Habitat types on the Hanford Site: Wildlife and plant species of concern

Abstract

The objective of this report is to provide a comprehensive source of the best available information on Hanford Site sensitive and critical habitats and plants and animals of importance or special status, as defined in the "Hartford Site Baseline Risk Assessment Methodology" (DOE 1993a). " The information can be used in environmental evaluations for baseline risk assessments of the Site to determine the environmental effects of remedial actions and provide a basis for assessing the cumulative impacts of multiple actions. Pacific Northwest Laboratory and Westinghouse Hanford Company worked together to compile the information, which has been collected through basic research programs, monitoring programs, and educational endeavors. In this report, sensitive habitats include areas known to be used by threatened, endangered, or sensitive plant or animal species, wetlands, preserves and refuges, and other sensitive habitats outlined in the Hanford Site Baseline Risk Assessment Methodology. Potentially important species for risk assessment and species of special concern with regard to their status as threatened, endangered, or sensitive are described, and potential habitats for these species identified. The following primary habitat types for the Hanford Site are shown on maps and described according to vegetation association and topography: i vi 2.I Generalized Soils Map fortheHanford Site ..

Investigation of anatomical anomalies in Hanford Site mule deer

“…Shrubs, primarily mulberry and willow, on average comprised 63% (range 56.4 to 69.9%) of the deer's diet in the northern region as opposed to 23% (range 19.0 to 25.4%) in the southern region Deer diets from the southern region contained over 30% Sandberg's bluegrass as opposed to only 4% in the northern region. These data again reflect the availability of late-summer succulent grasses occurring within the two regions (Downs et d. 1993). The northern region largely consists of old abandoned farm fields where cheatgrass is predominant.…”

“…In general, the area is characterized by shrub-steppe vegetation dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentutu) and Sandberg's bluegrass (Pou sundbergii) (Daubenmire 1970;Downs et al 1993), with approximately 16 cm of annual precipitation (Hoitink and Burk 1994). The climate consists of hot dry summers and relatively cool winters when the bulk of annual precipitation occurs.…”

“…Plant communities in the dunes region are dominated by rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus spp.) and bitterbrush (Purshiu tridentutu) (Downs et al 1993). The northern study site contains six inactive nuclear production reactor sites, abandoned agricultural fields, and scattered patches of shrub-steppe habitat.…”

“…Shoreline vegetation along the Hanford Reach consists of a narrow zone of broad-leafed deciduous trees and shrubs intermingled with a variety of perennial grasses and forbs (Sackschewsky et al 1992; Downs et al 1993). The riparian zone tends to remain green throughout the hot dry summer months.…”

“…The analysis of habitat use and selection by deer was based only on those animals with a relatively large number of relocations (35 locations or more), and previous site characterizations that generated GIs vegetation community map layers (Downs et al 1993). Habitat use (selection, avoidance, or indiscriminate) was determined by comparing the proportion of time animals were found within each of these different cover types to the amount of cover type that potentially was available to each animal.…”