Ecology of Rare and Declining Species and Communities of Conservation Concern Active
Special status species and habitats are often sentinels of accelerated ecosystem change and, by definition, are priorities for protection, restoration, or focused management.
For many species with special status designations, robust information about the basic ecology and habitat associations is lacking. Additionally, designation of special status frequently raises the legal and political profile of these species and habitats, amplifying managers' need for scientifically sound and defensible information. My research program focuses on providing this information by expanding understanding of basic ecology, as well as investigating interactions among limiting factors, ecosystem change, and anthropogenic stresses.
For example, one project is providing new information on the distribution and habitat associations of the American Pika on the west slope of the Oregon Cascade Range. Other projects are investigating patterns of biodiversity in and the effects of restoration on oak habitats and their unique species assemblages in western Oregon. Important information needed to support management decisions include accurate maps of oak-habitat types, increased understanding of how distribution and condition of habitat patches influence use by associated wildlife, and evaluations of wildlife response to land use and restoration at spatial scales from patch to landscape.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Estimated Probabilities from Lidar Models for Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) Occupancy in Forest Vegetation Stands in the Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon
Below are publications associated with this project.
Western purple martin (Progne subis arboricola) occurrence on the Siuslaw National Forest, Summer 2019
Modeling habitat for Marbled Murrelets on the Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon, using lidar data
Survey of bats on Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, December 2011-April 2012
Summary of bird-survey and banding results at W.L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, 1998-2008
Use of non-alpine anthropogenic habitats by American pikas (Ochotona princeps) in western Oregon, USA
- Overview
Special status species and habitats are often sentinels of accelerated ecosystem change and, by definition, are priorities for protection, restoration, or focused management.
For many species with special status designations, robust information about the basic ecology and habitat associations is lacking. Additionally, designation of special status frequently raises the legal and political profile of these species and habitats, amplifying managers' need for scientifically sound and defensible information. My research program focuses on providing this information by expanding understanding of basic ecology, as well as investigating interactions among limiting factors, ecosystem change, and anthropogenic stresses.
For example, one project is providing new information on the distribution and habitat associations of the American Pika on the west slope of the Oregon Cascade Range. Other projects are investigating patterns of biodiversity in and the effects of restoration on oak habitats and their unique species assemblages in western Oregon. Important information needed to support management decisions include accurate maps of oak-habitat types, increased understanding of how distribution and condition of habitat patches influence use by associated wildlife, and evaluations of wildlife response to land use and restoration at spatial scales from patch to landscape.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Estimated Probabilities from Lidar Models for Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) Occupancy in Forest Vegetation Stands in the Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon
We developed a LiDAR-based habitat model for the threatened Marbled Murrelet (MAMU) in the Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon, using a two-step approach. First, we tested the applicability of the LiDAR-based model developed for the Coos Bay District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the Siuslaw N.F. In the second step, we tested alternative habitat models developed with forest structural data - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Western purple martin (Progne subis arboricola) occurrence on the Siuslaw National Forest, Summer 2019
The western subspecies of the purple martin (Progne subis arboricola) is currently listed as a “critically” sensitive species in four ecoregions of western Oregon: Coast Range, Klamath Mountains, West Cascades, and Willamette Valley (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2019). Importantly distinct from the abundant and widespread eastern subspecies (Progne subis subis), the western subspecies iAuthorsJoan Hagar, Eric BranchModeling habitat for Marbled Murrelets on the Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon, using lidar data
Habitat models using lidar-derived variables that quantify fine-scale variation in vegetation structure can improve the accuracy of occupancy estimates for canopy-dwelling species over models that use variables derived from other remote sensing techniques. However, the ability of models developed at such a fine spatial scale to maintain accuracy at regional or larger spatial scales has not been teAuthorsJoan C. Hagar, Ramiro Aragon, Patricia Haggerty, Jeff P. HollenbeckSurvey of bats on Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, December 2011-April 2012
Bats are diverse and abundant in many ecosystems worldwide. They perform important ecosystem functions, particularly by consuming large quantities of insects (Cleveland and others, 2006; Jones and others, 2009; Kuhn and others, 2011). The importance of bats to biodiversity and to ecosystem integrity has been overlooked in many regions, largely because the challenges of detecting and studying theseAuthorsJoan C. Hagar, Tom Manning, Jenny BarnettSummary of bird-survey and banding results at W.L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, 1998-2008
With some of the best remaining examples of oak habitats in the Willamette Valley, the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex (WVNWRC) has been implementing restoration efforts to reverse the successional trend towards Douglas-fir and maple that is threatening existing oak woodlands. The restoration work has been considered a model for other public and private efforts within the WillamAuthorsJoan HagarUse of non-alpine anthropogenic habitats by American pikas (Ochotona princeps) in western Oregon, USA
The American pika (Ochotona princeps Richardson) has long been characterized in field guides and popular literature as an obligate inhabitant of alpine talus and as having relatively low dispersal capability. However, recent work reveals pikas to have broader habitat associations than previously reported. Over a large portion of the western slope of the Cascade Range in Oregon, pikas inhabit relatAuthorsTom Manning, Joan C. Hagar