Olympic National Park Perspectives: Winter Speaker Series: Salmon and the American Dipper

Christopher Tonra will talk about the influence of salmon and the nutrients they provide on the life history of the American Dipper. His team studied dippers along four streams in areas with and without salmon to determine the impact salmon have on the survival, reproduction, body condition, and behavior of this charismatic species of western streams. In addition, the team explored the impacts that the removal of two dams on the Elwha River had on dippers by sampling birds before and after removal of the Elwha Dam. This work has shown how salmon can have enormous impacts on wildlife populations beyond the water.