Management practices and options to provide habitat for wildlife in the Great Basin of southeastern Oregon deal with both vegetation treatment and protection, livestock management, maintenance or distribution of water developments, protection of wildlife areas through road closures or fencing, and direct manipulation of wildlife through hunting, trapping, or other...
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations in south-central Oregon are near their lowest levels since census efforts began in 1961. I investigated fawn survival, cause-specific mortality, and factors contributing to mortality from 2010 – 2012 to identify potential causes for the decline. I also explored pre-parturition and parturition site characteristics.
I...
I studied sexual segregation in mule deer (Odocoileus
hemionus) and white-tailed deer (Q. virginianus) in
different environments and at different population
densities to test the hypothesis that sexual segregation
occurs in ungulates as the result of different
reproductive strategies; females select habitat and behave
in manners primarily designed to promote...
An important segment of outdoor recreational activity in
eastern Oregon is based on the harvest of deer. The deer population
can be altered in two ways. Rangeland, which provides feed and
cover for deer, can be improved through public or private investments
or hunting regulations can be changed. This study...
The specific objectives of the study were to determine the
sociological and economic considerations of the private landowners
and managers in Grant County, Oregon regarding their tolerances
of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)and deer hunters on their properties,
determine the attitudes of hunters who hunted deer in Grant
County in 1973...
A wildfire burned over 40,000 ha of conifer and mixed conifer-hardwood forest in
the Silver Creek drainage of southwestern Oregon in the fall of 1987 allowing me to
assess big game use of a large natural burn. I used fecal pellet group counts to estimate
habitat use and effects of...
In contrast with other Odocoileus species, Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) population dynamics are not well understood throughout the species’ range. Concerns over apparent long-term population declines have prompted efforts to fill basic knowledge gaps including estimates of vital rates (fecundity, recruitment and survival) and cause-specific mortality. The Oregon...
Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus, CWTD) are a geographically isolated and federally endangered sub-species for which there is a paucity of recent ecological information. I described and examined sources of variation in spatial use patterns (i.e. home range, areas of concentrated use, and movements), habitat associations, and survival for...
Intensive forest management (IFM, dense conifer plantings and herbicide applications) may alter the characteristics of early seral plant communities that function as major habitat resources for a host of wildlife species, including cervid herbivores such as Cervus elaphus and Odocoileus hemionus. Such large herbivores can also substantially affect plant community...
The potential for Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus)
to host exotic chewing lice (Damalinia (Cervicola) sp.) believed to cause deer hair
loss syndrome in Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus),
was investigated in captive deer held in pens at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, Corvallis,
Oregon from March 2004...
It is critical for wildlife managers to understand the population dynamics of a harvested species, particularly for ungulates, which are a valuable wildlife resource. Due to concerns that mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations in Oregon were declining, more comprehensive data on population vital rates and the factors potentially affecting them...
I examined ecological relationships and mechanisms of coexistence for sympatric populations of Columbian white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) and black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) in Douglas County, Oregon, from September 1997 to August 1998. Horseback transects were used to describe spatial distributions, population overlap, and habitat use for both species. Behavioral...
Recent emphasis on range improvement of sagebrush-bunch-grass
types in Oregon has underscored the need for better understanding
of their importance to deer winter range management. The
objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of various sagebrush
control practices on the composition, production, and utilization
of deer forage plants...
Little is known about Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) because of their elusive nature and the logistical difficulty of studying them in densely forested and mountainous terrain. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has identified fawn survival as an important gap in the current knowledge of demography and...
As part of a hierarchical approach to classifying watersheds and stream habitats based on geomorphic and geologic criteria, we defined ten classes of fluvial and lacustrine habitats at the scale of valley segments. Valley segments are landscape units which encompass surface waters and the adjacent floodplains and hillslopes with which...
I studied nest-site characteristics and habitat relationships for three species ofprimary cavity-nesting birds--hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus), northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), and red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)-- over spatially heterogeneous landscapes in managed forests of the Southern Oregon Cascades during 1995 and 1996. The study was conducted on the Diamond Lake Ranger...
Upper Cow Lake located in Malheur County, Oregon has a surface area of 975 acres and a volume of 7,150 acre-feet of water. Chemical treatment of the lake was completed September 11, 1963 to remove an abundant population of coarsescale suckers, bridgelip suckers, squawfish, black bullhead, shiners and dace.
Approximately...
Miller Lake was chemically treated with toxaphene on September 16, 1958 to destroy a population of parasitic lamprey (E.tridentatus) and Tui Chub (Siphatelep bicolor). Toxaphene was applied at the rate of 0.04 ppm. No lamprey or fish have been collected in the lake since the chemical treatment. Work since 1959...
Upper Cow Lake located in Malheur County, Oregon, Township 28 South, Range 44 East, Section 29, was chemically treated with 2,325 gallons of liquid synergized rotenone (Pro-noxfish) on September 11, 1963 to remove an abundant population of rough fish. The lake has a maximum surface area of 975 acres and...
Big Lava Lake in Deschutes County, Oregon, was chemically treated September 19, 1963, to eliminate a population of roach and white fish. An estimated kill in excess of 400,000 fish resulted from the application of 4,620 gallons of liquid rotenone (Pro-Noxfish) at a toxicity of 2.0 ppm. Live -boxed brook...
Unity Reservoir in Baker County, Oregon, was chemically treated with liquid rotenone on October 17, 1962. Approximately 136 miles of streams and diversion ditches and seven small ponds, tributary to the reservoir, were treated with liquid rotenone prior to work on the reservoir. The reservoir at time of treatment contained...
Malheur Reservoir located in Malheur County, Oregon, was chemically treated with liquid rotenone on October 11, 1962 to eliminate an abundant population of black crappie and a smaller population of fine scale suckers and redside shiners.
Tests for toxicity indicated the reservoir had detoxified prior to December 1, 1962.
A...
Malheur Reservoir in Malheur County, Oregon, was chemically treated on October 11, 1962, to eliminate an abundant population of black crappie and a smaller population of finescale suckers and redsided shiners. A total of 1,100 gallons of liquid synergized rotenone (Pro-Noxfish) was used to establish a toxicity of 1.5 p.p.m....
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,...
Home range and habitat use by pileated woodpeckers
(Dryocopus pileatus) were studied in the Coast Ranges of western
Oregon. Radio-telemetry was used to determine home ranges of 11
woodpeckers and habitat use of 14 woodpeckers after young had
fledged during summers from 1982 to 1985. Home range size for
individual...
Wildlife is an integral part of woodlands. Where there are forests,
meadows, and streams, there is wildlife. Wildlife means many
things to people, but for purposes of our discussion we’ll divide
it into three basic categories. The most common category is game—birds
and mammals that one hunts for recreation, fur,...
I investigated habitat use and home range size of northern goshawks in the southern Cascades, in the Shasta- Trinity and Klamath National Forests of northern California. My objectives were to 1) estimate the average home range and 2) describe the use of habitats within home ranges by breeding goshawks. Ten...
One of the goals of ecosystem management is to integrate management of many species and processes across a range of temporal and spatial scales. I investigated the relationship between small mammals and amphibians at 3 spatial scales. My objective
was to identify, habitat associations of forest floor vertebrates at the...
Forest floor vertebrate species presence and abundance may be influenced by the volume and cover of coarse woody debris (CWD) in managed forests. I studied macro- and microhabitat associations of vertebrate species in 18 closed-canopy stands ranging in CWD volume from 14 to 859 m3/ha. Pitfall traps were used to...
Published May 1947. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
The study of reptiles and amphibians is called herpetology. The word “herps” comes from the same root word. Herps in your landscape are fun to watch, interesting to learn about, and a benefit to your local ecology. You can attract them by adapting your yard to their habitat needs.
Relations between the diversity of juvenile anadromous salmonids and pool features
were examined in a managed and a pristine watershed in Oregon during the summer of
1990. There were no differences (p>0.05) in pool depth, velocity or pool wood volumes
between streams. However, the pristine system had twice the number...
Fish passing Winchester Dam view-window counting station on the North Umpqua River were enumerated. Figure 1 is a map of the Umpqua basin and denotes the counting station. The counts for summer steelhead, fall chinook, and sea-run cutthroat increased while those for winter steelhead, spring chinook, and coho decreased. By...
A segment of the Crooked River, Crook County, Oregon, was chemically treated along with sections of Ochoco Creek, McKay Creek, and Dry River from August 13 to November 5, 1963.' A total of 860 gallons of liquid synergized rotenone (Pro-Noxfish) was used to obtain toxicities up to 2.0 ppm in...
Structure-forming invertebrates belong to a polyphyletic group of primarily sessile and sedentary megafauna that can significantly enhance the complexity of physical habitats. A number of these organisms, including cold-water corals and sponges, are known to be slow growing and vulnerable to physical disturbance. In addition, as filter feeders, these invertebrates...
Although many people enjoy deer, these animals can be destructive to gardens, orchards, and landscaped areas. Deer damage to ornamental plants is associated with a variety of factors including increasing numbers of deer, human population shifts to rural and suburban areas, and landowners prohibiting deer hunting.
In spite of the progressive restrictions of the commercial river fishery during the past fifty years, the trend of the salmon populations of the coastal rivers has been downward. It is almost impossible to isolate and analyze separately the causes of this decline, and any attempt to saddle one factor...
The following projects were completed between July 1, 1965, and June 30, 1966, under the stream clearance segment of the State-wide Stream Improvement Program. The larger segments were initiated by requesting competitive bids with the contract for logjam removal awarded to the lowest acceptable bid. The smaller projects were undertaken...
Fall Creek Reservoir is a unit of the comprehensive plan of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and multiple use of the water resources of the upper Willamette Basin. The reservoir is located on Big Fall Creek, nineteen miles southeast of Eugene in Lane County...Undesirable fish...
The following projects were accomplished between February 1, 1964 and June 30, 1965, under the stream clearance segment of State-wide Stream Improvement. The projects were accomplished by selecting contractors under the procedure of using sealed bids. Smaller projects were completed by Force Account. The heavy equipment used on each project...
"Gnat Creek heir, constructed with federal funds and was completed in October 1955. Primary objectives were to quantitatively study fail chinook and silver salmon to: (1) determine the survival, timing, and size of juvenile salmonids resulting from natural spawning; (2) measure the survival of hatchery eared fingerlings and yearlings; (3)...
I investigated the population attributes and habitat
selection of mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) recolonizing
clearcuts in the Coast Range mountains of Polk and Lincoln
counties, Oregon between June 1989 and August 1990. The
population characteristics of colonizing mountain beaver
were evaluated in 12 stands of 3 types: 1-year-old
clearcuts assumed...
Few studies have examined both long-term and fine-scale spatial variations in
water quality of small streams in the Pacific Northwest. As such, a case study was
conducted to determine if current physical and chemical properties of water in three
streams located in the Oregon Coast Range differed from historically measured...
Bees provide vital ecosystem services for cropping systems as well as natural landscapes. Declines in both both native bee and managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) populations has brought attention to the significance of their role as pollinators in managed and native ecosystems. As a result, conservation efforts have been...
Microhabitat use by adult speckled dace (Rhinichthys
osculus), adult longnose dace (R. cataractae), and
juvenile dace (R. spp.) was investigated during the summer
of 1992 in an Oregon Cascades stream. Selected areas were
snorkeled day and night in order to evaluate differential
use of habitat resources both temporally and spatially....
This paper will address Oregon's ability to regulate and manage its wetland resources as a means for protecting and enhancing salmon habitat. After identifying the importance of wetland environments the paper will look into OWRF to assess its effectiveness. Ultimately the paper will conclude that OWRF's design is an effective...
Two new studies revealed unknown long-distance dispersal and migration movements in sage grouse that offer fresh insights for conservation. Using DNA from feathers dropped at leks, scientists discovered that some grouse (about 1% of populations) travel long distances to explore breeding areas up to 120 miles away—movements that can potentially...
Research evaluating effects of livestock grazing on greater sage-grouse nest survival suggests that a variety of locally-appropriate range management strategies support grouse populations. A new Montana study comparing effects of specialized grazing systems on ranches enrolled in the NRCS-led Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) to ranches not enrolled in SGI grazing...
In recent years the Sage Grouse Initiative, led by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, has worked with many partners to accelerate the mechanical removal of invading conifer trees, primarily junipers, to restore sagebrush habitats in and around sage grouse strongholds across the West. Replicated studies from public and private...
In the northeast part of sage grouse range, 70% of the best habitat is privately owned – and the single greatest threat in this region is cultivation of native sagebrush grazing lands. Scientists assessed lands in eastern Montana, the western Dakotas, and northeast Wyoming to evaluate potential impacts to sage...
A view-window counting station was operated at the Pacific Power and Light Company's dam on the North Umpqua River at Winchester, Douglas County, Oregon. The fish passing the dam each season were enumerated by species, according to a statistical sampling program established at Oregon State University. The counter recorded the...
The objectives of this study were to quantify and describe:
(1) the major plant communities and their distribution, (2) the
distribution and movement patterns of large herbivores relative to
water, topography, and plant communities, (3) the daily activity
patterns of each herbivore, and (4) the borne range size of wild...
The structure of a mature Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
forest in a watershed in the western Cascades of Oregon was examined.
Two age classes were detected in the stand, the oldest originating
about 1855 after an extensive fire and the younger following a second
fire about 1895 Although the trees in...
Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 541.409, which created the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team (IMST), specifies that agencies are to respond to the recommendations of the IMST, stating “(3) If the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team submits suggestions to an agency responsible for implementing a portion of the Oregon Plan [for Salmon and...
Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 541.409, which created the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team (IMST), specifies that agencies are to respond to the recommendations of the IMST, stating “(3) If the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team submits suggestions to an agency responsible for implementing a portion of the Oregon Plan [for Salmon and...
Oregon Revised Statute 541.409, which created the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team (IMST), specifies that agencies are to respond to the recommendations of the IMST, stating “(3) If the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team submits suggestions to an agency responsible for implementing a portion of the Oregon Plan [for Salmon and Watersheds],...
During 1988-1989, stream habitat variables were compared between beaver-dam sites and unoccupied-stream sites to identify variables that may have been important for beaver (Castor canadensis) in selecting dam sites in the streams of the Drift Creek basin, Lincoln County, Oregon. Increasing valley floor width and grass/sedge cover and decreasing stream...
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...
This presentation summarizes the MidCoast Watersheds Council's project on the impacts of SLR on tidal wetlands in Oregon. Please see the project report for details (linked in Related Items below).
The sensitive lichen Usnea longissima Ach., formerly a fairly common circumboreal species, has been extirpated from much of its range (e.g., Eastern Europe). Although the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) remains a relative stronghold for the species, U longissima faces increasing pressure in the region from habitat loss, air pollution, and...
Associations between occupancy patterns of a montane anuran species, Rana cascadae, and habitat structure at multiple scales were examined to investigate how population structure may influence persistence in spatially and temporally heterogeneous environments. Predictions were based on population dynamics suggested by source-sink and metapopulation models. Potential sites in three basins...
Tracer-derived estimates of hydraulic resistance and transient hydraulic
storage were related to measures of pool volume and channel morphometric
variability in small streams of the Oregon coast, U.S.A. Fourteen
100 m study reaches in 3 streams were selected to compare channel
and hydraulic characteristics in streams representing a time series...
Published January 1995. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeons (Columba fasciata) have declined markedly
during the past several decades. Despite implementation of increasingly restrictive
hunting regulations, populations have shown minimal signs of recovery. I radio-marked
127 adult band-tailed pigeons in the central Oregon Coast Range in April-May of 1993-95
to document nesting chronology and productivity,...
Discusses what land use practices can impact riparian areas and the techniques landowners, volunteers, and professional resource managers can use to improve and protect riparian function.
The response of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla [Raf.] Sarg.) to two methods of site preparation for planting was compared. One site was cleared of mature brush by the "brown-crush-and-burn" method. The other was partially cleared by spraying with herbicides. Seedlings lifted and planted in December, January, February, and April were...
This study investigated whether a device commonly used to measure settlement of mussel larvae for ecological studies, the Tuffy™, functions uniformly whether placed in a bed of filamentous algae or on bare rock. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, the number of mussel larvae settling on Tuffys in patches...
The report summarizes basin level accomplishments and investments related to water quality improvements, fish recovery, and watershed
health. The report also provides an overview of state agency actions
and recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the Oregon
Plan.
This is the fourth report on the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. The first three reports focused on people – their
stories and their efforts to restore watershed health and recover listed fish species. While these earlier reports contained
what little information was available regarding the quantitative aspects of...
This study was performed in response to doubts about the reliability of the database in place at ODFW. It consisted of surveys to verify if Chinook salmon were using the habitats previously identified and looks for discrepancies between summer habitat inventory and fall Chinook spawners. A large portion of the...
South Twin Lake in Deschutes County, Oregon was chemically treated September 14, 1965, to eliminate a population of Tui Chub (Siphateles bicolor). A total of 605 gallons of liquid synergized rotenone and 9,750 pounds of powdered rotenone was applied to the lake. It was estimated that 130,000 mature chub were...
Habitat use and reproductive success by Merriam's wild turkey
(Meleagris gallopavo merriami) were studied in Wasco County, Oregon,
during 1981-82. This low density turkey population selectively used
forested cover types characterized by a variety of structural
features, species, and age classes. They avoided monotypic forested
cover types, used non-forested cover...
In Oregon, sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) were common in the
eastern portion of the state. Since 1940 populations declined because of
decreased productivity. The western subspecies (C. u. phaios) was listed as a
candidate for threatened and endangered status in 1985 because of declines in
Oregon and Washington and extirpation...
I examined habitat electivity and movement patterns of adult spring chinook salmon at microhabitat and channel unit spatial scales, and seasonal to annual temporal scales in seven streams in the Grande Ronde, John Day, and Imnaha basins. The objective was to compare habitat use and availability among streams, channel units,...
Decline of western sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus phaios)
in Oregon may be related to the reduced availability of foods in upland
sagebrush (Artemisia)-grasslands used for brood-rearing. The goal of
this study was to determine primary foods of chicks and the short-term
response of brood-rearing habitat to prescribed burning at Hart...
Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) are known to utilize certain estuaries along the Pacific coast of the United States, but the importance of these habitats to the coast-wide population is not well understood. In this study, general patterns of estuarine habitat use were assessed by tracking the movement of sub-adult and adult...
I conducted acoustic lure surveys of northern pygmy-owls (Glaucidium gnoma) on transects that were systematically placed in forested areas throughout the state of Oregon. My objectives were to determine if pygmy-owls were associated with particular forest types, ecoregions, or with large-diameter dominant overstory trees. I also examined temporal variation in...