Planning for Wildlife in the Willamette River Basin:

1
Planning for Wildlife in the Willamette River
Basin Western Pond Turtle and Other
Species Paul Adamus, Ph.D ARA, Inc. and
Oregon State University
2
Why Turtles?
3
Willamette Basin 2002 Turtle Survey
Good News Turtles found in at least 424
locations (Previously documented from only
170). Bad News A mere fraction of former
numbers. An aging population. Almost no young.
Download reports at http//oregonstate.edu/adam
usp
4
Threats to Turtles Habitat Loss Preferred
Habitat Diverse Types in Close Proximity
Water levels Shore angles Wood
Unplowed soil Roads Contamination Fish
Stocking Collecting Pets Natural
Predators Shooting Collecting
5
What You Can Do

• Create basking sites (wood)
• Manage water levels
• Manage land cover pesticides. Keep land
  rough.
• Regrade steep channel banks
• Control blackberries
• (except where needed to block predators)
• Keep pets leashed (except fall-winter)
• Dont stock ponds with fish
• Protect/ avoid nest sites (May-June)
• Help turtles seen crossing roads
• Report new locations adamus7_at_comcast.net
• For more information
• www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/springfield/W_Pond
  _Turtle.htm
• www.biodiversitypartners.org/pubs/Campbell/Land
  ownerguide.pdf

6
What About the Other 282 Wildlife Species?
7

• Analyzing the Potential for Species Overlap
• Habitat Type
• Habitat Structure
• Species Range geographic elevational

Models. Maps. Species Correlation Analysis
8
Answerable Questions Which species are most
likely to occur in the Baker Creek
sub-basin? Which species are under-represented
on public lands in Yamhill County? Which
sub-basins of the Yamhill have the most habitat
for rare, threatened, or endangered species? If
we manage the forest mainly to benefit elk (or
whatever), which other species are most and
least likely to benefit? If we restore and
protect only the oak habitat type, which species
are most and least likely to benefit?
Unanswerable Question How Much Habitat is
Enough?
9
Bringing It Home The Yamhill Basin
10
Vulnerable Habitats Species in the Willamette
Basin
Oak Woodland Acorn Woodpecker, White-breasted
Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow, Sharptail
Snake   Upland Native Shrub Thickets Lynx,
Orange-crowned Warbler, Ruffed Grouse, Blue
Grouse, Band-tailed Pigeon, Rufous
Hummingbird   Upland (Dry) Prairie and Oak
Savanna American Kestrel, Western Bluebird,
Western Meadowlark, Streaked Horned Lark, Common
Nighthawk, Golden Paintbrush   Wet Prairie and
Seasonally-inundated Marsh Bradshaws Lomatium,
Nelsons Checker-mallow, Short-eared Owl,
Killdeer, Northern Harrier, American
Bittern   Perennial Ponds and Sloughs Howellia,
Western Pond Turtle, Red-legged Frog, Green
Heron, Hooded Merganser, American
Beaver   Riparian Native Shrub and Gallery
Forest Bald Eagle, Willow Flycatcher, Red-eyed
Vireo, Wood Duck, Yellow-billed
Cuckoo Old-growth Conifer Forest Spotted Owl,
Marbled Murrelet, American Marten, Red Tree
Vole Rock Outcrops, Caves, and Open Structures
Townsends Big-eared Bat, Cliff Swallow Snags
Pileated Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Black-backed
Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher
11
www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/springfield/W_Pond_Tu
rtle.htm www.biodiversitypartners.org/pubs/Campbel
l/Landownerguide.pdf http//oregonstate.edu/adam
usp adamus7_at_comcast.net