Landscape ecology has only a short history as a recognized discipline, but it has transformed our thinking about the interplay between pattern and process. We now understand that many smaller-scale phenomena are driven by spatial processes, such as the proximity of different habitats to one another, the ability of organisms to move through landscapes, and the dynamics of natural disturbance such as fires, floods, and droughts. We have worked over the past two decades to apply ideas from metapopulation biology and landscape spatial processes to understanding the effects of habitat fragmentation, alteration, and restoration. As a result, our perspective has completely changed from the traditional emphasis on site- or reach-scale factors influencing aquatic species in river networks. In nearly every study we conduct, we continue to push on the boundaries of our understanding of landscape processes and their relevance to how we think about species life histories, restoring ecosystems, and evaluating climate impacts.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 13
Aquatic-riparian systems
No abstract available.
Authors
Deanna H. Olson, Sherri L. Johnson, Paul D. Anderson, Brooke E. Penaluna, Jason B. Dunham
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) telemetry and associated habitat data collected in a geodatabase from the upper Boise River, southwestern Idaho
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, are among the more thermally sensitive of coldwater species in North America. The Boise River upstream of Arrowrock Dam in southwestern Idaho (including Arrowrock Reservoir) provides habitat for one of the southernmost populations of bull trout. The presence of the species in Arrowrock Reservoir poses impli
Authors
Dorene E. MacCoy, Zachary M. Shephard, Joseph R. Benjamin, Dmitri T. Vidergar, Anthony F. Prisciandaro
Conservation of native Pacific trout diversity in western North America
Pacific trout Oncorhynchus spp. in western North America are strongly valued in ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural views, and have been the subject of substantial research and conservation efforts. Despite this, the understanding of their evolutionary histories, overall diversity, and challenges to their conservation is incomplete. We review the state of knowledge on these important issues, f
Authors
Brooke E. Penaluna, Alicia Abadía-Cardoso, Jason B. Dunham, Francisco J García de León, Robert E. Gresswell, Arturo Ruiz Luna, Eric B. Taylor, Bradley B. Shepard, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Kevin R. Bestgen, Kevin H. Rogers, Marco A Escalante, Ernest R. Keeley, Gabriel Temple, Jack E. Williams, Kathleen Matthews, Ron Pierce, Richard L. Mayden, Ryan Kovach, John Carlos Garza, Kurt D. Fausch
CDMetaPOP: An individual-based, eco-evolutionary model for spatially explicit simulation of landscape demogenetics
1. Combining landscape demographic and genetics models offers powerful methods for addressing questions for eco-evolutionary applications.2. Using two illustrative examples, we present Cost–Distance Meta-POPulation, a program to simulate changes in neutral and/or selection-driven genotypes through time as a function of individual-based movement, complex spatial population dynamics, and multiple an
Authors
Erin L. Landguth, Andrew Bearlin, Casey Day, Jason B. Dunham
A simple prioritization tool to diagnose impairment of stream temperature for coldwater fishes in the Great Basin
We provide a simple framework for diagnosing the impairment of stream water temperature for coldwater fishes across broad spatial extents based on a weight-of-evidence approach that integrates biological criteria, species distribution models, and geostatistical models of stream temperature. As a test case, we applied our approach to identify stream reaches most likely to be thermally impaired for
Authors
Jeffrey A. Falke, Jason B. Dunham, David Hockman-Wert, Randy A. Pahl
Legacy effects of wildfire on stream thermal regimes and rainbow trout ecology: an integrated analysis of observation and individual-based models
Management of aquatic resources in fire-prone areas requires understanding of fish species’ responses to wildfire and of the intermediate- and long-term consequences of these disturbances. We examined Rainbow Trout populations in 9 headwater streams 10 y after a major wildfire: 3 with no history of severe wildfire in the watershed (unburned), 3 in severely burned watersheds (burned), and 3 in seve
Authors
Amanda E. Rosenberger, Jason B. Dunham, Jason R. Neuswanger, Steven F. Railsback
The role of the geophysical template and environmental regimes in controlling stream-living trout populations
The importance of multiple processes and instream factors to aquatic biota has been explored extensively, but questions remain about how local spatiotemporal variability of aquatic biota is tied to environmental regimes and the geophysical template of streams. We used an individual-based trout model to explore the relative role of the geophysical template versus environmental regimes on biomass of
Authors
Brooke E. Penaluna, Steve F. Railsback, Jason B. Dunham, S. Johnson, Richard E. Bilby, Arne E. Skaugset
Higher-order statistical moments and a procedure that detects potentially anomalous years as two alternative methods describing alterations in continuous environmental data
Statistics of central tendency and dispersion may not capture relevant or desired characteristics of the distribution of continuous phenomena and, thus, they may not adequately describe temporal patterns of change. Here, we present two methodological approaches that can help to identify temporal changes in environmental regimes. First, we use higher-order statistical moments (skewness and kurtosis
Authors
Ivan Arismendi, Sherri L. Johnson, Jason B. Dunham
Spatial complexity reduces interaction strengths in the meta-food web of a river floodplain mosaic
Theory states that both the spatial complexity of landscapes and the strength of interactions between consumers and their resources are important for maintaining biodiversity and the 'balance of nature.' Spatial complexity is hypothesized to promote biodiversity by reducing potential for competitive exclusion; whereas, models show weak trophic interactions can enhance stability and maintain biodiv
Authors
James Ryan Bellmore, Colden Vance Baxter, Patrick J. Connolly
Spatial ecological processes and local factors predict the distribution and abundance of spawning by steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) across a complex riverscape
Processes that influence habitat selection in landscapes involve the interaction of habitat composition and configuration and are particularly important for species with complex life cycles. We assessed the relative influence of landscape spatial processes and local habitat characteristics on patterns in the distribution and abundance of spawning steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a threatened salmo
Authors
Jeffrey A. Falke, Jason B. Dunham, Christopher E. Jordan, Kris M. McNyset, Gordon H. Reeves
Chinook salmon use of spawning patches: Relative roles of habitat quality, size, and connectivity
Declines in many native fish populations have led to reassessments of management goals and shifted priorities from consumptive uses to species preservation. As management has shifted, relevant environmental characteristics have evolved from traditional metrics that described local habitat quality to characterizations of habitat size and connectivity. Despite the implications this shift has for how
Authors
D.J. Isaak, R.F. Thurow, B.E. Rieman, J. B. Dunham
Emerging concepts for management of river ecosystems and challenges to applied integration of physical and biological sciences in the Pacific Northwest, USA
Integration of biological and physical concepts is necessary to understand and conserve the ecological integrity of river systems. Past attempts at integration have often focused at relatively small scales and on mechanistic models that may not capture the complexity of natural systems leaving substantial uncertainty about ecological responses to management actions. Two solutions have been propose
Authors
Bruce Rieman, Jason B. Dunham, James Clayton
- Overview
Landscape ecology has only a short history as a recognized discipline, but it has transformed our thinking about the interplay between pattern and process. We now understand that many smaller-scale phenomena are driven by spatial processes, such as the proximity of different habitats to one another, the ability of organisms to move through landscapes, and the dynamics of natural disturbance such as fires, floods, and droughts. We have worked over the past two decades to apply ideas from metapopulation biology and landscape spatial processes to understanding the effects of habitat fragmentation, alteration, and restoration. As a result, our perspective has completely changed from the traditional emphasis on site- or reach-scale factors influencing aquatic species in river networks. In nearly every study we conduct, we continue to push on the boundaries of our understanding of landscape processes and their relevance to how we think about species life histories, restoring ecosystems, and evaluating climate impacts.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 13Aquatic-riparian systems
No abstract available.AuthorsDeanna H. Olson, Sherri L. Johnson, Paul D. Anderson, Brooke E. Penaluna, Jason B. DunhamBull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) telemetry and associated habitat data collected in a geodatabase from the upper Boise River, southwestern Idaho
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, are among the more thermally sensitive of coldwater species in North America. The Boise River upstream of Arrowrock Dam in southwestern Idaho (including Arrowrock Reservoir) provides habitat for one of the southernmost populations of bull trout. The presence of the species in Arrowrock Reservoir poses impliAuthorsDorene E. MacCoy, Zachary M. Shephard, Joseph R. Benjamin, Dmitri T. Vidergar, Anthony F. PrisciandaroConservation of native Pacific trout diversity in western North America
Pacific trout Oncorhynchus spp. in western North America are strongly valued in ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural views, and have been the subject of substantial research and conservation efforts. Despite this, the understanding of their evolutionary histories, overall diversity, and challenges to their conservation is incomplete. We review the state of knowledge on these important issues, fAuthorsBrooke E. Penaluna, Alicia Abadía-Cardoso, Jason B. Dunham, Francisco J García de León, Robert E. Gresswell, Arturo Ruiz Luna, Eric B. Taylor, Bradley B. Shepard, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Kevin R. Bestgen, Kevin H. Rogers, Marco A Escalante, Ernest R. Keeley, Gabriel Temple, Jack E. Williams, Kathleen Matthews, Ron Pierce, Richard L. Mayden, Ryan Kovach, John Carlos Garza, Kurt D. FauschCDMetaPOP: An individual-based, eco-evolutionary model for spatially explicit simulation of landscape demogenetics
1. Combining landscape demographic and genetics models offers powerful methods for addressing questions for eco-evolutionary applications.2. Using two illustrative examples, we present Cost–Distance Meta-POPulation, a program to simulate changes in neutral and/or selection-driven genotypes through time as a function of individual-based movement, complex spatial population dynamics, and multiple anAuthorsErin L. Landguth, Andrew Bearlin, Casey Day, Jason B. DunhamA simple prioritization tool to diagnose impairment of stream temperature for coldwater fishes in the Great Basin
We provide a simple framework for diagnosing the impairment of stream water temperature for coldwater fishes across broad spatial extents based on a weight-of-evidence approach that integrates biological criteria, species distribution models, and geostatistical models of stream temperature. As a test case, we applied our approach to identify stream reaches most likely to be thermally impaired forAuthorsJeffrey A. Falke, Jason B. Dunham, David Hockman-Wert, Randy A. PahlLegacy effects of wildfire on stream thermal regimes and rainbow trout ecology: an integrated analysis of observation and individual-based models
Management of aquatic resources in fire-prone areas requires understanding of fish species’ responses to wildfire and of the intermediate- and long-term consequences of these disturbances. We examined Rainbow Trout populations in 9 headwater streams 10 y after a major wildfire: 3 with no history of severe wildfire in the watershed (unburned), 3 in severely burned watersheds (burned), and 3 in seveAuthorsAmanda E. Rosenberger, Jason B. Dunham, Jason R. Neuswanger, Steven F. RailsbackThe role of the geophysical template and environmental regimes in controlling stream-living trout populations
The importance of multiple processes and instream factors to aquatic biota has been explored extensively, but questions remain about how local spatiotemporal variability of aquatic biota is tied to environmental regimes and the geophysical template of streams. We used an individual-based trout model to explore the relative role of the geophysical template versus environmental regimes on biomass ofAuthorsBrooke E. Penaluna, Steve F. Railsback, Jason B. Dunham, S. Johnson, Richard E. Bilby, Arne E. SkaugsetHigher-order statistical moments and a procedure that detects potentially anomalous years as two alternative methods describing alterations in continuous environmental data
Statistics of central tendency and dispersion may not capture relevant or desired characteristics of the distribution of continuous phenomena and, thus, they may not adequately describe temporal patterns of change. Here, we present two methodological approaches that can help to identify temporal changes in environmental regimes. First, we use higher-order statistical moments (skewness and kurtosisAuthorsIvan Arismendi, Sherri L. Johnson, Jason B. DunhamSpatial complexity reduces interaction strengths in the meta-food web of a river floodplain mosaic
Theory states that both the spatial complexity of landscapes and the strength of interactions between consumers and their resources are important for maintaining biodiversity and the 'balance of nature.' Spatial complexity is hypothesized to promote biodiversity by reducing potential for competitive exclusion; whereas, models show weak trophic interactions can enhance stability and maintain biodivAuthorsJames Ryan Bellmore, Colden Vance Baxter, Patrick J. ConnollySpatial ecological processes and local factors predict the distribution and abundance of spawning by steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) across a complex riverscape
Processes that influence habitat selection in landscapes involve the interaction of habitat composition and configuration and are particularly important for species with complex life cycles. We assessed the relative influence of landscape spatial processes and local habitat characteristics on patterns in the distribution and abundance of spawning steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a threatened salmoAuthorsJeffrey A. Falke, Jason B. Dunham, Christopher E. Jordan, Kris M. McNyset, Gordon H. ReevesChinook salmon use of spawning patches: Relative roles of habitat quality, size, and connectivity
Declines in many native fish populations have led to reassessments of management goals and shifted priorities from consumptive uses to species preservation. As management has shifted, relevant environmental characteristics have evolved from traditional metrics that described local habitat quality to characterizations of habitat size and connectivity. Despite the implications this shift has for howAuthorsD.J. Isaak, R.F. Thurow, B.E. Rieman, J. B. DunhamEmerging concepts for management of river ecosystems and challenges to applied integration of physical and biological sciences in the Pacific Northwest, USA
Integration of biological and physical concepts is necessary to understand and conserve the ecological integrity of river systems. Past attempts at integration have often focused at relatively small scales and on mechanistic models that may not capture the complexity of natural systems leaving substantial uncertainty about ecological responses to management actions. Two solutions have been proposeAuthorsBruce Rieman, Jason B. Dunham, James Clayton