National parks and other protected areas are key components of the wildlife conservation landscape. The goal of wildlife managers in national parks is to preserve the ecological integrity and authenticity of natural systems for future generations. Wildlife populations of national parks, however, are in continuous flux as a result of changing land uses outside their boundaries, climate variability, human visitation, or dynamic ecosystem processes within their boundaries. Although the general practice has been to let natural processes operate within national parks to the extent possible, management may be required to adapt to changing environmental conditions, protect special-status wildlife populations, control unwanted exotic species, and restore altered wildlife communities, ecosystem processes, or extirpated species.
Our work, conducted in close cooperation with the National Park Service, universities and Tribal scientists, aims to increase understanding of mammalian ecology in and around national parks in the Pacific Northwest to help inform wildlife management decisions. Examples of recent and ongoing research projects, each related to a specific wildlife management question in national parks, include the following:
- Influences of changing land uses on Roosevelt elk populations in and adjacent to Mount Rainier National Park
- Population declines of caribou in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
- Effects of proposed wolf reintroduction on Roosevelt elk in Olympic National Park
- Long-term effects of dam removal and salmon restoration on black bears, mid-sized carnivores, small mammals, and amphibians in the Elwha Valley, Olympic National Park
- Fisher restoration in Olympic National Park
- Influences of fire fuels management on the western Gray Squirrel in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
- Population trends of non-native mountain goats following management reductions
- Spatial-use patterns of food-conditioned Cascades Red Foxes in Mount Rainier National Park
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Fisher (Pekania pennanti) detections and analysis covariates on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, 2013-2016
From 2013-16 we deployed 3 motion-sensing cameras paired with hair (DNA)-snaring devices within each of 263 24-square kilometer primary sampling units distributed systematically across the Olympic Peninsula in northwestern Washington. The data set contains detection histories of fishers during each of 3 14-day sampling intervals at each hexagon. The data set also includes detectability and environ
Habitat use, diet, movement, and vegetation use by western gray squirrels (Sciurus griseus) in the North Cascades Range, USA, 2008-2011
Data are contained in a comma-separated spreadsheet files (.csv) that describe vegetation characteristics of high- and low-use areas, nest tree sites, and individual nest trees used by western gray squirrels in the North Cascades as determined through live-trapping and radiotelemetry at two study sites: Stehekin, and the southern Methow Valley (Squaw Creek drainage), Washington. Squirrels were liv
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 16
Occupancy patterns in a reintroduced fisher population during reestablishment
Monitoring population performance in the years following species reintroductions is key to assessing population restoration success and evaluating assumptions made in planning species restoration programs. From 2008–2010 we translocated 90 fishers (Pekania pennanti) from British Columbia, Canada, to Washington's Olympic Peninsula, USA, providing the opportunity to evaluate modeling assumptions use
Status of Pacific martens (Martes caurina) on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Pacific martens (Martes caurina) remain common in montane regions of the Pacific states, yet
their distribution and status on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, is uncertain. Between 1968–
2008, six reliable marten detections exist; a dead juvenile female (2008) indicates martens were
reproducing on the Peninsula within the last decade. To assess the status of martens, we describe
carnivore survey
Trends in landbird density at two national parks in fragmented, mixed-use landscapes of the Pacific Northwest
National parks play a key role in conserving species by providing landscapes where threats from anthropogenic disturbance are reduced. In a recent study of 3 large wilderness parks in the Pacific Northwest, nearly all landbird species were found to be stable or increasing. Nonetheless, contemporary results from the Breeding Bird Survey and mark-recapture studies fuel concerns that some landbirds i
Landbird population trends in mountain and historical parks of the North Coast and Cascades Network: 2005–2016 synthesis
Long-term monitoring of landbird populations within the National Park Service (NPS) North Coast and Cascades Inventory and Monitoring Network (NCCN) began in 2005, with the goal of detecting trends to inform the conservation and management of landbirds and their habitats. Here we use 2005–2016 data from over 3500 point-count stations to report landbird occurrence and trends in each of five NCCN pa
Terrestrial fauna are agents and endpoints in ecosystem restoration following dam removal
Dam removal is an effective and increasingly applied river restoration strategy. This has led to heightened calls for research and monitoring aimed at understanding physical and ecological outcomes following dam removal. While such research programs have increased, roles of terrestrial fauna in the restoration process remain poorly understood, although wildlife and invertebrate fauna are key compo
Recent stability of resident and migratory landbird populations in National Parks of the Pacific Northwest
Monitoring species in National Parks facilitates inference regarding effects of climate change on population dynamics because parks are relatively unaffected by other forms of anthropogenic disturbance. Even at early points in a monitoring program, identifying climate covariates of population density can suggest vulnerabilities to future change. Monitoring landbird populations in parks during the
Interagency Pacific marten (Martes caurina) distribution study on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
The objective of this study was to determine if the Pacific marten (Martes caurina) still occurs on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. We reviewed recent records of marten observations on the Olympic Peninsula since 1998, and conducted new surveys in undersampled regions of the Olympic Peninsula during summer, 2016. We reviewed evidence of fisher presence from 6 previously reported stud
Channel-planform evolution in four rivers of Olympic National Park, Washington, U.S.A.: The roles of physical drivers and trophic cascades
Identifying the relative contributions of physical and ecological processes to channel evolution remains a substantial challenge in fluvial geomorphology. We use a 74-year aerial photographic record of the Hoh, Queets, Quinault, and Elwha Rivers, Olympic National Park, Washington, U.S.A., to investigate whether physical or trophic-cascade-driven ecological factors—excessive elk impacts after wolve
Landscape-scale habitat selection by fishers translocated to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington
The fisher was extirpated from much of the Pacific Northwestern United States during the mid- to late-1900s and is now proposed for federal listing as a threatened species in all or part of its west coast range. Following the translocation of 90 fishers from central British Columbia, Canada, to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State from 2008 to 2010, we investigated the landscape-scale habitat
Timing of translocation influences birth rate and population dynamics in a forest carnivore
Timing can be critical for many life history events of organisms. Consequently, the timing of management activities may affect individuals and populations in numerous and unforeseen ways. Translocations of organisms are used to restore or expand populations but the timing of translocations is largely unexplored as a factor influencing population success. We hypothesized that the process of translo
Occupancy patterns of mammals and lentic amphibians in the Elwha River riparian zone before dam removal
The downstream transport of sediments and organics and upstream migration of anadromous fishes are key ecological processes in unregulated riverine ecosystems of the North Pacific coast, but their influence on wildlife habitats and populations is poorly documented. Removal of two large hydroelectric dams in Washington’s Elwha Valley provides an unprecedented opportunity to study long-term response
Recent population trends of mountain goats in the Olympic Mountains, Washington
Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) were introduced in Washington's Olympic Mountains during the 1920s. The population subsequently increased in numbers and expanded in range, leading to concerns by the 1970s over the potential effects of non-native mountain goats on high-elevation plant communities in Olympic National Park. The National Park Service (NPS) transplanted mountain goats from the Oly
- Overview
National parks and other protected areas are key components of the wildlife conservation landscape. The goal of wildlife managers in national parks is to preserve the ecological integrity and authenticity of natural systems for future generations. Wildlife populations of national parks, however, are in continuous flux as a result of changing land uses outside their boundaries, climate variability, human visitation, or dynamic ecosystem processes within their boundaries. Although the general practice has been to let natural processes operate within national parks to the extent possible, management may be required to adapt to changing environmental conditions, protect special-status wildlife populations, control unwanted exotic species, and restore altered wildlife communities, ecosystem processes, or extirpated species.
Our work, conducted in close cooperation with the National Park Service, universities and Tribal scientists, aims to increase understanding of mammalian ecology in and around national parks in the Pacific Northwest to help inform wildlife management decisions. Examples of recent and ongoing research projects, each related to a specific wildlife management question in national parks, include the following:
- Influences of changing land uses on Roosevelt elk populations in and adjacent to Mount Rainier National Park
- Population declines of caribou in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
- Effects of proposed wolf reintroduction on Roosevelt elk in Olympic National Park
- Long-term effects of dam removal and salmon restoration on black bears, mid-sized carnivores, small mammals, and amphibians in the Elwha Valley, Olympic National Park
- Fisher restoration in Olympic National Park
- Influences of fire fuels management on the western Gray Squirrel in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
- Population trends of non-native mountain goats following management reductions
- Spatial-use patterns of food-conditioned Cascades Red Foxes in Mount Rainier National Park
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Fisher (Pekania pennanti) detections and analysis covariates on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, 2013-2016
From 2013-16 we deployed 3 motion-sensing cameras paired with hair (DNA)-snaring devices within each of 263 24-square kilometer primary sampling units distributed systematically across the Olympic Peninsula in northwestern Washington. The data set contains detection histories of fishers during each of 3 14-day sampling intervals at each hexagon. The data set also includes detectability and environHabitat use, diet, movement, and vegetation use by western gray squirrels (Sciurus griseus) in the North Cascades Range, USA, 2008-2011
Data are contained in a comma-separated spreadsheet files (.csv) that describe vegetation characteristics of high- and low-use areas, nest tree sites, and individual nest trees used by western gray squirrels in the North Cascades as determined through live-trapping and radiotelemetry at two study sites: Stehekin, and the southern Methow Valley (Squaw Creek drainage), Washington. Squirrels were liv - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 16Occupancy patterns in a reintroduced fisher population during reestablishment
Monitoring population performance in the years following species reintroductions is key to assessing population restoration success and evaluating assumptions made in planning species restoration programs. From 2008–2010 we translocated 90 fishers (Pekania pennanti) from British Columbia, Canada, to Washington's Olympic Peninsula, USA, providing the opportunity to evaluate modeling assumptions useStatus of Pacific martens (Martes caurina) on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Pacific martens (Martes caurina) remain common in montane regions of the Pacific states, yet their distribution and status on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, is uncertain. Between 1968– 2008, six reliable marten detections exist; a dead juvenile female (2008) indicates martens were reproducing on the Peninsula within the last decade. To assess the status of martens, we describe carnivore surveyTrends in landbird density at two national parks in fragmented, mixed-use landscapes of the Pacific Northwest
National parks play a key role in conserving species by providing landscapes where threats from anthropogenic disturbance are reduced. In a recent study of 3 large wilderness parks in the Pacific Northwest, nearly all landbird species were found to be stable or increasing. Nonetheless, contemporary results from the Breeding Bird Survey and mark-recapture studies fuel concerns that some landbirds iLandbird population trends in mountain and historical parks of the North Coast and Cascades Network: 2005–2016 synthesis
Long-term monitoring of landbird populations within the National Park Service (NPS) North Coast and Cascades Inventory and Monitoring Network (NCCN) began in 2005, with the goal of detecting trends to inform the conservation and management of landbirds and their habitats. Here we use 2005–2016 data from over 3500 point-count stations to report landbird occurrence and trends in each of five NCCN paTerrestrial fauna are agents and endpoints in ecosystem restoration following dam removal
Dam removal is an effective and increasingly applied river restoration strategy. This has led to heightened calls for research and monitoring aimed at understanding physical and ecological outcomes following dam removal. While such research programs have increased, roles of terrestrial fauna in the restoration process remain poorly understood, although wildlife and invertebrate fauna are key compoRecent stability of resident and migratory landbird populations in National Parks of the Pacific Northwest
Monitoring species in National Parks facilitates inference regarding effects of climate change on population dynamics because parks are relatively unaffected by other forms of anthropogenic disturbance. Even at early points in a monitoring program, identifying climate covariates of population density can suggest vulnerabilities to future change. Monitoring landbird populations in parks during theInteragency Pacific marten (Martes caurina) distribution study on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
The objective of this study was to determine if the Pacific marten (Martes caurina) still occurs on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. We reviewed recent records of marten observations on the Olympic Peninsula since 1998, and conducted new surveys in undersampled regions of the Olympic Peninsula during summer, 2016. We reviewed evidence of fisher presence from 6 previously reported studChannel-planform evolution in four rivers of Olympic National Park, Washington, U.S.A.: The roles of physical drivers and trophic cascades
Identifying the relative contributions of physical and ecological processes to channel evolution remains a substantial challenge in fluvial geomorphology. We use a 74-year aerial photographic record of the Hoh, Queets, Quinault, and Elwha Rivers, Olympic National Park, Washington, U.S.A., to investigate whether physical or trophic-cascade-driven ecological factors—excessive elk impacts after wolveLandscape-scale habitat selection by fishers translocated to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington
The fisher was extirpated from much of the Pacific Northwestern United States during the mid- to late-1900s and is now proposed for federal listing as a threatened species in all or part of its west coast range. Following the translocation of 90 fishers from central British Columbia, Canada, to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State from 2008 to 2010, we investigated the landscape-scale habitatTiming of translocation influences birth rate and population dynamics in a forest carnivore
Timing can be critical for many life history events of organisms. Consequently, the timing of management activities may affect individuals and populations in numerous and unforeseen ways. Translocations of organisms are used to restore or expand populations but the timing of translocations is largely unexplored as a factor influencing population success. We hypothesized that the process of transloOccupancy patterns of mammals and lentic amphibians in the Elwha River riparian zone before dam removal
The downstream transport of sediments and organics and upstream migration of anadromous fishes are key ecological processes in unregulated riverine ecosystems of the North Pacific coast, but their influence on wildlife habitats and populations is poorly documented. Removal of two large hydroelectric dams in Washington’s Elwha Valley provides an unprecedented opportunity to study long-term responseRecent population trends of mountain goats in the Olympic Mountains, Washington
Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) were introduced in Washington's Olympic Mountains during the 1920s. The population subsequently increased in numbers and expanded in range, leading to concerns by the 1970s over the potential effects of non-native mountain goats on high-elevation plant communities in Olympic National Park. The National Park Service (NPS) transplanted mountain goats from the Oly