Christian E Torgersen
I am a Supervisory Research Landscape Ecologist at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
My research interests include landscape ecology, riverine landscapes, watershed processes, ecological scaling, water quality, fish habitat, land use/land cover change, landscape scenario modeling, spatial analysis, remote sensing and GIS.
Professional Experience
2005 - Present: USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Supervisory Research Landscape Ecologist, Seattle, WA
2002 - 2005: USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Research Biologist, Corvallis, OR
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Fisheries Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR (2002)
M.S., Fisheries Science, Geography Minor, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR (1996)
B.A., Geography/German, double major, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR (1993)
Science and Products
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...
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 63
Diel horizontal migration in streams: juvenile fish exploit spatial heterogeneity in thermal and trophic resources Diel horizontal migration in streams: juvenile fish exploit spatial heterogeneity in thermal and trophic resources
Vertical heterogeneity in the physical characteristics of lakes and oceans is ecologically salient and exploited by a wide range of taxa through diel vertical migration to enhance their growth and survival. Whether analogous behaviors exploit horizontal habitat heterogeneity in streams is largely unknown. We investigated fish movement behavior at daily timescales to explore how...
Authors
Jonathan B. Armstrong, Daniel Schindler, Casey Ruff, Gabriel Brooks, Kale E. Bentley, Christian E. Torgersen
Aquatic insect assemblages associated with subalpine stream segment types in relict glaciated headwaters Aquatic 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...
Authors
Joshua Kubo, Christian E. Torgersen, Susan Bolton, Anne Weekes, Robert Gara
Spatial consistency of chinook salmon redd distribution within and among years in the Cowlitz River, Washington Spatial 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...
Authors
Katherine Klett, Christian E. Torgersen, Julie Henning, Christopher Murray
Modelling dendritic ecological networks in space: anintegrated network perspective 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...
Authors
Erin Peterson, Jay Ver Hoef, Dan Isaak, Jeffrey Falke, Marie-Josée Fortin, Chris Jordon, Kristina McNyset, Pascal Monestiez, Aaron Ruesch, Aritra Sengupta, Nicholas Som, E. Steel, David Theobald, Christian E. Torgersen, Seth Wenger
Thermal infrared remote sensing of water temperature in riverine landscapes Thermal infrared remote sensing of water temperature in riverine landscapes
Water temperature in riverine landscapes is an important regional indicator of water quality that is influenced by both ground- and surface-water inputs, and indirectly by land use in the surrounding watershed (Brown and Krygier, 1970; Beschta et al., 1987; Chen et al., 1998; Poole and Berman, 2001). Coldwater fishes such as salmon and trout are sensitive to elevated water temperature...
Authors
R. N Handcock, Christian Torgersen, K. Cherkauer, A. Gillespie, K Tockner, R. N. Faux, Jing Tan
Projected climate-induced habitat loss for salmonids in the John Day River network, Oregon, U.S.A. Projected climate-induced habitat loss for salmonids in the John Day River network, Oregon, U.S.A.
Climate change will likely have profound effects on cold-water species of freshwater fishes. As temperatures rise, cold-water fish distributions may shift and contract in response. Predicting the effects of projected stream warming in stream networks is complicated by the generally poor correlation between water temperature and air temperature. Spatial dependencies in stream networks are...
Authors
Aaron Ruesch, Christian E. Torgersen, Joshua Lawler, Julian D. Olden, Erin Peterson, Carol Volk, David Lawrence
Tradeoffs between homing and habitat quality for spawning site selection by hatchery-origin Chinook salmon Tradeoffs between homing and habitat quality for spawning site selection by hatchery-origin Chinook salmon
Spawning site selection by female salmon is based on complex and poorly understood tradeoffs between the homing instinct and the availability of appropriate habitat for successful reproduction. Previous studies have shown that hatchery-origin Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) released from different acclimation sites return with varying degrees of fidelity to these areas. To...
Authors
Jeremy M. Cram, Christian E. Torgersen, Ryan S. Klett, George Pess, Darran May, Todd N. Pearsons, Andrew H. Dittman
Spatiotemporal patterns and habitat associations of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) invading salmon-rearing habitat Spatiotemporal patterns and habitat associations of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) invading salmon-rearing habitat
1. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) have been widely introduced to fresh waters throughout the world to promote recreational fishing opportunities. In the Pacific Northwest (U.S.A.), upstream range expansions of predatory bass, especially into subyearling salmon-rearing grounds, are of increasing conservation concern, yet have received little scientific inquiry. Understanding the...
Authors
David Lawrence, Julian D. Olden, Christian E. Torgersen
Primer for identifying cold-water refuges to protect and restore thermal diversity in riverine landscapes Primer for identifying cold-water refuges to protect and restore thermal diversity in riverine landscapes
In 2003, EPA issued Region 10 guidance for Pacific Northwest state and tribal temperature water quality standards. This document was the culmination of a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary effort to develop a temperature standard for the protection of salmon, steelhead, bull trout, and redband and Lahontan cutthroat trout (collectively termed coldwater salmonids). Since its release, the...
Authors
Christian Torgersen, Joseph Ebersole, D.M. Keenan
Incorporating spatial context into the analysis of salmonid habitat relations Incorporating spatial context into the analysis of salmonid habitat relations
In this response to the chapter by Lapointe (this volume), we discuss the question of why it is so difficult to predict salmonid-habitat relations in gravel-bed rivers and streams. We acknowledge that this cannot be an exhaustive treatment of the subject and, thus, identify what we believe are several key issues that demonstrate the necessity of incorporating spatial context into the...
Authors
Christian Torgersen, Colden V. Baxter, J. Ebersole, Bob Gresswell
A riverscape perspective of Pacific salmonids and aquatic habitats prior to large-scale dam removal in the Elwha River, Washington, USA A riverscape perspective of Pacific salmonids and aquatic habitats prior to large-scale dam removal in the Elwha River, Washington, USA
Dam removal has been increasingly proposed as a river restoration technique. In 2011, two large hydroelectric dams will be removed from Washington State’s Elwha River. Ten anadromous fish populations are expected to recolonise historical habitats after dam removal. A key to understanding watershed recolonisation is the collection of spatially continuous information on fish and aquatic...
Authors
S.J. Brenkman, J.J. Duda, C.E. Torgersen, E. Welty, G.R. Pess, R. Peters, M.L. McHenry
Thermal infrared remote sensing of water temperature in riverine landscapes Thermal infrared remote sensing of water temperature in riverine landscapes
Water temperature in riverine landscapes is an important regional indicator of water quality that is influenced by both ground- and surface-water inputs, and indirectly by land use in the surrounding watershed (Brown and Krygier, 1970; Beschta et al., 1987; Chen et al., 1998; Poole and Berman, 2001).Coldwater fishes such as salmon and trout are sensitive to elevated water temperature...
Authors
Rebecca Handcock, Christian E. Torgersen, Keith A. Cherkauer, Alan Gillespie, Tockner Klement, Russell Faux, Jing Tan
Non-USGS Publications**
Torgersen, C.E., Close, D.A., 2004, Influence of habitat heterogeneity on the distribution of larval Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) at two spatial scales: Freshwater Biology, v. 49, no. 5, p. 614-630.
Fausch, K.D., Torgersen, C.E., Baxter, C.V., Li, H.W., 2002, Landscapes to riverscapes- bridging the gap between research and conservation of stream fishes: BioScience, v. 52, no. 6, p. 483-498.
Torgersen, C.E., Faux, R.N., McIntosh, B.A., Poage, N., Norton, D.J., 2001, Airborne thermal remote sensing for water temperature assessment in rivers and streams: Remote Sensing of Environment, v. 76, p. 386-398.
Torgersen, C.E., Price, D.M., Li, H.W., McIntosh, B.A., 1999, Multiscale thermal refugia and stream habitat associations of chinook salmon in northwestern Oregon: Ecological Applications, v. 9, no. 1, p. 301-319, https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(1999)009[0301:MTRASH]2.0.CO;2.
Torgersen, C.E., Poage, N., Flood, M., Norton, D.J., McIntosh, B.A., 1996, Airborne thermal remote sensing of salmonid habitat for restoration planning in Pacific Northwestern watersheds, Baltimore, MD In eds., Proceedings of the Watershed 96 Conference: Alexandria, VA, Water Environment Federation, p. 812-814.
Poage, N., Torgersen, C.E., Norton, D.J., Flood, M., McIntosh, B.A., 1996, Application of thermal infrared (FLIR) and visible videography to the monitoring and restoration of salmonid habitat in the Pacific Northwest In Greer, J.D., ed., Proceedings of the Sixth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference: Denver, CO, American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, p. 376-379.
Torgersen, C.E., Jones, J.A., Moldenke, A.R., LeMaster, M.P., 1995, The spatial heterogeneity of soil invertebrates and edaphic properties in an old growth forest stand in western Oregon In Collins, H.P., Robertson, G.P., Klug, M.J., eds., The Significance and Regulation of Soil Biodiversity: Dordrecht, Netherlands, Kluwer Academic Publishers, p. 225-236.
Torgersen, C.E., Price, D.M., Li, H.W., McIntosh, B.A., 1995, Thermal refugia and chinook salmon habitat in Oregon- Applications of airborne thermal videography In Mausel, P., ed., Proceedings of the 15th Biennial Workshop on Color Photography and Videography: Terre Haute, IN, American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, p. 167-171.
Torgersen, C.E., Baxter, C.V., Li, H., McIntosh, B.A., 2006, Landscape influences on longitudinal patterns of river fishes- Spatially continuous analysis of fish-habitat relationships In Hughes, R., Wang, L., Wofford, J.E., eds., Influences of Landscapes on Stream Habitats and Biological Assemblages: Bethesda, MD, American Fisheries Society, p. 473-492
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
Science and Products
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...
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 63
Diel horizontal migration in streams: juvenile fish exploit spatial heterogeneity in thermal and trophic resources Diel horizontal migration in streams: juvenile fish exploit spatial heterogeneity in thermal and trophic resources
Vertical heterogeneity in the physical characteristics of lakes and oceans is ecologically salient and exploited by a wide range of taxa through diel vertical migration to enhance their growth and survival. Whether analogous behaviors exploit horizontal habitat heterogeneity in streams is largely unknown. We investigated fish movement behavior at daily timescales to explore how...
Authors
Jonathan B. Armstrong, Daniel Schindler, Casey Ruff, Gabriel Brooks, Kale E. Bentley, Christian E. Torgersen
Aquatic insect assemblages associated with subalpine stream segment types in relict glaciated headwaters Aquatic 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...
Authors
Joshua Kubo, Christian E. Torgersen, Susan Bolton, Anne Weekes, Robert Gara
Spatial consistency of chinook salmon redd distribution within and among years in the Cowlitz River, Washington Spatial 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...
Authors
Katherine Klett, Christian E. Torgersen, Julie Henning, Christopher Murray
Modelling dendritic ecological networks in space: anintegrated network perspective 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...
Authors
Erin Peterson, Jay Ver Hoef, Dan Isaak, Jeffrey Falke, Marie-Josée Fortin, Chris Jordon, Kristina McNyset, Pascal Monestiez, Aaron Ruesch, Aritra Sengupta, Nicholas Som, E. Steel, David Theobald, Christian E. Torgersen, Seth Wenger
Thermal infrared remote sensing of water temperature in riverine landscapes Thermal infrared remote sensing of water temperature in riverine landscapes
Water temperature in riverine landscapes is an important regional indicator of water quality that is influenced by both ground- and surface-water inputs, and indirectly by land use in the surrounding watershed (Brown and Krygier, 1970; Beschta et al., 1987; Chen et al., 1998; Poole and Berman, 2001). Coldwater fishes such as salmon and trout are sensitive to elevated water temperature...
Authors
R. N Handcock, Christian Torgersen, K. Cherkauer, A. Gillespie, K Tockner, R. N. Faux, Jing Tan
Projected climate-induced habitat loss for salmonids in the John Day River network, Oregon, U.S.A. Projected climate-induced habitat loss for salmonids in the John Day River network, Oregon, U.S.A.
Climate change will likely have profound effects on cold-water species of freshwater fishes. As temperatures rise, cold-water fish distributions may shift and contract in response. Predicting the effects of projected stream warming in stream networks is complicated by the generally poor correlation between water temperature and air temperature. Spatial dependencies in stream networks are...
Authors
Aaron Ruesch, Christian E. Torgersen, Joshua Lawler, Julian D. Olden, Erin Peterson, Carol Volk, David Lawrence
Tradeoffs between homing and habitat quality for spawning site selection by hatchery-origin Chinook salmon Tradeoffs between homing and habitat quality for spawning site selection by hatchery-origin Chinook salmon
Spawning site selection by female salmon is based on complex and poorly understood tradeoffs between the homing instinct and the availability of appropriate habitat for successful reproduction. Previous studies have shown that hatchery-origin Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) released from different acclimation sites return with varying degrees of fidelity to these areas. To...
Authors
Jeremy M. Cram, Christian E. Torgersen, Ryan S. Klett, George Pess, Darran May, Todd N. Pearsons, Andrew H. Dittman
Spatiotemporal patterns and habitat associations of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) invading salmon-rearing habitat Spatiotemporal patterns and habitat associations of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) invading salmon-rearing habitat
1. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) have been widely introduced to fresh waters throughout the world to promote recreational fishing opportunities. In the Pacific Northwest (U.S.A.), upstream range expansions of predatory bass, especially into subyearling salmon-rearing grounds, are of increasing conservation concern, yet have received little scientific inquiry. Understanding the...
Authors
David Lawrence, Julian D. Olden, Christian E. Torgersen
Primer for identifying cold-water refuges to protect and restore thermal diversity in riverine landscapes Primer for identifying cold-water refuges to protect and restore thermal diversity in riverine landscapes
In 2003, EPA issued Region 10 guidance for Pacific Northwest state and tribal temperature water quality standards. This document was the culmination of a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary effort to develop a temperature standard for the protection of salmon, steelhead, bull trout, and redband and Lahontan cutthroat trout (collectively termed coldwater salmonids). Since its release, the...
Authors
Christian Torgersen, Joseph Ebersole, D.M. Keenan
Incorporating spatial context into the analysis of salmonid habitat relations Incorporating spatial context into the analysis of salmonid habitat relations
In this response to the chapter by Lapointe (this volume), we discuss the question of why it is so difficult to predict salmonid-habitat relations in gravel-bed rivers and streams. We acknowledge that this cannot be an exhaustive treatment of the subject and, thus, identify what we believe are several key issues that demonstrate the necessity of incorporating spatial context into the...
Authors
Christian Torgersen, Colden V. Baxter, J. Ebersole, Bob Gresswell
A riverscape perspective of Pacific salmonids and aquatic habitats prior to large-scale dam removal in the Elwha River, Washington, USA A riverscape perspective of Pacific salmonids and aquatic habitats prior to large-scale dam removal in the Elwha River, Washington, USA
Dam removal has been increasingly proposed as a river restoration technique. In 2011, two large hydroelectric dams will be removed from Washington State’s Elwha River. Ten anadromous fish populations are expected to recolonise historical habitats after dam removal. A key to understanding watershed recolonisation is the collection of spatially continuous information on fish and aquatic...
Authors
S.J. Brenkman, J.J. Duda, C.E. Torgersen, E. Welty, G.R. Pess, R. Peters, M.L. McHenry
Thermal infrared remote sensing of water temperature in riverine landscapes Thermal infrared remote sensing of water temperature in riverine landscapes
Water temperature in riverine landscapes is an important regional indicator of water quality that is influenced by both ground- and surface-water inputs, and indirectly by land use in the surrounding watershed (Brown and Krygier, 1970; Beschta et al., 1987; Chen et al., 1998; Poole and Berman, 2001).Coldwater fishes such as salmon and trout are sensitive to elevated water temperature...
Authors
Rebecca Handcock, Christian E. Torgersen, Keith A. Cherkauer, Alan Gillespie, Tockner Klement, Russell Faux, Jing Tan
Non-USGS Publications**
Torgersen, C.E., Close, D.A., 2004, Influence of habitat heterogeneity on the distribution of larval Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) at two spatial scales: Freshwater Biology, v. 49, no. 5, p. 614-630.
Fausch, K.D., Torgersen, C.E., Baxter, C.V., Li, H.W., 2002, Landscapes to riverscapes- bridging the gap between research and conservation of stream fishes: BioScience, v. 52, no. 6, p. 483-498.
Torgersen, C.E., Faux, R.N., McIntosh, B.A., Poage, N., Norton, D.J., 2001, Airborne thermal remote sensing for water temperature assessment in rivers and streams: Remote Sensing of Environment, v. 76, p. 386-398.
Torgersen, C.E., Price, D.M., Li, H.W., McIntosh, B.A., 1999, Multiscale thermal refugia and stream habitat associations of chinook salmon in northwestern Oregon: Ecological Applications, v. 9, no. 1, p. 301-319, https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(1999)009[0301:MTRASH]2.0.CO;2.
Torgersen, C.E., Poage, N., Flood, M., Norton, D.J., McIntosh, B.A., 1996, Airborne thermal remote sensing of salmonid habitat for restoration planning in Pacific Northwestern watersheds, Baltimore, MD In eds., Proceedings of the Watershed 96 Conference: Alexandria, VA, Water Environment Federation, p. 812-814.
Poage, N., Torgersen, C.E., Norton, D.J., Flood, M., McIntosh, B.A., 1996, Application of thermal infrared (FLIR) and visible videography to the monitoring and restoration of salmonid habitat in the Pacific Northwest In Greer, J.D., ed., Proceedings of the Sixth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference: Denver, CO, American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, p. 376-379.
Torgersen, C.E., Jones, J.A., Moldenke, A.R., LeMaster, M.P., 1995, The spatial heterogeneity of soil invertebrates and edaphic properties in an old growth forest stand in western Oregon In Collins, H.P., Robertson, G.P., Klug, M.J., eds., The Significance and Regulation of Soil Biodiversity: Dordrecht, Netherlands, Kluwer Academic Publishers, p. 225-236.
Torgersen, C.E., Price, D.M., Li, H.W., McIntosh, B.A., 1995, Thermal refugia and chinook salmon habitat in Oregon- Applications of airborne thermal videography In Mausel, P., ed., Proceedings of the 15th Biennial Workshop on Color Photography and Videography: Terre Haute, IN, American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, p. 167-171.
Torgersen, C.E., Baxter, C.V., Li, H., McIntosh, B.A., 2006, Landscape influences on longitudinal patterns of river fishes- Spatially continuous analysis of fish-habitat relationships In Hughes, R., Wang, L., Wofford, J.E., eds., Influences of Landscapes on Stream Habitats and Biological Assemblages: Bethesda, MD, American Fisheries Society, p. 473-492
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.