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A pilot study to develop a protocol for habitat mapping in very shallow water (0-5 meters deep) was undertaken by a team of scientists from the University of Rhode Island, Washington College, and the National Park Service, August ...
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A pilot study to develop a protocol for habitat mapping in very shallow water (0-5 meters deep) was undertaken by a team of scientists from the University of Rhode Island, Washington College, and the National Park Service, August 13-21, 2006 in a portion of Great South Bay at the Fire Island National Seashore. The main goals of the pilot study were to test acoustic (sidescan sonar, single-beam sonar and interferometric sonar) and ground-truthing (grab samples, sediment profile imagery, underwater video) methods to map marine Park habitats in very shallow water, classify habitats using NOAAs Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS), and provide a general framework to the NPS managers for estimating the time and resources needed for marine habitat mapping within coastal National Parks. Despite the short-term nature of the project, the majority of methods produced detailed habitat information. We show that the technology now exists to do geological and biological habitat mapping in shallow waters, and that a simple statistical examination of the acoustic, geological and biological data allowed ecologically-relevant patterns to emerge. The current version of CMECS was limited in its ability to classify subtle but potentially important changes in habitat, but updates to this version since the study period, and future revisions, will likely address these shortcomings. A habitat mapping effort that employs multiple tools, utilizes a statistically-guided sampling approach and a classification scheme that can incorporate newly discovered ecological associations and adapt to growing datasets with be vital to the National Park Service's marine mapping and classification efforts.
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A three-year multidisciplinary study was conducted on the relationship between mine waste contamination and the effects on aquatic and terrestrial habitats in the Methow River below abandoned mines near Twisp in Okanogan County, W...
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A three-year multidisciplinary study was conducted on the relationship between mine waste contamination and the effects on aquatic and terrestrial habitats in the Methow River below abandoned mines near Twisp in Okanogan County, Washington (U.S.A.). Ore deposits in the area were mined for gold, silver, copper and zinc until the early 1950's. An above-and-below-mine approach was used to study potentially impacted sites. Although the dissolved metal content of water in the Methow River was below the limits of detection, eleven chemicals of potential environmental concern were identified in the tailings, mine effluents, groundwater, streamwater and sediments (Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se and Zn).
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The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has been conducting studies of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus - SWFL) within several reaches of the Middle Rio Grande since 1995. Currently, breedi...
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The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has been conducting studies of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus - SWFL) within several reaches of the Middle Rio Grande since 1995. Currently, breeding SWFLs are concentrated in suitable habitat within the conservation pool of Elephant Butte Reservoir and in a few isolated areas upstream including the Pueblo of Isleta, La Joya State Wildlife Area (SWA), Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and the reach between Bosque del Apache NWR and San Marcial. During the past eight years, the SWFL population in the pool of Elephant Butte Reservoir has increased dramatically by dispersing into new, primarily native riparian habitat. To facilitate recovery of this endangered subspecies in the Middle Rio Grande, it is necessary to understand habitat relationships and features selected by breeding SWFLs. The SWFL Recovery Plan (USFWS 2002) states that SWFL breeding habitat, although variable in terms of plant species composition, patch size and shape, and canopy structure, usually consists of a mosaic of dense vegetation, particularly in the first 3 to 4 meters above ground, and small openings, open water or shorter vegetation. Usually, surface water or saturated soil is present in proximity to breeding sites. However, dense is a very subjective term and few studies have quantified the habitat at SWFL breeding sites. These data are important for restoration efforts targeted for SWFL breeding habitat. Between 2004 and 2006, Reclamation gathered and analyzed vegetation data from 112 SWFL nest sites within the Middle Rio Grande. Results of this study are presented in Vegetation Quantification of Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Nest Sites (Moore 2007). Subsequently, in an effort to assess the suitability of developing habitat for breeding SWFLs and test our ability to visually identify suitable SWFL breeding habitat, Reclamation gathered similar vegetation data at sites that appeared suitable for breeding SWFLs but were currently unoccupied (hereafter called assessment sites) and compared these data to data presented in Moore (2007). These comparisons are presented in this report.
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This annual report summarizes the work from 1997 to develop the context for the work accomplished in 2001. This work was funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the USDA Forest Service (FS), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Foun...
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This annual report summarizes the work from 1997 to develop the context for the work accomplished in 2001. This work was funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the USDA Forest Service (FS), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Foundations, non-profit organizations, and many hours of volunteers. Sandy River Delta was historically a wooded, riparian wetland with components of ponds, sloughs, bottomland woodland, oak woodland, prairie, and low and high elevation floodplain. It has been greatly altered by past agricultural practices and the Columbia River hydropower system. Restoration of historic landscape components is a primary goal for this land. The Forest Service is currently focusing on restoration of riparian forest and wetlands. Restoration of open upland areas (meadow/prairie) would follow substantial completion of the riparian and wetland restoration.
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This report is a joint effort of the Biological Resources Division, U.S.Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to provide National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) managers guidance on the selection and evaluation of ...
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This report is a joint effort of the Biological Resources Division, U.S.Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to provide National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) managers guidance on the selection and evaluation of habitat management strategies to meet stated objectives. The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 requires that National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) lands be managed according to approved Comprehensive Conservation Plans to guide management decisions and devise strategies for achieving refuge unit purposes and meeting the NWRS missions. This paper outlines the steps we recommend in selecting and evaluating habitat management strategies to meet specific refuge habitat objectives. We selected two examples to illustrate the process.
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Least terns (Sternula antillarum) are threatened by rapid human development on the northern coast of Sonora, Mexico. Terns are bellwethers for changes along the worlds coastlines, as their coastal breeding habitat is vulnerable to...
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Least terns (Sternula antillarum) are threatened by rapid human development on the northern coast of Sonora, Mexico. Terns are bellwethers for changes along the worlds coastlines, as their coastal breeding habitat is vulnerable to flooding and development. We conducted targeted ground and aerial surveys for least tern colonies along 160 kilometers of coast, and document our findings on colony sizes at nine sites over 3 years in the first portion of this report.3 Like many taxa, terns lay larger clutches at higher latitudes. In the second portion of this report, we evaluate least tern breeding lifespan, food availability, and nest predation as potential ecological reasons behind this differing clutch-size pattern. After correcting for phylogenetic relationships, we found that food availability, not breeding lifespan or nest predation rate, was related to reproductive investment across 46 species and populations of terns. We conclude that coastal development may have a greater impact on nesting terns in tropical regions as compared to temperate breeding locations, because global oceanic patterns of decreased food availability reduce reproductive investment in the tropics.
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The primary objective of this project was to obtain information leading to better identification of essential fish habitat in Prince William Sound. By using trace element signatures of edge portions of juvenile herring otoliths, w...
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The primary objective of this project was to obtain information leading to better identification of essential fish habitat in Prince William Sound. By using trace element signatures of edge portions of juvenile herring otoliths, we identified the otolith chemical signature of individual rearing bays within Sitka Sound. We used trace element signatures of edge portions of adult herring otoliths to identify the otolith chemical signature of spawning areas within Sitka Sound. We also used trace element signatures of edge portions to compare to core portions of juvenile and adult herring to identify source and sink habitat in Sitka Sound. The results of the technique used in this project indicate that herring use different and distinct habitats in Sitka Sound during their life. Once we know which population contributes more to the spawning groups, we can then identify those variables that enhance the life histories of the source population. This will allow managers to protect the most important populations and also identify which variables can be altered to improve habitat for other populations. These techniques used in Sitka Sound can be directly transferred to Prince William Sound, leading to better identification of essential fish habitat in Prince William Sound.
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We evaluated sampling variability of stream habitat sampling methods used by the USDA Forest Service and the USDI Bureau of Land Management monitoring program for the upper Columbia River Basin. Three separate studies were conduct...
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We evaluated sampling variability of stream habitat sampling methods used by the USDA Forest Service and the USDI Bureau of Land Management monitoring program for the upper Columbia River Basin. Three separate studies were conducted to describe the variability of individual measurement techniques, variability between crews, and temporal variation throughout the summer sampling season. We quantified the variability between crews and through time, and described the percent of the total variability attributed between crew and seasonal variability. We then estimated the number of samples needed to detect change between managed and reference sites. Differences among streams accounted for a larger share of the total variability than did differences among observers. Stream variability was greater than 80 percent of the total variability for 12 of the 16 variables measured. This is somewhat surprising given the similarities between the study streams. Observer variability was minimal for stream habitat methods describing reach, streambank, and cross-section variables. Conversely, variability was higher for pool, large woody debris, and substrate variables. Seasonal variation was minimal for stream channel variables with the exception of substrate particle sizes. Sample sizes derived from both observer and stream variability (type I error 0.1, type II error 0.9, minimum detectable change 10 percent) ranged from 10 to 3,502 sites to detect changes between two populations. We believe that these estimates represent an unambiguous and powerful way to display the consequences of variability to scientists and managers.
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The major objectives of this study were to: (1) use existing biological, chemical211 and physical habitat data from the 1994-97 Maryland Biological Stream Survey 211 (MBSS) to determine the discriminatory power of physical habitat...
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The major objectives of this study were to: (1) use existing biological, chemical211 and physical habitat data from the 1994-97 Maryland Biological Stream Survey 211 (MBSS) to determine the discriminatory power of physical habitat metrics for 211 assessing the quality of non-tidal streams in Maryland and (2) develop a 211 provisional multimetric Maryland Physical Habitat Index (MPHI) for both Coastal 211 and Non-Coastal Plain stream strata using metrics that showed the best 211 discriminatory power in reference and degraded conditions. Biological, chemical 211 and land-use data were used to determine reference and impacted sites. In 211 addition to the major objective described above, additional analyses were also 211 conducted with the 1994-97 MBSS data to address the following: (1) compare MPHI, 211 Fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), Benthic IBI and stream characteristics; (2) 211 determine the relationship of the herpetofauna presence data with physical 211 habitat metrics; (3) compare the variability of the subjective physical habitat
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The Portable Habitat for Antarctic Scientific Research, PHASR, is designed as a versatile, general purpose habitat system that addresses the problem of functional space and environmental soundness in a partially fabric-covered she...
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The Portable Habitat for Antarctic Scientific Research, PHASR, is designed as a versatile, general purpose habitat system that addresses the problem of functional space and environmental soundness in a partially fabric-covered shelter. PHASR is used for remote field site applications that can be quickly deployed. PHASR will also provide four scientists with a comfortable and efficient use of interior space. PHASR is a NASA/USRA Advanced Design Program project conducted at the University of Houston College of Architecture, Sasadawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA). This report is prepared for NASA/USRA.
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