Jason B Dunham
I am a Supervisory Research Ecologist at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, Oregon
My research is focused on landscape ecology of aquatic ecosystems, conservation biology of focal species, ecology of natural disturbance, biological invasions, and monitoring.
Professional Experience
2005 - Present: USGS, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Supervisory Research Ecologist, Corvallis, Oregon
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Ecology Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV
Science and Products
Aquatic & Landscape Ecology Research Team (FRESC)
Webinar: Understanding Water Availability Across Landscapes in a Time of Increasing Drought
Identifying Resilient Headwater Streams to Mitigate Impacts of Future Drought in the Northwest
Webinar: Rangewide Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Threatened Bull Trout
River’s End: Mapping Patterns of Stream Drying in the Western United States
The Past as a Prelude to the Future: Assessing Climate Effects on Native Trout in the U.S.
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.
Geomorphic and larval lamprey surveys in tributaries of the Umpqua River, Oregon
Stream temperature and drying data from Willow/Whitehorse watersheds, southeast Oregon, 2014-16, and Willow/Rock/Frazer watersheds, northern Nevada, 2015-2016
Stream temperature data from Willow-Whitehorse and Little Blitzen watersheds, southeast Oregon, 2011-2015
Stream Segments Captures and Crossings Associated With 2012 Aquatic Organism Passage Study Siuslaw National Forest
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.
Vulnerability to climate change of managed stocks in the California Current large marine ecosystem
Evolutionary and ecological connectivity in westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) and mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) in relation to the potential influences of Boundary Dam, Washington, Idaho, and parts of British Columbia
Tough places and safe spaces: Can refuges save salmon from a warming climate?
Passage of adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) over Lake Creek Falls, Oregon, 2019
Across the Pacific Northwest, there are many examples of artificial structures created to allow passage of upstream-migrating salmon over natural barriers. We studied upstream passage across three structures installed in 1989 to allow passage of salmon over Lake Creek Falls, a series of three natural waterfalls at the outlet of Triangle Lake on Lake Creek, in the central Oregon Coast Range (lat 12
Influence of riparian thinning on trophic pathways supporting stream food webs in forested watersheds
Engaging stakeholders to develop a decision support model of conservation risk and management capacity to prioritize investments in Bull Trout recovery
Resist, accept, and direct responses to biological invasions: A social–ecological perspective
Dammed water quality — Longitudinal stream responses below beaver ponds in the Umpqua River Basin, Oregon
Stream size, temperature, and density explain body sizes of freshwater salmonids across a range of climate conditions
Controlling invasive fish in fluctuating environments: Model analysis of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in a shallow lake
Pathways of productivity and influences on top consumers in forested streams
A riverscape approach reveals downstream propagation of stream thermal responses to riparian thinning at multiple scales
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
- Science
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...Filter Total Items: 17Webinar: Understanding Water Availability Across Landscapes in a Time of Increasing Drought
View this webinar to learn about a new initiative to address knowledge gaps in water availability at the landscape scale.Identifying Resilient Headwater Streams to Mitigate Impacts of Future Drought in the Northwest
Streams are classified as perennial (flowing uninterrupted, year-round) or intermittent (flowing part of the year) or ephemeral (flowing only during rainfall events). The classifications of “streamflow permanence” were primarily established in the middle 20th century and are often outdated and inaccurate today if they were not adjusted for changes in land use, wildfires, or climate.Understanding wWebinar: Rangewide Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Threatened Bull Trout
View this webinar to learn more about threatened bull trout.River’s End: Mapping Patterns of Stream Drying in the Western United States
Water in the western United States is disappearing, and several states are facing severe water shortages as drought conditions worsen. Many streams are drying up, and there is growing concern that this trend will only continue as climate change produces warmer and drier conditions. The loss of stream ecosystems has far reaching ecological, social, and economic implications. Species that depend onThe Past as a Prelude to the Future: Assessing Climate Effects on Native Trout in the U.S.
Salmonids (a family of fish that includes salmon, trout, and char) are a keystone species for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and can be an early warning indicator of ecosystem health. Salmonids also have strong societal values and contribute enormously to regional economies and Native American cultures. Today, many native salmonid populations are small, highly fragmented, and isolated fr - Data
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: 16Geomorphic and larval lamprey surveys in tributaries of the Umpqua River, Oregon
Interactions between geomorphic processes at multiple scales shape the distributions of habitats, species, and life stages that a river can support. Understanding these hierarchical processes may be helpful for proactive monitoring and restoration of native Western Brook Lamprey (Lampetra richardsoni) and Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in Pacific Northwest rivers. The processes creatingStream temperature and drying data from Willow/Whitehorse watersheds, southeast Oregon, 2014-16, and Willow/Rock/Frazer watersheds, northern Nevada, 2015-2016
These tabular, spatial, and code data sets were created in support of a stream temperature and drying study that took place in the Willow and Whitehorse watersheds of southeastern Oregon from 2014-2016 and the Willow, Rock, and Frazer watersheds of northern Nevada from 2015-2016. A prior data release of stream temperature data and associated spatial data from the Willow and Whitehorse watersheds oStream temperature data from Willow-Whitehorse and Little Blitzen watersheds, southeast Oregon, 2011-2015
This dataset includes stream temperatures from two data loggers installed at one site in the Little Blitzen River of SE Oregon as part of a redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdnerii) study. The site was used as an undisturbed reference in comparison with similar temperature monitoring sites in the Willow-Whitehorse watershed that experienced a 2012 fire that burned nearly the entire watershed.Stream Segments Captures and Crossings Associated With 2012 Aquatic Organism Passage Study Siuslaw National Forest
Stream segments, aquatic organism captures, stream surveys, and road-stream crossings described by these metadata accompany a 2012 electrofishing study of the distribution and abundance of aquatic organisms (fish, lampreys, amphibians and crayfish), conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Pacific Northwest Region Aquatic and Riparian Ecosystem Monitoring Project (AREMP) of the U.S. Forest - Multimedia
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.
- Publications
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: 139Vulnerability to climate change of managed stocks in the California Current large marine ecosystem
Introduction: Understanding how abundance, productivity and distribution of individual species may respond to climate change is a critical first step towards anticipating alterations in marine ecosystem structure and function, as well as developing strategies to adapt to the full range of potential changes.Methods: This study applies the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) FisheAuthorsMichelle M McClure, Melissa A. Haltuch, Ellen Willis-Norton, David D. Huff, Elliott L. Hazen, Lisa G. Crozier, Michael G. Jacox, Mark W. Nelson, Kelly S. Andrews, Lewis A. K. Barnett, Aaron M. Berger, Sabrina Beyer, Joe Bizzarro, David A. Boughton, Jason M. Cope, Mark H. Carr, Heidi Dewar, Edward Dick, Dorval Emmanis, Jason B. Dunham, Vladlena Gertseva, Correigh M. Greene, Richard G. Gustafson, Hamel Owen S., Chris J. Harvey, Mark J. Henderson, Chris E. Jordan, Isaac C. Kaplan, Steven T. Lindley, Nathan J. Mantua, Sean E. Matson, Melissa H. Monk, Peter B. Moyle, Colin L Nicol, John Pohl, Ryan R. Rykaczewski, Jameal F. Samhouri, Susan Sogard, Nick Tolimieri, John Wallace, Chantel Wetzel, Steven J. BogradEvolutionary and ecological connectivity in westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) and mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) in relation to the potential influences of Boundary Dam, Washington, Idaho, and parts of British Columbia
In this report, we consider evolutionary and ecological connectivity for westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) and mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) within the Pend Oreille River in northeastern Washington State, northern Idaho, and adjacent portions of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. Specifically, we focused on the rationale for active translocation of individualAuthorsJason B. Dunham, Eric B. Taylor, Ernest R. KeeleyTough places and safe spaces: Can refuges save salmon from a warming climate?
The importance of thermal refuges in a rapidly warming world is particularly evident for migratory species, where individuals encounter a wide range of conditions throughout their lives. In this study, we used a spatially explicit, individual-based simulation model to evaluate the buffering potential of cold-water thermal refuges for anadromous salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) migrating upstreAuthorsMarcía N. Snyder, Nathan H. Schumaker, Jason B. Dunham, Joseph L. Ebersole, Mathew L Keefer, Jonathan Halama, Randy L Comeleo, Peter Leinenbach, Allen Brookes, Ben Cope, Jennifer Wu, John PalmerPassage of adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) over Lake Creek Falls, Oregon, 2019
Across the Pacific Northwest, there are many examples of artificial structures created to allow passage of upstream-migrating salmon over natural barriers. We studied upstream passage across three structures installed in 1989 to allow passage of salmon over Lake Creek Falls, a series of three natural waterfalls at the outlet of Triangle Lake on Lake Creek, in the central Oregon Coast Range (lat 12
AuthorsReed B. Fischer, Jason B. Dunham, Nicholas Scheidt, Amy C. Hansen, Emily D. HeastonInfluence of riparian thinning on trophic pathways supporting stream food webs in forested watersheds
Resource managers seek to thin second-growth riparian forests to address multiple stream and riparian management objectives, including enhancing aquatic productivity via light-mediated trophic pathways in watersheds of the Pacific Northwest (USA). However, such increases in aquatic productivity depend on complex food web dynamics that link riparian forests and streams. To evaluate how riparian forAuthorsDavid A. Roon, Jason B. Dunham, J. Ryan Bellmore, Deanna H. Olson, Bret C. HarveyEngaging stakeholders to develop a decision support model of conservation risk and management capacity to prioritize investments in Bull Trout recovery
Rarely are sufficient resources available to support the full suite of management actions to promote recovery of a species across their entire distribution. Decision support models are a tool that can inform natural resource management decisions with consideration of the perspectives from a variety of stakeholders who work across large geographic and jurisdictional extents. We offer an example ofAuthorsWilliam R. Brignon, M. Brian Davis, Stephanie Gunkel, Jason B. Dunham, Michael H. Meeuwig, Chris S Allen, Shaun ClementsResist, accept, and direct responses to biological invasions: A social–ecological perspective
Biological invasions represent an important and unique case of ecological transformation that can strongly influence species and entire ecosystems. Challenges in managing invasions arise on multiple fronts, ranging from diverse and often divergent values associated with native and introduced species, logistical constraints, and transformation via other change agents (e.g., climate and land-use chaAuthorsJason B. Dunham, Joseph R. Benjamin, David J. Lawrence, Katherine CliffordDammed water quality — Longitudinal stream responses below beaver ponds in the Umpqua River Basin, Oregon
Beaver-related restoration (BRR) has gained popularity as a means of improving stream ecosystems, but the effects are not fully understood. Studies of dissolved oxygen (DO) and water temperature, key water quality metrics for salmonids, have demonstrated improved conditions in some cases, but warming and decreased DO have been more commonly reported in meta-analyses. These results point to the conAuthorsJohn R. Stevenson, Jason B. Dunham, Steve M. Wondzell, Jimmy D. TaylorStream size, temperature, and density explain body sizes of freshwater salmonids across a range of climate conditions
Climate change and anthropogenic activities are altering the body sizes of fishes, yet our understanding of factors influencing body size for many taxa remains incomplete. We evaluated the relationships between climate, environmental, and landscape attributes and the body size of different taxa of freshwater trout (Salmonidae) in the USA. Hierarchical spatial modeling across a gradient of habitatsAuthorsRobert K. Al-Chokhachy, Benjamin Letcher, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Jason B. Dunham, Timothy Joseph Cline, Nathaniel P. Hitt, James Roberts, David SchmetterlingControlling invasive fish in fluctuating environments: Model analysis of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in a shallow lake
Climate change can act to facilitate or inhibit invasions of non-native species. Here, we address the influence of climate change on control of non-native common carp (hereafter, carp), a species recognized as one of the “world's worst” invaders across the globe. Control of this species is exceedingly difficult, as it exhibits rapid population growth and compensatory density dependence. In many loAuthorsJames B Pearson, J. Ryan Bellmore, Jason B. DunhamPathways of productivity and influences on top consumers in forested streams
Forested stream ecosystems involve complex physical and biotic pathways that can influence fish in numerous ways. Consequently, the responses of fish communities to disturbance can be difficult to understand. In this study, we employed a food web model that links biotic (e.g., physiology, predator–prey interactions) and abiotic (e.g., temperature, sunlight) attributes to address fish responses toAuthorsJoseph R. Benjamin, Jason B. Dunham, Sherri L Johnson, Linda Ashkenas, Brooke E Penaluna, Robert E Bilby, Douglas S. Bateman, David W. Leer, James R BellmoreA riverscape approach reveals downstream propagation of stream thermal responses to riparian thinning at multiple scales
Hydrological connectivity in river networks influences their response to environmental changes as local effects may extend downstream via flowing water. For example, localized changes in riparian forest conditions can affect stream temperatures, and these effects may propagate downstream. However, studies evaluating stream temperature responses to riparian forest management have not considered cumAuthorsDavid A. Roon, Jason B. Dunham, Christian E. TorgersenNon-USGS Publications**
Rosenberger, A.E., Dunham, J.B., 2005, Validation of abundance estimates from mark-recapture and removal techniques for rainbow trout captured by electrofishing in small streams: North American Journal of Fisheries Management, v. 25, p. 1395-1410.Dunham, J.B., Pilliod, D.S., Young, M., 2004, Assessing the Consequences of Nonnative Trout in Headwater Ecosystems in Western North America: Fisheries, v. 29, no. 6, p. 18-26, https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1577/1548-8446(2004)29[18:ATCONT]2.0.CO;2.Meeuwig, M.H., Dunham, J.B., Hayes, J.P., Vinyard, G.L., 2004, Effects of constant and cyclical thermal regimes on growth and feeding of juvenile cutthroat trout of variable sizes: Ecology of Freshwater Fish, v. 13, p. 208-216.Poole, G.C., Dunham, J.B., Keenan, D.M., Sauter, S.T., McCullough, D.A., Mebane, C., Lockwood, J.C., Essig, D.A., Hicks, M.P., Sturdevant, D.J., Materna, E.J., Spalding, M., Risley, J., Deppman, M., 2004, The case for regime-based water quality standards: BioScience, v. 54, no. 2, p. 155-161.Peterson, J., Dunham, J.B., 2003, Combining inferences from models of capture efficiency, detectability, and suitable habitat to classify landscapes for conservation of threatened bull trout: Conservation Biology, v. 17, no. 4, p. 1070-1077.Dunham, J.B., Schroeter, R., Rieman, B.E., 2003, Influence of maximum water temperature on occurence of Lahotan cutthroat trout within streams: North American Journal of Fisheries Management, v. 23, p. 1042-1049.Dunham, J.B., Rieman, B.E., Chandler, G.L., 2003, Influences of temperature and environmental variable on the distribution of bull trout within streams at the southern margin of its range: North American Journal of Fisheries Management, v. 23, p. 894-904, https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1577/M02-028.Isaak, D.J., Thurow, R.F., Rieman, B.E., Dunham, J.B., 2003, Temporal variation in synchrony among Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) redd counts from a wilderness area in central Idaho: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, v. 60, p. 840-848.Dunham, J.B., Adams, S.B., Schroeter, R., Novinger, D.C., 2002, Alien invasions in aquatic ecosystems - Toward an understanding of brook trout invasions and potential impacts on inland cutthroat trout in western North America: Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, v. 12, p. 373-391.Dunham, J.B., Cade, B.S., Terrell, J.W., 2002, Influences of spatial and temporal variation on fish-habitat relationships defined by regression quantiles: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, v. 131, p. 86-98.Sauter, S.T., McMillan, J.R., Dunham, J.B., 2001, Salmonid behavior and water temperature: US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 EPA-910-D-01-001, p. 36.Dunham, J.B., Rieman, B.E., Davis, K., 2001, Sources and magnitude of sampling error in redd counts for bull trout: North American Journal of Fisheries Management, v. 21, p. 343-352.Dunham, J.B., 2000, Book Review - Metapopulations and Ecology by I. Hanksi. Oxford University Press, New York: Ecology, v. 81, no. 6, p. 1757-1758, https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[1757:MAE]2.0.CO;2.Dunham, J.B., Rahn, M.E., Schroeter, R., Breck, S.W., 2000, Diets of sympatric Lahontan cutthroat trout and nonnative brook trout- implications for species interactions: Western North American Naturalist, v. 60, no. 3, p. 304-310.Dunham, J.B., Dickerson, B.G., Beever, E.A., Duncan, R.D., Vinyard, G.L., 2000, Effects of food limitation and emigration on self-thinning in experimental minnow cohorts: Journal of Animal Ecology, v. 69, p. 927-934.Rieman, B.E., Dunham, J.B., 2000, Metapopulations and salmonids - A synthesis of life history patterns and empirical observations: Ecology of Freshwater Fish, v. 9, p. 51-64.Dunham, J.B., Peacock, M., Rieman, B.E., Schroeter, R., Vinyard, G.L., 1999, Local and geographic variability in the distribution of stream-living Lahontan cutthroat trout: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, v. 128, p. 875-889.Dunham, J.B., Rieman, B.E., 1999, Metapopulation structure of bull trout - Influences of physical, biotic, and geometrical landscape characteristics: Ecological Applications, v. 9, no. 2, p. 642-655, https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(1999)009[0642:MSOBTI]2.0.CO;2.Dunham, J.B., Minckley, W.L., 1998, Allozymic variation in desert pupfish from natural and artificial habitats- Genetic conservation in fluctuating populations: Biological Conservation, v. 84, p. 7-15.Dunham, J.B., Vinyard, G.L., Rieman, B.E., 1997, Habitat fragmentation and extinction risk of Lahontan cutthroat trout: North American Journal of Fisheries Management, v. 17, p. 1126-1133.Dunham, J.B., Vinyard, G.L., 1997, Incorporating stream level variability into analysis of site level fish habitat relationships- some cautionary examples: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, v. 126, p. 323-329.Dunham, J.B., Vinyard, G.L., 1997, Relationships between body mass, population density, and the self thinning rule in stream-living salmonids: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, v. 54, no. 5, p. 1025-1030, https://doi.org/10.1139/f97-012.Luce, C.H., Rieman, B.E., Dunham, J.B., Clayton, J., King, J.G., and Black, T.A., 2001, Incorporating aquatic ecology into decisions on prioritization of road decommissioning: Water Resources Impact, v. 3, no. 3, p. 8-14.**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.
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To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
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