Formerly landlocked Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) juveniles (age 2) were monitored following release into the free-flowing Cowlitz River to determine if they remained in the river or resumed seaward migration. Juvenile Coho Salmon were tagged with a radio transmitter (30 fish) or Floy tag (1050 fish) and their behavior was monitored in the lower Cowlitz River. We found that 97% of the radio-tagged fish remained in the Cowlitz River beyond the juvenile outmigration period, and the number of fish dispersing downstream decreased with increasing distance from the release site. None of the tagged fish returned as spawning adults in the 2 y following release. We suspect that fish in our study failed to migrate because they exceeded a threshold in size, age, or physiological status. Tagged fish in our study primarily remained in the Cowlitz River, thus it is possible that these fish presented challenges to juvenile salmon migrating through the system either directly by predation or indirectly by competition for food or habitat. Given these findings, returning formerly landlocked Coho Salmon juveniles to the free-flowing river apparently provided no benefit to the anadromous population. These findings have management implications in locations where landlocked salmon have the potential to interact with anadromous species of concern.

The Cougar (Puma concolor) is an apex predator whose occurrence and space- use patterns are closely tied to the abundance and vulnerability of ungulate prey. Deer (Odocoileus spp.) and Elk (Cervus elaphus) readily use residential portions of the landscape, but little is known of Cougar prey use within these environments. We used Global Positioning System and VHF relocation data from 20 Cougars to examine prey use in a wildland-urban landscape in western Washington. We tested for differences (α  =  0.10) between wildland and residential prey compositions using the Chi-square test of homogeneity and used an ANOVA fixed-effects model to determine the potential influence of residential development on the duration of Cougar presence on kills. We located 304 kills throughout the study area with Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus, 55.3%), Beaver (Castor canadensis, 22.0%), and Elk (8.8%) constituting the bulk of Cougar diet. Wildland and residential prey compositions were significantly different, with Cougars killing a higher proportion of Deer, Beavers, and Mountain Beavers (Aplodontia rufa) in wildland areas and more Coyotes (Canis latrans), Raccoons (Procyon lotor), Opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and domestic species close to residential development. Kill location did not have a significant effect on the duration of stay regardless of species killed, nor was the effect of location significant when comparing kills of the same species. Cougar diet in wildland-urban forests of western Washington is diverse, but Cougars do not appear to shift their space-use patterns to take advantage of non-ungulate prey close to residential development. However, long-term management of Cougars in wildland-urban environments may require an examination of ungulate presence in residential environments to ensure that these populations do not encourage Cougar presence in habitats close to people.

Even though Kittlitz's Murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris) remain almost entirely within the species' breeding range throughout the year, 20 records were obtained south of the breeding range along the west coast of North America between 1969 and 2010. Eight records between southern British Columbia and southern California (1969–2010), within the California Current region (33°–49° N), were considered to be vagrants, occurring far from the nearest breeding areas (1060 to 2920 km). Twelve records in southern Southeast Alaska and northern British Columbia (1994–2001) were relatively close to southernmost breeding areas (<730 km), still within the southern Alaska Current region (51°–56° N), and were considered to reflect occasional use of the southern part of the non-breeding range. With no records south of breeding areas prior to 1969, vagrancy and movements just south of the breeding range may have increased in recent decades because more qualified observers have covered the coastal areas, as well as due to changes in weather, reproduction, and movements. Increased search effort and better documentation of records will facilitate future confirmation and identification of changes in the type or frequency of these occurrences.

Genetic studies of amphibians frequently reveal substantial population structure often attributed to historical demographic processes from changing climate and isolation due to imposing geographic features. The Western Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon vehiculum (Caudata: Plethodontidae), is the most widespread and abundant terrestrial salamander in the Pacific Northwest. Using mitochondrial DNA sequence data, we addressed questions regarding the phylogeography of P. vehiculum, testing for the presence of Pleistocene refugia and major rivers as barriers to dispersal. Two major clades were recovered using phylogenetic analyses, a southern clade in the Klamath-Siskiyou region and a northern clade ranging from northern Oregon to southern British Columbia. Moderate levels of divergence between the northern and southern clades were observed, warranting further investigation. The northern populations were not highly differentiated from one another. Genetic data presents 2 possibilities, that of a large recent range expansion after the Pleistocene, or possible high habitat connectivity for these salamanders. While the Columbia River does not appear to have been a barrier to dispersal, populations from Vancouver Island and Washington's Olympic Peninsula contain unique haplotypes, as well as relatively higher levels of genetic differentiation compared to other northern populations. The Olympic Peninsula populations also have lower levels of genetic diversity than any other populations throughout the range. Therefore, P. vehiculum shows parallel and dissimilar patterns relating to its historical distribution and genetic population structure compared to other Pacific Northwest fauna.

Little is known about the diversity, distribution, and relative abundance of bats in northeastern Alberta, Canada. Between 1999 and 2007, we conducted summer bat surveys in the Athabasca and Cold Lake oil sands regions of northeastern Alberta, in response to increased industrial development and a need for greater understanding of species occurrences. We used mist nets (242 sites over 157 nights) and acoustic monitoring (920 sites over 126 nights) to determine the diversity and distribution of bats in the region. We captured 577 bats, representing 5 species, including: 260 Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis); 193 Little Brown Myotis (M. lucifugus); 101 Silver-haired Bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans); 12 Hoary Bats (Lasiurus cinereus); and 11 Eastern Red Bats (L. borealis). Data from Anabat™ echolocation detectors indicated the highest activity for unclassified Myotis, Little Brown Myotis, Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus)/Silver-haired Bats, and Northern Myotis. Results suggest that the Northern Myotis may be more common in northeastern Alberta than previously thought. Based on the combined capture and echolocation data, Eastern Red Bats and Hoary Bats may be more common, or have increased ranges, than previously considered. Although expected to be relatively common, our failure to capture Big Brown Bats suggests that this species may be absent from the study area. Captures of adult males for all 3 migratory bat species (Eastern Red Bats, Hoary Bats, and Silver-haired Bats) represent the most northerly records in western Canada of adult males. This paper demonstrates the value in combining short-term, localized survey data such that more regional trends in the diversity, distribution, and relative abundance of bats can be better understood.