Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Willow Abundance And Condition Mapping In Rocky Mountain National Park, Eric M. Nielsen

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Riparian and wetland willow species have undergone serious declines in Rocky Mountain National Park as a consequence of a variety of environmental changes and, most recently, damage resulting from moose overpopulation. To address concerns about the long-term status of willows in the park, we developed remote sensing-based raster maps of riparian and wetland willow species presence, canopy cover percentage, canopy height, and leaf area index. All outputs were produced at 3-meter resolution, and represent willows as they existed in 2021. The mapping was performed via random forests classification and regression models trained on several hundred vegetation plots from a variety …

An Economical And Repeatable Method For Mapping Shade Cast On Water Channels, Eric M. Nielsen

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The motivation of this work is to provide insights toward determining a viable strategy for statewide monitoring of riparian vegetation condition, with particular focus on developing a repeatable, costeffective method for assessment of progress toward achieving temperature-based water quality standards mandated by the federal Clean Water Act. A reliable monitoring strategy could in turn support a datadriven prioritization and assessment framework to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of riparian restoration efforts. In this project we developed and tested a method for mapping shade cast on water channels by riparian vegetation using optical imagery sources that are affordable and regularly …

Rare, Threatened And Endangered Species Of Oregon (2019), Jimmy Kagan, Sue Vrilakas, Eleanor P. Gaines, Lindsey K. Wise, Michael Russell, Cayla Sigrah

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (ORBIC) is part of the Institute for Natural Resources (INR) located at Portland State University (PSU). ORBIC maintains extensive databases of Oregon biodiversity, concentrating on rare and endangered plants, animals and ecosystems. Since its creation in 1979 as the Oregon Natural Heritage Program, ORBIC has been part of the Natural Heritage network. ORBIC is a constituent member of NatureServe, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide the scientific basis for effective conservation action. NatureServe and Oregon manage data using standards and protocols used across the U.S., Canada, and much of Latin America.

ORBIC has …

Evidence-Based Causal Chains For Linking Health, Development, And Conservation Actions, Jiangxiao Qiu, Edward Game, Heather Tallis, Lydia Olander, Louise Glew, James S. Kagan, Multiple Additional Authors

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Sustainability challenges for nature and people are complex and interconnected, such that effective solutions require approaches and a common theory of change that bridge disparate disciplines and sectors. Causal chains offer promising approaches to achieving an integrated understanding of how actions affect ecosystems, the goods and services they provide, and ultimately, human well-being. Although causal chains and their variants are common tools across disciplines, their use remains highly inconsistent, limiting their ability to support and create a shared evidence base for joint actions. In this article, we present the foundational concepts and guidance of causal chains linking disciplines and sectors …

Benefit Relevant Indicators: Ecosystem Services Measures That Link Ecological And Social Outcomes, Lydia Olander, Robert J. Johnston, Heather Tallis, James S. Kagan, Lynn A. Maguire, Stephen Polasky, Dean Urban, James Boyd, Lisa Wainger, Margaret A. Palmer

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

There is a growing movement in government, environmental non-governmental organizations and the private sector to include ecosystem services in decision making. Adding ecosystem services into assessments implies measuring how much a change in ecological conditions affects people, social benefit, or value to society. Despite consensus around the general merit of accounting for ecosystem services, systematic guidance on what to measure and how is lacking. Current ecosystem services assessments often resort to biophysical proxies (e.g., area of wetland in a floodplain) or even disregard services that seem difficult to measure. Valuation, an important tool for assessing trade-offs and comparing outcomes, is …

Divergent Trends In Ecosystem Services Under Different Climate-Management Futures In A Fire-Prone Forest Landscape, Joshua S. Halofsky, Jessica E. Halofsky, Miles A. Hemstrom, Anita T. Morzillo, Xiaoping Zhou, Daniel C. Donato

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

While ecosystem services and climate change are often examined independently, quantitative assessments integrating these fields are needed to inform future land management decisions. Using climate-informed state-and-transition simulations, we examined projected trends and trade-offs for a suite of ecosystem services under four climate change scenarios and two management scenarios (active management emphasizing fuel treatments and no management other than fire suppression) in a fire-prone landscape of dry and moist mixed-conifer forests in central Oregon, USA. Focal ecosystem services included fire potential (regulating service), timber volume (provisioning service), and potential wildlife habitat (supporting service). Projections without climate change suggested active management in …

Factors Affecting Snowy Plover Chick Survival In A Managed Population, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Eleanor P. Gaines, Scott F. Pearson, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Understanding survival of precocial chicks in the period immediately following hatching has important conservation implications because population growth is often sensitive to post-hatching survival. We studied federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) broods at the northern limit of their range in coastal Oregon (n ¼ 1,157) and Washington (n ¼ 84) from 1991 to 2011 in an attempt to understand seasonal, annual, and spatial patterns of chick survival. In Oregon, plover chick survival increased with age, varied between sites, and was greater at sites with predator management. The mean probability of surviving from hatch to fledging at 28 …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2016, David J. Lauten, Kathleen A. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Adam A. Kotaich, Erica Krygsman, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

We monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the Oregon coast from 5 April – 31 August 2016. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North and South Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Snowy Plover Management Area, New River HRA and adjacent lands, and Floras Lake. Our objectives in 2016 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) determine nest success, 4) implement …

Wet Meadow Plant Associations, Double O Unit, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County, Oregon, John A. Christy

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

This report summarizes vegetation data collected in July 2015 in wet meadow and marshy habitats on the Double O Unit of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR). Because vegetation sampled at the Double O was wetter and more alkaline than wet meadows sampled at the south end of the refuge in 2012 and 2013 (Christy 2014), data from the Double O Unit were analyzed and summarized separately. A total of 83 plots were sampled in 2015, and analysis of the data identified 14 plant associations: Alopecurus aequalis - Juncus balticus, Alopecurus pratensis - Potentilla anserina, Carex praegracilis - Juncus balticus, Cicuta …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2015, David J. Lauten, Kathleen A. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Adam A. Kotaich, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

We monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the Oregon coast from 3 April – 11 September 2015. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North and South Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Snowy Plover Management Area, New River HRA and adjacent lands, and Floras Lake. Our objectives in 2015 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population along the Oregon coast, 2) locate plover nests, 3) determine …

A Geospatial Tool For Wetland Prioritization At The Watershed Scale, Debra Sue Blackmore, Heejun Chang

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

There is an increasing demand for assessing ecosystem functions for freshwater wetlands, especially when comparing or prioritizing among wetlands at the watershed scale. We estimated the relative potential of selected ecosystem functions for freshwater wetlands within a watershed using widely available geospatial data. We developed four functions to estimate 1) flood storage, 2) late season flow, 3) sediment retention and 4) temperature control in four pilot watersheds in Oregon (Tualatin, Coquille, Upper Grande Ronde and Sprague). These watersheds are geographically separated from each other representing diverse ecoregion environments. Spatial analysis and geographic information system (GIS) were designed for maximum re-use, …

Historical And Existing Vascular And Bryophyte Flora, Former Blue Heron Paper Mill, Willamette Falls, Oregon City, Oregon, John A. Christy, Philip Gaddis

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Willamette Falls has long been a focus of botanical interest, but industrial development at the site has limited public access for over a century. The closure of the Blue Heron paper mill on the south bank of the river, and proposed redevelopment of the site, has given planners an opportunity to revisit this part of the falls and identify its current flora. As part of the preconstruction planning process for public access to the falls, Metro contracted John Christy to document the historical and existing vascular flora on the site, and Philip Gaddis joined us to document the bryophyte flora. …

History, Current Conditions, And Wetland Restoration At Killin Wetlands Natural Area, Washington County, Oregon, John A. Christy

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

In September 2014, the Metro Natural Area Program engaged The Wetland Conservancy to develop a scientific assessment of Metro’s 590-acre Killin Wetlands Natural Area. Metro acquired the lands comprising the KWNA between 2000 and 2012 with funds from two voterapproved open space bond measures. Since 2000, Metro has sought to advance natural area restoration at the site, focusing on the suppression of non-native pasture weeds and planting of native trees and shrubs in higher parts of the floodplain and its edges. Most uplands in Metro ownership have been maintained in agriculture through leased partnerships with local farmers.

Metro and its …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2014, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Adam A. Kotaich, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

We monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the Oregon coast from 1 April – 15 September 2014. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North and South Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Snowy Plover Management Area, New River HRA and adjacent lands, and Floras Lake. Our objectives in 2014 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population along the Oregon coast, 2) locate plover nests, 3) determine …

Tree Cover Mapping For Assessing Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat In Eastern Oregon, Eric M. Nielsen, Matthew D. Noone

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

We used a predictive model to map canopy cover of vegetation over seven feet in height ("tall woody vegetation") at 30-meter resolution over nearly 29 million acres within and adjacent to the range of the greater sage-grouse in Oregon (Figure 1). Texture measures computed at various resolutions from color-infrared aerial photography provided the main source of predictor data used to produce the map. Canopy cover was treated as a categorical variable using six cover classes: absent (cover class C0), present at less than 4% (C1), 4 – 10% (C2), 10 – 20% (C3), 20 – 50% (C4), and 50% and …

Predator Exclosures, Predator Removal, And Habitat Improvement Increase Nest Success Of Snowy Plovers In Oregon, Usa, Stephen J. Dinsmore, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, Eleanor P. Gaines, Mark A. Stern

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Management to increase reproductive success is commonly used to aid recovery of threatened and endangered species. The Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) breeds from coastal Washington, USA, to Baja California, Mexico, and in disjunct interior sites. The Pacific coast population is federally listed as Threatened; habitat loss and nest loss to a suite of terrestrial and avian predators are thought to be primary factors limiting population growth in this species. In coastal Oregon, USA, a consortium of state and federal management agencies deployed nest exclosures on active Snowy Plover nests, initiated a lethal predator management program, and …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2013, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Melissa F. Breyer, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

From 26 March – 19 September 2013 we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North and South Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Snowy Plover Management Area, New River HRA and adjacent lands, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the Oregon coastal population in 2013 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) …

Modeling And Mapping In Support Of The Regional Conservational Strategy Framework, Theresa Burcsu, Thomas Albo, Joseph Bernert, Jennifer Dimiceli, James S. Kagan, Matthew D. Noone

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Prior to November 2010, when The Intertwine Alliance launched the Regional Conservation Strategy (RCS) and Biodiversity Guide (RBG) efforts for the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region, conservation priorities in the metropolitan region were identified at a broad regional scale that generally excluded urban areas (e.g., state conservation strategies and Willamette Synthesis); were regional but based solely on expert opinion (e.g., Natural Features); and consisted of localized priorities that abruptly ended at jurisdiction boundaries. The goal of the RCS was to fill in the gaps between broad and local scales of information related to conservation priorities. RCS members envisioned a data-driven approach that …

Methods To Develop A Crediting Strategy For Transportation And Metropolitan Planning Agencies: White Paper, James S. Kagan, Lisa Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The focus of this paper is to identify the ways in which the Ecosystem Services Crediting methodology, part of the Integrated Ecological Framework (IEF), could be developed to make it easily usable and meaningful to transportation agencies. IEF is an ecological assessment process and framework to integrate conservation planning and transportation planning.

Rare Plant Associations, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Sutton Recreation Area, And Heceta Sand Dunes Acec/Ona, John A. Christy

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Nine of the ten rare plant associations identified in the dunes in 1993 are recommended for continued inclusion in conservation planning. Large-patch associations are currently in good condition, but small-patch associations are being infilled by a combination of plant succession and invasive species. Repeat photography using aerial and ground-based imagery is recommended as a way to gauge the rate of change in dune communities. Prescribed fire is recommended to monitor rejuvenation effects on two shore pine woodland associations that are most at risk of infilling. Vegetation mapping based on remote sensing will enable more accurate assessment of vegetation features, and …

Wet Meadow Plant Associations, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County, Oregon, John A. Christy

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

In July 2012, we sampled 131 plots in wet meadow habitat at the southern end of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Analysis of the data identified eleven different plant associations: Alopecurus pratensis, Carex aquatilis var. aquatilis, Carex nebrascensis, Carex pellita, Carex praegracilis, Carex sheldonii, Distichlis spicata, Juncus balticus, Leymus triticoides, Phalaris arundinacea, and Sparganium eurycarpum. Plant associations spanned a wetland gradient from seasonally moist to seasonally or perennially flooded, but surface water had left most stands at time of sampling. Mean Wetland Indicator Status scores help to place the plant associations within gradients in soil moisture and alkalinity. The Alopecurus …

Pine Creek Conservation Area: 2013 Mapping And Monitoring Report, Eric M. Nielsen, Matthew D. Noone, James S. Kagan, Matthew T. Lee

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Pine Creek Conservation Area (PCCA), just northeast of the John Day River in Wheeler County, Oregon, was acquired in 1999-2001 by the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs with support from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), to mitigate for wildlife losses created by the large, hydropower Columbia River Dams, particularly the Bonneville, Dalles and John Day Dams. Many thousands of acres of grassland, shrub steppe and riparian habitats were lost due to inundation, and the objectives of the acquisition included restoration of similar habitats. As part of an interagency agreement created in 2002, the Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center established a …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2012, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Adam A. Kotaich, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

From 5 April – 21 September 2012 we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Snowy Plover Management Area, New River HRA and adjacent lands, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the Oregon coastal population in 2012 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) determine nest …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2011, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Adam A. Kotaich, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

From 6 April – 19 September 2011 we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Beach, New River, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the Oregon coastal population in 2011 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) continue use of mini-exclosures (MEs) to protect nests from …

Historical Vegetation Of Central Southwest Oregon, Based On Glo Survey Notes : Final Report To Usdi Bureau Of Land Management, Medford District, O. Eugene Hickman, John A. Christy

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Historical vegetation at the time of European settlement is of great interest to both the public and land managers, but is poorly documented. One source of data are the earliest land survey records of the General Land Office (GLO). Rectangular township surveys in Southwest Oregon were initiated in the mid 1850’s as settlers began to claim homesteads in the Bear Creek Valley surrounding what is now Medford. We examined GLO land survey field notes and plats (maps) accompanying the surveys, transcribed GLO landscape data into an Access database, and classified the data set into very general vegetation types for mapping. …

Mapping Conservation Opportunity Areas For The Intertwine's Regional Conservation Strategy, Theresa Burcsu, James S. Kagan

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

As part of efforts to develop the Regional Conservation Strategy (RCS) for the greater Portland-Vancouver region, Oregon State University’s Institute for Natural Resources (INR) was asked to use spatial modeling to identify conservation opportunity areas (COAs). To complete the project, INR analysts proposed a strategy that would map high value areas using a landscape approach that is focused on relatively high spatial resolution data sets available for the whole metropolitan region. The approach creates 2 main metrics: one focused on terrestrial organisms and the other focused on aquatic and riparian organisms. These are combined to create a map of highly …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2010, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Adam A. Kotaich, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

From 8 April – 27 September 2010 we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Beach, New River, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the Oregon coastal population in 2010 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) continue selective use of mini-exclosures (MEs) to protect nests …

Oregon Natural Areas Plan, Oregon Natural Heritage Advisory Council

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The rich diversity of ecosystems and native plants and animals is one of Oregon's most distinctive and valued qualities. Our state contains rain forests, dry forests, oak woodlands, alpine meadows, prairies, deserts, marshes, estuaries, dunes, rocky headlands, lakes and streams. There are a number of reasons it is so diverse. First are the extremes of climate, with rainfall ranging from over 200 inches a year along Oregon’s north coast, to less than 7 inches a year in the Alvord Desert, and temperatures from the very mild banana belt along the coast near the California border to the extremes of the …

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2009, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, J. Daniel Farrar, Hendrik G. Herlyn, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

From 3 April – 23 September 2009 we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Beach, New River, and Floras Lake. Our objectives for the Oregon coastal population in 2009 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) continue selective use of mini-exclosures (MEs) to protect nests …

Report On Wintering Western Snowy Plovers At Coos Bay North Spit And Impacts To Plovers From The North Jetty Repair Project, Winter 2009, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

The Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) breeds along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, and Washington and at alkaline lakes in the interior of the western United States (Page et al. 1991). Loss of habitat, predation pressures, and disturbance have caused the decline of the coastal population of Snowy Plovers and led to the listing of the Pacific Coast Population of Western Snowy Plovers as Threatened on March 5, 1993 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993). Oregon Western Snowy Plovers are known to winter along the coast of Oregon as well as migrate to …