Projected Future Vegetation Changes for the Northwest United States and Southwest Canada at a Fine Spatial Resolution Using a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model.

Future climate change may significantly alter the distributions of many plant taxa. The effects of climate change may be particularly large in mountainous regions where climate can vary significantly with elevation. Understanding potential future vegetation changes in these regions requires methods that can resolve vegetation responses to climate change at fine spatial resolutions.

Finding solutions for bird restoration and livestock management: comparing grazing exclusion levels.

Riparian habitats in the western United States support high avian abundance and diversity and are important areas for livestock grazing, although grazing contributes to the degradation of riparian vegetation. Complete removal of livestock is generally the most beneficial for bird communities, but alternative management approaches allowing for seasonal livestock grazing may also increase avian habitat quality. Determining management approaches that integrate conservation priorities and human use has the potential to improve conditions for birds across many grazed landscapes.

Biofuels and biodiversity: principles for creating better policies for biofuel production.

Biofuels are a new priority in efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels; nevertheless, the rapid increase in production of biofuel feedstock may threaten biodiversity. There are general principles that should be used in developing guidelines for certifying biodiversity-friendly biofuels. First, biofuel feedstocks should be grown with environmentally safe and biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices.

DNA Fingerprinting Reveals a Lack of Genetic Variation in Northern Populations of the Western Pond Turtle (Clemmys marmorata).

I used DNA fingerprinting to provide the first analysis of the genetic composition of western pond turtle (Clemmys marmorata( populations in Washington, Oregon, and California. Populations of the western pond turtle in Washington and northern Oregon are rapidly approaching extinction. Genetic similarity within the largest northern populations, which are located inland, is high.