Grantee Research Project Results
2010 Progress Report: Enhancing Ecosystem Services in a High Risk Agroecosystem of the Interior Pacific Northwest in the Face of Climate Change and Land Use Intensification
EPA Grant Number: R834566Title: Enhancing Ecosystem Services in a High Risk Agroecosystem of the Interior Pacific Northwest in the Face of Climate Change and Land Use Intensification
Investigators: DeBano, Sandra J. , Horneck, Donald A. , Wooster, David E. , Sorte, Bruce M.
Institution: Oregon State University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: May 1, 2010 through April 30, 2014
Project Period Covered by this Report: May 1, 2010 through April 30,2011
Project Amount: $500,000
RFA: Enhancing Ecosystem Services From Agricultural Lands: Management, Quantification, And Developing Decision Support Tools (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration
Objective:
During the first year of the study, we selected 40 study sites in two subwatersheds that lie in the upper half of the Umatilla Subbasin in Umatilla County, Oregon. Half of the study sites are located on intermittent stream reaches and half on perennial stream reaches, and of each stream reach type, half have herbaceous buffers and half have woody buffers. All sites are either on private property or tribal trust land. Land owner and tribal permission was acquired during the first two months of the granting period, and field sampling began in June 2010. However, aquatic sampling was discontinued in mid-June after record-breaking rain resulted in the highest flow in the Umatilla River in 100 years. Because of the unusual conditions, we decided to delay aquatic sampling until the summer of 2011 so that results will be more representative of typical conditions. Terrestrial riparian sampling of natural predators and pollinators was successfully completed in early and late summer at half of the selected sites.
Progress Summary:
Since the project initiation, the principal investigators on the project have met bi-monthly to discuss progress on the grant. In the winter of 2010, we organized a special session at the regional “Farm Fair,” in which hundreds of farmers, natural resource managers, industry representatives, and the general public attend presentations and workshops to learn about new advances in agricultural practices in the region. One co-principal investigator moderated the session, and the three other principal investigators presented half hour talks describing the project, progress to date, and gaining input from the audience. Specifically, we used a Qwizdom interactive response system to obtain anonymous feedback from the audience on a series of 11 questions concerning their opinions on climate change and their initial impressions of the importance of ecosystem services. A total of 47 members of the audience participated. The economist on the project, Bruce Sorte, is currently summarizing the data obtained from stakeholders.
Since fall of 2011, we have been processing terrestrial riparian samples of pollinators and natural predators. Thousands of specimens have been sorted, pinned, and tentatively identified. Initial results relative to pollinators are expected by the end of summer 2011.
All necessary personnel have been hired, including faculty research assistants, hourly employees, and the recent hiring of a post-doctoral scholar to begin modeling steelhead responses to climate change and agricultural intensification. The post-doctoral scholar was selected after a national search produced high quality applicants from the U.S. and abroad. The post-doctoral scholar will begin her work in September 2011.
The economist is summarizing data received from stakeholders in the December 2010 meeting and is following up with one-on-one interviews and investigating alternative valuation techniques. The extension agronomist continues to discuss the projects’ progress with stakeholders in formal and informal meetings.
In sum, the project is well on its way to producing outputs that can be used by stakeholders to guide decisions about managing their farms or natural resources in a way that maximizes multiple ecosystem services in a rapidly changing future.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 3 publications for this projectProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.