Small remnants of 'natural' habitats exist today throughout much of the world. Upland prairies in the Willamette Valley, Oregon have been nearly eliminated by conversion to agriculture and other uses. As a result, very few prairies remain and at least four butterfly species that require this habitat appear to be...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the survival and movements of newly metamorphosed Northern Red-legged frogs (Rana aurora aurora) as they emigrated from two ephemeral breeding ponds. Quantifying survival and movement rates will be important to our understanding how changes to terrestrial and aquatic systems affect behavior and...
Index counts for the Pacific Coast race of the band-tailed pigeon (Columba fasciata monilis) have declined by -2% per year since survey efforts began in the 1950's and 60's. Mineral sites, important resources with high ion concentrations, are regularly visited by band-tailed pigeons which nest in surrounding forest lands. I...
With increased resource development on the western Arctic coastal plain of Alaska (especially within the oil extraction industry) it is important to understand the basic life history attributes of whitefish stocks in the region in order to ensure appropriate management. These fish are a crucial part of subsistence harvests for...
I investigated the relationship between harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) behavior and lack of recovery from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. First, I evaluated the hypothesis that harlequin ducks in winter have little flexibility to increase foraging time in response to disturbance because they are constrained...
Habitat loss causes a reduction in available resources for wildlife, alters the configuration of remaining habitat, and may isolate wildlife populations. White-breasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) are experiencing long-term population declines in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where they are historically associated with oak woodlands. As secondary cavity-nesters, white-breasted nuthatches may...
Since the 1964 earthquake and geologic uplift, beavers (Castor canadensis) have expanded their historic range from the inland (outwash plain) Copper River Delta, Alaska to the once tidally influenced areas of the outer area (uplifted marsh). The uplift presents a unique opportunity to observe beaver expansion, habitat selection and influence...
Aquatic ecological investigation is expanding to encompass considerations of
multiple scales across large landscapes. Much of the analysis included in this work
focuses specifically on coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in multiple subbasins on
the Oregon coast. Coho salmon were chosen for an investigation of spatial scales,
network connections, and life...
High severity fire is a historical and integral disturbance process in coniferous
forest types. Compounded disturbances such as multiple fires or post-disturbance
management activities are increasingly common, but ecological responses are not well
understood and may represent novel types of disturbances. I studied bird and small
mammal communities in the...