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External Research 1996

Title:
Ecology of Aquatic and Riparian Ecosystems: An Examination of Forest Management Alternatives

Principal investigator(s); affiliations(s):
Dr. Peter A. Bisson; USDA Forest Service
Dr. Martin G. Raphael; USDA Forest Service
Dr. Lawrence L.C. Jones; USDA Forest Service
Dr. Robert Bilby; Weyerhaeuser Company

Award:
$47,096

Project description:
This proposal requests funds for the first year of an anticipated multi- year study of the ecology of aquatic and riparian ecosystems in which different forest management approaches will be used to achieve conditions that support native riparian plant assemblages and viable populations of fish and wildlife in western Washington. During the first year, field crews will survey ecosystem conditions (fish, amphibian, and small mammal communities; water quality and microclimate characteristics) at different locations on the Olympic Peninsula and in coastal river basins of southwestern Washington. From this examination, sites will be selected to serve as long-term research areas in which experimental silvicultural techniques will be used to promote desired conditions. Effects of riparian treatments on biotic communities and selected ecological functions affecting productivity and biodiversity will be monitored. Sites will be chosen to provide a range of potential treatments, forest conditions, landforms, and stream sizes. Because the project will eventually include partnerships between federal, state, private and tribal organizations, researchers for this project intend to establish a research consortium to coordinate funding, provide sites and labor for riparian manipulations, contribute scientific expertise, and provide other in-kind services.

Project deliverable(s):

Title:
Evaluation of the Marbled Murrelet Inland Forest Survey Protocol (IFSP) with Radar

Principal investigator(s); affiliations(s):
Brian Cooper; ABR, Inc

Award:
$47,096

Project description:
The initial goal of the study is to use radar techniques to evaluate the Inland Forest Survey protocol (IFSP, Ralph et al. 1994) for marbled murrelets. The null hypothesis for this project is: There is no difference in number of radar targets observed using a stand and number of audiovisual detections of murrelets in that stand. Results from the study would be used to analyze the problems and effectiveness of the survey protocol so that managers and biologists would have a better understanding of what the numbers derived from the standard survey protocol actually mean in terms of numbers of murrelets using a particular timber stand. Further studies increase sample sizes over multiple years to determine if the wide annual variation in terrestrial survey counts of murrelets is related to actual changes in number of murrelets at inland stands, or if variation reflects other changes (e.g., changes in flight behavior or calling rates). Establishing the cause of these variations affects the proportion of audiovisual detections to actual number of murrelets. Results from the study will be used to continue to analyze the problems and effectiveness of the survey protocol so that managers and biologists have a better understanding of what the numbers derived from the standard survey protocol actually mean in terms of numbers of murrelets using a particular timber stand.

Project deliverable(s):
Cooper, B.A. and R.J. Blaha. 2002. “Comparisons of radar and audio-visual counts of marbled murrelets during inland forest surveys.” Wildlife Society Bulletin, 30(4):1182-1194.

Evaluation of the Marbled Murrelet Inland Forest Survey Protocol with Radar - November 1998 Draft Final Report

Title:
Response of Coarse Woody Debris Invertebrates in Managed 50-70 year-old Stands on the Olympic Peninsula, Thinned to Create Late Successional Habitat

Principal investigator(s); affiliations(s):
Dr. Robert Edmonds; University of Washington
Dr. Jim Marra; University of Washington

Award:
$33,605

Project description:
An increasing body of literature has identified coarse woody debris (CWD) as a critical component of forest ecosystems. Although forest managers are being directed to maintain or restore CWD through management activities, little is known about what characteristics of CWD are most essential to ecosystem function and biodiversity and in what configuration. How CWD influences tree productivity is also not well understood. The specific objectives of this study are to:
(1) Determine the species of invertebrates in CWD of different tree species, diameters, and decay classes.
(2) Determine fungal macro species and types of decay (brown rot and white rot) occurring on CWD of different tree species, diameters and decay classes in the study stands before and after treatment.
The results of Berlese arthropod extraction will be used to compare the effects of various treatments of thinning, clumped versus dispersed slash, understory plantings, and CWD removal. The results of this study can be used to identify characteristics of CWD most essential to the maintenance of CWD and forest floor inhabiting invertebrates. Further studies sample early USDA Forest Service Habitat Development Study installations of variable density thinning in the Soleduck ranger district, comparing CWD invertebrates in thinned versus unthinned plots. In addition, the project compares CWD invertebrates in clumped versus dispersed CWD treatments at a site in the Hood Canal ranger district. Results of this study will be used to evaluate alternative methods of harvesting that attempt to combine timer harvesting with the creation of late successional wildlife habitat.

Project deliverable(s):
Edmonds, R.L. and J. L. Marra. 1999. Decomposition of woody material: Nutrient dynamics, invertebrate/fungi relationships and management of Northwest Forests, p 68-79 In R. T. Meurisse, W G. Ypsilantis, and C. Seybold (eds.). .Proceedings Pacific Northwest Forest and Rangeland Symposium. USDA Forest, Pacific Northwest Research Station, General Technical Report, PNW -GTR-461, Portland, OR.

Marra, J. L. and R. L. Edmonds. Creation of invertebrate habitat in coarse woody debris in managed 60-70 year-old western hemlock/Douglas-fir stands on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Can. J. For. Res. (in preparation).

Habitat Development Project: Pre- and Post- Treatment Sampling of Coarse Woody Debris Invertebrates in 50-70 Year-Old Douglas-Fir/Western Hemlock Stands on the Olympic Peninsula - March 2000 Report