Among the many birds attracted to gardens, hummingbirds can be the most appealing. Not only are these “garden jewels” fun to watch, hummingbirds play an important role in our environment by pollinating flowers and feeding on insects. Attracting hummingbirds to your garden is easy. You have a good chance of...
The encroachment of western juniper into mountain big sagebrush plant communities and the subsequent development of juniper stands results in significant changes in vegetation structure and complexity. This study described and compared vegetative structure and bird community measures among four cover types representing a broad range of structural stages among...
Fire suppression in high-elevation sagebrush steppe over the last century has
profoundly influenced the structure and complexity of vegetation communities.
Although fire is the primary management tool used to restore these areas, the impact
of this management practice on associated avian communities is poorly understood.
We examined patterns of habitat...
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a sagebrush obligate species, has contracted in extent by nearly half its original distribution. This is primarily due to habitat loss and degradation over the past 150 years. During winter, sage-grouse depend completely on sagebrush habitat for food and cover, yet sage-grouse winter ecology has been...
Urban ecosystems are characterized by human disturbance and changes in the amount, types, and spatial arrangement of wildlife habitat. The relative importance of habitat and human associated variables to urban birds is unknown. In 1999, I surveyed spring bird and plant communities along 54 perennial streams
in the Portland, Oregon...
Previous research examining the influences of post-fire salvage logging on abundances of birds has focused primarily on the response of cavity-nesting species. There is limited research in regard to the impact of salvage logging on a broader range of bird species. In addition, little is known about how different intensities...
Over one third of the earth’s land surface has been modified to some extent for agricultural purposes. The large global footprint of agriculture, combined with the knowledge that existing reserve networks are likely insufficient for long-term conservation of native biodiversity, has necessitated that agricultural systems contribute to conservation of native...
Relatively little is known about wintering bird communities in lowlands of the Pacific Northwest, yet, the condition of winter habitats potentially can pose a major constraint on bird populations. I initiated a study to determine: (1) Which avian species use lowland riparian and wetland habitats in the Willamette Valley during...
Fifty-seven species of wildlife rely on or frequently use snags for breeding, roosting, or denning in Oregon and Washington. Several publications offer information on use of snags by wildlife, influence of management activities on snags and snag users, and approaches to managing snags to benefit wildlife. Because of the diverse...
In the interest of meeting multiple forest management goals that include maintenance of wildlife, particularly cavity-nesting birds, uneven-aged silvicultural treatments are used increasingly in the Pacific Northwest. However, questions remain regarding the responses of cavity-nesting birds and residual green trees to different harvest intensities and patterns. To study these issues,...