Villéger, Sébastien, Strecker, Angela L., Grenouillet, Gaël Year: 2015 Aim: Despite a long-standing research interest in the association between the biodiversity (i.e. taxonomic and functional composition) and trophic structure of communities, our understanding of the relationship remains limited. Community assembly theory predicts that niche partitioning will result in communities with a diverse array of functional traits, which in turn may facilitate a correspondingly diverse array of trophic interactions that define the trophic niche of those communities. The aim of our study is to test this prediction. Methods: We built a database composed of functional traits and stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) for 63 freshwater fish communities containing 109 species in 34 lentic and 29 lotic ecosystems. First, using linear mixed models (i.e. an alpha-diversity approach), we tested whether the taxonomic diversity of communities was positively associated with their functional diversity and if their functional diversity was positively associated with their trophic diversity. Second, we assessed the taxonomic, functional and trophic similarity of communities using multiple regression on distance matrices (MRM) and their respective ‘turnover’ and ‘nestedness-resultant’ components to test if the taxonomic similarity of communities was positively correlated with their functional similarity and if their functional similarity was positively associated with their trophic similarity (i.e. a beta-diversity approach). Results: We found that the functional diversity of communities increased as their taxonomic diversity increased. Similarly, the trophic diversity of communities increased as their functional diversity increased. The pairwise taxonomic and functional similarity of communities were also positively associated, but there was a weak relationship between the functional and trophic similarities of communities. Main conclusions: Our study demonstrates that communities with similar functional characteristics can have disparate food web structures, suggesting that additional site-specific factors influence community variation in trophic niche geometry. Determining the relative importance of functional characteristics and site-specific factors in shaping trophic interactions is crucial for a better understanding of how future species loss and species introductions will affect food web structure and ecosystem functioning. Title: Increased Taxonomic and Functional Similarity Does Not Increase the Trophic Similarity of Communities Author: Pool, Thomas K., Cucherousset, Julien, Boulêtreau, Stéphanie, Villéger, Sébastien, Strecker, Angela L., Grenouillet, Gaël Year: 2015 Aim: Despite a long-standing research interest in the association between the biodiversity (i.e. taxonomic and functional composition) and trophic structure of communities, our understanding of the relationship remains limited. Community assembly theory predicts that niche partitioning will result in communities with a diverse array of functional traits, which in turn may facilitate a correspondingly diverse array of trophic interactions that define the trophic niche of those communities. The aim of our study is to test this prediction. Methods: We built a database composed of functional traits and stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) for 63 freshwater fish communities containing 109 species in 34 lentic and 29 lotic ecosystems. First, using linear mixed models (i.e. an alpha-diversity approach), we tested whether the taxonomic diversity of communities was positively associated with their functional diversity and if their functional diversity was positively associated with their trophic diversity. Second, we assessed the taxonomic, functional and trophic similarity of communities using multiple regression on distance matrices (MRM) and their respective ‘turnover’ and ‘nestedness-resultant’ components to test if the taxonomic similarity of communities was positively correlated with their functional similarity and if their functional similarity was positively associated with their trophic similarity (i.e. a beta-diversity approach). Results: We found that the functional diversity of communities increased as their taxonomic diversity increased. Similarly, the trophic diversity of communities increased as their functional diversity increased. The pairwise taxonomic and functional similarity of communities were also positively associated, but there was a weak relationship between the functional and trophic similarities of communities. Main conclusions: Our study demonstrates that communities with similar functional characteristics can have disparate food web structures, suggesting that additional site-specific factors influence community variation in trophic niche geometry. Determining the relative importance of functional characteristics and site-specific factors in shaping trophic interactions is crucial for a better understanding of how future species loss and species introductions will affect food web structure and ecosystem functioning. Close

• 40. [Article] The Resurrection of a River: The Umatilla and its Salmon

  Until the 1990s, salmon had been extinct from the Umatilla River for over 70 years. The struggle to bring salmon back to this river is a compelling story that exemplifies some of the new relationships ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Resurrection of a River: The Umatilla and its Salmon Author: Shelley, Christopher Ward Year: 2002 Until the 1990s, salmon had been extinct from the Umatilla River for over 70 years. The struggle to bring salmon back to this river is a compelling story that exemplifies some of the new relationships in Columbia River Basin salmon management. The Umatilla River and the disappearance of its salmon was a local issue. Irrigation interests had used the river so thoroughly it ceased to flow during the late summer and fall months-precisely when salmon needed it for migration. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation saw decided that they would change that: they would figure out a way to put both salmon and water back into the river. This thesis examines this process. First, it contextualizes the Umatilla River within the Columbia River Basin and Columbia Basin salmon management, and shows how a local salmon issue became a regional salmon issue. It then discusses the triangle of relationships that Indians, salmon, and hatcheries have come to form. Chapter III discusses the formation of the unique Umatilla Fish Restoration Program, which reintroduced fish into the river, and was paid for by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), as per the Northwest Power Act. Key elements within BPA's Fish and Wildlife Division resisted complying with the directives of the Northwest Power Planning Council to pay for the Program, setting the Program back years. I argue that this comes from two clashing ways of seeing the River: "cost-benefit analysis" versus "least cost." Chapter IV looks at the new partnerships formed in the Umatilla River Basin by the Tribes and irrigation districts in order to encourage the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to construct a water delivery system that would satisfy irrigators while allowing most of the Umatilla to flow freely. The last Chapter suggests that these new and somewhat ironic partnerships between federal and state governments, private irrigators and landowners, nongovernmental organizations, and Indian tribes are key to restoring ecosystems in the Columbia River Basin. It further argues that without tribal nations playing an active role and exerting their treaty rights, restoring rivers like the Umatilla is impossible. Title: The Resurrection of a River: The Umatilla and its Salmon Author: Shelley, Christopher Ward Year: 2002 Until the 1990s, salmon had been extinct from the Umatilla River for over 70 years. The struggle to bring salmon back to this river is a compelling story that exemplifies some of the new relationships in Columbia River Basin salmon management. The Umatilla River and the disappearance of its salmon was a local issue. Irrigation interests had used the river so thoroughly it ceased to flow during the late summer and fall months-precisely when salmon needed it for migration. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation saw decided that they would change that: they would figure out a way to put both salmon and water back into the river. This thesis examines this process. First, it contextualizes the Umatilla River within the Columbia River Basin and Columbia Basin salmon management, and shows how a local salmon issue became a regional salmon issue. It then discusses the triangle of relationships that Indians, salmon, and hatcheries have come to form. Chapter III discusses the formation of the unique Umatilla Fish Restoration Program, which reintroduced fish into the river, and was paid for by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), as per the Northwest Power Act. Key elements within BPA's Fish and Wildlife Division resisted complying with the directives of the Northwest Power Planning Council to pay for the Program, setting the Program back years. I argue that this comes from two clashing ways of seeing the River: "cost-benefit analysis" versus "least cost." Chapter IV looks at the new partnerships formed in the Umatilla River Basin by the Tribes and irrigation districts in order to encourage the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to construct a water delivery system that would satisfy irrigators while allowing most of the Umatilla to flow freely. The last Chapter suggests that these new and somewhat ironic partnerships between federal and state governments, private irrigators and landowners, nongovernmental organizations, and Indian tribes are key to restoring ecosystems in the Columbia River Basin. It further argues that without tribal nations playing an active role and exerting their treaty rights, restoring rivers like the Umatilla is impossible. Close