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Poster
Abstracts
Thinning to Induce Spatial Heterogeneity: One Step Towards Providing
Multiple Values in Managed Stands
Juliann Aukema
PNW Research Station
3625 93rd Ave SW
Olympia, WA 98512-9193:
Ancient forests have become prominent in conservation issues in North
America, in part because of their value as habitat for threatened species
and reservoirs of biodiversity. In the Pacific Northwest, the northern
spotted owl has become a symbol of the conflict between conservation
values and economic values associated with old-growth Douglas fir forests.
Today, early successional forests make up nearly half of Federal forested
lands in Washington State. The Forest Ecosystem Study was designed to
test the feasibility of accelerating forest processes in second-growth
Douglas fir forests to mimic the structure, biological diversity, and
ecological function of old-growth forests while continuing to provide
wood and other forest products. Using a complete randomized block design,
variable density thinning (VDT) treatments were applied to two second-growth
Douglas fir forests with different management histories, in Washington.
Abundance and diversity of arboreal and forest-floor! small mammals,
fungi, understory vegetation, arthropods, and resident birds were assessed.
Both VDT and management history were important factors in abundance,
diversity and community structure of these organisms. Variable density
thinning in conjunction with other conservation measures may accelerate
biocomplexity in second-growth forests and holds promise for providing
a full range of ecological services and economic goods.
Intrinsic Potential of Streams to Provide High Quality Habitat for
Anadromous Salmonids in the Coastal Province of Oregon, USA
Kelly Burnett *1, Gordon Reeves1, Dan Miller2,
Sharon Clarke3, Ken Vance-Borland3, and Kelly
Christiansen1
1United States Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service,
Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3200 Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR
97333
2Earth Systems Institute, Seattle, WA
3Forest Science Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis,
OR, 97331
Decision makers, concerned with Pacific salmon and trout, must often
select freshwater areas to protect or restore based solely on site-scale
information. In response, the Coastal Landscape Analysis and Modeling
Study (CLAMS) has developed models that use broadly available topographic
data to assess the potential of streams to provide high quality habitat
for steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) or for coho salmon (O. kisutch)
(i.e., intrinsic potential). Species-specific intrinsic potential is
expressed as the geometric mean of classified channel gradient, valley
constraint, and mean annual discharge, which are derived primarily from
10-m Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Intrinsic potentials for steelhead
and for coho salmon are calculated for all streams in a prototype basin.
The model will ultimately be applied for each basin (mean area 2000
ha) in the Coastal Province of Oregon, USA. Intrinsic potential will
then be evaluated relative to management-related attributes (e.g., road
density and land cover). Watersheds with high intrinsic potential for
a species may be good candidates for habitat protection when resource
management has been limited and for habitat restoration when management
has been more prevalent. In contrast, watersheds with lower intrinsic
potential may be better suited for resource-intensive or -extractive
activities. Thus, the value to conservation of each basin can be considered
relative to the value of all other basins. Additionally, tailoring protection
or restoration actions to the intrinsic potential of an area should
enhance the efficacy and efficiency of freshwater conservation strategies
so may improve their societal support.
Species Richness Hotspots in Northern California: Patterns, Prediction,
and Protection
Jeffrey R. Dunk1,2, William J. Zielinski1, and
Hartwell H. Welsh, Jr1
1Redwood Sciences Laboratory
Pacific Southwest Research Station
USDA Forest Service
Arcata, California
2Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California
On a global scale "hotspots" of biodiversity may contain >50%
of all organisms, and yet encompass <2% of the earth's land surface.
Nonetheless, patterns of species richness within and outside of hotspots
are generally not uniform and thus identifying patterns of species richness
at smaller scales is necessary for informed conservation efforts. We
sampled at 308 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots within a 2.2
million ha study area in northern California and (1) evaluated patterns
of species richness, (2) developed and compared a series of spatial
models for predicting species richness, and (3) evaluated the distribution
of existing reserves relative to species richness. Eight salamander
species and 89 mollusk species and subspecies were identified. For both
taxa richness was highest in the western and northwestern portion of
the study area and decreased to the east. The distribution of richness
of rare mollusks (geographic ranges <5000 km2) was similar to that
of overall mollusk richness. At least 35 mollusk species/subspecies
ranges overlapped, yet a maximum of 8 species/subspecies were found
at any plot. Similarly, although 5 salamander species ranges overlapped,
3 species was the most observed at any plot. FIA plots with higher species
richness tended to be in older forests with more basal area, more downed
woody debris, and to be in the wetter portions of the study area. Predictive
models with spatial locations alone performed much better than those
including climatic covariates. Conservation efforts in relatively small
portions of the study area would shelter areas containing high mollusk
and salamander species richness as well as richness of rare mollusks.
The concordance between salamander and mollusk richness suggests that
an evaluation of other disparate, but non-vagile, taxa would be of much
interest and potentially of additional conservation importance.
Public Values for Biodiversity Conservation Policies in the Oregon
Coast Range
Brian Garber-Yonts
Pacific Northwest Research Station
Corvallis, OR
Joe Kerkvliet
Department of Economics
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR
Rebecca Johnson
Department of Forest Resources
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR
This study uses a choice experiment framework to estimate Oregonian’s
willingness to pay (WTP) for changes in levels of biodiversity protection
under different conservation programs in the Oregon Coast Range. We
present biodiversity policy as an amalgam of four different conservation
programs: salmon and aquatic habitat conservation, forest age class
management, endangered species protection, and large-scale conservation
reserves. The results indicate substantial support for biodiversity
protection, but significant differences in WTP across programs. Oregonians
indicate the highest WTP for increasing the amount of forest devoted
to achieving old growth characteristics. On average, respondents indicated
an annual household WTP of $380 to increase old growth forests from
5% to 35% of the age class distribution. Conversely, WTP for increasing
conservation reserves peaks at $45 annually to double the current level
to 20% of the landscape, while WTP is negative for any increase over
32%. We also find substantial resistance to any change in conservation
policy, which substantially offsets WTP for increases in all four conservation
programs.
Conserving Biodiversity Despite Taxonomic Uncertainty
Paul Hohenlohe
Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory
Corvallis, Oregon
Traditional species-based conservation strategies hit roadblocks when
faced with groups whose taxonomy is in flux or inadequately resolved.
Of the terrestrial mollusk species in the Northwest Forest Plan area,
at least a third are undescribed. Of the 25 terrestrial mollusk species
on the Survey & Manage list, 2 are not formally described and the
majority may warrant reclassification. Here I evaluate several alternative
conservation strategies for poorly known taxa, using the Northwest terrestrial
mollusk fauna as a test case. (1) Evolutionarily significant units:
Identification of ESUs is the only strategy that would capture all units
of diversity, but it would require extensive genetic and ecological
research, likely prohibitive in the short term. (2) Higher taxonomic
levels: Managing taxa at higher levels, such as genera, avoids much
of the taxonomic uncertainty but does not capture important aspects
of diversity, particularly the large radiations within a few genera.
(3) Umbrella species: Focusing conservation efforts on a few better-known
but still rare taxa is unlikely to capture lesser-known taxa. (4) Hotspots:
Focusing conservation efforts on local concentrations of taxon richness
can avoid some of the taxonomic uncertainties, but location of hotspots
may not correlate with habitats of rare or endemic taxa. (5) Habitat
management: Conserving threatened habitats that tend to support rare
taxa can succeed if such habitats can be identified; this may be more
amenable to aquatic mollusks than to terrestrial taxa. (6) Mollusk fauna
provinces: Identifying geographically-defined mollusk faunas and focusing
on the most diverse and threatened ones may best target conservation
efforts to areas of endemism and species radiations. Some combination
of these approaches, particularly the latter three, may be most successful.
Lessons from Implementing Strategic Surveys for the Northwest Forest
Plan
Mark Huff
USDA Forest Service
Portland, Oregon
Bruce Rittenhouse
USDI Bureau of Land Management
Portland, Oregon
Marianne Turley
USDI Bureau of Land Management
Portland, Oregon
The Northwest Forest Plan directs federal land management agencies to
survey and manage over 350 rare and little known species in the Pacific
Northwest. Since the NWFP area encompasses approximately 10 million
hectares, it is impractical to examine every hectare for species presence.
Instead, we use statistical theory to sample from the populations of
species, referred to here as Strategic Surveys, within the region, and,
by induction, make inferences about the populations over the entire
region.
The practical challenges of designing and implementing Strategic Surveys
over such large biological and spatial scales are enormous. The survey
region extends over three states, including administration by three
federal agencies. A team of government and academic scientists developed
the sample design and federal and private employees implemented the
surveys. The magnitude of coordination and change present some of the
greatest challenges. We present some of our failures and successes and
make suggestions for reducing logistical errors on future surveys.
Conservation Plan for the Siskiyou Mountains Salamander
Steve Morey, David Clayton
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Portland, Oregon
Dede Olson, Richard Nauman
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station
Corvallis, Oregon
Ed Reilly
USDI Bureau of Land Management
Medford, Oregon
John Guetterman
USDI Bureau of Land Management
North Bend, Oregon
Brenda Devlin
USDA Forest Service
Six Rivers National Forest
Gasquet, California
Hart Welsh
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Research Station
Arcata, California
The conservation plan for the Siskiyou Mountains Salamander, Plethodon
stormi, is being developed under the Survey and Manage provision of
the federal Northwest Forest Plan in the US Pacific Northwest. The goal
is to maintain well-distributed populations throughout the species;
range on federal lands within the Northwest Forest Plan area. We present
our process to determine high priority sites for protection. Persistence
is addressed at multiple spatial scales, including local known sites,
contiguous habitat areas, sixth-field watersheds, and the geographic
boundaries of distinct population segments. The heightened rarity of
the animal in the southern population leads to a more conservative approach
to maintain the persistence of the animal at each known site. In the
north, however, the species appears less rare and has a more predictable
occurrence with habitat conditions that extend across 21 6th-field watersheds.
This has led us to the development of a conservation plan that balances
species persistence objectives with other land management priorities,
including fire-proofing human communities, forest ecosystem restoration
relative to fire, and timber harvest.
The Effect of Forest Edges on Ground Dwelling Organisms in
Southwestern Oregon
Richard S. Nauman and Deanna H. Olson
USDA Forest Service
PNW Research Station
3200 SW Jefferson Way
Corvallis, OR, 97331
Openings in forests create changes in habitat conditions which penetrate
into residual forest stands. These changes in biotic and abiotic conditions
may impact populations of forest associated organisms living near the
edge of the remaining forest. As part of a larger effort to create management
recommendations for rare ground dwelling organisms, we sampled the distribution
of terrestrial salamanders and mollusks near forest edges in forest
stands adjacent to areas which had been harvested from 5 to 25 years
prior. We sampled amphibians at 19 sites and captured 619 individuals
of 6 species. Ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii) showed no relationship
with distance from the forest edge while woodland salamanders (Plethodon
elongatus and P. stormi) did. Adult and sub-adult life stages of woodland
salamanders showed the greatest effect while juveniles showed little
or no effect. These effects appear to extend >150 meters into intact
stands. Other amphibian species were encountered too rarely for analysis
of edge patterns. Mollusks were sampled at 8 sites and 302 individuals
were detected. Five species had sufficient captures for analysis. Results
were species specific and varied from no edge effect to a moderate effect
which typically penetrated up to 100 meters into the forest. The highest
capture rates of banana slugs (Ariolimax columbianus) occurred 210 meters
from the forest edge. Habitat variables such as canopy closure were
associated with distance from the forest edge but do not entirely explain
the distribution of animals.
A Multicriteria Assessment of the Irreplaceability and Vulnerability
of Sites in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Reed F. Noss, Carlos Caroll, Ken Vance-Borland, and George Wuerthner
Conservation Science, Inc.
Corvallis, Oregon
We conducted a systematic conservation assessment of the 10.8-million-ha
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), integrating three basic approaches
to conservation planning: protecting special elements, representing
environmental variation, and securing habitat for focal species (grizzly
bear [Ursus arctos], wolf [Canis lupus], andn wolverine [Gulo gulo].
Existing protected areas encompass 27% of the GYE but fail to capture
many biological hotspots of the region or to represent all natural communities.
Using a simulated annealing site-selection algorithm, combined with
biological and environmental data based on a geographic information
system and static (habitat suitability) and dynamic (population viability)
modeling of focal species, we identified unprotected sites within the
GYE that are biologically irreplaceable and vulnerable to degradation.
Irreplaceability scores were assigned to 43 megasites (aggregations
of planning units) on the basis of nine criteria corresponding to quantitative
conservation goals. Expert opinion supplemented quantitative data in
determining vulnerability scores. If all megasites were protected, the
reserved area of the GYE would expand by 43% (to 70%) and increase protection
of known occurrences of highly imperiled species by 71% (to 100%) and
of all special elements by 62% (to 92%). These new reserves would also
significantly increase representation of environmental variation and
capture critical areas for focal species. The greatest gains would be
achieved by protecting megasites scoring highest in irreplaceability
and vulnerability. Protection of 15 high-priority megasites would expand
reserved area by 22% and increase the overall achievement of goals by
30%. Protection of highly imperiled species and representation of geoclimatic
classes would increase by 46% and 49%, respectively. Although conservation
action must be somewhat opportunistic, our method aids decision-making
by identifying areas that will contribute the most to explicit conservation
goals.
Rare and Uncommon Terrestrial Salamanders in Northwestern Forests
Dede Olson
USDA Forest Service,
Pacific Northwest Research Station
Corvallis, Oregon
Steve Morey, David Clayton, Richard Nauman
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Portland, Oregon
Ed Reilly
USDI Bureau of Land Management
Medford, Oregon
John Guetterman
USDI Bureau of Land Management
North Bend, Oregon
Brenda Devlin
USDA Forest Service
Six Rivers National Forest
Gasquet, California
Hart Welsh
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Research Station
Arcata, California
Of the 13 terrestrial salamanders, family Plethodontidae, that are endemic
to wet-temperate northwestern forests, persistence concerns have been
raised for 6 species. Concerns stem primarily from the species; rarity,
lack of knowledge regarding their ecology, habitat associations with
old forest conditions, and coincidence of their distributions with forests
that are being managed for timber harvest. These 6 species are the Siskiyou
Mountains Salamander (Plethodon stormi), the Del Norte salamander (P.
elongatus), the Van Dyke;s salamander (P. vandykei), the Larch Mountain
salamander (P. larselli), the Shasta salamander (Hydromantes shastae),
and the Oregon slender salamander (Batrachoseps wrighti). The conservation
of these taxa has been addressed under the Survey and Manage provision
of the federal Northwest Forest Plan in the US Pacific Northwest. For
5 species, a variety of efforts have been applied to forward our understanding
of their ecology and status, and to mitigate adverse effects of forest
management activities. These efforts include pre-disturbance surveys,
strategic surveys for distribution, habitat association studies, spatial
habitat modeling, population genetic analyses, and development of management
guidelines relative to activities in federal forests. Since 1994, survey
and research efforts have sufficiently addressed information gaps to
reduce concerns for the Del Norte salamander. Analogous efforts have
heightened concerns for discrete populations within the range of the
sister-species, the Siskiyou Mountains salamander. Currently, the status
of the Oregon slender salamander is under review.
Conservation
of Fungi Depends on Detection
J. E. Smith, T. Dreisbach, M. Brown, R. Molina, M. A. Castellano
USDA
Forest Service
PNW
Research Station,
Corvallis, Oregon 97331
Survey and Manage, a program to assess the distribution and habitat
requirements of rare and little known species, including fungi, provides
important biodiversity information to forest managers. The effectiveness
of the program depends on robust survey techniques and an analytical
framework that assures compliance with the requirements of the Northwest
Forest Plan. Species of interest are difficult to survey because little
is known about their distribution and life history. A survey for mushrooms
of ectomycorrhizal fungi over 5 fall seasons resulted in a large data
set suitable for an analysis of the effect of sampling intensity on
observed fungal diversity. 124 epigeous species or species groups were
collected from three replicate stands in each of three forest age classes
(64 in young, 53 in rotation-age, and 94 in old-growth) of Douglas-fir
dominated stands in the Cascade Range of Oregon. A high proportion of
taxa – 31% in young growth, 15% in rotation age, and 38% ! in old-growth
– were observed in only a single plot and time. Half of all taxa
had 4 or fewer collections. Using subsampling, curve fitting, and statistical
power analyses, we investigate and present 1) how the observed diversity
relates to sampling intensity, 2) the likely number of species extant
in the study area but undetected by the survey, 3) the sampling intensity
necessary to detect each known species, and 4) how the statistical power
to detect a significant difference in fungal diversity varies with sampling
intensity. Our research demonstrates that surveys must include both
temporal and spatial components; a large, intensive spatial array will
not substitute for sampling in multiple years. Knowledge about methods
for detecting the diversity of common and uncommon ectomycorrhizal fungal
species is essential to maintaining the biological diversity of fungi.
ISMS: The Database for the Survey & Manage Program
Kelli J. Van Norman, Janis VanWyhe, Stephanie Sprague
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Oregon State Office
333 SW 1st Ave.
P.O. Box 2965
Portland, OR 97208
Mitch Ringer
U.S. Forest Service
333 SW 1st Ave.
P.O. Box 3623
Portland, OR 97208
Dana Baker, Matt Collins, Joey Neff
Titan Sytems Corp.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Oregon State Office
333 SW 1st Ave.
P.O. Box 2965
Portland, OR 97208
The Interagency Species Management System (ISMS) is composed of several
databases that hold information on the Northwest Forest Plan?s federal
Survey & Manage Program. ISMS includes data on more than 300 rare
species associated with old-growth forests and their locations and habitats.
The species represent a diverse array of lichens, bryophytes, fungi,
vascular plants, amphibians, mollusks, and mammals. The NW Forest Plan
area covers more than 22 million acres of public lands in western Washington,
western Oregon, and northern California.
Effective resource management requires data that are current, accurate,
and available for use. A data stewardship policy has been implemented
to establish a systematic mechanism for management of the data for ISMS.
Individuals identified as Data Stewards have been assigned at each organizational
level from the regional level to the 29 administrative units (i.e.,
National Forest/BLM District) and their sub-administrative units. The
Data Stewards coordinate use of the database by the data users and are
responsible for ISMS data management. Each individual gathering data
is responsible for entering it into an automated format accessible by
others. Currently there are 374 Forest Service and 160 Bureau of Land
Management ISMS users.
The main ISMS database runs in Oracle from a central server in Portland,
Oregon. Users of ISMS connect remotely to the Portland database to enter,
update, and query the Survey and Manage species information. A second
component of the database uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
within the ISMS application to spatially represent where surveys were
conducted and species were found.
Evaluating Effect of Overstory Removal and Fire in Restoring
Habitat of the Rare Mariposa Lily Calochortus Umpquaensis
Nan Vance, Dan Mikowski
Pacific Northwest Research Station
3200 SW Jefferson Way
Corvallis, OR 97331
Russell Holmes
Bureau of Land Management
P.O. 2965
Portland, OR 97208
The Umpqua mariposa lily (Calochortus umpquaensis) is listed
Endangered by the State of Oregon and is a candidate for federal listing
by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. There are only five extant populations
of this species all located on serpentine soil along the western margin
of the Cascade physiographic province. The species grows and reproduces
most successfully in open meadows, but because of fire suppression,
tree encroachment is reducing habitat needed for maintaining populations.
Thinning of the coniferous and hardwood overstory along with spot burning
was studied for effectiveness in restoring habitat and enhancing a major
sub-population. The study is located on 34 acres of the Ace Williams
Mountain under BLM management and includes overstory thinning and burn
treatments and an untreated control each replicated six times. Environmental,
plant community, and demographic data were taken for two years prior
and five years following the burning and thinning treatments. Mean light
level increased significantly following treatment (as indexed by relative
diffused light where 1.0 represents full light) from 0.12 to 0.41. The
proportion of plants flowering prior to treatment was about 11% and
not significantly different between treatment and control; however,
flowering increased in the treated plots and by 2002 the mean ratio
of flowering to total plants was 39% compared to 6% in the control plots.
The total number of plants declined immediately following thinning and
burning but increased each subsequent year. Although numbers increased
in treated and untreated plots, the mean ratio was greater in the treated,
than in the control plots (1.6 to 1.3). Fire and thinning have improved
the demographics of this sub-population, suggesting that reproduction
and recruitment are responding to improved habitat.
Conservation of Endangered Invertebrates
Mace Vaughan and Scott Hoffman Black
The Xerces Society
Portland, OR
Invertebrates eclipse all other forms of life on Earth, not only in
sheer numbers, diversity, and biomass, but also in their importance
to functioning ecosystems. Invertebrates perform vital services, such
as pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient recycling. They also serve
as prey for a host of animals, and for a number of plants. Although
invertebrates are vitally important, they are often overlooked in land
use management and the designations of endangered species status. For
example, a review of current United States Endangered Species Act listings
and policies shows a significant bias toward vertebrates. We believe
there is compelling evidence that agencies, scientists, conservationists,
and land managers should do more to promote the conservation of imperiled
invertebrates. Here, we briefly outline a variety of approaches that
we are taking to protect endangered invertebrates and increase the attention
their conservation receives.
Upslope Leave Islands as Refugia for Low-Mobility Species
Stephanie J. Wessell and Deanna H. Olson
Pacific Northwest Research Station
3200 S.W. Jefferson Way
Corvallis, OR 97331
Richard A. Schmitz
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Oregon State University
Nash Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331
Plant and animal diversity may be maintained in young managed forests
by creating leave islands at the time of harvest. However, data supporting
the value of leave islands in intensively managed second-growth forests
are few, while concerns have been raised relative to the direct and
indirect effects of forest fragmentation (e.g., patch sizes, edge effects).
Pertinent questions about the relationship of the physical structure
of upslope leave islands to their associated microclimates, flora, and
fauna remain largely unanswered. The overall goal of this project is
to evaluate the role that leave islands may play in maintaining the
biodiversity of plant and animal species in managed forests of the Pacific
Northwest. Specifically, we are evaluating the effectiveness of 0.1-hectare,
0.2-hectare, and 0.4-hectare leave islands in a thinned forest matrix
in providing refugia for low-mobility species including vascular plants,
amphibians, mollusks, and arthropods. Preliminary r! esults are mixed,
but treatment effects are apparent relative to air and soil temperature,
relative humidity, terrestrial amphibian and mollusk abundance, and
vascular plant diversity. In particular, both amphibians and mollusks
were significantly more abundant in the one-quarter acre leave islands
than in the thinned matrix plots. Additionally, initial analyses indicate
an apparent trend of increasing vascular plant diversity with harvest.
We envision that this research will evaluate the usefulness of leave
islands in providing habitat for plant and animal species and provide
guidance for the future design and placement of leave islands.
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