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/ 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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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?