Progress 11/16/15 to 10/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:This research program provided conservation assessments, technical reports (including publications), and management recommendations to a variety of agencies concerned with resource management and environmental monitoring in the Pacific Northwest, including several regional state governments (e.g., Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game; Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife), and resource management agencies in the Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management - BLM; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - FWS) and the US Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service; Natural Resources Conservation Service). Extensive regional collaboration was conductedwith two water and soil conservation districts (e.g., Palouse Conservation District; Whitman Conservation District) to conduct and support ecological studies on Palouse Prairie remnants that include work on soils, threated plants (e.g, Spalding's Catchfly), regional amphibians, avian communities, and surveys related to pollinator populations in Palouse Prairie. Other major target audiences include farmers and other private landowners and the general public for which additional work was conducted and reported on these and other subjects of broad interest to conservationists and land managers within the Columbia River Basin. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?More than 6doctoral candidates and 11 master's students conducted thesis research and educational training while working on associated research efforts with faculty in the School of the Environment. In addition, wellover 200 undergraduate students were able to participate in various aspects of this project by participating in research data collection, practicuum traning experiences,educational field laboratories, and wildlife habitat restoration activities associated with either research or class field projects. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We performed extensive communication ofresearch results by presenting results at numerous scientific meetings and conferences, public talks, and popular science publications designed for a general audience, including a science podcast. Students are heavily targeted with outreach efforts to develop interest in STEM education and disciplines.Various communication efforts will continue after completion of this project and will be devoted largely to publication of research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This project used machine-learning statistical modeling, as well as other algorithmic, data mining, and analytical techniques to describe changes in behavior, habitat use, reproduction, survival, and population dynamics of selected wildlife and plant species, emphasizingecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. This project supported efforts of land and resource managers to develop and improve conservation plans, ecosystem management, and deal with theanticipated major effects of future climate change within a region characterized by arid western U.S. landscapes. We conducted a variety of aquatic and landscape ecology studies, includingresearch to model the use of native milkweed plants by breeding monarch butterflies in agricultural and restored grassland landscapes in Palouse Prairie. We evaluated environmental factors associated with the use of native milkweed plants by egg- laying females including spatial and structural features of milkweed patches as well as individual plants to assess characteristics potentially associated with higher caterpillar survival. Butterfly migration patterns and our models of regional milkweed ecology suggests that Palouse Prairie is not high-quality habitat for breeding monarch butterflies and may represent a sink habitat for western populations. Other pollinator studies of native bee populations revealed that the temporal and spatial occurrence of late-season flower resources strongly influenced distributional dynamics of pollinator populations in both remanent and restored grasslands in Palouse Prairie landscapes. Quantitative ecological models illustrated that non-native grasslands containing restored patches of native late-season flowers had significantly more bees and total biological diversity of floral pollinators than did other habitats. Loss of about 97% of Palouse Prairie appears to have reduced the availability of native late-season floral resources and created habitat gaps which may affect abundance, landscape distribution, and conservation of native bees and other pollinators. We completed comprehensive regional surveys of wetlands in Palouse Prairie and the arid interior Columbia River Basin to develop ecological models of abundance and occurrence of amphibian communities. Algorithmic models generally used about 3-5 ecological, landscape, or spatial-context variables to correctly predict amphibian occurrence in wetlands with typically >90% accuracy. These models identify characteristics of wetland habitats and biogeography that are critical for amphibian conservation in the Columbia River Basin under a future of climate change. We used long-toed salamanders in Palouse Prairie wetlands as a model of climate change biology and projected future impacts of climate change on wetland hydrology and growth dynamics of amphibians confronted with rising temperatures and increased desiccation of habitats in summer. We found that size of individuals undergoing metamorphosis was heavily influenced by wetland hydroperiod (duration of flooding) with relatively optimal growth achieved by individuals occupying permanent or artificial wetlands. We discovered that the smaller body size of individuals emerging from ephemeral wetlands that dried up more quickly in summer was maintained even among captive mature adults fed ad libitum, indicating that there was a significant developmental or genetic component related to wetland hydroperiod. If seasonal flooding dynamics of ephemeral wetlands are altered by climate change, it may reduce the productivity of aquatic landscapes for amphibians (e.g., growth, survival, fitness) in Palouse Prairie and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Dam removal is a highly controversial issue in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in the United States. We conducted extensive studies of avian communities breeding, migrating through, and wintering in the Snake River Valley, which empties into the Columbia River system. We used high-resolution photography to document habitat and environmental features of >50,000 observations of wintering and migratory waterfowl and other aquatic bird species in the Snake River system. The resulting ecological models illustrate changing patterns of aquatic bird migration in the Pacific Northwest in relation to operation of dams, creation of shallow-water aquatic habitats, and climate change. Other ecological research completed by faculty in the School of the Environment includes development of innovative eDNA studies to document the impact of beavers in aquatic communities, guide restoration strategies for aquatic communities in the Sierra Nevada, and characterize the genetic and landscape dynamics of state-endangered northern leopard frogs in central Washington. Such work is important to document components of hidden genetic and biological diversity in aquatic systems and model landscape factors influencing the structure of amphibian metapopulations. In addition to the overall extensive work on aquatic systems, other faculty developed models of the factors influencing the distribution and conservation of species of conservation concern, including jaguars, Canada lynx, American badger, Greater Sage-grouse, and other species. These models help define important ecological factors in the distribution and connectivity of protected landscapes needed to understand population dynamics and better conserve threatened and endangered and key wildlife species. In summary, our researchers conducted a wide but integrated series of ecological studies on both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that successfully demonstrated that machine-learning and other contemporary analytical and modeling techniques are extremely useful in applied environmental studies that help advance the development and application of conservation science in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. Some of the specific accomplishments achieved by faculty in this research program, in collaboration with researchers at other institutions, include: First successful captive breeding of the endangered northern leopard frog in the western U.S. First documented breeding in the wild by translocated northern leopard frogs in Washington. Successful extensive breeding by captive Columbia spotted frogs, a species of conservation concern. Comprehensive ecological modeling of environmental factors predicting the biogeographic distribution of amphibian communities in Palouse Prairie and the Columbia River Basin. Development of rapid eDNA techniques to identify distribution of rare amphibians and invasive species in aquatic ecosystems. Documented the first successful removal of invasive American bullfrogs on a large landscape level in the Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, utilizing eDNA and other population monitoring techniques. Developed an improved ecosystem model that corrected overestimates of biomass consumption and CO2 emissions resulting from western U.S. forest fires. Developedan effective ecological classification scheme for marine biomes and communities using environmental variables (e.g., light, nutrients, depth, etc.). Used an extensive, long-term data set on management actions to improve stream habitat for endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest to demonstrate that significant interpretative risks are incurred in using automated data synthesis from legacy sources (i.e., different agencies) that use data with differing definitions and purposes. Collected more than 2 million images in the most extensive automated camera trapping survey of Canadian lynx in the Pacific Northwest and documented influence of wildfires and climate change on population status. Documented and modeled projected effects of climate change on a variety of wildlife species and aquatic and terrestrial landscapes in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. Developed applied landscape ecology models to support the conservation of threatened and endangered species and other species of conservation concern in the Pacific Northwest.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:This research program in the past year focused on providing conservation assessments to agencies in the Pacific Northwest, including several regional state governments (e.g., Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game; Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife), and resource management agencies in the Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management - BLM; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - FWS) and the US Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service; Natural Resources Conservation Service). We also continued extensive collaboration with two water and soil conservation districts (e.g., Palouse Conservation District; Whitman Conservation District) to conduct ecological studies on Palouse Prairie remnants that include work on soils, threated plants (e.g, Spalding's Catchfly), regional amphibians, and surveys related to pollinator populations in Palouse Prairie. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One doctoral candidate conducted dissertation research and educational training while working on a number of the research efforts in this project during the past year. In addition, about 100 undergraduate students were able to participate in various aspects of this project by participating in research data collection and wildlife habitat restoration activities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We communicated our research results during the past year by presenting results at four scientific meetings and conferences, several public talks, and popular science publications for a general audience. While various communication efforts will continue, our current efforts are now devoted largely to publication of research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Data collection has been completed for several of the individual projects under this program, and therefore, the primary goal during the coming year is to publish key results in scientific journals for broad distribution of results. Data collection will continue on amphibian and wetland ecology in Palouse Prairie wetlands as well as avian ecology and use of aquatic habitats in the Snake River Valley.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In 2018-19 we conducted research on one new project and continued or concluded research on another five projects: 1) Dam Removal and the Ecology of Migrating and Wintering Waterfowl Communities in the Snake River Valley, 2) Observation of Captive Amphibian Breeding and Translocation of Northern Leopard Frogs and Columbia Spotted Frogs in Palouse Prairie Wetlands, 3) Climate Change and Shrinking Salamanders: Metrics of Long-toed Salamanders in Palouse Prairie Wetlands, 4) Machine-Learning Models of Monarch Butterflies and Milkweeds in Palouse Prairie, 5) Ecological Models of Amphibian Communities in Palouse Prairie Wetlands, and 6) Pollinator Habitat Gaps and Limitations of Late Season Floral Resources for Pollinators in Palouse Prairie. Our current research addresses bird use of aquatic habitats in the Snake River Valley, which is important because of the controversy over dam removal in the Columbia River system. The pollinator research suggests that there is a late season deficit of floral resources that may affect conservation of insect pollinators. Our amphibian work documents the first successful breeding of state-endangered northern leopard frogs in captivity as well as their first translocation and breeding in the Pacific Northwest, which has considerable implications for their future conservation. We use long-toed salamanders as a model of climate change biology and projected future impacts of climate change on wetland hydrology and growth dynamics of amphibians confronted with rising temperatures and increased desiccation of habitats in summer. The studies of monarch butterflies and their use of native milkweed patches in former and restored Palouse Prairie habitats suggests that the extensively farmed landscape of former Palouse Prairie is not well suited to monarch breeding and possibly represents a sink habitat for the rapidly declining western population. Overall, we are successfully demonstrating that machine-learning analytical and modeling techniques are extremely useful in a wide variety of applied ecology studies that help advance the development and application of conservation science in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this research program in the past year continued to include private conservation organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy, The Xerces Society), several regional state governments (e.g., Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game; Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife), and resource management agencies in the Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management - BLM; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - FWS) and the US Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service; Natural Resources Conservation Service). We also collaborated with two local water and soil conservation districts (e.g., Palouse Conservation District; Whitman Conservation District) to conduct surveys related to monarch butterflies and milkweed populations in Palouse Prairie and also to provide information on factors related to local and regional amphibian production. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two doctoral candidates have been provided opportunities to complete their research and educational training through this overall project. Well over 100 undergraduate students participated in some aspect of these studies (i.e., citizen science investigations of local pollinators) and by participating in environmental education and ecological restoration activities prompted by this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Preliminary results from this project were communicated to both the general public and professional audiences in a variety of ways including preparation of extension-type, popular reports for the public, presentations at conferences, and agency progress reports. Having previously reported some of our research findings at more than 8 scientific meetings, we are now focused primarily on producing scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Major field research efforts have been completed for the majority of the individual research activities under this overall project, and therefore, we are primarily involved in publishing activities to disseminate research results during the coming year. Major fieldwork will continue on avian ecology studies along the Snake River Valley and the Clearwater River ecosystems.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In 2017-18 we largely completed field research on four main projects: 1) Machine Learning Models of Milkweed Patch Use by Monarch Butterflies Breeding in Palouse Prairie, 2) Climate Change Biology and Metrics of Salamander Growth and Biomass in Palouse Prairie Wetlands, 3) Pollinator Habitat Gaps and Limitations of Late Season Floral Resources for Pollinators in Palouse Prairie, and 4) Machine Learning Models of Amphibian Communities in Palouse Prairie Wetlands. Several of these projects contain additional sub-studies within the overall project. In addition, we initiated a new project exploring the dynamics of avian communities in the Snake River Valley, entitled "Machine Learning Models of Waterfowl Communities Migrating and Wintering in the Snake River Valley." This project contributes important information that is valuable to the ongoing environmental and political controversies regarding dam removal in the Pacific Northwest by documenting the diversity and habitat use of avian communities in anthropogenic environments along large river systems. On a practical level, we are documenting greater species diversity and heavier use of river systems by migrating aquatic birds than has been previously known. Our use of machine-learning modeling techniques has proven to be highly successful in addressing diverse conservation issues and providing ecological insights that would be more difficult and time-consuming to achieve using standard statistical analyses.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this research program in the past year included (e.g., The Nature Conservancy, The Xerces Society), several regional state governments (e.g., Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game; Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife), and resource management agencies in the Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management - BLM; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - FWS) and the US Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service; Natural Resources Conservation Service). We also collaborated with two local water and soil conservation districts (e.g., Palouse Conservation District; Whitman Conservation District) to conduct surveys related to monarch butterflies and milkweed populations in Palouse Prairie. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project provided research opportunities for two doctoral students at Washington State University. In addition, over 50 undergraduate students participated in landscape and restoration ecology projects, environmental education events, or worked and 3 were involved in mentoring programs during the research conducted under this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We communicated results from this project in several ways to both professional and lay audiences, including presenting preliminary results at conferences and workshops and by publishing science articles in popular press outlets (e.g., Washington State Magazine). We have previously presented our key research findings at more than 8 scientific conferences, so in 2016-17 we are focused on producing manuscripts to be submitted for peer-reviewed journal publications. For example, we have drafted several manuscripts including one entitled "Machine Learning Models of Monarch Butterflies Breeding in Palouse Prairie" which will be submitted for publication. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Having successfully completed our core research efforts on the population ecology of monarch butterflies, pollinators, and amphibians breeding in Palouse Prairie and eastern Washington, we are now focused on disseminating results through peer-reviewed journals. Our field efforts will continue, but the primary goal for 2017-18 is the completion of research publications.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Several components of the new project initiated in 2016-17, "Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics in Conservation Science", were successfully completed through research on ecological restoration and conservation of native biodiversity in agricultural and natural landscapes centered in the Pacific Northwest. We conducted research on three major groups of organisms that are key environmental components of aquatic and terrestrial environments in Palouse Prairie (i.e., amphibians, pollinators, butterflies). We successfully completed fieldwork and developed ecological models in four main project areas, including: 1) Machine Learning Models of Milkweed Patch Use by Monarch Butterflies Breeding in Palouse Prairie, 2) Climate Change and Metrics of Salamander Growth and Biomass in Palouse Prairie Wetlands, 3) Pollinator Habitat Gaps and Ecology of Late Season Floral Resources for Pollinators on Palouse Prairie, and 4) Ecological Habitat Models for Amphibian Populations in Palouse Prairie Wetlands. We used a variety of machine-learning statistical techniques to develop predictive models and help guide land management decisions in the fields of ecological restoration, resource sustainability, wildlife ecology, and biodiversity conservation. In 2016-17, we focused on global climate change biology, population ecology, and the changing environmental factors encountered by key regional groups of wildlife such as frogs, salamanders, native pollinator species, and monarch butterflies. Reseach completed in 2016-17 successfully addressed several important conservation issues faced by several species of imperiled amphibians and pollinators. Therefore, we at least partially achieved one operational goal of this project, which is to better understand the decline of honeybees, wild pollinators, and monarch butterflies in and near agricultural landscapes in Palouse Prairie. Several land management agencies, as well as non-profit organizations and private landowners, will be able to use results from these studies to improve land management and the conservation of rare and endangered species and other natural resources in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. In 2016-17, we made significant contributions to understanding the complex interactions of global climate change, pressures for increased agricultural production, and challenges to conserving biological diversity in the western United States.
Publications
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Progress 11/16/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this research program in biodiversity conservation, ecosystem science, and land management are key non-profit conservation organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, National Audubon Society, American Bird Conservancy), state governments (e.g., Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game; Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife), and resource management agencies in the Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management - BLM; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - FWS) and the US Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service; Natural Resources Conservation Service). In addition, this program collaborates with local water and soil conservation districts (e.g., Palouse Conservation District; Whitman Conservation District). Also, every year we typically support major science outreach programs and science education efforts for minority and underrepresented groups for Hispanic/Latino and Native Americans in Washington State. Changes/Problems: No major modifications were made in this project, other than broadening collaborations with other investigators and exploring new options for federal and state research funding to support our future research. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project helped train two doctoral students at Washington State University. In addition, over 100 undergraduate students participated in landscape and restoration ecology projects, environmental education events, or worked and 6 were directly mentored as part of research studies conducted under this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our program in quantitative modeling and ecological analysis provided significant technical information to guide land management strategies for state and federal agencies concerned with land and farm programs, including the conservation reserve program (CRP), water resource management, and land and wildlife conservation in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. Results from this new project were communicated to diverse public and professional audiences in a variety of ways, including science articles developed for a popular audience that will be published in 2017. We gave a technical presentation at a scientific conference and submitted a peer-reviewed journal paper for publication dealing with landscape ecology. Other results from several specific research projects completed in 2016 are currently being submitted for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals in 2017. In addition, a number of popular science articles appeared in news and information outlets and web sites at Washington State University. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will be expanding our work on ecology of monarch butterflies in Palouse Prairie on restored Palouse Prairie landscapes containing patches of native showy milkweeds. We will also continue our work on wetland ecology and climate change biology of amphibians in Palouse Prairie and the Columbia Basin. Potential for several new projects involving avian ecology and aquatic ecology studies in the Snake River and Columbia River drainages are being explored for addition to the research program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
My new project, Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics in Conservation Science, was initiated in 2016 with research focusing on ecological restoration and conservation of native biodiversity at the interface of agricultural and natural landscapes centered in the Pacific Northwest. We conducted research on several major groups that are key environmental indicators and ecological components of aquatic and terrestrial environments (i.e., amphibians, pollinators, butterflies). Our fieldwork quantified and modeled ecological processes occurring in natural and constructed wetlands, native Palouse Prairie, and mixed agricultural, forested, and shrub-steppe landscapes in eastern Washington. Research conducted in the Endangered Species Lab at Washington State University (one of several component labs of the WSU Arboretum & Wildlife Conservation Center) concentrated on four main projects, including: 1) Machine Learning Models of Milkweed Patch Use by Monarch Butterflies Breeding in Palouse Prairie, 2) Climate Change and Metrics of Salamander Growth and Biomass in Palouse Prairie Wetlands, 3) Pollinator Habitat Gaps and Ecology of Late Season Floral Resources for Pollinators on Palouse Prairie, and 4) Ecological Habitat Models for Amphibian Populations in Palouse Prairie Wetlands. In this project we use a variety of statistical methods in machine-learning and data analytics to develop predictive models to support land management decisions in the fields of ecological restoration, resource sustainability, wildlife ecology, and biodiversity conservation. In 2016 we focused on global climate change biology, population ecology, and the changing environmental factors encountered by selected groups of wildlife such as frogs, salamanders, and native pollinator species. This work is designed to address current conservation issues faced by, in some cases, rapidly declining and imperiled amphibians and pollinators. One operational goal is to better understand the decline of honeybees, wild pollinators, and monarch butterflies in and near agricultural landscapes in Palouse Prairie. Our research program supports information needs for development of sustainable land management practices and conservation strategies for conserving biological diversity in the contemporary mix of agricultural, urban, and restored natural landscapes in the Palouse Prairie bioregion and the Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington. Many of our research projects involve the ecology of threatened and endangered species and other groups of conservation concern (e.g., threatened and endangered birds and mammals, native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators). These projects combine field, laboratory, and genetic studies of behavior, population dynamics, and habitat utilization to model and describe the landscape ecology and long-term conservation prospects for selected plants and animals. Land management agencies, as well as private landowners, support and use results from these studies to improve land management and the conservation of rare and endangered species and other natural resources in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. In 2016, we made significant contributions to understanding the complex interactions of global climate change, pressures for increased agricultural production, and challenges to conserving biological diversity in a rapidly changing world.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Gomez, E. and R. Sayler. 2016. Climate change and ecological models of amphibian populations in Palouse Prairie. Academic Showcase, Washington State University, Pullman. 25 March.
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