Wildlife in urban green spaces
Principal Investigator: David Stokes, Ph.D., Email: dstokes@uw.edu
Since 2018, EERC faculty and students have conducted an ongoing camera trap study at St. Edward State Park that has revealed the presence of surprisingly diverse mammalian wildlife species, many of which were previously undocumented in the park. These include bobcats, river otters, flying squirrels, Townsend’s chipmunk, and many others. This work has also identified park habitats of particularly high value for wildlife, wildlife impacts of human disturbance, and potential wildlife movement corridors—information that has informed Washington State Parks’ (WSP) efforts to conserve biodiversity in urban greenspaces.
UW Bothell undergraduate participation in this study has been extensive, including 33 students in three research seminars, three independent study students, and five paid research assistants. Students have co-authored formal reports and presentations to WSP, with additional reports and a scholarly article in preparation.
- Stokes, D.L, Le, K.P., Esquivel, H., and N.N. Samuelson 2020. Two-Year Camera Trap Study of Wildlife Presence in Saint Edward State Park with Special Reference to Habitat Connectivity and Human Disturbance: Findings and Management Recommendations. Report to Washington State Parks. 84 pp. + 3 Appendices.
Invasive species spread and impact
Principal Investigator: David Stokes, Ph.D., Email: dstokes@uw.edu, 2012-2017
Invasive species pose one of the most serious threats to biodiversity globally, and native diversity in urban green spaces is particularly vulnerable to this threat. Since 2012, EERC faculty and students have investigated the status, spread, and ecological impacts of non-native invasive woody plants in St. Edward State Park. These studies have revealed extremely rapid growth rates and exponential spread of some invasives, with dramatic impacts to native vegetation. The upshot of these studies is that management intervention is urgently needed to head off domination of the site by invasives, and Washington State Parks has begun control of these species, using our results to inform that process. This research has involved extensive undergraduate participation, including more than 30 students assisting in fieldwork, 5 students co-authoring formal reports and presentations to government agencies, and 2 students co-authoring scholarly articles.
- Stokes, D. L., Church, E. D., Cronkright, D. M., & López, S. (2014). Pictures of an invasion: English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) in a semi-natural pacific northwest forest. Northwest Science: Official Publication of the Northwest Scientific Association, 88(2), 75–93.
López, S., & Stokes, D. L. (2016). Modeling the Invasion of Holly (Ilex aquifolium): Spatial Relationships and Spread Trajectories. The Professional Geographer: The Journal of the Association of American Geographers, 68(3), 399–413.
