Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center (FRESC)
Publications
Ecosystems science: Genes to landscapes
Integration of eDNA-based biological monitoring within the US Geological Survey’s national streamgage network
This study explores the feasibility and utility of integrating environmental DNA (eDNA) assessments of species occurrences into the US Geological Survey’s national streamgage network. We used an existing network of five gages in southwest Idaho to explore the type of information that could be gained as well as the associated costs and limitations...
Pilliod, David; Laramie, Matthew; McCoy, Dorene; Maclean, Scott Designing multi-scale hierarchical monitoring frameworks for wildlife to support management: A sage-grouse case study
Population monitoring is integral to the conservation and management of wildlife; yet, analyses of population demographic data rarely consider processes occurring across spatial scales, potentially limiting the effectiveness of adaptive management. Therefore, we developed a method to identify hierarchical levels of organization (i.e., populations...
O'Donnell, Michael S.; Edmunds, David R.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Heinrichs, Julie; Coates, Peter S.; Prochazka, Brian G.; Hanser, Steven E. 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...
Morozumi, C. N.; Howell, B. L.; Happe, P. J.; Jenkins, Kurt J.; Pilgrim, K. L.; Schwartz, M. K.; Moriarty, K. M.; Aubry, K. B. Anticoagulant rodenticides in Strix owls indicate widespread exposure in west coast forests
Exposure of nontarget wildlife to anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) is a global conservation concern typically centered around urban or agricultural areas. Recently, however, the illegal use of ARs in remote forests of California, USA, has exposed sensitive predators, including the federally threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis...
Wiens, David; Dilione, Krista E.; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Herring, Garth; Lesmeister, Damon B.; Gabriel, Mourad W.; Wengert, Greta; Simon, David C. Floodplains provide important amphibian habitat despite multiple ecological threats
Floodplain ponds and wetlands are productive and biodiverse ecosystems, yet they face multiple threats including altered hydrology, land use change, and non‐native species. Protecting and restoring important floodplain ecosystems requires understanding how organisms use these habitats and respond to altered environmental conditions. We developed...
Holgerson, Meredith; Duarte, Adam; Hayes, Marc; Adams, Michael J.; Tyson, Julie A.; Douville, Keith; Strecker, Angela Adding invasive species bio-surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network
The costs of invasive species in the United States alone are estimated to exceed US$100 billion per year so a critical tactic in minimizing the costs of invasive species is the development of effective, early-detection systems. To this end, we evaluated the efficacy of adding environmental (e)DNA surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)...
Sepulveda, Adam J.; Schmidt, Christian; Amberg, Jon J.; Hutchins, Patrick R.; Stratton, Christian; Mebane, Christopher A.; Laramie, Matthew; Pilliod, David Wetland management strategy to reduce mercury export in water and bioaccumulation in fish
Wetland environments provide numerous ecosystem services but also facilitate methylmercury (MeHg) production and bioaccumulation. We developed a wetland‐management technique to reduce MeHg concentrations in wetland fish and water. We physically modified seasonal wetlands by constructing open‐ and deep‐water treatment cells at the downstream end of...
Ackerman, Joshua T.; Fleck, Jacob; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Marvin-DiPasquale, Mark C.; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Herzog, Mark P.; McQuillen, Harry L. Decision analysis for the reintroduction of Bull Trout into the lower Pend Oreille River, Washington
The decision to reintroduce a species can be difficult owing to conflicting opinions and objectives, as well as uncertainty of the outcome. Structured decision making addresses these considerations by identifying realistic fundamental objectives and building achievable management alternatives, within a quantitative modeling framework. The process...
Benjamin, Joseph R.; Brignon, William R.; Dunham, Jason B. Climate vulnerability assessment for Pacific salmon and steelhead in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem
Major ecological realignments are already occurring in response to climate change. To be successful, conservation strategies now need to account for geographical patterns in traits sensitive to climate change, as well as climate threats to species-level diversity. As part of an effort to provide such information, we conducted a climate...
Crozier, Lisa G; McClure, Michelle M; Beechie, Tim J.; Bograd, Steven J.; Boughton, David A.; Carr, Mark H.; Cooney, Thomas D.; Dunham, Jason B.; Greene, Correigh M.; Haltuch, Melissa A; Hazen, Elliott L; Holzer, Damon M; Huff, David D.; Johnson, Rachel C.; Jordan, Chris E; Kaplan, Issac C; Lindley, Steven T; Mantua, Nathan J; Moyle, Peter B.; Myers, James M; Nelson, Mark W; Spence, Brian C; Weitkamp, Laurie A.; Williams, Thomas H.; Willis-Norton, Ellen Application of multiple-population viability analysis to evaluate species recovery alternatives
Population viability analysis (PVA) is a powerful conservation tool, but one that remains unapproachable for many species. This is particularly true for species with multiple, broadly-distributed populations for which collecting suitable data can be challenging. A recently-developed method of multiple population viability analysis (MPVA),...
Neville, Helen M.; Leasure, Douglas R.; Dauwalter, Daniel C.; Dunham, Jason B.; Bjork, Robin; Fesenmyer, Kurt A.; Chelgren, Nathan; Peacock, Mary M.; Luce, Charles H; Isaak, Daniel J.; Carranza, Lee Ann; Sjoberg, Jon; Wengerd, Seth J. Freezing resistance, safety margins, and survival vary among big sagebrush populations across the western United States
PremisePhysiological responses to temperature extremes are considered strong drivers of species’ demographic responses to climate variability. Plants are typically classified as either avoiders or tolerators in their freezing‐resistance mechanism, but a gradient of physiological‐threshold freezing responses may exist among individuals of a...
Lazarus, Brynne; Germino, Matthew J.; Richardson, Bryce A. Timber harvest alters mercury bioaccumulation and food web structure in headwater streams
Timber harvest has many effects on aquatic ecosystems, including changes in hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological processes that can influence mercury (Hg) cycling. Although timber harvest’s influence on aqueous Hg transformation and transport are well studied, the effects on Hg bioaccumulation are not. We evaluated Hg bioaccumulation,...
Willacker, James; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Kowalski, Brandon M; Danehy, Robert J; Jackson, Allyson K.; Adams, Evan M.; Evers, David C.; Eckley, Chris S.; Tate, Michael T.; Krabbenhoft, David P.