u. s. department of the interior national park service wildlife program overview mason reid,...
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U. S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service
Wildlife Program OverviewMason Reid, Wildlife EcologistMount Rainier National Park
NPS Mission and Policies
Organic Act and NPS Policies– which purpose is to conserve the scenery and
the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. (16 USC 1)
Role of Wildlife Program at Mount Rainier
Responsible for the protection and understanding of wildlifeEvaluate impairmentAt Mount Rainier you can find:
– at least 56 mammal species;
– 17 species of amphibians and reptiles; – more than 229 species of birds use the park; – 8 species of native fish;
– but invertebrates probably represent 85% of the animal biomass in the park
Protecting Ecosystems – Intact??
Status of Ecological Integrity - Wildlife
Park establishment – Protects communities within the park
Many mid-larger size vertebrates are far rangingPark “island effect”Old growth forests, subalpine meadows – appear
largely intactMissing most of the system’s carnivores –many
others in decline – significant implications
Carnivores in WA Parks – Native Species and Status
Historically Documented
Species (legal status) MORA NOCA OLYM
Wolverine (Fed – Pet.) X X
Canada Lynx (Fed – T.) X X
Grizzly Bear (Fed – T.) X
Fisher (WA – T, Fed – Candidate)
X X X
Marten (Fed – Pet. (coastal)) X X X
Gray Wolf (Fed – End.) X X X
Endangered Species Act of 1973
All Federal agencies are required to undertake programs for the conservation of endangered and threatened species, and are prohibited from authorizing, funding, or carrying out any action that will jeopardize a listed species or destroy or modify its "critical habitat" [section 7];
ESA in place to recover species in jeopardy
Federally-Listed Species and Critical HabitatNorthern Spotted OwlMarbled MurreletGray WolfGrizzly BearWolverineCanada LynxChinook SalmonBull TroutSteelhead
Park Project Effects on Wildlife
Construction/maintenance project effects on wildlife
– Direct – roadkill mortality
– Indirect – habitat loss; noise, lights and other disturbance; artificial food sources
Northern Spotted Owl
Barred Owl
Larger and more aggressive than spotted owl.
Same genus (Strix) as spotted owl.
Considered a threat to NSO but only recently some supporting evidence
Demographic Monitoring Approach
Rainier NSO Demographic Study Area
Population rates of growth
from N. spotted owl demography study areas in WA
Study Area lambda 95% CI % Ann. Decline
Rainier 0.896 0.788-1.003 10.4
Cle Elum 0.938 0.901-0.976 6.2
Olympic 0.956 0.893-1018 4.4
Wenatchee 0.917 0.882-0.952 8.3
Park in one of 13 Demographic Study Areas across NSO rangePark represents ½ of NSO territories in DSA
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") NSO territory site centers 2005
NSO/ BO Territories at Mount Rainier:
2005 Review
Northern Spotted Owl Status
Marbled MurreletBrachyramphus marmoratus
Listed as a threatened species by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state of Washington.
Marbled murrelet nesting habitat in the Park is forests older than 100 years and below 3,500 feet.
There are approximately 10,000 ha (25,000 acres) of suitable marbled murrelet nesting habitat in the Park.
Breeding areas– Carbon– Mowich– Puyallup
Occupied– Nisqually
Suitable– Ohanapecosh (?)– White
Murrelet Monitoring
Murrelet Monitoring
Presence/Absence– Portable Marine
Radar• Detects flying
murrelets
Breeding– Audiovisual surveys
• Vocalizations
• Flight behavior
Network Monitoring
North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN)
7 Parks, 28 Networks in NPS“Vital Signs”Long-term natural resource monitoring
program
Elk Monitoring – NCCNCervus elaphus
Identified as important to monitor in MORA, OLYM and LEWI
Monitoring protocol under developmentElk have an important ecological role and
are highly bio-political species (tribes, state, others)
Long history of elk issues
Elk Monitoring -- NCCN
Most elk in park are migratory – few reside year-round (Ohanapecosh watershed)
North and South HerdsAerial surveys – AutumnOne of the longest-running annual
monitoring programs at MORA
Elk Herds and Aerial Survey Blocks at Mount Rainier National Park
MORA Elk Herd E-4*2 Summary Statistics From Summer - Fall Aerial Survey Counts (draft)
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North E4 * 2 helicopter
South E4*2
White River Painball Estimate
North E4*2 fixed wing
North Rainier herd plan objective (600-
700 elk)
North Rainier herd suggested maximum
(900 elk)
MORA 1979 elk herd management
plan for South herd (400 elk)
Landbird Monitoring --NCCN
- Point counts to determine trends and bird density in selected areas of the park
- Sample design with transects that start off roads and trails parkwide
Current Wildlife Research Projects
Elk population evaluationEffects of visitor use on corvid abundanceButterfly distribution and range shift
Climate Change - Wildlife
Effects– Habitat loss– Changes in Distribution– Changes in Abundance– Changes in Phenology (Breeding, Migration,
etc.)
More Climate Change Effects
– Increase of Diseases & Pests– Non-native definitions– Extirpations– Loss of species before they are identified
Pinyon mousePinyon mouse
PikaPika
Mount Rainier Specifics
High elevation species vulnerableEffects of habitat and temperature change
Human Dimensions of Wildlife
Around the Park– Landscape fragmentation– Wildlife persecution/harvest– Road corridors– Other development– Contaminants– Range Expansion/Non-natives
Human Dimensions of Wildlife
Within the Park – Roadkill– Boundary impacts– Park development projects– Visitor-caused disturbance– Wildlife feeding– Wildlife habituation
Road ImpactsRecorded Road Killed Wildlife on 4 Sections of Road in Mount Ranier
National Park. June-August 2003
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Habituated and Food-Conditioned Wildlife
Steller’s Jay
Clark’s Nutcracker
Gray Jay
Mount Rainier’s corvids
Raven
Average Number of Corvids per Point Count on Weekends in Selected High Visitor Use Areas
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longmire cougar rock paradise vc paradise picnic white river sunrise
Raven < 50m
Steller's Jay < 50m
Gray Jay < 50m
Clark's Nutcracker < 50m
Corvid Foraging Behavior in High-Use Areas of Mt. Rainier National Park. 2003
Anthropogenic Foraging
Other Foraging
Results from pilot corvid surveys
Centennial Project:Keep Wildlife Wild
Wildlife feedingFood storageAttractant
management
Wildlife Issues Where You Can Help
RoadkillFeeding & Food Storage Incomplete EcosystemsClimate – Changes from Species to Visitor
Access – Choices for the FutureWildlife ObservationsAnimal IncidentsHabituated Wildlife
Questions?