United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research & Development National Health & Environmental Effects Research Laboratory Feature Stories page 1: Coldwater Refugia page 2: Into a Dead Zone page 3: Marshall Islands Recycling Plan page 5-6: WED Science Around the World page 6-9: Recent Publications below: Trout packed into a ther- mal refuge. Note large trout (arrow) dominating the coolest area. These fish are easy prey for predators like herons and otters. Western Ecology Division Research Update Summer 2007 Corvallis, Oregon EPA/600/N-07/003 2r BURNING QUESTIONS FOR COLD WATER FISHES Climate change, increased demands for water, and land cover alterations can add stress to freshwater ecosystems and cause an increase in stream and river water temperatures. Along with warm summertime temperatures, these stress- ful conditions for fishes requiring cold water are a commonly cited reason for declines of wild salmon and trout in Pacific North- west streams. According to WED biolo- gist Dr. Joe Ebersole, some of the negative ther- mal consequences of hu- man actions can be miti- gated. However, the costs of implementing such strategies are often high, so having a strong scientific basis for decision making is desirable. Predicting the benefits of reducing high water temperatures will The best thermal refugia have overhanging vegetation, are close to feeding locations and relatively deep. Water here can be up to 10 degrees (centigrade) cooler than in main channel. ^w •:* '** depend on increasing our understanding of how temperature affects fish. Temperatures within streams are seldom uni- form, says Ebersole. Colder water from sub- surface sources entering the beds and banks of streams with complex channel structure can cre- ate pockets of colder wa- ter within warm streams. These pockets may pro- vide relief for coldwater fishes like salmon during periods of stress. That trout and salmon use such thermal refuges to escape stressful or even lethal temperatures has been long recognized, but other factors influencing the suitability of these refuges for trout and salmon have not been previously explored. Ebersole found that the fish also responded to refuge depth, dissolved oxygen levels, and the amount of riparian vege- tation covering the ref- uge. These results—that the presence of cold water alone may not be suffi- cient to create a useful refuge for trout and salmon during periods of warm water tempera- tures— are relevant to questions pertaining to ecosystem services pro- vided by subsurface- streamwater interactions, and to the importance of intermittent streams to downstream water bodies and fish populations. The information will be useful in efforts to protect and restore stream habi- tats for salmon and trout. ------- DELVING INTO AN OCEAN DEAD ZONE Hypoxia (low oxygen in the wa- ter) can cause so-called "dead zones" in the ocean where living creatures are scarce. It disrupts ecosystems and can lead to mas- sive die-offs or migration offish and invertebrates. Recovery can take months or even years. Hypoxia can occur when a large phytoplankton bloom is followed by a strong increase in bacteria. The bacteria feed on the dead plankton, and since bacteria re- quire oxygen, they decrease the amount of oxygen in the water. The initial cause of a large phyto- plankton bloom could be pollu- tion from rivers (like fertilizer runoff) or natural events like changes in ocean circulation pat- terns, which can cause the water to stratify (water stays in layers and doesn't mix vertically), fur- ther feeding the hypoxic condi- tions. Warm weather can cause water stratification and help pro- long low oxygen events. above: Dead crabs 2004 by Elizabeth Gates. Dungeness crabs (Cancer magisterj washed up along the Oregon coast after succumbing to low-oxygen con- ditions during 2004. There are signs that hypoxia has returned to the area again this summer. In April 2007, Dr. Pete Eldridge trav- eled to Gulf Breeze, Florida to confer with scientists at EPA's Gulf Ecology Division and take a hypoxia sampling cruise aboard the Bold, EPA's ocean survey vessel. Eldridge first spent a week working at the Naval Research Laboratory in Stennis, MS to integrate WED's bio- geochemical model into the Navy's hydrodynamic model. The combined Navy/EPA model provides a frame- work for analyzing data collected by the Bold. The Ocean Survey Vessel Bold is EPA's ocean and coastal monitoring vessel. A former Navy craft, the Bold is now equipped with state-of-the-art sam- pling, mapping, and analysis equip- ment including side-scan sonar, un- derwater video, water sampling in- struments, and sediment sampling devices. She can carry a crew of up to 20 scien- tists, and her capabilities include monitoring of ocean dumping sites and analysis of ecological disturbances such as algal blooms. The Bold can also be used to monitor air deposition and to investigate large- scale oceanic conditions such as Gulf of Mexico hypoxia events. The study's objective was to develop a mechanistic description of proc- esses that drive hypoxia (a recurring "dead zone") on the Louisiana Shelf off the Gulf Coast. Nutrients from the Mississippi river watershed are stimulating high levels of primary production that sink into the ocean bottom and sediments of the Louisi- ana Shelf, resulting in excess me- tabolism that reduces oxygen levels, causing extensive areas of hypoxia on the shelf. Eldridge boarded the Bold, which visited three research stations from the Mississippi river out- flow to the Texas/ Louisiana border, collecting measure- ments of water- column and sediment processes. He worked in the wet lab with Dr. Richard Deve- reux analyzing sedi- ment cores using radiotracer methods. Eldridge also was part of the EPA dive team that collected these sediment cores at shallow sites not navigable by the ship. (Dives were carried out in low visibility conditions, which made the arrival of some curious manta rays all the more exciting.) This research has led to development of a model that can simulate how the area of low oxygen develops. The model shows the importance of bot- tom sediments in initial depletion of oxygen from the system, followed by organic materials in the deeper layers reducing the amount of avail- able oxygen in the rest of the water column. This work will be useful in the evaluation of processes that must be understood for the management of Gulf hypoxia. ------- RECYCLING "MAKEOVER" FOR MARSHALL ISLANDS Dr. Pfleeger points out garbage covering the beach at one of the Islands' existing "legal" dumps. Before Western Ecology Divi- sion scientist Dr. Tho- mas Pfleeger recently spent three months as a Science Fellow with the U.S. State Department. His assignment: to help a tiny island nation in the Pacific dig out from un- der a growing garbage problem. The Marshall Islands has a fragile coral reef eco- system which provides its major potential for economic development, (eco-tourism, sport fish- ing, scuba diving, etc). Pfleeger found that parts of the main island and its shoreline were literally awash in plastic bottles, styrofoam cups, batteries and disposable diapers. Since the 1970's numer- ous waste management plans had been proposed, but none had resulted in permanent changes. As seen in the diagram below (left), virtually all solid waste went straight into dump sites, legal and illegal, constituting a se- rious problem for a small nation with limited land. After ^diapers, misc solid waste accumulation; pollution; leachate —cardboard chipped, composted —green waste com- posted for gardens —glass crushed for aggregate REMAINING TRASH —PET plastics bailed, exported —metals sorted, exported reduced landfill volume, less pollution, less litter Dr. Pfleeger's primary goal was to keep recycla- bles out of the waste stream by designing a pro- gram of trash separation, composting and the ex- porting of recyclables. With trash separation, cardboard and plant waste can be chipped and sent to a local composting facility instead of going to the landfill. Pfleeger also oversaw a new collection program for recyclables like plastic bottles, metal, and car bat- teries, but overseas markets for these materials must still be found. For example, thousands of discarded auto batteries were successfully disposed of when a buyer was found in South Korea. Revenue from such self- supporting projects will be used to underwrite the cost of shipping polyethelene terephthalate (PET) plastics, cardboard and other sal- vaged "trash" off-island. Dr. Pfleeger's efforts will increase public awareness and help ensure these im- provements are permanent. „-— Ml. 0* ». p. •»«-••••" M- «••«« above: Dr. Pfleeger stands by sign at dump which directs residents to separate "green" trash (yardwaste) from toxic items like batteries. Separating out green waste for composting could divert up to 50% of waste stream that formerly went into landfill. ------- FRESHWATER ECOLOGY BRANCH NEWS The EMAP West pilot study, carried out from 2000-2004, resulted in a field operations manual that documents the standard methods for assessing wade- able streams and rivers in the western US. It describes procedures a team of 3 to 4 people can use to collect sam- ples, measure water chemistry, note the presence of macroinvertebrates and aquatic vertebrates, check for fish tissue contaminants, and characterize surrounding physical habitat. Regional streambed sedimentation as- sessments can be hampered by the diffi- culty of obtaining stream channel data that are sufficiently comprehensive and rigorous for hydraulic interpretation, yet easy to collect in a large enough sample of streams to allow statistical rigor. Dr. Phil Kaufmann heads a team that has adapted an index enabling a more accurate evaluation of relative stream bed stability (RBS) and anthropogenic sedimentation based on routine survey Groups with an interest in assessing stream quality (states, tribes, or other federal agencies) can adapt these proce- dures, which are based on standard methods, to use in their own stream monitoring studies. The use of these procedures contributes to EPA's long-term goal of determining status and trends in ecological re- sources, based on common design and ecological indicators. data such as that collected by EMAP (Environmental Monitoring and Assess- ment Program).Previous indexes have not factored in bed channel roughness, caused by large wood and other irregularities, that effectively reduces the power of a stream to transport sediment. The new index shows promise for evaluat- ing regional patterns in stream bed stability and sedimentation, and their relationship to human-caused disturbances. In Dr. Mary Kentula was pre- sented the Merit Award of the Society of Wetland Sci- entists at its International Annual Conference in June 2007. Kentula received the award for her outstanding research on assessment of wetlands at the watershed scale. Her research was part of the EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). The Society of Wetlands Sci- entists has over 3500 mem- bers worldwide. Their pur- pose is exchange of current scientific and technical infor- mation; they maintain nu- merous other programs in support of student research PACIFIC COAST ECOLOGY BRANCH NEWS Western Ecology Division (WED)/ Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch in Newport, Oregon hosted a workshop in April 2007 to discuss water quality criteria for Oregon estuaries. Scientists synthesized the results of field sampling, trend analyses, and modeling approaches to produce a nutrient criteria case study for the Yaquina Estuary in Newport. The case study presents an approach that could be used by the state for establishing nutrient criteria for this system. Represented were WED, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, EPA Region 10 Head- quarters and South Slough Na- tional Estuarine Research Reserve. Underwater seagrasses provide the basic structure for estuarine organ- isms and are vital to estuarine health. Because environmental man- agers need a reliable, practical method for mapping seagrass beds to identify ecologically sensitive areas and monitor changes, Dr. Theodore DeWitt and Patrick Clinton conducted studies to deter- mine the efficacy of various map- ping approaches that would provide this information. The most accurate method tested was side scan sonar coupled with underwater video. The video data were used to 'train' a computer- based mapping and classification system, and to test the accuracy of the resulting seagrass maps. These maps are highly accurate and not adversely affected by turbidity. Ae- rial photography and underwater video were less accurate and more costly. Trials of the side scan sonar + video approach in deeper water coastal ecosystems and in fresh water ecosystems still need to be con- ducted, but the method is now ready for application in shallow estuaries. See more images, page 9. below: Color infrared aerial photograph of stranded freighter and corner of sea- grass meadow. See side-scan sonar im- ages of same area, last page. ------- The charismatic golden mouse, Ochrotomys nuttalli GOLDEN MOUSE: A RARE FIND Cross-NHEERL Eco-Division post-doc Dr. Anita T. Morzillo's chapter in an up- coming textbook about the golden mouse (found in the southeastern U.S.) highlights the difficulty of determining whether a species is rare or abundant. Information from a state species checklist, or ran- dom state-wide field surveys can be helpful. However, bas- ing species presence on the amount of suitable habitat would likely overestimate the actual number of animals. These conclusions were based on a state-by-state search of documented golden mouse observations. The chapter describes ecologi- cal and geographic factors that influence the relative abun- dance of rare mammals, and suggests which land use activi- ties are most likely to affect golden mouse populations and habitat throughout its range. While it is difficult, Morzillo says, to draw conclusions about the status of a species with limited field data, her chapter does include sugges- tions for management of rare species and land use activities which could maintain golden mouse populations and habitat. Morzillo and Dr. George Feld- hamer co-authored the chapter in "The golden mouse: ecol- ogy, behavior, and conserva- tion", available from Springer Publishing in November 2007. ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS BRANCH NEWS Traditionally, scientists have studied plant response to stressors by obtaining data from container-grown seedlings, which respond to environmental stress- ors differently than mature forests. To extrapolate this data to ecosystems, Dr. Renee Brooks has conducted re- search at a whole forest ecosystem scale that measures the ability of forests to access and utilize water in response to ecosystem stresses like climate change. Information from these sys- tems is an essential step towards pro- tecting functional ecosystems that pro- vide valued services such as clean air and water. For example, during droughts, trees can move water up from deep wet soils to resupply shallow roots and replenish mois- ture in dry surface soils, a process known as hydraulic redistribution. Between 20-80% of moisture lost from surface soils during the day can be replaced at night by this process. This WED research, in collabora- tion with USDA and Oregon State University, is the first to quantify the amount of water that moves between soil layers during the growing season and reveal mecha- nisms allowing shallow roots of source-trees to release moisture back into the soil. According to Renee Brooks (left), this research reveals the mechanisms that allow shallow roots of source-trees to release moisture back into the soil. - .^ WED SCIENCE REACHES AROUND THE WORLD Vienna, Austria: In May 2007, Dr. Renee Brooks presented a paper on stable isotopes and soil/water dynamics at the International Symposium on Ad- vances in Isotope Hydrology. Hanmer, New Zealand: Dr. Tony Olsen was invited by the New Zealand Insti- tute of Mathematical Analysis of Envi- ronmental Monitoring to give a presen- tation on spatial monitoring designs. The objective of the international work- shop on invasive species mathematical modeling was to determine the optimal use of resources between the competing Sapporo, Japan: Dr. Lidia Watrud was invited to attend a meeting of the 5th International Molecular Breeding of Forage and Turf. She presented a paper: On the same trip she presented a pa- per in Zurich, Switzerland on stable isotopes in tree rings and how they relate to water dynamics. demands of controlling existing inva- sive species and stopping new inva- sive species. The collaboration is expected to advance the state-of-the- science in statistical survey methods applied to rare species or resources, as well as provide an opportunity to exchange research findings. "Evaluating the Role of Habitat Qual- ity on Establishment of GM (genetic- ally modified) Agrostis stolonifera Plants in Non-Agronomic Settings" ------- 'In WED SCIENCE REACHES AROUND THE WORLD Dr. Kristina McNyset con- ducted a modeling workshop on predicting ecological niche use and formations in Baton Rouge, LA for Kahzak and Uzbek sci- entists. The Workshop, spon- sored by World Health Organi- zation Collaborating Center (WHOCC) for Remote Sensing and GIS for Public Health at LSU, included a hands-on com- puter lab using Kahzak and Uzbek anthrax and plague data- sets. McNyset has applied the meth- odology to terrestrial and aquatic species in a variety of research contexts, and is in- volved in many international collaborations in this area. WHOCC has a mandate to help establish disease monitoring and assessment facilities for Former Soviet Union countries and to provide GIS training and sup- port to their scientists. Porto, Portugal: Dr. Tom Pfleeger at- tended a meeting of SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemis- try) in May 2007 to present a paper on off-target pesticide movement and its effect on crops, natural ecosystems, wildlife. While leaves may show little response to exposure to off-target pesti- Dortmund, Germany: In March, Divi- sion Director Dr. Thomas Fontaine attended a meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Develop- ment. Fontaine participated in several steering groups (Working Party on London, England: Dr. Henry Lee II participated in the Ballast Water Work- ing Group of the United Nations' Ma- rine Environmental Protection Commit- tee in April 2007. Dr. Lee's assistance was requested by EPA's Office of Wa- ter and the U.S. Coast Guard. His pri- mary role was to provide technical as- sistance on the section of the treaty that cides, the reproductive effects could be significant, with potential loss or decline of plant reproductive output. Possible changes such as lack of seed or fruit production would most directly affect wildlife like nesting birds, invertebrates and small mam- mal granivores. Manufactured Nanomaterials) which focused on promoting international co-operation on nanomaterials re- search, including development of testing guidelines, material charac- terization, and experiments. allows a risk assessment approach for voyages between specified ports. This approach would be in lieu of the biological-based standard that will be applied to all ships constructed after 2009. One major thrust of the meeting was to harmonize the U.S. approach with that proposed by New Zealand and Australia. RECENT PUBLICATIONS Beedlow, P.A., D.T. Tingey, R.S. Waschmann, D.L. Phillips, and M.G. Johnson. 2007. Bole water content shows little seasonal variation in century-old Douglas- f i r trees. Tree Physiology 27:737-747. WED-06-033 Bracken, C.L., C.W. Hendricks, and A.K. Harding. 2006. Apparent bias in river water inoculum following centrifugation. Journal of Microbiological Methods 67:304-309. WED-05-107 Carroll, C, M.K. Phillips, C.A. Lopez-Gonzalez, and N.H. Schumaker. 2006. Defining Recovery Goals and Strategies for Endangered Species: The Wolf as a Case Study. BioScience. Vol 56. No. 1:25-37. WED-05-179 Colasanti, R.L, R. Hunt and L Watrud. 2007. A sim- ple cellular automaton model for high-level vegetation dynamics. Ecological Modeling 203; 363-374. WED- 05-191 Crow, S.E., C.W. Swanston, K. Lajtha, 3.R. Brooks, and H. Keirstead. 2007. Density fractionation of forest soils: methodological questions and interpretation of incubation results and turnover time in an ecosystem context. Biogeochemistry 85:69-90. WED-07-023 Duncan, Sally L., Lach, Denise H., and Lackey, Robert T. 2006. "Without a change of direction, we'll get where we're going: writing a future for wild salmon." Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. Robert T. Lackey, Denise H. Lach, Sally L. Duncan, editors, epilogue chapter. American Fish- eries Society. 619-627. WED-06-133 Ebersole, 3.L., Wigington, P.J., Baker, J.P., Cairns, M.A., Church, M.R., Hansen, B.P., Miller, B.A., LaVi- gne, H.R., Compton, J.E., and Leibowitz, S.G. 2006. Juvenile coho salmon growth and survival across stream network seasonal habitats. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 135: 1681-1697. WED-05-132 Etterson, M.A., L.R. Nagy, and T.R. Robinson. 2007. Partitioning Risk Among Different Causes of Nest Failure. 77te/fc/Arl24(2):432-443. WED-05-047 Fernald, A.G., D.H. Landers and P.J. Wigington, Jr. 2006. Water Quality Changes in Hyporheic Flow Paths Between a Large Gravel Bed River and Off- channel Alcoves in Oregon, USA. River Research and Applications 22:1111-1124. WED-04-158 ------- RECENT PUBLICATIONS Ferraro, S.P., and F.A. Cole. 2007. Benthic macro- fauna-habitat associations in Willapa Bay, Washington, USA. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 71:491-507. WED-06-076 Grams, T. E.E., and C.P. Andersen. 2007. Competi- tion for Resources in Trees: Physiological Versus Mor- phological Plasticity. Progress/n Botany 68:356-381. WED-06-130. Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., McGraw, M.M., Jacobi, G.Z., Canavan, CM., Schrader, T.S., Mercer, D., Hill, R., and Moran, B.C., 2006, Ecoregions of New Mexico (color poster with map, descriptive text, summary ta- bles, and photographs): Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geologi- cal Survey (map scale 1:1,400,000). WED-07-049 Hageman, K.J., S.L Simonich, D.H. Campbell, G.R. Wil- son and D.H. Landers. 2006. Atmospheric Deposi- tion of Current-Use and Historic-Use Pesticides in Snow at Natonal Parks in the Western United States. Envi- ronmental Science and Technology40:3174-3180. WED-06-071 Harmon, M.E., Phillips, D.L., Battles, J.J., Rassweiler, A., Hal, R.O., Lauenroth, W.K. (2007). Quantifying un- certainty in net primary production measurements. Chapter 12 in Fahey TJ & Knapp AK, eds., Principles and Standards for Measuring Primary Production. Ox- ford University Press, New York, pp. 238-260. Hebert, A.B., J.W. Morse and P.M. Eldridge. 2007. Small-scale heterogeneity in the geochemistry of sea- grass vegetated and non-vegetated estuarine sedi- ments: causes and consequences. Aquat. Geochem., 13:19-39. WED-07-FCO-120 Johnson, M.G., P.T. Rygiewicz, D.T. Tingey, and D.L. Phillips. 2006. Elevated C02 and elevated tempera- ture have no effect on Douglas-fir fine-root dynamics in nitrogen-poor soil. New Phytologist 170:345-356. WED-05-181. Kaldy, 3.E. and K.S. Lee. 2007. Factors controlling Zos- tera marina L. growth in the eastern and western Pa- cific Ocean: Comparisons between Korea and Oregon, USA. Aquatic Botany 87-.116-126. WED-06-016 Kaldy, J.E., P.M. Eldridge, L.A. Cifuentes, W.B. Jones. 2006. Utilization of DOC from seagrass rhizomes by sediment bacteria: 13C-tracer experiments and model- ing. Marine Ecology Progress Series 317:41-55. WED-04-121 Kaldy, 3.E. 2006. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metal budgets: How large is the eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) sink in a temperate estuary? Base- line/Marine Pollution Bulletin 52:332-356. WED-06-015 Kaldy, 3.E. 2006. Production ecology of the non- indigenous seagrass, dwarf eelgrass, (Zostera japonica Ascher. & Graeb.) in a Pacific Northwest Estuary, USA. Hydrobiologia 553: 201-217. Kaufmann, Philip R. and Hughes, Robert M. 2006. "Geomorphic and anthropogenic influences on fish and amphibians in Pacific Northwest coastal streams." American Fisheries Society book chapter. Vol. 48:429-455. WED-05-051 Lackey, R.T. 2007. Science, Scientists, and Policy Ad- vocacy. Conservation Biology 21(1) 12-17. WED-06- 166 Lach, Denise H., Duncan, Sally L., and Lackey, Robert T. 2006. "Can we get there from here? Salmon in the 21st Century (synthesis chapter)." Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. American Fisheries Society. 597-617. WED-06-125 Lackey, R.T. 2006. Restoring wild salmon to the Pa- cific Northwest: framing the risk question, pp 3-11. In: Proceedings of the Ninth Watershed Management Council Conference: Watersheds Across Boundaries: Science, Sustainability, Security, Charles W. Slaughter and Neil Berg, Editors, November 3-7, 2002, Stevenson, Washington, University of California, Water Resources Report No. 107, 390 pp. Lackey, R.T. 2006. Axioms of ecological policy. Fisher- ies. 31(6): 286-290. WED-06-032 Lackey, R.T., D.H. Lach, S.L. Duncan. 2006. Policy Options to Reverse the Decline of Wild Pacific Salmon. Fisheries; 31(7); 344-351. WED-06-025. Lackey, R. T. 2006. "Restoring Salmon to the Pacific Northwest: Framing the Risk Question." Stevenson, WA, 11/3-6/02. 3-11. WED-03-027 Aquatic stressors Lackey, Robert T., Lach, Denise H., and Duncan, Sally L. 2006. "The Challenge of Restoring Wild Salmon." chapter 1 in Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. 1-11. WED-06-110 Lackey, Robert T., Lach, Denise H., and Duncan, Sally L. 2006. "Salmon 2100: The future of wild Pacific salmon." Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. American Fisheries Society, i-vii. WED-06- 117 Lackey, Robert T., Lach, Denise H., and Duncan, Sally L. 2006. "Wild Salmon in Western North America: Forecasting the most likely status in 2100." chapter 3 in Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. American Fisheries Society. 57-70. WED-06-109 Lackey, Robert T., Lach, Denise H., and Duncan, Sally L. 2006. "Wild salmon in Western North America: The historical and policy context." chapter 2 in Salmon 2100: The Future of Wild Pacific Salmon. 13-55. WED- 06-108 Larsen, D.P., A.R. Olsen, S.H. Lanigan, C. Moyer, K.K. Jones and T.M. Kincaid. 2007. Sound survey designs can facilitate integrating stream monitoring data across multiple programs. Journal of the American Water Re- sources Association 43(2) 1-14. WED-05-044 ------- RECENT PUBLICATIONS Lawler, 3.3., D. White, R.P. Neilson & A.R. Blaustein. 2006. Predicting climate-induced range shifts: model differences and model reliability. Global change Biol- ogy: 12; 1568-1584. WED-05-111. Lee, E. Hv D.T. Tingey, P.A. Beedlow, M.G. Johnson, and C.A. Burdick. 2007. Relating fine root biomass to soil and climate conditions in the Pacific Northwest. Forest Ecology and Management, 242:195-208. WED- 06-170 Lowrance, R., Isenhart, T. M., Gburek, W. 1, Shields Jr., F. D., Wigington Jr., P. 3., and Dabney, S. M. 2006. "Landscape management practices." Environ- mental Benefits of Conservation on Cropland, The Status of Our Knowledge. Editors Ed. Schnepf, M. and Cox, C. Soil and Water Conservation Society. 269- 317. WED-06-169 Magee, T.K., P.L. Ringold, and M.A. Bollman. 2007. Alien species importance in native vegetation along wadeable streams, John Day River basin, Oregon, USA. Plant Ecology DOI 10.1007/sl 1258-007-9330-9. WED-06- 094 McNyset, K.M. and J.K. Blackburn. 2006. Does GARP really fail miserably? A response to Stockman et al. (2006). Diversity and Distributions 12:782-786. WED- 06-149 Meinzer, F.C., J.M. Warren, and 3.R. Brooks. 2007. Species-specific partitioning of soil water resources in an old-growth Douglas-fir-western hemlock forest. Tree Physiology 27, 871-880. WED-06-178 Peterson, S.A., J. Van Sickle, AT. Herlihy, and R.M. Hughes. 2007. Mercury Concentration in Fish from Streams and Rivers Throughout the Western United States. Environmental Science & Technology 41(1) pp. 58-65. WED-06-095 Reichman, J.R., L.S. Watrud, E.H. Lee, C.A. Burdick, M.A. Bollman, M.J. Storm, G.A. King and C. Mallory- Smith. 2006. Establishment of trasgenic herbicide- resistant creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) in nonagronomic habitats. Molecular Ecology 15, 4243- 4255. WED-05-183. Schwindt, A.R., N. Truelove, C.B. Schreck. J.W. Fournie, D. Landers, M.L. Kent. Qualitative evaluation of macrophage aggregates in brook trout Salvelinus fon- t/na//sar\d rainbow trout Oncorhynchus myikss. Dis- eases of Aquatic Organ isms te\ 101-113,2006. WED- 07-FCO-118 Scott, J.M., J.L. Rachlow, R.L. Lackey, A.B. Pidgorna, J.L. Aycrigg, G.R. Feldman, L.K. Svancar, D.A. Rupp, D.I. Stanish, and R.K. Steinhorst. 2007. Policy Advo- cacy in Science: Prevalence, Perspectives, and Implica- tions for Conservation Biologists. Conservation Biology 21 (l):29-35. WED-07-003 Shure, D.J., D.L. Phillips, P.E. Bostick (2006) Gap size and succession in cutover southern Appalachian for- ests: an 18 year study of vegetation dynamics. Plant Ecology 185: 299-318. WED-01-130 Sigleo, A.C., and W.E. Frick. 2007. Seasonal varia- tions in river discharge and nutrient export to a Northeastern Pacific estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 73:368-378. WED-06-020 Sigleo, A.C. 2006. Atmospheric C02 Changes: Past and Future. Ehlleringer, J.R.,T.E. Cerling, and M.D. Dearing editors 2005. Ecology. 87(1): 262-263. WED-05-186 Stoddard, 3.L., D.P. Larsen, C.P. Hawkins, R.K. John- son and R.H. Norris. 2006. Setting expectations for the ecological condition of streams: The concept of reference condition. Ecological Applications 16(4), pp. 1267-1276. WED-04-179 Taylor, A.M., 3.R. Brooks, B.L Gartner and J.J. Morrell 2007. Radial patterns of carbon isotopes in the xylem extractives and cellulose of Douglas-fir. Tree Physiology. 27:921-927. WED-06-150 Theobald, D.M., D.L. Stevens, Jr., D. White, N.S. Urquhart, A.R. Olsen, and J.B. Norman. 2007. Using CIS to Generate Spatially Balanced Random Survey Designs for Natural Resource Applications. Environ- mental Management40:134-146. WED-06-028 Tingey, D.T., D.L. Phillips, E. H. Lee, R.S. Wasch- mann, D.M. Olszyk, P.T. Rygiewicz, and M.G. John- son. 2007. Elevated temperature, soil moisture and seasonality but not C02 affect canopy assimilation and system respiration in seedling Douglas-fir eco- systems. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 143:30-48. WED-06-158 Van de Water, P.K., L.S. Watrud, E.H. Lee, C. Bur- dick, and G.A. King. 2007. Long-Distance GM Pollen Movement of Creeping Bentgrass using Modeled Wind Trajectory Analysis. Ecological Applications 17 (4), pp. 1244-1256. WED-06-134 Van Sickle, 3, D.P. Larsen and C.P. Hawkins. 2007. Exclusion of rare taxa affects performance of the O/E index in bioassessments. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 26 (2):319-331. WED-06-162 Van Sickle, 3., J.L. Stoddard, S.G. Paulsen, and A.R. Olsen. 2006. Using Relative Risk to Compare the Effects of Aquatic Stressors at a Regional Scale. En- vironmental Management 38:1020-1030. WED-05- 204. Walters, D.M., K.M. Fritz, D.L. Phillips 2007. Reach- scale geomorphology affects organic matter and con- sumer d!3C in a forested Piedmont stream. Fresh- water Biology 52: 1105-1119. WED-07-FCO-137 Warren, J.M., 3.R. Brooks, F.C. Meinzer, J.C. Domec and R. Coulombe 2007. Hydraulic redistribution of soil water in two old-growth coniferous forests: quantifying patterns and controls. New Phytologist. 173:753-765. WED-07-016 ------- RECENT PUBLICATIONS Watrud, L.S., K. Martin, K.K. Donegan, C.G. Coleman. 2006. Comparison of taxonomic, colony morphotype and PCR-RFLP methods to characterize microfungal diversity. Mycologia 98(3) pp. 384-392. Whittier, T.R., R.M. Hughes, G.A. Lomnicky, and D.V. Peck. 2007. Fish and Amphibian Tolerance Values and an Assemblage Tolerance Index for Streams and Rivers in the Western USA. Transactions of the Ameri- can Fisheries Society 136:254-271. WED-06-124 Whittier, T.R., J.L. Stoddard, D.P. Larsen, and AT. Herlihy. 2007. Selecting reference sites for stream biological assessments: best professional judgment or objective criteria. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 26(2): 349- 360. WED-06-147 Whittier, T.R., R.M. Hughes, J.L. Stoddard, G.A. Lom- nicky, D.V. Peck, and AT. Herlihy. 2007. A Structured Approach for Developing Indices of Biotic Integrity: Three examples from Streams and Rivers in the West- ern USA. Transactions of the American Fisheries Soci- ety136:718-735. WED-06-064 Whittier, Thomas R., Stoddard, John L., Hughes, Robert M., and Lomnicky, Gregg. 2006. "Associations among catchment-and site-scale distur- bance indicataors and biological assemblages at least- and most-disturbed stream and river sites in the western Unite States." book chapter for Ameri- can Fisheries Society Symposium. American Fisher- ies Society. 641-664. WED-05-052 A Wigington, Jr., P.J., J.L. Ebersole, M.E. Colvin, S.G. Leibowitz, B. Miller, B. Hansen, H.R. Lavigne, D. White, J/P. Baker, M.R. Church, J.R. Brooks, M.A. Cairns, and J.E. Compton. 2006. Coho salmon de- pendence on intermittent streams. Front. Ecol. Envi- ron. 4(10):513-518. WED-06-146 Yangdong Pan, Brian H. Hill, Peter Husby, Robert K. Hall and Philip R. Kaufmann 2006 Relationships Between Environmental Variables and Benthic Dia- tom Assemblages in California Central Valley Streams (USA). Hydrobiologia 561: 1573-5117. WED-06-111 FCO PACIFIC COAST ECOLOGY BRANCH NEWS, CONT. FROM PAGE 4 Seagrass beds are critical habitats for many economi- cally important fish and shellfish. Many of these habi- tats are threatened by nutrient enrichment, chemical contamination, dredging, and other impacts. Dr. Ted DeWitt found the most accurate method of mapping seagrass beds was also the most cost effective: side scan sonar coupled with underwater video. The images were not affected by cloudy water conditions. Infrared aerial photography shows derelict freighter which swings on its anchor and creates a clearly visible break in the seagrass bed. Side-scan sonar image of same site. Seagrass cover map of site includes estimate of seagrass abundance based on classification of sonar image. Scientists featured in this Update work at EPA's Western Ecology Division, unless otherwise noted. For more information, contact hurlev.ioan@eDa.QOv The information in this document has been funded wholly or in part by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has been subjected to review by the National Health and Environmental Effects Research 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 commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. ------- |