2015 Science Accomplishments Report of the Pacific Northwest Research Station

84 Pages·2016·15.57 MB·English

Our Mission
The Pacific Northwest Research Station is a leader in the
scientific study of natural resources. We generate and communicate
impartial knowledge to help people understand and make informed
choices about natural resource management and sustainability.
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◀ Forest collaborative members, national
forest staff, and researchers tour sites
of potential collaborative projects in
the Willamette National Forest.
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Our Mission Contents hn
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A Message From the Station Director .............. 5
PNW Research Station: The Setting ................... 6
Finances and Workforce ......................................... 7
Funding Partners in 2015 ....................................... 8
Sharing What We’ve Learned ...............................10
Featured Research ....................................................19
Climate Change .......................................................19
Fire and other Natural Disturbances ..............27
Fish and Wildlife ......................................................35
Inventory and Monitoring .................................. 45
Resource Management and
Landscape Resilience ........................................ 51
Socioeconomic Dimensions ........................... 63
Experimental Forests and Ranges ....................73
Honors and Awards ............................................... 80
PNW Research Station Organization............... 82
A Forest Inventory and Analysis field- ▶
crew member hikes into a plot on the
flanks of Mount Jefferson, Oregon.
333
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A Message From the Station Director
Greetings! ge the latest set of post-eruption measurements on tunity to work together. I asked them to focus
ar
Last year was marked eB the ecological response of a severely disturbed on developing pioneering concepts of forest
L
by anniversaries. For- Tim landscape. It was also a time of knowledge ecosystem research, with an emphasis on
est Service Research exchange as the original cohort of post-eruption climate resilience. Their research will provide
and Development cele- scientists begin to pass the care of long-term a scientific foundation for decisionmaking in a
brated 100 years as a study plots onto the next generation. changing climate.
distinct branch within Like a tree laying down growth rings each I like to think of this as the research advan-
the agency. The Pacific year, at the station we grow and learn with tage. Well-crafted, timely research that helps
Northwest Research each passing season. This learning is a key to others—from land managers to public health
Station turned 90, our resilience. Just as a resilient landscape is agencies—to anticipate, understand, and solve
although the first one that is able to adapt to change and accom- the problems of the day. By talking about our
Robert Mangold
forest research in the modate disturbance, the strength of an orga- research from the perspective of those who
region traces back to 1909 with a study near nization also lies in its resilience. We practice have need for high-quality, relevant information,
Wind River, Washington, to determine growth resilience while staying true to our values of our science will be more readily adopted by the
rates of Douglas-fir. producing high-quality, unbiased science and world of practitioners. To that end, in 2016, the
Last year also marked the 75th anniversary thinking creatively about the work we do and station looks forward to building on its many
of the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range the way we do it. We are driven by unbridled partnerships with the National Forest System,
in eastern Oregon, and the 25-year partner- curiosity and bound by our service to society. tribes, universities, nongovernmental organi-
ship of the Blue Mountains Elk Initiative. This A recent example is a study that examined if zations, private industry, and state and other
is the longest-running wildlife partnership in moss is an effective bio-indicator of air quality federal agencies.
the Forest Service and includes more than 25 in an urban area. Findings from the study have Let’s stay in touch,
state, federal, private, and tribal partners. The had an immediate impact toward improving air
findings from research done at Starkey through quality in the Portland area when state agencies
the Blue Mountains Elk Initiative are now used and local companies took action to reduce air
across western North America for effective elk pollution. Station Director Robert Mangold
management. Another milestone of note in 2015 is our new
And 2015 was also the 35th anniversary of virtual Center for Advanced Forest Ecosystem
the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. This Research. My thought was to gather many of
milestone was marked by the 5th science pulse, the station’s most accomplished scientists from
an international gathering of scientists to collect various disciplines and give them an oppor-
◀ Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The station has a strong partnership
with this national forest and others in the region. Photo by Tom Iraci. 2015 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 5
PNW Research Station: The Setting
Laboratories and Centers The Pacific Northwest Research Station is
one of five research stations in the U.S.
• Alaska Wood Utilization and
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.
Development Center (Sitka, Alaska)
• Anchorage Forestry Sciences Laboratory  Headquarters are in Portland, Oregon.
• Boreal Ecology Cooperative Research
Unit (Fairbanks, Alaska)  11 laboratories and research centers in
• Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.
6
• Juneau Forestry Sciences Laboratory 5 SSeeaattttllee
 12 active experimental areas (forests, WWeennaattcchheeee
• La Grande Forestry and Range
ranges, and watersheds).
Sciences Laboratory
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• Olympia Forestry Sciences Laboratory  Research is conducted in more than W A S H I N G T O N
• Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences 98 research natural areas.
Laboratory (Seattle, Washington) 7
• Portland Forestry Sciences Laboratory  300 employees (272 permanent,
28 temporary).
• Wenatchee Forestry Sciences Laboratory
• Western Wildland Environmental Threat
Assessment Center (Prineville, Oregon)
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Experimental Areas  LLaa
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1. Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest
2. Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed CCoorrvvaalllliiss PPrriinneevviillllee
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3. Héen Latinee Experimental Forest A L A S K A 11
4. Maybeso Experimental Forest
12
5. Olympic Experimental State Forest 2 O R E G O N
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6. Entiat Experimental Forest FFaaiirrbbaannkkss
7. Wind River Experimental Forest
8. Cascade Head Experimental Forest
9. Starkey Experimental Forest and Range AAnncchhoorraaggee
10. H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest
11. Pringle Falls Experimental Forest
12. South Umpqua Experimental Forest 3
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Sitka
Sitka
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PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION
Finances and Workforce
Two sources of funding support the workforce Workforce statistics
of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station:
 Total station workforce: 300 employees
federal appropriations, which contributed 88 percent
 Permanent workforce: 272 employees
of the funds in fiscal year 2015, and direct client
support, which comes from organizations in need of  Of the permanent workforce, 79 employees
(29%) are scientists
scientific information.
 Temporary workforce: 28 employees
The numbers below are for the fiscal year
October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015.
Incoming funding 45
40
 Base research appropriations: s
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$40.5 million (88%) o 35
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 Client support: $5.4 million (12%) n mi 25 IncBoamsei nregs efaurncdh ianpgpropriations
 Total funding: $45.9 million rs i 20 Support from clients
a 15
 Discretionary funding: 34% ll
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 Nondiscretionary funding: 66% 5
0
Distribution of funds 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
 Permanent employee cost: $28.9 million (63%)
 Support and operations: $8.7 million (19%) 600
 Distributed to cooperators: $8.3 million (18%) 500
Total employees
 Of the $8.3 million to cooperators, 400
r
77% went to educational institutions be Total positions
m 300
Permanent positions
u
N
200 Temporary positions
100
0
6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
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2015 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Funding Partners in 2015
Partners Who Received Funding From the PNW Research Station for Studies
Educational Institutions Utah State University Other Federal Agencies
Boston University West Virginia University Department of Energy
Colorado State University Willamette University Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management
Cornell University
Foreign Institutions
Department of the Interior, National Business
Desert Research Institute
New Zealand Forest Research Institute Center Aviation Management
Loyola University
Limited (Scion)
Department of the Interior, National Park
Michigan Tech University
Service
Municipal Governments
Mississippi State University
Oregon State University Cascadia Conservation District Private Industry
Portland State University Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Street Sounds Ecology, Washington
Regents of the University of California Nonprofit Organizations State Agencies
Regents of the University of Idaho
American Fisheries Society Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Regents of the University of Michigan
Association for Fire Ecology Alaska Energy Authority
San Jose State University Foundation
Conservation Biology Institute Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
State University of New York
Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition Oregon Department of Forestry
University of Alaska
Earth Systems Institute Oregon Office of Energy
University of Alaska Anchorage
Ecohealth Alliance
University of Alaska Southeast Tribes
Mount St. Helens Institute
University of British Columbia Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Sitka Conservation Society
University of Hawaii at Manoa Indian Reservation
Southern Oregon Small Diameter
University of Maryland Collaborative
University of Montana Student Conservation Association
University of Oregon Terrainworks
University of Washington Willamette Partnership
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PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION
Partners Who Provided Funding to the
PNW Research Station for Studies
Educational Institutions Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management
Colorado State University
Department of the Interior, Fish and
Cornell University
Wildlife Service
Mississippi State University
Department of Interior, Office of
Oregon State University
Surface Water
Portland State University
National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
Regents of the University of Idaho
tration, Goddard Space Flight Center
Regents of the University of Michigan
Department of Defense, Army Corps
State University of New York of Engineers
University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Defense, U.S. Army
University of Alaska Southeast Corps of Engineers, Environmental
University of British Columbia Resources Branch
University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of the Interior, Geological
Survey, Office of Acquisitions
University of Maryland
and Grants
University of Montana
Department of the Interior, Geological
University of Oregon
Survey, Northeast Climate
University of Washington Science Center
Utah State University
Private Industry
West Virginia University
Eco Logical Research, Inc.
Willamette University
Portland General Electric, Oregon
Nonprofit Organization
State Agencies
Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition
Oregon Department of Forestry
National Council for Air and
Stream Improvement Oregon State Marine Board
Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife
Other Federal Agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Agriculture, Office of
the Chief Economist, Climate Change
Program Office
Metolius River, Oregon.
Photo by Glenn Christensen. ▶
2014 SCIENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 99
Sharing What We’ve Learned
The station produced 255 publications in fiscal year 2015. 600
s
This includes station series publications, journal articles, books or n
o 500
book chapters, theses and dissertations, and other publications. ti
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 94,700 hard copies of station publications distributed. li 400
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 4,810 station publications available online through Treesearch p 300
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 340 hardcopies of historical publications (1947—2010) on tree r 200
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genetics scanned and placed online, now readily available to b
m 100
students, natural resource professionals, and scientists u
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0
 12 issues of PNW Science Findings published, about 8,000 copies 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
of each issue distributed or downloaded.
Web Visitors
 Total number of visits: 110,407
 Total number of page views: 290,909 11 proceedings (4%)
 Percentage of new visitors: 77%
22 theses and dissertations (9%)
Twitter
14 books or chapters (6%)
The station’s Twitter account has 1,523
followers—up from 1,162 in 2014. Reporters,
17 other (7%)
natural resource professionals, and nonprofit
groups comprise the majority of subscribers,
who receive instant electronic alerts (tweets)
about station news releases, new publications,
and other information. 37 station series (15%)
RSS Feeds
Readers can receive alerts about new publications by
154 journal articles (60%)
subscribing to a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed at
www.fs.fed.us/pnw/RSS/index.shtml.
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PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION