Thomas N. Kaye

Institute for Applied Ecology

2022. Impacts of conservation activities on people who are incarcerated: a case study based on qualitative and quantitative analyses. Ecology and Society 27(3):44. https://doi. ABSTRACT. In the past two decades, conservationists and the corrections sector have implemented collaborative ecological restoration projects, creating more inclusive aren...

Recent global declines of pollinator populations have highlighted the importance of pollinators, which are undervalued despite essential contributions to ecosystem services. To identify critical knowledge gaps about pollinators, we describe the state of knowledge about responses of pollinators and their foraging and nesting resources to historical...

The genetic diversity of germplasm used in reintroduction and restoration efforts can influence how resulting populations establish, reproduce, and evolve over time, particularly in disturbed and changing conditions. Regional admixture provenancing, mixing seeds derived from multiple populations within the same region as the target site, has been s...

Barton’s raspberry (Rubus bartonianus M. Peck [Rosaceae]) is a narrow endemic of Oregon and Idaho found in the middle sections of Hells Canyon along the Snake River and its tributaries. The global distribution has decreased by approximately 24%, so germination and propagation techniques need to be developed for reintroduction purposes. We test 4 sc...

Loss of biological diversity through population extinctions is a global phenomenon that threatens many ecosystems. Managers often rely on databases of rare species locations to plan land use actions and conserve at-risk taxa, so it is crucial that the information they contain is accurate and dependable. However, small population sizes, long gaps be...

Variation in natural selection across heterogeneous landscapes often produces (a) among‐population differences in phenotypic traits, (b) trait‐by‐environment associations, and (c) higher fitness of local populations. Using a broad literature review of common garden studies published between 1941 and 2017, we documented the commonness of these three...

Current guidance on sourcing native plants to support ecosystem function focuses on the high risk of failure when unsuitable material is used in ecological restoration. However, there is growing recognition that risks may be lower and rewards higher at highly disturbed sites isolated from remnant populations, especially when considering support for...

Variation in natural selection across heterogenous landscapes often produces 1) among-population differences in phenotypic traits, 2) trait-by-environment associations, and 3) higher fitness of local populations. Using a broad literature search, we documented the frequency of these three signatures in plants native to North America's Great Basin an...

Preprint link: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/12/24/506006 Loss of biological diversity through population extinctions is a global phenomenon that threatens many ecosystems. Managers often rely on databases of rare species locations to plan land use actions and conserve at-risk taxa, so it is crucial that the information they contain i...

Land managers face constant challenges when balancing multiple land use goals that include ensuring that keystone species are protected. As mindful stewards of our natural areas we aim to promote, secure, and enhance our natural landscapes and the species that make them their home. When we focus our efforts on protecting and promoting pollinators a...

With the substantial losses of native prairie habitat over the last century, research focusing on the restoration of prairies has become imperative in order to conserve these imperiled ecosystems and the biodiversity they support. On the Clatsop Plains in northwestern Oregon, there are only a few remnant patches of coastal prairie, which are vital...

Pollinators in general and monarch butterflies in particular are in decline due to habitat loss. Efforts to restore habitats for insects that rely on specific plant groups as larvae or adults depend on the ability of practitioners to grow and produce these plants. Monarch larvae feed exclusively on milkweed species, primarily in the genus Asclepias...

Biological diversity is facing a global decline. We live in a time that some are calling the Anthropocene (Falkowski et al. 2000, Crutzen and Ramanathan 2000) because of the tremendous alteration of the Earth’s atmosphere and surface due to human population growth and its subsequent impacts. These changes to the planet are leading to a catastr...

The number of rare plant species is daunting. In the United States alone, 942 plant species are listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as Threatened or Endangered (USFWS 2017), and globally the number of plant taxa categorized as near threatened or worse exceeds 30,000 (IUCN 2017). Rare species may occur as one remaining population with few ind...

The key to restoring degraded grassland habitats is identifying feasible and effective techniques to reduce the negative impacts of exotic species and promote self-sustaining native populations. It is often difficult to extend monitoring of restoration efforts to evaluate long-term success, but doing so is essential to understanding how initial out...

Institute for Applied Ecology has been conducting carbon addition experiments to determine efficacy for invasive plant control and establishment of native prairie species. Carbon addition has the potential to provide managers more flexibility in controlling invasive species. This can help reduce herbicide use, and also has potential to reduce damag...

Sidalcea malviflora ssp. virgata (rose checkermallow) is a native forb in the Pacific Northwest, USA; it is a common species in upland prairies of the Willamette Valley, Oregon, and is a state listed endangered species in Washington State. This species provides a high value nectar supply for butterflies in this region, including the endangered Icar...

The pace of habitat destruction and loss of biological diversity globally exceeds the current capacity of societies to restore functioning ecosystems. Working with prison systems to engage inmates in habitat conservation and ecological science is an innovative approach to increase our ability to reestablish habitat and at-risk species, while simult...

Background/Question/Methods Oregon’s flora and fauna face a no-analog future climate in which environments are changing faster than many species have ever experienced. Drier and hotter growing seasons are projected for many of Oregon’s native species, of which rare plants and their dependents may be at most risk from this rapid climatic shift. We...

Background/Question/Methods Pacific Northwest prairies have become significantly reduced in extent, and in the Willamette Valley 99% of native upland prairies have been lost. Many species have been impacted by this loss of habitat, including Castilleja levisecta (golden paintbrush), a threatened species. Remnant prairie fragments also face the th...

Practical Guidelines for Wetland Prairie Restoration in the Willamette Valley, Oregon – Field-Tested Methods and Techniques. The science of wetland prairie restoration has made significant strides in recent years, building on lessons learned locally in Oregon and Washington and on applied research and practice from around the country. The content o...

Grassland prairies of western Oregon and Washington are among the most endangered ecosystems in the United States. Active management and restoration are needed to promote biodiversity in the region. To support plant production for use in habitat restoration, we developed germination protocols for greenhouse propagation of Iris tenax (Oregon iris)....

Nutrient rich conditions often promote plant invasions, yet additions of non-nitrogen (N) nutrients may provide a novel approach for conserving native symbiotic N-fixing plants in otherwise N-limited ecosystems. Lupinus oreganus is a threatened N-fixing plant endemic to prairies in western Oregon and southwest Washington (USA). We tested the effect...

Background/Question/Methods Although plant introductions are often performed and evaluated in an idiosyncratic manner, experimental introductions can be coupled with careful evaluation to provide tests of specific hypotheses related to introduction methods or ecological concepts. Here, we adopt a comparative method to evaluate the success of intr...

Background/Question/Methods Reintroduction of endangered species may be necessary to protect them from extinction, provide connectivity between populations, and reach recovery goals under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. But what factors affect reintroduction success? Here I propose that there are traits of endangered species that make them more...

Background/Question/Methods Genetic background of seed source can have a major impact on reintroduction success due to breeding system, genetic variation and local adaptation. Use of multiple versus single seed sources for restoration is of concern due to the potential for outbreeding depression. Low genetic diversity of the source population may...

Uncertainty associated with ecological forecasts has long been recognized, but forecast accuracy is rarely quantified. We evaluated how well data on 82 populations of 20 species of plants spanning 3 continents explained and predicted plant population dynamics. We parameterized stage‐based matrix models with demographic data from individually marked...

Background / Purpose: Many factors may affect the success of endangered species reintroductions. One previously unexplored topic is the effect of biological diversity on reintroduction success. We examined the effect of neighbor plant species diversity on a hemiparasitic plant, Castilleja levisecta, at five reintroduction sites. Main conclusion:...

QuestionMost results of restoration efforts are species-specific and/or site-specific and therefore are not general enough to be easily applied to other species and other sites. Our research addresses the issue of species-specific results by investigating the feasibility of using plant traits instead of taxonomic identity to characterize species re...

Background/Question/Methods Nutrient rich conditions often promote plant species invasion in ecosystems, which has fostered conservation approaches that seek to reduce nutrient availability as a way to favor native species. Consequently, nutrient additions are rarely used to promote plant species conservation, but additions of non-nitrogen nutrie...

Background/Question/Methods Biological diversity is in decline worldwide, with potential negative effects on ecosystem functions and services. Also, as diversity declines the number of endangered species in need of conservation increases. Reintroduction of at-risk species may be necessary to protect them from extinction, provide connectivity betw...

Background/Question/Methods Changes in global climate could cause shifts in species growth, fecundity, and survival, and therefore affect the long-term dynamics of rare and endangered plant populations. Linking climate change models to demographic vital rates may provide useful insights into the potential effects of environmental changes on rare...

Species interactions affect plant diversity through the net effects of competition and facilitation, with the latter more prevalent in physically stressful environments when plant cover ameliorates abiotic stress. One explanation for species loss in invader-dominated systems is a shift in the competition-facilitation balance, with competition inten...

Demographic transition matrices are among the most commonly applied population models for both basic and applied ecological research. The relatively simple framework of these models and simple, easily interpretable summary statistics they produce have prompted the wide use of these models across an exceptionally broad range of taxa. Here, we provid...

Our research suggests that habitat fragmentation and reduced population size in Willamette daisy has led to loss of fitness in some populations and to population differentiation. In outcrossing species, habitat fragmentation and reduced population size can lead to increased genetic drift, local adaptation, and (or) inbreeding. We explored some of t...

Successful conservation management requires an understanding of how species respond to intervention. Native and exotic species may respond differently to management interventions due to differences arising directly from their origin (i.e., provenance) or indirectly due to biased representations of different life history types (e.g., annual vs. pere...

Background/Question/Methods Predicting the effects of climate change on plant species requires an understanding of the relationship between population vital rates and environmental drivers. Fluctuations in populations through time are attributed to stochastic environments, and therefore usually simulated under independent and identically distribu...

Background/Question/Methods Habitat loss and competition from non-native species are leading causes of declines in diversity. However, habitat restoration often targets on-the-ground management without resources directed toward applying or developing ecological theory. The goal of this research is to identify plant interactions that determine e...

We conducted a 5-year study at 10 sites from British Columbia to the Willamette Valley aimed at improving methods for restoring degraded prairies and oak savannas. Our manager-recommended treatment combinations were applied over 4 years and included the following components: spring and fall mowing, grass-specific and broad-spectrum herbicide, and f...

Invasive plants, especially non-native perennial grasses, are a critical threat to remnant prairies and oak savannas in the Pacific Northwest. Managers must control non-native plants without adversely impacting native species in fragmented prairie remnants. We describe results of a collaborative experiment replicated at 10 sites along a 500 km lati...

A suite of ecological and genetic factors are likely to contribute to reintroduction performance. Potential factors include the ecological similarity between seed source and introduction site, population size and genetic diversity of seed sources, and the habitat quality of the introduction site. We conducted common garden experiments with golden p...

Prairie restoration is often limited by the availability of appropriate local plant materials. Use of locally adapted seed is a goal in restoration, yet little information to inform seed transfer guidelines is available for native plant species. We established common gardens of five plants (Eriophyllum lanatum var. leucophyllum, Epilobium densiflor...

Ecology Letters (2011) 14: 1–8 Matrix projection models are among the most widely used tools in plant ecology. However, the way in which plant ecologists use and interpret these models differs from the way in which they are presented in the broader academic literature. In contrast to calls from earlier reviews, most studies of plant populations are...

Frasera fastigiata and F. umpquaensis are large, long-lived, perennial herbs with hollow stems, whorled leaves, large nectaries hidden by fringed hoods, and synchronized flowering. They differ in flower color and their ranges are disjunct. Some authors have treated them as conspecific due to their overall morphological similarity. The taxa can be d...

Background/Question/Methods Changes in global climate could cause shifts in species distributions and therefore affect the long-term dynamics of rare and endangered plant populations. Linking climate change models to demographic models may provide useful insights into the potential effects of environmental changes on rare plants, and therefore aid...

Background/Question/Methods The composition of plant communities depends on interactions between propagule availability (seed limitation) and propagule establishment (microsite limitation), both of which can be mediated by biotic and abiotic conditions (nutrient availability, climate, competition from resident species). Successful restoration of...

Invasive plants, especially nonnative perennial grasses, pose one of the most critical threats to protected prairies and oak woodlands in the Pacific Northwest. Our current knowledge regarding the effectiveness of weed control methods, especially in sites that retain a significant component of native vegetation, is largely anecdotal or based on res...

Reintroduction of endangered plants faces many challenges, but the survival of some species may depend on its success. What measures should practitioners take to ensure a successful project, and how should success be measured? Steps in the reintroduction process include planning and identification of objectives, finding source material, propagation...

Intensive forest management practices often disturb understory vegetation, and the recovery of these plant communities may depend on the type and severity of the disturbance. We examined the effects of stump removal and N-fertilization on understory plant communities and functional group (shrubs, graminoids, forbs, and introduced species) cover and...

Rare, parasitic plants pose an interesting challenge to restoration practitioners. In addition to the problems associated with small population size, rare parasites may also be limited by their host requirements. We examined how the performance of a rare Pacific Northwest hemiparasite, Castilleja levisecta, was affected by the availability of diffe...

The azalea-like genus Kalmiopsis Rehder (Ericaceae) is endemic to southwestern Oregon, U.S.A., and has two disjunct centers of distribution. One is found in the Klamath (Siskiyou) Mountains of Curry and Josephine cos., within the U.S. Forest Service administered Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area. The other is located approximately 150 km northeast in the...

The science of reintroduction for conservation purposes is young, and there is still much to learn about the practice. As a means to achieving biological goals of successfully establishing new populations to enhance a species survival prospects, and project goals, such as learning how to go about establishing new populations, reintroduction project...

Although golden paintbrush historically inhabited the prairies of the Willamette Valley, Oregon, this Pacific Northwest prairie endemic is currently restricted to eleven sites in the Puget Trough of Washington and British Columbia. Recovery criteria call for the establishment of new populations throughout the species' historic range, including the...

Lewisia kelloggii has been understood as a rare plant with a disjunct range in California and Idaho. Examination of herbarium specimens and analysis of isozymes in 6 Idaho and 7 California populations revealed consistent differences between plants of the 2 states. Fixed differences in alleles at 2 loci (AAT2 and PGI1) distinguished Idaho from Calif...

Kincaid's lupine (Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii [Smith] Phillips), a perennial, leguminous herb of 57 sites in western Oregon and Washington, USA, was recently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Results from genetic, pollination, morphological, mating, and distributional studies describe Kincaid's lupine as (a) stron...

Genetic monitoring of reintroduced plantpopulations can allow assessment of the successin establishing new populations thatgenetically resemble native populations. Weused a PCR-based method (Intersimple SequenceRepeats) to quantify genetic variation in fourreintroduced populations of Abroniaumbellata ssp. breviflora, an annualforb native to the Pac...

This chapter analyzes demographic data from a series of experimental fire manipulations, to study the effects of burning, the post-fire recovery process, and the long-term frequency of fire on the population dynamics of an endangered plant (Lomatium bradshawii). The basic tools used in this analysis include eigenvalue perturbation theory, life tabl...

We examined the effects of fire on population growth rate and extinction probability of a rare prairie plant. Lomatium bradshawii (Apiaceae) is an endangered species of western Oregon and Washington prairies that were frequently burned by Native Americans prior to the late 1800s. Using data from mapped plants in two populations subjected to differe...

Propagation methods for Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii, a threatened host plant for the endangered Fender's blue butterfly, are needed to support restoration efforts and ecological studies. Germination tests were performed to determine the effects of mechanical scarification and cold stratification (4°C for 4 or 8 wk). Seeds from two populations...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2001. Includes bibliographical references. Electronic reproduction. q

Responses of a federally listed endangered plant species, Lomatium bradshawii, to the use of fire as a management tool for maintaining remnant wetland prairies were evaluated at two public land areas in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. Areas containing L. bradshawii were treated with two or three fall season prescribed burns during a nine-y...

Astragalus australis var. olympicus is an endemic plant of the Olympic Mountains, Washington. It is considered a Species of Concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This study focused on the reproductive biology of the plant from flower production through seed germination to identify possible weak points that might contribute to its rarity an...

Cimicifuga elata (tall bugbane) is a Species of Concern with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and it is considered by Natural Heritage programs in Oregon and Washington to be endangered. Since the species occurs in forests, its conservation could conflict with other forest uses such as timber harvest. It has been postulated that the species is de...

Pink sandverbena (Abronia umbellata ssp. breviflora) is an endangered plant of Pacific Coast beaches. Restoration efforts have focused on the development of seed germination and field propagation techniques. Germination in the laboratory was highest when seeds were removed from the fruit and received alternating temperatures (20 o C/30 C) and photo...

Lornatium bradshawii (Bradshaw's desert-parsley) is uni- que. It is the only plant species in western Oregon listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered. It is rare; only a handful of populations in remnant prairies and fence-rows are known, all in the Willamette Valley. And it is a challenge; conserving the species requires a thorough...