The American beaver (Castor canadensis) was nearly extirpated by the late 1800's due to the fur trade. Due to reintroduction efforts, it now occupies much of its former range. Beavers are a keystone species and ecosystem engineers, greatly influencing riparian and instream habitats through selective harvesting of plant materials and...
This dissertation is a collection of three manuscripts that serve to fill the knowledge gaps and advance methods of detecting the effects of contemporary forest harvesting in experimental catchment studies. While there is a preponderance of studies evaluating the environmental effects of forest harvesting in the western United States, few...
The Middle Fork John Day Basin in Northeastern Oregon is prime habitat for spring Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout. In 2008, a major tributary supporting rearing habitat, Big Boulder Creek, was restored to its historic mid-valley channel along a 1 km stretch of stream 800 m upstream of the mouth....
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...
Mimeographed copy of a report, presumably to the Oregon State Game Commission. Includes maps and original b+w photographs of Rogue River dams, fishways, and fishing in the late 1920s. The author was extremely frank about the issues of the day, particularly law enforcement issues.
By the early 1990s, the citizens of Tillamook County recognized that environmental problems facing Tillamook Bay threatened the very future of those residing here. Declining fish runs meant loss of income for commercial fishermen, tackle shops, hotel owners, and other fishing - dependent businesses. Decreasing water quality meant violations of...
The federally threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is the focus of intensive conservation efforts that have led to much forested land being reserved as habitat for the owl and associated wildlife species throughout the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Recently, however, a relatively new threat to spotted...
This dissertation examines learning driven adaptations in salmon recovery efforts and water resources management in Oregon. The case study utilizes a framework highlighting the connections between human and natural systems. Semi-structured interviews are used to analyze interactions between rural riparian landowners and watershed council staffs living and working in Oregon’s...
As species of ash trees become increasingly threatened worldwide by exotic pests and pathogens, it is important to develop descriptions of their ecologies that help guide the conservation and restoration of forests in which they are a major component. Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia) is a dominant tree species in wetland...
Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus is a valuable icon and traditional food source for Indigenous people of western North America. Native Americans have utilized traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) since time immemorial to guide their ways of life, transmitting cultural values and natural history to further generational knowledge. Pacific lamprey are in...