Mc farland
27
Jason J. McFarland Arctic Vegetation Ecology 692 M.S. Biology Candidate Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Biology and Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks
-
Upload
edie-barbour -
Category
Technology
-
view
412 -
download
2
Transcript of Mc farland
Jason J. McFarland
Arctic Vegetation Ecology 692 M.S. Biology Candidate
Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Department of Biology and Wildlife
University of Alaska Fairbanks
-‐ Background information, project introduction -‐ Description of study area and site -‐ Research objectives and preliminary results -‐ Conclusions
-‐ Worked for BLM in 2009 and 2010 and worked on Arctic Coastal Plain, North Slope -‐ Visited many different watersheds and observed many fish, but disproportionate amount of aquatic food resources (i.e. aquatic invertebrates) -‐ Where is food coming from? Could surrounding riparian vegetation be providing terrestrial
subsidies (i.e. terrestrial invertebrates) to stream fish???
Jason J. McFarland M.S. Biology Thesis
-‐ Threats to ecological processes in aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic
-‐ Small, lower order streams are potentially most susceptible climate change and land use impacts -‐ Beaded streams are important habitat for fish and other biota -‐ Project focuses on terrestrial/aquatic linkages in a beaded stream
-‐ Baseline study to better understand basic ecological processes in order to evaluate future ecological changes
Camp Black Gold Spike
438 D. A. WALKER AND K. R. EVERETT Ecological Monographs Vol. 61, No. 4
1 56? 152? 1BO A4048?
O 100 km aBarrow b d (
Beaufort Sea
PrudhoePBayhtundra
F v :. fM ~~~..... ...
70 ........~ A S A L L A
ty- /i Atkasoeo ___ FOO > ;~adoesest
t .. wit ...............moisthmi 70 1......... .. . ,g ,.
g.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ . . . . . . ,
) t-4 ~~Lowland loess with B wet minerotrophic tundra
Lowland loess with wet
'68? m ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~mainersitsohi and caysdi
'680 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tundra B>. 8arrow.. Beaufort Sea F- with wet and moist acidic
L =01 1 m ~~~~~~~~~~~~~Upland loess deposits FIG. 1. Extent of minerotrophic tundra
satll e T I C o r L n t A t L a Upland loess deposits p.CF 0 O T .-.p (Carter 1988) with moist mixed
> / ~ ~ ~ _ ~ '-8 R 0 ? 0 acidic and minerotrophic tundra ,Marine silts and clays I with wet acidic tundra
FIG. 1. Extent of minerotrophic and acidic tundras on the Alaskan North Slope based on Carter (1988) and AVHRR satellite-derived imagery. Upland loess occurs in the Arctic Foothills. Lowland loess occurs on the Arctic Coastal Plain.
tundra ecological information is from study sites un- influenced by loess. For example, Barrow (Fig. 1), which was long the center of vegetation research in northern Alaska and the main United States study site for the International Biological Programme (IBP) Tundra Bi- ome, is on acidic marine sediments (Britton 1967, 1973, Tieszen 1978, Brown et al. 1980). Similarly, none of the other IBP Tundra Biome sites is in an area with much modern influx of loess (Bliss et al. 1981). The Atkasook site for the RATE program (Research on Arctic Tundra Environments, Batzli 1980) is on sta- bilized eolian sands with low pH (4.3 to 5.5), and other major study sites in northern Alaska are also in areas without modern influx of loess (e.g., Cape Thompson [Wilimovsky and Wolfe 1966], Umiat [Bliss 1956, Cantlon 1961], Atkasook [Batzli 1980], Toolik Lake [Chapin and Shaver 1981, 1985, Shaver and Chapin 1986, Chapin et al. 1988], Imnavait Creek [Oechel 1989], Colville River [Bliss and Cantlon 1957], and Okpilak River [Brown 1962]).
The most extensive area of modem loess deposition in arctic Alaska occurs near the Sagavanirktok and Canning rivers. Here, calcareous loess (pH 6.0 to 8.4) downwind of the rivers favors development of miner- otrophic plant communities. For example, Dryas in- tegrifolia, Eriophorum triste, and Tomenthypnum ni- tens occur in moist sites, and Carex aquatilis, Drepanocladus spp., and Scorpidium scorpioides occur in most wet areas. In addition, the loess has important, and as yet poorly understood, effects on other ecosys- tem processes and components, such as production and mineralization rates, invertebrate populations, shore- birds, and mammals. Throughout this paper, areas with circumneutral to alkaline soils are referred to as miner- otrophic tundra, in contrast to the acidic tundra regions which generally have soils with pH <6.0.
This paper summarizes recent studies of loess eco- systems in the Prudhoe Bay region and much other relevant information, focusing on soil and vegetation toposequences and ecological gradients downwind of
Crea Creek Study Site
(Walker, D.A., and Everett, K.R. 1991)
Willows (Salix pulchra)
Aquatic Sedge (Carex aquatilis,
Eriophorum angustifolium)
Mixed (willows/sedge)
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – ALASKA DISTRICT P.O. Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506-0898
http://www.poa.usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues permit for CD-5 ANCHORAGE – Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District issued a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. for the CD-5 Alpine Satellite Development Project. This decision culminates nearly a year-long review process that included an in-depth analysis of engineering alternatives along with an examination of supplemental technical information provided by state and federal agencies. In a detailed 134-page record of decision, the Corps is requiring ConocoPhillips to use the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative as required by law. “Today’s decision is entirely consistent with the mission of the Corps of Engineers’ Regulatory Program, which is to protect the Nation's aquatic resources while allowing reasonable development,” said Kevin Morgan, Regulatory Chief for the Alaska District. “It’s indicative of a program that is fair, flexible and balanced." The CD-5 permit authorizes construction of a drill pad, six-mile long access road, four bridge crossings, two valve pads with access roads, and new pipeline support structures. It also includes 22 special conditions intended to minimize the impact to the environment within the Arctic Coastal Plain. In addition, ConocoPhillips agreed to pay mitigation fees to the Conservation Fund to compensate for unavoidable losses to aquatic resources. During the review process, the Corps evaluated four practicable alternative proposals that included both above and below ground pipelines. Additional information provided by ConocoPhillips, combined with opinions from agencies responsible for pipeline oversight in Alaska, documented that an above ground pipeline, in this particular situation, presented a lesser risk of damage to the aquatic ecosystem. “The clarifying information we reviewed and conditions agreed to by ConocoPhillips cleared the way for us to issue this permit,” said Col. Reinhard Koenig, Commander of the Alaska District. It’s testament to the Corps’ permit evaluation process and our ability to make balanced and independent decisions.” “The ConocoPhillips proposal will provide year-round quick and effective pipeline monitoring, leak detection, and spill response,” Koenig said. The Record of Decision is available on the Alaska District’s website at: http://www.poa.usace.army.mil.
NEWS RELEASE BUILDING STRONG ® U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
For Immediate Release: Dec. 19, 2011
Contact: Pat Richardson, 907-753-2520
Map Credit: Matthew Whitman (BLM)
1) Measure riparian invertebrate subsidies (i.e., fish prey) to streams from different riparian plant communities, in Crea Creek, NPRA.
2) Determine how riparian vegetation influences Arctic grayling foraging.
Hypothesis: The riparian community composition of invertebrates differs between willow, sedge and mixed willow/sedge dominated communities
-‐ Deployed floating pan traps and to quantify invertebrates landing or falling into the stream from riparian vegetation
-‐ Pan traps were located in the 2 largest patches of each dominant vegetation type (willows, sedge, mixed willow/sedge) and sampled in June, July, and August
-‐ Contrasted species richness, abundance, and biomass of invertebrates falling into stream
No
Dat
a N
o D
ata
-‐ Invertebrates falling into or landing in Crea Creek varied by plant type and season.
-‐ Flies, beetles, aphids and caddisflies were the most common taxa.
-‐ Used aerial photography overlaid with grid cells to estimate relative composition of riparian vegetation communities in 10 equal sized stream reaches
Crea Creek Total Community Composition: Sedge-‐52%, Willow-‐33%, Mixed willow/sedge-‐14%, and Tussock tundra-‐<1%
1 2 3 4 5 67
89 10
Objective goal is to contrast fish diets from stream reaches with differences in riparian vegetation composition
Diet Sampling
-‐Gastric lavage to remove stomach contents -‐Fishing efforts will be divided into 10 stream sections (same sections
as vegetation sampling)
-‐ Terrestrial invertebrates were relatively important for juvenile grayling, but surprisingly not adults
-‐ What were the adults eating?
Ninespine stickleback!
1 2 3 4 5 67
89 10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
June
July
August
June
July
August
June
July
August
June
July
August
June
July
August
June
July
August
June
July
August
June
July
August
June
July
August
June
July
August
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Num
ber of Grayling Ca
ptured
Reach Number and Month
2011 Grayling Capture in Crea Creek
Juvenille
Adult
No
Dat
a N
o D
ata
-‐ Cluster analysis and NMDS ordination to show invertebrate communities associated with riparian vegetation and fish diet
-‐ Climate change and increased oil and gas development on the NPRA pose threats to ecological processes in aquatic ecosystems
-‐ Beaded streams provide important habitat for fishes
-‐ Riparian vegetation plays a vital role in stream food webs by supporting terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates—the primary food source for grayling and other fishes
-‐ Understanding energy and nutrient flow between streams and their riparian communities is paramount to understanding how Arctic aquatic habitats and ecosystems will respond to changes in climate and land use
A big thanks to our collaborators for their financial and logistical support: Matthew Whitman with BLM, Chris Arp with UAF, Mary Beth Lowen with US Fish and Wildlife Service, UAF Department of Biology and Wildlife, Field Technician Katie Hayden, and helicopter pilot Keelan McNulty.
Allan, J.D., M.S. Wipfli, J.P. Caouette, A. Prussian, and J. Rodgers. 2003. Influence of Streamside Vegetation on Inputs of Terrestrial Invertebrates to Salmonid Food Webs. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 60: 309-‐320.
Cadwallader, P.L., Eden, A.K., and Hook, R.A. 1980. Role of streamside vegetation as a food source for Galaxias olidus Günther (Pisces: Galaxidae). Freshwater Resources. 31:257-‐262. Frey, K. E., and J. W. McClelland. 2009. Impacts of permafrost degradation on arctic river biogeochemistry. Hydrological Processes. 23: 169-‐ 182. IPCC, 2001 Climate change 2001: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. In: Contribution of Working Group II to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Eds J.J. McCarthy, O.F. Canziani, N.A. Leary, D.J. Dokken & K.S. White), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K. Kawaguchi Y. & Nakano S. 2001. Contribution of terrestrial invertebrates to the annual resource budget for salmonids in forest and
grassland reaches of a headwater stream. Freshwater Biology. 46. 303–31 Nielson, J.L. 1992. Microhabitat-‐specific foraging behavior, diet, and growth of juvenile coho salmon. Transactions of American Fisheries Soceity. 121:617-‐634. Peterson, K. M. and Billings, W. D. 1980. Tundra vegetational patterns and succession in relation to microtopography near Atkasook,
Alaska. Arctic and Alpine Research. 12: 473-‐482. Rouse, W., M. Douglas, R. Hecky, A. Hershey, G. Klin, L. Lesack, P. Marsh, M. McDonald, B. Nicholson, N. Roulet, and J. Smol. 1997. Effects of Climate Change on the Freshwaters of Arctic and Subarctic North America. Hydrological Processes. 11: 873-‐902. Tape, K., M. Sturm, and C. Racine. 2006. The evidence for shrub expansion in northern Alaska and the pan-‐Arctic. Global Change Biology 12: 686-‐702. Walker, D.A., Everett, K.R. 1991. Loess ecosystems of northern Alaska: regional gradient and toposequence at Prudhoe Bay. Ecological Monographs. 61:(4):437-‐464. Wipfli, M.S. 1997. Terrestrial Invertebrates as Salmonid prey and Nitrogen Sources in Streams: Contrasting Old-‐growth and Young-‐growth Riparian Forests in Southeastern Alaska, USA. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 54: 1259:1269.
