Understanding food webs is fundamental in conserving endangered species and maintaining healthy ecosystem function, particularly in desert spring systems. We identified dominant energy sources in the Muddy River Warm Springs area, Clark County, NV using carbon and nitrogen natural abundance stable isotope analyses. We examined isotopic signatures of specific macroinvertebrate...
In the Pacific Northwest, regulatory agencies have recently
implemented management strategies for restoration and maintenance of wood
recruitment to streams over time. This allochthonous organic material is a
critical component in the geomorphic and biological structure of forested
streams. Mathematical models are commonly used to evaluate long-term
wood dynamics in...
Visual estimation techniques were used to quantify habitat characteristics,
habitat type (pool, riffle) use and longitudinal distribution of steelhead
(Oncorhynchus mykiss), cutthroat trout (0. clarki), and coho salmon (0. kisutch)
in spring, summer and fall in 8.8 km of Cummins Creek, a basin in the central coast
of Oregon. Fish...
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...
Conceptually, the dynamics of wood in streams can be viewed in terms of input and in-channel processes. Input processes are associated with both the riparian (tree fall, bank cutting, windthrow) and upslope forests (mass failures). In-channel processes include log breakage, movement, and decomposition. A mechanistic view of these processes is...
The influence of land use on potential fates of nitrate (NO3-) in stream ecosystems, ranging from denitrification to storage in organic matter, has not been documented extensively. Here, we describe the Pacific Northwest component of Lotic Intersite Nitrogen eXperiment, phase II (LINX II) to examine how land-use setting influences fates...
Neotropical characiform fishes form one of the most diverse freshwater ichthyofauna in the world. Knowledge of evolutionary processes that generated and maintain the immense characiform lineage and morphological diversity is still poorly understood. When did characiform lineages diversify? How have major geological and environmental changes affected diversification? Why are some...
A trait based approach was used to assess impacts of overstory density and thinning on understory vegetation components related to wildlife habitat. The relationship between overstory basal area and understory vegetation for species grouped by traits, such as production of flowers, fleshy-fruit and palatable leaves, was characterized in thinned and...