Landscape characteristics, land use, and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) abundance, Snohomish River, Wash., U.S.A.

George R. Pess, David R. Montgomery, E. Ashley Steel, Robert E. Bilby, Blake E. Feist, and Harvey M. Greenberg
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci./J. Can. Sci. Halieut. Aquat. 59(4): 613-623 (2002)

Abstract: We used temporally consistent patterns in the spatial distribution of returning adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to explore relationships between salmon abundance, landscape characteristics, and land use patterns in the Snohomish River watershed, Wash. The proportion of total adult coho salmon abundance supported by a specific stream reach was consistent among years, even though interannual adult coho salmon abundance varied substantially. Wetland occurrence, local geology, stream gradient, and land use were significantly correlated with adult coho salmon abundance. Median adult coho salmon densities in forest-dominated areas were 1.5–3.5 times the densities in rural, urban, and agricultural areas. Relationships between these habitat characteristics and adult coho salmon abundance were consistent over time. Spatially explicit statistical models that included these habitat variables explained almost half of the variation in the annual distribution of adult coho salmon. Our analysis indicates that such models can be used to identify and prioritize freshwater areas for protection and restoration.