FOREST RIPARIAN HABITAT STUDY • , PHASE I REPORT \ \ \ \ I I I I Rz--II I!-Rz I I AZ-+l !-AZ I I.. RE .. I CROSS-SECTIONAL DIAGRAM OF RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEM Prepared For: Washington Forest Practices Board . By: Riparian Habitat Technical Committee Slate of W l<;/ ill lWon Booth Gardner Andrea Beatty Riniker Governor WDOE 85-3 April, 1985 Director -'~I~II----------~-------- • , FOREST RIPARIAN HABITAT STUDY PHASE I REPORT PREPARED FOR THE WASHINGTON FOREST PRACTICES BOARD BY THE RIPARIAN HABITAT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE April, 1985 Olympia, Washington KEY WORDS: FISH MANAGEMENT, WILDLIFE, FOREST PRACTICES RIPARIAN r TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................... vi PREFACE .................................................. vi • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................... " .................... vii CHAPTER 1 Study Objectives .. IO •••••• IO •• IO •••• IO •••••• IO ••••• IO •• IO ••• 1 Scope •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2 2 Methods •••••••• IO •• IO ...... IO ••••••• IO ••••••• •••••••••• Li mi t a ti ons ...................................... 5 CHAPTER 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF FOREST RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS Riparian Ecosystems Concept •.••••••.••••••••••••••..• 6 Area Involved in Riparian Ecosystems •••••••.••••• 9 Distinguishing Characteristics ••.••••••••••••••••••• 10 Variability in Riparian Ecosystems ••••••••••••••••••• 11 CHAPTER 3 HABITAT REQUIREMENTS, SPECIAL HABITAT CONDITIONS, AND SPECIES DIVERSITY General Habitat Requirements for Wildlife •••••••••••• 21 General Habitat Requirements for Fish ••••••••••.• 24 Fish and Wildlife Species Diversity in Riparian Ecosystems .•.•••••••••••• ••••.••••..•••• 27 Influences of Stand Conditions on Fish and Wildlife Communities............................. 37 CHAPTER 4 FOREST PRACTICES AND RIPARIAN HABITAT - BIOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS Background - Existing Conditions ••••••••••••••••••••• 48 Assumptions •••.•.•••••...•••••..••...••• •.•• 49 Types of Forest Practices ••.•••••••••••• •••• 49 Forest Practices/Habitat Change Matrices ••••••••••••• 51 Potential Changes in Riparian Habitat Wildlife............................................. 60 Potential Changes in Riparian Habitat F ish ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . 71 i CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS General Conclusions Wildlife ..................... 81 General Conclusions Fish •••••••••••••.••••••••••• 82 Specific Conclusions and Recommendations Wildlife •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 82 Specific Conclusions and Recommendations F ish •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 84 • GLOSSARY .................................................. 87 LIST OF REFERENCES ........................................ 90 APPENDICIES A. List of Wildlife Species Occurring in Washington's Forest Riparian Areas by Successional Stage .....••....•........ ............. 102 B. List of Fish Species Found in Fresh and Intertidal Waters of Washington 110 Life History Descriptions For Salmonid Fishes Found in Washington •••••••••••••••••••••••.•.••••• 116 Matrices 1,2 and 4 through 7; Matrices 8,9 and 11 through 15 .•••••••••••••••••••••••••..••••. 121 C. List of Forest Practices Rules and Regulations Which May Address Riparian Ecosystems ••••••••••••• 133 D. Riparian Habitat Study Workplan (December, 1982) ••• 143 E. Washington Department of Natural Resources Interim Guidelines For Riparian Management 155 POSITION STATEMENTS 178 ii LIST OF TABLES AND MATRICES Table II Title Page I • Members of Riparian Habitat Technical Committee (RHTC) •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 3 2. Four Major Steps of Riparian Habitat Study •.•.••••.•••••...••.•••••••••••••...•••.• 4 3. Estimated Total Area in Riparian Management Zones and Streamside Management Zones in Washington.................................... 9 4. General Comparison of Stream Order to Water Types as Defined by Washington Forest Practices Rules and Regulations ••••••••••••••• 12 5. Riparian Plant Communities •••••••••••••.•••••• 20 6. Examples of Animals Which Use Riparian Habitat Niches................................ 23 7 • Lower, Preferred, and Upper Temperature Ranges for Various Fishes ••••••••••••••••••••• 24 8. Animals Which Require Riparian Ecosystems to Satisfy a Vital Habitat Need During Allor Part of the year ..•••••••.•••••••••••••...•••. 31 9. Animals Which May be Found In Other Habitats But Are Most Numerous In, Or Use More Heavily, Riparian Ecosystems •••.•.•••••••••.•••••.••.•. 32 10. Animals Which Are Found In Riparian Ecosystems At About the Same Level as Other Habitats ••••• 35 11. Animals Which Are Attracted to Open Water Within or Adjacent to Riparian Ecosystems ••••• 37 12. Components of Fisheries Habitat Contributed by Riparian Vegetation ••.•••••••••.••••••••••• 38 13. Importance of Fish Habitat Components By Water Type ••••••••••••••••••••••••. 10 •••••••••• 40 14. Numbers of Wildlife Species Using Successional Stages........................................ 47 15. List of Forest Practices Which May Alter Riparian Ecosystems (RE) ••••••••••••.•••••.••• 50, 72 iii Matrix II Title 1. TYPE 1 STREAMS - Relative Contribution of Fish Habitat Components from Successional Stages of Riparian Vegetation A P p. B 2. TYPE 2 STREAMS - Relative Contribution App. B 3. TYPE 3 STREAMS - Relative Contribution 39 • 4. TYPE 4 and 5 STREAMS - Relative Contribution ••• App. B 5. TYPE 1 LAKES, PONDS, RESERVOIRS - Relative Contribution of Fish Habitat Components from Successional Stages of Riparian Vegetation •••• App. B 6. TYPE 2 LAKES, PONDS, RESERVOIRS - Relative Contribution ••• App. B 7. TYPE 3 LAKES, PONDS, RESERVOIRS - Relative Contribution ••• App. B 8. TYPE 1 STREAMS - Fish Habitat Quality Relative to Successional Stages of Riparian Vegetation App. B 9. TYPE 2 STREAMS - Fish Habitat Quality App. B 10. TYPE 3 STREAMS - Fish Habitat Quality 41 11. TYPE 4 STREANS - Fish Habitat Quality App. B 12. TYPE 5 STREAMS - Fish Habitat Quality ... App. B 13. TYPE 1 LAKES, PONDS, RESERVOIRS - Fish Habitat Quality Relative to Successional Stages of Riparian Vegetation App. B 14. TYPE 2 LAKES, PONDS, RESERVOIRS - Fish Habitat Quality... App. B 15. TYPE 3 LAKES, PONDS, RESERVOIRS - Fish Habitat Quality... App. B 16. Potential Changes in Habitat in Riparian 52-59 Ecosystems for Wildlife 17. Potential Changes in Habitat in Riparian Ecosystems for Fish 73-75 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure II Title 1 • Cross-sectional Diagram of a Riparian Ecosystem - Simple.......................................................... 7 • 2. Cross-sectional Diagram of a Riparian Ecosystem - Complex........................................................ 7 3. Over-head Diagram of a Riparian Ecosystem •••••• 8 4. Vegetative Edges Within a Riparian Ecosystem 11 5. Over-head Diagram of a Stream Network with Stream Orders .................................................................... 13 6. Stream Size and Sources of Energy for Aquatic Production .......................................................................... 16 7. Physical Zonation within Lakes .................................. 16 8. Idealized Stages of Forest Succession •••••••••• 20 9. Mammal Species Dynamics and Relative Diversity Through a Clearcut Timber Harvest Rotation ••••• 43 10. Reptile Species Dynamics and Relative Diversity Through a Clearcut Timber Harvest Rotation ••••• 44 11. Bird Species Dynamics and Relative Diversity Through a Clearcut Timber Harvest Rotation ••••• 45 12. Total Wildlife Species Dynamics and Relative Diversity Through a Clear cut Timber Harvest Rotation .............................................................................. 46 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is the result of efforts by individuals representing varied expertise and professional interests. They represent state, federal and Indian agencies, the forest industry and the public. The innumerable hours devoted to this study by these individuals, who have other full-time occupations, reflects their commitment to the fish, wildlife and forest resources of this State. Such a commitment is also reflected by the parent organizations who have made the time of these individuals available. Special mention is made of Maureen Beckstead, Washington Departm­ ent of Game (formerly U.S.D.A. Forest Service), and Steve Keller, Washington Department of Fisheries. Their contribution to this project as leaders of sub-committees and authors made the completion of this report possible. Graphics for this report have been prepared by John Milhollin, Washington Department of Ecology. PREFACE During this study, it was our goal to reach agreement (Le. consensus) on the interpretation of information reported in the literature. Agreement was often achieved during initial work to identify the characteristics of riparian ecosystems, how, and to what extent fish and wildlife use these ecosystems. Agreement became more difficult, however, during our analysis of the extent to which forest practices can change riparian ecosystems. This was due, in large part to, the complexity of issues involved and conflicting evidence reported in the literature. In order to complete this phase of the study and provide a product to the Forest Practices Board, we agreed to disagree on certain issues. Those members of the Riparian Habitat Technical Committee who judged that an interpretation held by the majority of committee members was inadequate were invited to prepare statements presenting their alternative positions. Position statements are found at the end this report and the author of each is identified. It is to be hoped that this approach will be useful to Board members