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Gaines WL, Lyons AL, Suring LH, Hughes CS. Ecosystem Conditions That Influence the Viability of an Old-Forest Species with Limited Vagility: The Red Tree Vole. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071166. [PMID: 37048422 PMCID: PMC10093472 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated ecosystem conditions known to influence the viability of a strictly arboreal species (the red tree vole, Arborimus longicaudus) endemic and historically distributed in the forests across the Coast Range, Cascades, and Klamath Mountains ecoregions in the Western United States of America. We found widespread reductions in ecosystem conditions needed to support the long-term viability of the red tree vole. This was particularly evident in the Coast Range where the weighted watershed index (WWI) was 26% of its historical value, and the current probability of maintaining viability departed the most from historical viability probabilities in ecoregions that were evaluated. In contrast, in the Cascades and Klamath Mountains, the WWI was 42% and 52% of their respective historical values, and the current probabilities of maintaining viability departed less from historical conditions than in the Coast Range. Habitat loss from timber harvest represented the most immediate threat in the Coast Range, while habitat loss from wildfires represented the most risk to the red tree vole in the Cascades and Klamath Mountains. Reducing the risks to the viability of the red tree vole will depend largely on the implementation of conservation practices designed to protect remaining habitat and restore degraded ecosystems in the Coast Range. However, the risk of large, high-severity wildfires will require the protection and increased resilience of existing ecosystems. Our results indicate that considerable adaptation to climate change will be required to conserve the red tree vole in the long term. Conservation may be accomplished by revising land and resource management plans to include standards and guidelines relevant to red tree vole management and persistence, the identification of priority areas for conservation and restoration, and in assessing how management alternatives influence ecosystem resiliency and red tree vole viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L. Gaines
- Washington Conservation Science Institute, Leavenworth, WA 98826, USA
| | - Andrea L. Lyons
- Washington Conservation Science Institute, Leavenworth, WA 98826, USA
| | | | - Carol S. Hughes
- Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR 97204, USA
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Reilly MJ, Zuspan A, Halofsky JS, Raymond C, McEvoy A, Dye AW, Donato DC, Kim JB, Potter BE, Walker N, Davis RJ, Dunn CJ, Bell DM, Gregory MJ, Johnston JD, Harvey BJ, Halofsky JE, Kerns BK. Cascadia Burning: The historic, but not historically unprecedented, 2020 wildfires in the Pacific Northwest,
USA. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Reilly
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Aaron Zuspan
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center, ORISE Fellow Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Joshua S. Halofsky
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources Olympia Washington USA
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Crystal Raymond
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Andy McEvoy
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, ORISE Fellow Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Alex W. Dye
- College of Forestry Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Daniel C. Donato
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources Olympia Washington USA
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - John B. Kim
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Brian E. Potter
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Seattle Washington USA
| | - Nathan Walker
- USDA Forest Service Office of Sustainability and Climate Portland Oregon USA
| | - Raymond J. Davis
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region Corvallis Oregon USA
| | | | - David M. Bell
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Corvallis Oregon USA
| | | | | | - Brian J. Harvey
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - Jessica E. Halofsky
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center Olympia Washington USA
| | - Becky K. Kerns
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Corvallis Oregon USA
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Duchac LS, Lesmeister DB, Dugger KM, Davis RJ. Differential landscape use by forest owls two years after a mixed‐severity wildfire. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leila S. Duchac
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
- Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Damon B. Lesmeister
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Katie M. Dugger
- U.S. Geological Survey Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Raymond J. Davis
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
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Jenkins JMA, Lesmeister DB, Forsman ED, Dugger KM, Ackers SH, Andrews LS, Gremel SA, Hollen B, McCafferty CE, Pruett MS, Reid JA, Sovern SG, Wiens JD. Conspecific and congeneric interactions shape increasing rates of breeding dispersal of northern spotted owls. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02398. [PMID: 34212458 PMCID: PMC9285767 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Breeding dispersal, the movement from one breeding territory to another, is rare for philopatric species that evolved within relatively stable environments, such as the old-growth coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest. Although dispersal is not inherently maladaptive, the consequences of increased dispersal on population dynamics in populations whose historical dispersal rates are low could be significant, particularly for a declining species. We examined rates and possible causes of breeding dispersal based on a sample of 4,118 northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) monitored in seven study areas over 28 yr, 1990-2017, in Oregon and Washington, USA. Using a multistate mark-resight analysis, we investigated the potential impacts of an emergent congeneric competitor (barred owl Strix varia) and forest alteration (extrinsic factors), and social and individual conditions (intrinsic factors) on 408 successive and 1,372 nonsuccessive dispersal events between years. The annual probability of breeding dispersal increased for individual owls that had also dispersed in the previous year and decreased for owls on territories with historically high levels of reproduction. Intrinsic factors including pair status, prior reproductive success, and experience at a site, were also associated with breeding dispersal movements. The percent of monitored owls dispersing each year increased from ˜7% early in the study to ˜25% at the end of the study, which coincided with a rapid increase in numbers of invasive and competitively dominant barred owls. We suggest that the results presented here can inform spotted owl conservation efforts as we identify factors contributing to changing rates of demographic parameters including site fidelity and breeding dispersal. Our study further shows that increasing rates of breeding dispersal associated with population declines contribute to population instability and vulnerability of northern spotted owls to extinction, and the prognosis is unlikely to change unless active management interventions are undertaken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianna M. A. Jenkins
- U.S. Forest ServicePacific Northwest Research Station3200 SW Jefferson WayCorvallisOregon97331USA
| | - Damon B. Lesmeister
- U.S. Forest ServicePacific Northwest Research Station3200 SW Jefferson WayCorvallisOregon97331USA
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State University104 Nash HallCorvallisOregon97331‐3803USA
| | - Eric D. Forsman
- U.S. Forest ServicePacific Northwest Research Station3200 SW Jefferson WayCorvallisOregon97331USA
| | - Katie M. Dugger
- U.S. Geological SurveyOregon Cooperative Wildlife Research UnitDepartment of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State University104 Nash HallCorvallisOregon97331‐3803USA
| | - Steven H. Ackers
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State University104 Nash HallCorvallisOregon97331‐3803USA
| | - L. Steven Andrews
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State University104 Nash HallCorvallisOregon97331‐3803USA
| | - Scott A. Gremel
- U.S. National Park ServiceOlympic National Park600 East Park AvenuePort AngelesWashingtonUSA
| | - Bruce Hollen
- Bureau of Land ManagementOregon State Office1220 SW 3rd AvenuePortlandOregon97204USA
| | - Chris E. McCafferty
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State University104 Nash HallCorvallisOregon97331‐3803USA
| | - M. Shane Pruett
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State University104 Nash HallCorvallisOregon97331‐3803USA
| | - Janice A. Reid
- U.S. Forest ServicePacific Northwest Research Station3200 SW Jefferson WayCorvallisOregon97331USA
| | - Stan G. Sovern
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State University104 Nash HallCorvallisOregon97331‐3803USA
| | - J. David Wiens
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center3200 SW Jefferson WayCorvallisOregon97331USA
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Jager HI, Long JW, Malison RL, Murphy BP, Rust A, Silva LGM, Sollmann R, Steel ZL, Bowen MD, Dunham JB, Ebersole JL, Flitcroft RL. Resilience of terrestrial and aquatic fauna to historical and future wildfire regimes in western North America. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:12259-12284. [PMID: 34594498 PMCID: PMC8462151 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildfires in many western North American forests are becoming more frequent, larger, and severe, with changed seasonal patterns. In response, coniferous forest ecosystems will transition toward dominance by fire-adapted hardwoods, shrubs, meadows, and grasslands, which may benefit some faunal communities, but not others. We describe factors that limit and promote faunal resilience to shifting wildfire regimes for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We highlight the potential value of interspersed nonforest patches to terrestrial wildlife. Similarly, we review watershed thresholds and factors that control the resilience of aquatic ecosystems to wildfire, mediated by thermal changes and chemical, debris, and sediment loadings. We present a 2-dimensional life history framework to describe temporal and spatial life history traits that species use to resist wildfire effects or to recover after wildfire disturbance at a metapopulation scale. The role of fire refuge is explored for metapopulations of species. In aquatic systems, recovery of assemblages postfire may be faster for smaller fires where unburned tributary basins or instream structures provide refuge from debris and sediment flows. We envision that more-frequent, lower-severity fires will favor opportunistic species and that less-frequent high-severity fires will favor better competitors. Along the spatial dimension, we hypothesize that fire regimes that are predictable and generate burned patches in close proximity to refuge will favor species that move to refuges and later recolonize, whereas fire regimes that tend to generate less-severely burned patches may favor species that shelter in place. Looking beyond the trees to forest fauna, we consider mitigation options to enhance resilience and buy time for species facing a no-analog future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henriette I. Jager
- Environmental Sciences DivisionOak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)Oak RidgeTNUSA
| | - Jonathan W. Long
- U.S. Department of AgriculturePacific Southwest Research StationDavisCAUSA
| | - Rachel L. Malison
- Flathead Lake Biological StationThe University of MontanaPolsonMTUSA
| | - Brendan P. Murphy
- School of Environmental ScienceSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBCCanada
| | - Ashley Rust
- Civil and Environmental Engineering DepartmentColorado School of MinesGoldenCOUSA
| | - Luiz G. M. Silva
- Institute for Land, Water and SocietyCharles Sturt UniversityAlburyNSWAustralia
- Department of CivilEnvironmental and Geomatic EngineeringStocker LabInstitute of Environmental EngineeringETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Rahel Sollmann
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Zachary L. Steel
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Mark D. Bowen
- Thomas Gast & Associates Environmental ConsultantsArcataCAUSA
| | - Jason B. Dunham
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterCorvallisORUSA
| | - Joseph L. Ebersole
- Center for Public Health and Environmental AssessmentPacific Ecological Systems DivisionU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyCorvallisORUSA
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Intermediate fire severity diversity promotes richness of forest carnivores in California. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Jones GM, Gutiérrez RJ, Block WM, Carlson PC, Comfort EJ, Cushman SA, Davis RJ, Eyes SA, Franklin AB, Ganey JL, Hedwall S, Keane JJ, Kelsey R, Lesmeister DB, North MP, Roberts SL, Rockweit JT, Sanderlin JS, Sawyer SC, Solvesky B, Tempel DJ, Wan HY, Westerling AL, White GC, Peery MZ. Spotted owls and forest fire: Comment. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gavin M. Jones
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - R. J. Gutiérrez
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - William M. Block
- USDA Forest ServiceRocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | - Peter C. Carlson
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Emily J. Comfort
- College of Forestry Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Samuel A. Cushman
- USDA Forest ServiceRocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | | | | | - Alan B. Franklin
- USDA National Wildlife Research Center Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Joseph L. Ganey
- USDA Forest ServiceRocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | - Shaula Hedwall
- US Fish and Wildlife ServiceArizona Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | - John J. Keane
- USDA Forest ServicePacific Southwest Research Station Davis California USA
| | - Rodd Kelsey
- The Nature Conservancy Sacramento California USA
| | | | - Malcolm P. North
- USDA Forest ServicePacific Southwest Research Station Davis California USA
- The John Muir Institute University of California Davis California USA
| | | | - Jeremy T. Rockweit
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Jamie S. Sanderlin
- USDA Forest ServiceRocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | | | - Ben Solvesky
- Sierra Forest Legacy Garden Valley California USA
| | - Douglas J. Tempel
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Ho Yi Wan
- School of Public and Community Health Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana USA
| | - A. LeRoy Westerling
- Sierra Nevada Research Institute University of California Merced California USA
| | - Gary C. White
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - M. Zachariah Peery
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek E. Lee
- Biology Department Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
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