Olympic National Park Research Articles

Coastal Cutthroat Trout Redd Counts Impacted by Natural Water Supply Variations

AbstractDuring 2001–2003, we counted redds of Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii and measured microhabitat variables at fresh redds in Irely Creek upstream of Irely Lake in a largely undisturbed watershed within Olympic National Park, Washington. Redd numbers declined abruptly in 2003, the year after a dry summer caused the dewatering of Irely Lake; therefore, we continued the redd counts during 2004–2012 to determine whether pond dewatering was a factor in the decline and whether redd counts would track Irely Lake surface area. The estimated number of redds varied from a high of 51 (in 2002) to a low of 2 (in 2006, 2007, and 2010); increases in estimated redd number occurred after wetter summers, and decreases were observed after drier summers. This pattern was significant in chi‐square tests for redd number and the change in redd number with Irely Lake condition in the preceding year (dry, semi‐dry, or wet). Rather than indicating juvenile mortality, the lack of a lag in response suggests the mortality of adults that would otherwise have spawned during the subsequent spring. The clear impact of dry summers in one of the wettest regions of North America underscores the important influence of hydrology on fish, even in the absence of other disturbances.Received September 16, 2015; accepted March 15, 2016 Published online July 20, 2016

Range Extension of Two Bumble Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae) into Olympic National Park

Abstract Bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Bombus) are cold-adapted insects, primarily known for their importance in providing ecosystem services to wild and cultivated flowering plants. Recent expeditions into the wilderness regions of the Olympic Mountains of Olympic National Park, USA discovered undocumented populations of two bumble bee species: Bombus sylvicola and B. vandykei. Application of species distribution models with range-wide locality records identified the Olympic Mountains to have high habitat suitability for B. sylvicola and low habitat suitability for B. vandykei. Our results suggest that Olympic National Park is a habitat island for B. sylvicola, isolated from the relatively contiguous distribution of the species in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. Bumble bees are sensitive to environmental change, thus our discoveries will likely stimulate conservation-oriented investigations on these charismatic pollinators on the Olympic Peninsula and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Phytoplankton responses to nitrogen enrichment in Pacific Northwest, USA Mountain Lakes

Limited information is available about threshold lake nitrogen concentrations necessary to stimulate phytoplankton species and biomass responses in remote nitrogen-limited mountain lakes. We conducted in situ enrichment bioassays in mountain lakes within Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks in Washington State, USA to characterize phytoplankton species and biomass responses to nitrogen enrichment, and associated dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration thresholds. Based on biomass and growth measurements, phytoplankton were nitrogen-limited or co-limited by nitrogen and phosphorus in the nine bioassay lakes. We identified 20 taxa that responded to nitrogen enrichment, and estimated response thresholds using nitrogen Monod half-saturation constants (K s) for 18 of these taxa. DIN thresholds in nitrogen-limited lakes were 13 μg N l−1 for any increase in chlorophyll a, and 25 μg N l−1, for an increase beyond typical inter-annual chlorophyll a variation. K s values ranged from 0.02 to 77 μg N l−1 across most N-responsive taxa, and diatom K s values were higher than those previously quantified in U.S. Rocky Mountain lakes. Approximately, 75% of sampled mountain lakes in the parks have summer dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations below biomass response thresholds. This finding suggests that phytoplankton in park mountain lakes are likely sensitive to future deposition-induced lake nitrogen enrichment.

Day and overnight visitors to the Olympic Wilderness

Wilderness visitors are comprised of day and overnight users. Research suggests that day use of wilderness is increasing and that day visitors may be different than more conventional overnight visitors in potentially important ways. This study examined this issue at Olympic National Park, USA. An on-site survey of wilderness visitors was conducted in the summer of 2012, achieving a response rate of 50.4% and yielding 1019 completed questionnaires. Four categories of variables were included in the survey: (1) demographic characteristics of visitors, (2) sensitivity to crowding, (3) preferences for wilderness conditions, and (4) support for wilderness management practices. T-tests of differences between means of day and overnight visitors and principal component analysis were used to analyze resulting data. The study found many similarities between day and overnight visitors. For example, there was little racial/ethnic diversity in either group and the vast majority of all visitors was highly educated. Both types of visitors reported an aversion to encountering other visitors on trails and at attraction sites, and most visitors tended to prefer some level of development that facilitated recreation use, such as bridges over streams. However, there were also some potentially important differences between day and overnight visitors. For example, day visitors were significantly less sensitive to crowding and more strongly supported management that allows access for recreation as opposed to providing opportunities for solitude. Moreover, day visitors constituted more than twice the number of overnight visitors, suggesting that day visitors represent a large majority of wilderness use. Study findings are being used to support development of a Wilderness Stewardship Plan for Olympic National Park and suggest that day use be given more explicit attention in wilderness planning and management. Management implicationsAn important objective of wilderness and related outdoor recreation areas is to provide high quality visitor experiences. Thus, wilderness management must be informed by information about and from wilderness visitors. Day and overnight visitors constitute two important groups of wilderness users. Findings from this survey of visitors to the wilderness portion of Olympic National Park suggest that there are both similarities and differences between these groups. Day visitors tend to be less sensitive to crowding and less supportive of management that restricts wilderness use based on concerns for solitude. Day visitors also tend to report more favorable attitudes toward some types of recreation development (e.g., steel bridges over streams). These types of differences suggest that wilderness managers should consider providing a spectrum of wilderness recreation opportunities, some of which may be different than conventional interpretations of wilderness that emphasize solitude and naturalness. Study findings also suggest that day use be more explicitly addressed in wilderness planning and management.

Readers offer their own magic moments with John Bell

Here are some memories of my own “magic moments” with John Bell. I first met John in 1962, when I spent a sabbatical year at CERN from MIT. We had fruitful discussions on longitudinal sum rules arising from moments of the density–density correlation function in N-body systems, which were later incorporated into my book on statistical mechanics.11. K. Huang, Statistical Mechanics, 2nd ed., Wiley (1987), sec. 13.7, app. A.4. 978-0-471-81518-1The second time I saw John was in 1964, I think, at the physics summer school at the University of Washington in Seattle. Rudolf Peierls was also present, and the three of us discussed a question I brought up: why a point source of light on a lake shore produces a point image in calm water but a long pencil of light when there are ripples. We did not reach a conclusive answer.On a weekend trip, I drove John and his wife, Mary, to visit Olympic National Park in Washington State. Coming back from a rest stop, John reported that a group of children had pointed at his beard and said, “Look! Hippie! Hippie!” John said children learn things fast because “childhood is boring.” We talked about various subjects on that trip. He was a vegetarian because of Mary, but one time on the road he had no choice but to stop at McDonald’s for a hamburger. “It was delicious,” he said.At the Pacific Ocean shore in the park, John decided he had to take a dip. We both waded in but could only stay a few minutes because the water was very cold. When we walked back to the car, there was another car beside mine, and an elderly couple had gotten out, apparently waiting to speak to us. The wife said that they saw the MIT parking sticker on my car; did I happen to know their son, a senior in physics at MIT? His name is Ising. I said, as a matter of fact, I did know a student named Ising. And she said, “This is my husband, Dr. Ising. He teaches physics at the Central College in Peoria, Illinois. Have you heard of the Ising model?” I said, “Of course! I wrote a textbook with a chapter devoted to it.” Dr. Ising was diffident and embarrassed.REFERENCESSection:ChooseTop of pageREFERENCES <<1. K. Huang, Statistical Mechanics, 2nd ed., Wiley (1987), sec. 13.7, app. A.4. 978-0-471-81518-1, Google Scholar© 2015 American Institute of Physics.

Niche overlap between sympatric coyotes and bobcats in highland zones of Olympic Mountains, Washington

AbstractThe 20th century extensive range expansion of coyote Canis latrans throughout North America may impose negative effects on native carnivores. We investigated the interspecific niche relationships to assess potential for competition between sympatric coyote and a similar‐sized felid – bobcat Lynx rufus – throughout the highland zones (elevation &gt;1000 m) of Olympic National Park, Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Through systematic collection and analyses of scats for both carnivores (May–September 2005–2006), we determined food habits (composition, diversity, overlap of diets) and habitat use patterns. To ensure correct determination of carnivore species, we used mtDNA analysis of scats. Scat analysis indicated extensive dietary overlap between coyote and bobcat (Pianka's overlap index = 0.97). For both carnivores medium‐sized mammals comprised the predominant prey: mountain beaver Aplodontia rufa and snowshoe hare Lepus americanus; each occurring in about 50% of the scats. High dietary similarity indicated the potential for interspecific exploitative competition for mammalian prey, especially in harsh climatic conditions of high mountains. However, observed patterns of habitat selection inferred from scat distribution showed differences between coyotes and bobcats, implying some degree of habitat partitioning. Bobcats preferred relatively dense montane forests (canopy cover &gt;40%) at lower elevations, and avoided the alpine zone, while coyotes inhabited mainly alpine and subalpine zones and mostly avoided forest. We conclude that observed habitat separation may alleviate foraging competition between coyote and bobcat. Whether this habitat separation will decrease potential negative effects of coyote colonization on bobcat abundance, or whether it indicates ongoing displacement of bobcats by coyotes, remains an open question.

The bioturbation of Olympic marmots (Marmota olympus) and their impacts on soil properties

Although much research has examined the characteristics of Olympic marmot behavior and habitat, most studies mention the direct bioturbation effects of these marmots incidentally in an effort to examine other phenomena. A better understanding of marmot impacts on soil properties can provide a baseline for examining additional phenomena that are influenced by marmot activity. Soil surface and subsurface temperature, compaction, and moisture were measured in situ on abandoned marmot burrows in northeastern Olympic National Park, Washington. Soil samples were collected to analyze texture, pH, salinity, P, K, and organic matter content. Results indicated that soil compaction and organic matter were significantly reduced on abandoned marmot burrows when compared to undisturbed sites. Surface temperatures were typically warmer on marmot-disturbed soils, and subsurface temperatures were cooler. Soil moisture, texture, pH, salinity, and macronutrients were surprisingly similar on both disturbed and undisturbed soils. Findings suggest that Olympic marmots affect both physical and chemical soil characteristics, but additional research will be needed to evaluate the duration and extent of their impacts.

Geologic Records of Net Littoral Drift, Beach Plain Development, and Paleotsunami Runup, North Sand Point, Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA

A geologic cross-section was constructed across a narrow late Holocene beach plain in a small southwest-facing pocket beach in North Sand Point. Olympic National Park, Washington, to test hypotheses about net littoral drift, potential tectonic uplift, and paleotsunami runup height. Twenty topographic stations (0–12 m elevation NAVD88) and eight auger core sites (2–5 m depth) were examined to establish the stratigraphic development of the narrow beach plain (120 m width). Existing radiocarbon dates and new optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) analyses were used to establish the onset (∼1.5 ka) and termination (∼0.6 ka) of net beach progradation, confirming net northward littoral drift in latest Holocene time. The anomalous high elevations of the beach plain resulted from an abandoned foredune ridge (9 m elevation) developed above the prograded beach deposits (6 m elevation). No tectonic uplift is required to account for the beach plain elevations. A fine gravel layer (5–30 cm thickness) draped the top of the dune ridge at 7–9 m elevation, but it is not traced to 11–12 m elevation in the adjacent late Pleistocene terrace. The gravel layer is attributed to catastrophic marine surge deposition (10 ± 0.5 m elevation) from a nearfield or locally produced Cascadia paleotsunami at ∼1.3 ka. The short duration of the recorded beach plain progradation (about one thousand years), together with a range of OSL grain bleaching ages (11.1–2.3 ka) that pre-date the beach plain deposition, attest to prior pocket beach instabilities and/or sand recycling in the high wave-energy beaches of the northwest Olympic Peninsula coastline.

Hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) from Japanese tsunami marine debris washing ashore in the northwestern United States

Fourteen species of hydroids, including two anthoathecates and 12 leptothecates, are reported from the west coast of North America on debris from the tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March 2011. Six species were found on a dock that stranded at Agate Beach, Newport, Oregon, five from a boat at Gleneden Beach, Oregon, four from a dock in Olympic National Park, Washington, and two from a boat in Grays Harbor, Washington. Obelia griffini Calkins, 1899, the most frequently encountered species, was collected on three of the four derelict substrates. Eight of the species are known to be amphi-Pacific in distribution. Of the rest, at least five (S tylactaria sp.; Eutima japonica Uchida, 1925; Orthopyxis platycarpa Bale, 1914; Sertularella sp.; Plumularia sp.) are not previously known from the west coast of North America. Hydroids of E. japonica occurred as commensals in the mantle cavity of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819. Obelia griffini, O. gracilis Calkins, 1899 (not its secondary homonym Laomedea gracilis Dana, 1846) and O. surcularis Calkins, 1899 are taken to be conspecific. Of the three simultaneous synonyms, precedence is assigned to the name O. griffini under the Principle of the First Reviser in zoological nomenclature. The species is sometimes regarded as identical with O. dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1758).

Dispatches

Dispatches

Predicting Behavioral Intentions to Comply with Recommended Leave No Trace Practices

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) for predicting backcountry visitors’ behavioral intentions to comply with recommended Leave No Trace practices. Once confirmed, factors predictive of behavioral intentions can be used to inform the development of more effective persuasive communication strategies and educational messaging. Study participants were overnight backcountry visitors to either Olympic National Park, Washington, or Glacier National Park, Montana. The final model explained over 44% of the variance in the dependent variable, but significant predictors differed between the two parks. Discussion is provided as well as suggestions for those charged with disseminating Leave No Trace messaging.

Sea star wasting.

In June of last year, researchers got the first report that sea stars in Washington’s Olympic National Park were succumbing to a new disease outbreak. By August, stars were falling off the rocks—dead by the thousands—at Vancouver Island. “That’s the point at which we started getting samples and alerting people,” says Drew Harvell, a marine epidemiologist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who is part of a team now sleuthing the outbreak’s cause. “We’re looking, but it’s hard to figure out what’s going on.” At Alki Beach, Seattle, Drew Harvell examines sea stars suffering from a mysterious condition that causes lesions, which break the stars apart. …

Relationship Between Nature Relatedness and Holistic Wellness: An Exploratory Study

Nature relatedness has been explored from interdisciplinary perspectives and found to be related to greater well‐being. However, nature relatedness has not been incorporated into counseling‐based holistic wellness models. This study of the relationship between nature relatedness and wellness provides implications for wellness theory, counseling practice, and research.

Nitrogen Deposition Effects on Diatom Communities in Lakes from Three National Parks in Washington State.

The goal of this study was to document if lakes in National Parks in Washington have exceeded critical levels of nitrogen (N) deposition, as observed in other Western States. We measured atmospheric N deposition, lake water quality, and sediment diatoms at our study lakes. Water chemistry showed that our study lakes were ultra-oligotrophic with ammonia and nitrate concentrations often at or below detection limits with low specific conductance (<100 μS/cm), and acid neutralizing capacities (<400 μeq/L). Rates of summer bulk inorganic N deposition at all our sites ranged from 0.6 to 2.4 kg N ha−1 year−1 and were variable both within and across the parks. Diatom assemblages in a single sediment core from Hoh Lake (Olympic National Park) displayed a shift to increased relative abundances of Asterionella formosa and Fragilaria tenera beginning in the 1969–1975 timeframe, whereas these species were not found at the remaining (nine) sites. These diatom species are known to be indicative of N enrichment and were used to determine an empirical critical load of N deposition, or threshold level, where changes in diatom communities were observed at Hoh Lake. However, N deposition at the remaining nine lakes does not seem to exceed a critical load at this time. At Milk Lake, also in Olympic National Park, there was some evidence that climate change might be altering diatom communities, but more research is needed to confirm this. We used modeled precipitation for Hoh Lake and annual inorganic N concentrations from a nearby National Atmospheric Deposition Program station, to calculate elevation-corrected N deposition for 1980–2009 at Hoh Lake. An exponential fit to this data was hindcasted to the 1969–1975 time period, and we estimate a critical load of 1.0 to 1.2 kg N ha−1 year−1 for wet deposition for this lake.

A new species in theRhyacophila vagritagroup (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) from Olympic National Park, Washington, USA

Rhyacophila bifurcata sp. nov. is described from males collected in Olympic National Park, Washington. The new species is most similar to R. milnei Ross, 1950. A diagnosis and discussion of the R. vagrita group are given.

A Legacy of Divergent Fishery Management Regimes and the Resilience of Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout Populations in Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park, Washington

Abstract As a means to increase visitation, early fisheries management in the National Park Service (NPS) promoted sport harvest and hatchery supplementation. Today, NPS management objectives focus on the preservation of native fish. We summarized management regimes of Olympic National Park's Lake Crescent, which included decades of liberal sport harvest and hatchery releases of 14.3 million salmonids. Notably, nonnative species failed to persist in the lake. Complementary analyses of annual redd counts (1989–2012) and genetics data delineated three sympatric trout (one rainbow; two cutthroat) populations that exhibited distinct spatial and temporal spawning patterns, variable emergence timings, and genetic distinctiveness. Allacustrine rainbow trout spawned in the lake outlet from January to May. Cutthroat trout spawned in the major inlet tributary (Barnes Creek) from February to June and in the outlet river (Lyre) from September to March, an unusual timing for coastal cutthroat trout. Redd counts for ea...

Technical visit: ICOLD 2013, Seattle, USA: technical tour TT4 Cushman Hydro Project

This paper summarises the technical tour undertaken by a member of the British Dam Society in the international group of International Committee on Large Dams (ICOLD) 2013 attendees. The tour group travelled to the Cushman Hydro Project dams to the west of Seattle, where the dams are located in the Olympic National Park.

Disproportionate predation on endemic marmots by invasive coyotes

We investigated predation by nonnative coyotes (Canis latrans) on endemic Olympic marmots (Marmota olympus) in Olympic National Park, Washington, in 2005 and 2006. Although nearly the entire marmot range is protected within the park, declines and local extirpations of the species have been documented. Through analyses of carnivore scat across the range of the Olympic marmot we determined the distribution and relative density of coyotes and characterized the extent to which coyotes and native carnivores preyed on marmots. We used mitochondrial DNA analysis of scats to determine carnivore species, and microsatellite markers for individual coyote identification. Scat analysis indicated that invasive coyotes are widespread and the numerically dominant carnivore on sampled trails within the Olympic highlands—71% (301 of 426) of all scats verified to species arose from coyote. Out of all carnivore scats collected, 11.6% (111 of 958) contained marmot remains. For 85% of the samples with marmots, coyotes were confirmed as the predator. The remainder arose from bobcat (13%) and cougar (2%). Coyotes were the predominant marmot predator across all months and in most regions of the park. Twelve out of 13 coyote individuals identified with genetic markers preyed on marmots. Marmots ranked 5th in frequency of coyote diet items, after snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), mountain beavers (Aplodontia rufa), voles, and cervids. Scat analysis indicated that in the Olympic Mountains, the coyote as an invasive generalist predator is subsidized by abundant multiple prey, and appears to be the primary terrestrial predator on the endemic Olympic marmot. We conclude that predation by coyotes on marmots is widespread and substantial across the marmot's species range, and therefore likely driving observed marmot declines and extinctions.

From the hands of a weaver: Olympic Peninsula basketry through time

For millennia, Native artists on Olympic Peninsula, in what is now northwestern Washington, have created coiled and woven baskets using tree roots, bark, plant stems--and meticulous skill. From the Hands of a Weaver presents the traditional art of basket making among the peninsula's Native peoples--particularly women--and describes the ancient, historic, and modern practices of the craft. Abundantly illustrated, this book also showcases the basketry collection of Olympic National Park. Baskets designed primarily for carrying and storing food have been central to the daily life of the Klallam, Twana, Quinault, Quileute, Hoh, and Makah cultures of Olympic Peninsula for thousands of years. The authors of the essays collected here, who include Native people as well as academics, explore the commonalities among these cultures and discuss their distinct weaving styles and techniques. Because basketry was interwoven with indigenous knowledge and culture throughout history, alterations in the art over time reflect important social changes. Using primary-source material as well as interviews, volume editor Jacilee Wray shows how Olympic Peninsula craftspeople participated in the development of the commercial basket industry, transforming useful but beautiful objects into creations appreciated as art. Other contributors address poaching of cedar and native grasses, and conservation efforts--contemporary challenges faced by basket makers. Appendices identify weavers and describe weaves attributed to each culture, making this an important reference for both scholars and collectors. Featuring more than 120 photographs and line drawings of historical and twentieth-century weavers and their baskets, this engaging book highlights the culture of distinct Native Northwest peoples while giving voice to individual artists, masters of a living art form.

Setting the Stage--Agency Support for Restoring Corridors

As many readers of Ecological Restoration are aware, work is underway in Washington State to remove 2 dams on the Elwha River. For almost 100 years, the dams blocked movement of 5 species of Pacific salmon (oncorhynchus spp.), as well as nutrients from upland forests to coastal ecosystems (Olympic National Park 2012). Elsewhere natural resource managers are working to restore ecological corridors on the landscape. By corridor, I include specific pieces of infrastructure, such as fencing and culverts, linear habitat features, and broad ecosystem attributes that facilitate the natural movement of a species across its range. For example, in California’s Santa Monica Mountains, a complex mix of public and private lands, National Park Service scientists work with state transportation managers to couple highway infrastructure projects with monitoring and research to understand which, and under which conditions, highway improvements are effective in facilitating wildlife movement across roads (Strasburg 2006). In 2008, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) established the nation’s first designated wildlife migration corridor to allow for the annual 241-km movement of pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) in western Wyoming (Environmental News Service 2008). Managers continue to respond to a variety of laws and regulations directing them to conserve species and natural systems, but in these and other cases, they are applying their analysis and work at larger scales and in a landscape ecology context. This is a result of a combination of factors, including developments in conservation biology, restoration ecology, and landscape ecology; increasing ecological pressures (contamination, biological invasions, anthropogenic climate change, habitat loss, fragmentation, etc.); and a stark realization that our protected area boundaries rarely reflect the needs of biological and ecological resources and processes. Common across these actions is a significant investment in partnering and cooperation and in research of restoration techniques and connectivity effectiveness before, during, and after implementation. Federal and state agencies are working to facilitate the former, while articles in this special edition of Ecological Restoration address the latter; that is, provision of more tools to increase efficiencies and effectiveness in the emerging area of corridor restoration. As identified above, one area that requires more attention to implement corridor restoration is to collaborate among the myriad partners on the landscape—federal, state, conservation and recreational organizations, and private landowners. Federal and state agency landscape initiatives are underway to increase cooperation among resource management organizations while continuing to respect individual jurisdictions and missions and to seek compatibility with other uses of the landscape. Through these initiatives, restoration practitioners can better identify partners with whom to develop and implement their work. Because much restoration work is still at the local site scale, these partnerships also enable better integration and interpretation of results at broader scales. These initiatives include the following: