Progress 11/01/05 to 10/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The first major component of my project, Conserving Biological Diversity in the Pacific Northwest, which was devoted to recovery of the endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, was completed in 2010. My field studies on the reintroduction biology of pygmy rabbits in Idaho and Washington, combined with my population models, resulted in the state and federal recovery agencies determining that the reintroduction program had to be fundamentally modified to achieve its goals. My published population modeling demonstrated that the joint captive breeding program managed by three organizations, including Washington State University, was not adequate to produce enough rabbits to both sustain a viable captive population while simultaneously providing sufficient numbers of rabbits to release and restore a wild population. Survival of young kits, combined with facility constraints on total size of the breeding population, were identified as critical limiting factors preventing the captive population from growing large enough to produce enough rabbits for reintroduction back into the wild in the shrub-steppe ecosystem of Washington.<p> In addition, my studies of the survival of captive-bred, reintroduced pygmy rabbits in Idaho and Washington demonstrated that survival of the endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits when released into the wild was low. Population models developed to predict the number of rabbits that would have to be released to establish minimal target breeding populations of females demonstrated that it was unfeasible to produce the numbers of needed rabbits (i.e., hundreds) from the captive breeding program. In addition, the low survival of pygmy rabbits, even in captivity with managed health care, has magnified the effects of inbreeding depression and required that Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits be interbred with rabbits from Idaho. Consequently, the genetic consequences of maintaining an endangered r-selected species in captivity for about 10 years and failing to quickly grow a larger population to maintain genetic diversity have become apparent. By documenting these key factors through my research, the decision has been made by both the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to pursue a modified recovery program for pygmy rabbits in Washington. Thus, my research project has been instrumental in defining the recovery program for this endangered species and is resulting in some of the first of its kind information on the critical population dynamics and conservation challenges involved in recovery of endangered rabbits and hares in North America.<p> My research program in endangered species ecology and conservation also successfully reintroduced a population of the state-endangered leopard frog in Washington, the first such reintroduction in the western U.S. Work completed in 2009 - 2010 revealed that this introduced population was capable of breeding in the wetlands outside of their normal distribution range, thereby providing a model of the ecology and management of an endangered amphibian in constructed wetland complexes. PARTICIPANTS: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife<p> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; The Nature Conservancy<p> Oregon Zoo<p> Northwest Trek<p> University of Idaho TARGET AUDIENCES: State and federal agencies, and private non-profit conservation organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy) concerned with the management and conservation of endangered species on private and public lands. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Project completed.
Impacts
My research program significantly modified and improved the state and federal recovery efforts for two endangered species programs in the Pacific Northwest. Both the federal recovery program for the endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, and that of the Washington State endangered northern leopard frog, were modified as a result of population modeling studies from this project. Results from our work completed in 2010 will appear in scientific journals in 2011.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: I requested a one-year extension on my project, Conserving Biological Diversity in the Pacific Northwest, because my research program generated several major breakthroughs in 2009 that are being completed in 2010. My research program in endangered species ecology and conservation generated a significant, new research accomplishment by successfully establishing the first introduced population of the state-endangered northern leopard frog in the western U.S. Leopard frogs from an experimental captive breeding population successfully colonized newly constructed wetland complexes in eastern Washington. My work in summer, 2009, revealed that this introduced population is surviving and expanding in these wetlands outside of their normal distribution range, thereby providing a model of the ecology and management of an endangered amphibian in constructed wetland complexes. To study the population dynamics of this endangered species, we are developing a computer-generated method of identifying individual leopard frogs using the unique spotting pattern that occurs on the backs of each frog. We successfully collected population data in summer, 2009, and are preparing publications that demonstrate the utility of this new pattern-recognition technique in studying population dynamics of leopard frogs and other amphibians using non-invasive photography and computer algorithms. The graduate student on this project, Erim Gomez, will complete his thesis research, conference presentations, and associated journal papers in spring, 2010. We have a number of papers that we have developed from our companion captive breeding program, and now with this new wild, introduced population, our work represents a successful breakthrough in reintroduction of northern leopard frogs (currently being considered for federal designation as an endangered species in the western U.S). In yet another breakthrough in 2009, we discovered a successful treatment for chytrid fungus, which devastates amphibian populations world-wide. This successful treatment of chytrid fungus in captivity has considerable significance to amphibian conservation internationally and these results will be published immediately. The completion and publication of the results of our work in spring, 2010, will place us at the forefront of the national research and recovery efforts for this endangered species. In addition, my nationally recognized research project on the endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit also has taken an unexpected new turn as a result of my published studies on population ecology and modeling, which demonstrated that the current captive-breeding program cannot support the planned recovery program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Consequently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now in the process of modifying the federal recovery program based upon my work. This research has been a high-profile project on a federally endangered species and has received global attention by being profiled in the new book just published in 2009 by Jane Goodall, "Hope for Animals and Their World - How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink." PARTICIPANTS: Major participants in my research program included the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, theses were completed for two graduate students, and thesis research projects completed for another three graduate students. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for my research program in endangered species ecology is non-profit conservation organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy), state governments (e.g., WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife), and resource management agencies in the Department of the Interior. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: This project is being modified to allow the completion of my initial research objectives in early 2010, given the significant breakthroughs that occurred in my work in 2009.
Impacts
My research program significantly affected the state and federal recovery efforts for two endangered species programs. Results from our work are being published in scientific journals in 2010.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: I conducted research for a captive breeding and reintroduction program for the federally listed endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. We produced about 75 endangered pygmy rabbits in our breeding facility at Washington State University and conducted population viability analysis of both the captive population and of rabbits reintroduced into the wild. Our technical and population analysis in 2008 revealed that the captive breeding program does not have a high probability of being able to support the anticipated future requirements for a recovery program for pygmy rabbits in Washington because of relatively low and highly variable production from year to year. Our population models demonstrated that the captive population cannot withstand even an annual harvest of as few as 30 rabbits without increasing the probability of extinction of the captive population. In addition, our modeling and analysis of the survival of pygmy rabbits reintroduced in both Idaho and Washington demonstrates low survival, particularly for captive-bred rabbits released in Washington. Our models illustrated that survival was higher in fall and winter months, for females, younger rabbits, for rabbits that used artificial burrows as opposed to dispersing rabbits, for rabbits released in Idaho. Survival varied among individual burrow clusters. Our quantitative population studies and models have now resulted in a modification of the federal recovery program for pygmy rabbits, which will now likely rely on translocation of wild rabbits, coupled with greater genetic management of the captive and reintroduced rabbit population to help achieve successful recovery of pygmy rabbits in Washington. My project on a state threatened species, the northern leopard frog, achieved a breakthrough in 2008 when we were successful in breeding this species in small artificial ponds at Washington State University. However, unusually cold spring weather or other environmental factors appeared to cause tadpole mortality. We are repeating this experiment in 2009 with additional focus on improving tadpole survival. If this work is successful, we will have developed a system that will allow large numbers of this endangered species to be produced relatively cheaply for studies and experiments in restoring extirpated amphibian populations in Washington. I continued my project on the state-endangered sharp-tailed grouse with a graduate student studying survival of radio-collared grouse on the Colville Indian Reservation where probably is found the largest remaining population in Washington. I also supervised other graduate students working on habitat selection by burrowing owls and population viability analysis for sage grouse. PARTICIPANTS: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, The Oregon Zoo, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park TARGET AUDIENCES: Federal and state resource management agencies, non-profit organizations, and private landowners involved in wildlife conservation and the management and recovery of threatened and endangered species. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: This project expanded in scope during 2008 and now covers population dynamics and restoration ecology of several important mammal, bird, and amphibian species in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest. This expanded focus broadens the impact of our population modeling work on restoration of endangered species. We applied new techniques in systems dynamics modeling and survival analysis, which improved our ability to predict population response to different potential management actions.
Impacts
I conducted behavioral and population dynamics research on five threatened and endangered species, or species of concern, in Washington, including pygmy rabbits, sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, burrowing owls, and northern leopard frogs. This work advanced the science for conserving and restoring endangered species in Washington and supported the technical needs for both federal and state recovery programs for threatened and endangered species.
Publications
- Zeoli, L., R.D.Sayler, and R.B.Wielgus. 2008. Population Viability Analysis for Captive Breeding and Reintroduction of the Endangered Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit. Animal Conservation. 11:504-512.
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: I performed the first reintroduction effort in Washington State for the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit. This research is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery program for the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, which has been declared to be an endangered population segment under the Endangered Species Act. In March, 2007, we released 20 radio-collared, captive-reared pygmy rabbits on Sagebrush Flat, Washington, in an event that received national media coverage in over 150 major news outlets. We studied the behavior and survival of these animals and later received additional national news coverage when we reported evidence of successful breeding in the field by these reintroduced rabbits. My graduate student, co-PIs, and I continued research on methods for the successful propagation of this endangered species in captivity, and developed quantitative models of their population dynamics, which resulted in a major change in the captive breeding and recovery program for the
pygmy rabbit. I also continued a new project on a state threatened species, the northern leopard frog. I worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to raise leopard frogs and develop a propagation facility, the Amphibian Conservation Lab, at Washington State University to produce leopard frogs for reintroduction efforts and ecological studies. In 2007, we developed techniques for successfully overwintering and preparing these endangered frogs for breeding in spring of 2008. I began a new research project on state-endangered Sharp-tailed grouse. Work from one of my projects on the ecology and management of rodents in a no-till agricultural system in eastern Washington was published.
PARTICIPANTS: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Nature Conservancy.
Impacts
My project, resulting from a long-term research and recovery program sponsored by Washington State University, resulted in the reintroduction of a federally-endangered species in Washington, which is an uncommon event in the United States.
Publications
- Witmer, G., and R.D.Sayler. 2007. Ecology and management of rodents in no-till agriculture in Washington, USA. Integrative Zoology 2:154-164.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
In 2006, I continued work on the recovery program for the federally-endangered Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has declared the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit to be an endangered population segment requiring coordinated federal and state research and planning to restore viable populations in the shrub-steppe of central Washington. My co-PIs and I continued research on methods for the propagation of this endangered species in captivity, with the goal of producing enough animals for reintroduction efforts to begin in 2007. We were successful in producing enough animals to maintain the genetic diversity of the founding captive population, and to produce about 35 surplus animals which will form the core of the first release of pygmy rabbits back into the wild. As part of this ongoing endangered species research program, I completed the formal reintroduction plan for pygmy rabbits, which will be used by the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to guide the reintroduction effort. I conducted population modeling to help select the best strategies for reintroduction and to predict how the population might grow in the future. In 2006, I also began a new project on a state threatened species, the northern leopard frog. In Spring, 2006, population surveys indicated that leopard frogs in the last remaining population center in central Washington were declining. I worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to capture and raise leopard frogs and develop a propagation facility to produce leopard frogs for reintroduction efforts and ecological studies. This effort resulted in the formation of an Amphibian Conservation Lab at Washington State University.
Impacts
This ongoing project to study methods for conserving and restoring biological diversity has been important in helping to restore threatened and endangered species in Washington. This research project is the foundation for federal efforts to restore the endangered Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit, as well as state efforts to restore northern leopard frogs. This research work has produced a number of scientific publications, technical reports, and graduate theses which make important contributions to conserving biological diversity in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere.
Publications
- Elias, B.A., L.Shipley, R.D.Sayler, and R.S.Lamson. 2006. Mating behavior and parental care in captive pygmy rabbits. Journal of Mammalogy. 87:921-928.
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