Brenda McComb

Potential effects of forest policies on terrestrial biodiversity in a multi-ownership province.

We used spatial simulation models to evaluate how current and two alternative policies might affect potential biodiversity over 100 years in the Coast Ranges Physiographic Province of Oregon. This 2.3-million-ha province is characterized by a diversity of public and private forest owners, and a wide range of forest policy and management objectives. We evaluated habitat availability for seven focal species representing different life histories. We also examined how policies affected old-growth stand structure, age distributions relative to the historical range of variability, and landscape patterns of forest types. Under the current policy scenario, the area of habitat for old-growth forest structure and associated species increased over time, the habitat for some early-successional associates remained stable, and the area of hardwood vegetation and diverse early-successional stages declined. The province is projected to move toward but not reach the historical range of variation of forest age classes that may have occurred under the wildfire regimes of the pre-Euroamerican settlement period. Ownership explained much of the pattern of biodiversity in the province, and under the current policy scenario, its effect increased over time as the landscape diverged into highly contrasting forest structures and ages. Patch type diversity declined slightly overall but declined strongly within ownerships. Most of the modeled change in biodiversity over time resulted from policies on public forest lands that were intended to increase the area of late-successional forests and species. One of the alternative policies, increased retention of wildlife trees on private lands, reduced the contrast between ownerships and increased habitat availability over time for both early- and late-successional species. Analysis of another alternative, stopping thinning of plantations on federal lands, indicated that current thinning regimes improve habitat for the Olive-sided Flycatcher, but the no-thinning alternative had no effect on the habitat scores for the late-successional species in the 100-year simulation. A comparison of indicators of biological diversity suggests that using focal species and forest structural measures can provide complementary information on biodiversity. The multi-ownership perspective provided a more complete synthesis of province-wide biodiversity patterns than assessments based on single ownerships.

Ecological and water quality consequences of nutrient addition for salmon restoration in the Pacific Northwest

Salmon runs have declined over the past two centuries in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Reduced inputs of salmon-derived organic matter and nutrients (SDN) may limit freshwater production and thus establish a negative feedback loop affecting future generations of fish. Restoration efforts use the rationale of declining SDN to justify artificial nutrient additions, with the goal of reversing salmon decline. The forms of nutrient addition include introducing salmon carcasses, carcass analogs (processed fish cakes), or inorganic fertilizers. While evidence suggests that fish and wildlife may benefit from increases in food availability as a result of carcass additions, stream ecosystems vary in their ability to use nutrients to benefit salmon. Moreover, the practice may introduce excess nutrients, disease, and toxic substances to streams that may already exceed proposed water quality standards. Restoration efforts involving nutrient addition must balance the potential benefits of increased foo...

Integrating ecological and social ranges of variability in conservation of biodiversity: past, present, and future.

Historical range of variability has been proposed as a concept that can be used by forest land managers to guide conservation of ecosystem functions and biodiversity conservation. The role of humans in historical range of variability has remained somewhat murky and unsettled, even though it is clear that humans have been, are, and will continue to be forces of disturbance and recovery in forested landscapes. We attempt to develop concepts that integrate the ecological and social forces affecting landscape variability. Toward that end, we present a conceptual framework that places “range of variability” into a broader context and integrates the ecological and social forces affecting landscapes past, present, and future. We use two terms to aid us in understanding the utility of historical range of variability as a context and future range of variability as a point of comparison: (1) the ecological range of variability is the estimated range of some ecological condition as a function of the biophysical and social forces affecting the area and (2) the social range of variability is the range of an ecological condition that society finds acceptable at a given time. We find it is important to recognize that future range of variability represents a constantly emerging and changing set of conditions, and that the more humans push a system to depart from its historical range of variabiloity domain, the less likely it becomes that historical range of variability processes will prove useful as benchmarks in recovering a system.

Monitoring Animal Populations and Their Habitats : A Practitioner's Guide

Introduction Monitoring Resources of High Value Monitoring as a Part of Resource Planning Monitoring in Response to a Crisis Monitoring in Response to Legal Challenges Adaptive Management An Example of Monitoring and Use of Adaptive Management Summary References Lessons Learned from Current Monitoring Programs Federal Monitoring Programs Nongovernmental Organizations and Initiatives Learning from Citizen-Based Monitoring Summary References Community-Based Monitoring A Conflict Over Benefits Designing and Implementing a Community-Based Monitoring Program Suggestions for Scientists Summary References Goals and Objectives Now and Into the Future Targeted Versus Surveillance Monitoring Incorporating Stakeholder Objectives Identifying Information Needs The Anatomy of an Effective Monitoring Objective Articulating the Scales of Population Monitoring Data Collected to Meet the Objectives Which Species Should be Monitored? Intended Users of Monitoring Plans Summary References Designing a Monitoring Plan Articulating Questions to be Answered Inventory, Monitoring, and Research Are Data Already Available? Types of Monitoring Designs Beginning the Monitoring Plan SummaryReferences Factors to Consider When Designing the Monitoring Plan Use of Existing Data to Inform Sampling Design Cost Stratification of Samples Adaptive Sampling Peer Review Summary References Putting Monitoring to Work on the Ground Creating a Standardized Sampling Scheme Selection of Sample Sites Logistics Biological Study Ethics Voucher Specimens Schedule and Coordination Plan Qualifications for Personnel Sampling Unit Marking and Monuments Documenting Field Monitoring Plans Critical Areas for Standardization Budgets Summary References Field Techniques for Population Sampling and Estimation Data Requirements Spatial Extent Frequently Used Techniques for Sampling Animals Life History and Population Characteristics Effects of Terrain and Vegetation Merits and Limitations of Indices Compared to Estimators Estimating Community Structure Standardization and Protocol Review Budget Constraints Summary References Techniques for Sampling Habitat Selecting an Appropriate Scale Remotely Sensed Data Consistent Documentation of Sample Sites Ground Measurements of Habitat Elements Methods for Ground-Based Sampling of Habitat Elements Using Estimates of Habitat Elements to Assess Habitat Availability Using Estimates of Habitat Elements to Assess Habitat Suitability Assessing the Distribution of Habitat Across the Landscape Linking Inventory Data to Satellite Imagery and GIS Measuring Landscape Structure and Change Summary References Database Management The Basics of Database Management The General Structure of a Monitoring Database Digital Databases Data Forms Data Storage Metadata Consider a Database Manager An Example of a Database Management System: FAUNA Summary References Data Analysis in Monitoring Data Visualization I: Getting to Know Your Data Data Visualization II: Getting to Know Your Model Possible Remedies if Parametric Assumptions Are Violated Statistical Distribution of the Data Abundance and Counts Analysis of Species Occurrences and Distribution Analysis of Trend Data Analysis of Cause-and-Effect Monitoring Data Paradigms of Inference: Saying Something with Your Data and Models Retrospective Power Analysis Summary References Reporting Format of a Monitoring Report Summary References Uses of the Data: Synthesis, Risk Assessment, and Decision Making Thresholds and Trigger Points Forecasting Trends Predicting Patterns Over Space and Time Synthesis of Monitoring Data Risk Analysis Decision Making Summary References Changing the Monitoring Approach General Precautions to Changing Methodology When to Make a Change Summary References The Future of Monitoring Emerging Technologies A New Conceptual Framework for Monitoring Summary References Appendix Scientific Names of Species Mentioned in the Text Index

Home range and habitat of western red-backed voles in the oregon cascades

Abstract Western red-backed voles are endemic to western Oregon and northern California and represent a large proportion of the rodent community in mature Douglas-fir forests. Despite their dominance in these forests, little is known about their selection of home ranges. We radiotracked 23 western red-backed voles in 3 mature, coniferous forest stands in the southern Oregon Cascades during 1994 and 1995 and estimated home range size, movements, and habitat associations. Males had larger home ranges than females and males moved farther each evening than females. Females were most active during 2 periods: shortly after dusk and before dawn. Males were active all night. Core areas for home ranges of females were characterized by deep organic soil layers and large volumes of decayed logs. Results underscore the importance of organic matter and coarse woody debris on the forest floor for maintaining populations of western-red-backed voles.

Sustaining Biodiversity in the Oregon Coast Range: Potential effects of Forest Policies in a Multi-ownership Province

To understand the potential effects of forest policies on sustaining biological diversity at broad scales, we used spatial simulation models to evaluate current and potential future habitat availability over 100 yr for three focal species: Pacific Fisher (Martes pennanti), Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), and Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus). The habitats of these species represent a broad range of spatial scales and forest types. Area of habitat for fishers and Pileated Woodpeckers is predicted to increase over time under current forest land management policies. Habitat for Warbling Vireos is predicted to decline. These patterns are consistent with past analyses that predicted declines in diverse early successional forests and hardwood forests and increases in late-successional forests under current and two alternative policies. Land ownership influenced the spatial arrangement of habitat for all three focal species. Public lands subsidized habitat for wide-ranging species on adjacent private lands. A land use policy that required greater green tree retention on private lands seemed to result in modest increases in habitat quality over 100 yr for Pileated Woodpeckers. Thinning of plantations on federal lands had little effect on these focal species. Policy analyses such as these highlight incongruities between historic habitat patterns and contemporary spatial and temporal scales of habitat in managed landscapes. This information can be used to assess risks and inform the policy debates surrounding biodiversity conservation.

Scientific Names of Species Mentioned in the Text

APPENDIX I SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF SPECIES MENTIONED IN THE TEXT APPENDIX II TABLE OF THE O. S. CO-ORDINATES FOR MAPPED SQUARES APPENDIX III ANALYSIS OF WOOL FROM NESTING AREAS APPENDIX IV OBSERVATIONS ON TWO RED-BILLED CHOUGHS Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax IN CORNWALL: HABITAT USE AND FOOD INTAKE APPENDIX V POST FLEDGING HABITAT SELECTION AND DIET OF CHOUGHS ON RAMSEY (ISLAND REPORT) APPENDIX VI NUMBERS AND BREEDING SUCCESS OF CHOUGHS ON SKOMER ISLAND APPENDIX VII GAPEWORM INFECTION IN CHOUGHS APPENDIX VIII ECOLOGY OF THE CHOUGH IN WEST WALES (REPORT) APPENDIX IX THE PREDICTABILITY AND PATTERNS OF VIGILANT BEHAVIOUR APPENDIX X A CAPTIVE FEEDING EXPERIMENT