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1. [Article] The conservation genetics juggling act: integrating genetics and ecology, science and policy
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The conservation genetics juggling act: integrating genetics and ecology, science and policy
- Author:
- Mullins, Thomas D., Draheim, Hope M., Bellinger, Renee, Haig, Susan M., Mercer, Dacey M., Miller, Mark. P.
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The published article can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291752-4571/
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2. [Article] The More Things Change...: Oysters, Public Policy, and Species Decline in the Pamlico Sound, 1880-1900
This paper is a case study of the interrelationship between public policy and species decline in the oyster industry of Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, in the late 19th century, with some attention paid ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The More Things Change...: Oysters, Public Policy, and Species Decline in the Pamlico Sound, 1880-1900
- Author:
- Carter, Kathleen S.
- Year:
- 2001
This paper is a case study of the interrelationship between public policy and species decline in the oyster industry of Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, in the late 19th century, with some attention paid to the first decade of the 20th century. It examines the nature of the many regulatory shifts that occurred at the hands of the state legislature in the period, and it offers explanation for why these policies were ultimately less than successful at protecting and expanding the commercial viability of oystering. Tensions between smaller, local oystermen and outsiders from the Chesapeake Bay played a role, as did the influence of civic leadership in coastal communities hoping to ride the crest of economic development they hoped oysters would bring to the region. The oystermen themselves, in addition, were invited into the regulatory process rather late in the period and therefore were not inclined to work as partners with the state in efforts to preserve and restore oyster numbers. In large measure, however, the state of North Carolina sealed the fate of the oyster by responding with short-term view in its many regulatory revisions, rather than adopting a long-range mentality that might have resulted in greater stability of the species and of the coastal economy.
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This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by BioMed Central Ltd. and can be found at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcvetres/.
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Intraperitoneal implantation of life-long telemetry transmitters in otariids
- Author:
- Haulena, Martin, Mellish, Jo-Ann E., Tuomi, Pamela A, Horning, Markus
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by BioMed Central Ltd. and can be found at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcvetres/.
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4. [Article] Ten Principles for Managing Fisheries to Facilitate Adaptation to Uncertain Effects of Climate Change
Climate change may cause significant changes in the distribution, abundance, and species mix of commercial fishery resources. In any given area stocks of some species may decline; stocks of other species ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Ten Principles for Managing Fisheries to Facilitate Adaptation to Uncertain Effects of Climate Change
- Author:
- Knapp, Gunnar
Climate change may cause significant changes in the distribution, abundance, and species mix of commercial fishery resources. In any given area stocks of some species may decline; stocks of other species may increase; and new species may appear in commercially significant volumes. However, it is difficult to predict what specific changes may occur or when they will occur. This paper suggests ten principles for managing fisheries in ways that facilitate adaptation to uncertain future effects of climate change. These are (1) Expect change; (2) Conduct research; (3) Disseminate research results; (4) Give managers flexibility; (5) Allow for change in allocation agreements; (6) Reconsider restrictions on mobility of fishermen and processors; (7) Consider defining long-term access privileges more broadly; (8) Consider alternative rights-based systems which may facilitate adjustment to change; (9) Create mechanisms for managing new fisheries; and (10) Plan responses to resource decline.
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5. [Article] Fish Management Plan Tenmile Lakes System 1981
Abstract -- The Tenmile Lakes are large, shallow, highly productive freshwater lakes located in Coos County on Oregon's Pacific Coast. North and South Tenmile lakes have respective surface areas of 970 ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Fish Management Plan Tenmile Lakes System 1981
Abstract -- The Tenmile Lakes are large, shallow, highly productive freshwater lakes located in Coos County on Oregon's Pacific Coast. North and South Tenmile lakes have respective surface areas of 970 and 1,170 acres and are connected by a narrow, shallow canal. Several smaller lakes also drain into Tenmile Creek below the large lakes. The lakes originally contained excellent populations of coho salmon and cutthroat trout. However, these species declined with the development of large populations of warm water fish including largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, and brown bullhead. Management problems in the lakes today concern continued reduction of salmonid populations and high abundance of bluegill. Largemouth bass appear incapable of fully utilizing bluegill as forage. As a result, the Department has considered introducing additional predator species to provide fishing diversity and to better utilize bluegill.
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"The value of marine surveys in obtaining critical information on the biology of the Marbled Murrelet has recently been appreciated, largely due to the decline of the species and the need to develop recovery ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Marbled murrelet monitoring research, 1997 : studies on distribution and productivity of marbled murrelets at sea in Oregon : final report to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Author:
- Fisher, Mark R., Strong, Craig S., Oregon. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
"The value of marine surveys in obtaining critical information on the biology of the Marbled Murrelet has recently been appreciated, largely due to the decline of the species and the need to develop recovery and management plans (Ralph et al. 1995, USFWS 1997). This report summarizes the results of 1997 research on at sea abundance, distribution, and productivity of Marbled Murrelets in relation to prior years, and examines population trends in central Oregon over the 6 year period. Included for comparison with Marbled Murrelets are productivity indices of Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, and Rhinoceros Auklets." (From Introduction)
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In the Oregon Cascade Range, conifer encroachment has reduced the extent of mountain meadows by as much as 50% since the mid-1940s. Although encroachment results in a general decline of meadow species ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Role of Intraspecific Functional Trait Variation in the Differential Decline of Meadow Species Following Conifer Encroachment
- Author:
- Celis, Jessica
In the Oregon Cascade Range, conifer encroachment has reduced the extent of mountain meadows by as much as 50% since the mid-1940s. Although encroachment results in a general decline of meadow species abundance and diversity, species differ in their sensitivities to encroachment: some show rapid declines whereas others persist in the understory for many decades. Here, we explore whether this variability can be explained by intraspecific variation in morphological traits associated with the capture of light, the resource assumed to be most limiting in the understory. These include specific leaf area (SLA; ratio of leaf area to mass), allocation of biomass to above- vs. below-ground structures, maximum shoot height, and clonality. We hypothesized that sensitivity to encroachment is greater in non-clonal species and in those that show less variation in trait expression across the light gradient. From a larger set of meadow species at Bunchgrass Ridge, Oregon, we chose 13 (10 forbs and three grasses) that varied in their rates of decline across a chronosequence of encroachment states. For each species we estimated cover and light availability at multiple locations representing the encroachment gradient (open meadow to >100-year-old forest). We modeled the relationship between cover and light and computed an index of sensitivity to encroachment, SEI, as the coefficient of variation (CV) of predicted cover across the range of light values. We then measured the morphological traits of 15-17 mature individuals of each species in locations representing the range of light environments. For each species, variation in a trait (trait variability) was expressed by the linear slope of the relationship with light. Clonality was treated as an ordinal variable with one of three value, 0 (non-clonal), 0.5 (limited clonality), or 1 (strongly clonal). To test the hypothesized relationship between sensitivity to encroachment and trait variability, we computed for each trait, the correlation between SEI and trait variability (n = 13). Clonality and intraspecific trait variability explained little variation in SEI. Although SLA increased in the shade for all meadow species (an adaptive response to shade) the magnitude of response (slope of SLA-light relationship) did not correlate with sensitivity to encroachment (r = 0.24, p = 0.46). Analyses of the components of SLA revealed a significant correlation with SEI for leaf area, but not leaf mass. Leaf area increased in the shade for less sensitive species, but declined in the shade for more sensitive species. The adaptive significance of this pattern is not clear given that leaf area and plant cover (upon which SEI is based) likely co-vary. Sensitivity to conifer encroachment may relate more to variation in the physiological traits of species (e.g., adjustment of photosynthetic systems) or in the ability of species to respond to changes in resources or limiting factors other than light.
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8. [Article] The Challenges and Opportunities of a Proactive Endangered Species Act : A Case Study of the Greater Sage Grouse
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) is considered by many to be among the most powerful and most contentious environmental laws in the United States. Persistent challenges to the Act’s implementation ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Challenges and Opportunities of a Proactive Endangered Species Act : A Case Study of the Greater Sage Grouse
- Author:
- Taylor, Casey Lynn
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) is considered by many to be among the most powerful and most contentious environmental laws in the United States. Persistent challenges to the Act’s implementation make reaching conservation goals problematic. Most notably, the very nature of the law—providing protections for species already at risk of extinction—means its protections are offered only when the situation is already dire, when conservation efforts will be the most difficult, costly, and controversial. Impacted industries and rural communities have frequently chafed under the regulations imposed by the Act, while environmentalists have seen the ESA as a reliable tool for slowing or stopping unwanted development. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has begun altering its approach to species conservation by pursuing a series of more proactive tools within the ESA in an effort to address declining species before emergency action under the Act is required. These efforts, including working collaboratively with state governments, federal management agencies, and private landowners, were highly visible in the case of the Greater Sage Grouse, a recent candidate for ESA protection in the western United States. Using the sage grouse as a focal case study, this dissertation evaluates some of the challenges and opportunities involved in these proactive, collaborative conservation efforts. In particular, analysis focuses on one of the key components of the ESA process—the selection, interpretation, and application of scientific evidence. Interviews with stakeholders across three sage grouse states—Idaho, Oregon, and Wyoming—as well as planning documents, government reports, and media accounts in these states were collected in order to understand the relationship between collaboration and the use of science in proactive conservation efforts for the sage grouse. Evidence from the three studies in this dissertation suggests that in such efforts, discussion and negotiation surrounding the nature of species threats and possible conservation actions can be hampered by the lack of trust between stakeholders and administrative agencies. The first study (Chapter 2) examines three different conservation efforts in Oregon, and finds that organizational goals, history, and scale of operations influence the degree of collaboration within a particular effort, when then influences the manner in which science is utilized in the process. The second study (Chapter 3) compares the development of voluntary conservation agreements between private landowners and FWS across three states and finds that positive working relationships and trust are critical in effectively negotiating species threats, conservation actions, and monitoring protocols. That being said, when relationships and trust are still being developed, as they often are for the FWS with regard to the ESA, these can be supplemented by partnering with other agencies and organizations with better relationships with communities on the ground, such as the NRCS. The third study (Chapter 4) asks participants from the two earlier portions of the dissertation to define the term ‘best available science,’ an ambiguous concept which is often used as a metric for decision-making in environmental law. Analysis of these responses finds substantial common ground regarding how ‘best available science’ should be defined and identified, but also points to areas of concern with the practice of science-based decision-making.
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9. [Article] The Oregon Conservation Strategy, 2006
Abstract -- State and federal agencies, as well as other organizations, have developed and led many plans during the years to guide conservation of Oregon's fish and wildlife and their habitats. Most of ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Oregon Conservation Strategy, 2006
Abstract -- State and federal agencies, as well as other organizations, have developed and led many plans during the years to guide conservation of Oregon's fish and wildlife and their habitats. Most of these plans have focused on a particular species, area or natural resource. Although wildlife conservation often has been an implicit concern of these plans, many were developed primarily for other purposes. With the creation of this Oregon Conservation Strategy, Oregon has its first overarching state strategy for conserving fish and wildlife. The Conservation Strategy is an effort to use the best available science to create a broad vision and conceptual framework for long-term conservation of Oregon's native fish and wildlife, as well as various invertebrates and native plants. As a guide to conserving the species and habitats that have defined the nature of Oregon, this strategy can help ensure that Oregon's natural treasures are passed on to future generations. The Conservation Strategy emphasizes proactively conserving declining species and habitats to reduce the possibility of future federal or state listings. It is not a regulatory document, but instead presents issues and opportunities, and recommends voluntary actions that will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of conservation in Oregon. Healthy fish and wildlife populations require adequate habitat, which is provided in natural systems and, for many species, in landscapes managed for forestry, agriculture, range and urban uses. The goals of the Conservation Strategy are to maintain healthy fish and wildlife populations by maintaining and restoring functioning habitats, preventing declines of at-risk species, and reversing declines in these resources where possible. These goals fit well with ODFW's statutory obligation to protect and enhance Oregon's fish and wildlife and their habitats for use and enjoyment by present and future generations. However, this is not a management plan for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Instead, it is a broad strategy for all of Oregon, offering potential roles and opportunities for residents, agencies and organizations. It incorporates information and insights from a broad range of natural resources assessments and conservation plans, supplemented by the professional expertise and practical experiences of a cross-section of Oregon's resource managers and conservation interests. It is designed to have a variety of applications both inside and outside of state government. Most important, perhaps, it establishes the basis for a common understanding of the challenges facing Oregon's fish and wildlife, and provides a shared set of priorities for addressing the state's conservation needs. The heart of the Conservation Strategy is a blueprint for voluntary action to address the long-term needs of Oregon's fish and wildlife. The future for many species will depend on landowners' and land managers' willingness to voluntarily take action on their own to protect and improve fish and wildlife habitat. The strategy outlined in this document considers fish and wildlife from a statewide perspective, establishing a broader context for decisions about the species and habitats in greatest need of conservation attention. It also recognizes that these issues vary in different regions, requiring conservation actions to be tailored to the unique needs of the fish, wildlife and human communities that coexist throughout Oregon. Much good work already is being done by private landowners. water-shed councils, conservation organizations and agencies like the many soil and water conservation districts. This strategy continues building on the solid foundation these groups have set for Oregon's conservation future. This document is called a strategy, not a plan, because its purpose is to help people make decisions more strategically about how they can invest time and resources in fish and wildlife conservation. To that end, the Conservation Strategy focuses on a suite of species and habitats, many of them closely linked, that are in greatest need of conservation attention. The strategy provides guidance on the types of actions most likely to benefit these species and habitats, and describes a variety of non-regulatory programs that can help landowners and land managers with implementation. For agencies and organizations working on a larger scale, the Conservation Strategy highlights specific geographic "Conservation Opportunity Areas" that provide good opportunities to address the conservation needs of high-priority habitats and species. These landscape-scale areas include both public and private ownership where targeted investments in conservation actions and incentives for private landowners are likely to generate the greatest long-term benefits for fish and wildlife. The expanding footprint of human development and 150 years of landscape alteration have left much of Oregon's fish and wildlife at varying degrees of risk. For example, the song of Oregon's state bird, the western meadowlark, is rarely heard in the Willamette Valley any more. A grassland bird still common in eastern Oregon, the meadowlark is not going to be a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act any time soon. But the state bird is in trouble across a significant portion of its historic range in Oregon. Like most of Oregon's wildlife, it retains a natural resilience and will respond to improved habitat conditions. However, the meadowlark needs some conservation attention. For the western meadowlark and dozens of other similarly vulnerable species including fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, invertebrates and plants, the Oregon Conservation Strategy offers hope for a more secure future.
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10. [Article] Nesting season ecology of marbled murrelets at a remote mainland fjord in southeast Alaska
This thesis focuses on the nesting ecology and marine space use of Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) during the 2007 and 2008 nesting seasons in and around Port Snettisham, a remote mainland ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Nesting season ecology of marbled murrelets at a remote mainland fjord in southeast Alaska
- Author:
- Barbaree, Blake A.
This thesis focuses on the nesting ecology and marine space use of Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) during the 2007 and 2008 nesting seasons in and around Port Snettisham, a remote mainland fjord in Southeast Alaska. Marbled Murrelets (murrelets) are a declining species throughout most of their range, and their conservation is a challenging endeavor because they rely on relatively large expanses of terrestrial habitat for nesting and marine habitat for food. Murrelets are especially difficult to study because they place their nests at variable and often considerable distance from the sea in largely inaccessible locations; consequently, we know relatively little about their breeding ecology and overall life history compared to other seabirds. I used radio-telemetry to gather data on reproduction, behavior, and at-sea locations of murrelets. Herein, I describe individual and population-level marine space use, identify nesting habitat, estimate reproductive success, and characterize patterns of nest visits. Mean marine home range size for adult murrelets was significantly larger in 2008 (158.6 ± 103.7 km²) than 2007 (97.8 ± 59.4 km²), suggesting that foraging conditions were relatively poor in 2008. Similarly, mean commuting distance from at-sea location to nest sites was significantly longer in 2008 (20.0 ± 2.0 km) than 2007 (12.0 ± 0.9 km), and murrelets nesting further from the coast likely reduced their foraging ranges in 2008. Central foraging hot spots were identified throughout Port Snettisham and near Holkham Bay and Tracy Arm to the south. Boundaries of these hot spots can be used to guide management of commercial fishing and tourism, and designation of marine protected areas. I located 33 active nests in mostly inaccessible sites within forest and non-forest habitat, including visually confirmed nest sites on the branches of large conifer trees and on ledges of steep cliffs near water (e.g., waterfall, lake, river, or glacier). Widespread use of rock cliff and subalpine nesting habitats (≥ 48.5% of located nests) indicated that nesting habitat models in Southeast Alaska should include these types of habitats. Nests were located further inland (range 1.0 - 52.0 km) and at higher elevations (range 42 - 1100 m) than previously documented in Alaska, including two nest sites > 15 km east of the USA/Canada border in British Columbia, Canada. The nesting season was ca. 113 days long (25 May - 16 September), and four late-season re-nesting attempts were documented. Apparent fledge success, derived by inference from behavior of radio-tagged adults, was 17.6% (n = 6 of 34). The low reproductive success at Port Snettisham was similar to estimates from south of Alaska, and unexpected because the area has relatively high densities of murrelets and seemingly ideal conditions for nesting. This information is noteworthy to future conservation planning because it provides evidence that murrelet reproduction may be low even when conditions for nesting are relatively good. Despite an adaptation to high adult survival, murrelet populations cannot sustain themselves with similarly low levels of reproduction. Based on my results future research should focus on monitoring regional population trends, identifying causes of nest failure, estimating adult survival rates, and identifying sources of adult mortality.
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Fisheries management as we know it today is in a perpetual state of crisis because it is fatally flawed. Fisheries management will increasingly fail to prevent species decline, and even exacerbate those ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Rethinking Fisheries Management: Why Fisheries Management Fails
- Author:
- Spain, Glen
- Year:
- 2001
Fisheries management as we know it today is in a perpetual state of crisis because it is fatally flawed. Fisheries management will increasingly fail to prevent species decline, and even exacerbate those declines, unless it adopts new institutional priorities and methodologies based not on the prevalent “Industrial Model,” which is driven primarily by economic utility, but instead based on the “Biological Model,” which is primarily driven by the whole range of species’ biological needs, including limits placed by interactions with other species and by the ecosystem’s carrying capacity at each stage of a species’s lifecycle. In other words, fisheries managers – including fisheries economists – must stop just managing fishermen and learn to manage fish ecosystems by thinking more like biologists than economists. To do this, concepts such as “efficient use” and “optimization” of the resource must now be legally redefined primarily in biological and ecosystem conservation terms, and fisheries management agencies must adopt the tools of conservation biology, including investing far more heavily in the basic biological monitoring that makes such management possible. Failure to make these changes will simply lead to more stock crashes, unnecessary and probably fatal stresses on fishing-dependent communities, and ultimately extinction of whole species.
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12. [Article] An exploratory study of the social factors of small dam removal : Chiloquin Dam at Sprague River Mile 0.87, Oregon
Several reports related to dams and dam removal have been released this decade by non-governmental organizations including Dam Removal: Science and Decision Making by The Heinz Center which focused on ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- An exploratory study of the social factors of small dam removal : Chiloquin Dam at Sprague River Mile 0.87, Oregon
- Author:
- Hatch, Jason M.
Several reports related to dams and dam removal have been released this decade by non-governmental organizations including Dam Removal: Science and Decision Making by The Heinz Center which focused on small dams, since most of the dams removed to date as well as those likely to be removed in the near future fall into this category. The report found that there is a need for case study social research on small dam removal. Accordingly, this thesis seeks to identify the social and policy factors that influenced the decision to remove Chiloquin Dam on the Sprague River, Oregon. This irrigation diversion dam was constructed from 1914-1918 for the Klamath Tribes under the federal Indian Irrigation Service program and subsequently transferred to the Modoc Point Irrigation District in 1973, after termination of the Tribes by the federal Government. Chiloquin Dam was identified in a 1988 Endangered Species Act listing as a primary factor in Lost River and shortnose sucker species decline, a species of cultural significance for the Klamath Tribes. Although early reports, including those by Klamath Project irrigators, called for improved fish passage at Chiloquin Dam, it was not until jeopardy biological opinions triggered a shut off of water to the federal irrigation project in 2001, that Chiloquin Dam became a priority. Directed by legislation, the United States Bureau of Reclamation convened stakeholders in the Chiloquin Dam Fish Passage Study for nine months in 2002-2003 to determine a preferred alternative for fish passage, of which dam removal was recommended. To identify the social and policy factors that influenced the Chiloquin Dam removal decision, 21 informants were interviewed including participants in the Fish Passage Study as well as those involved in the 1988 Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing. Among the findings, respondents perceived that the ESA was the driving policy force, along with tribal restoration (the tribal trust responsibility) in the dam removal decision. Modoc Point Irrigation District members (Off-project) and tribal respondents believe that the dam removal was motivated by political support for Klamath Project irrigators. Despite these beliefs and divergent expectations for Chiloquin Dam fish passage, with the political imperative and resources, an agreement was reached in which each party had their needs addressed. An analysis using the social construction model found that the events of 2001 threatened to push irrigation interests from a powerful advantaged political position. The Fish Passage Study presented capacity and inducement instruments that responded to irrigation and tribal concerns and may also serve to restore the irrigation position as an advantaged social construction. Overall, uncertain science, differing beliefs of what dam removal would mean, and a lack of political priority served to delay action on fish passage at Chiloquin Dam from the ESA listing in 1988.
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14. [Article] Wildland fire in ecosystems : effects of fire on fauna
Fires affect animals mainly through effects on their habitat. Fires often cause short-term increases in wildlife foods that contribute to increases in populations of some animals. These increases are moderated ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Wildland fire in ecosystems : effects of fire on fauna
- Author:
- Schreiner, David Scott, Smith, Jane Kapler, Telfer, Edmund S., Huff, Mark H., Lyon, L. Jack, Hooper, Robert G.
Fires affect animals mainly through effects on their habitat. Fires often cause short-term increases in wildlife foods that contribute to increases in populations of some animals. These increases are moderated by the animals’ ability to thrive in the altered, often simplified, structure of the postfire environment. The extent of fire effects on animal communities generally depends on the extent of change in habitat structure and species composition caused by fire. Stand-replacement fires usually cause greater changes in the faunal communities of forests than in those of grasslands. Within forests, standreplacement fires usually alter the animal community more dramatically than understory fires. Animal species are adapted to survive the pattern of fire frequency, season, size, severity, and uniformity that characterized their habitat in presettlement times. When fire frequency increases or decreases substantially or fire severity changes from presettlement patterns, habitat for many animal species declines.
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15. [Article] Diversity and abundance of birds across a hardwood gradient in early seral Douglas-fir plantations
Recent evidence suggests that population declines of some avian species may be driven primarily by reduced quantity and diversity of early-successional habitat on the breeding grounds. Increasing intensity ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Diversity and abundance of birds across a hardwood gradient in early seral Douglas-fir plantations
- Author:
- Ellis, Tana M.
Recent evidence suggests that population declines of some avian species may be driven primarily by reduced quantity and diversity of early-successional habitat on the breeding grounds. Increasing intensity of forest management on private lands and decreased harvest rates on federal lands has resulted in a loss of the diverse early-successional stage of forest succession, typically called early seral forest. Previous studies suggest that the amount of early seral broadleaf cover within conifer forests is important to foliage-gleaning bird communities. However, information regarding bird abundance, diversity, productivity and juvenile post-breeding habitat use in highly modified plantation habitat is scant. I investigated the association between broadleaved hardwood cover and avian abundance and diversity in intensively managed early seral Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands of the Pacific Northwest. I examined this relationship at the community-level, within the insectivorous foliage-gleaning guild, and for five leaf gleaning Neotropical migrant species: orange-crowned warbler (Oreothlypis celata), Wilson's warbler (Wilsonia pusilla), MacGillivray's warbler (Oporornis tolmiei), Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus), and black-headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus). Bird species richness decreased across an elevational gradient, but did not appear to vary as a function of either local vegetation composition or structure. In contrast, bird abundance was strongly associated with hardwood cover at local and landscape scales, especially for foliage-gleaning species. We found strong support for the existence of a threshold in relative bird abundance as a function of hardwood at the stand scale; abundance doubled with an increase from 1% to ~6% hardwood and then reached a plateau. Though abundance of leaf gleaners increased even more strongly across a gradient in hardwood, evidence for a distinct threshold was less clear. Though in some cases unexplained variation was quite large, all species except MacGillivray's warbler were strongly positively associated with early seral hardwood cover as fledglings, breeding adults, or both. Management practices aimed at retaining increased amounts of early seral hardwood cover at the stand level is thus likely to accommodate a greater number of breeding pairs and young. If adopted at landscape and regional scales, such practices may positively influence population trends of many declining bird species. We conclude that when early seral hardwood forest is scarce, even small increases in hardwood may provide substantial conservation benefits. However, for some species (i.e., foliage gleaners), there may be more direct trade-offs in abundance and juvenile recruitment with management intensity.
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This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by University of Chicago Press and can be found at: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/683659
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Information-Mediated Allee Effects in Breeding Habitat Selection
- Author:
- Johansson, Jacob, Schmidt, Kenneth A., Betts, Matthew G.
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by University of Chicago Press and can be found at: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/683659
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17. [Article] Managing for Resistance and Resilience of Northern Great Lakes Forests to the Effects of Climate Change
Climate change is expected to drastically change the environmental conditions which forests depend. Lags in tree species movements will likely be outpaced by a more rapidly changing climate. This may result ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Managing for Resistance and Resilience of Northern Great Lakes Forests to the Effects of Climate Change
- Author:
- Duveneck, Matthew Joshua
- Year:
- 2014
Climate change is expected to drastically change the environmental conditions which forests depend. Lags in tree species movements will likely be outpaced by a more rapidly changing climate. This may result in species extirpation, a change in forest structure, and a decline in resistance and resilience (i.e., the ability to persist and recover from external perturbations, respectively). In the northern Great Lakes region of North America, an ecotone exists along the boreal-temperate transition zone where large changes in species composition exist across a climate gradient. Increasing temperatures are observed in the more southern landscapes. As climate change is expected to substantially affect mid-continental landscapes, this region is especially vulnerable to climate change. My research assessed the effects of climate change under business as usual (BAU) management as well as alternative management strategies. To do so, I simulated forest change in two landscapes (northeastern Minnesota and northern lower Michigan) under three climate change scenarios (current climate, low emissions, and high emissions), and four management scenarios (BAU, modified silviculture, expanded reserves, and climate suitable planting) with a spatially-explicit forest simulation model from year 2000 to year 2150. Specifically, I explored how climate change would affect relationships between tree species diversity and productivity (Chapter 2); how expanded reserves and modified silviculture may affect aboveground biomass (AGB) and species diversity (Chapter 3); how climate suitable planting may affect functional diversity, and AGB (Chapter 4); and how alternative management may affect the resistance and resilience of forests to multiple disturbances interacting with climate change (Chapter 5). Under the BAU management scenario, I found that current and low emissions climate scenarios did not affect the relationship between species diversity and productivity; however, under a high emissions climate scenario, a decline in simulated productivity was coupled with a stronger positive relationship between diversity and productivity. Under the high emissions climate scenario, overall productivity declined in both landscapes with specific species declines projected for boreal species such as balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and black spruce (Picea mariana). Under alternative management scenarios, I simulated a limited ability to increase tree species and functional diversity, AGB, and net primary productivity under climate change. The limits of management were especially apparent under the high emissions climate scenario. In a novel approach to measuring resilience, I plotted the recovery of both initial species composition and AGB to stochastic fire events for each simulation. This approach assessed both a general response (i.e. AGB) with a more specific response (i.e. species composition). My results suggest that climate change will reduce the resilience of northern Great Lake forest AGB and species composition and that management effects will be largely outweighed by the declines expected due to climate change. My results highlight the necessity to consider even more innovative and creative solutions under climate change (e.g., planting species from even further south than I simulated).
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Catches of several potential choke species in the Pacific groundfish IFQ are highly uncertain and tend to be concentrated while quota is broadly distributed. An analysis prior to implementation of the ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Evolving Bycatch Risk in the Pacific Groundfish Trawl IFQ
- Author:
- Holland, Dan
Catches of several potential choke species in the Pacific groundfish IFQ are highly uncertain and tend to be concentrated while quota is broadly distributed. An analysis prior to implementation of the IFQ suggested substantial risk of individual vessels accidentally exceeding quota allocations for several rockfish species and Pacific halibut. Many fishermen lacked confidence that they would be able to acquire quota on the market to cover incidental catch and consequently joined risk pools to mitigate this risk. I update the analysis of bycatch risk using tow level catch data since implementation of the IFQ. The analysis indicates that expected catch rates of most choke species have declined suggesting more effective bycatch avoidance behavior. However, there remains a significant risk that vessels’ catch of some choke species can be several times median quota allocations, in part because many vessels have increased catch and effort by leasing quota pounds, but quota share ownership has remained distributed. The results underscore the importance of an efficient quota market to redistribute quota to match realized catches, but a recent analysis suggests that the quota market is not distributing quota effectively and is subject to high transactions costs. This provides and explanation for the persistence of risk pools despite the fact that aggregate catches of overfished rockfish species and Pacific halibut have remained well below total quotas.
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The Lamprey Eel Decline project conducted by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) combined traditional ecological knowledge, scientific research and geographic information science. CTSI wanted ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- The potential of dynamic segmentation for aquatic ecosystem management : Pacific lamprey decline in the native lands of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (Oregon, USA)
- Author:
- Palacios, Kelly C.
The Lamprey Eel Decline project conducted by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) combined traditional ecological knowledge, scientific research and geographic information science. CTSI wanted to learn why the Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata), a culturally and ecologically important species, was declining in the streams within their native land area. The project included interviewing native elders, characterizing stream habitat, monitoring water quality, creating a geographic information system (GIS) and educating tribal members on the cultural and ecological importance of the Pacific lamprey. Dynamic segmentation, a GIS data structure, was used to link standard stream survey data on the river unit scale to a base stream coverage (1:24,000). Dynamic segmentation efficiently associates georeferenced data to a linear feature, thus allowing the data to be readily assessable on desktop computer systems. To be more useful to the tribal and local resource managers, it is recommended that these GIS coverages of aquatic habitat should be used in conjunction with additional data coverages and basic regional models for watershed analysis and better management of aquatic ecosystems.
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The Lamprey Eel Decline project conducted by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) combined traditional ecological knowledge, scientific research and geographic information science. CTSI wanted ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Potential of dynamic segmentation for aquatic ecosystem management : Pacific Lamprey decline in the native lands of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
- Author:
- Palacios, Kelly C.
The Lamprey Eel Decline project conducted by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) combined traditional ecological knowledge, scientific research and geographic information science. CTSI wanted to learn why the Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata), a culturally and ecologically important species, was declining in the streams within their native land area. The project included interviewing native elders, characterizing stream habitat, monitoring water quality, creating a geographic information system (GIS) and educating tribal members on the cultural and ecological importance of the Pacific lamprey. Dynamic segmentation, a GIS data structure, was used to link standard stream survey data on the river unit scale to a base stream coverage (1:24,000). Dynamic segmentation efficiently associates georeferenced data to a linear feature, thus allowing the data to be readily assessable on desktop computer systems. To be more useful to the tribal and local resource managers, it is recommended that these GIS coverages of aquatic habitat should be used in conjunction with additional data coverages and basic regional models for watershed analysis and better management of aquatic ecosystems.
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21. [Article] Avian population trends within the evolving agricultural landscape of the eastern and central United States
State-level Breeding Bird Survey (1980-1998) and U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were used to test the hypothesis that changes in agricultural land use within the eastern and central U.S. have ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Avian population trends within the evolving agricultural landscape of the eastern and central United States
- Author:
- Murphy, Michael T.
- Year:
- 2003
State-level Breeding Bird Survey (1980-1998) and U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were used to test the hypothesis that changes in agricultural land use within the eastern and central U.S. have driven population trends of grassland and shrub habitat birds over the past two decades. The degree to which population trends differed between grassland and shrub habitats was evaluated with respect to migratory and nesting behavior. Grassland birds declined significantly between 1980 and 1999, but, on average, shrub habitat species did not. Grassland-breeding, long-distance migrants exhibited the strongest negative trends. Most species (78%; n = 63) exhibited at least one significant association between population trends and changes in agricultural land use, and in most, land use "explained" 25-30% of the variation in population trends among states. Changes in the farmland landscape accounted for more of the interstate variability of population trends of short-distance migrants than of both long-distance migrants and residents, and that variability was greater in grassland than shrub species. Declines in the area of rangeland and cover crops were followed by population declines and increases, respectively, by many species. Increases of land in the Conservation Reserve Program had negative associations with population trends of some shrub species. The results indicate that grassland birds have declined strongly over the past two decades, and that regardless of migratory behavior or nesting habits, avian population trends are linked strongly to changes in agricultural land use within North America.
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22. [Article] Evidence of population bottleneck in Astragalus michauxii (Fabaceae), a narrow endemic of the southeastern United States
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Evidence of population bottleneck in Astragalus michauxii (Fabaceae), a narrow endemic of the southeastern United States
- Author:
- Xiang, Qiu-Yun Jenny, Knaus, Brian K., Gray, Janet B., Hohmann, Matthew G., Hoffmann, William A., Wall, Wade A., Douglas, Norman A., Wentworth, Thomas R.
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10592.
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23. [Article] Competitive interactions between Douglas-fir and red alder seedlings : growth analysis, resource use, and physiology
Competitive interactions between Douglas-fir seedlings (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and seedlings of a nitrogen-fixing hardwood associate, red alder (Alnus rubra), were investigated in an addition series experiment. ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Competitive interactions between Douglas-fir and red alder seedlings : growth analysis, resource use, and physiology
- Author:
- Shainsky, Lauri J.
Competitive interactions between Douglas-fir seedlings (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and seedlings of a nitrogen-fixing hardwood associate, red alder (Alnus rubra), were investigated in an addition series experiment. The primary objective of the research was to identify and quantify key processes underlying intra- and interspecific competitive interactions of Douglas-fir and red alder seedlings. Seedlings of both species were planted into five monoculture densities of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 trees m⁻², and into mixtures of all possible pairwise combinations of these densities. Stem diameter and height were measured monthly, and were used to calculate relative growth rates. Soil moisture depletion was monitored using the neutron scattering method. An index of light availability was measured through fisheye photography and computer digitization. Leaf water potential served as a physiological indicator of water stress physiology. Predictive equations were developed for estimating the affect of species densities on tree yield and growth as they changed with time. Patterns in resource use and physiology were also modeled as functions of competitive regime. Yield, absolute growth, and relative growth rates based on an index of stem volume of both species declined quantitatively in response to intra- and interspecific competition. The competitive effects of red alder intensified with time, as the dominant overstory species grew taller and shaded the understory Douglas-fir. Resource availability and physiological performance were reduced quantitatively in response to the density of each species. Manipulation of both species densities influenced productivity through the modification of canopy structure, light pentration, and soil moisture availability. This study demonstrated that species density, resources, and physiology interact in a complex fashion to produce patterns of yield in stands of competing trees.
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24. [Article] Thirty-five years of forest succession in southwest Oregon : vegetation response to three distinct logging treatments
This study examined patterns and controls on 35-years of forest succession following logging in the 236 ha South Umpqua Experimental Forest within the Umpqua National Forest in southwestern Oregon. Prior ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Thirty-five years of forest succession in southwest Oregon : vegetation response to three distinct logging treatments
- Author:
- Arthur, Aaron Stone
This study examined patterns and controls on 35-years of forest succession following logging in the 236 ha South Umpqua Experimental Forest within the Umpqua National Forest in southwestern Oregon. Prior to logging, the overstory in all three watersheds (~50% cover) was composed of Douglas-fir (30-40% cover), grand fir (2 to 10% cover), incense cedar (2-4% cover), western hemlock (1-2 % cover), sugar pine (1-2% cover), ponderosa pine (0-1% cover), and madrone (0-1% cover). The sapling cover in all three watersheds (30-35% cover) was dominated by grand fir (15-20%), western hemlock (6-8% cover) incense cedar (3-5% cover), and Douglas-fir (3-5% cover), with <1% cover by the other tree species. In 1971, the overstory of the four watersheds received: WS-1 (69.2 ha) a 50% basal area removal (shelterwood); WS-2 (68.4 ha) 30% in 20 small clearcuts; WS-3 (49.8 ha) 100% clearcut; WS-4 (48.6 ha) uncut control. Prior to treatment, tree, shrub, and herb cover in WS 1-3 (n = 50 plots) was visually estimated using the reconnaissance survey method, but only WS 2-3 annually through 1981 (n = 39 plots). In 2006, plots were relocated and new plots added, and resurveyed (n = 77 plots). Plots were classified by environmental (aspect, slope, soil series, vegetation community) and disturbance factors (treatment, logging method, in-watershed location, and soil disturbance). Vegetation was classed into three groups: (1) vegetation structures; (2) overstory species; and (3) residual and invader understory species. Total vegetation cover decreased slightly over the 35-year period, with a slight decrease in shrubs, saplings, and herbs, and an increase in overstory tree cover in 2006 compared to 1971. Few statistically significant differences were observed in vegetation cover change according to environmental variables. However heavily disturbed sites were characterized by low shrub cover and high overstory cover, compared to lightly disturbed sites. These differences were still apparent 35 years after logging. Between 1971 and 2006 in WS-2 and WS-3, Douglas fir, incense cedar and ponderosa pine cover significantly increased, while other overstory species declined. In contrast, over the same period in WS-1, there was a significant change in grand fir and western hemlock cover. Sapling cover of all species stayed constant or declined in all watersheds, except Douglas-fir and western hemlock, which increased in WS-1 only. In the post-logging period, cover of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir cover was significantly higher on moderately and heavily disturbed plots compared to lightly disturbed plots. Before logging, residual species cover was significantly higher than invader species cover. Disturbance appeared to have the greatest effect upon the residual-invader species relationship. Residual species maintained higher cover on lightly disturbed plots, compared to invader species cover, which was highest on moderately and heavily disturbed plots. All species declined in WS-2 and WS-3 following stem exclusion. Overall patterns of tree, shrub, and herb cover succession over the 35-year post-logging period were consistent with the expected effects of clearcutting versus thinning on light levels and their interactions with known shade tolerances of tree species. Additionally, results were consistent with previously documented site disturbance effects on regeneration of residual and invader species, and shrub-tree competition and regeneration. These results permit prediction of the likely consequences for these 35-yr-old forest stands, and the thinned mature forest, of future, planned thinning treatments.
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25. [Article] Mapping the Global Emergence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Public ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Mapping the Global Emergence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus
- Author:
- Fisher, Matthew C., Garner, Trenton W. J., Walker, Susan F., Powell, Christopher I., Weaver, George, Olson, Deanna H., Aanensen, David M., Ronnenberg, Kathryn L., Bielby, Jon, The Bd Mapping Group
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plos.org/.
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The causes of the global biodiversity crisis are varied and complex. Anthropogenic threats may act in isolation, or interact additively or synergistically with each other or with natural stressors to affect ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Environmental influences on host-pathogen dynamics of the amphibian chytrid fungus
- Author:
- Buck, Julia C.
The causes of the global biodiversity crisis are varied and complex. Anthropogenic threats may act in isolation, or interact additively or synergistically with each other or with natural stressors to affect sensitive taxa. The recent emergence of many infectious diseases in wildlife has brought attention to the role of disease in population declines and species extinctions. Both abiotic and biotic components of the environment may mitigate or exacerbate effects of pathogens on their hosts through direct or indirect mechanisms. The effects of the environment on host-pathogen dynamics are complex, context-dependent, and in need of further examination. One particularly sensitive group, amphibians, is at the leading edge of the sixth mass extinction. The emerging infectious disease (EID) chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatis (Bd), is implicated in population declines and extinctions of amphibians globally. My disseration addresses questions pertaining to environmental influences on disease dynamics of Bd. As described in chapter 1, various abiotic and biotic components of the environment may affect host-pathogen dynamics of Bd, resulting in changes to the dynamics of Bd transmission and spread. Chapter 2 examines the influence of an abiotic factor, the insecticide (carbaryl) and three different assemblages of larval Pacific treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla) and Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae) on host-pathogen dynamics of Bd within a community context. I found separate effects of each treatment on amphibian growth and development, but no interactive effects among the treatments. However, Bd appeared to reduce phytoplankton abundance and increase periphyton biomass, an unexpected result that merited further investigation. One possible explanation for the results described in chapter 2 is that zooplankton might consume Bd zoospores, the infective stage of the pathogen, a hypothesis that I examine in chapter 3. I conducted laboratory experiments and confirmed the presence of Bd zoospores in the gut of Daphnia sp. through quantitative PCR and visual inspection. I discuss conservation implications of this finding. To determine whether predation on Bd zoospores by zooplankton could reduce infection in amphibians, I conducted a mesocosm experiment, which is described in chapter 4. I found complex effects on species interactions: competition between larval Cascades frogs and zooplankton for phytoplankton resources reduced phytoplankton concentration, zooplankton abundance, and survival of amphibians. These effects were diminished in the presence of Bd, suggesting that zooplankton may have at least partially substituted Bd zoospores for phytoplankton in their diet, thus stimulating competitive release. However, competitive effects between zooplankton and larval amphibians overshadowed indirect positive benefits of zooplankton predation on Bd zoospores. In chapter 4, competitive effects between zooplankton and larval amphibians for phytoplankton suggested that host-pathogen dynamics might be affected by the host’s supply of resources. Chapter 5 describes a mesocosm experiment that examined how eutrophication might affect Bd-infected Pacific treefrogs and other members of the aquatic community. Nutrient additions caused increased algal growth, which benefitted herbivorous larval amphibians. Larvae exposed to Bd altered their growth, development, and diet, and allocated resources differently than unexposed individuals. However, nutrient supplementation did not alter the response of larval amphibians to Bd. As described in chapter 6, consideration of hosts and pathogens as functional members of the ecological communities in which they exist can lead to important insights in host-pathogen dynamics. My PhD research may contribute to control measures for the emerging infectious disease chytridiomycosis.
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28. [Article] Systematic Temporal Patterns in the Relationship Between Housing Development and Forest Bird Biodiversity
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the Society for Conservation ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Systematic Temporal Patterns in the Relationship Between Housing Development and Forest Bird Biodiversity
- Author:
- Keuler, Nicholas S., Lepczyk, Christopher A., Hammer, Roger B., Pidgeon, Anna M., Radeloff, Volker C., Wood, Eric M., Flather, Curtis H., Stewart, Susan I.
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the Society for Conservation Biology and published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. It can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291523-1739.
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This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10531. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Long-term decline of a winter-resident bird community in Puerto Rico
- Author:
- Faaborg, John, Arendt, Wayne J., Toms, Judith D., Dugger, Katie M., Mora, Miguel Canals, Cox, W. Andrew
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10531. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work.
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30. [Article] Effects of spatial scale and heterogeneity on avian occupancy dynamics and population trends in forested mountain landscapes
Population trends and patterns in species distributions are the major currencies used to examine responses by biodiversity to changing environments. Effective conservation recommendations require that ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Effects of spatial scale and heterogeneity on avian occupancy dynamics and population trends in forested mountain landscapes
- Author:
- Frey, Sarah Jean Kiuama
Population trends and patterns in species distributions are the major currencies used to examine responses by biodiversity to changing environments. Effective conservation recommendations require that models of both distribution dynamics and population trends accurately reflect reality. However, identification of the appropriate temporal and spatial scales of animal response, and then obtaining data at these scales present two major challenges to developing predictive models. In heterogeneous forested mountain landscapes I examined: A) the relative drivers of climatic variability at fine spatial scales under the forest canopy ('microclimate'), B) the influence of microclimate on local-scale occupancy dynamics of bird communities, and C) the effects of spatial scale and imperfect bird detection on long-term avian population trends. Climate change has been predicted to cause widespread biodiversity declines. However, the capacity of climate envelope models for predicting the future of biodiversity has been questioned due to the mismatch between the scale of available data (i.e., global climate models) and the scales at which organisms experience their environment. Local-scale variation in microclimate is hypothesized to provide potential ‘microrefugia’ for biodiversity, but the relative role of elevation, microtopography, and vegetation structure in driving microclimate is not well known. If the microrefugia hypothesis is true, I expected to see areas on the landscape that remained relatively cooler (i.e., buffered sites). To test this, I collected temperature data at 183 sites across elevation and forest structure gradients in complex terrain of the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, USA (Chapter 2). I used boosted regression trees, a novel machine learning approach, to determine the relative influence of vegetation structure, microtopography, and elevation as drivers of microclimate and mapped fine-scale distributions of temperature across the landscape. Models performed extremely well on independent data - cross-validation correlations between testing and training data were 0.69 - 0.98 for ten selected climate variables. Elevation was the dominant driver in fine-scale microclimate patterns, although vegetation and microtopography also showed substantial relative influences. For instance, during the spring-summer transition, maximum monthly temperatures observed in old-growth sites were 2.6°C (95% CI: 1.8 - 3.3°C) cooler than plantation sites and minimum temperatures during winter months were 0.6°C (95% CI: 0.4 - 0.8°C) warmer. This suggests that older forest stands mediate changes in temperature by buffering against warming during summer months and moderating cold temperatures during the winter. Climate is generally considered most influential on species distributions at large spatial scales; however much microclimate variability exists within regional patterns. I tested whether this high degree of microclimate variability has relevance for predicting species distributions and occupancy dynamics of the Andrews Forest bird community. I collected bird occurrence data in 2012 and 2013 at all 183 sites with fine-scale temperature measurements. I used dynamic occupancy models to test the effects of temperature on occupancy and apparent within-season bird movement while statistically accounting for vegetation effects and imperfect bird detection (Chapter 3). Most species (87%) exhibited within-season shifts in response to local-scale temperature metrics. Effects of temperature on within-season occupancy dynamics were as large or larger (1 to 1.7 times) than vegetation. However, individual species were almost as likely to shift toward warmer sites as toward cooler sites, suggesting that microclimate preferences are species-specific. My results emphasize that high-resolution temperature data provide valuable insight into avian distribution dynamics in montane forest environments and that microclimate is an important variable in breeding season habitat selection by forest birds. I hypothesize that microclimate-associated distribution shifts may reflect species' potential for behavioral buffering from climate change in complex terrain. Factors influencing population trends often differ depending on the spatial scale under consideration. Further, accurate estimation of trends requires accounting for biases caused by imperfect detection. To test the degree to which population trends are consistent across scales, I estimated landscape-scale bird population trends from 1999-2012 for 38 species at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA and compared them to regional and local trends (Chapter 4). I used a new method - open-population binomial mixture models - to test the hypothesis that imperfect detection in bird sampling has the potential to bias trend estimates. I also tested for generalities in species responses by predicting population trends as a function of life history and ecological traits. Landscape-scale trends were correlated with regional and local trends, but generally these correlations were weak (r = 0.12 - 0.4). Further, more species were declining at the regional scale compared to within the relatively undisturbed HBEF. Life history and ecological traits did not explain any of the variability in the HBEF trends. However, at the regional scale, species that occurred at higher elevations were more likely to be declining and species associated with older forests have increased. I hypothesize that these differences could be attributed to both elevated rates of land-use change in the broader region and the fact that the structure of regional data did not permit modeling of imperfect detection. Indeed, accounting for imperfect detection resulted in more accurate population trend estimates at the landscape scale; without accounting for detection we would have both missed trends and falsely identified trends where none existed. These results highlight two important cautions for trend analysis: 1) population trends estimated at fine spatial scales may not be extrapolated to broader scales and 2) accurate trends require accounting for imperfect detection.
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Three studies were conducted to characterize and present early-seral competition between Douglas-fir seedlings and the surrounding vegetation communities during Pacific Northwest forest establishment. ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Characterizing early-seral competitive mechanisms influencing Douglas-fir seedling growth, vegetation community development, and physiology of selected weedy plant species
- Author:
- Dinger, Eric J.
Three studies were conducted to characterize and present early-seral competition between Douglas-fir seedlings and the surrounding vegetation communities during Pacific Northwest forest establishment. The first experiment served as the foundation for this dissertation and was designed to quantify tradeoffs associated with delaying forest establishment activities by introducing a fallow year in order to provide longer-term management of competing vegetation. A range of six operationally relevant treatments were applied over two growing seasons that included in the first (1) a no-action control, (2) a spring release only, (3) a fall site preparation without sulfometuron methyl followed by a spring release, as well as (4) a fall site preparation with sulfometuron methyl and a spring release. In the second year, there was (5) a fall site preparation without sulfometuron methyl followed by a spring release and also in the second year (6) a fall site preparation with sulfometuron methyl and a spring release. Treatments 5 and 6 were left fallow without planting during the first year. These treatments were applied in two replicated experiments within the Oregon Coast Range. After adjusting for initial seedling size, year-3 results indicated that plantation establishment and competition control immediately after harvest (i.e. no fallow period) enabled seedlings to be physically larger than those planted after a one year delay. At the Boot study site, limiting vegetation below 20% for the first growing season improved year-3 Douglas-fir seedling stem volume over 273 cm³. Delaying establishment activities one year and reducing competing vegetation below 11% enabled seedling volume after two years to be statistically the same as three year old seedlings in the no-action control, a volume range of between 148 to 166 cm³. Delaying forest establishment at Jackson Mast improved seedling survivorship over 88% when a spring heat event reduced survivorship of trees planted a year earlier to less than 69%. The combined effect of applying a fall site preparation and spring release was necessary to reduce competitive cover below 10% in the year following treatment and provided longer-lasting control of woody/semi-woody plants. Less intense control measures (i.e. no-action control and treatment 2) were not able to restrain woody/semi-woody plant cover which grew to nearly 40% at Boot and over 24% at Jackson Mast in three years. No treatment regime provided multi-year control of herbaceous species. Including sulfometuron methyl in the fall site preparation tank-mix did not have a negative effect on seedling growth or provide significant reductions in plant community abundance in the year following application when compared to similar regimes that did not include the chemical. Delaying establishment lengthened the amount of time associated with forest regeneration except on a site that accentuated a spring heat event. In the second study, horizontal distance and azimuth readings provided by a ground-based laser were used to stem map seedling locations and experimental unit features at Boot. These data were used to create a relative Cartesian coordinate system that defined spatially explicit polygons enabling, for the first time, the ability to collect positional data on competing forest vegetation within an entire experimental unit. Deemed "vixels" or vegetation pixels, these polygons were assessed for measures of total cover and cover of the top three most abundance species during the initial three years of establishment. An alternate validity check of research protocols was provided when total cover resulting from this vixel technique was compared to a more traditional survey of four randomly located subplots. The resulting linear regression equation had an adjusted R² of 0.90 between these two techniques of assessing total cover. When compared within a treatment and year, total cover differed by less than 12 percentage points between the two techniques. Analysis of year-3 woody/semi-woody plant cover produced by the techniques led to identical treatment differences. Two treatments resulted in woody/semi-woody cover of approximately 1500 ft² by the vixel method and nearly 40% cover by the subplot method while the remaining four treatments were grouped below 600 ft² or 20% cover, respectively. With continued refinement, these techniques could visually present forest development through all phases and provide long-term information used to bolster growth and yield models, measures of site productivity, as well as community ecology research. The third study evaluated the season-long gas exchange and biomass partitioning of four weedy plant species capable of rapidly colonizing Pacific Northwest regenerating forests. Cirsium arvense, Cirsium vulgare, Rubus ursinus and Senecio sylvaticus were studied at two sites. A greenhouse was used to introduce two levels of irrigation (well-watered and droughty). These species were also studied while growing among a larger vegetation community at a field site. Irrigation treatments had little impact on gas exchange rates. Species achieved maximum photosynthetic rates of 30, 20, 15 and 25 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ (respectively) prior to mid-July coinciding with an active phase of vegetative growth. As the season progressed, photosynthetic rates declined in spite of well-watered conditions while transpiration rates remained relatively consistent even when soil water decreased below 0.25 m³ H₂O/m³ soil. Water use efficiency was high until late-July for all study species, after which time it decreased below 5 μmol CO₂ · mmol H₂O⁻¹. Multi-leaf gas exchange measurements as well as biomass data provided a holistic view of plantlevel mechanisms used to shunt activity toward developing tissues. Herbaceous species had assimilation rates that differed vertically (within each species) by as much as 10 to 20 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ from July to September as lower leaves senesced in favor of those higher on study plants. Specific leaf area was greatest in June for all species then declined indicating species placed little effort into sacrificial early season leaves when compared to those higher on the plant that could continue to support flowering or vegetative growth. The study of seasonal gas exchange in the presence of declining water availability has helped to describe competitive mechanisms at work during forest regeneration as well as provide physiologic support for the application of vegetation management regimes.
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32. [Article] Human influences on historical and current wildlife distributions from Lewis & Clark to today
Although it is well known that humans are strong modifiers of their environment, there is a need for greater understanding of human-wildlife interactions, both historically as well as currently. Historical ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Human influences on historical and current wildlife distributions from Lewis & Clark to today
- Author:
- Laliberte, Andrea S.
Although it is well known that humans are strong modifiers of their environment, there is a need for greater understanding of human-wildlife interactions, both historically as well as currently. Historical journals can help shed light on early human-wildlife interactions, and the Lewis & Clark journals contain some of the earliest and detailed written descriptions of a large part of the United States before Euro-American settlement. I used the journal entries to assess the influence of humans on wildlife distribution and abundance. Areas with denser human population, the Columbia Basin and the Pacific Coast, had lower species diversity and abundance of large mammals. The opposite was observed on the Plains. Overhunting before Euro- American contact accentuated by the introduction of the horse may have been major contributors responsible for the historic absence of some species that are present in the archaeological record. The information gained from the Lewis & Clark journals shows the considerable human influence on wildlife under relatively low human population densities. This has major implications for conservation biology and ecological restoration, since human influence is often underestimated when considering the pre-settlement condition. Species ranges are dynamic and change greatly over time. In order to identify large-scale patterns in range contractions and/or expansions, I compared historic and current geographical ranges of 43 North American carnivores and ungulates. Seventeen of the species had undergone range contractions over >20% of their historic range. In areas of higher human influence, species were more likely to contract and less likely to persist. Species richness declined considerably since historic times, and the temperate grasslands and temperate broadleaf/mixed forest biomes lost the highest average number of species, while the boreal forest and tundra showed fewer numbers of species lost. The study of species range changes contributed new quantitative information about human influences on range contractions in North America. The results can be used to improve our knowledge of historical reference conditions, for the creation of wildlife reserves, and for wildlife re-introductions.
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Farmers rely almost exclusively on the imported European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) for fruit and vegetable crop pollination services. The recent decline in honeybee health has underscored the danger ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Native bees, honeybees and pollination in Oregon cranberries (BioResource Research)
- Author:
- McKenney, Melissa A.
Farmers rely almost exclusively on the imported European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) for fruit and vegetable crop pollination services. The recent decline in honeybee health has underscored the danger of relying on a single species to provide vital services. Increasing pollinator biodiversity with native bees may provide biological insurance against the decline of any particular species. By examining cropping systems, it is possible to determine which native bees are providing pollination services and then augment habitat to increase their numbers or attempt domestication. In this study, we examined the native bee populations in the cranberry growing area of southern coastal Oregon in order to determine if native bees play a significant role in cranberry pollination. This two-year study surveyed four farms across a 22 km north-south gradient. At least 27 bee species were observed during cranberry bloom (mid-May to late June), of which five were observed foraging on the cranberry flowers. The imported European honeybee and bumble bees (Bombus spp.) comprised 99.7% of foragers. While honeybees and bumble bees foraged at comparable wind speeds, Bombus spp. foraged at significantly lower average temperatures (P<0.0001). Both honeybees and bumble bees collected cranberry pollen while foraging, but 37.2% of honeybees were observed nectar-robbing (collecting nectar but no pollen) versus only 11.3% of bumble bees. Bumble bees in general, and the western yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii Radoszkowski) in particular, are abundant native pollinators of cranberry, and may provide adequate pollination for small Oregon cranberry farms. Conservation of bumble bee habitat and development of managed colonies will help maintain pollination services.
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34. [Article] Native bees, honeybees and pollination in Oregon cranberries (Library Undergraduate Honors Award Paper)
Farmers rely almost exclusively on the imported European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) for fruit and vegetable crop pollination services. The recent decline in honeybee health has underscored he danger ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Native bees, honeybees and pollination in Oregon cranberries (Library Undergraduate Honors Award Paper)
- Author:
- McKenney, Melissa A.
Farmers rely almost exclusively on the imported European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) for fruit and vegetable crop pollination services. The recent decline in honeybee health has underscored he danger of relying on a single species to provide vital services. Increasing pollinator biodiversity with native bees may provide biological insurance against the decline of any particular species. By examining cropping systems, it is possible to determine which native bees are providing pollination services and then augment habitat to increase their numbers or attempt domestication. In this study, we examined the native bee populations in the cranberry growing area of southern coastal Oregon in order to determine if native bees play a significant role in cranberry pollination. This two-year study surveyed four farms across a 22 km north-south gradient. At least 27 bee species were observed during cranberry bloom (mid-May to late June), of which five were observed foraging on the cranberry flowers. The imported European honeybees and bumble bees foraged at comparable wind speeds, Bombus spp. Foraged at significantly lower average temperatures (P<0.0001). Both honeybees and bumble bees collected cranberry pollen while foraging, but 37.2% of honeybees were observed nectar-robbing (collecting nectar but no pollen) versus only 11.3% of bumble bees. Bumble bees in general , and the western yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii Randoszkowski) in particular, are abundant native pollinators of cranberry, and may provide adequate pollination for small Oregon cranberry farms. Conservation of bumble bee habitat and development of managed colonies will help maintain pollination services.
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35. [Article] Bridging environmental physiology and community ecology : temperature effects at the community level
Most climate change predictions focus on the response of individual species to changing local conditions and ignore species interactions, largely due to the lack of a sound theoretical foundation for how ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Bridging environmental physiology and community ecology : temperature effects at the community level
- Author:
- Iles, Alison C.
Most climate change predictions focus on the response of individual species to changing local conditions and ignore species interactions, largely due to the lack of a sound theoretical foundation for how interactions are expected to change with climate and how to incorporate them into climate change models. Much of the variability in species interaction strengths may be governed by fundamental constraints on physiological rates, possibly providing a framework for including species interactions into climate change models. Metabolic rates, ingestion rates and many other physiological rates are relatively predictable from body size and body temperature due to constraints imposed by the physical and chemical laws that govern fluid dynamics and the kinetics of biochemical reaction times. My dissertation assesses the usefulness of this framework by exploring the community-level consequences of physiological constraints. In Chapter 2, I incorporated temperature and body size scaling into the biological rate parameters of a series of realistically structured trophic network models. The relative magnitude of the temperature scaling parameters affecting consumer energetic costs (metabolic rates) and energetic gains (ingestion rates) determined how consumer energetic efficiency changed with temperature. I systematically changed consumer energetic efficiency and examined the sensitivity of network stability and species persistence to various temperatures. I found that a species' probability of extinction depended primarily on the effects of organismal physiology (body size and energetic efficiency with respect to temperature) and secondarily on the effects of local food web structure (trophic level and consumer generality). This suggests that physiology is highly influential on the structure and dynamics of ecological communities. If consumer energetic efficiency declined as temperature increased, that is, species did best at lower temperatures, then the simulated networks had greater stability at lower temperatures. The opposite scenario resulted in greater stability at higher temperatures. Thus, much of the community-level response depends on what species energetic efficiencies at the organismal-level really are, which formed the research question for Chapter 3: How does consumer energetic efficiency change with temperature? Existing evidence is scarce but suggestive of decreasing consumer energetic efficiency with increasing temperature. I tested this hypothesis on seven rocky intertidal invertebrate species by measuring the relative temperature scaling of their metabolic and ingestion rates as well as consumer interaction strength under lab conditions. Energetic efficiencies of these rocky intertidal invertebrates declined and species interaction strengths tended to increase with temperature. Thus, in the rocky intertidal, the mechanistic effect of temperature would be to lower community stability at higher temperatures. Chapter 4 tests if the mechanistic effects of temperature on ingestion rates and species interaction strengths seen in the lab are apparent under field conditions. Bruce Menge and I related bio-mimetic estimates of body temperatures to estimates of per capita mussel ingestion rates and species interaction strengths by the ochre sea star Pisaster ochraceus, a keystone predator of the rocky intertidal. We found a strong, positive effect of body temperature on both per capita ingestion rates and interaction strengths. However, the effects of season and the unique way in which P. ochraceus regulates body temperatures were also apparent, leaving room for adaptation and acclimation to partially compensate for the mechanistic constraint of body temperature. Community structure of the rocky intertidal is associated with environmental forcing due to upwelling, which delivers cold, nutrient rich water to the nearshore environment. As upwelling is driven by large-scale atmospheric pressure gradients, climate change has the potential to affect a wide range of significant ecological processes through changes in water temperature. In Chapter 5, my coauthors and I identified long-term trends in the phenology of upwelling events that are consistent with climate change predictions: upwelling events are becoming stronger and longer. As expected, longer upwelling events were related to lower average water temperatures in the rocky intertidal. Furthermore, recruitment rates of barnacles and mussels were associated with the phenology of upwelling events. Thus climate change is altering the mode and the tempo of environmental forcing in nearshore ecosystems, with ramifications for community structure and function. Ongoing, long-term changes in environmental forcing in rocky intertidal ecosystems provide an opportunity to understand how temperature shapes community structure and the ramifications of climate change. My dissertation research demonstrates that the effect of temperature on organismal performance is an important force structuring ecological communities and has potential as a tractable framework for predicting the community level effects of climate change.
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36. [Article] Cone and seed insects and their impact on whitebark pine
Whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis Engelm. is an important but declining high-elevation tree species in western forests. Regeneration of this species has been difficult and the impact of cone and seed insects ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Cone and seed insects and their impact on whitebark pine
- Author:
- United States. Forest Service. Northern Region, Kegley, Sandy, United States. Forest Health Protection
Whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis Engelm. is an important but declining high-elevation tree species in western forests. Regeneration of this species has been difficult and the impact of cone and seed insects unknown. Seven sites selected from the geographical range of whitebark pine in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and California were examined for cone and seed insects and their impact. Ten different insect species were found affecting various reproductive structures of whitebark pine. Insects having the greatest impact across most sites were fir coneworm (Dioryctria abietivorella (Grote)) and western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann). Coneworms infested up to 68% of cones collected, destroying up to 13% of the seed extracted. Seed bugs damaged up to 27% of the seeds. Pheromone traps for the ponderosa pine cone beetle (Conophthorus ponderosae Hopkins) and coneworms were tested. Ponderosa pine cone beetles were trapped at three of seven sites. Coneworms were trapped at two sites where pheromone traps were deployed. Further studies incorporating different cone crop levels of whitebark pine and other associated tree species are needed to fully determine the effect of cone and seed insects on whitebark pine seed and reproduction.
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Over the last 50 years, riparian zones in the semi-arid West have gained recognition as disproportionately important habitats for both breeding bird communities and agricultural operations. Despite growing ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Twenty-year changes in riparian bird communities of east-central Oregon
- Author:
- Ellis, Michael S.
Over the last 50 years, riparian zones in the semi-arid West have gained recognition as disproportionately important habitats for both breeding bird communities and agricultural operations. Despite growing interest in exploring avian-habitat relationships in these systems to better inform land management, few studies have attempted to describe temporal changes in the region's riparian bird communities. To provide a frame of reference for these changes, we compared indices of avian abundance and diversity from three streamside vegetation associations in east-central Oregon during the 2014 breeding season with baseline data collected by TA Sanders and WD Edge in 1993 and 1994 (Sanders and Edge 1998). Our objectives were to identify patterns of change in the avian community with a focus on riparian shrub-dependent species, to re-examine previously reported relationships between avian abundance and vegetation volume, and to identify possible causes of declines in abundance and diversity with the goal of providing land managers in the semi-arid region information to be used in the guidance and adaptation of management practices. We combined field protocols used by Sanders and Edge to survey birds along point count transects and to measure riparian vegetation with modern analytical techniques. We found few major differences in overall diversity between study periods, but documented precipitous declines in detections for two of three riparian shrub-dependent focal species - Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) and Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax trailii). Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) detections declined by a smaller margin. Changes in number of detections for these species did not reflect trends in mesic shrub volume, which had been identified as a likely driver of obligate species abundance by Sanders and Edge but remained relatively unchanged between study periods. Declines of all three focal species reflected regional Breeding Bird Survey trends, corroborating our finding that their declines may not be a result of changes in local site conditions. Compositional similarity between avian communities was significantly higher in 2014 than in 1993-1994, exhibiting a shift toward greater homogenization between structurally distinct riparian habitats. Our results suggest managing working lands for riparian shrub cover or volume, an important metric of grazing intensity and riparian system health, may not be enough to conserve diversity and abundance of riparian-shrub dependent birds, and more work should be done to identify and alleviate factors contributing to these species' declines.
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38. [Article] Seed and establishment limitation contribute to long-term native forb declines in California grasslands
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esa.org/.Citation Citation
- Title:
- Seed and establishment limitation contribute to long-term native forb declines in California grasslands
- Author:
- Brandt, Angela J., Seabloom, Eric W.
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esa.org/.
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The potential impact of chemical contaminants and conservation practices on amphibians in agricultural landscapes is a key research topic globally. Amphibians represent a common group in many freshwater ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Agricultural impacts on amphibian survival, growth, and distributions
- Author:
- Baker, Nick J.
The potential impact of chemical contaminants and conservation practices on amphibians in agricultural landscapes is a key research topic globally. Amphibians represent a common group in many freshwater systems and are currently experiencing worldwide population declines. Global amphibian declines may be attributed to a number of causes, including habitat loss, introduced species, global climate change, disease, and chemical contaminants; most species declines are not a function of only one factor, but a result of interacting factors and synergistic impacts. I analyzed the impact of field conservation efforts employed in the Calapooia watershed, located in the central Willamette Valley in Oregon, on amphibian species diversity using Simpson's Diversity Index. In the Calapooia watershed the value of this index increased when conservation efforts, such as retaining crop residue and riparian buffers, were present. This suggests that species diversity increased with increased conservation effort at the field level. In addition, I found species-specific habitat associations in the Calapooia watershed. Long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma macrodactylum) were associated with stream channel cover. Rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa) and Red-legged frogs (Rana aurora) showed similar relationships to pH, bank width, depth, and riparian habitat where as Pacific treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla) showed strong relationships to increased structural heterogeneity, increased distance to nearest agricultural field, and increased human disturbance. These results indicate that conservation efforts can impact amphibian biodiversity, and that there are species-specific habitat associations in the Calapooia watershed. My third chapter looked at pesticides and fertilizers, which have been shown to negatively affect many species of amphibians. I used meta-analytic techniques to quantify the lethal and sub-lethal effects of pesticides and fertilizers on amphibians in an effort to review the published work to date. I found that, in general, pesticides and fertilizers negatively affect amphibians by reducing both survival and growth. Pesticide and fertilizer chemical classes showed differences in their impacts on amphibians: inorganic fertilizers, organophosphates, phosphonoglycines, and triazines negatively affected amphibian survival, while, organophosphates and triazines negatively affected amphibian growth.
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This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by BioMed Central Ltd. The published article can be found at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcgene...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Island survivors: population genetic structure and demography of the critically endangered giant lizard of La Gomera, Gallotia bravoana
- Author:
- Cerón-Souza, Ivania, Mateo, José A., Zardoya, Rafael, Gonzalez, Elena G.
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by BioMed Central Ltd. The published article can be found at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcgenet/.
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The heart rate, oxygen consumption, survivorship, and 1-lactate accumulation were determined in the intertidal limpets Collisella pelta and Collisella digitalis in relation to laboratory desiccation at ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Heart rate, survivorship, oxygen consumption, and metabolic end product accumulations in the intertidal limpets Collisella pelta and Collisella digitalis in relation to desiccation and hypoxia
- Author:
- Boese, Bruce Leon
The heart rate, oxygen consumption, survivorship, and 1-lactate accumulation were determined in the intertidal limpets Collisella pelta and Collisella digitalis in relation to laboratory desiccation at 15°C or 30°C. Water loss was computed as a percentage of total initial body water (wet weight - dry weight). Although water was lost faster in C. digitalis than in C. pelta, C. digitalis tolerated more water loss and survived longer than C. pelta at both experimental temperatures. During the first few hours of desiccation at 15°C the heart rate of C. digitalis was constant while in C. pelta the heart rate declined rapidly. During desiccation at 30°C the heart rates of both species declined rapidly. No change was noted in control heart rates, determined under moist aerial conditions, in either species during a 40 hour exposure period. Oxygen consumption of C. digitalis declined gradually during desiccation at 15°C to about 60% of the undesiccated aerial control rate after 46 hours of exposure. During desiccation at 30°C the decline in oxygen consumption was much more pronounced. In C. pelta during desiccation at 15°C oxygen consumption progressively declined with increasing length of exposure to approximately 50% of control rates for the first 16 hours of exposure at which time rates became constant. At 30°C a more pronounced reduction in oxygen consumption occurred. Whole-body lactate accumulated in both species during desiccation at 15°C and 30°C in comparison with controls. At 15°C accumulation in C. pelta began after 15 hours of desiccation while at 30°C accumulations were evident after 4 hours. In contrast, C. digitalis gradually accumulated lactate during the entire length of exposure to desiccation conditions at 15°C. Upon exposure to moist nitrogen atmosphere both species exhibited a rapid bradycardia. Heart rates recovered rapidly after exposure and overshot pre-exposure rates indicating oxygen debt repayment. Of the three anaerobic end products examined (alanine, succinate and lactate) only lactate accumulated to any degree in either species during anoxia. During anoxia C. digitalis accumulated more lactate than C. pelta. C. pelta reached a maximum accumulation after 4 hours of anoxia while C. digitalis continued to accumulate lactate over the entire length of exposure to moist nitrogen. The results suggest differences between C. digitalis and C. pelta in metabolic adaptations which may be related to intertidal zonational differences.
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The impact that pesticides may have had on the mortality rates and productivity rates of non-game birds during the last 25 years was evaluated by studying the population dynamics of 16 species. A mathematical ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- An analysis of the population dynamics of selected avian species
- Author:
- Henny, Charles J.
The impact that pesticides may have had on the mortality rates and productivity rates of non-game birds during the last 25 years was evaluated by studying the population dynamics of 16 species. A mathematical model showing the relationships between population parameters that yielded stable populations was developed. The information needed for the model included: (1) mortality rate schedule (obtained from recoveries of banded birds), (2) productivity rates, and (3) the age of sexual maturity. Production requirements for a stable population and annual rate of change (increase or decrease) in population levels were estimated. Population parameters were compared to determine if changes had occurred between time periods (i.e, 1925-1945 vs. 1946-1965). The great horned owl, red-shouldered hawk, sparrow hawk, osprey, barn owl, Cooper's hawk, red-tailed hawk, great blue heron, black-crowned night heron, brown pelican, barn owl, chimney swift, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, cardinal, and robin were subjected to this analysis. No increase in post-fledging mortality rates in any of the species has occurred since 1945. Therefore, accelerated decline in the species studied must have resulted from lowered reproductive rates. Mortality rates have decreased in the Cooper's hawk, sparrow hawk, great blue heron, and brown pelican. A decrease in shooting pressure was associated with decreased mortality rates. Evidence of declining reproductive rates were found in the brown pelican, osprey, Cooper's hawk, red-shouldered hawk, and sparrow hawk. No changes in reproductive rates were noted in the red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, or barn owl. Information on productivity rates was not available for comparison with the other species although rates of productivity essential for a stable population were estimated. This work will provide the basis for making comparisons in future studies. No change in reproductive rates was apparent among species feeding primarily on mammals. Species exhibiting a lowered reproductive success since 1945 were those whose major food items consisted of fish, reptiles, amphibians, or birds. Lowered reproductive success was accompanied by a decrease in eggshell thickness. Other investigators have reported that sparrow hawks and mallard ducks fed a diet of DDE and dieldrin have produced thin eggshells under laboratory conditions, and exhibited a lower reproductive success. Many bird species which consume food in which chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides have been concentrated through a series of transfers along food chains have declined. The chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides are believed responsible.
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43. [Article] Riparian bird communities in Portland, Oregon : habitat, urbanization, and spatial scale patterns
Urban ecosystems are characterized by human disturbance and changes in the amount, types, and spatial arrangement of wildlife habitat. The relative importance of habitat and human associated variables ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Riparian bird communities in Portland, Oregon : habitat, urbanization, and spatial scale patterns
- Author:
- Hennings, Lori A.
Urban ecosystems are characterized by human disturbance and changes in the amount, types, and spatial arrangement of wildlife habitat. The relative importance of habitat and human associated variables to urban birds is unknown. In 1999, I surveyed spring bird and plant communities along 54 perennial streams in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan region. My objectives were to determine (1) what habitat and human-associated variables were related to avian community measures, (2) how far from riparian areas did relationships between avifauna and canopy cover and development extend, and (3) habitat characteristics associated with individual bird species. I used Principal Components Analysis to cluster and reduce the number of explanatory variables, and regressed bird community variables against the resulting principal components. Total and nonnative bird abundance were negatively related to the first principal component, PC 1 (high-scoring PC 1 sites had wide, structurally complex native forests) (r2 = 0.38, P < 0.0001 and r2 = 0.63, P < 0.0001, respectively). Several weak (r2 = 0.17-0.31, P < 0.003) curvilinear relationships emerged between overall and native species richness and diversity versus PC 1. Neotropical migratory bird (NMB) species richness and diversity were negatively related to human development variables, and positively related to native shrubs (adjusted r2 = 0.21 and 0.18, respectively; P < 0.003). I regressed bird community variables against canopy cover and street density for each of ten 50-m buffers around sites, then plotted the model fit (r) against buffer width. Native and nonnative abundance measures were negatively related to canopy cover. Total abundance was best predicted by canopy cover 300-350 m from the stream whereas normative abundance was predicted nearly equally by canopy cover in each buffer. The relationships between total species richness, native species richness, total diversity and native diversity were curvilinearly related to canopy cover, with canopy in the first 50 m appearing most important. Neotropical migratory bird species richness, diversity and abundance were negatively related to street density within 150 m of the stream. Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) abundance was increasingly, negatively related to canopy cover as spatial scale increased. I used logistic regression to identify habitat and/or human-associated variables that predicted the occurrence of 32 species. The occurrence of four species (American Crow [Corvus brachyrhynchos], House Finch [Carpodacus mexicanus], Red-breasted Nuthatch [Sitta canadensis], and Vaux's Swift [Chaetura vauxi]) was positively, and five species (Black-headed Grosbeak [Pheucticus melanocephalus], Common Yellowthroat [Geothlypis trichas], Rufous Hummingbird [Selasphorus rufus], Steller's Jay [Cyanocitta setlleri], and Swainson's Thrush [Catharus ustulatus]) negatively related to human-associated variables. My results suggest that increasing urban canopy cover is the most valuable land management action for many breeding bird species. Preserving large undeveloped habitats and controlling urban sprawl may help prevent regional declines of NMB species.
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44. [Article] Using remote sensing, in situ observations, and geographic information systems to map benthic habitats at Heceta Bank, Oregon
Dramatic declines in many species of demersal fishes off the West Coast have resulted in the designation of nine commercially important species as being overfished. While the causes of those declines are ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Using remote sensing, in situ observations, and geographic information systems to map benthic habitats at Heceta Bank, Oregon
- Author:
- Whitmire, Curt E.
Dramatic declines in many species of demersal fishes off the West Coast have resulted in the designation of nine commercially important species as being overfished. While the causes of those declines are not clearly understood, the fact remains that a paucity of life history and abundance data exists for many demersal species, also known as groundfish. Due to this uncertainty, only 21 of the 82 species of groundfish managed under the Groundfish Fishery Management Plan of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) have been fully assessed. One challenge in designing a systematic survey of groundfish resources is that many species associate with heterogeneous substrate of varying relief. In many areas, the rugosity of the substrata precludes sampling by conventional techniques (e.g. bottom trawl gear). This has stimulated research that characterizes fish-habitat associations for use in design of new survey methodology. Using a combination of remote sensing, in situ observations, and spatial analytical techniques, four benthic habitat classes were mapped for a large rocky bank off the central Oregon coast known as Heceta Bank. Observational data from human-occupied submersible and remotely operated vehicle dives in the late 1980s, 2000 and 2001 were used to establish habitat classes with specific substrate characteristics that have been statistically shown to correlate with demersal fish distributions. The observational habitat data was then extrapolated over the extent of a multibeam sonar survey conducted in 1998 using quantitative parameters derived from high-resolution bathymetric and backscatter imagery of the seafloor. The resultant map predicts the locations of four habitat classes: Ridge-Gully, High-Relief Rock (boulders, cobbles), Unconsolidated Sediment 1 (muds), and Unconsolidated Sediment 2 (sands). The main utility of the habitat map developed as part of the current study is that it provides a context for analyses of a variety of spatial data. For instance, habitat data provides one additional spatial component besides depth and latitude that can be used to stratify catch per unit effort data from surveys and commercial logbooks. Also, essential fish habitat for many demersal species can now be identified in more detail. Finally, habitat data like those presented here can aid in the design of marine reserves and protected areas by providing a context for spatial analyses of data of ecological importance.
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The conservation of declining desert fish species requires the identification of relations between fish population dynamics and their environments. Dynamic occupancy modeling, an approach that requires ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Patch dynamics of desert fishes in the arid wetlands of western Utah
- Author:
- Sáenz, Jessica
The conservation of declining desert fish species requires the identification of relations between fish population dynamics and their environments. Dynamic occupancy modeling, an approach that requires less information than traditional mark-recapture studies, may help identify important factors affecting population processes and aid desert fish conservation and restoration efforts. I used dynamic multi-season occupancy models for two analyses (multi-state and multi-species) to evaluate the influence of patch-level characteristics (patch percent open water, average patch depth, patch area), grazing damage, species interactions, population differences, patch connectivity and environmental variation (seasonal precipitation and temperature) on the patch dynamics (colonization, persistence, reproduction) of two desert chub species found in Snake Valley, UT. My results indicate that there was the strongest evidence according to model weights that patch dynamics in this system were influenced by patch-level characteristics (patch percent open water and average patch depth), grazing damage, population differences, biotic interactions, and winter precipitation rather than landscape level features such as connectivity. I observed positive effects of patch percent open water and average patch depth on least chub and Utah chub persistence. I also found that grazing damage increased their persistence at the medium damage level but decreased least chub and Utah chub colonization at the high grazing damage level. Least chub and Utah chub colonization varied between the two populations (study areas) with a higher probability of colonization at Bishop Springs than at Gandy Salt Marsh. In addition, I found some evidence that biotic interactions between least chub and Utah chub may be occurring in this system. Least chub were less likely to colonize patches previously occupied by Utah chub but surprisingly there was little evidence that these species interactions affected least chub persistence. Least chub reproduction increased with winter precipitation and was higher at Gandy Salt Marsh than Bishop Springs. The use of dynamic occupancy modeling in desert spring wetland complexes may provide a valuable tool for managers tasked with conserving at-risk desert fish species.
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46. [Article] 2007 Oregon Chub Investigations Progress Reports 2007
Abstract -- Oregon chub Oregonichthys crameri, small minnows endemic to the Willamette Valley, were federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1993. Factors implicated in the decline ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- 2007 Oregon Chub Investigations Progress Reports 2007
Abstract -- Oregon chub Oregonichthys crameri, small minnows endemic to the Willamette Valley, were federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1993. Factors implicated in the decline of this species include changes in flow regimes and habitat characteristics resulting from the construction of flood control dams, revetments, channelization, diking, and the drainage of wetlands. The Oregon chub is further threatened by predation and competition by non-native species such as largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, crappies Pomoxis sp., sunfishes Lepomis sp., bullheads Ameiurus sp., and western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis. We continued surveys initiated in 1991 in the Willamette River drainage to quantify the abundance of known Oregon chub populations, search for unknown populations, evaluate potential introduction sites, and monitor introduced populations as part of the implementation of the Oregon Chub Recovery Plan. We sampled a total of 70 sites in 2007. New populations of Oregon chub were discovered at Green Island in the lower McKenzie River and in the Muddy Creek drainage (Linn County). We confirmed the continued existence of Oregon chub at 34 locations. These included 23 naturally occurring and 11 introduced populations. We did not find Oregon chub at nine locations where they were collected on at least one occasion between 1991-2006. Nonnative fish were collected at most of these locations. We obtained abundance estimates of 18 naturally occurring populations and 11 introduced populations of Oregon chub located in the Middle Fork Willamette, Santiam, McKenzie, and Mid-Willamette drainages (Table 1). We introduced additional Oregon chub into the South Stayton Pond in the Santiam drainage and into Cheadle and Display Ponds in the Mid-Willamette drainage. The Oregon Chub Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998) set recovery criteria for downlisting the species to “threatened” and for delisting the species. The criteria for downlisting the species are: 1) establish and manage 10 populations of at least 500 adult fish, 2) all of these populations must exhibit a stable or increasing trend for five years, and 3) at least three populations meeting criterion 1 and 2 must be located in each of the three recovery areas (Middle Fork Willamette River, Santiam River, and Mid-Willamette River tributaries). In 2007, there were 20 populations totaling 500 or more individuals (Table 1). Fifteen of these populations also met the second criteria. Of the 15 populations meeting criteria 1 and 2, eight were located in the Middle Fork Willamette drainage, four were located in the Mid-Willamette drainage, and three were located in the Santiam drainage. In 2007, we met the downlisting criteria. Findings to date indicate that Oregon chub remain at risk due to the loss of suitable habitat and the continued threats posed by the proliferation of non-native fishes, illegal water withdrawals, accelerated sedimentation, and potential chemical spills or careless pesticide applications. Their status has improved in recent years, resulting primarily from successful introductions and the discovery of previously undocumented populations.
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This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Brigham Young University and can be found at: https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/wnan/index.php/wnan/. To the best of our knowledge, one ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Habitat selection by Greater Sage-Grouse during winter in southeastern Oregon
- Author:
- Hagen, Christian A., Glenn, Elizabeth M., Anthony, Robert G., Willis, Mitchell J.
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Brigham Young University and can be found at: https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/wnan/index.php/wnan/. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work.
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This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Brigham Young University, Monte L Bean Life Science Museau and can be found at: https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/wnan
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Habitat Selection by Greater Sage-Grouse During Winter in Southeastern Oregon
- Author:
- Hagen, Christian A., Glenn, Elizabeth M., Anthony, Robert G., Willis, Mitchell J.
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Brigham Young University, Monte L Bean Life Science Museau and can be found at: https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/wnan
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Prairies were once the dominant vegetation type in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Land use conversion, fire suppression, succession, and invasive species have reduced Willamette Valley prairies to less than ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Performance of Willamette Valley native plants following herbicide exposure
- Author:
- Blakeley-Smith, Matthew R.
Prairies were once the dominant vegetation type in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Land use conversion, fire suppression, succession, and invasive species have reduced Willamette Valley prairies to less than 1% of their historical area. The remnant prairies that persist today are small in size and are highly fragmented. Marginal strips of habitat along roadsides and agricultural fields play an important role as refugia for native species and provide important resources for wildlife. These seemingly insignificant habitat units may also play an important role in facilitating gene flow between disjunct populations of prairie plants, thus reducing the potential for the negative effects of inbreeding depression. Presently, much of the land area in the Willamette Valley is dedicated to commercial agricultural which is heavily reliant on herbicides for weed control and field preparation. Since herbicide applications are imprecise and prone to drift, there is potential to impact the native plants surrounding these agricultural fields. Current EPA methods for assessing the ecological effects of herbicides may not be robust enough to account for potential impacts on native plants since the suggested test species are ten annual agricultural crops. To address the need for improved phytotoxicity testing protocols, we incorporated non-crop plant species into the EPA vegetative vigor test methodology for use in determining effects of low concentrations of chemical herbicides on Willamette Valley terrestrial plants. A separate experiment was conducted in order to determine how herbicides might be used to restore Butterfly Meadows, a degraded Willamette Valley prairie. The specific objective of this study were to: 1.) determine which herbicide treatments were most effective at reducing dominance of an invasive species, Brachypodium sylvaticum, 2.) determine if native species declined following herbicide treatments, and 3.) describe the compositional changes in the plant communities over a four-year period. The EPA vegetative vigor test study showed that there was a wide variety of responses among 17 species (14 native and 3 introduced) to each herbicide tested (glyphosate, tribenuron, and fluazifop). For glyphosate, Potentilla gracilis was the most sensitive species based on an EC25 value of 0.012 x f.a.r. for dry weight; while Bromus carinatus, Clarkia amoena, Gilia capitata, and Lupinus albicaulis were tolerant to glyphosate as indicated by no effect on dry weight. Seven Willamette Valley forb species were sensitive to tribenuron based on EC25 values ranging from 0.001 to 0.012 x f.a.r.; Clarkia amoena, Collinsia grandflora, Leucanthemum vulgare, Potentilla gracilis, Prunella vulgaris, Ranunculus occidentalis and Sanquisorba occidentalis. Six grass species and Eriophyllum lanatum were resistant to tribenuron showing no reduction in dry weight. Fluazifop primarily affected grass species as expected due to the grass-specific activity for this herbicide. Two native grasses, Elymus trachycaulus and Danthonia californica were the most sensitive to fluazifop, based on low EC25 values of 0.002 to 0.010 x f.a.r. A native fescue grass, Festuca roemeri, and nearly all the forb species were resistant to fluazifop, showing no response at any herbicide rate applied. The results from this research will be useful as background information for evaluating potential modifications in the EPA's Vegetative Vigor Test to assess the risk of herbicides to non-target plants. Seven different herbicide combinations were effective at reducing the cover of Brachypodium sylvaticum in test plots at Butterfly Meadows one year after treatment. The reduction of B. sylvaticum was short lived however, since the cover of this grass species was not different from control plots during the second growing season. Native plant species were not negatively impacted by the herbicide treatments, as shown by MRPP analysis. Successional trajectories illustrate that control plots that were dominated by B. sylvaticum remained relatively unchanged over the course of four years. Some treatments exhibited a sharp decline in dominance by graminoids after the first year, a recovery the second year, but never returned exactly to their pretreatment community composition after the third year. The reduction of the dominant species after the first growing season was associated with colonization by a number of introduced species into the newly created open habitat. Over the same period there was no overall increase in native species cover, suggesting that the native species at this site may be recruitment limited. Future restoration activities at this site should include multiple years of B. sylvaticum control, with special attention to the seed bank and tolerant individuals. Seed additions of native species may help fill empty niches and afford resistance to invasion by introduced species.
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To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by International Association ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Contrasting distribution patterns of invasive and naturalized non-native species along environmental gradients in a semi-arid montane ecosystem
- Author:
- Andersen, Kelly M., Endress, Bryan A., Parks, Catherine G., Naylor, Bridgett J.
To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by International Association for Vegetation Science and published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.. It can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291654-109X
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Biological invasions pose one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity, but many naturalized invaders coexist with the native community. Community ecology theory provides a framework for understanding ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- The roles of provenance and phylogeny in recruitment, community assembly, and species coexistence in invaded California grasslands
- Author:
- Brandt, Angela J.
Biological invasions pose one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity, but many naturalized invaders coexist with the native community. Community ecology theory provides a framework for understanding the mechanisms by which invaders might coexist with native species or exclude them from the community, thus informing management practices to maximize their effectiveness at conserving native biodiversity. Differences in functional or phylogenetic similarity of invaders to native residents can affect invasion success and the probability they will coexist with natives. For example, functionally dissimilar species may not compete strongly and distantly related species may share fewer natural enemies. Furthermore, environmental heterogeneity can promote species coexistence by providing the opportunity for a greater number of coexistence mechanisms to operate, thereby mitigating the potential for species invasions to lead to native extinction. My thesis examines how provenance (i.e., native origin) and phylogenetic relatedness of plant species affect community dynamics and species interactions in the invaded California grasslands. To do this I have assembled two unique community data sets, one spanning 48 years across a 1000-ha site and one spanning 7 years along a 500-km latitudinal transect. I show that native and exotic species abundance and diversity is highly variable in both time and space, but these provenance group responses are rarely negatively correlated (Chapter 2). Thus, exotic species do not generally appear to exclude natives from communities. Long-term abundance patterns further suggest that the system remains in a state of transience, and populations of several native species are declining at local scales (Chapter 3). Recruitment limitation due to the build-up of plant litter associated with exotic grasses may be generally responsible for these declines, but habitat suitability, land-use history, and community composition also affect native recruitment. Across the grasslands, disturbance and resource supply can interact to affect both species and phylogenetic diversity (Chapter 4). Disturbance in particular can increase diversity, likely by increasing opportunities for colonization by removing plant litter that previously limited recruitment. Both phylogeny and provenance can also affect biotic interactions, such as with communities of soil organisms (Chapter 5). Thus, I have shown that spatio-temporal heterogeneity, alterations to the biotic environment mediated by exotic invasion, and phylogenetic relationships among species are all important considerations when evaluating impacts of invasion and designing management strategies to conserve native biodiversity, especially in light of anthropogenic influence on disturbance regimes and resource supply.
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52. [Article] Rapid endangered species assessment : a novel approach to improve extinction risk assessments in poorly known species
The number of endangered species is rapidly increasing while paucity of adequate information and resources delays establishment of conservation actions. The IUCN’s listing system is insufficient to determine ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Rapid endangered species assessment : a novel approach to improve extinction risk assessments in poorly known species
- Author:
- Bianchi, Carlos A.
The number of endangered species is rapidly increasing while paucity of adequate information and resources delays establishment of conservation actions. The IUCN’s listing system is insufficient to determine conservation priorities and many species lack information even to be evaluated (i.e., “data deficient”). Here I proposed and tested the Rapid Endangered Species Assessment approach, combining methods including distribution modeling, landscape/habitat availability analysis and an evaluation of population spatial structure to improve information about species of concern and make future extinction risk assessments more attainable. I used the Pfrimer’s Parakeet (Pyrrhura pfrimeri) an endemic Brazilian species, as a case study. I modeled and validated the potential distribution of the species, known to occur in association with the tropical dry forests in central Brazil, using the Maxent method. The model predicted potential occurrence in three regions in central Brazil. Field surveys used to validate model found the species at 17 sites, all located in the dry forests of the Paranã River Basin. Modeling results set boundaries for the analysis of loss and fragmentation of the species’ habitat. Satellite imagery and remote sensing techniques were used to estimate deforestation trends over a large spatiotemporal scale (31 years). Results indicated a 66.3% decrease in forest extent, average annual deforestation rate of 2.1% and significant increase in fragmentation, suggesting that these forests may disappear in less than 20 years if current deforestation rates persist. The habitat availability analysis set boundaries for the investigation of spatial arrangement of local populations of Pfrimer’s Parakeets, which was carried out by collecting information on abundance, densities estimates, species home range, and habitat use. Twenty individuals were monitored with radio transmitters and home range estimates averaged between 195.7 ha (fixed kernel) and 261.8 ha (minimum convex polygons). Habitat use was estimated with behavioral observations of birds flying through a mosaic of forests and pastures. I found no evidence that the species used open areas farther than 300m from the forest edge. Systematic line transects and observations of parakeets per time effort produced estimates of population densities at 11.7 individuals/km2; indicating strong variation in abundance indices among areas, suggesting a population decline. The Rapid Endangered Species Assessment represents a broad and integrative approach carried out over a short term and was successfully used to produce relevant data about a poorly known species. Thus, I propose the use of this approach as a minimally ideal yet scientifically viable method to generate information for extinction risk assessment of species.
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53. [Article] Divergent Carbon Dynamics under Climate Change in Forests with Diverse Soils, Tree Species, and Land Use Histories
Accounting for both climate change and natural disturbances—which typically result in greenhouse gas emissions—is necessary to begin managing forest carbon sequestration. Gaining a complete understanding ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Divergent Carbon Dynamics under Climate Change in Forests with Diverse Soils, Tree Species, and Land Use Histories
- Author:
- Scheller, Robert M., Kretchun, Alec M., Van Tuyl, Steve, Clark, Kenneth L., Lucash, Melissa S., Hom, John
- Year:
- 2012
Accounting for both climate change and natural disturbances—which typically result in greenhouse gas emissions—is necessary to begin managing forest carbon sequestration. Gaining a complete understanding of forest carbon dynamics is, however, challenging in systems characterized by historic over-utilization, diverse soils and tree species, and frequent disturbance. In order to elucidate the cascading effects of potential climate change on such systems, we projected forest carbon dynamics, including soil carbon changes, and shifts in tree species composition as a consequence of wildfires and climate change in the New Jersey pine barrens (NJPB) over the next 100 years. To do so, we used the LANDIS-II succession and disturbance model combined with the CENTURY soil model. The model was calibrated and validated using data from three eddy flux towers and the available empirical or literature data. Our results suggest that climate change will not appreciably increase fire sizes and intensity. The recovery of C stocks following substantial disturbances at the turn of the 20th century will play a limited but important role in this system. In areas characterized by high soil water holding capacity, reduced soil moisture may lead to lower total C and these forests may switch from being carbon sinks to becoming carbon neutral towards the latter part of the 21st century. In contrast, other areas characterized by lower soil water holding capacity and drought tolerant species are projected to experience relatively little change over the next 100 years. Across all soil types, however, the regeneration of many key tree species may decline leading to longer-term (beyond 2100) risks to forest C. These divergent responses were largely a function of the dominant tree species, and their respective temperature and soil moisture tolerances, and soil water holding capacity. In summary, the system is initially C conservative but by the end of the 21st century, there is increasing risk of de-stabilization due to declining growth and regeneration.
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Increasingly diverse interests in commercial and recreational use of marine resources are creating new challenges for coastal ocean management. One concern of increased offshore use and development off ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Marine bird colony and at-sea distributions along the Oregon coast: Implications for marine spatial planning and information gap analysis
- Author:
- Lowe, Roy W., Suryan, Robert M., Phillips, Elizabeth M., Zamon, Jeannette E., So, Khemarith, Stephensen, Shawn W.
Increasingly diverse interests in commercial and recreational use of marine resources are creating new challenges for coastal ocean management. One concern of increased offshore use and development off the Oregon coast is the potential impact on marine bird populations. We summarized the primary surveys of seabird breeding colonies and at-sea distribution along the Oregon coast to describe spatial patterns in species distribution and identify gaps where additional data are needed. The abundance of breeding birds during the summer (over 1 million in total, primarily Common Murre Uria aalge and Leach’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa) is greatest in northern and southern Oregon due to the availability of breeding habitat on large offshore rocks and islands. While there are fewer breeding colonies along sandy shorelines, the adjacent coastal waters are still frequented by breeding birds and nonbreeding migrants, but generally in lower densities during summer. Seabird density, and likely potential interaction with offshore structures, is greatest nearshore and steadily declines to lowest levels beyond the outer continental shelf. Dynamic soaring species, however, which have a greater potential to interact with taller structures such as wind turbines, tend to be more common on the middle to outer shelf. Species composition also changes dramatically among seasons. Low flying (< 30 m above sea level) diving species dominate in most seasons, however, which has potential conservation implications for interactions with structures above and below the water’s surface. Given the abundance of storm-petrels, increased light pollution is also a concern for these and other nocturnal, phototactic species. Dramatic declines or redistributions have occurred at some breeding colonies, indicating long-term planning should consider changing habitat requirements. The greatest data needs currently include fall/winter/spring at-sea distribution, summer distribution off southern Oregon, and more accurate estimates and monitoring of burrow-nesting seabirds. Oregon’s coastal waters provide habitat for a large portion of breeding and nonbreeding marine birds along the U.S. west coast and a thorough knowledge of their spatial distribution, seasonal abundance, and migration corridors is critical for well-informed marine spatial planning.
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Across western Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, forest management practices over the past century reduced the amount of late-successional forest while simultaneously increasing the amount of young ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Vegetation response following thinning in young Douglas-fir forests of western Oregon : can thinning accelerate development of late-successional structure and composition?
- Author:
- Beggs, Liane R.
Across western Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, forest management practices over the past century reduced the amount of late-successional forest while simultaneously increasing the amount of young (less than 80 years old), managed Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) dominated forests. Recently, concerns over loss of late-successional habitat pushed management objectives on public lands away from timber production and toward maintenance and restoration of late-successional habitat. In accordance with these new objectives, The Young Stand Thinning and Diversity Study (YSTDS) was developed to test if thinning could accelerate development of latesuccessional habitat in young managed Douglas-fir forests. Though the YSTDS examines several components of forest ecosystems, the goal of this study was to investigate short-term (5-7 years post-treatment) responses of vegetation to thinning treatments and to evaluate this response in relation to long-term objectives of late-successional development. The study is located on the western slope of the central Oregon Cascades. It consists of four replications of four thinning treatments (treatment areas average 30 ha each) in 30-50 year old second-growth Douglas-fir forest stands. Treatments include a control, heavy thin, light thin, and light thin with gaps. Unlike traditional thinning, the thinning treatments in this study sought to maintain and enhance overstory structural diversity by: (1) retaining species other than Douglas-fir, (2) simulating low densities that characterized development of some old-growth stands, and (3) adding canopy gaps to enhance spatial diversity. Following treatment completion, first, third, and fifth-year vegetation responses were measured Results for overstory vegetation indicate that heavy thinning may accelerate development of large trees, one important component of old-growth structure. This was evident by faster growth of the largest trees in the heavy thin than in the control. A heavy thin may also permit more time for understory development than a lighter thin because canopies of heavy thinned stands remained open longer than canopies of light thinned stands. Variation in overstory cover, which may promote heterogeneous understory development, was higher in the treatment that included canopy gaps than in other treatments including the control. Although accelerated development of a multi-layered canopy was not evident in any treatment, retention of non-dominant tree species prevented simplification of vertical canopy structure by retaining layers that are typically removed by a low thinning prescription. In addition, mortality of non-dominant species was not greater in thinned treatments than in the control. In the understory, results suggest that thinning can increase abundance of some vegetative layers without encouraging homogenization of the understory by clonal shrubs or exotic species. The thinnings resulted in initial declines of bryophytes, tall shrubs, and low shrubs followed by subsequent recovery and growth. While herbs displayed little initial response, a release of early-seral species was evident by 5-7 years post-treatment. Initial changes following thinning were likely due to harvesting damage and/or alteration of microclimate while subsequent changes were probably also related to increased resource availability. It is expected that eventually similarities and differences in overstory structure among thinned treatments will be reflected in the understory. For example, variation in canopy cover created by the addition of canopy gaps was already reflected in the understory, as plant assemblages differed across the gradient from gaps to the thinned forest matrix. Hence, although understory vegetation was similar among heavy and light thins in the short-term, early closure of the canopy following a light thin could preclude continuation of late-seral understory development. Finally, the effect of canopy gaps on the understory was more apparent at a within-stand scale than at a stand scale. Had the within-stand scale been ignored, relevant information regarding understory response would have been overlooked. This indicates that spatial scale should be considered when assessing ecological patterns. In conclusion, it is acknowledged that there are drawbacks to thinning (e.g., certain species decline following thinning) It is also acknowledged that the short-term nature of the data permits only speculation regarding long-term succession. While these limitations are recognized, current trends indicate that a moderate to heavy thinning in combination with gap formation can hasten development of late-successional features in thinned stands relative to unthinned stands. Thus, thinning similar to that used in this study can be one useful tool in the management of young Douglas-fir forests.
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56. [Article] The influence of prescribed fire on the rare endemic plant Delphinium pavonaceum (Peacock larkspur)
In the wetland prairie of William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge (FNWR) in western Oregon, we investigated the response of Delphinium pavonaceum Ewan (peacock larkspur, Ranunculaceae), an endangered ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The influence of prescribed fire on the rare endemic plant Delphinium pavonaceum (Peacock larkspur)
- Author:
- McKernan, Brie-Anne
In the wetland prairie of William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge (FNWR) in western Oregon, we investigated the response of Delphinium pavonaceum Ewan (peacock larkspur, Ranunculaceae), an endangered perennial forb, to four unreplicated dormant season fire regimes of 0, 2, 4, or 10 fires that were applied over a 12-year period. Additionally, an unexpected removal of woody plants by refuge staff within some portions of our control area offered an unplanned opportunity for study. In 2002 we measured the density and vigor of reproductive plants, and performed seed germination trials. In 2003 we repeated previous field measurements, sampled immature plant density, and recorded observations of the insects visiting D. pavonaceum in burned and unburned habitats. We hypothesized that this rare endemic species and its insect visitors would respond positively to prescribed burning or the removal of woody species. Low seedling density was found in the unburned and hand-removal areas, likely due to interference from litter and/or taller, shading plants. We also found low seedling density in sites burned the previous year, implying that fire consumes or damages unprotected seeds in the litter layer or exposed on the soil surface. Seedling density was greater in a site burned three seasons previously, suggesting that fire ultimately leads to the enhancement of seedling density following the replenishment of the seed bank. The largest density of recruits was detected in a subunit recently returned to fire management in 1999, and also burned in 2002 following our first field season. However, the other, more-frequently burned sites did not exhibit an increased density of recruits, possibly due to a reduction of the seed bank following repeated bums, and increased intraspecific competition with mature plants. The elevated density of seedlings and recruits we observed in some burned areas may lead to population growth, as we observed a greater density of reproductive plants in the two most-frequently burned subunits during both years of study. Our results also suggest that fewer plants enter summer dormancy in burned areas, and that increases in flowering plant density may decline after 3 years. Plants in the burned and hand-removal sites were shorter, likely resulting from water stress following the removal of shading plants and litter. Additionally, plants in unburned areas might have experienced greater stem elongation due to competition with tall and dense vegetation. Plants in the burned and hand-removal areas were generally similar to the unburned control site for flower and fruit production, fruit set, seed production and seed mass. However, plants in the burned and hand-removal areas produced more flowers per centimeter of height, indicating that they allocated more energy to reproduction than plants in the unburned area. We suggest that the decreased productivity we observed in some vigor traits is not problematic to D. pavonaceum conservation goals and may be ameliorated after 3 years. Bombus ca1ifornicus, B. appositus, and several large moths were the only insects we observed visiting D. pavonaceum during the two years of this study. We did not detect a difference in bumblebee abundance between a frequently burned and unburned study plot during the peak flowering time of D. pavonaceum. However, our small sample size requires that this result be cautiously interpreted and further studied, as it is possible that our visitation data would change appreciably with a broader range of observations. Our results indicate that the current FNWR fire management plan is not in conflict with D. pavonaceum conservation. The choice of fire-return interval seems to influence D. pavonaceum populations and plant vigor, but because the fire-schedule at FNWR was altered in 1997, our ability to recommend an appropriate fire-regime for this species is limited. Although not directly investigated, we suggest that annual fires, when applied for more than five consecutive years, might lead to population declines for this species because fire appears to consume the seed bank and reduce seedling density. If annual fires are returned to FNWR, the potential for this undesirable result should be investigated for at least 10 years by population monitoring.
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Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon has two species of lacustrine suckers, Lost River sucker Deltistes luxatus and shortnose sucker Chasmistes brevirostris that were historically abundant. Results of ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Age and growth of young-of-the-year Lost River suckers Deltistes luxatus and shortnose suckers Chasmistes brevirostris of Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon
- Author:
- Logan, Daniel Joseph
Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon has two species of lacustrine suckers, Lost River sucker Deltistes luxatus and shortnose sucker Chasmistes brevirostris that were historically abundant. Results of surveys performed in the mid-1980's indicated that populations of both species were declining and ageing with apparent recruitment failure in most years since 1970. In 1988 both species were listed as endangered species and high priority has been placed on investigating recruitment of Upper Klamath Lake suckers. Lapilli are the preferred otolith for ageing suckers. Lapilli form predictably on the day of hatch, have the most conservative morphology of the three otoliths, and deposit easily discernable increments that begin on the day of hatch and proceed daily, and grow in a predictable relationship with somatic growth. Ages estimated by otolith analysis and resulting hatch dates of young-of-the-year Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker were consistent annually and consistent with reported spawning period for suckers from Upper Klamath Lake. Otolith increment analysis is necessarily lethal, whereas scale circuli analysis is not lethal. My findings suggest that scale circuli count is an inefficient estimator of daily Daily age estimates for age in young-of-the-year Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker. any given circuli count varied by approximately 51 days in Lost River sucker and 30 days Additionally, my results do not accurately predict the size or age at in shortnose sucker. which scales are formed, thereby invalidating an assumption of age and growth models. Consequently, scale circuli analysis cannot be used to produce accurate estimates of age or growth for young-of-the-year Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker. Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker achieve a relatively large size by the autumn of their first year, consistent with other members of Catostomidae. Interspecific difference in growth rates was evident in each year with Lost River sucker exhibiting faster growth than shortnose sucker in each year. Abundance of young-of-the-year suckers does not appear to be strongly correlated to somatic growth rate, though hatch date and environmental parameters are highly correlated with abundance. In both Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker, in years with the highest abundance (1991 and 1993), the mean hatch dates of surviving fish were later than in years with the lowest abundance. Also, young-of-the-year Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker experienced wide environmental fluctuations in Upper Klamath Lake as seasonal limnological and climatic variation create a dynamic habitat for young suckers. Water temperature, precipitation, air temperature, and minimum lake elevation are all strongly correlated to abundance of young-of-the-year suckers.
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58. [Article] Evaluation of length distributions and growth variance to improve assessment of the loggerhead sea turtle, (Caretta caretta)
Nest counts from the largest subpopulation of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) in the Atlantic, peninsular Florida, have been declining since 1998. Analyzing trends of nests and adult females ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Evaluation of length distributions and growth variance to improve assessment of the loggerhead sea turtle, (Caretta caretta)
- Author:
- Vaughan, Jason R.
Nest counts from the largest subpopulation of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) in the Atlantic, peninsular Florida, have been declining since 1998. Analyzing trends of nests and adult females is insufficient to determine the overall status of a sea turtle population, due to variation in nesting frequency and a 25 – 35 year time lag between hatching and maturation. While nest numbers of this threatened species have declined by 50% since 1998, catches of juvenile turtles in many areas have increased. Better assessment of population status and diagnosis of the causes of population trends are possible if we examine existing data on changes in abundance and size distribution from in–water surveys of juvenile and subadult turtles as well as adults. I have plotted the length frequency data and catch rates of neritic turtles (juvenile, subadult and adult turtles that inhabit nearshore waters) collected from 1980 – 2007 at 4 in–water sites ranging from North Carolina to Florida (N=10,486). I also examined the length distributions recorded from strandings of dead turtles found on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico (N=4,308) and along the U.S. east coast (N=10,918) from 1990 – 2005. I found a similar pattern in length distribution shifts over time, which provides compelling evidence that the data are revealing true population change. The data suggest an increase in the overall abundance of juvenile turtles in the southeast U.S. since the late 1990s and an increase in the median size of neritic juveniles (40 – 90 cm) since 1990. There has also been a reduction in the number and proportion of small (<55 cm) juveniles since 2000 in some areas; these are considered “recruits” to the neritic feeding areas on the continental shelf. The shift in median size of juveniles coupled with the increased abundance in North Carolina and Florida indicate that there may be a large cohort or group of similar sized turtles that should reach maturity in the next decade. Changes in length frequency through time could indicate changes in recruitment, survival rates, or behavior, and translating length to age requires a good estimate of variance in growth rates. I developed an individual–based growth model using variance estimated through a new technique that measures growth using increments measured in cross sections of the humerus bone of stranded turtles. The technique permits a reconstruction of the growth history of individual turtles. While the growth patterns are clearly not a smooth, asymptotic function over length and time, there is some consistency among individuals. My re–sampling analysis of growth from 92 turtles provided an estimate of 30.74 years (95% CI = 23.82 – 37.66) required for a U.S. loggerhead turtle to grow from 20 cm (age 1 or 2) to 90 cm. This analysis will improve our estimates of the mean and variance in the length of time loggerheads are spending in various habitats and life stages, and improve future demographic models to determine population status. My analyses incorporate multiple data sets and techniques to improve our understanding of how the whole loggerhead population is changing through time, leading to more accurate diagnosis and predictions about population trends.
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This report and accompanying program inventory have been prepared in support of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's statewide nonpoint source pollution control efforts and for use in the development ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Non-regulatory efforts to combat nonpoint source pollution in Oregon
- Author:
- Lindberg, Roberta J.
This report and accompanying program inventory have been prepared in support of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's statewide nonpoint source pollution control efforts and for use in the development of Oregon's new federally mandated Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (CNPCP). When Congress reauthorized the Coastal Zone Management Act in 1990, it added significant new responsibilities for coastal states regarding water pollution from diffuse, widespread sources that in the past have not been regulated. Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA) requires states to adopt enforceable programs to address nonpoint source pollution arising from agriculture, forestry, urban runoff, recreational boating and marinas, channelization, dams and eroding stream banks. "Nonpoint source pollution" in this context includes any discharge to the state's waters which is not regulated by the Clean Water Act's permit system, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). When Congress mandated the coastal nonpoint source program, it directed that states' coastal programs and water quality agencies work together in developing and implementing the program. In Oregon, the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are jointly responsible for the development of the coastal nonpoint control program. DLCD's Coastal Management Program implements provisions of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act. DEQ's Water Quality Division manages the statewide nonpoint source control program pursuant to Section 319 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Staff at DLCD's Coastal Management Program prepared an extensive report and analysis of Oregon's current array of enforceable programs and the extent to which those programs satisfy the federal requirements for the new coastal program. Gaps in program coverage were identified, and efforts to fill those gaps are currently in progress. This report is a companion to the DLCD gap analysis. However, instead of focusing on enforceable programs, this report highlights nonpoint source control and watershed management programs that rely on voluntary efforts to achieve their goals. Staff at DEQ have identified nine types of activities which, together with enforcement, make constitute an effective watershed management program. This report presents an inventory of the state and federal government efforts currently underway within the state of Oregon which contribute to the control of nonpoint source pollution but do not rely on a regulatory program to do so. This is a time of extensive reevaluation and reordering of natural resource priorities and strategies at both the state and federal levels. The Clinton Forest Summit and the Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team (FEMAT) process have been examining federal forest policy from top to bottom. The two major federal land management agencies, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, began reviewing their policies and practices well before the Forest Summit, and have made significant changes as a result. At the state level, the Watershed Health Initiative directed $10 million to two regions of the state during the 1993-95 biennium, in an unprecedented effort to restore salmon habitat and improve water quality. The impetus for change comes from the visible results of past natural resource management practices: the collapse of many native salmon runs and the decline in many other species leading to a great expansion of activity under the federal Endangered Species Act. The federal court logging injunction to protect the Northern Spotted Owl triggered much activity at the state and local levels in an effort to avoid further listings and the potential economic dislocations associated with them.
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60. [Article] Community ecology of invasions: direct and indirect effects of multiple invasive species on aquatic communities
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esa.org/.Citation Citation
- Title:
- Community ecology of invasions: direct and indirect effects of multiple invasive species on aquatic communities
- Author:
- Preston, Daniel L., Henderson, Jeremy S.
This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esa.org/.
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In the tropics, widespread deforestation and conversion of primary forests to agricultural and pasture lands has resulted in losses of composition, structure, and functions of forest landscapes. Deforestation ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Landscape level patterns in biodiversity : plant species and biomass structure
- Author:
- Heider, Christopher
In the tropics, widespread deforestation and conversion of primary forests to agricultural and pasture lands has resulted in losses of composition, structure, and functions of forest landscapes. Deforestation in the tropics is typically preformed via slash-and-burn practices; the byproducts from combustion have been identified as the second-highest form of anthropogenically derived 'greenhouse-gases' (such as carbon dioxide) to the atmosphere, and have been linked to the warming of the earth. Landscape-scale measures of species composition and biomass structure of primary forests are important for two reasons: (i) they provide accurate, land-based measures to predict what has been lost due to land-uses, and (ii) they aid in the discovery of key factors which explain patterns in compositional and structural diversity that are useful for defining conservation objectives. In this thesis, I enumerate the landscape-level patterns in species composition and biomass and C structure for 20-0.79 ha primary tropical forest stands within the region of "Los Tuxtlas", Veracruz, Mexico. These 20 sites were selected to capture the variability in composition and structure with respect to an array of environmental variables. These variables included a wide elevational range (15-1280 m.a.s.l.), variable slopes (Range: 3-41% slope), 3 soil-types (ash derived, lava flows, and weathered soils), a gradient of mean annual temperatures (~19.5-25.7°C), a broad precipitation range (2500 - 4000 mm year⁻¹), a rainfall frequency range (i.e. max rainfall in 24 hours; ranged 30->100 mm day⁻¹), and 3 Holdridge Life Zones (Tropical Moist Forest, Subtropical Wet Forest, and Subtropical Lower Montane Rain Forest). Species composition was highly correlated with the environmental variables, particularly elevation. In general for plants ≥10 cm dbh, site species richness declined at a rate of ~2 species per 100 m rise in elevation. Forest sites located at similar elevations were most similar in their species compositions as compared with sites separated by large elevational differences. Despite the gradual change in species richness and composition, four sub-regions, or forest environments, within Los Tuxtlas were identified that had different species compositions and distinct combinations of elevation, soil-types, and climates. These four sub-regions were described as community-types according to their geographic location: Lowland-Reserve (LR), La Perla Plateau (LP), Volcanic Upslope (VU), and Cloud Forests (CF). The LR, LP, and VU community-types were coarsely described as Tropical Evergreen Forests (TEF's; INEGI 2001). All community-types corresponded with classifications within the Holdridge Life Zone System; the LR community-type was classified as Tropical (transition to Subtropical) Moist Forest; LP and VU community-types were classified as Subtropical Wet Forest, and the Cloud Forest community-type was classified as Subtropical Lower Montane Rain Forest. These community-types and Life Zones are useful tools for conservation, as they represent unique forests that collectively capture much of the variation in the species richness and compositional diversity of the Los Tuxtlas region. Unlike species composition, the variability in forest structure among the 18 TEF sites was not associated with the environmental variables of the Los Tuxtlas landscape. On average, TEF's had a total aboveground biomass (TAGB) of 422 ± 17 Mg ha⁻¹ and 205 ± 8 Mg ha⁻¹ total aboveground carbon (C). The TAGB and C pools for Cloud Forests was ~18% lower than TEF's, and averaged 346 ± 1 and 168 ± 1 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively. The majority of this biomass difference was due to large trees within the forest structure. Cloud Forests had generally fewer trees ≥70 cm dbh, and a more even distribution of trees 30-70 cm dbh than TEF's. The biomass contribution of large trees (≥70 cm dbh) accounted for most, if not all, of the variation in TAGB and C for these tropical forests. The relatively high TAGB and C pools implicates Los Tuxtlas forests as a significant pool of aboveground biomass and C within the Neotropics.
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The Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (Services) have adopted a policy that will address the conservation needs of species listed, or proposed to be listed, under the ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Federal Register - Notice of Policy for Conserving Species Listed or Proposed for Listing Under the Endangered Species Act While Providing and Enhancing Recreational Fisheries Opportunities; Notice
- Year:
- 1996, 2008, 2005
The Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (Services) have adopted a policy that will address the conservation needs of species listed, or proposed to be listed, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA) while providing for the continuation and enhancement of recreational fisheries. This policy identifies measures the Services will take to ensure consistency in the administration of the ESA between and within the two agencies, promote collaboration with other Federal, State, and Tribal fisheries managers, and improve and increase efforts to inform nonfederal entities of the requirements of the ESA while enhancing recreational fisheries. This policy meets the requirements set forth in Section 4 of Executive Order 12962, Recreational Fisheries
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Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus is a valuable icon and traditional food source for Indigenous people of western North America. Native Americans have utilized traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus : integrating traditional ecological knowledge and contemporary values into conservation planning, and stream substrate associations with larval abundance in the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, U.S.A.
- Author:
- Sheoships, Gabe
Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus is a valuable icon and traditional food source for Indigenous people of western North America. Native Americans have utilized traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) since time immemorial to guide their ways of life, transmitting cultural values and natural history to further generational knowledge. Pacific lamprey are in decline throughout their range, and have historically been disregarded in western science. The Willamette River Basin, Oregon, U.S.A currently supports a traditional harvest location, Willamette Falls, which continues to persist, despite great losses in adjacent basins and remains a harvest stronghold amongst Columbia River Basin Tribes. To further understand Pacific lamprey, we utilized both Indigenous knowledge and western science to gain information that would aid recovery. My first goal was to determine traditional ecological knowledge and the cultural values of Pacific lamprey to provide guidance for future conservation planning. My second goal was to evaluate the fine scale habitat characteristics of larval Pacific lamprey. To determine tribal values for the purpose of informing conservation planning of Pacific lamprey, I used: 1) oral history interviews of tribal elders, and 2) questionnaires distributed across entire adult (18 years and older) tribal populations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with tribal elders to gain insights into the biology, distribution, and cultural value of lamprey. I interviewed 32 tribal elders, 11 from the Grand Ronde, 10 from the Siletz, and 11 from the Umatilla. To understand modern fishing practices and current values of lamprey, I distributed a standardized questionnaire (n = 753) to a sample of each adult (18 years and older) tribal population, and received a total of 188 responses total: 38 from the Grand Ronde, 60 from the Siletz, and 90 from the Umatilla. From my interviews, I found that each tribe has noticed a decline in Pacific lamprey populations within their ceded areas, and has witnessed traditional harvest locations lost due to population declines and/or anthropogenic damage, leaving Willamette Falls as the sole harvest site for the three tribes. Questionnaire results showed that the strongest issues relating to the traditional usage of Pacific lamprey amongst each tribe are cultural awareness, harvest accessibility, and Pacific lamprey populations. I evaluated two fine scale habitat associations of larval Pacific lamprey in the Willamette River Basin to understand the association of stream sediment and larval abundance. Study objectives were to: 1) evaluate the substrate size most closely associated with larval abundance, and 2) to evaluate the influence of organic material upon larval abundance. We used a backpack electrofisher to enumerate larval lamprey in six wadeable Willamette River tributaries, using a nested two-pass sample design at a lower, middle, and upper reach (each reach composed of ten 1-m² quadrats). Stream sediment cores were collected for subsequent determination of particle size and organic composition content. I used particle size sieve analysis to estimate dominant substrate size class per sample, from the following size classes: silt (< 0.063 mm), very fine sand (0.063–0.125 mm), fine sand (0.125-0.25 mm), medium fine sand (0.25-0.50 mm), coarse sand (0.50-1.0 mm), very coarse sand (1.0-2.36 mm), and fine gravel (>2.36 mm). I analyzed organic content by loss of weight through combustion. Larvae were present in 17 of 18 reaches (94%) 18), but only detected in 37% of the quadrats. Larval Pacific lamprey abundance was highest in habitats with predominantly medium fine sand (0.25-0.50 mm) substrate. I fit negative binomial mixed models using parameters for sediment depth, percentage of medium fine sand (0.25-0.50 mm), organic material and a random effect for basin. My top model consisted of percentage of medium fine sand (0.25-0.50 mm), organic material and a random effect for basin. At the fine scale, substrate characteristics were associated with the abundance of larval Pacific lamprey. Appropriate conservation measures should be taken to address the restoration of Pacific lamprey, activities that promote natural river flow and distribution of sediment could be of benefit. Efforts that educate mainstream society should be implemented to reduce further species decline. With the continued decline of Pacific lamprey, there is potential for further degradation of tribal cultural values. Conservation work that promotes the restoration of Pacific lamprey is crucial to the tradition and culture of the Grand Ronde, Siletz, and Umatilla Tribes.
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Some of the most pressing conservation concerns involve declining populations of species with low fecundity and highly specialized foraging and reproductive requirements. Yet, we often lack a functional ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Habitat use and movement behavior of Pacific marten (Martes caurina) in response to forest management practices in Lassen National Forest, California
- Author:
- Moriarty, Katie M.
Some of the most pressing conservation concerns involve declining populations of species with low fecundity and highly specialized foraging and reproductive requirements. Yet, we often lack a functional understanding of how individuals of those species interact with their environment, specifically how their movement is affected by human-induced changes. In order to maintain connectivity and viable populations, public land managers require science to inform how changes in structure affect the individual movements and thus population connectivity of sensitive species. I collected detailed movement data on Pacific martens (Martes caurina) in Lassen National Forest, California, during 2010-2013. Martens are small carnivores that are closely associated with old forest elements (e.g., large snags and logs). Marten populations rapidly decline with loss and fragmentation of forest cover. As such, martens are a U.S. Forest Service Management Indicator Species and a Species of Special Concern in the state of California. My goal was to understand martens' behavior in forest patches that were altered by thinning to remove ladder fuels-small diameter trees, understory vegetation, and branches near the ground. Such fuels treatments are increasingly prevalent on public lands, especially in dry forests, to reduce risk of high-severity and high-intensity fire. Although previous research suggested martens selection for dense forest and avoid gaps in forest cover, no information was available describing martens' use of simplified thinned patches. The objectives of my dissertation were to: (1) test whether marten movement and activity could accurately be measured using miniature GPS collars, and (2) evaluate marten use, selection, and behavior in patches that differed in structural complexity. Global positioning system (GPS) telemetry provides opportunities to collect detailed information from free-ranging animals with a high degree of precision and accuracy. Miniature GPS collars (42-60g) have only been available since 2009 for mammals and have not been consistently effective. Furthermore, all GPS units suffer from non-random data loss and location error, which is often exacerbated by dense vegetation. Given these constraints, it was questionable whether GPS collars would be an effective tool for studying martens. In Chapter 1, I evaluated how satellite data and environmental conditions affected performance of GPS units. I used a paired experimental design and programmed the GPS unit to retain or remove satellite data before attempting a location (fix). I found that short intervals between fix attempts significantly increased the likelihood of fix success. Locations estimated using at least 4 satellites were, on average, within 28 m of the actual location regardless of vegetation cover. Thus, location estimates at short intervals with >4 satellites were not typically biased by dense vegetation. Accurate fine-scale information on martens was necessary to quantify and interpret patch use and habitat selection. I evaluated martens’ use and behavior in three forest patch types that differed in structural complexity (complex, simple, and open). In Chapter 2, I quantified use patch use in two seasons–summer and winter. I used food-titration experiments to standardize motivation of martens to enter different patch types and compared these short-term incentivized experiments with year-round observational telemetry data (GPS and very high frequency telemetry). Martens selected complex patches and avoided both simple patches and openings, but not equivalently–openings were strongly avoided. With baited incentive, martens were more likely to enter simple patches and openings during winter, when deep snow was present. Because marten patch use differed during winter, I concluded that researchers should use caution when using seasonally collected data to create year-round habitat models. Overall, movement was most limited during summer when predation risk likely deterred martens from moving through simple patches and openings. In Chapter 3, I quantified habitat selection and marten behavior using fine-scale movement data. I evaluated movement-based habitat selection at two scales: (1) selection of home ranges within landscapes and (2) selection of patches within the home ranges. I characterized marten movement patterns and tested whether variance, speed, and sinuosity of movements differed by patch, sex, and season. Martens selected home ranges with fewer openings than available in the landscape, and selected complex patches over simple patches and openings within their home range. On average, martens moved approximately 7 km per day and greater than 1 km per hour – which is notably high for a 600-1000g mammal. Martens moved more slowly, consistently, and sinuously in complex patches. In openings, martens traveled linearly with greater variance in their speed. In simple patches, movement generally was linear and rapid with some variation. I hypothesized that martens used complex patches for foraging and acquisition of resources, traveled through simple patches with the potential for infrequent foraging bouts, and very infrequently crossed openings. Although I found some differences in movement behavior between sexes and seasons, behavior was generally consistent for both sexes in different patch types. I provide general conclusions in Chapter 4 and discuss considerations for future research and management.
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65. [Article] 2006 Oregon Chub Investigations Progress Reports 2006
Abstract -- Oregon chub Oregonichthys crameri, small minnows endemic to the Willamette Valley, were federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1993. Factors implicated in the decline ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- 2006 Oregon Chub Investigations Progress Reports 2006
Abstract -- Oregon chub Oregonichthys crameri, small minnows endemic to the Willamette Valley, were federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1993. Factors implicated in the decline of this species include changes in flow regimes and habitat characteristics resulting from the construction of flood control dams, revetments, channelization, diking, and the drainage of wetlands. The Oregon chub is further threatened by predation and competition by non-native species such as largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, crappies Pomoxis sp., sunfishes Lepomis sp., bullheads Ameiurus sp., and western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis. We continued surveys initiated in 1991 in the Willamette River drainage to quantify the abundance of known Oregon chub populations, search for unknown populations, evaluate potential introduction sites, and monitor introduced populations as part of the implementation of the Oregon Chub Recovery Plan. We sampled a total of 103 sites in 2006. No new populations of Oregon chub were discovered. Thirty-five of the 103 sites were new locations that were sampled for the first time in 2006. Sixty-eight sites, sampled on at least one occasion between 1991-2005, were revisited. We confirmed the continued existence of Oregon chub at 33 locations. These included 23 naturally occurring and 10 introduced populations. Locations of naturally occurring populations were: Santiam drainage (Geren Island, Santiam I-5 Side Channels, Santiam Conservation Easement, Stayton Public Works Pond, Green’s Bridge Backwater, Pioneer Park, Santiam Conservation Easement, and Gray Slough), Mid-Willamette drainage (Finley Gray Creek Swamp), McKenzie drainage (Shetzline Pond and Big Island), Coast Fork Willamette drainage (Coast Fork Side Channels and Lynx Hollow), and the Middle Fork Willamette drainage (two Dexter Reservoir alcoves, East Fork Minnow Creek Pond, Shady Dell Pond, Buckhead Creek, two Elijah Bristow State Park sloughs and an island pond, Barnhard Slough, and Hospital Pond). Introduced populations were located in the Middle Fork Willamette (Wicopee Pond and Fall Creek Spillway Ponds), Santiam (Foster Pullout Pond), McKenzie (Russell Pond), Coast Fork Willamette (Herman Pond), and Mid-Willamette drainages (Dunn Wetland, Finley Display Pond, Finley Cheadle Pond, Ankeny Willow Marsh, and Jampolsky Wetlands). We did not find Oregon chub at 14 locations where they were collected on at least one occasion between 1991-2005 (Jasper Park Slough, Wallace Slough, East Ferrin Pond, Dexter East Alcove, Hospital Impoundment Pond, Rattlesnake Creek, Elijah Bristow Large Gravel Pit, Elijah Bristow Small Gravel Pit, Little Muddy Creek tributary, Bull Run Creek, Camas Swale, Barnhard Slough, Camous Creek, and Dry Muddy Creek). Nonnative fish were collected at most of these locations. We obtained abundance estimates of naturally occurring populations of Oregon chub at 18 locations in the Middle Fork Willamette (East Fork Minnow Creek Pond, Shady Dell Pond, Elijah Bristow State Park Sloughs and Island Pond, Hospital Pond, Dexter Reservoir Alcoves, Haws Pond, and Buckhead Creek), Santiam (Geren Island, Gray Slough, Stayton Public Works Pond, Pioneer Park Pond, and Santiam I-5 Side Channels), McKenzie (Big Island and Shetzline Pond), and Mid-Willamette drainages (Finley Gray Creek) (Table 1). We obtained abundance estimates for 10 introduced populations of Oregon chub, located in Fall Creek Spillway Ponds, Wicopee Pond, Dunn Wetland Ponds, Finley Display Pond, Finley Cheadle Pond, Ankeny Willow Marsh, Jampolsky Wetlands, Foster Pullout Pond, Herman Pond, and Russell Pond. The three largest populations in 2006 were introduced populations. In addition, we evaluated eleven potential Oregon chub introduction sites in the Willamette River drainage. We introduced Oregon chub into the South Stayton Pond, a recently restored site located on ODFW property in the Santiam drainage, from Stayton Public Works Pond and Pioneer Park Pond. The Oregon Chub Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1998) set recovery criteria for downlisting the species to “threatened” and for delisting the species. The criteria for downlisting the species are: 1) establish and manage 10 populations of at least 500 adult fish, 2) all of these populations must exhibit a stable or increasing trend for five years, and 3) at least three populations meeting criterion 1 and 2 must be located in each of the three recovery areas (Middle Fork Willamette River, Santiam River, and Mid-Willamette River tributaries). In 2006, there were 18 populations totaling 500 or more individuals (Table 1). Thirteen of these populations also met the second criteria. Of the 13 populations meeting criteria 1 and 2, eight were located in the Middle Fork Willamette drainage, three were located in the Mid-Willamette drainage, and two were located in the Santiam drainage. With the addition of one more stable population in the Santiam drainage, the downlisting criteria will be met. Findings to date indicate that Oregon chub remain at risk due to the loss of suitable habitat and the continued threats posed by the proliferation of non-native fishes, illegal water withdrawals, accelerated sedimentation, and potential chemical spills or careless pesticide applications. Their status has improved in recent years, resulting primarily from successful introductions and the discovery of previously undocumented populations.
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66. [Image] Endangered species: difficult choices
IB10072 08-26-04 Endangered Species: Difficult Choices SUMMARY The 108th Congress is considering various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Endangered species: difficult choices
- Author:
- Buck, Eugene H; Corn, M. Lynne (Mary Lynne), 1946-; Baldwin, Pamela
- Year:
- 2004, 2008, 2005
IB10072 08-26-04 Endangered Species: Difficult Choices SUMMARY The 108th Congress is considering various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, changing the role of critical habitat, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated including significant changes to ESA regulations made during the Clinton Administration in the law itself. The ESA has been one of the more contentious environmental laws. This may stem from its strict substantive provisions, which can affect the use of both federal and non-federal lands and resources. Under the ESA, certain species of plants and animals (both vertebrate and invertebrate) are listed as "endangered" or "threatened" according to assessments of their risk of extinction. Once a species is listed, powerful legal tools are available to aid its recovery and protect its habitat. The ESA may also be controversial because dwindling species are usually harbingers of resource scarcity: the most common cause of listing species is habitat loss. Recent efforts in the House would modify ESA provisions that designate critical habitat, and that provide for scientific peer review. The authorization for spending under the ESA expired on October 1, 1992. The prohibitions and requirements of the ESA remain in force, even in the absence of an authorization, and funds have been appropriated to imple- ment the administrative provisions of the ESA in each subsequent fiscal year. In the 108th Congress, two bills (H.R. 1662 and H.R. 2933) have been reported that would, respectively, address issues concerning scientific peer review and critical habitat. These bills may be brought to the House floor in September. Earlier, P.L. 108-108 (Interior appropriations) provided $265 million for FY2004 for programs related to endangered species. P.L. 108-136 (Defense authorization) included an ESA amendment to direct that critical habitat not be designated on military lands under certain conditions when Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans are in effect. P.L. 108-137 (Energy and Water appropriations) prohibited use of FY2004 or earlier funds to reduce water deliveries under existing contracts for ESA compliance for the silvery minnow on the Middle Rio Grande River unless water is obtained from a willing seller or lessor. The act also established an executive committee to oversee the Collaborative Program associated with this situation. P.L. 108-148 (Healthy Forests Act) authorized hazardous fuels reduction projects on BLM and national forest lands including those containing listed species habitat; directed establishment of a healthy forests reserve program to promote recovery of listed species; and directed the Secretary of the Interior to provide assurances to landowners whose enrollment in the healthy forests reserve program results in new conservation benefits for ESA-listed species.
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67. [Article] Responses of foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) larvae to an introduced predator
The consequences of species introductions into non-native habitats are a major cause of concern in the U.S. An introduced species may alter native habitats, cause economic damage, compete with natives ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Responses of foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) larvae to an introduced predator
- Author:
- Paoletti, David J.
The consequences of species introductions into non-native habitats are a major cause of concern in the U.S. An introduced species may alter native habitats, cause economic damage, compete with natives for resources or prey on them. Of particular interest are the effects of predation by introduced fishes on native amphibians. Amphibians as a group have been declining worldwide due to a variety of factors, one of which being introduced species. In the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., one example of these declining amphibians is the foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii). In Oregon, R. boylii has disappeared from more than half of its historical sites and is now listed as a state and federal Sensitive Species. Although specific causes have not been determined, declines may be partly attributed to the recent introduction of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) to some of the river systems in which these frogs live. Although smallmouth bass have been implicated as a cause of losses, very little is known about interactions between these two species. Given the relatively short period of time these two species have been co-existing, we sought to determine whether R. boylii larvae could even recognize bass as a predatory threat. Through a series of experiments, we examined the behavioral responses of larvae to a variety of stimuli including a native potential predator (rough-skinned newt, Taricha granulosa), introduced predator (smallmouth bass, M. dolomieu), and a native non-predatory fish (speckled dace, Rhinichthys osculus). Each experiment examined a different potential mode of detection: 1) chemical cues only; 2) visual cues only; or 3) a combination of chemical/visual/mechanical cues simultaneously. We predicted that in each experiment, larvae would respond to the native predator by exhibiting antipredator behaviors, whereas those exposed to cues of the non-native, unfamiliar predator would display activity levels similar to larvae exposed to controls. In addition, we tested amphibian larvae from two populations – one where they co-occur with M. dolomieu, and compared them to larvae from a location where M. dolomieu has not yet invaded – to determine whether any antipredator responses observed were recently developed behavioral adaptations. We analyzed initial and overall responses to stimuli. Our analyses of the initial responses of R. boylii larvae revealed an increase in activity when exposed to the visual cues of bass relative to controls. Furthermore, our results suggested that individual R. boylii larvae require multiple cues to facilitate predator detection. When exposed to multiple cues of their native predator, the rough-skinned newt, larvae responded with a significant reduction in activity levels. Those larvae exposed to cues of the non-native predator, smallmouth bass, displayed similar behaviors relative to control cues, supporting our prediction. Consequently, foothill yellow-legged frog larvae appear to be especially vulnerable to predation by non-native smallmouth bass.
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68. [Image] The Oregon conservation strategy
v, 419 p.; col.ill.; col.maps; "February 2006"; Foreword by Marla Rae, Chair, Oregon Fish and Wildlife CommissionCitation -
69. [Article] Silvicultural Treatment Impacts on Understory Trees and 20-Year Understory Vegetation Dynamics in Mature Douglas-Fir Forests
Policy regarding the management of public forests has undergone a drastic shift over the past couple of decades due to the loss old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States. For ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Silvicultural Treatment Impacts on Understory Trees and 20-Year Understory Vegetation Dynamics in Mature Douglas-Fir Forests
- Author:
- Priebe, Jim E.
Policy regarding the management of public forests has undergone a drastic shift over the past couple of decades due to the loss old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States. For much of the 20th century, forest management on public lands emphasized timber production through the use of even-aged management practices. There has been increasing recognition, however, that traditional even-aged management approaches are unable to support species that rely on the complex, heterogeneous structures provided by old-growth forests. In response, public forest managers have redirected their focus to developing more ecologically sustainable forests capable of meeting a broad array of objectives including an increasing emphasis on the development of late-seral and old-growth characteristics. Thinning has been identified as a promising method for promoting late-seral characteristics in managed stands. Recent long-term studies have shown that thinning stands does indeed accelerate the development of at least some late-seral structure characteristics, particularly when varying levels of thinning intensity and non-uniform retention patterns are incorporated into silvicultural prescriptions. Likewise, thinning has also shown some ability to increase the abundance of late-seral associated plant species in the understory. The impacts of thinning on vegetation dynamics are complicated by external factors such as natural disturbance events and the influence of pre-treatment vegetation on post-treatment communities. Within the context of managing for late-seral attributes, thinning is used to imitate natural disturbance processes. However, this does not preclude the occurrence of natural disturbances, which may either disrupt or compound treatment effects. Initial site conditions create another potential complication for the development of late-seral attributes by limiting the potential for change in understory communities. While some studies have shown that thinning improves late-seral plant abundance, others have found that the legacy of pre-treatment vegetation has a stronger impact on post-treatment communities. This study focused on the impacts of ice storm disturbance and pre-treatment vegetation on the understory of mature Douglas-fir forests using the ongoing Mature Forest Study (MFS), a long-term silvicultural experiment evaluating the effects of thinning and understory vegetation management treatments, as a framework. The first study examined the impact of an ice storm (glaze disturbance) on planted understory trees. Specifically, I looked at the effect of understory tree species, tree size, and overstory neighborhood environment on the type (bending, crown loss), source (ice loading, falling debris), and severity of damage experienced by planted understory trees at one of the MFS sites. Tree species, size, and overstory environment all affected the amount of understory glaze damage. Frequency and severity of damage both varied among underplanted tree species. In general, smaller trees were more prone to being bent, while larger trees were more susceptible to crown loss. The Douglas-fir component of the overstory provided enough additional sheltering that the increased risk to understory trees from falling debris was balanced by a corresponding decrease in the odds of damage by ice loading. This was not the case for the hardwood component; increasing risk of damage to understory trees from falling debris with increasing hardwood basal area drove an overall increase in the risk of understory damage as hardwood basal area increased. This study suggests that species, tree size, and overstory environment all need to be considered by managers hoping to reduce glaze damage risk to younger cohorts in multi-aged stands. The second study investigated the impacts of thinning intensity and herbicide application on the long-term (20-year post-treatment) development of understory vegetation communities on both of the MFS sites. Trends were examined with a focus on the ability of herbicide application, in concert with thinning treatments, to reduce the legacy of common pre-treatment species and promote the abundance of late-seral associates. Results indicated that both thinning intensity and herbicide application affected 20-year changes in understory plant community composition. Herbicide application was associated with a decrease in the abundance of common pre-treatment species, suggesting that it did reduce the legacy effect. However, this was not associated with any change in the abundance of late-seral species. While light thinning showed some ability to mitigate decline in late-seral species relative to higher intensity thinnings, there was no evidence of treatment interaction with herbicide application. These results suggest that while managers may be able to reduce the influence of initial site conditions on post-treatment vegetation communities, the use of herbicides offers little control over the successional trajectory of the understory. Light thinning appears to be the most effective means of increasing late-seral species abundance, although the use of herbicides to meet other management objectives is not contraindicated by the results of this study. Overall, these results suggest that the best options available to managers to both reduce glaze disturbance impacts to understory trees and hasten the development of late-seral plant communities are heavy thinning with unmanaged leave patches to provide late-seral refugia, or light thinning with gaps to provide growing space for better tree regeneration.
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1982-2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1985-1987; CA 9000-3-0003 Subagreement 12; Includes bibliographic references; Issues lack volume numbering
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Crater Lake limnological studies 1986 annual report
- Author:
- Oregon State University; in collaboration with Crater Lake National Park
- Year:
- 1986, 2009
1982-2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1985-1987; CA 9000-3-0003 Subagreement 12; Includes bibliographic references; Issues lack volume numbering
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1982-2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1985-1987; CA 9000-3-0003 Subagreement 12; Includes bibliographic references; Issues lack volume numbering
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Crater Lake limnological studies 1987 annual report
- Author:
- Oregon State University; in collaboration with Crater Lake National Park
- Year:
- 1987, 2009
1982-2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1985-1987; CA 9000-3-0003 Subagreement 12; Includes bibliographic references; Issues lack volume numbering
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1982 - 2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1990-2002; Bibliographic description is based on 1990 annual report; CA 9000-8-0006 Subagreement 8; Includes bibliographic references; Issues lack volume ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Crater Lake limnological studies 1990 annual report
- Author:
- Oregon State University; in collaboration with the National Park Service
- Year:
- 1990, 2009
1982 - 2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1990-2002; Bibliographic description is based on 1990 annual report; CA 9000-8-0006 Subagreement 8; Includes bibliographic references; Issues lack volume numbering
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1982 - 2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1990-2002; Bibliographic description is based on 1990 annual report; CA 9000-8-0006 Subagreement 8; Includes bibliographic references; Issues lack volume ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Crater Lake limnological studies 1991-1992 annual reports
- Author:
- Oregon State University; in collaboration with the National Park Service
- Year:
- 1991, 2009
1982 - 2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1990-2002; Bibliographic description is based on 1990 annual report; CA 9000-8-0006 Subagreement 8; Includes bibliographic references; Issues lack volume numbering;
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1982 - 2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1990-2002; Bibliographic description is based on 1990 annual report; CA 9000-8-0006 Subagreement 8; Includes bibliographic references
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Crater Lake limnological studies 1993 annual reports
- Author:
- Oregon State University; in collaboration with the National Park Service
- Year:
- 1993, 2009
1982 - 2002; ill., maps; Title covers calendar years 1990-2002; Bibliographic description is based on 1990 annual report; CA 9000-8-0006 Subagreement 8; Includes bibliographic references
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Only portions of issues of The Water Report are available in the Klamath Waters Digital Library. See the full report at http://www.thewaterreport.com/
Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Water Report - Klamath coho salmon plan rejected: 9th circuit CA/OR
- Author:
- Envirotech Publications
- Year:
- 2005, 2008, 2006
Only portions of issues of The Water Report are available in the Klamath Waters Digital Library. See the full report at http://www.thewaterreport.com/
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Only portions of issues of The Water Report are available in the Klamath Waters Digital Library. See the full report at http://www.thewaterreport.com/
Citation -
"GAO-05-211"; "April 2005"
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Endangered species : Fish and Wildlife Service generally focuses recovery funding on high priority species, but needs to periodically assess its funding decisions : report to the Chairman, Committee on Resources, House of Representatives
- Author:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Year:
- 2005
"GAO-05-211"; "April 2005"
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80. [Image] The Endangered Species Act : a primer
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81. [Image] The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress conflicting values and difficult choices
IB10144 04-22-05 The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices SUMMARY The 109th Congress is likely to consider various proposals to amend the ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress conflicting values and difficult choices
- Author:
- Buck, Eugene H
- Year:
- 2006, 2008, 2005
IB10144 04-22-05 The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 109th Congress: Conflicting Values and Difficult Choices SUMMARY The 109th Congress is likely to consider various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; P.L. 93-205; 16 U.S.C. ??1531-1543 ). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, modifying critical habitat procedures, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection and incentives for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated enacting as law some ESA regulations promulgated during the Clinton Administration. The ESA has been one of the more contentious environmental laws. This may stem from its strict substantive provisions, which can affect the use of both federal and non-federal lands and resources. Under the ESA, species of plants and animals (both vertebrate and invertebrate) can be listed as endangered or threatened according to assessments of their risk of extinction. Once a species is listed, powerful legal tools are available to aid its recovery and protect its habitat. The ESA may also be controversial because dwindling species are usually harbingers of broader ecosystem decline: the most common cause of listing species is habitat loss. The authorization for spending under the ESA expired on October 1, 1992. The prohibitions and requirements of the ESA remain in force, even in the absence of an authorization, and funds have been appropriated to implement the administrative provisions of the ESA in each subsequent fiscal year. In the 108th Congress, two bills were reported by the House Committee on Resources, but not enacted, that would have amended the ESA to modify scientific peer review and critical habitat procedures. Interior appropriations measures funded Fish and Wildlife Service programs related to endangered species (P.L. 108-108 provided $265 million for FY2004; P.L. 108-447 provided $262 million for FY2005). P.L. 108-136 (Defense authorization) included an ESA amendment to direct that critical habitat not be designated on military lands under certain conditions when Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans are in effect. P.L. 108-137 (Energy and Water appropriations) prohibited use of FY2004 or earlier funds to reduce water deliveries under existing contracts for ESA compliance for the silvery minnow on the Middle Rio Grande River unless water is obtained from a willing seller or lessor; this prohibition appears to have been made permanent by ?205 of Div. C of P.L. 108-447. P.L. 108-148 (Healthy Forests Act) authorized hazardous fuels reduction projects on BLM and national forest lands, including those containing habitat for listed species; directed establishment of a healthy forests reserve program to promote recovery of listed species; and directed the Secretary of the Interior to provide property rights assurances to landowners enrolled in the healthy forests reserve program. Congressional Research Service ? The Library of Congress CRS
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19p.; ill.; Cover title; "June 1997"; "Reprint September 1998"; [Washington, D.C.]: Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O., 1999
Citation -
In this Candidate Notice of Review (CNOR), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), present an updated list of plant and animal species native to the United States that we regard as candidates ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Federal Register - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Native Species That are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened
- Year:
- 2005, 2008
In this Candidate Notice of Review (CNOR), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), present an updated list of plant and animal species native to the United States that we regard as candidates or have proposed for addition to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. Identification of candidate species can assist environmental planning efforts by providing advance notice of potential listings, allowing resource managers to alleviate threats and thereby possibly remove the need to list species as endangered or threatened. Even if we subsequently list a candidate species, the early notice provided here could result in more options for species management and recovery by prompting candidate conservation measures to alleviate threats to the species. Additional material that we relied on is available in the Species Assessment and Listing Priority Assignment Forms (species assessment forms, previously called candidate forms) for each candidate species. We request additional status information that may be available for the 286 candidate species. We will consider this information in preparing listing documents and future revisions to the notice of review, as it will help us in monitoring changes in the status of candidate species and in management for conserving them. Previous Notices of Review The Act directed the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to prepare a report on endangered and threatened plant species, which was published as House Document No. 94-51
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85. [Image] Federal Register - Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions
We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (the Services), announce a final policy for the evaluation of conservation efforts when making listing decisions ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Federal Register - Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions
- Year:
- 2003, 2008, 2005
We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (the Services), announce a final policy for the evaluation of conservation efforts when making listing decisions (PECE) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). While the Act requires us to take into account all conservation efforts being made to protect a species, the policy identifies criteria we will use in determining whether formalized conservation efforts that have yet to be implemented or to show effectiveness contribute to making listing a species as threatened or endangered unnecessary. The policy applies to conservation efforts identified in conservation agreements, conservation plans, management plans, or similar documents developed by Federal agencies, State and local governments, Tribal governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals
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86. [Image] The Water Report. Klamath Decisions: Court rulings on "takings" and BIOP/RPA sufficiency
Only portions of issues of The Water Report are available in the Klamath Waters Digital Library. The abbreviations in the title are for Biological opinion (BIOP) and reasonable and prudent alternative ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Water Report. Klamath Decisions: Court rulings on "takings" and BIOP/RPA sufficiency
- Author:
- Envirotech Publications
- Year:
- 2005, 2008, 2006
Only portions of issues of The Water Report are available in the Klamath Waters Digital Library. The abbreviations in the title are for Biological opinion (BIOP) and reasonable and prudent alternative (RPA). See the full report at http://www.thewaterreport.com/
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Summary In summary, we found that federal agencies have taken steps to improve collaboration as a way to reduce conflicts that often occur between species protections and other resource uses, but that ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Endangered Species Act : successes and challenges in agency collaboration and the use of scientific information in the decision making process : testimony before the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water, Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate / statement of Robin M. Nazzaro
- Author:
- Nazzaro, Robin M
- Year:
- 2005, 2007
Summary In summary, we found that federal agencies have taken steps to improve collaboration as a way to reduce conflicts that often occur between species protections and other resource uses, but that more could be done to promote routine use of collaboration and clarify agencies' responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act. In September 2003, we reported on efforts taken by the Department of Defense (DOD) to coordinate with other federal land managers in order to reduce the impact of species protections on military activities. We found several cases where such efforts were successful. For example, at the Barry M. Goldwater range in Arizona, Air Force officials worked with officials at FWS and the National Park Service to enhance food sources for the endangered Sonoran pronghorn in locations away from military training areas. As a result, the Air Force was able to minimize the impact of restrictions on training missions due to the presence of the pronghorn. However, such cases were few and far between because, among other things, there were no procedures or centralized information sources for facilitating such collaboration. In March 2004, we reported on collaboration that takes place pursuant to section 7(a)(2) of the act?referred to as the consultation process?in the Pacific Northwest. In this area, large numbers of protected species and vast amounts of federal land conspire to make balancing species protection and resource use a contentious endeavor. We found that steps the Services and other federal agencies had taken made the consultation process run smoother and contributed to improved interagency relationships. However, some problems have persisted. For example, some agencies disagree with the Services about when consultation is necessary and how much analysis is required to determine potential impacts on protected species. In each of these reports, we made recommendations intended to further improve collaboration among federal agencies with regard to balancing species protections and other resource uses, and?in the March 2004 report?to resolve disagreements about the consultations process. DOD and FWS have begun discussing an implementation strategy to improve collaboration regarding species protection on military and other federal lands and development of a training program. With regard to the consultation process, while FWS and NMFS have continued to take steps to expand their collaboration processes, the agencies did not believe that disagreements about the consultation process require additional steps. They believe that current training and guidance is sufficient to address questions about the process. With regard to the use of science, we have found that FWS generally used the best available information in key Endangered Species Act decisions, although the agency was not always integrating new research into ongoing species management decisions. In addition, we identified concerns with the adequacy of the information available to make critical habitat decisions. In December 2002, we reported on many aspects of the decision making for species protections regarding the Mojave Desert tortoise. We found that the decision to list the tortoise as threatened, its critical habitat designation, and the recommended steps in the species' recovery plan, were based on the best available information. However, despite over $100 million in expenditures on recovery actions and research over the past 25 years, it is still unclear what the status of the tortoise is and what effect, if any, recovery actions are having on the species because research has not been coordinated in a way to provide essential management information. Such information is critically important as some of the protective actions, such as restrictions on grazing and off road vehicle use, are vigorously opposed by interest groups who question whether they are necessary for the tortoise's recovery. Accordingly, we recommended that FWS better link land management decisions with research results to ensure that conservation actions and land use restrictions actually benefit the tortoise. In response, FWS recently established a new office with a tortoise recovery coordinator and plans to create an advisory committee to ensure that monitoring and recovery actions are fed back into management decisions. In August 2003, we found that, similar to the decision making regarding the tortoise, FWS decisions about listing species for protection under the act were generally based on the best available information. However, while most critical habitat designations also appeared to be based on the best available information, there were concerns about the adequacy of the information available at the time these decisions are made. Specifically, critical habitat decisions require detailed information of a species' life history and habitat needs and the economic impacts of such decisions?information that is often not available and that FWS is unable to gather before it is obligated under the act to make the decision. As a result, we recommended that the Secretary of the Interior clarify how and when critical habitat should be designated and identify if any policy, regulatory, or legislative changes are required to enable the department to make better informed designations. FWS has not responded to our recommendation.
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"April 1998"--P. [4] of cover; Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-66)
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Recovery plan for the native fishes of the Warner Basin and Alkali Subbasin : Warner sucker (threatened) Catostomus warnerensis, Hutton tui chub (threatened) Gila bicolor ssp. Foskett speckled dace (threatened) Rhinichthys osculus ssp
- Author:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Oregon State Office
- Year:
- 1998, 2004
"April 1998"--P. [4] of cover; Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-66)
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The Service determines endangered status for the shortnose sucker [Chasmistes brevirostris) and Lost River sucker [Deltistes luxatus), fishes restricted to the Klamath Basin of south-central Oregon and ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Federal Register - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status of the Shortnose Sucker and the Lost River Sucker
- Author:
- Williams, Jack E.
- Year:
- 1988, 2008, 2005
The Service determines endangered status for the shortnose sucker [Chasmistes brevirostris) and Lost River sucker [Deltistes luxatus), fishes restricted to the Klamath Basin of south-central Oregon and north-central California. Dams, draining of marshes, diversion of rivers and dredging of lakes have reduced the range and numbers of both species by more than 95 percent. Remaining populations are composed of older individuals with little or no successful recruitment for many years. Both species are jeopardized by continued loss of habitat, hybridization with more common closely related species, competition and predation by exotic species, and insularization of remaining habitats. This rule implements the protection provided by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, for the shortnose sucker and Lost River sucker
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90. [Image] Upper Klamath Basin bull trout conservation strategy : part 1, a conceptual framework for recovery, final
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This document presents the framework of a plan to reverse the decline of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) populations in the Klamath Basin. If successful, we expect bull trout ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Upper Klamath Basin bull trout conservation strategy : part 1, a conceptual framework for recovery, final
- Author:
- Light, Jeffrey
- Year:
- 1996, 2008, 2005
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This document presents the framework of a plan to reverse the decline of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) populations in the Klamath Basin. If successful, we expect bull trout to recover to a level where they will have a reasonable chance of long-term viability. The work is the collective effort of fish biologists, foresters, other natural resource management professionals, and local landowners representing a diverse array of interests and organizations. Together, these individuals have worked for several years to gather information pertaining to the distribution and status of Klamath bull trout populations and threats to their persistence. The members of the Bull Trout Working Group share the common desire to restore bull trout populations while at the same time sustaining their respective land use interests in the Klamath Basin. This approach provides incentives to all the interested parties to seek agreement on solutions, encouraging cooperative work on an otherwise ambitious and daunting task. The following few pages summarize the plan. Each area is covered again in greater detail in the body of the document. The goals established by the Bull Trout Working Group for this recovery plan are to (1) Secure existing bull trout populations, and (2) Expand the populations to some of their former range and numbers. We pursue these goals with a three step approach of assessment, implementation, and evaluation. We begin with a review of the distribution and status of bull trout generally, then specifically within the Klamath Basin. Next we present available data and interpretations supporting our conclusions regarding the type, magnitude, and extent of physical and biological factors or concerns that may hamper bull trout persistence. Land and fish management activities that contribute to these problem situations are then identified. This is followed by a blueprint for stepwise development and implementation of practical solutions. Finally, a monitoring plan is proposed to measure the success of the recovery efforts. The Klamath Basin Bull trout populations represent a valuable biological resource. These populations exist at the southern edge of the species' distribution, and have distinctive genetic character. In the Upper Klamath River Basin, bull trout are presently found as resident forms in eight isolated headwater streams within six small drainages. (4Headwater streams' in this document refers to very small streams, rather than rivers which are the headwaters for larger rivers). These streams occur in three general locations: they are tributaries of the Sprague River, of the Sycan River and of Upper Klamath Lake. Together, the known populations occupy approximately 23 miles (37 km) of perennial streams. Formerly, bull trout may have occurred in the mainstems of these systems (Gilbert 1897. Dambacher et al. 1992, Roger Smith, ODFW, pers. coram. 1994). In addition to existing populations, other populations are known to have recently occupied nearby streams (Cherry and Coyote creeks, the Upper Sycan River). Estimated current population sizes in each drainage range between 133 and 1,293, indicating that populations are low enough to warrant concern. These population sizes are smaller than the minimum viable population sizes predicted by conservation biology theory. A substantial risk of extirpation via natural disturbance cycles and stochastic events exists for such small populations. Streams that are presently inhabited by bull trout are typically small and spring-fed with steep gradients. They originate in the higher elevations of mountains within the Upper Klamath Basin and flow through forests where land uses range from wilderness and national parkland to commercial forestry and grazing. Eventually, these tributaries or their mainstem receiving waters leave the forest and flow through broad sagebrush-covered valleys or marshes where they widen and flatten. Here livestock grazing and agriculture are the dominant land uses. An assessment of the current situation regarding Klamath Basin bull trout was performed using existing and new information on life history, distribution, habitat requirements by lifestage, environmental requirements, exotic species interactions, angling pressure, land use interactions, habitat fragmentation, population fragmentation and many other factors. Basin-specific information on each of these factors was collected and analyzed, complemented by a thorough review of the literature. Past, present and possible future distributions of bull trout were examined. Particular emphasis was placed on determining the nature and extent of biotic interactions, because this potential agent of bull trout decline has not been thoroughly addressed in other works. Analysis of the assembled information resulted in the identification of several specific natural and anthropogenic factors which are thought to limit the distribution and persistence of bull trout. Habitat quality and quantity are affected by land use to some degree in all currently inhabited bull trout streams except upper Sun Creek. Generally, habitat conditions vary from fair to good in existing bull trout streams. We identified several land uses that have reduced habitat quality. Principal among the abiotic factors of concern is fine sediment loading from (1) road erosion, (2) stream bank and adjacent ground disturbance by livestock, and (3) Bull Trout Document - Final - - 6 - 26-Jan-96 stream-adjacent hillslope erosion from logging. Second among the abiotic factors of concern is elevated temperature. Other concerns include diminished large woody debris (LWD) recruitment, declining bank integrity, low flows, changes in stream morphology, and blocked or hindered fish passage. The relative importance of each of these factors or concerns differs by watershed, or by location within a watershed. In most cases, information on specific issues and their locations is available with sufficient resolution to allow land managers to develop action plans to address them. Possible exceptions may include Deming Creek, where Watershed Analysis has not yet been performed. Based on the assessment results to date, the following strategy was developed to address limiting factors and concerns. Competitive and genetic interactions with non-native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) were found to be important biotic factors currently threatening the persistence of bull trout in the Klamath Basin. This conclusion was based on the almost pervasive presence of these exotic competitors and the significance of their negative interactions as determined from the literature and from local observations in headwater streams. Temperature may be a significant issue, especially for juvenile rearing, although the temperature tolerances of bull trout are not well understood. Habitat fragmentation and alteration appear to have been major issues in the past, resulting in population fragmentation, particularly at lower elevations and in larger streams where bull trout may have ranged historically. These final two factors appear less important than exotic competitors or temperature for bull trout in the current limited ranges in headwater streams, though they are important in mainstems and larger tributaries. They will need to be addressed if large scale restoration is undertaken. With the exceptions of temperature and fine sediment, brook trout have habitat requirements and environmental tolerances similar to bull trout, and they thrive in many Klamath Basin headwater streams while bull trout do not. Brown trout pose a competitive threat similar to that posed by brook trout, but the mechanisms of displacement and the areas where they occur differ. Even in environments unaltered by land management, such as Sun Creek within Crater Lake National Park, exotic trout are displacing bull trout. This conclusion is consistent with findings throughout the west, where competition with exotic species has clearly had a major effect on bull trout range, resulting in widespread declines in bull trout distribution. Changes in habitat may have altered competitive interactions between bull trout and other salmonids, both directly and indirectly. Since changes in environmental factors can exacerbate competition issues in sensitive populations, habitat condition remains a concern. Near-term, mid-term, and long-term strategy for Recovery of Bull Trout Populations Our approach to recovery of the Klamath basin's bull trout populations is a two-phase effort corresponding to near- and mid-term objectives, and an examination of possible long-term recovery objectives. It entails securing and maintaining existing populations followed by expansion into former headwater and downstream habitats, and ultimately the possibility of connecting tributaries with mainstem linkages. Assessment, research and monitoring needs associated with each phase were identified (see main body of text). Specific project details such as funding, work schedules, participant responsibilities, specific actions, implementation methods and costs are not presented but are to be developed collectively by the Bull Trout Working Group. Phase 1: Securing existing populations This phase of the recovery plan focuses on the six small drainages where bull trout populations are known to exist today. Here we wish to prevent further decline of individual populations as a step toward securing the viability of the Klamath Basin metapopulation(s).1 This is accomplished by addressing biotic and abiotic factors that threaten the persistence of these populations. The most immediate threat is the continued presence of non-native salmonids. Localized areas of habitat degradation or alteration from sediment inputs and shade removal are an additional serious concern. It may be feasible to isolate bull trout populations above barriers, followed by eradication of brook and brown trout within each isolated stream reach. This approach will be tested early in Phase 7, with particular attention to unforeseen consequences on the ecology of the test streams. Assuming it is viable, this approach will become the focus of Phases 1 & 2, in parallel with habitat enhancement efforts. Habitat enhancement is generally feasible, particularly in areas where roads or livestock are the issues. Where needed, such habitat enhancement efforts are expected to be completed as part of Phases 1&2. It will be necessary to understand the distribution of genetic variation among existing sub-populations of bull trout in order to embark on a well 1 For an understanding of metapopulation considerations, see the body of the text, in particular the section on 'Metapopulations and sub-populations' on page 60. Bull Trout Document - Final - - 7 - 26-Jan-96 directed range expansion program. Baseline data would be essential for genetic monitoring activities and for the development of stocks for establishing new sub-populations in subsequent phases. If successful, the actions taken in Phase 1 are expected to eliminate the direct threats to existing bull trout sub-populations posed by non-native salmonids. Parallel efforts to improve the in-stream physical environment to ensure habitat is suitable for bull trout are expected to eliminate proximate environmental threats to existing bull trout sub-populations. This effort will require that abiotic limiting factors and concerns be addressed via land management activities, most of which fall within the realm of forest land management. Timber harvest and regeneration, roads (construction, use, and maintenance), and livestock grazing programs are considered. Immediate actions may take the form of road erosion abatement, including road abandonment and revegetation. Some of these actions can be accomplished when a particular unit is harvested, while others may be pursued as independent restoration activities (e.g., livestock management plans, culvert replacements). Presently, no in-stream fish habitat improvement projects have been proposed, and none are foreseen for stream reaches affected by this phase of the recovery plan. Most of the concerns related to livestock are focused within the riparian zone. Some riparian locations are much more sensitive than others, for example the large meadow in Long Creek. Actions to address these concerns will vary by landowner and location, and may range from complete riparian exclosure to short-term grazing to continuous but moderate access. The preferred actions will depend on the success of these various strategies in bringing about the desired response of the channel and fish habitat, and can be expected to change as recovery of riparian areas progresses. Effectiveness monitoring will be invaluable for measuring the success of these efforts, and in adapting our management strategy during the implementation. No water diversion concerns have been identified for this phase of the plan, except for Deming Creek, where screening of irrigation ditches may be warranted. Some additional fish management actions may also be applicable in Phase 7, for example to continue to monitor compliance with existing no kill regulations in bull trout streams. Other pertinent fish management issues have been addressed already, for example the cessation of exotic trout stocking (brook, brown or non-native rainbow) in bull trout streams. Phase 2: Expanding the range of bull trout within headwater streams In Phase 2, bull trout populations are refounded in headwater streams which now support brook trout, e.g. Calahan and Cherry creeks, or possibly in creeks without fish, e.g. Sheep Creek on the North Fork Sprague. This serves to expand the number of sub-populations, increases the number of refugia, and increases the overall size of the Klamath metapopulation(s). This is a major step in the establishment of viable metapopulations; by increasing the number of sub-populations, the effect of the loss or decline of any particular sub-population is reduced, making the metapopulation(s) more resilient to natural disturbance, variations in breeding success, disease outbreaks and other stochastic factors. Phase 2 consists of two parts: Phase 2a, in which sub-populations are founded in streams which only recently lost bull trout (e.g. Cherry Creek, Coyote Creek and the upper Sycan River) and Phase 2b, in which sub-populations are founded in other suitable headwater habitat, as indicated by the presence of thriving brook trout sub-populations (e.g. Sevenmile Creek, Calahan Creek, Annie Creek, Camp Creek, Jackson Creek, Deep Creek and Corral Creek). Both parts of Phase 2 are accomplished in much the same way as Phase 7: Barriers are constructed to exclude brook trout and brown trout, then the exotic species are eradicated above the barriers. Bull trout populations are then founded with human-introduced bull trout, whether via transplantation from wild sources or from a hatchery. Care must be exercised to maintain adequate genetic diversity in the founded sub-populations as establishment of genetically healthy populations is a non-trivial task. An inherent risk in newly created sub-populations is the loss of genetic variation (founder effect), which if great enough can reduce the vigor of the population and its long-term viability. As in Phase 7, stresses from abiotic factors, such as excessive delivery of fine sediment, low flows, or warm water temperatures, need to be reduced in parallel with the removal of exotics. Streamside roads, road crossings, low flows in upper reaches, and livestock are situations of concern in many of the streams, and warm temperatures are in some. Also as in phase 7, monitoring for the presence of exotics, bull trout population parameters, and abiotic factors is an important follow-up activity to track and ensure long-term success. In addition, genetic monitoring of newly founded populations is indicated. Bull Trout Document - Final - -8- 26-Jan-96 A possible future direction after Phase 2 Once Phase 2 is complete, the Bull Trout Working Group will pause to assess the efforts completed and plan future efforts. If phases 1 and 2 are successful, there will be significant numbers of bull trout in various tributaries, but possibly little genetic exchange between them. Bull trout range may still be restricted to headwater streams. During the evaluation and reassessment of the recovery effort, the group will re-consider the long-term recovery objectives. Based on what we know now, two possible recovery objectives are likely to be considered. The first such possible objective is the establishment of natural movement corridors between adjacent headwater streams, thereby establishing complete and viable metapopulation(s) of bull trout within the Upper Klamath Basin. Connectivity between headwater streams would allow volitional movement of bull trout. Movement would allow dispersal, founding of new sub-populations, and interbreeding between sub-populations, within the local sub-basin. Establishing natural movement corridors between headwater streams may require that selected reaches of larger tributaries or even portions of mainstem rivers be restored to suitable habitat for bull trout. This would be an ambitious undertaking, which may be infeasible. It might require the elimination or exclusion of exotics, the removal of man-made barriers which prevent movement between streams, or alterations in current land use to reduce anthropogenically induced fine sediment loads, low flows, warm stream temperatures, or changes in channel morphology. The change in focus from headwater streams to larger tributaries represents an escalation in the scale and complexity of the restoration effort. Exclusion of exotics is much more difficult. Land use effects, whether from water diversions or livestock grazing are often more significant. The second possible objective of future efforts after Phase 2 is to attemp to re-establish fluvial populations of bull trout in selected mainstem rivers of the Upper Klamath Basin, in such a way as to connect the sub-populations of each metapopulation. Fluvial bull trout are far larger than stream resident bull trout, and have much higher fecundity as a result. This gives them a tremendous advantage in breeding, whether in founding new sub-populations, or augmenting existing sub-populations. By establishing a fluvial form of bull trout in the Upper Klamath Basin, overall viability of the metapopulation(s) should be greatly increased. Timeline for implementation A prototype Phase 1 implementation is likely to be completed within 2-5 years. Full implementation of Phase 1 may take many years, but the bulk of the work could be completed in 10-20 years. Further assessment work and some aspects of Phase 2 will be accomplished concurrent with Phase 1 efforts over the next several years, but may require 5-10 years before being well underway. Specific timelines for individual projects in phases 1 and 2 and the overall recovery effort will be developed by the Bull Trout Working Group. Summary and prognosis for bull trout populations in the Upper Klamath River Basin If our analysis is accurate, the Klamath Basin's native bull trout populations are imperiled, yet their future need not be bleak. They persist today as a handful of isolated sub-populations in small, headwater streams. If a fluvial life history form existed, as it may have at one time in the Wood River2, no longer occurs or is a very small (i.e., undetectable) component of the current Klamath River Basin population. Gene flow between these sub-populations has apparently ceased. Individual population sizes are small enough to be near or below minimum viable levels as defined by current theorists in conservation biology. Competition from introduced brook and brown trout is widespread, with severe long-term consequences. Habitat conditions vary from stream to stream, depending on the nature and extent of land uses around and downstream of the bull trout tributaries. Fine sediment inputs and elevated stream temperatures are the principal habitat issue. Water withdrawals, altered channels and flood plains, and other anthropogenic influences have contributed to loss of mainstem fluvial habitat, and may have ultimately resulted in habitat fragmentation, followed by isolation of the remaining populations. Together, these conditions do not bode well for the longevity of native bull trout populations. We believe concerted efforts to resolve the identified problems can achieve the goals of maintaining, and possibly restoring, Klamath bull trout populations. Further, we believe that without attention, one or more of the identified limiting factors will almost certainly spell an end to most or all of the sub-populations in the basin. 2 A 330 mm specimen was collected from Fort Creek, a tributary to the Wood River, in 1876. Cited in Cavendar 1978; Smithsonian Accession Number 16793. Bull Trout Document - Final - -9 - 26-Jan-96
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"Reprinted May 2003."; Includes bibliographical references; Also available at http://eesc.oregonstate.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat/html/sr/sr1037/sr1037.html
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Water allocation in the Klamath Reclamation Project, 2001 : an assessment of natural resource, economic, social, and institutional issues with a focus on the Upper Klamath Basin
- Author:
- Braunworth, William S.
- Year:
- 2003, 2004
"Reprinted May 2003."; Includes bibliographical references; Also available at http://eesc.oregonstate.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat/html/sr/sr1037/sr1037.html
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92. [Image] Implementation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Report to the House Committee on Resources)
I. Executive Summary There is increasing recognition from most quarters that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) needs to be improved. Exactly what those improvements should be is less uniform. ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Implementation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Report to the House Committee on Resources)
- Author:
- United States. Congress. House. Committee on Resources
- Year:
- 2005, 2007
I. Executive Summary There is increasing recognition from most quarters that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) needs to be improved. Exactly what those improvements should be is less uniform. This report examines the implementation of selected aspects of the endangered species program relying predominately on information provided by the primary implementing agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and offers some recommendations for possible improvements to the program. Debate over the ESA has traditionally been highly polarized. For example, compensating landowners for takings or reductions in property value has been opposed by some who argue updating the law to address this is not necessary. While consensus on other issues such as the need for increasing conservation incentives and the role states play in endangered species conservation has begun to emerge, one of the most debated aspects of ESA implementation continues to be whether the ESA is effectively conserving endangered and threatened species. While there have been significant strides in conserving individual species such as the whooping crane, red-cockaded woodpecker and gray wolf, few species have been delisted (removed from the endangered list) or downlisted (changed in status from endangered to threatened) because of successful ESA conservation efforts. Some argue that the number of recovered species is an unfair measure, asserting that the three decades the ESA has been in existence is an insufficient amount of time for the lengthy process of species recovery and point to listed species that have not gone extinct as evidence the ESA 'saves' species. From the opposing perspective, while recovery to the point of delisting may require a substantial amount of time for many species, after three decades more progress should be demonstrable through species that have recovered and been delisted. Even if a species has increased in numbers or distribution or the threats facing the species have been reduced, if it has not been delisted on the basis of recovery, the ESA's prohibitions and regulations remain applicable and the ESA should not be a 'one way street.' Of 40 total species removed from the list, 10 domestic species were delisted because of "recovery". Of 33 reclassified species, 10 domestic downlistings (a change from endangered to threatened status) reflected a reduced threat assessment which also allowed more flexibility in management. The FWS's most recent report to Congress (Fiscal years 2001-2002) shows that 77 percent of listed species fall in the 0 to 25 percent recovery achieved bracket and 2 percent fall in the 76 to 100 percent recovery achieved bracket. 39 percent of the FWS managed species are of uncertain status. Of those with an assessed trend, at one end of the spectrum are 3 percent possibly extinct, 1 percent occurring only in captivity and 21 percent declining and at the other end are 30 percent stable and 6 percent improving. These assessments however are subjective. Additionally, the assessment that a species is improving or stable may reflect, for example, a reduction in perceived threats or corrections to inaccurate threat assessments that stemmed from erroneous data rather than actual changes in species' trends that are demonstrated by improved numbers, distribution or other such measurements. Consequently, a meaningful assessment of conservation trends under the ESA using these data is not possible. The data used to list a number of species has been subsequently determined to be erroneous and species that likely do not merit classification as endangered or threatened remain listed. This can consume resources that could be directed to species that do merit listing. The assignment of recovery priorities appears highly skewed and the recovery priority for some species seems questionable. A meaningful distinction between endangered status and threatened status has been blurred as has been the framework for the mechanism of critical habitat. Expenditure reporting has improved but presents an incomplete picture of financial resources dedicated to endangered species. Workloads for litigation regarding activities such as consultation and listing under the ESA's complex structure compete for resources that could otherwise be directed at recovery efforts. The demands associated with ESA Section 4 determinations in combination with the pace of species listings and delistings, the number of possible future additions to the list and the economic impact of listings likely indicate that the current program is not sustainable.
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93. [Image] Programmatic environmental assessment for Klamath Basin Ecosystem Restoration Office Projects, 2000-2010
Programmatic Environmental Assessment Summary This Environmental Assessment (EA) provides compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for restoration actions undertaken by the US Fish ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Programmatic environmental assessment for Klamath Basin Ecosystem Restoration Office Projects, 2000-2010
- Author:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Klamath Basin Ecosystem Restoration Office.
- Year:
- 2000, 2005, 2004
Programmatic Environmental Assessment Summary This Environmental Assessment (EA) provides compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for restoration actions undertaken by the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Klamath Basin Ecosystem Restoration Office (ERO) in Klamath Falls, Oregon. These restoration activities are needed due to the large-scale loss of wetland and riparian habitat and degraded water quality. The purpose of these restoration efforts is the improvement of conditions of the watershed with specific regard to habitat and water quality, resulting in, among other benefits, improved conditions for the endangered fish species (bull trout and Lost River and shortnose sucker) populations of the basin. The geographic scope of this EA is defined as the upper Klamath River basin, including the entire watershed from Irongate Dam upstream to the headwaters. This EA is intended to provide NEPA compliance for restoration projects conducted between the years 2000 and 2010. The ERO was established in 1993 to sponsor and assist with a variety of restoration activities in the Klamath Basin. The ERO funds and provides technical assistance to restoration projects involving private landholders, concerned groups, and other state, federal, and tribal agencies. Four alternatives are presented in this EA. The proposed alternative (Alternative 1) consists of a comprehensive program of ecosystem restoration, promoting projects in both riparian areas and in upland habitats. This would continue the current program in effect since 1994. NEPA compliance would primarily be carried out via a single, programmatic document saving time and funds. The Fish & Wildlife Service proposes to fund and administer the following projects types: Riparian Projects: (fencing for livestock management; native plant establishment & diversification; non-native plant removal/control; erosion control; contour re-establishment; impoundment removal; wildlife habitat improvements) Wetland Projects: (fencing; wetland restoration and enhancement; wildlife habitat improvements) Upland or Road Projects: (road abandonment, decommissioning, & obliteration; road drainage improvements and storm proofing, re-establishment of historic contours; silvicultural treatments; native plant establishment/diversification; non-native plant removal/control; fencing; landslide treatments; culvert/stream crossing upgrades; erosion control; wildlife habitat improvements). In-stream Projects: (habitat complexity and diversity improvements; hydrologic regime improvements; coarse woody debris supplementation; natural or artificial barrier removal, modification &/or creation; fish screens installation). Alternative 2 would concentrate restoration efforts only on riparian, instream, and wetland areas. Road projects would be conducted only within the riparian corridor, as defined. NEPA compliance would also be conducted programmatically. Alternative 3 would cease all restoration activities conducted and funded by the ERO in the Klamath Basin. This alternative would serve as a benchmark against which the effects of the restoration alternatives discussed above can be compared. Alternative 4, the "No Action" alternative, would continue current management policies with regard to NEPA compliance, providing compliance on a project by project basis requiring independent analysis for each project. The affected environment of the region is described in detail. The environment has been changed significantly since the 1890's due to logging, agriculture and urban development. An extensive system of dams, canals, and drainage structures has resulted in the conversion of approximately 80% of pre-settlement wetlands to agricultural uses. Riparian corridors have been similarly impacted, and upland forests regions have been affected by logging, road construction and other factors. These changes have contributed to problems with the water quality in the region, contributing to the listing of several fish species as threatened or endangered; loss of habitat has affected a large number of other species as well. The environmental effects of each alternative is analyzed. Some short term negative impacts could occur as a result of the projects authorized by both Alternative 1 and Alternative 2, but these would be strongly offset by the expected beneficial results to water quality and habitat conditions. Alternative 1 would be expected to have a greater overall effect on the environment than Alternative 2, since many of the underlying factors with which restoration efforts are concerned originate in upland conditions (i.e. sedimentation and hydrologic functionality). Alternative 3 would result in conditions remaining much as they are currently, although other programs and organizations are making efforts at restoration activities. The environmental impacts of individual projects anticipated under Alternative 4 would be generally the same as for similar projects under Alternative 1. The primary difference between the two alternatives would be the higher efficiency and improved cumulative analysis resulting from a programmatic approach as proposed in Alternative 1. Public participation in the NEPA process has been, and will continue to be, solicited and welcomed. Compliance with state and federal laws and regulations such as the Clean Water Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and the Endangered Species Act, as well as guidelines for contaminant surveys, will be carried out as detailed. While these projects are expected to play an important role in the restoration of the region, none of these alternatives are expected to have a significant impact when compared with the loss of wetland, riparian and upland habitats over the past century, impacts which do occur would be of a cumulatively beneficial nature. Other restoration efforts are being carried out in the area by other governmental and private groups, and it is expected that these combined efforts will achieve important beneficial results for the ecosystem.
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1 Acknowledgements 2 3 The completion of this work in large part can be attributed to the efforts of the 4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Arcata Field Office staff and in particular to Mr. 5 Thomas Shaw ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Evaluation of Interim Instream Flow Needs in the Klamath River Phase II Final Report
- Author:
- Hardy, Thomas B; Addley. R. Craig
- Year:
- 2001, 2008, 2005
1 Acknowledgements 2 3 The completion of this work in large part can be attributed to the efforts of the 4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Arcata Field Office staff and in particular to Mr. 5 Thomas Shaw for providing much of the supporting site-specific field data, 6 habitat mapping, and fisheries data used in the analyses. The efforts of the 7 various Tribal fisheries personnel were critical in supplying additional fisheries 8 collection data, and intensive site substrate and cover mapping. In particular, the 9 efforts of Tim Hayden, Charlie Chamberlain and Mike Belchik. USGS personnel 10 from the Midcontinent Ecological Science Center also provided valuable 11 assistance and field data used in the cross section based hydraulic and habitat 12 modeling. Mr. Gary Smith and Mike Rode of the California Department of Fish 13 and Game also provided critical information on site-specific habitat suitability 14 criteria and conceptual foundations for the escape cover analysis used in the 15 habitat simulations. Much of this work was also supported by work of Tim 16 Harden (Harden and Associates). The Bureau of Reclamation also provided 17 valuable input during the Phase II study process on Klamath Project operations. 18 A special thanks is also given to Mr. Mike Deas (U.C. Davis) for providing water 19 temperature simulations below Iron Gate Dam. The Technical Team also 20 provided critical input and review of all technical elements of this work as well as 21 providing reviews of the report. Finally, the completion of this work would not 22 have been possible without the tireless efforts of Jennifer Ludlow, Mark 23 Winkelaar, James Shoemaker, Shannon Clemens, Jerilyn Brunson, William 24 Bradford, Sarah Blake, Brandy Blank, Matt Combes, Leon Basdekas, and Aaron 25 Hardy at the Institute for Natural Systems Engineering, Utah State University. 26 27 Executive Summary 28 29 Previous instream flow recommendations developed as part of Phase I (Hardy, 30 1999) recommended interim instream flows in the main stem Klamath River 31 based on analyses of hydrology data. At that time, site-specific data suitable for 32 analysis and evaluation using habitat based modeling were not available. This 33 report details the analytical approach and modeling results from site-specific 34 studies conducted within the main stem Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam 35 downstream to the estuary. Study results are utilized to make revised interim 36 instream flow recommendations necessary to protect the aquatic resources 37 within the main stem Klamath River between Iron Gate and the estuary. This 38 report also makes specific recommendations for future research needs as part of 39 the on-going strategic instream flow studies being undertaken by the U.S. Fish 40 and Wildlife Service and collaborating private, local, state, federal, and tribal 41 entities. 42 43 This report was developed for the Department of the Interior (DOI) who provided 44 access to a technical review team composed of representatives of the U.S. Fish 45 and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. 46 Geological Survey, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The technical Draft - Subject to Change 1 review team also included participation by the Yurok, Hoopa Valley, and Karuk 2 Tribes given the Departments trust responsibilities and the California Department 3 of Fish and Game as the state level resource management agency. The 4 technical review team provided invaluable assistance in the review of methods 5 and results used in the analysis, provided comments on draft sections of the 6 report, and provided data and supporting material for use in completion of the 7 Phase II report. In addition, several agencies and private individuals provided 8 written comments on the Preliminary Draft Report, which have been addressed in 9 this report where appropriate. 10 11 This report is organized to follow the general process used to implement the 12 technical studies. It first provides important background information on the 13 historical and current conditions of the anadromous species, highlights factors 14 that have contributed to their decline, provides an overview of the Phase I study 15 process and its principal findings. The report then continues with a description of 16 the Phase II technical study process. Key sections address methods and 17 findings for each technical component such as study design, study site selection, 18 field methods, analytical approaches, summary results, and recommended 19 instream flows. 20 21 The Phase II study relied on state-of-the-art field data collection methodologies 22 and modeling of physical habitat for target species and life stages of anadromous 23 fish. The field methods were directed toward achieving a three-dimensional 24 representation of each study site that incorporated between 0.6 to over one mile 25 of river depending on the specific study site. At each study site, a spatially 26 explicit substrate and vegetation map was developed and then integrated with 27 the three-dimensional channel topography in GIS. Fieldwork also involved 28 collection of hydraulic calibration data and fish observation data. The later 29 information was used in the development of habitat suitability criteria, conceptual 30 habitat model development and implementation, and habitat model validation 31 efforts. 32 33 Hydrology in the main stem Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam was estimated 34 differently for different purposes in Phase II. For example, we used simulated 35 unimpaired inflows (i.e., no depletions) to Upper Klamath Lake routed to Iron 36 Gate Dam with no Klamath Project imposed water demands. This simulated 37 scenario represents the best available estimates of the unimpaired flows below 38 Iron Gate Dam for the purposes of this study. The remaining flow scenarios 39 included the use of Upper Klamath Lake net inflows, historical Klamath Project 40 water demands, and the USFWS Biological Opinion (2000) target Upper Klamath 41 Lake water elevations. These scenarios represent different potential operational 42 flow scenarios as points of reference to the instream flow recommendations 43 developed as part of Phase II. Differences between these simulated flow 44 scenarios required the use of different models and/or modeling assumptions. 45 The assumptions and modeling tools are described in the appropriate technical 46 sections of the report. The estimated hydrology at each study site was used in Draft - Subject to Change 1 both the physical habitat modeling and temperature simulations using the USGS 2 Systems Impact Assessment Model (SIAM) or its components. 3 4 Physical habitat modeling at each study site relied on two-dimensional hydraulic 5 simulations that were coupled to three-dimensional habitat models. The 6 analytical form of the habitat models varied for spawning, fry, and 'juveniles' (i.e., 7 pre-smolts). These modeling results were compared to available 1-dimensional 8 cross section based hydraulic and habitat modeling at study sites that overlapped 9 between existing USFWS/USGS and Phase II studies. 10 11 Habitat suitability criteria for target species and life stages of anadromous fish 12 were developed from site-specific data for Chinook spawning, Chinook fry, and 13 steelhead 1+. These curves were validated both by field observations using the 14 habitat modeling results as well as by comparison to results from an individual 15 based bioenergetics model for drift feeding salmonids developed at USU. A 16 separate procedure was developed to obtain habitat suitability curves for Chinook 17 juvenile (i.e., pre-smolts), steelhead fry, and coho fry based on available 18 literature data. This approach used a systematic process to construct an 19 'envelope' habitat suitability curve that encompassed the available literature 20 curves. The overall process included a validation component that compared the 21 habitat versus discharge relationships between envelope curves to the site- 22 specific curves for Chinook spawning, Chinook fry, and steelhead 1+. The results 23 validated the use of the envelope curves for use as interim criteria pending 24 further research and development of site-specific curves for these species and 25 life stages within the Klamath River. 26 27 Habitat modeling involved the integration of substrate and cover mapping with 28 the three-dimensional topography and hydraulic properties at each study site with 29 the habitat suitability curves. Habitat modeling was undertaken for Chinook 30 spawning, fry, and juveniles, coho fry and juveniles, and steelhead fry and 31 steelhead 1+. Different habitat models were developed for spawning, fry, and 32 juveniles. The study generated a salmonid fry habitat model that incorporated a 33 distance to escape cover that also required sufficient depth within the escape 34 cover in order for it to be utilized at a given flow rate. This model also 35 incorporated quantitative differences in the type of escape cover. 36 37 The habitat modeling results for each species and life stage were validated 38 against the spatial distribution of each species and life stage surveyed at study 39 sites at different flow rates. These results generally demonstrated that the 40 integrated habitat modeling was validated for the study in terms of spawning and 41 fry life stages. Our assessment of the pre-smolt or juvenile life stage results is 42 that they are consistent for the existing habitat model assumptions. However, we 43 discuss what we perceive to be inherent biases in these results (juveniles) based 44 on the existing habitat model structure and make specific recommendations of 45 what additional work would likely improve the results for this particular life stage. 46 Draft - Subject to Change jjj 1 Temperature simulations based on the unimpaired flow regime below Iron Gate 2 Dam were conducted with HEC5Q as part of the SIAM applications. These 3 results supported the findings in Phase I that flows lower than ~ 1000 cfs during 4 the late summer would likely increase the environmental risk to anadromous 5 species due to almost continual exposure to chronic temperature thresholds. We 6 believe that these simulation results show that there is very little flexibility for 7 reservoir operations at Iron Gate Dam to mitigate deleterious flow dependent 8 temperature effects. This finding has previously been reported by the USGS 9 (Bartholow 1995) and Deas (1999). 10 11 The integration of the habitat modeling with the unimpaired hydrology was used 12 to develop habitat reference values for target species and life stages at each 13 study reach on a monthly basis for flow exceedence ranges between 10 and 90 14 percent. The reference habitat value was computed as the percent of maximum 15 habitat associated with the unimpaired flow values for each species and life 16 stage on a monthly basis. This reference habitat value was used as one 'target' 17 condition to guide the selection of monthly flow recommendations at a given 18 exceedence flow level. 19 20 The flow recommendation process also employed a prioritization of species and 21 life stages to be considered within the year and/or within a specific month. The 22 prioritization of life stages was taken from the life history sequence of 23 anadromous species (i.e., spawning, fry, and then juveniles). The initial priority 24 order for species was defined as Chinook, then coho, and finally steelhead. It is 25 stressed that this initial prioritization was used to conceptually simplify the flow 26 recommendation process only, and that all species and life stages were 27 examined as part of the overall analysis. The process then relied on an iterative 28 procedure to select target flows for each month at a given exceedence level. 29 This procedure attempted to pick a target flow that would simultaneously 30 preserve the underlying characteristics of the seasonal unimpaired hydrograph at 31 that exceedence flow, the underlying relationship of the unimpaired hydrograph 32 between all exceedence flow levels, while striving to maximize habitat for the 33 priority species and life stages relative to the unimpaired habitat reference 34 conditions. The corresponding monthly flow rates at each exceedence level 35 were then used to compute the percent of maximum habitat for all other species 36 and life stages in a given month. These values were then compared to their 37 respective unimpaired habitat values to ensure that adequate protection of 38 habitat for non-priority species and life stages remained reasonable. 39 40 The flow recommendations developed in the Iron Gate to Shasta River Reach 41 were 'propagated' downstream to each successive reach by addition of the reach 42 gains as presently defined by the USGS in their MODSIM module of SIAM. It is 43 recognized that these reach gains reflect existing depletions in tributary systems 44 (e.g., Shasta and Scott Rivers) but are the only estimates presently available for 45 use in the simulation models for the system. The flow recommendations for each 46 river reach were then used to compute the percent of maximum habitat on a Draft - Subject to Change 1 monthly basis for each species and life stage. The recommended flow based 2 calculation of percent of maximum habitat for each species and life stage was 3 then compared against the associated unimpaired flow based habitat values. 4 5 Although flow recommendations were developed for the 10 to 90 percent 6 exceedence range (i.e., nine water year types), five water year types were 7 identified representing Critically Dry, Dry, Average, Wet, and Extremely Wet 8 inflow conditions for Upper Klamath Lake. These water year classifications 9 parallel those developed for the Trinity River and were used as operational 10 definitions in the Phase I report. Furthermore, the USBR KPSIM model was 11 modified to use this five-water year type format for simulating operations under 12 different instream flow requirements below Iron Gate Dam. The 90, 70, 50, 30, 13 and 10 percent exceedence flow levels were assigned to each of these water 14 year types, respectively (i.e., critically dry to extremely wet). This assignment 15 was used to demonstrate several key points regarding the use of 16 recommendations at this level of resolution (i.e., five water year types) and how 17 the existing operational models for the Klamath Project simulate flow scenarios. 18 19 These five water year type dependent recommendations were utilized in the U.S. 20 Bureau of Reclamation's Klamath Project Simulation Module (KPSIM) to simulate 21 project operations over the 1961 to 1997 period of record. This analysis 22 confirmed that the project could be operated to achieve these recommendations 23 in all but 19 of the 468 simulated months in this period of record. These results 24 also highlighted that an alternative water year 'classification' strategy for 25 specifying instream flows should be considered in lieu of a five water year type 26 scheme. We provide a specific recommendation of how this could be 27 approached based on the instream flow recommendations developed in Phase II. 28 29 30 Draft - Subject to Change
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Ecology of shortnose and Lost River suckers in Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, Progress Report, April - November 1999 Lisa A. Hicks, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Basin National ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Ecology of shortnose and Lost River suckers in Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California : progress report, April - November 1999
- Author:
- Hicks, Lisa A.; Mauser, David M.; Beckstrand, John; Thomson, Dani
- Year:
- 2000, 2005
Ecology of shortnose and Lost River suckers in Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, Progress Report, April - November 1999 Lisa A. Hicks, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Route 1, Box 74, Tulelake, CA 96134 David M. Mauser, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Route 1, Box 74, Tulelake, CA 96134 John Beckstrand, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Route 1, Box 74, Tulelake, CA 96134 Dani Thomson, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Route 1, Box 74, Tulelake, CA 96134 Introduction The Lost River ( Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose ( Chasmistes brevirostris) suckers were federally listed as endangered species on July 18, 1988 ( Federal Register 53: 27130- 27134). Both sucker species are relatively long- lived, have a limited geographic range, and are endemic to the Upper Klamath Basin of Northern California and Southern Oregon. Habitat degradation from water diversions and loss of riparian and wetlands habitats associated with agricultural development within their historic range is believed to be the major reason for the species decline ( U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). A more detailed description on the life history, habitat requirements, and causes of decline of the species can be found in the Lost River and Shortnose Sucker Recovery Plan ( U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge ( NWR), established in 1928, consists of 2 return flow sumps ( Sump 1( A) and 1( B)) totaling 13,000 acres surrounded by 17,000 acres of intensively farmed lands ( Fig. 1). The refuge and surrounding private agricultural lands occupy the historic lake bed of Tule Lake, a 95,000 acre lake and marsh area that was reclaimed in the early 1900fs as part of the Klamath Reclamation Project. Current management of the refuge is directed by the Kuchel Act of 1964 which mandates the refuge be managed for the major purpose of waterfowl management but with optimal agricultural use that is consistent therewith. Both sumps are shallow ( 0.1 - 2.0 m) and consist of approximately 10,500 acres of open water with a 2,500 acre shallow (< 0.1 m) emergent marsh at the northeast corner of Sump 1( A). Tule Lake has been identified as a potential refugia for both sucker species ( U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). Tule T like National Wildlife Sump 3 Lease lands Field . Station Cocbetative Fanning Fields Area J Lease Lands Sump 2 I ease I , ands Figure 1. Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California. During winter, water within the sumps is comprised primarily of local runoff and during summer water is comprised primarily of irrigation return flows, originating from Upper Klamath Lake. Summer water quality in the sumps is similar to other water bodies within the Upper Klamath Basin and is considered hypereutrophic ( Dileanis et al. 1996). Water quality problems include low dissolved oxygen ( DO) and high hydrogen ion concentrations ( pH) and unionized ammonia. Water quality in the Tule Lake sumps is directly affected by hypereutrophic conditions in Upper Klamath Lake ( U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). Studies conducted after publication of the Shortnose and Lost River Sucker Recovery Plan indicate that Tule Lake contains an estimated 159 ( 95% CI = 48- 289) shortnose and 105 ( 95% CI = 25- 175) Lost River suckers ( Scoppetone and Buettner 1995). Confidence intervals for these estimates are large because of small sample sizes and low rates of recapture. Recruitment rates for the Tule Lake population via spawning below Anderson- Rose Dam is low with significant larval production occurring only in 1995 ( monitoring occurred 1991- 99) ( M. Buettner, pers. comm). Entrainment from the irrigation system is likely the largest source offish for Tule Lake ( U. S. Bureau of Reclamation 1998). Both species of suckers in Tule lake are in good physical condition relative to fish in Clear Lake and Upper Klamath Lake with Tule Lake fish being generally heavier and exhibiting few if any problems with parasites or lamprey. ( Scoppetone and Buettner 1995). U. S. Bureau of Reclamation ( Reclamation) biologists tracked 10 radio- marked suckers in Tule Lake from 1993- 95. From these studies, specific use areas by time period were identified with over 99% of radio locations occurring in Sump 1( A). Of particular importance from these studies was identification of an over- summer site in the south central region of Sump 1( A) termed the ADonut Hole# ( DH). In early 1999, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service ( Service) proposed a wetland enhancement project on the 3,500 acre Sump 1( B). The project was designed to improve habitat for waterfowl and other associated wetland species as well as improve water quality through the conversion of Sump 1( B) from an open body of shallow water to an emergent year- round flooded wetland. The primary mechanism to create the desired habitat condition is a series of annual spring/ summer drawdowns thereby creating conditions suitable for germination of desired emergent plant species. Of principal concern in developing the project was the potential effects on suckers within the sumps. Because of the proximity of both sucker species in adjacent Sump 1( A), a project monitoring plan was developed to ascertain the potential effects of the Sump 1( B) Project on suckers and water quality. Our monitoring design benefitted from studies of water quality and sucker movements by Reclamation biologists from 1992- 95. This report summarizes findings of the first year= s pre- project monitoring effort ( April- December, 1999) relative to water quality and movements of radio- marked suckers. Objectives 1. Describe seasonal distribution and movement patterns of both sucker species in Tule Lake NWR and determine if fish movements have changed since initial studies by Reclamation biologists in 1993- 95. 2. Characterize water quality, in space and time, of areas used by adult suckers compared to areas which are not used. 3. Document and describe movements of radio- marked suckers to spawning areas below Anderson- Rose dam. 4. Determine whether recruitment of larvae and juvenile was occurring below Anderson- Rose Dam. Methods Monitoring radio- marked adult suckers In April and May, 1999, Reclamation biologists captured 14 suckers and surgically implanted radio- transmitters ( ATS, Isanti, MN) having a projected battery life of 12 months. Each transmitter had an external antennae that exited the body cavity near the lateral line of the fish. Eleven Lost River and 3 shortnose suckers were captured using trammel nets at the northwest corner of Sump 1( A) ( 9 fish) and immediately downstream of Anderson- Rose Dam on the Lost River ( 5 fish) ( Table 1). We located radio- marked fish via air thrust boats using a scanning receiver and 4- element yagi antennae. Fish were located fish 4 times/ month during March and April, 2 times/ month from May through September, and once per month from October through December. Fish not located via boat were located from fixed wing aircraft. We determined fish locations by moving as close as possible to undisturbed fish and recording locations with a Global Positioning System ( GPS). All GPS positions consisted of 180 rover points/ location and were differentially corrected via post processing software ( PFinder ver. 2.11). We recorded depth information at each fish location. To determine timing and duration of the spawning migration, we monitored radio-marked fish from vehicles on the east levee of the Lost River downstream of Anderson- Rose Dam. Table 1. Data from Lost River and shortnose suckers captured on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California and Anderson- Rose Dam, Oregon in 1999. RADIO TAG 165.043 165.063 165.073 165.103 165.084 165.094 164.641 164.863 164.494 164.854 165.054 164.845 164.763 164.914 CAPTURE DATE 4/ 2/ 99 4/ 2/ 99 4/ 2/ 99 4/ 2/ 99 4/ 2/ 99 4/ 2/ 99 4/ 9/ 99 4/ 2/ 99 4/ 9/ 99 4/ 30/ 99 5/ 5/ 99 5/ 5/ 99 5/ 18/ 99 5/ 18/ 99 CAPTURE LOCATION TULELAKE SUMP1A TULELAKE SUMP 1A TULELAKE SUMP 1A TULELAKE SUMP 1A TULELAKE SUMP1A TULELAKE SUMP 1A TULELAKE SUMP1A TULELAKE SUMP1A TULELAKE SUMP 1A ANDERSON ROSE DAM ANDERSON ROSE DAM ANDERSON ROSE DAM ANDERSON ROSE DAM ANDERSON ROSE DAM SPECIES LOST RIVER LOST RIVER LOST RIVER SHORTNOSE SHORTNOSE LOST RIVER SHORTNOSE LOST RIVER LOST RIVER LOST RIVER LOST RIVER LOST RIVER LOST RIVER LOST RIVER SEX FEMALE FEMALE FEMALE MALE FEMALE FEMALE FEMALE MALE FEMALE FEMALE MALE MALE MALE FEMALE WEIGHT NO DATA NO DATA NO DATA NO DATA NO DATA NO DATA 2830 g 1040 g 5260 g NO DATA 2214 g 1542g 2350 g 1811 g FORK LENGTH 777 mm 681 mm 754 mm 473 mm 523 mm 754 mm 544 mm 440 mm 775 mm 753 mm 556 mm 486 mm 594 mm 477 mm PIT TAG NO. 1F3E34432C 1F39064959 1F4C5A6754 1F07315752 1F31462743 1F4C5A6754 1F3726750F 1F36490062 1F37103466 1F390F1801 1F3E2A7702 1F36443235 1F30753309 1F390E6B2F Recruitment Reclamation biologists conducted larval and juvenile sucker surveys during May and June by sampling, visually and with dip nets, the emergent vegetation at the periphery of the Lost River downstream of Anderson- Rose Dam. Egg viability surveys were conducted in the gravel sediments immediately below the dam in May. Water quality We preselected water quality sampling sites ( Fig. 2, Table 2) in Sump 1( A) to correspond to adult sucker use areas as determined by studies of radio- marked adult suckers conducted by Reclamation in 1993- 95 ( Fig. 3). We selected 2 sites in Sump 1( B) which met or exceeded the minimum depth requirement (> 3ft) for both sucker species ( M. Buettner, pers. comm.) after referring to 1986 bathymetric maps. We attempted to obtain data from each site twice/ month. We moved 2 sample sites ( Donut Hole and Donut Hole Northwest) early in the summer and 1 site ( Donut Hole West) ( Fig. 2) during mid- summer to better represent summer use locations of radio- marked fish. From May through November, we measured water quality parameters ( dissolved oxygen ( DO), hydrogen ion concentration ( pH), and temperature (° C)) using DataSonde 3, 4 and 4a= s ( Hydrolab Corp., Austin, Texas) ( hereafter referred to as Hydrolabs) 26 cm ( 12 in) above the sediment. We suspended Hydrolabs, within PVC tubes, from metal fence posts driven into the sediment. Data were collected hourly over a 96 hr period at each monitoring site. We downloaded data from Hydrolabs using the Hyperterminal software package v. 690170 to a personal computer. Unit probes were cleaned and calibrated according to Hydrolab guidelines ( Hydrolab Corporation 1997) and local geographic standards. Using the same deployment schedule as with our Hydrolabs, we sampled turbidity at each site using a Portable Turbidimeter model 21 OOP ( Hach Corp., P. O. Box 389, Loveland, CO 80539). We collected water samples 27 cm ( 12 in) above the sediment at each sample site. We measured turbidity in NTUs, following the guidelines in the product manual and we measured water depth using a hand- crafted wooden pole, marked in measured increments. We summarized water quality data using Microsoft 8 EXCEL software v. 97 SR- 1 and SPSS for Windows release 9.0.0. Because of the apparent difference in summer water quality in the DH versus other sampling sites, data were summarized as DH sites and Non- DH ( NDH) sites. Tule Lake NWR Water Quality Monitoring 1999 MfSVTHOLE \ OKTIIH ' w Background Hvdrolon> Luke m Mudflats Uplands X Water Vionitonny Stations ( Hydrolafa sites) MK ker Radio \ ckmcin L. Hicks. D. .1 Beckitraod, K Miller, USFWS Background HydfOlOf} Sat'I Wetlands Invcnlon LSI Sh S Map Projection UTMZCM IO, WGS-* 4 By: L. Hkks. USFWSUSBR 02/ 00 i Figure 2. Water quality sample sites, Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 8 Table 2. Characteristics of water quality sampling sites, Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Tulelake, California, 1999. SITE NAME NORTHWEST SUMP 1A DONUT HOLE NORTHWEST DONUT HOLE WEST DONUT HOLE SOUTH DONUT HOLE DONUT HOLE EAST ENGLISH CHANNEL WEST SUMP IB EAST SUMP IB PUMP 10 SUMP 1A2 SITE ABBREVIATION NWS1A DHNWSlAor DHNW DHWEST DHSOUTH DHSlAorDH DHEAST ECSlAorEC WS1B ES1B PMP10 UTM N 4642199 4638316 4638881 4638144 4637299 4639024 4634604 4634153 4633948 4636635 UTME 620803 620542 321022 621355 621475 621971 625041 636647 628835 624748 DEPTH of MONITORING SITE ( m) 1 1.2 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.8 0.5 1 Depth of water at deployment 2 Pump 10 data will not be discussed in this document. Results Radio- marked suckers We located fish 231 times in locations similar to those determined by Reclamation biologists in 1993- 95 ( Figs 3- 4). Lost River and shortnose suckers did not appear to differentiate use of the sump by species; we located both species intermixed throughout the monitoring period. With the exception DH and DHNW ( Fig. 2), water quality sampling sites were close to seasonal sucker use areas. Of 14 suckers marked, mortality occurred in only 1 fish. A Lost River sucker (# X9) was tagged on 18 May at the Anderson Rose Dam; she was not located again until 23 days later on 9 June. From 9 June to 17 November, # X9 was located by signal within approximately 15 m of the original location based on the location data. It is likely that this fish died in early June within 2- 3 weeks of being radio- marked. It is unknown if this mortality was related to the stress of handling and marking or some other cause. April - May - In April- May, a period of maximum fish movements ( Figs. 5- 18), most suckers congregated in the AEnglish Channel ® between the sumps with a scattering offish located between the northwest corner of Sump 1( A) and the AEnglish Channel ® ( Fig. 4). Only 1 fish radio- marked in Tule Lake moved into the Lost River. This particular fish, a female shortnose sucker (# G9) was radio- marked in the northwest corner of Tule Lake on 9 April, was located in the AEnglish Channel ® on 14 April, and subsequently was located in Lost River below Anderson Rose Dam on 29 April and 6 May. Tule Lake Sucker Radio Telemetry \ pril 1993 - \! a> 1995 Hi tckwtstmd H) drohgy mm Marth/ Wi'lhiml • • River I Sucker Locations o Jan - Mar & Apr - May ° Jim - Sep • O t t - l h i 1 I . . . . . . ydtOl Ig) -: i '•'•, l: i M h - c .1 J I SI WS UtoBiihywwUy KkmrtiiB ••. iraOffia MapPinoiccii.- i rM2oni VM, S- » 4 • HJ I-. IKKV USffW& n SBB Figure 3. Locations of radio- marked suckers from studies conducted by U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1993- 1995. 10 Tule Lake NWR Sucker Radio Telemetry April - December 1999 Oregon California [ Sump 1A Background Hydrology J Lake Uplands SOcker Locations • Apr May o Jun - Sep • Oc! - Dec | Qanuthole area = * 466 acres ( manually est from fish bca Suckei EUdiQ Tdctrcter: L Hi cks, D TtccnsDn, : Nati Wedatd^ Inventory. USTWS i t Hi cfa, usFwsnrsBH o 2/ 00 Figure 4. Locations of radio- marked suckers on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 11 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetr> - 1999 MMti « phrnl Fish: Lost River Sucker " A9" Sex Female Length: 777 mm fag I ocation I ulc I ; ike Sump IA Tai: Dare: 04/ 02 99 Vlort. Date: 3 - O 5 ni 0 5 - 1 ni ( Surface Fixation - 4034.9( 1') Lain' ihpth 1 - 15m Itydrolah tUm » t tm fcdarl .' i rein: l. llni. i. Becb- rmc l^ . I M I ^ I V I M . Kl; nn: nli limm Xvtup,- :, rr, k, I M •'• - \ * e BMb% « ldry KIWWHI I t em ,^ wnOi-... I SB I Background Hy* » : 4.. .. , „ | WCIIWKIJ faivewior^. I'SI A S >• • ••• i •• i MZcne IC ' •..-• .: i;% i n . , i s , u s Figure 5. Movements of radio- marked sucker A9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 12 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry ~- 1999 Hsh ], ost River Sucker"! Sc\ Female Length: UK] mm Tag Location [ We Lake Sump IA IML Dace U4/ O? W Mort Date: • i Khrr( m » depth) • 1 Mwrvl. Will. 1.1,1 I |- l Muil I t * 3 - O 5 m 0 5 - t rn ( Surtax i: Nation - 4O34. W) flyJrttlaff SiKker RacfcTclemdn: I. IliduU. Bccks CompK. i BFW8 I. a.- Mil ,. l klmulklfaun \ « » OI.. . I MM Background llyfrotogv \ « bonB| W ctlands inv « « or., U8FWS Map IVv^ vi ... i M ,. !• ' ••"• . I:-. | || ... i JFWS Figure 6. Movements of radio- marked sucker B9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 13 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Fidi Lost River Sucker * C9" Sex Male Length: 619 mm Tag Location I ule Lake Sump IA Fag Date: M/ 02 w VIon. Date: { Surface Fixation - 4II34. W) tiat- ttffawmf th- frohf(\ • • Khii i> nJv|> th) H i \ iM, vh\ wtl,..., i UplniKi Lak mm MU. I n. i 3 - 0 5 ni 0 5 - 1 ru • I n kaAo Tckwdn: LHkfcaJ. Beduimd P HMUWM K V'l « • .|: I- II: I-| I I n i ii Cwnpk. I 8FWS Klmwil.[ ten< •• . : M . . . I M : mind I l > * o t i c \ Ntttaaal Wetlands Inventory* I ^| •.!•••• • • . • I -. I \ | . , K 1 1 . i •• » •• -; !:•• I II . I SFWS r Mil . Figure 7. Movements of radio- marked sucker C9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 14 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Haf kgnm n BB Rh « ' i MM. Fish Shortnose Sucker " l) l>" Sex Male Length: 473 nun ail Location: I ale Lake Sump IA Tag Date 04/ 02/ 99 Mort. Date: I Surface Fixation - 41> 34. lW) /....'.:• Depth Mi, I lbtx 0- OSm ^ ^ 0 5 - 1 rti - I - ' I •' • • ' ' • I HkfcU. lUbrxilHil) I ! . . . ! - . K Mil M KlttiHtfiBttk K « Aig « : . , - , - , L . I M ''. •• Ifydrolah Kit,-* i., i.- . il ... (.. , , , i , , •. . ; „ , . . , M ! - U a d ^ r t w n d ! ! > * • ••'• • t n | XVctinjKlt [ mcTrt « . T\. • SFWS I • • . . • • , , • l:% | n ...... i M A S * £*> Figure 8. Movements of radio- marked sucker D9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 15 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Fish Shortnose Sucker T39" Sc\ Female Length: 523 mm rag Location I ule I ake Sump IA rag Date M/ 02 w Date: • 1.1 I i) I 1-.. 1 • | i i . . I. llcct. M m i l l ) ] Compl- • ' "* I '• S 5> NJUOIWI Wetlands b i v c m u r y I IS I » S • ••• I " I ••. l/. nc It. i . . . : - . , ' II-. | || ..... Figure 9. Movements of radio- marked sucker E9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 16 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Fish Lost River Sucker " IV Sc\ female Length: 754 mm Tag Location Tule Lake Sump 1A * rag Date 040; 99 Vkirt Date: ( Surface Fixation - 4( 134.90') Hat ground Hydrology U • : • • Rhtr< iM » < Jvpfh) • iM.., lll » r • i M. tvh\ VHl,, na 0.0,5m Uphml » 0S- 1rt. 1 - 1 5 IT » 1 £ m fackcrRadk> 1 r .. In: UfisfcaJ. Ikvkwjjjui P » •, K V, 1 • l: m: rli M a Jfcflifc* CorapUv I IFWS Uydrolth sit,- s i , i t \ t, il*> m. f n Klmwlh tfewn .\ wn < » flfa . I SBR K o t o ^ : \ ai,,, na| Wctljmd* bivcm^ f • I SFWS Map hV^ vl .. . I MZpftClO Cony aid I;-, i n , . UWTOS Figure 10. Movements of radio- marked sucker F9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 17 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Fish Shortnose Sucker " Q9" I cm ale Length: 544mm I. IL1 Location Tule Lake Sump IA * rag Date 04/ 09/ 99 Mori ( Surface rloaliun - I II . . I. \'-.-\-- m.' I-K V i ! l • l : n i : r l l ! - i i : ii : . r , : . | , . I s|\ VS KlmuHi Btom Aivs 4 M1K. I SBR \ j i > i m l Wetlands invcnlon i 5FWS M. « ;. ' - . . I - . I M / . „ . • | » . I II , • I SFWS BB Ki^ i imi M \ hrvh\\ ilhiml Upland Lais Otfttk MuiJ Hals Figure 11. Movements of radio- marked sucker G9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 18 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry ~ 1999 • Jit" Fish Sex Length: Tag Location: Tag Date: Sh oi1no so Male 440 mm Tule 1 < ikc 04/ 09/ 99 / Sucker Sump " H9" IA f tif( rtitiini / / i Kh< < 1- 1 . ri. l Mud FliitK 0 - 0 5 m 05 - 1 ni < SurfiKi 1 , - > 18m K V , , • l; , - n : , l , 5 , , , : . • „ • , '• • ' • • : ' k • ' s | ' ' ' s K i i. l I-. . . . tVu. I M i ^ ' ^ \ tbonn\ Wetl « nd « faiv « mor>. I . \ I A • » - i I M „, | i. Ih | || , , I M Figure 12. Movements of radio- marked sucker H9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 19 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 I- isii Lost River Sucker " 1 Sc\ Female Length: 775 mm Tag Location: Tule Lake Sump IA Tag Dale: 04/ 09/ 99 Mort. Date: ( Surface I* k^ atinn Tckmrtn: l.|| uk. I. K J y me l> I..: II> M K •-.•. I - I : . . , : Compkv • BPWS "' ••' Klmwlbl? ti » m A* MOffice I SBR IvckuioRv : \ atxin » l Wetlands biv « Mory. I > I / i < n k j f M U U l f i x • • • ' < • . • • Khri ( IM » tlr|> rh) Mat vh Wit I HI ii I LpbmJ Figure 13. Movements of radio- marked sucker 19 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 20 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Fish: I- osi River Sucker " P9" Sc\ Female Length: 7^ ' m m lag Location Anderson Rose Dam Tag Dale: 04/ 30/ 99 Mort. Date: ( Surface bk'talkm - 4UJ4. W) % mkm i .' i eraetn: |.| ikk* J. lkvl> « uui I) . . . . i - K '•.'. . - i . . r . . i . BMte Rvtug « , « ., .. . . - . M V . . Compk. i IPWa I « l.- . ll ,. t ,.. , , , | , , •. . „ ,. . | M i • E* K* gr° umi I K v H , ^ htaHml Wctl » nd » knvMori i -- I - s ^ • •• I •• I M i . , - It. > •—•• . i;-. i II . . i MWN Figure 14. Movements of radio- marked sucker P9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 21 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Fish Lost River Sucker " i;(>" Sex Male Length: 556mm Tag Location Anderson Rose Dam Tag Date 05 05 w Mort. Date: ( Surface H o at ion - - MM4. W) • i • i n. t . i. ikJ^•. m..- I) . M. HV*. K Vi . • hnrnflh ii » m Hvfil^- '" I - I K ••. . I" K i r •• . M ... I MiM \-, ..,.•. \ , ,,.| v. , |,,.|. ( r. v : , f . l MH • . ! ., I M „ |. Figure 15. Movements of radio- marked sucker U9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 22 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Fish: Lost River Sucker " W Sox: Male Leagth 486 mm \ AII Location; Anderson Rose Dam Tag Date: 05/ 05/ 99 Mort. Date: ( SurfiK- c Floaiiun 4 « . U. W| •• ' • •• ' • ; • ' ' ' ' I I I . . • 1. Bedu HI.- D . K V I " , I . < l: iMi; iTh : - i • : .1 MIK! KI. HH I - • • > • . • • \ 1 i i i v . v l . r i l - i r . v : • ! • . 1 • . . . 1 . • 1 \ | , , c 1. Figure 16. Movements of radio- marked sucker V9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 23 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetrv - 1999 Fish: Lost River Sticker " W(>" Sex: Male Length 594 nun I nil Location: Anderson Rose Dam Tag Date: 05/ 18/ 99 Meet. Date ( Surface H o at inn 4< i. U/) i » ') - ' • ' I ' : ' - ' • I Hid • i. Bcvl. v.' im: P . , i iikr. Klanwlh B* oi R< tu^ : . . r v . k v I M •'•- ' -*•• Mil - >•> • KlMmth IViim .\ wn 0 1 . . . I SBR g \ ^ m u l Wcllmls En^ :• r I ^ | V \ • • • I - i I M/ V. u- It; 1 ••••:•• .-.' II-. W Figure 17. Movements of radio- marked sucker W9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 24 Tule Lake- Sucker Radio Telemetry - 1999 Fish: Lost River Sucker " X9" Sex: Female Length 477 mm Tag Location; Anderson Rose Dam Tag Date: 05,1899 Mori. Date, suspected in June 1999 Hn i in Mat* h Will •. 1. fackn RadioTclenvtn; i. tfidbU. lkvk « ramLI>. r* Mmw « t K ','. . hmtdth B* m R^ UB* CompK- • n •'• • B % VJI < Kflb . I M i ,• h> tir> l Wetlands Envcntun. I SFft'S \ I , \ ' I K I I | , ... | s.| , \ s Figure 18. Movements of radio- marked sucker X9 on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 25 June - September - During this period, nearly all suckers ( particularly during July and August) could be found in the DH at the south central portion of Sump 1( A) ( Fig. 4). By connecting the outermost locations of approximately 90% of radio locations, the calculated area of the DH was 188 ha. Suckers using the DH were found in depths ranging from 1.0- 1.3 m ( 39- 50 in) ( Fig. 19). September - December - During this period suckers moved from the DH to the northwest corner of Sump 1( A). As of the writing of this report, ( February 15, 2000) the 13 remaining fish occupy the same area. Recruitment Surveys by Reclamation biologists for larval and juvenile suckers in the Lost River below Anderson- Rose Dam failed to document the presence young of the year fish. Below is a summary of surveys: Date 5/ 25/ 99 6/ 2/ 99 6/ 10/ 99 Result Searches for eggs in gravel below Anderson- Rose Dam revealed eggs in 4 of 5 sites, some of which were viable. Larval surveys conducted at 3 sites ( visual and dip net) from the dam to the wooden bridge were negative. Larval surveys conducted at 5 sites including the dam, 2 and 1 mile downstream, the wooden bridge, and East- West Road were negative. Larval surveys conducted at 2 sites downstream of dam were negative. Water quality pHBln general, pH values were less variable in the DH then areas outside this region ( Fig. 20). In all areas, median pH values remained below 9.5 until early June at which time values outside the DH were frequently above 10.0. pH values were particularly high (> 10.0) in late June through August in ESIB and NWS1A and periodically in the EC and WS1B. pH values in the DH and areas adjacent, remained below 10.0 through September; however, there was a gradual rise in pH values in DH sites from May through September. In late September and early October, DH pH values exceeded all other sites. rem/ reratareBTemperatures in all regions reached a peak in late July through early August with no discernible difference between DH or NDH sites ( Fig. 21). Dissolved oxvgenBDonut Hole sampling station s differed in dissolved oxygen characteristics relative to other areas of the sumps. During the June through August period DH sites ranged from 4.5 to 11.2 mg/ 1 while areas outside this region ranged from 1.1 mg/ 1 to 18.2 mg/ 1 ( Fig. 21). Toward November DH and NDH sites became similar DO dynamics ( Fig. 21). 26 Turbiditvllln general, turbidity values appeared greater in the DH versus areas outside, although some sites particularly in Sump 1( B) were quite variable particularly in June and July. This may have been due to the large amount of filamentous algae in Sump 1( B), potentially interfering with the measurement. Turbidity rose sharply at sites by late October and November ( Fig. 23- 24). 20 >• 1 5 O UJ a UJ DC 10 0 39 41 43 45 47 More DEPTH Figure 19. Water depth used by radio- marked suckers in the " Donut Hole" ( June- August), Tule Lake NWR. California. 27 BJll I U r S o I! Figure 20. pH data collected from " Donut Hole" and non- Donut Hole water quality sampling sites on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. Box and whisker plots represent the median, 25- 75* and 10- 90* percentiles, and outliers. 28 temp rC) S 2 £ ' I j 1 II i 9 E 9 S Figure 21. Water temperatures collected at " Donut Hole" and non- Donut Hole sites on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. Box and whisker plots represent the median, 25- 75^ and 10- 90^ percentiles, and outliers. 29 do ( mgfl) I do ( mg/ l) OP> !*• WKamm 01900 gGBM s ' S:' TP" » S i I ! if Figure 22. Dissolved oxygen concentrations at " Donut Hole" and non- Donut Hole sites on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. Box and whisker plots represent the median, 25- 75* and 10- 90* percentiles, and outliers. 30 260.0 -. 240.0 220.0 - 200 0 180.0 => 160.0 H 140.0 - z 120.0 100.0 - 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 n n - » NT" —•— Depth ( m) fc= _ 6/ 2 107.00 0.8 Donut Hole Northwest - — .^^^ 6/ 7 77.20 0.8 H •—-^^ ' '—^ 6/ 14 25.30 0.8 6/ 21 24.80 0.8 - 1.0 o o O CJl depth ( m) 260.0 -, 240.0 220 0 200.0 180.0 - 2 160.0 z 140.0 - 120.0 100.0 - 80.0 - 60.0 40.0 20 0 0.0 » NTU — a— Depth ( m) , •=— mmm •= « a 6/ 22 44.00 0.9 Donut Hole West — « — — » - 6/ 28 26.60 08 •— 7/ 6 19.90 08 . ^ m — _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7/ 13 25.70 0.8 • - _ — r- • 7/ 19 51.40 0.8 1.0 0.5 £ a. T3 0.0 260 0 240.0 - 220.0 - 200.0 - 180.0 i « n n _ H 140.0 - z 120 0 ^ 100.0 • 80 0 60.0 40.0 20.0 - u. u » NTU — m— Depth ( m) 6/ 22 93.70 0.8 6/ 28 95.40 0.7 Donut Hole East 7/ 6 72.70 0.7 7/ 13 32.30 0.7 —•'•"-""* 7/ 19 50.20 0.5 -*"— 7/ 28 62.50 0.8 8/ 2 73.30 0.8 \ ^ 8/ 10 18.55 0.8 8/ 19 50.20 0.8 8/ 25 22.20 0.8 8/ 31 58.67 0.7 \ 9/ 8 14.38 0.8 9/ 14 11.03 0.8 9/ 20 7.00 0.7 9/ 29 7.80 0.7 j / A - 10/ 25 51.00 0.7 t - fT u 11/ 23 210.00 0.6 1 0 - 0.5 JZ jepi - 0.0 Figure 23. Turbidity at " Donut Hole" sites on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, May to November 1999. 31 260.0 i 240.0 220.0 200.0 180.0 3 160.0 £ 140.0 - 120.0 100.0 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 0.0 » NTU —•— Depth ( m) • ^ 6/ 2 81.10 0.8 Donut Hole - — - ^ 6/ 7 49.20 0.8 — • 6/ 14 21.50 0.8 =— 1 6/ 21 24.80 0.8 r 1 0 o p d en depth ( m) 260 0 240.0 • 220.0 - 200.0 . 180.0 - K 160.0 • z 140.0 - 120.0 100.0 80.0 . 60.0 - 40.0 - 20.0 0.0 . t K » TII — a— Depth ( m) B — • 7/ 21 53.30 0.8 .— m-— 7/ 28 40.50 0.8 Donut Hole South _—• 8/ 2 56.80 0 9 » - ^ 8/ 10 17.13 0.9 *—• 8/ 18 19.70 0 8 8/ 25 21.73 0.9 ^ \ 8/ 31 64.90 0.8 9/ 8 21.27 0.8 9/ 14 20.80 0.8 9/ 20 29.97 0.8 ^ - • - ^ 9/ 29 49.30 0.8 / / 10/ 25 33.70 0.8 / / 11/ 23 170.00 0.7 1 0 o o d en depth ( m) Figure 23 ( cont.). Turbidity at " Donut Hole" sites on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, May- November, 1999. 32 260.0 -, 240.0 - 220.0 200.0 180.0 - 160.0 Z> 140.0 \ z 120.0 - z 100.0 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 - 0.0 *_ NTU • depth ( m) y 5/ 26 12.30 0.7 6/ 2 58.70 0.8 A- 6/ 7 20.30 0.9 / / 6/ 21 57.40 0.8 // A A\\ 6/ 28 239.0C 0.8 V\ East Sump 1B J s in 81.70 0.7 : / I 7/ 12 10.40 1.0 | A / \ J I s f 7/ 27 228.00 1.0 \ - V \ 8/ 2 88.00 0.8 8/ 10 40.00 0.9 8/ 18 38.17 0.8 8/ 31 11.30 0.7 9/ 9 7.00 0.7 9/ 14 6.17 0.7 9/ 20 5.83 0.7 • / 10/ 25 44.80 1.0 * 4-— \ ft . 11/ 23 186.00 0.5 1.0 ? e Q. 0.5 • 0.0 260.0 n 240.0 - 220.0 200.0 180.0 160.0 D 140.0 1— 120 0 z 100^ 0 80.0 60.0 An n 20.0 - 0.0 - —+— NTU —•— depth ( m) —•— 5/ 26 13.70 1.0 _, • —- « - 6/ 2 57.30 1.1 --•— ' \ 6/ 7 41.10 1.1 6/ 21 18.70 1.0 —•— / \ 6/ 28 138.0( 1.0 \ \ / ¥ West Sump 1B - . • — • / 7/ 7 ) 29.90 1.0 A \\ 7/ 12 88.90 1.0 k / \ / 7/ 27 19.00 0.9 / \ / \ 8/ 2 73.00 1.0 L \ \ 8/ 10 5.47 1.0 8/ 18 6.40 1.0 8/ 31 9.20 1.0 9/ 9 8.58 1.0 9/ 14 8.37 0.9 9/ 20 11.73 0.9 / / 10/ 25 39.50 0.7 f 11/ 23 85.00 0.8 1 5 sz Q. - 0 . 5 • - 0.0 260 0 240.0 220.0 - 200.0 - 180.0 160.0 3 140.0 t ; 120.0 100.0 80.0 - 60.0 An n . 20.0 0.0 » NT" — m— Depth ( m) 6/ 2 46.50 0.8 -~ « — 6/ 7 16.10 0.9 —•—. 6/ 14 39.00 0.8 / 6/ 22 9.71 0.8 English Channel Sump 1A 6/ 28 6.79 0.8 \ ^ _ 7/ 13 17.90 0.8 7/ 20 17.60 0.8 7/ 28 26.80 0.8 8/ 10 4.80 0.9 8/ 19 7.33 0.8 8/ 25 6.50 0.8 8/ 31 7.10 0.8 9/ 8 13.34 0.8 ==•== 9/ 20 15.50 0.8 J 9/ 29 22.60 0.7 — y / 10/ 25 98.70 0.8 11/ 23 146.00 0.8 1 5 - 1.0 — 0.5 - g 0.0 260 0 240.0 220 0 - 200.0 - 180.0 - 160.0 => 140.0 - £ 120.0 mnn . 60.0 40.0 - 20.0 u. u J •— NTU —•— Depth ( m) I 6/ 2 36.50 1.2 —•— 6 / 7 12.60 1.2 6/ 14 13.10 1.2 y 6/ 28 7.40 1.1 7/ 6 71.60 1.0 Northwest Sump 1A —•— 7/ 13 5.27 1.1 — » — —•— 7/ 19 28.50 1.1 7/ 28 20.50 1.2 8/ 2 32.10 1.2 ^- B—' 8/ 19 4.50 1.1 / 8/ 25 52.87 1.1 A ' \ 8/ 31 115.67 1.2 ="-•— \ —•*=; 9/ 8 4.10 1.1 1 4- 9/ 14 7.89 1.1 —•— J I \ 9/ 20 12.43 1.1 — « ^ 10/ 25 180.00 1.1 11/ 23 164.00 0.9 1 S d jpth ( m) • 0.5 - o - 0.0 Figure 24. Turbidity at non- Donut Hole sites on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1999. 33 Discussion Water Quality The area of the DH was delineated from plotted June through September locations of radio-marked suckers ( approximately 188 ha.). The location of the DH could also be seen as an area of relatively turbid water from aerial photographs from August 1998 ( Fig. 25) as well as aerial photographs taken in 1984. It is possible that the combination of 2 factors may cause the observed turbidity in the DH. First, seeps or springs may be present in the area which result in more favorable water quality during summer which attracts suckers as well as other fish species to the area. The resultant concentration offish ( suckers and chubs) may stir the sediments during feeding activities, thereby creating the observed turbidity. The additional turbidity in the DH may inhibit light penetration and the production of algae, thereby reducing photo synthetically elevated pH and the extreme minimum and maximums in DO typical of may water bodies in the Klamath Basin including Tule Lake ( Dileanis et al. 1996). The rise in turbidity at all sites in fall is likely due to the break down of rooted aquatic vegetation which then allows for wind induced wave action to stir the sediments. Other than the DH, all other sites had dense concentrations of rooted aquatic plants and/ or filamentous green algae during summer. June to September DO and pH dynamics in the DH appeared different than at NDH sites ( Figs. 20 and 22). The difference was greatest in early summer with the difference becoming smaller by late summer and essentially disappearing by fall. Whether this water quality difference was a result of the more turbid waters or inflow from springs is unknown. However, attempts by Service hydrologists to model inflows, evapotranspiration, and outflows from the sumps have resulted in a positive imbalance of approximately 21,000 acre- feet of water from April through September. This positive imbalance is greatest in spring and early summer, gradually lessening by summer and essentially disappearing by fall ( Tim Mayer, pers. comm.). If this inflow is occurring, it may explain differences in summer water quality between DH and NDH sites. June to September water quality in the DH may be critical to the over summer survival of suckers in Tule Lake as pH and DO in NDH sites during summer often exceeded the tolerance limits for the fish. DO and pH levels at DH sites were less variable and did not reach the extremes that were reached in NDH sites. The lowest DO measured during June through September at DH sites were 4.83 mg/ 1 ( DHWEST) and 4.96 mg/ 1 ( DHEAST). DO and pH during summer from this study were similar to values collected by Reclamation in 1992 ( Table 3). Buettner and Scoppettone ( 1990) found juvenile suckers only where DO was above 4.5 mg/ 1. It is currently believed that adult suckers become stressed at DO levels below 4.0 mg/ 1 with mortality occurring at or below 2.0 mg/ 1 ( M. Buettner, pers. comm.). The relatively high over- summer survival of radio- marked suckers, compared to suckers radio- marked in Upper Klamath Lake ( M. Buettner, pers. comm), is further evidence of suitable summer water quality conditions in the DH on Tule Lake. 34 Figure 25. " Donut Hole" in Sump 1( A) of Tule Lake NWR. Note visible turbidity of area. 35 Table 3. Mean dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and temperature on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, California, July and August 1992. Data are from 2 sites; 1 site each in Sump 1( A) ( within the ADonut Hole@) and 1( B). All data were from 96 hour continuous readings from Hydrolabs. Data were collected at intervals of 1- 2 hours. ( Data summarized from U. S. Bureau of Reclamation). Site Sump 1( A) Sump ( IB) Depth ( M) < 0.5 0.51- 1.5 > 1.5 < 0.5 0.51- 1.5 > 1.5 pH (± SD) ( 1200- 1700 hrs) 9.32 ± 0.83 n= 81 9.22 ± 0.93 n= 26 8.30 ± 0.71 n= 10 9.65 + 0.44 n= 21 9.79 ± 0.45 n= 7 No data Temp ° C (± SD) ( 1200- 1700 hrs) 21.85 ± 2.84 n= 81 21.53 ± 2.46 n= 26 19.90 ± 1.59 n= 10 22.96+ 1.10 n= 21 22.11 ± 0.51 n= 7 No data Conductivity 500 ± 266 n= 81 598 ± 277 n= 26 859 ± 694 628 ± 148 n= 21 571 ± 74 n= 7 No data DO1 Oof 31 days - - 8 of 21 days - - 1 Proportion of monitored days having a minimum dissolved oxygen level below 5 mg/ 1. ( Data from U. S. Bureau of Reclamation) pH levels in the DH generally remained below 10.0 whereas non DH sites frequently exceeded 10.0 ( Fig. 19). Falter and Cech ( 1991) determined a maximum pH tolerance in shortnose suckers of 9.55+ 0.43 under laboratory conditions, levels generally exceeded in June - September at non DH sites and some DH sites in late summer. Buettner and Scoppettone ( 1990) found juvenile fish in Upper Klamath Lake largely at sites with pH < 9.0, as did Simon et al. ( 1996) in 1994. However, in 1995, Simon et al. ( 1996) found that most juvenile fish ( 54%) were captured in areas of higher pH (> 10.0). Laboratory studies indicate significant mortality of larval and juvenile fish at high pH values (> 9.55) ( Falter and Cech 1991) and 9.92- 10.46 ( Bellerud and Saiki 1995). Previous water quality and fish health studies on the refuge determined that water quality conditions were stressful to aquatic life and was resulting in a high ( up to 37%) proportion offish with deformities ( Dileanis et al. 1996), however, studies of sucker ecology in Tule Lake have indicated that individual fish in the lake have a high condition factor and are free of external parasites ( Scoppettone and Buettner 1995). Bennet ( 1994) recognized this apparent inconsistency, stating, A... the observation that Tule Lake suckers are in better physical condition than Upper Klamath Lake suckers indicates that certain areas of the aquatic system may be of particular importance for the recovery of those species. ® In the case of Tule Lake this Acertain area@ is likely the DH.. Suckers in Tule Lake may be in good condition because of their limited population size, the abundant food resources in this lake, and adequate water quality ( in the DH) to survive the summer period. 36 Sucker movements Although, suckers were relatively sedentary during most periods of the year, they exhibited the ability to make long distance moves in relatively short periods of time, particularly during the April spawning period. The northwest corner of Sump 1( A) receives about 90% of the inflow from the Lost River and spring winds on Tule Lake tend to move large quantities of water through the AEnglish Channels back and forth between Sump 1( A) and 1( B). This movement of water at both locations may explain the movement of fish observed in April and May. Suckers may be attracted to both locations when seeking spawning habitat in spring. Recruitment During the April marking period, most captured suckers appeared to be physiologically ready to spawn; however, only one fish moved into the river. Of 10 radio- marked fish monitored by Reclamation in 1993- 95 no fish attempted to run the Lost River. This low proportion offish that attempt to spawn may have one or several causes or a combination, including: 1. Stress of handling and implanting radio- transmitters so close to the spawning season may prevent fish from becoming reproductively active. 2. Under normal conditions, only a small proportion of Tule Lake suckers may attempt to spawn in any particular year. 3. Flow conditions in or at the mouth of the Lost River may be inadequate to draw the fish into the river. 4. A shallow bar (< 0.3 m) of deposited silt exists between the lake and the mouth of the river which may form a physical barrier to the fish. At the present time, a mandated flow of 30 cfs is released below Anderson- Rose Dam to provide spawning habitat at the Dam. Although this flow is intended to provide suitable spawning conditions at the Dam, these flows may be inadequate to entice fish into the river. It is likely that the historic spring flows in the Lost River were many times higher than current regulated flows. However, given that the fish are largely unsuccessful in spawning and risk additional mortality traversing the river, adult survival may be enhanced by remaining in the lake. Scoppettone and Buettner ( 1995) also observed no radio- marked fish from Clear Lake to move into Willow Creek during the spring spawning period. In this case the authors attributed this result to either capture stress or low stream flows during spring. 37 Habitat use Although the DH is relatively shallow relative to other areas of Tule Lake, use of the DH may be mandatory to ensure over- summer survival. Although deeper waters are available to the fish, especially in the northwest corner of Sump 1( A), DO levels, in particular, likely preclude their use. Suckers did not move out of the DH until October when DO levels began to rise with cooler water temperatures. Although, Sump 1( B) contained suitable water depths and water quality conditions in fall, no suckers were located in this area. It is possible that suckers may prefer not to pass through the pipes connecting the Sumps or the proximity and flow from the Lost River in the northwest corner of Sump 1( A) may make this area more attractive as an over- winter habitat area. The relative lack of water depth in the DH as well as other areas of the sumps is becoming of increasing concern because of the loss of water depth through sedimentation. If suckers require a minimum of 3 ft of water, as is current believed ( M. Buettner, pers. comm.), current rates of sedimentation in the sumps threaten the future suitability of Tule Lake for suckers. Based on a comparison of bathymetric surveys conducted by Reclamation in 1958 and again in 1986, sedimentation has been steadily reducing the water holding capacity of both sumps. Between the 1958 and 1986 surveys ( 28 years), Sump 1( A) has lost 22.4% of its water capacity and Sump 1( B) has lost 30.8% of its capacity due to sedimentation. This would indicate a total mean sedimentation of 11.8 inches over this time period ( U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, unpubl. rep). Over the last several years, an attempt has been made to store additional water in Tule Lake during summer by raising water levels above 4034.60 ft. This increase in water elevations ( between 4034.60 and 4034.90 ft) has somewhat mitigated the loss of depth through sedimentation. However, without reinforcing and raising the levees around the sumps, there is a limit as to how high water elevations can rise. At elevation 4035.50 ft., operating regulations require breaching the sumps into overflow areas ( Sump 2 or 3). Although increased summer operating levels may assist the fish, they may also increase the risk of a flood event requiring the breaching of the sumps with potentially negative impacts to the fish. Acknowledgements The authors are indebted to fisheries biologist from the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, Klamath Project, especially M. Buettner, B. Peck, and M. Green whom provided and surgically implanted radio transmitters, captured adult suckers, located fish from fixed wing aircraft, and assisted with study design. K. Miller from Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge collected telemetry, water quality, and GPS data and ensured all data were collected and coordinated consistent with study design. T. Mayer provide training in the calibration, deployment, and downloading of data from the hydrolabs and assisted with interpretation of water quality data. 38 Personnel Communications Buettner, M., Fisheries Biologist, U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, Klamath Project Office, 6600 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, Oregon. Mayer, T., Hydrologist, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland Regional Office, Lloyd Center, Portland, Oregon. Literature Cited Bellerud, B., and M. K. Saiki. 1995. Tolerance of larval and juvenile Lost River and shortnose suckers to high ph, ammonia concentration, and temperature, and to low dissolved oxygen concentration, National Biological Service, California Pacific Science Center, Dixon 103pp. Bennett, J. K. 1994. Bioassessment of irrigation drain water effects on aquatic resources in the Klamath Basin of California and Oregon. Ph. D Dissertation. University of Washington, Seattle. 197pp. Buettner, M. E., and G. Scoppettone. 1990. Life history and status of catostomids in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon. National Fisheries Research Center, Reno Field Station, Reno, Nevada, 108pp. Coots, M. 1965. Occurrences of the Lost River sucker, Deltistes luxatus ( Cope), and shortnose sucker, Chasmistes brevirostris ( Cope), in Northern California. Calif. Fish and Game 51: 68- 73. Dileanis, P. D., S. K. Schwarzbach, and J. K. Bennett. 1996. Detailed study of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the Klamath Basin, California and Oregon, 1990- 92. U. S. Geological Survey, Water- Resources Investigations Report 95- 4232, 68pp. Falter, M. A., and J. J. Cech. 1991. Maximum pH tolerance of three Klamath Basin fishes. Copia 4: 1109- 1 111. Simon, D. C, G. R. Hoff, D. J. Logan, and D. F. Markle. 1996. Larval and juvenile ecology of Upper Klamath Lake suckers. Annual Report: 1995, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis. 60pp. 39 Scoppettone, G. G., and M. E. Buettner. 1995. Information on population dynamics and life history of shortnose suckers ( Chasmistes brevirostris) and Lost River suckers ( Deltistes luxatus) in Tule and Clear Lakes. U. S. Geological Survey, Reno Field Station, Reno, Nevada. 79pp. U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. 1998. Lost River and shortnose sucker spawning in Lower Lost River, Oregon, U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, Klamath Falls, Oregon. 1 lpp. . 1993. Lost River { Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose { Chasmistes brevirostris) Sucker Recovery Plan. Portland, Oregon 108pp. Hydrolab Corporation. 1997. DataSondeR 4 and MiniSondeR water quality multiprobes, users manual. Hydrolab Corp., Austin, Texas.
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97. [Image] The Oregon plan for salmon and watersheds
KCAMATH FALLS. QREEON THE OREGON PLAN FOR SALMON AND WATERSHEDS The purpose of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds ( the " Oregon Plan") as stated in the Plan and reaffirmed in this Executive Order ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Oregon plan for salmon and watersheds
- Author:
- Oregon. Office of the Governor
- Year:
- 1999, 2005, 2004
KCAMATH FALLS. QREEON THE OREGON PLAN FOR SALMON AND WATERSHEDS The purpose of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds ( the " Oregon Plan") as stated in the Plan and reaffirmed in this Executive Order is to restore Oregon's wild salmon and trout populations and fisheries to sustainable and productive levels that will provide substantial environmental, cultural, and economic benefits and to improve water quality. The Oregon Plan is a long- term, ongoing effort that began as a focused set of actions by state, local, tribal and private organizations and individuals in October of 1995. The Oregon Plan first addressed coho salmon on the Oregon Coast, was then broadened to include steelhead trout on the coast and in the Lower Columbia River, and is now expanding to all at- risk wild salmonids throughout the state. The Oregon Plan addresses all factors for decline of these species, including watershed conditions arid fisheries, to the extent those factors can be affected by the state. The Oregon Plan was endorsed and funded by the Oregon Legislature in 1997 through Oregon Senate Bill 924 ( 1 997 Or. Laws, ch. 7) and House Bill 3700 ( 1 997 Or. Laws, ch.' 8). The Oregon Plan is described in two principal documents: " The Oregon Plan," dated March 1997, and " The Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, Supplement I - steelhbad," dated January 1998. As used in this Executive Order, + the Oregon Plan also incorporates the Healthy Streams Partnership ( Oregon Senate Bill 101 0, 1 993- Or. Laws, ch. 263). The Oregon Plan is a cooperative effort of state, local, federal, tribal and private organizations and individuals. Although the Oregon Plan contains a strong foundation of protective regulations -- continuing existing regulatory programs and speeding the implementation of others - an essential principle of the Plan is the need to move beyond prohibitions and to encourage efforts to improve conditions for salmon through non- regulatory means. Many of the most significant contributions to the Oregon Plan are private and quasi- governmental efforts to protect and . restore salmon on working landscapes, including efforts by watershed councils. Salmon and trout restoration requires action and sacrifice across the entire economic and geographic spectrum of Oregon. The commercial and sport fishing industries in Oregon have been heavily affected by complete or partial closures of fisheries. The forest industry operates under the Oregon Forest Practices Act, and has contributed substantially to salmon recovery through habitat restoration projects on private lands and by funding a large pan of the state recovery efforts. The agriculture and mining industries are also taking actions that will protect and restore salmon and trout habitat and improve water quality ( including financial support of restoration efforts by the mining industry). Urban areas are developing water conservation programs, spending funds for wastewater treatment improvements to reduce point source pollution, reducing non- point source pollution and reducing activities that degrade riparian areas. All citizens of Oregon share responsibility for declining populations of wild salmon and trout, and it is important that there be both a broad commitment to reversing these historic trends and a sense that the burdens of restoration are being shared by all of society. It is also important that there be independent scientific oversight of the Oregon Plan. This oversight is being provided by the Independent Mutidisciplinary Science Team ( IMST), established under Oregon Senate Bill 924 ( 1 997 Or. Laws, ch. 7). ~ d'ditional legislative oversight for the Oregon Plan is being provided by the Joint Legislative Committee on . Salmon and Stream Enhancement ( the " Joint Committee!'). Under the federal Endangered Species Act ( ESA) the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service . . ( F& WS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service ( NMFS) are responsible for identifying species that are threatened or endangered, and for developing programs to conserve and recover lhose species. F& WS and NMFS have now listed salmonids under the ESA on the entire Oregon Coast, the lower Columbia River ( including most of the Portland metropolitan area). the la math River basin, and in the upper Columbia and Snake River basins. More listings are expected within the next year. To date, the F& WS and NMFS generally have not had the resources to develop and implement effective recovery plans for fisheries. In addition, in many areas a large proportion of the habitat that list'ed'salmonids depend on is located on private lands, where the regulatory tools under the ESA are relatively ' ill- defined and indirect. Finally, federal agencies alone, even if they take an active regulatory approach. to recovery, will not restore listed salmonids. The federal ESA may work to prohibit certain actions, but there is simply too much habitat on private lands for restoration to succeed without pro- active involvement and incentives for individuals, groups, and local governments to take affirmative actions to restore habitat on working landscapes. In April, 1997 the State of Oregon and NMFS entered into a Memorandum of Agreement ( MOA) under which the State agreed to continue existing measures under the March 1997 Oregon Plan and to take certain additional actions to protect and restbre coho salmon on the Oregon Coast. On May 6, 1997, NMFS determined that the Oregon Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit ( ESU) of coho salmon did not warrant listing as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA. On June 2, 1998, the US. District Court for Oregon ordered NMFS to reconsider its decision without taking into account any parts of the Oregon Plan or MOA that are not " current enforceable measures." The U. S. District Court for Oregon also held that the MOA was speculative, due to the fact that it provided for termination by either party on thirty days notice, and that therefore the MOA could not be considered by NMFS ' in its listing decision. Under court order, NMFS reconsidered its decision without taking into account the application in the future of the harvest and hatchery measures contained in the Oregon Plan, or the habitat improvement programs being undertaken under the Oregon Plan, or the commitments made by the State of Oregon in the MOA for improvement of applicable habitat measures. Accordingly, NMFS listed Oregon Coast .. . coho as threatened undefthe ESA on or about October 2, 1998. - The MOA provided for the State of Oregon to take actions necessary to ensfie that - Oregon Coast coho did not warrant listing as a threatened or endangered species under the federal ESA. Now that Oregon Coast coho are listed as a threatened species as a- result of the U. S. District Court's order, the central purpose of the MOA has been eliminated. Due to the uncertainties created by the District Court's decision and the increasing extent of salmonids listed or proposed for listing under the federal ESA, it is important that the status of the State of Oregon's substantive commitments under the MOA and the purpose of the Oregon Plan be clarified. Through this Executive Order, the State of Oregon reaffirms its intent to play the leading role in protecting and restoring Oregon Coast coho and other salmonids. through the implementation of the Oregon Plan. This Executive Order provides the framework and direction for state agencies to implement ( to the extent of their authorities) the Oregon Plan in a timely and effective manner. This Executive Order also provides a framework for extending the state's efforts beyond a focus on Oregon Coast coho, to watersheds and fisheries statewide. Consistent with the principle of adaptive management, this Order applies the experience gained to date in implementing the Oregon Plan to provide additional detailed direction to state agencies. Finally, this Executive Order establishes a public involvement process to prioritize continuing efforts under the Oregon Plan. NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND DIRECTED: ( 1) Overall Direction ( a) Agencies of the State of Oregon will, consistent with their authorities, fully implement the state agency efforts described in the Oregon Plan and in this Executive Order. ( b) The overall objective for state agencies under the Oregon Plan and this Executive Order is to protect and restore salmonids and to improve water quality. ( c) The Governor will, in cooperation with the Joint Committee, IMST, affected state agencies, watershed councils, and other affected local entities and persons develop and implement, a process to set biological and habitat goals and objectives to protect and restore salmonids on a basin or regional basis as soon as practicable. Once these goals and objectives are established, they will be used by state agencies . . . to evaluate their regulatory and non- regulatory programs and measures relating to the protection and re'storation of salmonids. Through this on- going evaluation, state agencies will determine any changes to their programs or measures that may be necessary to meet the biological and habitat goals and objectives. In the interim, the following objectives in subsections ( d) and ( e) shall apply to agencies' implem'entation of the OregGn Plan and this Executive Order. . . ( d) Actions that state agencies take, fund and/ or authorize that are primarily for a purpose other than restoration of salmonids or the habitat they depend upon will, considering the anticipated duration and geographic scope of the actions: ( A) to the maximum extent practicable minimize and mitigate adverse effects of the actions on salmoni. ds or the habitat they depend on; and ( 8) not appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of salmonids in the wild. ( e) State agencies will take, fund and/ or authorize actions that are primarily for the purpose of restoring salmonids or the habitat they depend upon, including actions implementing the Oregon Plan, with the goal of producing a conservation benefit that ( if taken together with comparable and related actions by all persons and entities within the range of the species) is likely to result in sustainable population levels of salmonids in the foreseeable future, and in population levels of salmonids that provide substantial environmental, cultural and economic benefits to Oregonians in the long term. ( f) With the broadening of the Oregon Plan,' prioritizing all agency actions according to coho core areas is no longer appropriate. Each state agency participating in the Oregon Plan, in consultation with ODFW and other partners involved in the implementation of the Plan and through a public involvement process, will modify their existing work programs in the Oregon Plan to prioritize agency measures to protect and restore salmonids in a timely and effective manner. The work programs will continue to identify key specific outcomes, refine and improve designations of priority areas, and establish completion dates. These modifications will be submitted to the , Governor, the Joint Committee, and to the appropriate boards and commissions as soon as possible, but in no event later than June 1, 1999. Progress reports on action plans will be submitted to the Governor, the Joint Committee, and to the appropriate boards and commissions on an annual basis. In prioritizing their efforts,' state agencies shall consider how to maximize conservation -, benefits for salmonids and the habitat they depend on within limited resources and - . whether their- actions are likely to increase populations of salmonids in the foreseeable future. I p ( g) State agencies will work cooperatively with landowners, local entities and other persons taking actions to protect or restore salmonids. ( h) As the Oregon Plan grows in geographic scope and . in intensity of activity,' there is a growing need to streamline and prioritize state agency activity at the . regional level. One proposal has been to organize state natural resource agency field operations along hydrologic units. Therefore, state agencies will consider this proposal and, through the collective efforts of state agency directors, develop an organization plan that focuses state agency field effort on the activities and areas of highest priority under the Oregon Plan. ( i) State. agencies will continue to encourage and work with agencies of the U. S. government to implement the federal measures described in the Oregon Plan.. In addition, the state agencies will work with the federal government to develop additional means of protecting and restoring salmonids. Where appropriate, state agencies will request that federal agencies obtain incidental take permits under Section 7 of the federal ESA for state actions that ace funded or authorized by a , federal agency. ( j) State agencies will help support efforts to evaluate watershed conditions, and to develop'specific strategic plans to provide for flood management, water quality improvement, and salmonid restoration in basins around the state, including the Willamette basin through the Willamette Restoration Initiative. ( k) The IMST will continue to provide oversight to ensure the use of the best scientific information available as the basis for implementation of and for adaptive changes to the Oregon Plan. State agencies will ensure that the IMST receives data and other information reasonably required for its functions in a timely manner. The Governor's Natural Resources Office ( GNRO) has requested that the IMST's initial priority be review of the freshwater habitat needs of coho and the relationship between population levels, escapement levels, and habitat characteristics. The GNRO also will continue to request that the IMST annually review monitoring results and identify where the Oregon Plan warrants change for scientific or technical reasons and make recommend& ions to the appropriate agency on those adjustments that appear necessary. Agencies will report their responses to any recommendations by . . the IMST to the Governor and to the Joint Committee. Any other changes identified by the IMST as necessary to achieve properly functioning riparian and aquatic habitat conditions required to, protect and restore salmonids will be forwarded to the appropriate governmental entity for its consideration of the adoption of new, changed, or supplemental measures as rapidly as possible while providing for public involvement: Each state agency, by June 1, 1999, will ratify a monitoring team charter through an interagency memorandum. A draft of the charter is contained in the 1998 Oregon Plan Annual Report. ( I) Monitoring is a key element of the Oregon Plan. Each state agency will actively support the monitoring strategy described in the Oregon Plan. Each affected agency will participate on the monitoring team to coordinate activities and integrate analyses. Each agency will implement . an appropriate monitoring program to assess the effectiveness of their programs and measures in meeting the objectives set forth in the Oregon Planon an annual basis. In addition, agencies with regulatory programs that are included in the Oregon Plan will determine levels of compliance with regulatory standards and identify and act on opportunities to improve compliance levels: ( m) If information gathered regarding the effectiveness of measures in the Oregon Plan shows that existing strategies within state control are not achie, ving expected improvements and objectives, the agency( ies1 responsible for those measures will seek appropriate changes in their regulations, policies, programs, r-measures and other areas of the Oregon Plan, as required to protect and restore coho and other sal'monids. Such modification or supplementation will be done as rapidly as possible, consistent with public involvement. ( n) Agencies are using geographically- referenced data in their efforts under the Oregon Plan, and will be using Geographic Information Systems ( GIs) in the analysis of these , data. In doing so, the State GIs Plan, developed by the Oregon Geographic lnformation Council ( OGIC) ( see Executive Order 96- 40) will be followed, with specific adherence to the Plan guidance on data documentation, coordination and data sharing. The agency with primary responsibility for gathering and updating the specific data will be responsible for meeting the requirements of the Plan, and to ensure coordination- with OGIC, the State Service Center for GIs and other' cooperating agencies. In addition, state agencies will cooperate with the Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board ( GWEB), Soil and. Water Conservation Districts ( SWCDs), local waters$ ed councils, landowners and others in making these essential data available. ( 0) Geographically- based strategies to assess and achieve habitat needs and adequate escapement levels will be used, and the state agencies will continue with the development of standardized watershed assessment protocols, including a -- cumulative effects assessment. State agencies will also continue with the development of habitat restoration guides to evaluate and direct habitat restoration efforts. ( 2) Continuation and Expansion of Existing Efforts. Without limiting the generality of section ( l)( a) of this Executive Order, the following subsections of this Executive Order describe some of the many efforts in the Oregon Plan where the initial phase of work has been completed, and where efforts will be continued. ( a) The Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission ( OFWC), the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife ( ODFW), and the Pacific Fishery Management Council ( PFMC) are managing ocean and terminal fisheries according to the measures set forth in the Oregon Plan ( ODFW I- A. l and Ill- A. l). These measures set a maximum mortality rate ( resulting from other fisheries) for any of four disaggregated stocks of coho of fifteen percent ( 1 5%) under poor ocean conditions. In 1997, the mortality rate. from harvest is estimated to have been between nine and eleven percent ( 9- 1 1 %). ODFW and OFWC will continue these measures in state waters, and will actively support continued implementation of the ocean harvest measures by the PFMC ( Amendment 13 to the Council's salmon management plan) until and unless a different management regime agreeable to NMFS is adopted. ( b) The OFWC and ODFW will ensure that the fish hatchery measures set forth in the Oregon Plan are continued by the OFWC and ODFW. ODFW is marking all hatchery coho on the Oregon Coast. This marking will allow increased certainty in estimating hatchery stray rates beginning in 1999. Available data on hatchery stray rates for coho and steelhead are being provided to NMFS on an annual basis. The number of hatchery coho released is estimated to have been 1.7 million in 1998 - substantially below the level called for in the Oregon Plan. This number will be reduced to 1.2 million in 1999. In addition, ODFW has, and will continue to provide. annual reports regarding: ( i) the number of juvenile hatchery coho that are released by brood year, locations and dates of release, life stage, and broodstock origin; ( ii) the number of adult coho taken for broodstock for each hatchery, the location and date of collection, and the origin ( hatchery or natural); ( iii) the number of hatchery coho . . estimated to have spawned in natural habitat by basin; ( iv) the estimated percentage of hatchery coho% the total natural spawning population; and ( v) the mortality of naturally- spawning coho resulting from each fishery. NMFS may provide comments about hatchery prograk affecting coho to ODFW, with any concerns to be resolved between NMFS and ODFW. - - ( c) ln addition to recent modifications to hatchery practices and programs, a new vision is needed for how Oregon will utilize hatcheries in the best and most effective manner. Therefore, the ODFW and the OFWC shall engage in a process to create a strategic plan for fish hatcheries in Oregon over the next decade ( including state and federally- funded hatcheries, private hatcheries, and the STEP program). The essential elements of this process are as follows: ( i) Impartial analysis - conduct an impartial analysis of the scientific bases, and the social and economic effects of Oregon hatchery programs utilizing existing analyses and review where feasible, but conducting new analyses if necessary; ( ii) Review the Wild Fish Management Policy ( WFMP) - because the future plan for hatcheries in Oregon is dependent on implementation of the WFMP, ODFW shall conduct a science and stakeholder review to determine if this significant policy should be revised and shall make any revision by July 2000; ( iii) Frame alternative strategies -- convene a group of stockholders to . frame alternative strategies, including outcomes and descriptions, of how hatcheries will be used in Oregon over the next decade ( these strategies will address the use of hatcheries for wild fish population recovery including supplementation, research and monitoring, public education, and sport and commercial fishing opportunities); ( iv) Public review and selection of a strategy -- the OFWC shall, after public review and ' ;-'-!&%; f$'. i comment, adopt a strategic plan to guide development of future hatchery programs, incorporating the strategy developed and adopted in accordance with subpart ( iii) of this paragraph. ( d) Criteria and guidelines directing the design of projects that may affect fish passage have been established in a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU) between the Oregon Department of Transportation ( ODOT), ODFW, the Oregon Department of Forestry ( ODF), the Oregon Department of Agriculture ( ODA), the Division of State Lands ( DSL) and the Federal Highway Administration. These guidelines apply to the design, construction and consultations of projects affecting fish passage. Under the MOU, projects requiring regulatory approvals that follow these criteria and guidelines are expedited. Oregon agencies will continue to provide technical assistance to ensure that the criteria and guidelines are applied appropriately in restoration projects, as well as any other projects that may affect fish passage through road crossings and similar structures. ODFW will work with state agencies, local governments, and watershed councils to ensure that Oregon's standards for fish passage set forth in Exhibit A to the MOU are understood and are implemented. - ( e) Fish presence, stream habitat, road and culvert surveys have been conducted for roads within ODOT jurisdiction and county roads in coastal basins, the Lower Columbia basin, the Willamette basin, and the Grande Ronbe/ lmnaha basins. Among the results of these surveys is the finding that culvert barriers to fish passage affect a substantial quantity of salmonid habitat. For example, surveys of county and state highways in western Oregon found over 1,200 culverts that are barriers to passage. As a result, ODOT is placing additional priority on restoring fish access. For 1998, ODOT repaired or replaced 35 culverts restoring access to 101 miles of salmonid habitat. For 1999, the Oregon Transportation Commission will be asked to fund approximately $ 4.0 million for culvert modification. ODOT and the Commission will continue to examine means to speed restoration of fish passage and to coordinate priorities with ODFW. ( f) Draft watershed assessment protocols have been developed and are being field tested. Beginning in 1999, SWCDs, watershed councils and others will be able to use the protocols as the basis for action plans to identify and prioritize opportunities to protect and restore salmonids. Watershed action plans have already been completed in a number of basins including the Rogue, Coos, Coquille and Grande Ronde. State agencies will work to support these watershed assessments and plans to the maximum extent practicable. Where watershed action plans have been developed under the protocols, GWEB will ensure that projects funded through the Watershed Improvement Grant Fund are consistent with watershed action plans, and other state agencies will work with SWCDs and watershed councils to ensure that activities they authorize, fund or undertake are consistent with watershed action plans to the maximum extent practicable. ( g) The State of Oregon has developed interim aquatic habitat restoration and enhancement guidelines for 1998. State agencies involved with restoration activities ( ODFW, ODF, DSL, ODA, DEQ, and GWEB) will continue to develop and refine the interim guidelines for final publication in April 1999. The guidelines will be applied in restoration activities funded or authorized by state agencies. The purpose of ' the guidelines will be to define aquatic restoration and to identify and encourage aquatic habitat restoration techniques to restore salmonids. . . ( h) ODA and O ~ hFave each entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Oregon Department'of Environmental Quality relating to the development of . Total Maximum Daily Loads ( TMDLs) and Water Quality Management Area Plans ( WQMAPs). O Dw~ ill adopt. a nd implement WQMAPs ( through the Healthy Streams Partnership) and ODF , will review the adequacy of forest practices rules to meet water quality standards. ODF and ODA will evaluate the effectiveness of these measures in achieving water quality standards on a regular basis and implement any changes required to meet the standards. ( i) Agencies are implementing a coordinated monitoring program, as described in the Oregon Plan. This program includes technical support and standardized protocols for watershed councils, stream habitat surveys, forest practice effectiveness monitoring, water withdrawal monitoring, ambient water quality monitoring, and biotic index studies, as well as fish presence surveys and salmonid abundance and survival monitoring in selected subbasins. State agencies are also' working to coordinate monitoring efforts by state, federal, and local entities, including watershed councils. State agencies will work actively to ensure that the monitoring measures' in the Oregon Plan are continued. - .. ( j) GWEB has put into place new processes for identifying and coordinating the delivery of financial and technical assistance to individuals, agencies, watershed councils and soil and water conservation districts as they implement watershed ' restoration projects to improve water quality and restore aquatic resources. Over $ 25 ' million has been distributed for watershed restoration projects in the last ten years. During the present ( 1 997- 99 biennium) GWEB has awarded over $ 1 2 million dollars in f- state and federal funds for technical'assistance and watershed restoration activities to implement the Oregon Plan. GWEB and state agencies will continue to seek financial resources to be allocated by GWEB for watershed restoration activities at the local and. statewide levels. ( k) State agencies will continue to encourage, support and work to provide incentives for local, tribal, and private . efforts to implement the Oregon Plan. In addition, state agencies will continue to provide financial assistance to local entities for projects to protect and restore salmonids to the extent consistent with their budgetary and legal authorities, and consistent with their work programs in the Oregon Plan. To the. maximum extent practicable, state agencies will also provide technical assistance and planning tools to provide local conservation groups to assist in and target watershed restoration efforts. These efforts ( during 1996 and 1997) are reported in " The Oregon. Plan for Salmon and Watersheds: Watershed Restoration Inventory, 1998." ~ u s c afe w of the important efforts that have been completed include: ( A) Eighty- two watershed councils have joined with forty- five Soil and Water Conservation Districts as well as private and public landowners to implement on- the- ground projects' to protect and restore salmonids. During 1996 and 1997, a reported $ 27.4 million was spent on 1,234 watershed restoration projects on non-federal lands. Both the amount spent and the number of projects represent significant increases ( of over 300 percent) over prior years. In 1996- 97, watershed councils, SWCDs and other organizations and individuals completed: ( i) 138 stream fencing projects, involving at least 301 miles of streambank; ( ii) 196 riparian area planting projects, involving at least 11 1 miles of streams; and ( iii) 458 instream habitat improvement projects. . . . ( B) Private and state forest landowners are implementing key efforts under the Oregon Plan, including the road risk and remediation program ( ODF- 1 and 2). Under this effort in 1996 and 1997, close to 4,000 miles of roads'have been surveyed to identify risks that the roads may pose to salmonid habitat. As the risks are identified, they are then prioritized for remediation following an established. protocol. Already, 52 miles of forest roads have been closed, 843 miles of road repair and reconstruction projects to - protect salmonid habitat have been completed, and an additional 14 miles of roads have been decommissioned or relocated.. In addition, 530 culverts have been replaced, upgraded or installed for fish passage purposes, improving access to a reported 146 stream miles. ( C) Organizations working in Tillamook County have developed the I ." J aw#~ t Tillamook County Performance Partnership. The Partnership is implementing the \*. Tillamook Bay National Estuary Program by addressing water quality, fisheries, floodplain management and economic development in the county. Among the actions that the Partnership has already accomplished are: ( i) the closure of seven miles of degraded forest roads and the rehabilitation of 469 miles of roads to meet current standards, at a cost of $ 1 8 million; ( ii) the fencing of 53 miles of streambank, and the construction of three cattle bridges and 100 alternative cattle watering sites, at a cost of $ 214,000; and ( iii) the completion of 24 instream restoration projects and 34 barbs protecting 4,200 feet of streambank, at a cost of $ 1.3 million dollars. ( D) The Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde Community of Oregon have completed a forest management plan that establishes standards for the protection of aquatic resources that are comparable to those found in the Aquatic Conservation Strategy ' of the Northwest Forest Plan. . % ( E) A combination of funding from the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Heritage Foundation ( private, non- profit organizations) is provi, ding support for seven biologists to design restoration projects. These projects are prioritized based on stream surveys, and are carried out with the voluntary participation and support of landowners. A ten- year monitoring plan has been funded- and implemented to determine project effectiveness: ( F) The Oregon Cattlemen's Association has implemented its WESt Program that is designed to help landowners better understand their watersheds and stream functions through assessments and monitoring. h he WESt Program brings landowners together along stream reaches, and offers a series of workshops, conducted on a site specific basis, free of charge. The workshops include riparian ecology, setting goals and objectives, Proper Functioning Condition ( PFC), data. collection and monitoring. Over 25 workshops have been held, with attendance ranging from 5 to 30 landowners per workshop. The WESt Program is sponsored by the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, DEQ, Oregon State University, and GWEB. ( G) Within the Tillamook State Forest road network 1,902 culverts have been replaced or added to'improve road drainage and to disconnect storm water runoff from roads reducing stream sediment impacts. Additionally, some of these culverts also improved fish passage at stream crossings. In this process, ODF has also replaced six culverts with bridges improving fish passage to approximately four miles of stream. The Tillamook State Foresl in conjunction with many partners, such F-as the Association of Northwest Steelheaders, G W EB, Simpson Timber Company, Tillamook County, the FishAmerica Foundation, Hardrock Construction Company, the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation, the F& WS, the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, Columbia Helicopters and Terra Helicopters, has also recently completed instream placement of over 400 rootwads, trees and boulders at a cost of $ 300,000 for habitat enhancement. ( 3) Key Agency Efforts. Continuation and completion of the following state agency efforts is critical to the success of the Oregon Plan. State agencies will make continuation or completion ( as appropriate) of the following efforts a high priority. ( a) The State of Oregon and the US. Department of Agriculture have entered into a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program ( CREP). This cost- share program, one of the first of its kind, . will be used to reduce the impacts of agricultural practices through water quality. add habitat improvement. The objectives of the CREP are to: ( i) provide incentives'for farmers and ranchers to establish riparian buffers; ( ii) protect - . and restore at least 4,000 miles of stream habitat by providing up to 95,000 acres of riparian buffeis; ( i4) restore up to 5,000 acres of wetlands that will benefit salmonids; and ( iv) provide a mechanism for farmers and ranchers to comply with Oregon's ,- Senate Bill 101 0 ( 1 993 Or. Laws, ch. 263). ( b) ODF will work with non- industrial forest landowners to'administer the Stewardship Incentive Program and the Forest Resources Trust programs to protect and restore riparian and wetland areas that benefit salmonids. ( c) The Oregon Board of Forestry will determine, with the assistance of an advisory committee, to what extent changes to forest practices are needed to meet state water quality standards and to protect and restore salmonids. A substantial body of information regarding the effectiveness of current practices is being . developed. This information includes: ( i) the IMST report regarding . the role of forest practices and forest habitat in protecting and restoring salmonids; and ( ii) a series of - monitoring projects that include the Storms of 1996 study, a riparian areas study, a stream temperature study, and a road drainage study. Using this information, as well as other available scientific information including scientific information from NMFS, the advisory committee will make recommendations to the Board at both site and watershed scales on threats to salmonid habitat relating to sediment, water temperature, freshwater habitat needs, roads and fish passage. Based on the advisory committee's recommendations and other scientific information, the Board will make every effort to make its determinations by June 1999. The Board may . . determine that the most effective means of achieving any necessary changes to . - d;.~ .;* i;. z . I:@;.. %- .~ + k forest practices is through regulatory changes, statutory changes or through other programs . including programs to create incentives for forest landowners. In the event that the Board determines that legislative changes. are necessary to carry out its determinations, the Board will transmit any recommendations for such changes to the . Governor and to the Joint Committee at the earliest possible date. ( d) Consistent with administrative rule, and statutory and constitutional mandates for the management of state forests, ODF State Forest management plans will include an aquatic conservation strategy that has a high likelihood of protecting and restoring properly functioning aquatic habitat for salmonids on state forest lands. ( e) ODF will present to NMFS a Habitat Conservation Plan ( HCP) under Section 10 of the federal ESA that includes the Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests. ODF has already completed scierkific review and has public review underway for this draft HCP. The scientific and public review comments will be considered by ODF in . . completing the draft HCP. The draft HCP will be presented to NMFS by June 1999. An HCP for the ~ jliotSt tate Forest was approved by the US. Fish & Wildlife Service in 1995. In October af 1997, ODF and DSL forwarded the Elliott State Forest HCP to NMFS with the request that it be reviewed to determine whether it has a high likelihood of protecting and restoring properly functioning aquatic habitat conditions on state forest lands necessary to protect and restore salmonids. Based on discussions surrounding the NMFS review, ODF and DSL will determine what revisions, if any, are required to the Elliott HCP and/ or Forest Management Plan to ensure a high likelihood of protecting and restoring properly functioning aquatic habitat for salmonids. ( f) Before the OFWC adopts and implements fishery regulations that may result in taking of coho, ODFW will provide NMFS with'all available scientific information and analyses pertinent to the proposed regulation where the harvest measures are not under the jurisdiction of the PFMC, including results of the Oregon Plan monitoring and evaluation program. This information, together with the proposed regulation and supporting analysis, will be provided at least two weeks prior to the OFWC's action, to give NMFS time to review and comment on the proposed regulations. ( g) ODFW will evaluate the effects of predation on salmonids, and . will . work with . affected federal agencies to determine whether changes to programs and law relating to predation are warranted in order to protect and restore salmonids. P ( h) Under Oregon Senate Bill 101 0 ( 1 993 Or. Laws, ch. 2631, ODA will adopt Agricultural Water Qualify Management Area Plans ( AWQMAPs) for Tier I and Tier ll watersheds by the end of 2002. The AWQMAPs will be designed and implemented to meet load allocations for agriculture needed to achieve state water quality . . standards. In addition, ODA will work with ODFW, DEQ, GWEB, SWCDs, federal . agencies and watershed councils to determine to what extent additional measures related to achieving properly functioning riparian and aquatic habitat on agricultural lands are needed to protect and restore salmonids, giving attention first to priority areas identified in. the Oregon Plan. In the event ODA is unable to reach a consensus regarding such measures, ODA will ask the IMST to review areas of substantive ' scientific disagreement and to'make recommendations to ODA regarding how they should be resolved. In the event that legislative changes are needed to implement such measures, ODA will transmit any recommendations for such changes to. the Governor and to the Joint Committee at the earliest possible date. In addition, any measures identified as rieeded by ODA will be implemented at the earliest practicable time. * . ( i) ODFW will expedite its applications for instream water rights and OWRD will process such applications promptly where flow deficits are identified as adversely affecting salmonids, and where such rights. are not already in place. The Oregon - water Resources Department ( OWRD) and the Oregon Water Resources Commission ( OWRC) will- also seek to facilitate flow restoration targeted to streams identified by OWRD and ODFW as posing the most critical low- flow barriers to salmonids. In addition, where necessary, OWRD will continue to work with the Oregon State Police to provide enforcement of water use. Where illegal water uses are identified, OWRD will ensure outcomes consistent with maintenance and restoration of flows. ( j) The Oregon Environmental Quality commission ( EQC). and DEQ will evaluate and will make every effort to utilize their authorities to continue to provide additional protection to . priority areas ( as determined under section 1 ( f) of this Executive Order), including in- stream flow protection under state law, and antidegradation policy under . the federal Clean Water Act ( including Outstanding Resource Waters designations . and high quality waters designations). . ( k) DSL has proposed to adopt changes to its Essential Salmonid Habitat rules that will provide additional protection for spawning and rearing areas of anadromous salmonids. In addition, ODFW and DSL will consult with the OWRC to determine where it is necessary to administratively close priority areas ( including ' work under General Authorizations) to fill and removal activities in order to protect salmonids. . . DSL, ODFW, ODF and ODA also will work together to identify means of regulating the . uy- w :.-:: st. removal of organic material ( such as large woody debris) from streams where such removal would adversely affect salmonids and would not be contrary to other agency mandates. ( I) DSL will seek the advice of the IMST regarding whether gravel removal affects gravel and/ or sediment budgets in a manner that adversely affects salmonids. ( m) The Department of Land Conservation and ~ e v e l o p r n e n t ' ( ~ ~ acn~ d ) th, e Land Conservation- and Development Commission ( LCDC) will evaluate and, to the extent feasible, speed implementation of existing Goal 5 requirements for riparian corridors. ( n) DLCD, DEQ, ODF, ODA, ODFW, and DSL and their respective boards and commissions will evaluate and implement programs to protect and restore riparian vegetation for the purposes of achieving statewide water quality standards and . . protecting and restoring a aquatic habitat for salmonids. ' ( 0) DLCD, with, the assistance of DSL and ODFW, and in consultation with coastal cities and counties, shall review the requirements of Statewide Planning Goal i 6 as they pertain to estuarine resources important to the restoration of salmonids, and shall, report its findings to LCDC for its consideration. ( p) The Oregon State Police will work to facilitate the existing cooperative relationship with the NMFS Office of ~ a Ewnfo rcement, as well as tomaintain cooperation with other enforcement entities, in order to enhance law enforcement, public awareness and voluntary compliance related to harvest, habitat and other issues addressed in the Oregon Plan. ( q) The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will continue to work to p. rovide information and education to the public on salmon and steelhead needs through park programs and interpretive aids. ( r) The Oregon Marine Board will work to ensure fish friendly boating and to develop boating facilities that protect salmonids. ( s) State natural resource agencies will continue, to the extent feasible, to support watershed councils by providing technical assistance to develop watershed assessments, restoration plans and to develop watershed priorities to benefit 7- salmonids. In addition, state natural resource agencies will work'on a larger . .:.... watershed scale to develop basin- wide restoration priorities. ( 4) Future Modifications; Public Involvement for the Oregon Plan Generally. The GNRO will solicit public co'mments and input from participants in the Oregon Plan regarding whether there are refinements or changes to the Plan and/ or the organizational framework for implementing the Plan that are necessary or desirable based on the experience gained over the past three years, or resulting from the widespread listings and proposed listings of salmon and trout under the federal ESA. Based on this public involvement, the GNRO will provide a report and recommendations to the Governor and the Joint Committee regarding whether modifications are necessary to the Oregon Plan in order to protect and restore coho and other salmonids. ( 5) Definitions. For purioses'of this Executive Order: . . ( aj The " Oregon Plan" means the Oregon Coastal Salmon Recovery lnitiative, dated March 1991, and the Steelhead. Supplement, dated January 1998. " Oregon Plan," as used in this Order, is intended to be consistent with the definition of the' Oregon Coastal Salmon Recovery lnitiative in Oregon Senate Bill 924 ( 1997 Or. Laws, .- cti. 7), and to include the Healthy Streams Partnership ( 1 993 Or. Laws, ch. 263). -. - ( b) " Protect" has the meaning given in section ( l)( d) of this Executive Order. ( c) " Restore" has the meaning'given in section ( l)( e) of this Executive Order. Restore necessarily includes actions to manage salmonids to provide for adequate escapement levels, and actions to increase the quantity and improve the quality of properly functioning habitat upon which salmonids depend. ( d) " Coho" means native wild coho salmon found in rivers and lakes along the Oregon Coast. ( el " Salmonids" means native wild salmon, char and trout in the State of Oregon. ( 6) Effective Date; Relation to Federal ESA. This Executive Order will take effect on the date that it is filed with the Secretary of State. The State of Oregon will continue to work with NMFS to determine the appropriate relationship between the Oregon Plan and NMFS's efforts under the federal ESA. Done at Salem, Oregon, this $ day of & ~ 4 y , 1999. ha26 . ~ it& er, M. D. Suz adnd .~. ow& end DEPUTY SECR~ ARYOF - STATE
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Abstract Quigley, Thomas M.; Haynes, Richard W.; Graham, Russell T., tech. eds. 1996. Integrated scientific assessment for ecosystem management in the interior Columbia basin and portions of the Klamath ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- Integrated scientific assessment for ecosystem management in the interior Columbia Basin and portions of the Klamath and Great Basins
- Year:
- 1996, 2005, 2000
Abstract Quigley, Thomas M.; Haynes, Richard W.; Graham, Russell T., tech. eds. 1996. Integrated scientific assessment for ecosystem management in the interior Columbia basin and portions of the Klamath and Great Basins. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-382. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 303 p. (Quigley, Thomas M., tech. ed. The Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project: Scientific Assessment.) The Integrated Scientific Assessment for Ecosystem Management for the Interior Columbia Basin links landscape, aquatic, terrestrial, social, and economic characterizations to describe biophysical and social systems. Integration was achieved through a framework built around six goals for ecosystem management and three different views of the future. These goals are: maintain evolutionary and ecological processes; manage for multiple ecological domains and evolutionary timeframes; maintain viable populations of native and desired non-native species; encourage social and economic resiliency; manage for places with definable values; and, manage to maintain a variety of ecosystem goods, services, and conditions that society wants. Ratings of relative ecological integrity and socioeconomic resiliency were used to make broad statements about ecosystem conditions in the Basin. Currently in the Basin high integrity and resiliency are found on 16 and 20 percent of the area, respectively. Low integrity and resiliency are found on 60 and 68 percent of the area. Different approaches to management can alter the risks to the assets of people living in the Basin and to the ecosystem itself. Continuation of current management leads to increasing risks while management approaches focusing on reserves or restoration result in trends that mostly stabilize or reduce risks. Even where ecological integrity is projected to improve with the application of active management, population increases and the pressures of expanding demands on resources may cause increasing trends in risk. Keywords: Ecosystem assessment, management and goals; ecological integrity; socio-economic resiliency; risk management
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CONTENTS Lucas, Hon. Frank, a Representative in Congress from the State of Oklahoma, opening statement .................................................................................... 1 Musgrave, ...
Citation Citation
- Title:
- The Endangered Species Act and its impact on agricultural producers: hearing before the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development, and Research of the Committee on Agriculture, House of representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, second session, July 26, 2004, Greely, CO.
- Author:
- United States. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture. Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development, and Research.
- Year:
- 2004, 2005
CONTENTS Lucas, Hon. Frank, a Representative in Congress from the State of Oklahoma, opening statement .................................................................................... 1 Musgrave, Hon. Marilyn N., a Representative in Congress from the State of Colorado, opening statement........................................................................... 2 Witnesses Foutz, Alan, president, Colorado Farm Bureau, Centennial, CO ........................ 10 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 38 George, Russell, executive director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Denver, CO............................................................................................. 4 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 29 Palmer, William, executive director, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, Brighton, CO ........................................................................................................ 16 Prepared statement.......................................................................................... 60 Sims, James T., executive director, Western Business Roundtable, Golden, CO.......................................................................................................................... 13 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 43 Stetson, Jean, co-chairman, Endangered Species Committee, Colorado Cattlemen, Craig, CO..................................................................................................... 7 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 36 Submitted Material Weege, Merle, secretary, Ginseng Board of Wisconsin, statement...................... 65
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100. [Image] Relation between selected water-quality variables and lake level in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon
Relation Between Selected Water-Quality Constituents and Lake Stage in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon By Tamara M. Wood, Gregory J. Fuhrer, and Jennifer L. Morace SUMMARY Upper Klamath Lake is ...Citation Citation
- Title:
- Relation between selected water-quality variables and lake level in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon
- Author:
- Wood, Tamara M.
- Year:
- 1996, 2005, 2004
Relation Between Selected Water-Quality Constituents and Lake Stage in Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon By Tamara M. Wood, Gregory J. Fuhrer, and Jennifer L. Morace SUMMARY Upper Klamath Lake is a large (140 square-mile), shallow (mean depth about 8 ft) lake in south-central Oregon that the historical record indicates has been eutrophic since its discovery by non-Native Americans. In recent decades, however, the lake has had annual occurrences of near-monoculture blooms of the blue-green alga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. In 1988 two sucker species endemic to the lake, the Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) and the shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris), were listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and it has been proposed that the poor water quality conditions associated with extremely long and productive blooms are contributing to the decline of those species. It has also been proposed that the low lake levels made possible by the construction of a dam at the outlet from the lake in 1921 have contributed to worsening water quality through a variety of possible mechanisms (Jacob Kann, Klamath Tribes, written com-mun., 1995). One such mechanism would be an increase in internal phosphorus loading from resuspended sediments (Jacoby and others, 1982), resulting from an increase in bottom shear stresses at lower lake levels (Laenen and LeTourneau, 1996), leading in turn to more intense algal blooms. Another possible mechanism is an earlier triggering of algal blooms. When early spring lake levels are low, greater light intensity at the sediment surface might speed recruitment of algal cells from the sediments. Sediment recruitment has been shown to be an important contributor to water column biomass increases in A. flos aquae (Barbiero and Kann, 1994) and Gloeotrichia echinulata (Barbiero, 1993). An earlier bloom could result in poor water quality conditions occurring earlier in the year, when young-of-the-year fish may be more susceptible to those conditions. Lake level can also influence water quality directly. An increased frequency of sediment resuspension at lower lake levels could increase chemical and biological oxygen demand, resulting in decreased dissolved oxygen concentrations. Sediment oxygen demand also may be enhanced at lower lake levels because it is concentrated over a smaller volume of water. Some compensation for increased oxygen demand at lower lake levels might be provided by increased reaeration, if the water column mixes from top to bottom more frequently. Based on the analysis of data that they have been collecting for several years, the Klamath Tribes recently recommended that the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) modify the operating plan for the dam to make the minimum lake levels for the June-August period more closely resemble pre-dam conditions (Jacob Kann, written commun., 1995). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was asked to analyze the available data for the lake and to assess whether the evidence exists to conclude that year-to-year differences in certain lake water-quality variables are related to year-to-year differences in lake level. The results of the analysis will be used as scientific input in the process of developing an operating plan for the Link River Dam. Datasets Two water-quality datasets were analyzed. The first was a series of hourly records of pH, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature, each of approximately a week's duration. The records were collected at 3 sites over 3 years, 1992 through 1994, with enough consistency to define the seasonal patterns. This dataset provided information about the diel extremes in dissolved oxygen and pH and the seasonal pattern in the diel cycle, but measurements were limited to a depth of 1 m(3.28 ft). The second dataset was a set of depth profiles of pH and dissolved oxygen and concurrent depth-integrated samples for nutrients and chlo-rophyll-a. The profiles were collected at approximately biweekly intervals at nine sites (seven in Upper Klamath and two in Agency Lake) over the 5 years 1990 through 1994. These depth profiles provided information on the depth-dependence of dissolved oxygen and pH, and allowed more extensive year-to-year comparisons than did the hourly records. Because measurements were made at each site only once during the sampling day, however, they did not capture the daily extremes in water quality. Lake level is measured daily by the USGS at three sites around the lake: Rocky Point, Rattlesnake Point, and near the city of Klamath Falls. These daily measurements are then used to compute a spatially weighted average of the lake level that is reported in the USGS annual Water-Data Report for Oregon. The average lake levels were used in this report. Two climatic datasets were used in this report; both were collected at the Klamath Falls airport. Air temperature was recorded as a daily maximum and daily minimum value. Cloud cover was quantized on a daily basis into one of seven levels. Because the focus of this study was primarily to examine possible relations between water quality and lake level, the lake level data provide an important context for the discussions that follow.