Sorry, I should have specified--I wasn't referring to the reproductive
rates in the lower Columbia. I was referring to populations in lower BC
and the Skagit River Basin. I don't know much, if anything, about the
Columbia River populations.

-Jacki



On Wed, 11 Feb 1998, Mike Patterson wrote:

>
>
> The productivity rate for the lower Columbia (according to the Oregon
> Eagle Foundation) is not correlated to El Nino in any way. It is almost
> entirely a function of chemical contaminants.
>
> >
> >
> >Well, part of the low raptor (particlarly eagle) reproductive numbers has
> >to do with the effects of El Nino--statistically, the waters are warmer
> >(and usually also muddier, due to the higher rain and flood levels, so the
> >eggs that are laid get suffocated). Therefore, fish reproductive levels
> >are lower, which resonates to lower reproductive levels for higher trophic
> >levels.
> >
> >-Jacki Bricker
> >
> >
> >On Tue, 10 Feb 1998, Mike Patterson wrote:
> >
> >> >The $64,000 question. The timing of this thread is great (for me), since
> >> >I am working on a list of WA species particularly sensitive to human
> >> >impacts. The Bald Eagle was one of the species we had the biggest
> >> >arguement over. Assuming DDT continues to be banned in the US, and
> >> >whole-sale raptor slaughter continues to be illegal, should the Bald Eagle
> >> >be on that list? Numbers in WA are evidently rising or remaining stable
> >> >and B. Eagle populations are high.
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >> Wintering populations are up and nesting attempts are up, but productivity,
> >> especially in some parts of the PNW are still spotty. Here on the Lower
> >> Columbia River, the productivity is half what it is elsewhere in its range.
> >> DDE, PCB's, mercury, lead and cadnium are still found at high level in
> >> resident birds. If we base de-listing on total population, we may lose the
> >> capacity to protect populations that are still in trouble.
> >>
> >> Scale is a very important component for consideration in biological questions.
> >> You can make just about any problem go away if you stand back far enough and
> >> if you stand too close you can miss the big picture.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> *********************************
> >> * Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds
> >> * mpatters at orednet.org *
> >> http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters
> >>
> >
> >-Jacki
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> *********************************
> * Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds
> * mpatters at orednet.org *
> http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters
>

-Jacki