One goal of this environmental education curriculum is that students will gain an appreciation of Willamette Valley wetland prairies, a threatened ecosystem, and will gain an understanding of the importance of protecting these wetlands. A second goal is that students will see first-hand the processes involved in conducting scientific field...
We report first-year results from two field experiments evaluating the effectiveness of various techniques for the control of pest plants in Fender's blue butterfly habitat. In the woody-plant study, we monitored the effects of mowing, mowing and herbicides, and burning on woody plants and key native and non-native grasses and...
Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens, the Willamette daisy, is known only from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Herbarium records, from the 1800's until 1934, indicate that the Willamette daisy was once common and widely distributed throughout the Willamette Valley (Clark et al. 1993). However, between 1934 and 1980, this taxon was...
Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens, the Willamette Daisy, is endemic to the Willamette Valley of Oregon. This taxon is a Category 1 Candidate for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990) and is listed as Endangered under Oregon state law. Herbarium records indicate that E....
Seed size, abundance, viability, dormancy, and germination requirements strongly influence plant establishment and therefore are important considerations in restoration of native vegetation. These characteristics provide criteria for selection of suitable species, development of collection and pretreatment methods, and determination of seeding densities. The first set of objectives of this study...
Native prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems. Even though only remnants remain today, they harbor rare and endangered species such as the Fender's blue butterfly (Icaricia icariodes fenderi) and its preferred host plant, Kincaid's lupine (Lupinus sulphureus ssp....
The red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) of Manitoba, Canada, have been extensively studied for decades with little investigation into their immune system. These animals live very close to the arctic circle and spend over half of the year underground brumating. The annual cycle of the red-sided garter snakes make...
We report results from a field experiment evaluating the effectiveness of mowing, mowing and herbicides, and burning on woody plants, key native and non-native grasses and forbs, and the Fender’s blue butterfly. The goal was to find a technique that controlled woody pest plants without harming native species or promoting...
We report final results from a five-year field experiment evaluating the effects of different mowing regimes on groups of native and non-native grasses and forbs. The study site was a degraded prairie at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge dominated by the pest plant Arrhenatherum elatius (tall oatgrass). Mowing treatments differed...
Native upland prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems. Even though only remnants remain today, they harbor many rare and endangered species such as the Fender's blue butterfly and its host plant, Kincaid’s lupine. Invasion of remnant prairies by...
We sought to determine 1) the relationship between seedling
establishment rates of target native prairie species and field
levels of three soil nutrients (phosphate, nitrate, and ammonium)
recorded in fall, winter, and summer, 2) the effect of fire on
these three nutrients, and 3) the overall effect of fire on...
Our project goal is to protect and restore rare Willamette Valley upland prairie habitat at Butterfly Meadows (Benton County) from invasion by the noxious weed Brachypodium sylvaticum (false brome). Native prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems and are...
Our project goal is to protect and restore rare Willamette Valley upland prairie habitat at Butterfly Meadows (Benton County) from invasion by the noxious weed Brachypodium sylvaticum (false brome). Native prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems and are...
Willamette Valley wetland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species (Wilson et al. 1993, Noss et al. 1995, USFWS 2000, Schultz et al. 2003). A rigorous program of ecosystem restoration can protect and enhance wetland plants, animals,...
Native prairies, which once dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley, are considered among the rarest of Oregon's ecosystems and are in critical need of conservation. One of the largest remaining parcels of native upland prairie, Butterfly Meadows (Benton County), is being invaded by Brachypodium sylvaticum (false brome). This site...
Wetland prairies of the Willamette Valley, among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems, are threatened by invasion of woody species and non-native pest species. Because fire has been important in maintaining Willamette Valley prairies for at least 1000 years, prescribed burning is a top choice of managers for preventing encroachment of...
Our project goal is to promote the abundance of the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) by recreating upland prairie habitat in former agricultural land at Finley National Wildlife Refuge, Corvallis, Oregon. To achieve this goal we initiated the following three studies. Study One: Experimental Investigation on the Effectiveness...
Native prairies of the Willamette Valley are considered among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems and are in critical need of conservation. Management strategies for increasing the abundance of native species are urgently needed, particularly those strategies that promote the regeneration of native species from seed. Fire may be an important...
We tested the recolonization ability of the Fender’s blue butterfly and monitored the vegetation response to a management-scale prescribed fire at the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, western Oregon. The prescribed fire successfully cut shrub cover in half, but also reduced the size of Festuca roemeri, a dominant native grass....
Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens, known only from the Willamette Valley of western Oregon, is listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and by the state of Oregon. In 1993 a long-term population monitoring program for Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens was initiated at Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge...
Wetland prairies of the Willamette Valley, among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems, are threatened by invasion of woody species and non-native pest species. Because fire has been important in maintaining Willamette Valley prairies for at least 1000 years, prescribed burning is a top choice of managers for preventing encroachment of...
Willamette Valley wetland and upland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species. These are dynamic systems, subject to ecological succession and invasion by aggressive non-native species, and require active management to maintain management goals. This is true...
Willamette Valley wetland and upland prairies are some of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States, and provide habitat for many federally listed species. Because these are dynamic systems, subject to ecological succession and invasion by aggressive non-native species, prairies require active management to maintain management goals. This is...
Freezing to death in winter is a danger faced by ectothermic organisms throughout temperate climates. One adaptation of lepidopteran insects for overwinter survival is the sequestration of antifreeze solutes in the hemolymph prior to pupal diapause. This acts to depress freezing points during the long and immobile pupal stage during...
Wetland prairies of the Willamette Valley, considered among the rarest of Oregon’s ecosystems, are threatened by invasion of woody species and non-native species. Because of its historical importance, fire is a top choice of managers for preventing the encroachment of woody species. However, the effects of prescribed burning on present...
Most animals are active either during the day, night, or twilight, and transition periods between these times exhibit interesting behavior. Actions may be related to avoiding predators, seeking shelter, defending territory, feeding, or other interests. Herbivorous fishes on coral reefs, such as parrotfishes, forage constantly throughout daylight periods due to...
The purposes of this study were to: 1) determine in what ways incorporating active engagement into a traditional lecture chemistry course contributed to students' science identity and their motivation to learn the science, and 2) determine how the development of a science identity could be measured through the use of...
In the US, significant research is ongoing regarding the interactions of pesticides with species and processes within wetland ecosystems. For example, the effect of such pollutants on amphibian survival and physiology has been an area of focused research. Negative impacts of pesticides to non-target organisms (e.g. amphibians) have been observed....
To help understand the mechanisms of conifer chloroplast genome evolution, we characterized the nucleotide sequences of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesiz) and
Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) chioroplast DNA that are associated with a length
mutation hotspot and inversion. The chloroplast DNA ofthese two conifers are
characterized by shared large inversions that are...
