The freshwater copepod Salmincola californiensis is an ectoparasite of Pacific salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) Threatened and endangered salmonids that rear in the reservoirs have been reported to experience higher rates of infection by S. californiensis than would be experienced by their stream-reared counterparts. These high levels of infection can lead to...
The waterborne, myxozoan parasite Ceratonova shasta is endemic to the Pacific Northwest and can be lethal to its secondary salmonid host, including the culturally, economically, and recreationally important spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) of the Deschutes River, OR. Previously described genotypes of C. shasta exhibit specificity with their salmonid hosts....
Parasites are ubiquitous members of ecological communities, capable of contributing to the decline of vulnerable populations. Therefore, monitoring parasite level is a critical component for host management. Molecular tools, such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), can be valuable additions to monitoring protocols that assess parasitic disease risk to hosts....
The mechanisms governing short- and long-term belowground carbon dynamics need to be understood. As part of a larger project developed to assess the effect of quantity and quality of litter inputs on the rate of soil organic matter (SOM) formation, I examined SOM in the H. J. Andrews Detritus Input...
The objectives of this study were to determine the
location and extent of populations of pygmy rabbits in Oregon,
and to describe several biotic and physical components within
communities that include pygmy rabbits. Interpretation of
aerial photographs, and information obtained from soil maps
and interviews with biologists and area residents,...
With the need to integrate renewable energy sources into the current energy portfolio and the proximity of many population centers to an ocean coastline, it is pressing that marine energy systems, specifically wave energy converters (WECs), are evaluated as potential solutions for meeting energy needs. In order to best understand...
Silviculture systems that involve commercial thinning may provide higher quality wildlife habitat than traditional clearcut systems, yet such systems have not been vigorously tested. This prospective study examined forest floor animal abundance and habitat relationships under three different silviculture conditions: clearcuts, commercial thins, and uncuts. Eighteen stands, six per treatment,...
Although science is widely accepted as a fundamental source of information underlying decisions about forest management and conservation, considerably less attention has been paid to the inevitable role that normative values and beliefs play in such decisions. This thesis highlights the normative dimensions of "ecological forestry," a strategy of forest...
Observed declines in native pollinator species worldwide has generated concern and focused research into the disturbances, past and present, which may have contributed to these losses. In grasslands, for example, habitat degradation and fragmentation from historical and current crop production and livestock grazing has left only a few remnants of...