Winter wheat is commonly grown in dryland cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest region of semi-arid eastern Oregon. For agronomic, economic, and environmental reasons, it is important to understand the long-term sustainability of such dryland systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of tillage, nitrogen...
In many areas of the Western U.S., diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa Lam.)
has invaded into plant communities dominated by bluebunch wheatgrass
(Pseudomegnaria spicata [Pursh] A. Love). The objectives of this study were to compare
growth response of both species when grown under altered moisture and temperature
regimes while in the...
Ecologists have studied the responses of pelagic ecosystems
to varying levels of nutrient loading and fish predation on many
different scales ranging from small experimental enclosures to
whole lake systems. There are recurring patterns of response to
these two variables, which are generally predictable on the basis
of biogeographic, behavioral,...
Ambystoma macrodactylum (long-toed salamander) and A. gracile (northwestern salamander) are two common salamander species occupying key trophic positions in mountain ponds of Mount Rainier National Park. The objective of this research was to document and evaluate the distributions and abundances of the two species, relative to habitat characteristics of ponds...
Distribution and life history characteristics of lacustrine-adfluvial bull trout (Salvelinus
confluentus) were described in the North Fork Skokomish River Basin (including Lake
Cushman, a reservoir) from 1994 to 1996. Day snorkeling was conducted in the river to
determine initiation of the bull trout spawning migration, abundance of spawners, and
duration...
The species compositions and densities of the littoral and pelagic zooplankton
assemblages in Crater Lake were compared. The littoral and pelagic zooplankton
assemblages of most lakes are typically different due to different habitat conditions in the
two zones. The littoral zone of Crater Lake lacks many of the habitat characteristics,...
Waldo Lake, located in the Oregon Cascades, is
considered to be one of the most dilute lakes in the
world. Even with very low nutrient concentrations and
sparse populations of zooplankton, introduced fish in the
lake are large in size and in good condition when compared
to fish from other...
The echinoderm axial organ is located centrally, at the meeting point of the
animals' "circulatory" systems. This, and its unusual histology, have prompted
the implication of a number of different functions for the organ, including
circulation, excretion and host defense. None of these have been definitively
proven. Claims that starfish...