Oregon State University
$95,676  East Cascades   West Cascades 

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a climate-sensitive mammal that largely occurs in alpine and sub-alpine habitat in western North America. Pikas exhibit limited heat tolerance, with a narrow ambient temperature window in which they can survive, but do not hibernate and must forage year-round to support their high metabolic rates. As a result, pikas often rely on rocky talus or talus-like habitat, which provides cool microclimates in the heat of summer, and reliable snowpack, which insulates pikas from extreme winter conditions. Rising temperatures, decreased precipitation, and unreliable snowpack imperil pikas by inducing heat stress, reducing forage availability, and increasing their vulnerability to winter conditions. Given their sensitivity to warming temperatures and drought conditions, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife lists pika as a Conservation Strategy Species. Nonetheless, little is known about the distribution of pikas and the potential effects of shifting climate conditions on their ability to persist in the central Oregon Cascades. We seek to address knowledge gaps by systematically surveying for pikas in the central Cascades. We will estimate pika occupancy using systematic detection/non-detection data from community-led volunteer surveys and presence only data from public repositories in an integrated species distribution model. We will estimate the effects of climate, talus, and forest conditions on pika occupancy across an elevational gradient. Through this effort, we will increase community awareness of pika ecology and conservation through community-science volunteer survey opportunities, public presentations, and social media outreach. The outcomes of this project will provide foundational information on the distribution of pikas in the central Oregon Cascades, an understanding of how climate, talus and forest conditions influence pika occurrence, and opportunities for public participation and outreach.