Klamath Mountains

Limiting Factor:

Land Use Conversion and Urbanization

Rapidly expanding communities in the Klamath Mountains ecoregion include Medford and Roseburg, for example. Rapid urbanization can strain the ability of sensitive habitat, such as valleys, wetlands, and aquatic habitats, to continue to provide valued ecological functions and services. Rapid development increases the potential for conflict between people and wildlife. For example, increasing road traffic increases the potential for collisions with migrating species, creating a hazard to both motorists and wildlife.

Recommended Approach

Cooperative approaches with private landowners are the key to long-term conservation. Essential tools include financial incentives, conservation easements, and informational resources. Work with community leaders and agency partners to ensure planned, efficient growth. Support and implement existing land use regulations to preserve farm and range land, open spaces, recreation areas, and natural habitats for wildlife. Ensure that local wildlife services are sufficiently maintained to help residents manage wildlife damage issues.

Limiting Factor:

Altered Fire Regimes

Historically, the ecoregion was dominated by fire-adapted vegetation and experienced widely variable fire regimes, ranging from areas with relatively short fire return intervals to areas with greater than 50-year return intervals. Fire suppression has damaged forest health, resulting in undesirable changes in vegetation and increased intensity of wildfires as a result of increased fuel loads. Efforts to reduce fire danger can help to restore fish and wildlife habitat, but they require careful planning. Reintroducing fire can be challenging in the Klamath Mountains because of high volatility of fuels, “checkerboard” land ownership patterns, and scattered rural residential developments.

Recommended Approach

Use an integrated approach to fuels management and forest health issues that considers historical conditions, wildlife conservation, natural fire intervals, and silvicultural techniques. Encourage forest management at a broad scale to address limiting factors. Reintroduce fire where feasible. Prioritize sites and applications. Maintain important wildlife habitat features, such as snags and logs, to sustain wood-dependent species. In areas where prescribed fire is undesirable or difficult to implement, use mechanical treatment methods (e.g., chipping, cutting for firewood) that minimize soil disturbance. Support fish habitat restoration by reducing stream sedimentation. Monitor these efforts and use adaptive management techniques to ensure efforts are meeting habitat restoration and wildfire prevention objectives with minimal impacts on wildlife. Identify sub-basins with unique granitic sediment features that are especially at risk.

Limiting Factor:

Loss of Habitat Connectivity

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion is naturally diverse and heterogeneous. Some habitat types have been particularly disrupted by fragmentation and loss of connectivity, including late-successional forests and valley bottom habitats. Opportunities for large-scale protection or restoration of native landscapes are limited. Existing development, growth pressures, high land costs, and the fragmented nature of ownerships and remaining native habitats all present barriers to large-scale ecosystem restoration.

Recommended Approach

Broad-scale conservation strategies will need to focus on restoring and maintaining more natural ecosystem processes and functions within a landscape that is managed primarily for other values. This may include an emphasis on conservation-oriented management techniques for existing land uses and restoration of some key ecosystem components, such as river-floodplain connections and riparian function.

Limiting Factor:

Invasive Species

Invasive plants are of particular concern in the Klamath Mountains ecoregion. Invasive plants disrupt native communities, diminish populations of at-risk native species, and threaten the economic productivity of resource lands. Invasive plants have been on the increase for the last 20 years. While not nearly as extensive as invasive plants, non-native animals have also impacted native fish and wildlife populations.

Recommended Approach

Emphasize prevention, risk assessment, early detection, and quick control to prevent new invasive species from becoming fully established. Use multiple site-appropriate tools (e.g., mechanical, chemical, and biological) to control the most damaging invasive species. Prioritize efforts to focus on key invasive species in high priority areas, particularly where Strategy Habitats and Strategy Species occur. Cooperate with partners through habitat programs and county weed boards to address invasive species problems. Promote the use of native species for restoration and revegetation.

Limiting Factor:

Mineral Extraction

Long-term effects of historical mining include damage to stream beds and toxic runoff. Currently, mining for nickel and chromium associated with the region’s serpentine soils has the potential to impact fish and wildlife by disturbing habitat. Mineral extraction is a particular concern in the Siskiyou Mountains. Gold mining also potentially impacts habitat for fish, wildlife, and at-risk plants along many streams. In-stream placer mining and recreational placer mining are prevalent in this ecoregion.

Recommended Approach

Plan mineral extraction activities to minimize potential impact on Strategy Species and Habitats. Minimize disturbance by focusing extraction efforts in areas with existing roads, rather than creating new roads and increasing the potential for habitat disturbance. Follow existing recommendations to avoid impacting water quality and riparian function.