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• 1. [Article] Pine Creek Conservation Area: 2013 Mapping and Monitoring Report

  Pine Creek Conservation Area (PCCA), just northeast of the John Day River in Wheeler County, Oregon, was acquired in 1999-2001 by the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs with support from the Bonneville ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Pine Creek Conservation Area: 2013 Mapping and Monitoring Report Author: Nielsen, Eric M., Noone, Matthew D., Kagan, James S., Lee, Matthew T. Year: 2013 Pine Creek Conservation Area (PCCA), just northeast of the John Day River in Wheeler County, Oregon, was acquired in 1999-2001 by the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs with support from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), to mitigate for wildlife losses created by the large, hydropower Columbia River Dams, particularly the Bonneville, Dalles and John Day Dams. Many thousands of acres of grassland, shrub steppe and riparian habitats were lost due to inundation, and the objectives of the acquisition included restoration of similar habitats. As part of an interagency agreement created in 2002, the Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center established a baseline monitoring program in 2002. This effort included the establishment of permanent monitoring plots to allow for a detailed assessment of vegetation change in the plant communities occurring at the site. It also included the development of an existing vegetation map, hopefully to allow for an analysis of overall vegetation change across the conservation area. The map showed the distribution of western juniper, native grasslands, big sagebrush, and weed-dominated areas at the site. In the eight years since the original map was made, a series of management actions, including juniper clearing, prescribed fires, and riparian restoration activities have significantly changed the vegetation at PCCA. In the spring and summer of 2010, the Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, now the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center at Portland State University, visited the area to assist the land manager in developing a strategy for meeting the information needs of the Tribes and BPA in evaluating the success of the first decade of restoration. This report details that effort, which incorporated a combination of field inspection, photo-interpretation, and remote sensing-based mapping to assess change since the establishment of the conservation area, to lay a new baseline against which to measure future change, and most importantly to provide detailed information useful for land management decision making in the continuing restoration efforts. Title: Pine Creek Conservation Area: 2013 Mapping and Monitoring Report Author: Nielsen, Eric M., Noone, Matthew D., Kagan, James S., Lee, Matthew T. Year: 2013 Pine Creek Conservation Area (PCCA), just northeast of the John Day River in Wheeler County, Oregon, was acquired in 1999-2001 by the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs with support from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), to mitigate for wildlife losses created by the large, hydropower Columbia River Dams, particularly the Bonneville, Dalles and John Day Dams. Many thousands of acres of grassland, shrub steppe and riparian habitats were lost due to inundation, and the objectives of the acquisition included restoration of similar habitats. As part of an interagency agreement created in 2002, the Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center established a baseline monitoring program in 2002. This effort included the establishment of permanent monitoring plots to allow for a detailed assessment of vegetation change in the plant communities occurring at the site. It also included the development of an existing vegetation map, hopefully to allow for an analysis of overall vegetation change across the conservation area. The map showed the distribution of western juniper, native grasslands, big sagebrush, and weed-dominated areas at the site. In the eight years since the original map was made, a series of management actions, including juniper clearing, prescribed fires, and riparian restoration activities have significantly changed the vegetation at PCCA. In the spring and summer of 2010, the Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, now the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center at Portland State University, visited the area to assist the land manager in developing a strategy for meeting the information needs of the Tribes and BPA in evaluating the success of the first decade of restoration. This report details that effort, which incorporated a combination of field inspection, photo-interpretation, and remote sensing-based mapping to assess change since the establishment of the conservation area, to lay a new baseline against which to measure future change, and most importantly to provide detailed information useful for land management decision making in the continuing restoration efforts. Close

• 2. [Article] Aquatic Plant Surveys in the Bureau of Land Management, Medford District, 2010-2011

  The introduction of invasive aquatic plant species (IAPS) can cause significant ecological and economic harm. IAPS can displace native aquatic plant species, impair recreation, and degrade water quality. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Aquatic Plant Surveys in the Bureau of Land Management, Medford District, 2010-2011 Author: Sytsma, Mark D., Miller, Rich, Morgan, Vanessa Year: 2011 The introduction of invasive aquatic plant species (IAPS) can cause significant ecological and economic harm. IAPS can displace native aquatic plant species, impair recreation, and degrade water quality. Early detection of new invasions can improve chances for successful eradication or containment to reduce the risk of IAPS spread. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) lists the most egregious offenders as “Noxious Weeds” which are defined as plants classified by the Oregon State Weed Board that are injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, or any public or private property (ODA 2011). Several IAPS classified as noxious have been detected within the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Southern Oregon including yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata) and yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus). During the summers of 2010 and 2011, IAPS surveys were conducted at selected reservoirs, lakes, and river boat launches within the Medford District to determine the extent of IAPS infestations as well as the distributions of native aquatic plant species. This report summarizes results of the surveys and provides recommendations for management of IAPS within the Medford District. Observations of any invasive aquatic animal species such as New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) are also reported. Title: Aquatic Plant Surveys in the Bureau of Land Management, Medford District, 2010-2011 Author: Sytsma, Mark D., Miller, Rich, Morgan, Vanessa Year: 2011 The introduction of invasive aquatic plant species (IAPS) can cause significant ecological and economic harm. IAPS can displace native aquatic plant species, impair recreation, and degrade water quality. Early detection of new invasions can improve chances for successful eradication or containment to reduce the risk of IAPS spread. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) lists the most egregious offenders as “Noxious Weeds” which are defined as plants classified by the Oregon State Weed Board that are injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, or any public or private property (ODA 2011). Several IAPS classified as noxious have been detected within the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Southern Oregon including yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata) and yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus). During the summers of 2010 and 2011, IAPS surveys were conducted at selected reservoirs, lakes, and river boat launches within the Medford District to determine the extent of IAPS infestations as well as the distributions of native aquatic plant species. This report summarizes results of the surveys and provides recommendations for management of IAPS within the Medford District. Observations of any invasive aquatic animal species such as New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) are also reported. Close

• 3. [Article] Assessing Hydrologic and Water Quality Sensitivities to Precipitation Changes, Urban Growth and Land Management Using SWAT

  Precipitation changes and urban growth are two factors altering the state of water quality. Changes in precipitation will alter the amount and timing of flows, and the corresponding sediment and nutrient ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Assessing Hydrologic and Water Quality Sensitivities to Precipitation Changes, Urban Growth and Land Management Using SWAT Author: Psaris, Alexander Michael Year: 2014 Precipitation changes and urban growth are two factors altering the state of water quality. Changes in precipitation will alter the amount and timing of flows, and the corresponding sediment and nutrient dynamics. Meanwhile, densification associated with urban growth will create more impervious surfaces which will alter sediment and nutrient loadings. Land and water managers often rely on models to develop possible future scenarios and devise management responses to these projected changes. We use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to assess the sensitivities of stream flow, sediment, and nutrient loads in two urbanizing watersheds in Northwest Oregon, USA to various climate and urbanization scenarios. We evaluate the spatial patterns climate change and urban growth will have on water, sediment and nutrient yields. We also identify critical source areas (CSAs) and investigate how implementation of vegetative filter strips (VFS) could ameliorate the effects of these changes. Our findings suggest that: 1) Water yield is tightly coupled to precipitation. 2) Large increases in winter and spring precipitation provide enough sub-surface storage to increase summertime water yields despite a moderate decrease in summer precipitation. 3) Expansion of urban areas increases surface runoff and has mixed effects on sediment and nutrients. 4) Implementation of VFS reduces pollutant loads helping overall watershed health. This research demonstrates the usefulness of SWAT in facilitating informed land and water management decisions. Title: Assessing Hydrologic and Water Quality Sensitivities to Precipitation Changes, Urban Growth and Land Management Using SWAT Author: Psaris, Alexander Michael Year: 2014 Precipitation changes and urban growth are two factors altering the state of water quality. Changes in precipitation will alter the amount and timing of flows, and the corresponding sediment and nutrient dynamics. Meanwhile, densification associated with urban growth will create more impervious surfaces which will alter sediment and nutrient loadings. Land and water managers often rely on models to develop possible future scenarios and devise management responses to these projected changes. We use the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to assess the sensitivities of stream flow, sediment, and nutrient loads in two urbanizing watersheds in Northwest Oregon, USA to various climate and urbanization scenarios. We evaluate the spatial patterns climate change and urban growth will have on water, sediment and nutrient yields. We also identify critical source areas (CSAs) and investigate how implementation of vegetative filter strips (VFS) could ameliorate the effects of these changes. Our findings suggest that: 1) Water yield is tightly coupled to precipitation. 2) Large increases in winter and spring precipitation provide enough sub-surface storage to increase summertime water yields despite a moderate decrease in summer precipitation. 3) Expansion of urban areas increases surface runoff and has mixed effects on sediment and nutrients. 4) Implementation of VFS reduces pollutant loads helping overall watershed health. This research demonstrates the usefulness of SWAT in facilitating informed land and water management decisions. Close

• 4. [Article] Aquatic Invasive Plant Surveys in the BLM Medford District During 2012

  Aquatic plant surveys were conducted at 22 waterbodies located within the Bureau of Land Management’s Medford District during the summer of 2012. Sites included eleven lakes, ponds or reservoirs and six ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Aquatic Invasive Plant Surveys in the BLM Medford District During 2012 Author: Miller, Rich, Morgan, Vanessa, Sytsma, Mark D. Year: 2013 Aquatic plant surveys were conducted at 22 waterbodies located within the Bureau of Land Management’s Medford District during the summer of 2012. Sites included eleven lakes, ponds or reservoirs and six reaches along the Rogue and Applegate Rivers. Five sampling areas surveyed during 2010 and 2011 were revisited to determine the extent of known non-native species infestations, positively identify rare species, or verify the absence of an expected non-native species. Plant specimens were collected at up to 50 sites at each waterbody using plant rakes or by observation. The non-native submersed species curly leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) and Eurasian x northern watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibiricum x spicatum) were widespread throughout the District. Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) was present at two sites. Emergent non-native aquatic species included parrotsfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum), yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinaceae), floating primrose-willow (Ludwigia peploides) and slender waternymph (Najas gracillima). Title: Aquatic Invasive Plant Surveys in the BLM Medford District During 2012 Author: Miller, Rich, Morgan, Vanessa, Sytsma, Mark D. Year: 2013 Aquatic plant surveys were conducted at 22 waterbodies located within the Bureau of Land Management’s Medford District during the summer of 2012. Sites included eleven lakes, ponds or reservoirs and six reaches along the Rogue and Applegate Rivers. Five sampling areas surveyed during 2010 and 2011 were revisited to determine the extent of known non-native species infestations, positively identify rare species, or verify the absence of an expected non-native species. Plant specimens were collected at up to 50 sites at each waterbody using plant rakes or by observation. The non-native submersed species curly leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) and Eurasian x northern watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibiricum x spicatum) were widespread throughout the District. Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) was present at two sites. Emergent non-native aquatic species included parrotsfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum), yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinaceae), floating primrose-willow (Ludwigia peploides) and slender waternymph (Najas gracillima). Close

• 5. [Article] Stressors and Strategies for Managing Urban Water Scarcity: Perspectives from the Field

  Largely because water resource planning in the U.S. has been separated from land-use planning, opportunities for explicitly linking planning policies to water availability remain unexamined. The pressing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Stressors and Strategies for Managing Urban Water Scarcity: Perspectives from the Field Author: Shandas, Vivek, Lehman, Rosa, Larson, Kelli L., Bunn, Jeremy, Chang, Heejun Year: 2015 Largely because water resource planning in the U.S. has been separated from land-use planning, opportunities for explicitly linking planning policies to water availability remain unexamined. The pressing need for better coordination between land-use planning and water management is amplified by changes in the global climate, which will place even greater importance on managing water supplies and demands than in the past. By surveying land and water managers in two urbanizing regions of the western United States—Portland, Oregon and Phoenix Arizona—we assessed the extent to which their perspectives regarding municipal water resource management align or differ. We specifically focus on characterizing how they perceive water scarcity problems (i.e., stressors) and solutions (i.e., strategies). Overall, the results show a general agreement across both regions and professions that long-term drought, population growth, and outdoor water use are the most important stressors to urban water systems. The results of the survey indicated more agreement across cities than across professions with regard to effective strategies, reinforcing the idea that land-use planners and water managers remain divided in their conception of the solutions to urban water management. To conclude, we recommend potential pathways for coordinating the fields of land and water management for urban sustainability. Title: Stressors and Strategies for Managing Urban Water Scarcity: Perspectives from the Field Author: Shandas, Vivek, Lehman, Rosa, Larson, Kelli L., Bunn, Jeremy, Chang, Heejun Year: 2015 Largely because water resource planning in the U.S. has been separated from land-use planning, opportunities for explicitly linking planning policies to water availability remain unexamined. The pressing need for better coordination between land-use planning and water management is amplified by changes in the global climate, which will place even greater importance on managing water supplies and demands than in the past. By surveying land and water managers in two urbanizing regions of the western United States—Portland, Oregon and Phoenix Arizona—we assessed the extent to which their perspectives regarding municipal water resource management align or differ. We specifically focus on characterizing how they perceive water scarcity problems (i.e., stressors) and solutions (i.e., strategies). Overall, the results show a general agreement across both regions and professions that long-term drought, population growth, and outdoor water use are the most important stressors to urban water systems. The results of the survey indicated more agreement across cities than across professions with regard to effective strategies, reinforcing the idea that land-use planners and water managers remain divided in their conception of the solutions to urban water management. To conclude, we recommend potential pathways for coordinating the fields of land and water management for urban sustainability. Close

• 6. [Article] Northwest Forest Plan The First 15 Years (1994-2008): Watershed Condition Status and Trend

  We used two data sets to evaluate stream and watershed condition for sixth-field watersheds in each aquatic province within the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area: stream data and upslope data. The stream ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Northwest Forest Plan The First 15 Years (1994-2008): Watershed Condition Status and Trend Author: Lanigan, Steven H., Gordon, Sean N., Eldred, Peter, Isley, Mark, Anderson, Heidi Year: 2012 We used two data sets to evaluate stream and watershed condition for sixth-field watersheds in each aquatic province within the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area: stream data and upslope data. The stream evaluation was based on inchannel data (e.g., substrate, pieces of large wood, water temperature, pool frequency, and macroinvertebrates) we sampled from 2002 to 2009 (193 watersheds) as part of a repeating sample design. We just completed our first round of sampling, so only current condition was calculated for this data set. When condition scores for the inchannel data were grouped into categories, relatively few fell into the low (10 percent) and very low (1 percent) categories. The majority of inchannel attribute scores fell into the moderate (35 percent) and high (41 percent) condition ranges, with relatively few (12 percent) in the very high category. For low-scoring watersheds, water temperature was often the most influential factor. Aquatic invertebrate scores also appeared influential in producing the low scores. An evaluation of upslope and riparian (watershed-wide) conditions for all 1,379 sixth-field watersheds in the NWFP area with significant federal ownership was based on mapped data, including road metrics from U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management geographic information system road layers and vegetation metrics derived from satellite imagery. Watershed-wide condition scores were calculated for 1994 and 2008, and the difference between these scores was used to represent trend. Regarding status, the overall condition scores of the 1,379 watersheds mostly fell into the low (21 percent), moderate (27 percent), high (26 percent), and very high (22 percent) categories; relatively few watersheds scored in the very low (4 percent) category. The majority of watersheds (69 percent) had a positive change in condition scores (trend). Of those with larger positive changes, most were driven by both improvements in road (decommissioning) and vegetation (natural growth) scores. The greatest negative score changes were caused by the Biscuit Fire and other fires along the eastern side of the Cascades. Half of the fire-affected watersheds were in congressional reserves, 35 percent in late-successional reserves, and 15 percent in matrix (lands identified for timber production). Title: Northwest Forest Plan The First 15 Years (1994-2008): Watershed Condition Status and Trend Author: Lanigan, Steven H., Gordon, Sean N., Eldred, Peter, Isley, Mark, Anderson, Heidi Year: 2012 We used two data sets to evaluate stream and watershed condition for sixth-field watersheds in each aquatic province within the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area: stream data and upslope data. The stream evaluation was based on inchannel data (e.g., substrate, pieces of large wood, water temperature, pool frequency, and macroinvertebrates) we sampled from 2002 to 2009 (193 watersheds) as part of a repeating sample design. We just completed our first round of sampling, so only current condition was calculated for this data set. When condition scores for the inchannel data were grouped into categories, relatively few fell into the low (10 percent) and very low (1 percent) categories. The majority of inchannel attribute scores fell into the moderate (35 percent) and high (41 percent) condition ranges, with relatively few (12 percent) in the very high category. For low-scoring watersheds, water temperature was often the most influential factor. Aquatic invertebrate scores also appeared influential in producing the low scores. An evaluation of upslope and riparian (watershed-wide) conditions for all 1,379 sixth-field watersheds in the NWFP area with significant federal ownership was based on mapped data, including road metrics from U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management geographic information system road layers and vegetation metrics derived from satellite imagery. Watershed-wide condition scores were calculated for 1994 and 2008, and the difference between these scores was used to represent trend. Regarding status, the overall condition scores of the 1,379 watersheds mostly fell into the low (21 percent), moderate (27 percent), high (26 percent), and very high (22 percent) categories; relatively few watersheds scored in the very low (4 percent) category. The majority of watersheds (69 percent) had a positive change in condition scores (trend). Of those with larger positive changes, most were driven by both improvements in road (decommissioning) and vegetation (natural growth) scores. The greatest negative score changes were caused by the Biscuit Fire and other fires along the eastern side of the Cascades. Half of the fire-affected watersheds were in congressional reserves, 35 percent in late-successional reserves, and 15 percent in matrix (lands identified for timber production). Close

• 7. [Article] Interview with Jim Labbe, Portland Audubon Society, 2011

  Interview of Jim Labbe by Tony Smith on March 11th, 2011. The interview index is available for download.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Interview with Jim Labbe, Portland Audubon Society, 2011 Author: Labbe, Jim Year: 2011 Interview of Jim Labbe by Tony Smith on March 11th, 2011. The interview index is available for download. Title: Interview with Jim Labbe, Portland Audubon Society, 2011 Author: Labbe, Jim Year: 2011 Interview of Jim Labbe by Tony Smith on March 11th, 2011. The interview index is available for download. Close

• 8. [Article] Household Water Demand and Land Use Context: A Multilevel Approach

  Urban water use arises from a mix of scale-dependent biophysical and socioeconomic factors. In Portland, Oregon, single-family residential water use exhibits a tightly coupled relationship with summertime ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Household Water Demand and Land Use Context: A Multilevel Approach Author: Breyer, Elizabeth Yancey Year: 2014 Urban water use arises from a mix of scale-dependent biophysical and socioeconomic factors. In Portland, Oregon, single-family residential water use exhibits a tightly coupled relationship with summertime weather, although this relationship varies with land use patterns across households and neighborhoods. This thesis developed a multilevel regression model to evaluate the relative importance of weather variability, parcel land use characteristics, and neighborhood geographic context in explaining single-family residential water demand patterns in the Portland metropolitan area. The model drew on a high-resolution panel dataset of weekly mean summer water use over five years (2001-2005) for a sample of 460 single-family households spanning an urban-to-suburban gradient. Water use was found to be most elastic with respect to parcel-scale building size. Building age was negatively related to water use at both the parcel and neighborhood scale. Half the variation in water use can be attributed to between-household factors. Between-neighborhood variation exerted a modest but statistically significant effect. The analysis decomposed household temperature sensitivity into four components: a fixed effect common to all households, a household-specific deviation from the fixed effect, a separate extreme heat effect, and a land use effect, where lot size exaggerated the effect of temperature on water use. Results suggested that land use planning may be an effective non-price mechanism for long-range management of peak demand, as land use decisions have water use implications. The combined effects of population growth, urbanization, and climate change expose water providers to risk of water stress. Modeling fine-grain relationships among heat, land use, and water use across scales plays a role in long-range climate change planning and adaptation. Title: Household Water Demand and Land Use Context: A Multilevel Approach Author: Breyer, Elizabeth Yancey Year: 2014 Urban water use arises from a mix of scale-dependent biophysical and socioeconomic factors. In Portland, Oregon, single-family residential water use exhibits a tightly coupled relationship with summertime weather, although this relationship varies with land use patterns across households and neighborhoods. This thesis developed a multilevel regression model to evaluate the relative importance of weather variability, parcel land use characteristics, and neighborhood geographic context in explaining single-family residential water demand patterns in the Portland metropolitan area. The model drew on a high-resolution panel dataset of weekly mean summer water use over five years (2001-2005) for a sample of 460 single-family households spanning an urban-to-suburban gradient. Water use was found to be most elastic with respect to parcel-scale building size. Building age was negatively related to water use at both the parcel and neighborhood scale. Half the variation in water use can be attributed to between-household factors. Between-neighborhood variation exerted a modest but statistically significant effect. The analysis decomposed household temperature sensitivity into four components: a fixed effect common to all households, a household-specific deviation from the fixed effect, a separate extreme heat effect, and a land use effect, where lot size exaggerated the effect of temperature on water use. Results suggested that land use planning may be an effective non-price mechanism for long-range management of peak demand, as land use decisions have water use implications. The combined effects of population growth, urbanization, and climate change expose water providers to risk of water stress. Modeling fine-grain relationships among heat, land use, and water use across scales plays a role in long-range climate change planning and adaptation. Close

• 9. [Article] Riparian Vegetation Assemblages and Associated Landscape Factors Across an Urbanizing Metropolitan Area

  While diverse, native riparian vegetation provides important functions, it remains unclear to what extent these assemblages can persist in urban areas, and under what conditions. We characterized forested ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Riparian Vegetation Assemblages and Associated Landscape Factors Across an Urbanizing Metropolitan Area Author: Von Behren, Christa, Dietrich, Andrew Evans, Yeakley, J. Alan Year: 2014 While diverse, native riparian vegetation provides important functions, it remains unclear to what extent these assemblages can persist in urban areas, and under what conditions. We characterized forested riparian vegetation communities across an urbanizing metropolitan area and examined their relationships with surrounding land cover. We hypothesized that native and hydrophilic species assemblages would correlate with forest cover in the landscape. For each of 30 sites in the Portland–Vancouver metro area, we recorded vegetation at 1-cm intervals along 3 transects using the line-intercept method. Land cover was characterized at 2 scales: within 500 m of each site and across the entire watershed. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate relationships between species composition and land cover patterns. A classification tree was created to determine landscape predictors of riparian community type. Results indicated a strong relationship between watershed land cover and vegetation diversity and structural complexity. Our hypothesis of native species association with landscape forest cover in urban riparian areas was supported, but we found no clear relationship between land cover and wetland indicator status. Our results suggest that high watershed forest cover (at least 15%) may enable the persistence of functionally diverse, native riparian vegetation communities in urban landscapes. Keywords: Pacific Northwest, plant diversity, plant ecology, riparian forest, urban ecology, urban watersheds. Title: Riparian Vegetation Assemblages and Associated Landscape Factors Across an Urbanizing Metropolitan Area Author: Von Behren, Christa, Dietrich, Andrew Evans, Yeakley, J. Alan Year: 2014 While diverse, native riparian vegetation provides important functions, it remains unclear to what extent these assemblages can persist in urban areas, and under what conditions. We characterized forested riparian vegetation communities across an urbanizing metropolitan area and examined their relationships with surrounding land cover. We hypothesized that native and hydrophilic species assemblages would correlate with forest cover in the landscape. For each of 30 sites in the Portland–Vancouver metro area, we recorded vegetation at 1-cm intervals along 3 transects using the line-intercept method. Land cover was characterized at 2 scales: within 500 m of each site and across the entire watershed. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate relationships between species composition and land cover patterns. A classification tree was created to determine landscape predictors of riparian community type. Results indicated a strong relationship between watershed land cover and vegetation diversity and structural complexity. Our hypothesis of native species association with landscape forest cover in urban riparian areas was supported, but we found no clear relationship between land cover and wetland indicator status. Our results suggest that high watershed forest cover (at least 15%) may enable the persistence of functionally diverse, native riparian vegetation communities in urban landscapes. Keywords: Pacific Northwest, plant diversity, plant ecology, riparian forest, urban ecology, urban watersheds. Close

• 10. [Article] Statistical Analysis of Stormwater Device Testing Protocols in Portland, Oregon

  Stormwater treatment is commonly performed with a combination of approaches including the utilization of natural systems and engineered devices. Before using a proprietary treatment instrument it is required ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Statistical Analysis of Stormwater Device Testing Protocols in Portland, Oregon Author: Kavianpour Isfahani, Zahra Year: 2013 Stormwater treatment is commonly performed with a combination of approaches including the utilization of natural systems and engineered devices. Before using a proprietary treatment instrument it is required to verify its performance and efficiency in reducing different pollution components including the TSS. Different states have developed strategies and regulations for accepting new instruments. In this thesis the stormwater management plan of the City of Portland, Oregon(2008), is analyzed in order to improve the current regulations. These rules apply to new technologies which are proposed by vendors to be used in Portland's stormwater treatment plans. Each requirement which should be met by the applying vendors is thoroughly analyzed followed by a comparison with the Stormwater management plan(2008)regulations of the state of Washington the so called Technology Assessment Plan-Ecology TAPE (Howie, 2011). Because of the similarities in the climate and land use between these two testing frameworks in order to evaluate the potential applicability of data submitted by vendors who had devices approved by Washington, to be utilized by Portland. The treatment of total suspended solids (TSS) is the focus of this thesis since it is central to the testing process and since most of the other pollutions are attached to TSS and will get treated if TSS is treated. The overall analysis shows that Portland adopts more restrictive requirements on the characterization of stormwater event samples to be treated by a technological instrument while Washington's restriction are more stringent on the efficiency of total suspended solid removal, in which it demands higher standards on the treatment of TSS compared to Portland's efficiency requirements. In order to study practical context in which regulations are administrated by Portland, rainfall data from 66 gauges covering the period of 1980-2011 was studied and the impacts of seasonality, land use, land form, periods of no rain before and after an event and Portland's Modified Performance line on the number of accepted rain events were analyzed. The results which were accepted by state of Washington were also compared with the results accepted by the city of Portland on Portland's Standard Performance line. Our seasonality study suggests that Portland's requirements are unnecessarily restrictive which results in the disqualification of many otherwise useful stormwater events, sometimes allowing no natural events to be available for testing in dry years. The analysis of land use showed that land use has no statistically significant impact on the concentration levels of TSS, thereby indicating that land use restrictions in the testing rules could be usefully relaxed. Decreasing the interevent no-rain period significantly increases the total number of events providing sufficient data to assess the performance of treatment facilities. We also showed that many more events become suitable for performance testing if events separated by one hours or less are considered a single, longer event. Finally we identified a statistical relationship between number of forecasted accepted stormwater events and the total average daily precipitation in a given year. Title: Statistical Analysis of Stormwater Device Testing Protocols in Portland, Oregon Author: Kavianpour Isfahani, Zahra Year: 2013 Stormwater treatment is commonly performed with a combination of approaches including the utilization of natural systems and engineered devices. Before using a proprietary treatment instrument it is required to verify its performance and efficiency in reducing different pollution components including the TSS. Different states have developed strategies and regulations for accepting new instruments. In this thesis the stormwater management plan of the City of Portland, Oregon(2008), is analyzed in order to improve the current regulations. These rules apply to new technologies which are proposed by vendors to be used in Portland's stormwater treatment plans. Each requirement which should be met by the applying vendors is thoroughly analyzed followed by a comparison with the Stormwater management plan(2008)regulations of the state of Washington the so called Technology Assessment Plan-Ecology TAPE (Howie, 2011). Because of the similarities in the climate and land use between these two testing frameworks in order to evaluate the potential applicability of data submitted by vendors who had devices approved by Washington, to be utilized by Portland. The treatment of total suspended solids (TSS) is the focus of this thesis since it is central to the testing process and since most of the other pollutions are attached to TSS and will get treated if TSS is treated. The overall analysis shows that Portland adopts more restrictive requirements on the characterization of stormwater event samples to be treated by a technological instrument while Washington's restriction are more stringent on the efficiency of total suspended solid removal, in which it demands higher standards on the treatment of TSS compared to Portland's efficiency requirements. In order to study practical context in which regulations are administrated by Portland, rainfall data from 66 gauges covering the period of 1980-2011 was studied and the impacts of seasonality, land use, land form, periods of no rain before and after an event and Portland's Modified Performance line on the number of accepted rain events were analyzed. The results which were accepted by state of Washington were also compared with the results accepted by the city of Portland on Portland's Standard Performance line. Our seasonality study suggests that Portland's requirements are unnecessarily restrictive which results in the disqualification of many otherwise useful stormwater events, sometimes allowing no natural events to be available for testing in dry years. The analysis of land use showed that land use has no statistically significant impact on the concentration levels of TSS, thereby indicating that land use restrictions in the testing rules could be usefully relaxed. Decreasing the interevent no-rain period significantly increases the total number of events providing sufficient data to assess the performance of treatment facilities. We also showed that many more events become suitable for performance testing if events separated by one hours or less are considered a single, longer event. Finally we identified a statistical relationship between number of forecasted accepted stormwater events and the total average daily precipitation in a given year. Close