Water resources, riparian areas, and aquatic organisms are of critical importance in natural resource management. Yet, they are difficult to map, monitor, and understand in a spatially explicit and extensive manner as can be done more easily in terrestrial environments.
We develop techniques for spatial analysis of watersheds, lakes, rivers, and stream networks, and we study the interactions between the surrounding landscape, local habitat, and management as they affect aquatic biota. We also develop classification and monitoring techniques for tracking status and trends and for linking aquatic communities with the mechanisms that influence their distribution and abundance. Our studies examine a wide range of aquatic and riparian organisms in environments ranging from high-elevation streams and lakes to forested headwaters and mainstem rivers.
Featured Studies
- Influence of Landscape Pattern and Composition on Species in Forested Ecosystems in Western Oregon
- Longitudinal Patterns of Fish Assemblage Structure, Stream Habitat, and Water Temperature in the Lower Crooked River, Oregon
- Primer for Identifying Cold-water Thermal Refugia for the Protection and Restoration of Habitat for Native Salmonids
- Multivariate Classification of Hydrologic Landscapes for Paired Watershed Studies in Headwater Catchments
- Linking Hydrogeology and Aquatic Communities for Ecological Monitoring of Wadeable Mountain Streams
- Developing a Multivariate Tool for Classifying Aquatic Ecosystems and Predicting Zooplankton and Water Quality Response to Climate Change in Lakes and Ponds of Mount Rainier National Park
- Multi-layered Interdisciplinary Mapping of Riverscapes in the Pacific Northwest
- Linkages between Spring Chinook Habitat Quality and Spawning Sites in the Yakima River
- Predicting the Spread of Invasive Exotic Plants into De-Watered Reservoirs following Dam Removal on the Elwha River, Olympic National Park, WA
- Spatial Models for Connecting Landscapes to Fish Diversity in Alaska
- Variability in Cutthroat Trout Abundance Relative to Habitat Characteristics in Headwater Catchments
- Integrating Future Climate Change and Riparian Land-Use to Forecast the Effects of Stream Warming on Species Invasions and Their Impacts on Native Salmonids
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Aquatic & Landscape Ecology Research Team (FRESC)
Below are publications associated with this project.
Simulated juvenile salmon growth and phenology respond to altered thermal regimes and stream network shape
Spatial variability of Chinook salmon spawning distribution and habitat preferences
Spatially intensive sampling by electrofishing for assessing longitudinal discontinuities in fish distribution in a headwater stream
Polymorphic mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) in a coastal riverscape: size class assemblages, distribution, and habitat associations
Multiscale analysis of river networks using the R package linbin
Pattern detection in stream networks: Quantifying spatial variability in fish distribution
Hydrologic response to valley-scale structure in alpine headwaters
Applications of spatial statistical network models to stream data
Network analysis reveals multiscale controls on streamwater chemistry
Aquatic insect assemblages associated with subalpine stream segment types in relict glaciated headwaters
Spatial consistency of chinook salmon redd distribution within and among years in the Cowlitz River, Washington
Modelling dendritic ecological networks in space: anintegrated network perspective
- Overview
Water resources, riparian areas, and aquatic organisms are of critical importance in natural resource management. Yet, they are difficult to map, monitor, and understand in a spatially explicit and extensive manner as can be done more easily in terrestrial environments.
We develop techniques for spatial analysis of watersheds, lakes, rivers, and stream networks, and we study the interactions between the surrounding landscape, local habitat, and management as they affect aquatic biota. We also develop classification and monitoring techniques for tracking status and trends and for linking aquatic communities with the mechanisms that influence their distribution and abundance. Our studies examine a wide range of aquatic and riparian organisms in environments ranging from high-elevation streams and lakes to forested headwaters and mainstem rivers.
Featured Studies
- Influence of Landscape Pattern and Composition on Species in Forested Ecosystems in Western Oregon
- Longitudinal Patterns of Fish Assemblage Structure, Stream Habitat, and Water Temperature in the Lower Crooked River, Oregon
- Primer for Identifying Cold-water Thermal Refugia for the Protection and Restoration of Habitat for Native Salmonids
- Multivariate Classification of Hydrologic Landscapes for Paired Watershed Studies in Headwater Catchments
- Linking Hydrogeology and Aquatic Communities for Ecological Monitoring of Wadeable Mountain Streams
- Developing a Multivariate Tool for Classifying Aquatic Ecosystems and Predicting Zooplankton and Water Quality Response to Climate Change in Lakes and Ponds of Mount Rainier National Park
- Multi-layered Interdisciplinary Mapping of Riverscapes in the Pacific Northwest
- Linkages between Spring Chinook Habitat Quality and Spawning Sites in the Yakima River
- Predicting the Spread of Invasive Exotic Plants into De-Watered Reservoirs following Dam Removal on the Elwha River, Olympic National Park, WA
- Spatial Models for Connecting Landscapes to Fish Diversity in Alaska
- Variability in Cutthroat Trout Abundance Relative to Habitat Characteristics in Headwater Catchments
- Integrating Future Climate Change and Riparian Land-Use to Forecast the Effects of Stream Warming on Species Invasions and Their Impacts on Native Salmonids
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Aquatic & Landscape Ecology Research Team (FRESC)
Fresh waters are one of the most valuable and threatened resources worldwide. They supply critical services to society and harbor many of the world’s most imperiled species. We conduct research and provide technical assistance to address challenges to fresh waters. Our research focuses on ecological processes in freshwater and terrestrial systems and the effects of those processes on landscape... - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 30Simulated juvenile salmon growth and phenology respond to altered thermal regimes and stream network shape
It is generally accepted that climate change will stress coldwater species such as Pacific salmon. However, it is unclear what aspect of altered thermal regimes (e.g., warmer winters, springs, summers, or increased variability) will have the greatest effect, and what role the spatial properties of river networks play. Thermally diverse habitats may afford protection from climate change by providinSpatial variability of Chinook salmon spawning distribution and habitat preferences
We investigated physical habitat conditions associated with the spawning sites of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and the interannual consistency of spawning distribution across multiple spatial scales using a combination of spatially continuous and discrete sampling methods. We conducted a census of aquatic habitat in 76 km of the upper main-stem Yakima River in Washington and evaluated sSpatially intensive sampling by electrofishing for assessing longitudinal discontinuities in fish distribution in a headwater stream
Spatially intensive sampling by electrofishing is proposed as a method for quantifying spatial variation in fish assemblages at multiple scales along extensive stream sections in headwater catchments. We used this method to sample fish species at 10-m2 points spaced every 20 m throughout 5 km of a headwater stream in France. The spatially intensive sampling design provided information at a spatialPolymorphic mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) in a coastal riverscape: size class assemblages, distribution, and habitat associations
We compared the assemblage structure, spatial distributions, and habitat associations of mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) morphotypes and size classes. We hypothesised that morphotypes would have different spatial distributions and would be associated with different habitat features based on feeding behaviour and diet. Spatially continuous sampling was conducted over a broad extent (29 kMultiscale analysis of river networks using the R package linbin
Analytical tools are needed in riverine science and management to bridge the gap between GIS and statistical packages that were not designed for the directional and dendritic structure of streams. We introduce linbin, an R package developed for the analysis of riverscapes at multiple scales. With this software, riverine data on aquatic habitat and species distribution can be scaled and plotted autPattern detection in stream networks: Quantifying spatial variability in fish distribution
Biological and physical properties of rivers and streams are inherently difficult to sample and visualize at the resolution and extent necessary to detect fine-scale distributional patterns over large areas. Satellite imagery and broad-scale fish survey methods are effective for quantifying spatial variability in biological and physical variables over a range of scales in marine environments but aHydrologic response to valley-scale structure in alpine headwaters
Few systematic studies of valley-scale geomorphic drivers of streamflow regimes in complex alpine headwaters have compared response between catchments. As a result, little guidance is available for regional-scale hydrological research and monitoring efforts that include assessments of ecosystem function. Physical parameters such as slope, elevation range, drainage area and bedrock geology are ofteApplications of spatial statistical network models to stream data
Streams and rivers host a significant portion of Earth's biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services for human populations. Accurate information regarding the status and trends of stream resources is vital for their effective conservation and management. Most statistical techniques applied to data measured on stream networks were developed for terrestrial applications and are not optimizNetwork analysis reveals multiscale controls on streamwater chemistry
By coupling synoptic data from a basin-wide assessment of streamwater chemistry with network-based geostatistical analysis, we show that spatial processes differentially affect biogeochemical condition and pattern across a headwater stream network. We analyzed a high-resolution dataset consisting of 664 water samples collected every 100 m throughout 32 tributaries in an entire fifth-order stream nAquatic insect assemblages associated with subalpine stream segment types in relict glaciated headwaters
1. Aquatic habitats and biotic assemblages in subalpine headwaters are sensitive to climate and human impacts. Understanding biotic responses to such perturbations and the contribution of high-elevation headwaters to riverine biodiversity requires the assessment of assemblage composition among habitat types. We compared aquatic insect assemblages among headwater stream segment types in relict glacSpatial consistency of chinook salmon redd distribution within and among years in the Cowlitz River, Washington
We investigated the spawning patterns of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha on the lower Cowlitz River, Washington, using a unique set of fine- and coarse-scale temporal and spatial data collected during biweekly aerial surveys conducted in 1991–2009 (500 m to 28 km resolution) and 2008–2009 (100–500 m resolution). Redd locations were mapped from a helicopter during 2008 and 2009 with a hand-Modelling dendritic ecological networks in space: anintegrated network perspective
Dendritic ecological networks (DENs) are a unique form of ecological networks that exhibit a dendritic network topology (e.g. stream and cave networks or plant architecture). DENs have a dual spatial representation; as points within the network and as points in geographical space. Consequently, some analytical methods used to quantify relationships in other types of ecological networks, or in 2-D