United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research & Development National Health & Environmental Effects Research Laboratory 'Feature Stories: page 1: PCEIS Database page 2: Ongoing 'Research into Genetically Modified Plants page 3: Mercury Found in Western Streams page 4: Importance of Intermittent Streams To receive your Update by email—In color!—send a note: hurley.joan@epa.gov (if you previously submitted an email request you will need to do so again—sorry!) or call: (541) 754-4504 V^estern Ecology Division Research Update Winter 2006-2007 Corvallis, Oregon EPA/600/F-07/002 Winter 2006-2007 PCEIS" DATABASE WILL NET BIG RESULTS Next issue: watch for The Golden Mouse! It's pronounced like "Pisces", but PCEIS stands for Pacific Coast Ecosystem Information System, and it's about capturing information, not fish. PCEIS is the latest tool being devel- oped at Western Ecol- ogy Division's marine research facility in New- port, Oregon, and it in- corporates spatially- explicit information for the estuaries and coastal regions of the Northeast Pacific. Still under development, PCEIS combines many types of data from Coastal EMAP (EPA's large scale Environmental Monitoring & Assess- ment Program) and USGS (US Geologic Sur- vey), and integrates them into one central database, taking thousands of facts about estuarine/marine species and their habitats, and organizing them in a way that can be utilized by researchers according to their particular speci- fications. Geographical distributions of individ- ual species can be ex- ported into Excel, then input into GIS software for mapping and spatial analysis. EMAP has generated site-specific data for over 1500 inver- tebrate and fish species, collected from more than 200 estuaries in Oregon, Washington, and Califor- nia. Initially, the goal was to utilize just the EMAP data more efficiently. But PCEIS also incor- porates information about species distribution from numerous other sources, including other Federal and State data- bases. EPA and USGS will generate a future version to span from Alaska to northern Mex- ico, which will also in- clude wetland species. One of the primary ob- jectives is to provide in- formation about native and non-native, or inva- sive, estuarine and coastal species, including additional information such as date of first re- corded occurence and potential vectors for non-native species. PCEIS is a unique re- search and risk assessment tool; it is the only inte- grated database to include both native and non-native species, georeferenced distributions ranging in spatial scale from tributar- ies to the entire Northwest Pacific, landscape data, and the ability to easily export data for spatial or statistical analysis. The database will provide researchers and managers with a powerful tool for extracting information to evaluate the effects of in- vasive species, nutrient enrichment, habitat altera- tions, and other stressors. An expanded version should be available to the public in book form by 2008. PCEIS project leader Henry Lee II works at WED's Pacific Coast Ecology Branch in Newport, Oregon; Debbie Reusse is a Research Ge- ographer with USGS- Western Fisheries Re- search Center. Contact: lee.henrv@epa.gov left: Louisiana cray- fish (Procambams clarkii), one of many non-native species documented by PCEIS ------- -WED Research Update- page 2 "GENE TEAM" STRIKES GOLD AND MORE New technology is making it possible to produce a variety of crops like soy, corn, and ca- nola, which are resistant to pests and disease. Recently added to the list is bentgrass (Agrostis Stolonifera L.), a commercially grown perennial grass. Bentgrass is commonly used on golf courses, and Oregon's grass-seed growers have expressed great interest in the GM research carried out by WED Bentgrass has been altered genetically to be resistant to a commonly used weed killer. EPA's Office of Pesticide Pro- grams regulates such crops to ensure that the environment is protected from potential trans- fer of the new genes to sur- rounding crops and native plants. Last year, a team of scientists from Western Ecology Divi- sion received EPA's prestig- ious Gold Medal for Service, and a Level I Scientific & Technological Achievement Award for their research dem- onstrating that genetically modified (GM) plants could spread beyond their original fields. Now, the same team has documented, for the first time in the United States, the escape of genetically modi- fied material into wild plant populations up to sev- eral miles away. Their re- search showed that wild plants with the altered genes could become established after only a single growing season. Ecological conse- quences of GM gene flow in wild plants remains a topic of active research. The study involved an ex- perimental field of bent- grass in Central Oregon which is located next to ar- eas of natural vegetation. Scientists tested 20,000 grass leaf samples outside the GM crop area using a unique environmental fo- rensic method to search for a specific protein produced by the modified gene. The Western Ecology Divi- sion research will help in- form decisions about the potential risks posed by GM crops growing near fields of Oregon's economi- cally important grass seed. It will help determine where the GM crop pollen is most likely to move, and how to calculate the dis- tance it can travel and still remain viable enough for downwind fertilization to occur. EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs will use this in- formation to develop testing and monitoring systems, and to help inform regula- tory decisions regarding the environmental safety of GM crops. The Western Ecology Divi- sion team included Connie Burdick, Anne Fair- brother, E. Henry Lee, Jay Reichman, Lidia Watrud, and National Re- search Council fellow Peter Van de Water. Contact: watrud.lidia@epa.gov Western Ecology Division's Jay Reichman, Connie Burdick, Eidia Watrud, E. Henry Lee, and Anne Fairbrother enjoy a celebration after the announcement of their EPA. Gold Medal for Service Award and Eevell STAA Award, ------- -WED Research Update- -page 3 MERCURY FOUND IN ALL FISH FROM WESTERN U.S. STREAMS Aquatic environments face increasing threat from mercury contamination and its potential harm to humans and wildlife. Western Ecology Division scientists Spencer Peterson and John Van Sickle recently completed a study of mercury contamination, based on col- lection and analysis of 2,707 fish samples from 626 sites in the western United States. All fish tested contained mer- cury above detection limits (0.002 ppm). From this sam- pling, the scientists were able to estimate the length of streams affected by various mercury levels across the en- tire region. An applied statistical sampling design was used to assess the condition of streams relative to mercury concentrations in fish. Salmonids like cutthroat and rainbow trout were the most common large fish to be tested in an estimated 125,000 km of the stream length in the region. Salmonids exceeded the lev- els that would potentially af- fect fish-eating mammals like otter and mink in 11% of the assessed streams, and ex- ceeded the levels that would potentially affect humans in 2.3% of streams tested. However, fish accumulate mercury predominantly through their food, and preda- tory fishes accumulate higher concentrations of mercury than plant and insect-eating ones. In addition, mercury concentra- tion increases as fish age and grow. For predatory fish, mercury levels were almost three times as high as in herbivo- rous fish; they exceeded the levels that would potentially affect fish-eating mammals in 93% of the assessed streams, and exceeded levels that would potentially affect humans in 57% of assessed streams. So, although these larger fish-eating fish are less wide- spread, they present a greater potential risk to sensitive consumers. Mammals (including humans) and birds that consume them greatly increase their exposure to mercury and its potential neurological effects. Testing methods were devel- oped which potentially have less impact on fish popula- tions. Scientists had already done studies showing that small core samples of muscle had a direct proportion to the mercury levels in the whole fish, so it was possible to test with a biopsy sampling method that was generally not lethal to the fish. Earlier studies required the use of whole-fish samples, (left) but new methods use sa Study Results: Where does mercury enter the aquatic food chain? Peterson and Van Sickle concluded that the finding of mercury in nearly all tested fish suggested atmos- pheric deposition, rather than point source contamination. At- mospheric deposition occurs when a substance is carried in the upper atmosphere, and de- posited far— sometimes thou- sands of miles— from its origi- nal source, for example, from coal-burning factories in China. Contact Spencer Peterson: peterson.spencer@epa.gov Read more about this study in Vol 41, No. 1:2007 issue of Journal of Environmental Science and Tech- nology. Wildlife may be at greater risk than hu- mans for mercury poisoning since their mercury tolerance levels are lower ------- -WED Research Update- page 4 WED RESEARCH SHEDS LIGHT ON INTERMITTENT STREAMS "seasonal streams disproportionately higher spawning ind winter rearing for Coho salmon" The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard cases that affect whether "intermittent" streams fall under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. Intermittent, or seasonal, streams, run during only part of the year. The eco- logical significance of such streams is receiving in- creasing attention, but in- formation about their influ- ence on fish populations has been limited. A team of scientists at Western Ecology Division, led by Jim Wigington and Joseph Ebersole, has com- pleted a major new study which focuses on these sea- sonal streams, and Su- preme Court justices had the opportunity to review the study's findings as part of their preparation for the cases. Presence of commercially important species like Coho salmon would be a significant consideration, since Coho spawn in the seasonal streams of the Oregon coastal mountains. The team's research in a coastal Oregon watershed showed that seasonal streams provide dispropor- tionately higher spawning and winter rearing for Coho salmon than the re- mainder of the stream net- work. Residual pools in these streams also provide a place for the juvenile salmon to survive during dry periods. Loss of sea- sonal stream habitat would have a negative effect on Coho populations in coastal drainages. Employing a tagging tech- nology that utilizes "passive integrated transpond- ers" (PIT), the scientists tracked the survival, move- ment and growth of thou- sands of juvenile Coho salmon throughout the stream network, and found that seasonal streams were an important source of Coho salmon smolts. This research demonstrates the potential of seasonal streams to provide important ecological benefits to down- stream waters, and could have far-reaching impacts on the Clean Water Act. Denis White, M. Robbins Church, Scott Leibowitz, Renee Brooks, and Jana Compton also took part in the study, whose findings were published in the De- cember 2006 issue of "Frontiers in Ecology & the Environment". Contact: wigington.jim@epa.gov ESTUARINE HABITAT RESEARCH r-»»"1*" *."- ^^^t^-Wi fc^'ffilSffiSf Some estuarine habitats play more crucial roles than oth- ers by supporting high ani- mal diversity or providing important ecosystem ser- vices, such as food produc- tion or nursery grounds for ecologically or economically important species. WED scientists Steve Ferraro and Faith Cole recently completed a multi-year study in a Pacific Northwest estu- ary to determine how popu- lations and communities of fish, crabs, shrimp, and other creatures (animals collec- tively called "nekton") vary among intertidal habitats. Dungeness crab ('Cancer magisterj is common in Pacific Northwest estuaries Three of the 4 habitats in their study were defined by the presence of "ecosystem engineering species": plants and animals which, by their physical structure or behav- ior, create habitat for differ- ent nekton prey organisms and provide different types and degrees of shelter from predation. The fourth habi- tat was bare sand. The study found strong and temporally robust associa- tions between the nekton and the habitats. In general, the rank order of habitats in richness, abundance, and diversity was eelgrass > mud shrimp > ghost shrimp > bare sand. The research results con- firms the biological rele- vance of the habitats, and provides quantitative tools for identifying criti- cal habitats, prioritizing habitats for environmental protection, and predicting the consequences of habi- tat changes on nekton populations and commu- nities. Contact: ferraro.steven@epa.gov ------- -WED Research Update- page 5 RECENT RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS Battin, J. and J. J. Lawler. Cross-scale correlations and the design and analysis of avian habitat selection studies. The Condor. The Cooper Ornithological Society, Bend, OR, 108:59-70, (2006). Boese, B.L., B.D. Robbins, and G.B. Thursby. Effect of ambient light, aerial exposure, and season on eelgrass (zostera marina) metrics in a northeast Pacific (USA) estuary. Botanica Marina. Walter de Gruyter and company, Berlin, Germany, 48:274-283, (2005). Brooks, J.R., F.C Meinzer, J. M. Warren, J.C. Domec, and R. Cou- lombe. Hydraulic redistribution in a Douglas-fir forest: lessons from system manipulations. Plant, Cell, and Environment. Blackwell Publishing, Maiden, MA, 29:138-150, (2006). Bryce, S.A. Development of a Bird Integrity Index: Measuring avian response to disturbance in the Blue Mountains of Oregon, USA. Environmental Management. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY, 38(3):470-486, (2006). Burke, D.J., K.J. Martin, P.T. Rygiewicz, and M.A. Topa. Ectomy- corrhizal fungi identification in single and pooled root samples: terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) and morphotyping compared. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. El- sevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 37(9): 1683-1694, (2005). Cairns, M.A. and K.J. Lajtha. Effects of succession on nitrogen ex- port in the west-central Cascades, Oregon. Ecosystems. Springer, New York, NY, 8(5):583-601, (2005). Cairns, M.A., J.L. Ebersole, J.P. Baker, P.J. Wigington Jr., H.R LaVigne, and S.M. Davis. Influence of summer stream tempera- tures on black spot infestations of juvenile Coho salmon in the Oregon Coast Range. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, 131:1471- 1479, (2005). Chapman, S.S., G.E. Griffith, J.M. Omernik, A.B. Price, J. Freeouf, andD.L. Schrupp. Ecoregions of Colorado. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/C-05/008, 2005. Claeson, S., J. Li, J. Compton, and P. Bisson. Response of nutrients, biofilm, and benthic insects to salmon carcass addition. Cana- dian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Canada, 63(6): 1230-1241, (2006). Clark, J., L.S. Ortego, and A. Fairbrother. Sources of variability in plant toxicity testing. Chemosphere. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 57(11): 1599-1612, (2004). Compton, J.E., C.P. Andersen, J. Brooks, M. Church, W.E. Hogsett, D.L. Phillips, M.G. Johnson, M.A. Cairns, P.T. Rygiewicz, B.C. McComb, C. Shaff, and S. Klein. Ecological and water quality consequences of nutrient addition for salmon restoration in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Frontiers In Ecology and the Environment. Ecological Society of America, Ithaca, NY, 4 (1): 18-26, (2006). Culver, D.C., J.J. Deharveng, A. Bedos, J.J. Lewis, M. Madden, J.R. Reddell, B. Sket, P. Trontejil, and D. White. The mid-latitude biodiversity ridge in terrestrial cave fauna. Echography. Black- well Publishing, Maiden, MA, 29:120-128, (2006). DuPont, J., T.A. Clair, C. Gagnon, D.S. Jeffries, J. Kahl, S.J. Nel- son, and J.M. Peckenham. Estimation of critical loads of acidity for lakes in northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Envi- ronmental Monitoring and Assessment. . Springer, New York, NY, 1-18, (2004). Eldridge, P.M., L.A. Cifuentes, and J.E. Kaldy. Development of a stable-isotope constraint system for estuarine food-web mod- els. Marine Ecology Progress Series. Inter-Research, Luhe, Germany, 303:73-90, (2005). Fairbrother, A. and B.Hope. Terrestrial Ecotoxicology. 2nd Chap- ter NA, Wexler, P. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Toxicology. Elsevier Ireland Limited, Limerick, Ireland, 138-142, (2005). Fairbrother, A. and J.G. Turnley. Predicting risks of uncharacteris- tic wildfires: applications of the risk assessment process. Forest Ecology and Management. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 211(l-2):28-35, (2005). Ferraro, S.P. Red letter days. Quarterly Review of Biology. Uni- versity of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 80(1):13-18, (2005). Ferraro, S.P., F.A. Cole, and A.R. Olsen. A more cost-effective EMAP benthic macrofaunal sampling protocol. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. Springer, New York, NY, 116:275-290, (2006). Freemark, K.E., S.M. Merers, D. White, L.D. Warman, A.R. Ki- ester, and P. Lumban-Tobing. Species richness and biodiver- sity conservation priorities in British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Zoology. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Canada, 84:20-31, (2006). Freemark, K., J.C. Sifneos, R.D. White, and M.Santelmann. As- sessing effects of alternative agricultural practices on wildlife habitat in Iowa, USA. Agricultural, Ecosystems & Environ- ment. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 113:243-253, (2006). Howlin, S., R.M. Hughes, AND P.R. Kaufmann. A Biointegrity index for coldwater streams of western Oregon and Washing- ton. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, KS, 133:1497-1515, (2004). Johnson, M.G., P.T. Rygiewicz, D.T. Tingey, and D.L. Phillips. Elevated CO2 and elevated temperature have no effect on Douglas-fir fine-root dynamics in nitrogen-poor soil. New Phytologist. Blackwell Publishing, Maiden, MA, 170:345-356, (2006). Lach, D.H., S.L. Duncan, and R.T. Lackey. Can we get there from here: salmon in the 21st century (synthesis chapter) Chapter syn, Lackey, Robert T., Denise H. Lach & Sally L. Duncan (ed.), Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, 597-617, (2006). Lackey, R.T. Axioms of Ecological Policy. Fisheries. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, 31(6):286-290, (2006). Lackey, R.T. Book Review: Fishes and Forestry - worldwide wa- tershed interactions and management. Environmental Reviews. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Canada, 12(4):219-220, (2004). Lackey, R.T., D.H. Lach, and S.L. Duncan. Policy options to re- verse the decline of wild Pacific salmon. Fisheries. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, 31(7):344-351, (2006). Lackey, R.T., D.H. Lach, and S.L. Duncan. Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. Robert T. Lackey, Denise H. Lach, Sally L. Duncan (ed.), American Fisheries Society, Be- thesda, MD, (2006). (continued on page 6) ------- -WED Research Update- page 6 RECENT RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS, CONTINUED Lackey, R.T., D.H. Lach, and S.L. Duncan. The Challenges of Re- storing Wild Salmon. Chapter 1, Robert T. Lackey, Denise H. Lach, Sally L. Duncan (ed.), Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. Ameri- can Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, 1-11, (2006). Lackey, R.T., D.H. Lach, and S.L. Duncan. Wild salmon in western North America: the historical and policy context. Chapter 2, Robert T. Lackey, Denise H. Lach, Sally L. Duncan (ed.), Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD, 13-55, (2006). Lawler, J. J., R. White, R.P. Neilson, and A.R. Blaustein. Predicting climate-induced range shifts: model differences and model reli- ability. Global Change Biology. Blackwell Publishing, Maiden, MA, 12:1568-1584, (2006). Lee, E., C.A. Burdick, andD.M. Olszyk. GIS-based risk assessment of pesticide drift case study: Fresno County, California. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/ R-05/029, 2005. Magee, T.K. and M.E. Kentula. Response of wetland plant species to hydrologic conditions. Wetlands Ecology and Management. Springer Science and Business Media B. V;Formerly Kluwer Academic Publishers B.V.,, Germany, 13:163-181, (2005). Martin, K. and P.T. Rygiewicz. Fungal-specific PCR primers devel- oped for analysis of the ITS region of environmental DNA ex- tracts. BMC Microbiology. BioMed Central Ltd, London, UK, 5:28, (2005). Meinzer, F.C., R. Brooks, J.C. Domec, B.R. Gartner, J.M. Warren, K. Bible, and D.C. Shaw. Dynamics of water transport and stor- age in conifers studied with deuterium and heat tracing tech- niques. Plant Cell Environment. Blackwell Publishing, Maiden, MA, 29:105-114, (2006). Nalle, D.J., C.A. Montgomery, J.L. Arthur, S. Polasky, andN.H. Schumaker. Modeling joint production of wildlife and timber. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. El- sevier Online, New York, NY, 48:997-1017, (2004). Neilson, R.P., L.F. Pitelka, A.M. Solomon, R. Nathan, G.F. Midg- ley, J.M. Fragoso, H. Lischke, and K. Thompson. Forecasting Regional to global plant migration in response to climate change. Bioscience. American Institute of Biological Sciences, 55(9):749-759, (2005). Nelson, W.G., H. Lee II, J.O. Lamberson, V.D. Engle, L.C. Harwell, and L.M. Smith. Condition of estuaries of the western United States for 1999: a statistical summary. U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/620/R- 04/200, 2005. Olszyk, D.M., M. Apple, B. Gartner, R. Spicer, C.M. Wise, E. VanEss, A. Benson, and D.T. Tingey. Xeromorphy increases in shoots of pseudotsuga menziesii (mirb.) franco seedlings with exposure to elevated temperature but not elevated CO2. Trees. Springer, New York, NY, 19:552-563, (2005). Orme Zavaleta, J., J. Jorgensen, B. D'Ambrosio, E. Altendorf, and P. Rossignol. Discovering spatio-temporal models of the spread of West Nile virus. Risk Analysis. Blackwell Publishing, Mai- den, MA, 26(2):413-422, (2006). Pearl, C., M. Adams, N. Leuthold, and B. Bury. Amphibian oc- currence and aquatic invaders in a changing landscape: impli- cations for wetland mitigation in the Willamette Valley, Ore- gon, USA. Wetlands. The Society of Wetland Scientists, 25(l):76-88, (2005). Pfleeger, T.G. Moving plant toxicology from the greenhouse to the field: a method that incorporates the positive attributes of each. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicol- ogy. Springer, New York, NY, 74(1): 16-23, (2005). Pfleeger, T.G., D.M. Olszyk, C.A. Burdick, G. King, J. Kern, and J.S. Fletcher. Using a geographic information system to iden- tify areas with potential for off-target pesticide exposure. En- vironmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Society of Environ- mental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 25(8):2250-2259, (2006). Phillips, D.L., and P.M. Eldridge. Estimating the timing of diet shifts using stable isotopes. Oecologia. Springer, New York, NY, 47:195-203, (2006). Phillips, D.L., M.G. Johnson, D.T. Tingey, C.A. Catricala, T.L. Hoyman, and R.S. Nowak. Effects of elevated CO2 on fine root dynamics in a Mojave desert community: a face study. Global Change Biology. Blackwell Publishing, Maiden, MA, 12:61-73, (2006). Phillips, D.L., M G. Johnson, D.T. Tingey, M.J. Storm, J.T. Ball, and D.W. Johnson. CO2 and N-fertilization effects on fine root length, production, and mortality: a 4-year ponderosa pine study. Oecologia. Springer, New York, NY, 148(3):517- 525, (2006). Rossignol, P.A., J. Orme-Zavaleta, and A.M. Rossignol. Global climate change and its impact on disease imbedded in eco- logical communities. Environmental Geosciences. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists/Division of Environmental Geosciences, Alexandria, VA, 13(l):55-63, (2006). Rygiewicz, P.T., D. Zabowski, and M.F. Skinner. Site distur- bance effects on a clay soil under pinus radiate-root biomass, mycorrhizal colonization, 15 ammonium uptake, and foliar nutrient levels. New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science. Scion, Rotorua, New Zealand, 34(3):238-254, (2004). Shure, D.J., D.L. Phillips, and P.E. Bostick. Gap size and succes- sional processes in southern Appalachian forests. Plant Ecol- ogy. Springer Netherlands, Netherlands, 185:299-318, (2006). Sigleo, A.C., C.W. Mordy, P. Stabeno, and W.E. Frick. Temporal variability of upwelled nitrate near the Oregon coast: estua- rine-coastal exchange. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 64:211-222, (2005). Skjelkvale, B., J.L. Stoddard, K. Torseth, T. Hogasen, K. Bow- man-James, J. Mannio, D. Monteith, R. Mosello, V. Pallanza, D. Rzychon, J. Vesely, J. Wieting, A. Wilander, and A. Worsztynowicz. Regional scale evidence for improvements in surface water chemistry 1990 to 2001. Environmental Pollu- tion. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 137:165-176, (2005). Stoddard, J.L. Mid-Atlantic integrated assessment (MAIA) state of the flowing waters report. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/620/R-06/001, 2006. (continued on page 8) ------- -WED Research Update- page 7 WESTERN ECOLOGY DIVISION SCIENCE REACHES AROUND THE WORLD Peter Beedlow continues to assist EPA Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington) and the state of Alaska in identifying potential effects of climate change in Alaska. Beedlow previously had conducted research on the effects of rising at- mospheric CO2 on Pacific Northwest forests. The effects of climate change could have a major impact on the environment and economy of Alaska. The EPA Administrator's Office assigned Region 10 the study, and they requested the assis- tance of Dr. Beedlow. Contact: beedlow.peter@epa.gov Robert Lackey presented a lecture at the annual meeting of British Co- lumbia's Ministry of the Environ- ment in Victoria in October. Dr. Lackey summarized the results of the Salmon 2100 Project. Protecting remaining salmon populations in British Columbia and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest continues to be a dominant environmental sci- ence and policy issue. Contact: lackey.robert@epa.gov Thomas Pfleeger and David Olszyk were invited to the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry/ Europe to present a pa- per on Pesticide Risk Assessment in May 2006. The paper, 'Using field grown potatoes to test for non-target plant effects from pesticides', out- lined the authors' work with pesti- cide "drift", or the ability of pesti- cides to have an impact on plants outside their intended target area. Olszyk and Pfleeger also took part in discussions with European and Canadian scientists. Contact: pfleeger. thomas@epa.gov Henry Lee II provided scientific support to EPA's Office of Water during International Ballast Water Treaty discussions at the United Nations' International Maritime Organization. Lee's assistance was requested in addressing treaty lan- guage dealing with risk assessment for ships traveling between desig- nated ports. A single liter of bal- last water can contain dozens of different species and thousands of organisms; ballast water dis- charge is subject to biologically- based standards, including guide- lines for restricting introduction of invasive species when ballast wa- ter is discharged in U.S. ports. Contact: lee.henry@epa.gov Leaders of ONAMI—Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnolo- gies Institute—met with Western Ecology Division Director Tho- mas Fontaine to talk about col- laborative research on the effects of manufactured nanomaterials in natural systems. (Materials re- duced to the nanoscale may sud- denly have very different proper- ties.) Of special interest is the po- tential use of WED's micro- and meso-cosms (sealed enclosures containing natural system compo- nents) for assessing ecological ef- fects of nanomaterials, including how their physical and chemical properties can be related to their effects. other crops, as well as in homes and gardens Jay Reichman traveled to Rus- sia as part of an EPA team in a joint project with the US Depart- ment of State and the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federa- tion. Goal: help Russian scien- tists adapt a former biological weapons plant for use as a risk assessment research facility, learning from research experi- ences at Western Ecology Divi- sion. Russian officials con- tacted EPA several years ago with a proposal to set up the cooperative program. Their sci- entists were recently able to pro- cure genetic material to use in their research, which will help inform regulation of the fledg- ling agricultural bio-technology industry in that country. Contact: reichman.jay@epa.gov Local high school students will benefit from the world-class sci- entific expertise resident at the Western Ecology Division in Corvallis, Oregon. Ron Wasch- mann has signed on to give technical and scientific assis- tance to Corvallis High School's biodiesel project. Biodiesel is a domestic, renewable fuel derived from natural plant sources. Us- ing a research grant from Hew- lett Packard, the students will investigate and compare the ef- fects of biodiesel and gasoline fuel emissions on plant life. Stu- dents from biology, chemistry, horticulture and automotive classes will design, build, and operate open-top chambers to conduct their experiments. Contact: waschmann.ron@epa.gov (continued on page 9) ------- -WED Research Update- page 8 CLIMATE CONDITIONS SIMULATED IN TERRACOSMS The "grassland ecosys- tems" in Jillian Gregg's planter boxes don't look particularly unusual. But as the plants from Ore- gon's upland prairie eco- system go through their growing cycle, they are being closely monitored for their reaction to arti- ficially elevated tempera- tures that simulate cli- mate change. The US Department of Energy's Climate Change Re- search Division has leased the unique tera- cosm research facility at Western Ecology Divi- sion, one of the few fa- cilities of its kind in the Jillian Gregg checks on plants growing in one of the mesomsms nation. Principal investiga- tor Jillian Gregg explains that the project's goal is to determine the effects of symmetric versus asymmet- rically higher temperatures on the plants. Symmetric warming means that tem- peratures are elevated by the same amount over a 24-hour period. Asymmet- ric warming—which sci- entists have now docu- mented—means that mini- mum dawn temperatures are more affected by cli- mate change than mid-day maximum temperatures. Asymmetric warming could have a negative ef- fect on plants, due to in- creased respiration and reduced growth overall. Or, conversely, the longer growing season with warmer minimum temper- atures could increase plant growth. Gregg's three- year experiment should provide definitive answers. The outdoor sunlit plant growth chambers, or tera- cosms, house the plants, giving year-round control of temperature, humidity, C02, soil moisture, and fertility under natural sunlight. Plants are grown in soils reconstructed to be as similar as possible to natural soils. Gregg is a researcher OO working for Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Associates. Contact: gregg.jillian@epa.gov RECENT RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS, CONTINUED Stoddard, J.L. Use of ecological regions in aquatic assessments of ecological condition. Environmental Management. Springer- Verlag, New York, NY, 34(Suppl. 1):S61-S70, (2005). Stoms, D.M., F.W. Davis, S.J. Andelman, M.H. Carr, S.D. Gaines, B.S. Halpern, R. Hoenicke, S.G. Leibowitz, A. Leydecker, E.P. Madin, H. Tallis, and R.R. Warner. Integrated coastal reserve plan- ning: making the land-sea connection. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. . Ecological Society of America, Ithaca, NY, 3(8):429-436, (2005). Suter, G.W., S.B. Norton, and A. Fairbrother. Individuals versus or- ganisms versus populations in the definition of ecological assess- ment endpoints. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Man- agement. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, KS, 1(4):397-400, (2005). Tingey, D.T., E. Lee, R.S. Waschmann, M.G. Johnson, and P.T. Ry- giewicz. Effects of elevated temperature and CO2 on soil CO2 efflux: evidence for acclimatization during the third and fourth year of treatment. New Phytologist. Blackwell Publishing, Maiden, MA, 170:107-118, (2006). Tingey, D.T., M.G. Johnson, E. Lee, C.M. Wise, R.S. Waschmann, D.M. Olszyk, L.S. Watrud, andK.K. Donegan. Effects of elevated CO2 and O3 on soil CO2 efflux in ponderosa pine microcosms. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 38:1764-1778, (2006). Trudell, S.A., P. T. Rygiewicz, andR.L. Edmonds. Patterns of nitro- gen and carbon stable isotope ratios in macrofungi, plants and soils in two old-growth conifer forests. New Phytologist. Black- well Publishing, Maiden, MA, 164(2):317-335, (2004). Van Sickle, I, C.P. Hawkins, D.P. Larsen, and A.T. Herlihy. A null model for the expected macroinvertebrate assemblage in streams. Journal of the North American Benthological Society. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, KS, 24(1): 178-191, (2005). Van Sickle, J., D.D. Huff, and C.P. Hawlins. Selecting discrimi- nant function models for predicting the expected richness of aquatic macroinvertebrates. Freshwater Biology. Blackwell Publishing, Maiden, MA, 51:359-372, (2006). Warren, J.M., F.C. Meinzer, J. Brooks, and J.C. Domec. Verti- cal stratification of soil water storage and release dynamics in Pacific Northwest coniferous forests. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 130(l-2):39-58, (2005). Watrud, L.S. Long distance pollen-mediated gene flow from creeping bentgrass. ISB News Report. January: 1-3, (2005). Watrud, L.S., S. Misra, L. Gedamu, T. Shiroyama, S. Maggard, and G.D. Di Giovanni. Ecological risk assessment of alfalfa (medicago varia 1.) genetically engineered to express a hu- man metallothionein (HMT) gene. Water, Air, and Soil Pol- lution. Springer, New York, NY, 176:329-349, (2006). White, D. Patterns of endemism of the eastern North American cave fauna. Journal of Biogeography 32(8): 1441-1452, (2005). White, R.D. Display of pixel loss and replication in reprojecting raster data from the sinusoidal projection. Geocarto Interna- tional. Geocarto International Centre, Hong Kong, China, 21(2): 19-22, (2006). Wigington Jr., P.J., T. Moser, and D.R. Lindeman. Stream network expansion: a riparian water quality factor. Hydro- logical Processes. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Indianapolis, IN, 19(8): 1715-1721, (2005). Woods, A., J.M. Omernik, C.L. Pederson, and B. Moran. Level III and IV ecoregions of Illinois. U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-06/104, 2006. ------- -WED Research Update- page 9 SCIENTISTS ASSESS FISH, STREAMS New model could improve salmon management: Computer simulation models are a valuable tool for ad- dressing a wide range of management options. Scott Leibowitz has created a spa- tially-explicit simulation model for coho salmon. This model uses either actual stream networks to study specific management options or randomly generated stream networks to realisti- cally represent a broad range of stream network condi- tions. This modeling tool provides EPA decision- makers with better informa- tion to meet the require- ments of the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. Contact: leibowitz.scott@epa.gov Many factors affect young salmon & steelhead: Warm summer temperatures in streams of the Pacific Northwest can create stressful conditions for fish requiring cold water, like salmon and trout. Colder water from springs can enter streams, and create small pockets of refuge for fish, but Joe Ebersole has found that fish also respond to refuge depth, dissolved oxygen levels, and other fac- tors, suggesting that cold wa- ter alone may not be suffi- cient to create a useful refuge in warm weather. The infor- mation will be useful in ef- forts to protect and restore stream habitats for salmon and trout. Contact: ebersole.joseph@epa.gov Book is long-awaited outcome of "Salmon 2100" The goal of the Salmon 2100 Project, organized by EPA fisher- ies biologist Robert Lackey, was to identify options that would have a high probability of success in restoring signifi- cant, sustainable runs of wild salmon in the Pacific North- west. The re- sulting book provides a summary of practical policy prescriptions, says Lackey. Former EPA head William Ruckelshaus was keynote speaker at the project's January 2006 conference in Portland, Ore- gon, and each of the project's participating salmon experts and policy analysts contributed a chapter to the book, now avail- able through American Fisheries Society (www.afsbooks.org). Contact: lackey.robert@epa.gov Stressors on salmon include fishing, dams, disease, losing, and habitat degradation SCIENCE.. .REACHING AROUND THE WORLD Don Phillips traveled to uni- versities in Brazil and Uru- guay to consult with scien- tists on stable isotope analy- sis and modeling for an inter- national study on estuarine food webs. Coastal lagoons in the two countries are im- portant as feeding, reproduc- tion, and nursery areas for a number of marine and terres- trial plants and animals, but are vulnerable to a variety of human-caused stressors. Phillips was invited to par- ticipate because of his role in developing modeling tech- niques using stable isotopes as environmental tracers. This project will foster collaboration and good-will in the international environmental research arena. Contact: phillips.donald@epa.gov Tom Pfleeger traveled to Majuro in the Marshall Islands for a three-month appointment as an Embassy Science Fellow. Pflee- ger's assignment: evaluate critical environmental problems, and recommend solutions. Top pri- orities included creating a sustain- able solid waste disposal and re- cycling program, and explor- ing sources of renewable energy. The island nation's fragile coral reef ecosystem consti- tutes its major potential for economic development through ecotourism, fishing and aqua- culture. Contact: pfleeger.thomas@epa.gov bodies el from coconuts is one of the options that could help cut down on imported oil in the Marshall Islands ------- -WED Research Update- -page 10 LAST WORD: BLUEBIRDS OF THE WILLAMETTE Nathan Schumaker and former EPA post-doc re- searcher Laura Nagy weren't your typical bird- watchers... .they were evaluating the western bluebird as part of a 2-year study that is helping re- veal how birds in the wild respond to stressors in their environment. Schumaker and Nagy stud- ied birds in the Wil- lamette Valley, Oregon, measuring reproduction and survival to evaluate how birds cope with pesti- cides, habitat change, and other environmental stresses. Their study demonstrates the value of PATCH (Program to Assist in Tracking Critical Habitat), a spatially explicit "life history" model developed by Schumaker. PATCH is easily adaptable to the needs of researchers; with the input of data like habitat maps and reproduc- tion rates, it can project where species will be found as the landscape changes over time, and predict in- creases or decreases in population density. Schumaker and Nagy's database includes all in- formation required to run a population model, includ- Western is examined and released ing data on survival and reproduction rates. This database will consolidate all the required data in a summarized form. Ecological risk assessors throughout EPA will benefit from the im- proved model. Contact: schumaker. nathan @epa.gov United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research & Development National Health & Environmental Effects Research Laboratory Western Ecology Division 200 SW 35th Street Corvallis Oregon 97333-4996 The information in this document has been funded wholly or in part by the U. S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency. It has been subjected to review by the National Health and Environmental Effects Re- search Laboratory and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents reflect the views of the Agency, nor does mention of trade names or com- mercial products constitute en- dorsement or recommendation for use. ------- |