Large numbers of coho salmon (Oncorhynehus kisutch) fry move downstream shortly after emergence from the gravel in many spawning tributaries. In three small coastal streams of Oregon about eight times more juveniles leave the tributaries as newly emerged fry than as smolts one year later. Because these early emigrants comprise...
This study was an investigation to determine the distribution, abundance and general food habits of salmonids and non-game fishes residing in several selected coastal streams, Douglas and Coos Counties, Oregon. The physical conditions that characterize the various stream habitat types were monitored and the influence of physical conditions on the...
Debris flows, common disturbances in many mountainous areas, initially scour or bury stream habitats; however, debris flows deliver vast amounts of wood, boulders, and gravel that may ultimately form complex stream habitat to potentially support a diverse salmonid assemblage. The materials deposited by debris flows would otherwise be inaccessible to...
Although nearshore macroinvertebrates are integral members of high
mountain lentic systems, knowledge of ecological factors influencing their
distributions is limited. Factors affecting distributions of nearshore
macroinvertebrates were investigated, including microhabitat use and
vertebrate predation, in the oligotrophic lakes of North Cascades National
Park Service Complex, Washington, USA, and the conformity...
Studies were conducted during late winter and spring of 1970 to
establish the extent of spawning of Pacific herring (Clupea harengus
pallasi Valenciennes) in the Yaquina estuary, and to define the degree
of egg mortality on certain substrates. Routine surveillance of the
north shore of the estuary provided information on...
Direct observation of a known number of black-tailed deer
(Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), within the Cedar Creek study
enclosure in the Tillamook Burn, Oregon, was carried on throughout
1964. Observations were made from three huts located outside of
the enclosure on surrounding prominences. During this period,
1,410 hours of observational time...
Distribution of nests and nesting success were determined for
sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus) Cooper’s hawks (A. cooperii),
and goshawks (A. gentilis) in Oregon during 1969 through 1974. 1n
addition, two areas (11,74l hectares in Eastern Oregon and 9,284 hectares
in Western Oregon) were searched intensively for nests to determine
nesting...
Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are medium sized mustelids endemic to North America. Two fisher populations persist in Oregon: an indigenous population in southwestern Oregon, and a reintroduced population in the southern Cascade Mountains. Despite candidacy for listing under the Endangered Species Act, current information on fisher populations in Oregon is scarce....
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have been absent from their historic spawning and rearing grounds in the Metolius River Basin in central Oregon since 1968, when fish passage was terminated at the Pelton Round Butte Hydroelectric Project on the Deschutes River. Plans have been developed to reestablish passage of anadromous fish...
The California brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) is listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Recovery Plan for this subspecies outlines the need to "Assure long-term protection of adequate food supplies and essential. . .roosting. . . habitat throughout the range." I investigated the effects...
The undergradtuate research project was the completion, manipulation and assessment of a population model. The stage based population model assessed the late larval and juveniles stages of the hard shell clam Mercenaria mercenaria. There were seven class sizes input into the model starting with pediveligers and ending with juveniles at...
Frequent or lengthy predation risk can cause one of two modifications of prey feeding
behavior: 1) postponement of feeding to less risky periods, or 2) resumption of feeding
behavior despite persistent risk. North Pacific flatfishes exhibit both of these responses when confronted with temporal variation in risk, and this experimental...
Double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) and Brandt’s cormorants (P. penicillatus) nest sympatrically in a large mixed-species colony on East Sand Island (ESI) in the Columbia River estuary. Ecological theory predicts that such morphologically similar species will partition prey resources when faced with resource limitations. During the summer of 2014, I investigated...
Data from 186 mountain cottontail rabbits (Sylvilaus nuttallii) captured 455 times by livetrapping and from 46 rabbits collected by shooting were evaluated to determine monthly densities, survival rates, extent of movements, dispersion in relation to habitat types, and criteria for determining ages of mountain cottontails. Estimates of density computed for...
Sex steroids, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH),
luteinizing hormone (LH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone
(GnRH) were measured in monosex and mixed sex populations of
rainbow trout during early development. Steroids declined
following fertilization, increased at hatch, then fell and
remained constant thereafter. Trends toward differences in
steroids between males and females...
Alternative male phenotypes in salmonine fishes arise from individuals that mature as either larger and older anadromous marine-migrants or as smaller and younger freshwater residents. Variability in age and size of males at maturity is hypothesized to be preceded by early differences in growth in size and lipid storage. Water...
A substantial fraction of estuarine tidal wetlands have been lost to development or other human uses in the Pacific Northwest since the 1800s. Wetland restoration, typically through tidal re-connection, can restore normal tidal hydrology to these areas and improve estuarine capacity to support ecosystem functions and services. Restoration may initiate...
Juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) exhibit an array of life history tactics in Oregon's Willamette River Basin, yet we do not know to what extent it is driven by phenotypic plasticity or whether it is predetermined and how conditions in the early rearing environment may affect phenotype expression. We have...
Large dams and their respective reservoirs can provide renewable energy and water security, but also profoundly alter riverine ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, dams and reservoirs cause discontinuities in river networks that have been particularly problematic for anadromous fishes. As barriers to the upstream and downstream migration of anadromous fishes,...
This document reports on findings, conclusions and recommendations derived from scientific literature and knowledge regarding the effectiveness of tide gate removal or upgrade in improving conditions for Oregon’s native migratory fish species, particularly salmonids, and other plant and animal species that utilize estuarine ecosystems. The project was commissioned by the...
The widespread introduction of trout to naturally fishless mountain lakes in the western United States has been accompanied by little research. The ecological role of trout populations occurring in 91 lakes of the central Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, Idaho, was examined with respect to 1) the sampling variability of biological and...
Juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were experimentally infected with Renibacterium salmoninarum (Rs), the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease (BKD), to investigate the effects of BKD on three aspects of juvenile salmonid performance: (1) predator avoidance ability; (2) smoltification; and (3) physiological responses to stress. For these experiments, fish with...
I examined ecological relationships and mechanisms of coexistence for sympatric populations of Columbian white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) and black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) in Douglas County, Oregon, from September 1997 to August 1998. Horseback transects were used to describe spatial distributions, population overlap, and habitat use for both species. Behavioral...
Once historically widespread throughout the Willamette and Umpqua
River drainages, the Willamette Oregon chub is now restricted to
scattered populations along 15 miles of the Middle Fork of the
Willamette River whereas the Umpqua Oregon chub is still widely
distributed. The decline in the Willamette drainage was more severe
because...
The morphology and ecological importance of habitats associated with the margin of third-order stream channels in the Oregon Cascades were studied in streams in three different riparian types: 450-year-old conifers, 40-year-old alder, and an open, herbaceous-dominated clearcut. Margins, backwaters, and side channels in streams create important habitat for fry of...
In 1976 and 1977 I examined three broad problems associated with the recruitment of young mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota. The three problems studied were: the effects of interspecific nest parasitism on production; the chronology and magnitude of total-brood loss during the brood-rearing period;...
Harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) were observed during
the summers of 1979 and 1980 in Sawmill Bay, northeast Prince William
Sound, Alaska. Harlequins were associated with a short, medium gradient,
non-glacial stream (Stellar Creek) also used by salmon. Although
harlequins nested along Stellar Creek, they apparently did not establish
home ranges...
Crater Lake, originally barren of fish, was stocked on an
irregular basis from 1888 through 1941 with several species of
salmonids. Two species occur in the lake today--kokanee salmon
(Oncorhynchus nerka) and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). This
study was initiated in the summer of 1986 to evaluate the ecology of...
The Van Dyke's salamander (Plethodon vandyke,) is a rare species endemic to Washington State. It has been found in cool moist microhabitats along streams, splash zones of waterfalls, and headwater seeps. We explored the association of the Van Dyke's salamander with hydrologic condition, geomorphology, disturbance characteristics, and vegetation structure in...
Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) are a dominant forage fish in the California Current large marine ecosystem (CCLME). However, little is known about northern anchovy abundance, distribution, age structure, or population fluctuations relative to ocean conditions in the eastern boundary upwelling system off the U.S. West Coast. This thesis includes three...
Two studies on Catherine Creek and Meadow Creek of the Upper Grande Ronde
River basin, quantified several physical and biotic influences on woody riparian community
composition and structure. The Catherine Creek study examined the association of woody
riparian species with elevational and geomorphic gradients. The Meadow Creek study
examined the...
Marine bivalves are globally recognized as ecologically and commercially valuable species and, for over a century, researchers have been studying their feeding, digestion and other related physiological processes. These studies have shown that marine bivalves have complex feeding and particle processing behaviors to maximize growth in dynamic environmental conditions. Additionally,...
Aquatic insects that emerge out of streams to mate represent a potential energy
flux to terrestrial food webs. The relative success of an individual aquatic adult insect
is whether it survives long enough to produce offspring, i.e. mate and return to the
stream to oviposit eggs. Some characteristics of the...
Native bees play an important role as pollinators of natural vegetation and agricultural
crops. Yet many pollinators, including some native bees, are declining in numbers.
Some of the potential causes of these declines are habitat destruction and degradation
by various human land uses, including urban development and sprawl, construction of...
Effects of 4-inch (10.16 cm) suction dredge mining on benthic macroinvertebrates in 3rd to 4th order streams were investigated in 1996 by evaluating four mining claim operations in Althouse Creek, Sucker Creek, and Taylor Creek in southwestern Oregon's Rogue River basin. The effects were site-specific. The study showed no significant...
The present study investigated the effects of stress and exercise on seawater (SW) adaptation and cortisol dynamics in juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). To examine the effects of stress, fish acclimated to freshwater (FW) were subjected for 3 hours to confinement stress in FW, and subsequently SW (25 ppt) was introduced...
Pacific lampreys (Lampetra tridentata) have declined in abundance in the Columbia River Basin. Although, the reasons for the decline are unclear, we suggest that development of hydroelectric dams and habitat alterations in tributaries as the main causes. The available knowledge of life history of Pacific lampreys and status from dam...
Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) are experiencing population declines throughout their range. Xenobiotics could be an important risk factor for lamprey populations. Our goal was to establish if common herbicides, as used in forest management, could affect reproductive fitness. We determined that atrazine was a likely compound of greatest concern to...
Benthic samples were collected during the summer, winter and
spring seasons from upper Yaquina Estuary, a region used by Georgia-
Pacific Corporation for log dumping and storage. Samples came from
an active log dump and storage areas as well as areas not associated
with log handling activity. The samples were...
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...
Ninety-six hour acute toxicity bioassays were employed to
determine the tolerance of juvenile coho salmon to chlorinated
stabilized kraft mill effluent (SKME). In addition the effect of
chlorinated SKME on the growth of juvenile coho salmon in six and
ten day experiments was studied.
Results of the acute toxicity tests...
Salmon hatcheries have been utilized throughout the Pacific Northwest for many decades to mitigate losses, supplement natural spawning populations, and to provide tribal, sport and commercial fishing opportunities. Currently, there is substantial debate on their efficacy and the potential threats hatchery-reared salmonids pose to natural populations. These concerns have lead...
The pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) population in Prince William Sound has failed to recover from declines that occurred both before and after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS). Post-spill studies of pigeon guillemot breeding biology have identified three potential factors limiting recovery: (1) predation on eggs and nestlings; (2) declines...
The direct and indirect effects of ocean acidification (OA) are a growing concern, particularly in areas already experiencing elevated levels of oceanic CO₂. Studies with marine fishes suggest that elevated CO₂ levels may affect behavior by interfering with an important brain neurotransmitter. Studies examining the effects of OA fish behavior...
Juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum)) and aquatic invertebrates were subjected to experimentally increased, but naturally fluctuating, temperatures in a model stream channel. Coho of the 1969, 1970, and 1971 year classes were reared in the heated model stream and in an unheated control stream, both located at the Oak...
For the first objective of this thesis, we attempt to understand the role of water flow and directionality in determining steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and spring/summer and fall Chinook (O. tschawytscha) migration patterns within the Columbia River Estuary and plume by integrating recent advances in biotelemetry and environmental observation and forecasting...
Prior to onset of the breeding season, a ration containing 18.4 mg/kg N-(Ethylmercuri)-p-toluene sulphonanilide was fed to 6 male and 16 female ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). Birds
receiving the mercury-treated ration were separated from the opposite sex. After receiving the mercury-treated ration for 0, 2, 4, 8, or 16 days,...
The purpose of this research was to examine the
effects of fishing on life history parameters of the spiny
lobster, Panulirus homarus. The study areas selected had
different levels of fishing pressure but relatively similar
habitats. The lowest fishing effort was found in Hadbin
while the highest fishing effort was...
The amount and distribution of neutral and adaptive genetic diversity are often assumed to follow similar patterns. However, natural selection on adaptive loci may cause divergence from patterns observed for loci which are only influenced by selectively neutral processes such as genetic drift. The interaction between selection and neutral processes...
An estimated 99% of native wet prairie has been lost in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, but a large number of seasonal wetlands remain on private lands dedicated to grass seed production within the historical wet prairie landscape. Because agriculture is known to alter physical and chemical wetland conditions, I investigated...
For over 100 years, National Parks have existed to preserve America’s natural and cultural heritage for current and future generations. As environmental pressures on wildlife and habitats have increased in recent decades, National Park lands have become important protected areas for many threatened and endangered species. Conservation and management of...
The effects of disking, food plantings, and wheat plantings on a population of California quail (Lophortyx californicus) were studied from fall 1976 to spring 1978 on the E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, Oregon. Twelve 16.2-ha study sites were established: 3 study sites for each treatment and 3 control sites. Disked areas,...
Ten high mountain ponds in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, were
studied from June through September 1992 to investigate the influences of fluctuating
pond volumes on zooplankton communities. A temporary pond of short wet phase
duration was inhabited by zooplankton taxa with short generation times and a crustacean
taxa...
Effects of inbreeding coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) on
survival during early life history, growth, feed efficiency, and
resistance to gas bubble disease were studied. No effect of inbreeding
could be associated with either F=0.25 or F=0.125. Tetraploidy
may help explain the absence of inbreeding depression at these
levels.
Oregon's only remaining non-reservoir population of adfluvial bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is found in Odell Lake, in the headwaters of the Deschutes River. The population size is unknown, but appears to be quite small. Limited spawning and rearing habitats, combined with the effects of introduced species and other anthropogenic changes...
The objective of this research was to study the effects of increased water temperature characteristic of clearcut watersheds of Pacific coastal streams upon the growth rate of juvenile coho salmon. The natural temperature fluctuations of the stream were used in the study of growth of underyearling fish held in aquariums...
From 1996 through 1998 I collected mature female black rockfish off Oregon and examined ovaries and otoliths to estimate weekly, age-specific larval production. In all reproductive seasons, older black rockfish extruded larvae earlier in the season, followed by progressively younger fish. Each year, beginning in May, I collected young-of-the-year (YOY)...
Environmental factors such as chemical contamination can have immunomodulatory effects on the immune response of fish and may be contributing to the decline in salmonid populations by augmenting disease susceptibility. Xenobiotics can interfere with the immune system at several levels of complexity, and different immune cells and processes have variable...
Energy development is expanding rapidly across the western US. Negative effects have been documented for some wildlife, but consequences of development are unclear for other taxa, including raptors. We had the opportunity to examine effects of oil and natural gas development on two raptor species of conservation concern, ferruginous hawks...
Sampling error associated with estimates of species composition and age composition
of commercial groundfish landings in Oregon from 1989 to 1991 is documented to evaluate
the impact of variable landing data on fisheries management and monitoring programs. The
statistical reliability and bias associated with two multistage sampling designs are
investigated...
Three experiments were designed to determine if and how steelhead trout,
Oncorhynchus mykiss, may affect chinook salmon, O. tshawytscha, when they are
confined together as in a raceway or on a barge. We observed groups of chinook and
steelhead together and groups of only chinook in a behavioral experiment to...
The environment under which fish are maintained as broodstock before
reproduction is often stressful; however, the impact of stress on broodstock and gamete
quality is not well known. We investigated the effects of stress over the final stages (i.e.
the 3 months preceding ovulation) of sexual maturation of female rainbow...
As regional climates warm in the Pacific Northwest, USA, flow minima and temperature maxima may become more synchronous in headwater streams over time. The dual stresses from lower flows and warmer temperatures will be energetically costly for cold-water species such as Coastal Cutthroat Trout and Coastal Giant Salamander. Individual fates...
The effects of temperature and ration on growth, food consumption, and food conversion efficiency of chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta, in sea water were studied in two experiments conducted during the spring, summer, and fall, 1973, at the Oregon State University Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon. The test temperatures
employed in...
Wildfire is a largely terrestrial perturbation broadly recognized as an agent of disturbance and ecological change in forested biomes. Effects of post-fire conditions on biotic components of aquatic systems have been less well-documented, although hypothetically, the two are strongly connected. In fact, the influence of wildfire may be most profound...
Damage by Belding's ground squirrel (Spermophilus beldingi) to alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and the efficacies of various poisoning regimes to reduce damage were evaluated during March-July, 1976
and 1977. Regimes examined were designed to measure the effect of 3 variables on damage to alfalfa caused by squirrels including; timing of application,...
We examined the behavioral and physiological responses of wild
and hatchery-reared cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki subjected to
a single electroshock, electroshock plus marking, and multiple
electroshocking in natural and artificial streams. In a natural
stream, trout released after capture by electrofishing and marking
showed distinct behavioral changes: fish immediately sought...
Global amphibian declines have been attributed to numerous and often synergistic causes, such as invasive species, pathogens, and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. The effects of these stressors are context dependent and can vary with location, species, and populations. As sensitivity to UV-B has shown inconsistencies across amphibian taxa, it can be...
Sexual maturation and sex differentiation comprise facets of a
common theme: reproduction. The endocrine system regulates many
of the critical physiological processes necessary for reproduction and
offers a framework within which technologies can be developed for
controlling sexual maturation and sex differentiation. The studies
described in this thesis were undertaken...
Effects of diet on food energy utilization by grass
carp fed aquatic plants or formulated diets with varied
lipid sources and levels are presented in three
manuscripts. Significant effects of diet on food
consumption, digestion, growth and muscle fatty acid (FA)
composition of fingerling diploid grass carp fed aquatic
macrophytes...
Palmaria mollis (Pacific dulse) is increasingly being used in land-based marine aquaculture. This work elucidates nutrient, inorganic carbon, light, salinity, and temperature requirements of P. mollis as food for abalone species. Nutrient additions every 5 to 7 days resulted in no significant difference in P. mollis growth compared with daily...
In the wild, marine fish larvae feed on copepods and other planktonic organisms.
Copepods are often considered the "gold standard" for meeting the nutritional needs of cultured marine fish larvae; however, in captivity, marine fish larvae are generally fed cultured live prey, i.e. rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) and/or Artemia sp., until...
Food habits and levels of organochlorine compounds, lead, and mercury in resident and wintering bald eagles were studied in southcentral Oregon and California, 1979-83. Food habits were assessed by examination of castings from winter communal roosts, identification of 2938 prey items found at nest sites and foraging areas, and observations...
This study used a factorial mesocosm design to quantify American bullfrog (Lithobates castebeianus) eDNA to assess the relationship between body size, density, and eDNA shedding rates.
Models were developed that described cohort strength of female
Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus) and female English sole (Parophrys
vetulus) in stocks off the Columbia River as functions of environmental
variables. The environmental variables considered were those
that could hypothetically influence spawning success or survival.
They included a spawning power index,...
Juvenile English sole (Parophrys vetulus) were
collected in Yaquina Bay, Oregon from January, 1986 to
March, 1987. Recruitment of young-of-the-year sole
occurred from January to June, 1986 and again from
December, 1986 to February, 1987. Emigration from Yaquina
Bay started in September, 1986, but a small portion of the
English...
Two hundred thirteen mammals were captured on two study areas
between April 1976 and August 1977. Samples of urine and kidney tissue
from 202 mammals were cultured on media suitable for leptospiral growth.
Leptospiral organisms were not isolated from tissue cultures. Sera
from 88 mammals were examined by the microscopic...
Glochidial development in freshwater mussels (Mararitifera margaritifera) located in the Siletz River, Oregon, was completed in 13 days at an average water temperature of 12.8 C. Glochidia were released by these mussels for 33 days, May 13 to June 15, 1971. The comparative susceptibility of four species of salmonid
fishes,...
Red tree voles (Arborimus longicaudus) are a unique species of Arvicoline rodent found in western Oregon and northwest California. Their preferred habitat is mature and old-growth coniferous forest dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Tree voles are an important prey item for northern spotted owls and many other predators, but are...
Non-toxic species of desiccated blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, may offer potential for use as a fertilizer on irrigated crops. Here, the non-toxic cyanobacteria species Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA), collected from Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, was evaluated for use as a biofertilizer in a controlled experiment on Swiss chard “Bright Lights” (Beta...
Projected intensification of drought as a result of climate change may reduce the capacity of streams to rear fish, exacerbating the challenge of recovering ESA-listed salmon populations. Without management intervention, some stocks will likely go extinct as stream drying and fragmentation reduce juvenile survival to unsustainable levels. To offset drought-related...
Large burrowing owl (Aihene cunicularia) populations exist in areas of intensive agriculture in California, and pesticide exposure has been identified as a potential threat to population persistence. I evaluated breeding season use of agricultural fields by adult male owls using radio telemetry, and examined egg contaminant residues to estimate population-level...
Depletion-Based Stock Reduction Analysis (DB-SRA; Dick and MacCall, 2011) is a catch-only fisheries stock assessment model that has been developed to estimate an overfishing limit (OFL) in data-poor situations. DB-SRA projects the biomass trajectories of a stock by means of a catch time series and five parameters: the instantaneous, per...
Riparian forests provide a myriad of ecosystem functions for adjacent streams and rivers, and due to these linkages, changes in riparian forest conditions can have direct implications for stream ecosystems. Resource managers in the coast redwood forests (Sequoia sempervirens) of northern California (USA) are actively thinning second-growth stands to accelerate...
Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) rearing in lakes and reservoirs have been known to become heavily infected with an ectoparasitic copepod (Salmincola californiensis). Little is known about the factors that affect the parasite infection prevalence and intensity. However, previous research suggests that the parasite may negatively affect the fitness and survival...