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Kathryn McEachern

Ecologist

USGS Channel Islands Field Station
1901 Spinnaker Drive
Ventura, CA 93001-4354
Phone: (805) 658-5753
Fax: (805) 658-5798
Email: kathryn_mceachern@usgs.gov

Kathryn McEachern (left)
Kathryn McEachern (left)

Dr. Kathryn McEachern began her career in the open pit coal mines of Pacific Power and Light in Wyoming and Montana. There she designed long-term vegetation monitoring programs, directed topsoil salvage operations, and designed and tested native plant seed mixes for habitat reclamation. Her interest in ecosystem restoration led her to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she participated in the restoration ecology group, and helped design a new Conservation Biology Master’s program. In 1988, she began working with the National Park Service in the Great Lakes region on conservation of coastal ecosystems. She began long-term studies of a threatened dune thistle in one of the habitats she loves best: coastal dunes. Her research interests led her to the California south coast, where she continues to study rare plants and vegetation. Her particular interests are in the study of how the vegetation forms the context for rare plant persistence, as seen through long-term demographic patterns in the rare plants of the California Channel Islands. To look at this question, she is tracking the native and alien plant communities of the islands along with a suite of rare native plants that inhabit these communities. She guides the Prototype Vegetation Monitoring Program at Channel Islands National Park, and assists other agencies with plant community and rare plant monitoring program design.
 

RESEARCH INTERESTS
  • Chaparral Ecology
  • Coastal Sage Ecology
  • Community ecology
  • Conservation biology
  • Ecological monitoring
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Invasive species ecology
  • Landscape ecology
  • Landscape patterns
  • Plant ecology
  • Pop. viab. models
  • Population biology
  • Restoration ecology
  • Species/Population management
  • Weed management

EDUCATION
  • Ph.D., Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 1992
  • B.S., Botany, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 1979

PROFESSIONAL AND HONORARY SOCIETIES AND SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES
  • California Native Plant Society
  • International Association for Vegetation Science
  • Society for Conservation Biology
  • The Ecological Society of America

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
  • Research Ecologist, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, Channel Islands Field Station, 1993 - Present
  • Research Associate, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1993 - 1997
  • Research Ecologist, National Park Service, Western Region, Channel Islands National Park, 1992 - 1993

PRODUCTS

  • McEachern, K. 2006. Rare plant reseaerch in the northern Channel Islands. Invited lecture, Sea-to-Shore lecture series, Channel ISlands National Marine Snactuary and Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, CA.[Presentation]

  • McEachern, K. 2006. Rare plants of Santa Cruz Island. Invited lecture. USFWS Ventura Field Office Occasional Lecture Series. Ventura, CA.[Presentation]

  • McEachern, Kathryn, Bruce Pavlik, Jon Rebman, Rob Sutter. 2006. San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP)Rare Plant Monitoring Review and Revision. USGS Technical Report. Sacramento, California. 98 pps.[Digital Text]

  • Louda, S.M, T.A. Rand, A.E. Arnett, A.S. McClay, A.K. McEAchern. 2005. Evaluation of ecological risk to populations of a threatened plant from an invasive biocontrol insect. Ecological Applications 15(1). pp. 234-249[Journal Article]

  • McEachern, K. 2004. Plant Communities - Chapter 5 in The Natural Resources of Point Loma. Cabrillo National Monument Foundation. 15 pps.[Book Chapter]

  • Bell, T., M. Bowles and K. McEachern. 2003. Projecting the success of plant restoration with population viability analysis. Chapter in C.A. Brigham and M.W. Schwartz eds., Population Viability in Plants. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany.[Book Chapter]

  • Chess, Katherine and Kathryn McEachern. 2002. Cabrillo National Monument vascular plant voucher collections: NPSpecies database. Collections information for 362 vascular plant specimens from searches at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego State University.[Database Nonspatial]

  • McEachern, K. 2002. Demography database for eight Channel Islands rare plant taxa. This database is the baseline for rare plant monitoring for Channel Islands National Park.[Database Nonspatial]

  • Timothy J. Bell, Marlin Bowles, Jenny McBride, Kayri Havens, Pati Vitt, and Kathryn McEachern. Reintroducing Pitcher's Thistle. Endangered Species Bulletin XXVII - No. 3, July/August 2002, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.[Journal Article]

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. Recovery Plan for the Pitcher's Thistle (Cirsium pitcheri ). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling, Minnesota, 103 pp. (Kathryn McEachern)[Technical Report]

  • Chess, Katherine and Kathryn McEachern. 2001. Channel Islands National Park vascular plant voucher collections: NPSpecies database. Collections information for 3898 vascular plant specimens from searches at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, San Diego Natural History Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. National Park Service NPSpecies database, Ft. Collins, CO.[Database Nonspatial]

  • McEachern, K, M. Semenoff-Irving, P. van der Leeden. 2001. Elk-Effects Vegetation Monitoring Program for Tomales Point Elk Range, Point Reyes National Seashore, California. USGS Open-File Report, USGS/BRD/WERC, Sacramento, California. 53pps.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 2001. Vegetation monitoring program review for Channel Islands National Park. Technical report. USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K., M. Semenoff-Irving and A. Atkinson. 2001. Control/exclosure monitoring of tule elk effects on Tomales Point vegetation, Point Reyes National Seashore, 1998-1999. Technical report, USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001.[Technical Report]

  • Chaney, S. and K, McEachern. 2000. Development and Implementation of an Alien Plant Control Strategy for Channel Islands National Park. Technical report. Channel Islands National Park and USGS-BRD-Channel Islands Field Station, Ventura, California.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 2000. Channel Islands National Park Landbird Monitoring Program Review. Technical report. USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 2000. Tree and shrub community monitoring protocol for Channel Islands National Park, California. USGS Open-File Report 00-74. 9 pps.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, Kathryn. 2000. Channel Islands National Park vegetation monitoring program evaluation. The Seventh Annual Conference of the California Society for Ecological Restoration, University of California at Santa Barbara, October, 2000.[Abstract]

  • Bowles, M., R. Flackne, K. McEachern. and N. Pavlovic. 1993. Recovery planning and reintroduction of the Federally threatened Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) in Illinois. Natural Areas Journal 3:164-176.[Journal Article]

  • Chaney, S.and K. McEachern. 1999. Development of a weed control strategy for Channel Islands National Park. Fifth California Islands Symposium, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California.[Poster]

  • Chaney, S.and K. McEachern. 1999. Development of a weed control strategy for Channel Islands National Park. Proceedings of the Fifth California Islands Symposium, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California. 3pps.[Proceedings]

  • Chaney, S.and K. McEachern. 1999. Erosion control and revegetation on Santa Barbara Islands in Channel Islands National Park. Fifth California Islands Symposium, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California.[Poster]

  • Chaney, S.and K. McEachern. 1999. Erosion control and revegetation on Santa Barbara Islands in Channel Islands National Park. Proceedings of the Fifth California Islands Symposium, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California. 3pps.[Proceedings]

  • Coonan, et al. 1999. Conservation strategies for rare taxa of the Channel Islands National Park. Fifth California Islands Symposium, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California.[Poster]

  • Corry, P. and K. McEachern. 1999. Native shrub recovery in nonnative annual grasslands, California Channel Islands. Proceedings of the Fifth California Islands Symposium, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California. 3pps.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. 1999. GIS database (ArcInfo/Access): Channel Islands rare plants. Database contains information on 65 rare plant taxa on six islands from archive searches and field surveys, including population location, size and extent 1920-1999, population and habitat conditions, census data, phenological information, associated species. USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station, Ventura, CA.[Database Spatial]

  • McEachern, K. 1999. Rare plants and communities of Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park. Channel Islands Science Seminars, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California. (video)[Video]

  • McEachern, K. 1999. Tree and Shrub Community Monitoring Protocol for Channel Islands National Park. USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station, Ventura, CA. 5pps. (protocol)[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. and K. Chess. April, 1999. Soft-leaved Indian paintbrush (Castilleja mollis) demography on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands, California. Proceedings of the Fifth California Islands Symposium, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California. 3pps.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. and S. Chaney. 1999. GIS database (ArcInfo/Access): Invasive exotics on the Channel Islands. Contains spatial distributions of 80 invasive taxa from field surveys 1998-1999 on five islands. Linked database includes information such as occurrence density, vigor, phenology, habitat condition, associated species, substrates. USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station, Ventura, CA.[Database Spatial]

  • McEachern, K., K. Chess and D. Wilken. April, 1999. Island jepsonia (Jepsonia malvifolia) demography on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands, Channel Islands, California. Proceedings of the Fifth California Islands Symposium, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California A. 3pps.[Proceedings]

  • Ortega, S., S. Chaney, Y. Marlin, R. Richter and K. McEachern. 1999. Riparian restoration on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, April, 1999, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, CA.[Poster]

  • Chaney, S., K. McEachern, L. Johnson and K. Chess. 1998. Vegetation monitoring database, 1982-1997, for four northern Channel Islands. Internally consistent, taxonomically current, verified long-term monitoring database for Internet web site protocol demonstration project.[Database Nonspatial]

  • Loope, W.L. and K. McEachern. 1998. Habitat change in a perched dune system along Lake Superior. In: Mac, M.J., P.A. Opler, C.E. Puckett Haecker, and P.D. Doran, editors. Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources. Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.[Book Chapter]

  • McEachern, K. 1998. Monitoring protocol for east Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park. Technical report, USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station, Ventura, California. 24pps.[Technical Report]

  • Pavlovic, et al. 1998. Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) recovery plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minneapolis, MN. 79pps.[Technical Report]

  • Veirs, S.D. and P.A.Opler (and contributing authors D.S. Gilmer, D. M. Braber, T. Graham, L. S. Huckaby, M. R. Jennings, K. McEachern, P. B. Moyle, and R. A. Stefani). 1998. California. In, M.J. Mac, P.A. Opler, C.E. Puckett Haecker, and P.D. Doran (eds.), Status and Trends of the Nation’s Biological Resources 2 vols. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.[Book Chapter]

  • Coonan et. al. 1997. Community assessment and ecological standards for candidate and proposed species of the northern Channel Islands. Interagency Conservation Agreement Team, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California. 189 pps. (issue paper)[Technical Report]

  • Halvorson, W., J. Belnap and K. McEachern. 1997. San Nicolas Restoration and Monitoring, Final report to Pt. Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station. USGS-BRD, Western Ecological Research Center, Sacramento, CA. 220pps.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, A. Kathryn, D. Wilken and K. Chess. 1997. Inventory and monitoring of California Islands rare plant taxa. Technical Report to the Species at Risk Program, USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station, 46 pp.[Technical Report]

  • Chess, K., W.L. Halvorson, K. McEachern. 1996. San Nicolas Island vegetation monitoring report, 1993-1996. Technical Report # 56, USGS-BRD Cooperative Park Studies Unit, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. 46pps[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, A. Kathryn. 1996. Summary of proposed endangered plant data collected on Santa Rosa Island by National Biological Survey staff and collaborators, 1994-1996. Technical Report, NBS-California Science Center, Channel Islands Field Station, Ventura, CA. 11pp.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1996. History of vegetation management at Cabrillo National Monument, 1980-1995. Video interview with Howard Overton, Chief Ranger, Cabrillo National Monument. USGS-BRD, Channel Islands Field Station. (video)[Video]

  • Louda, S.M. and K. McEachern. 1995. Seed predation and diffuse competition along environmental gradients: Interactive constraints on the population dynamics of a threatened fugitive plant. Annual NSF grant progress report, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.[Technical Report]

  • Louda, Svata M. and A. Kathryn McEachern. 1995. Insect damage to inflorescences of the threatened dune thistle, Cirsium pitcheri. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 76:125.[Proceedings]

  • Loope, W., K. McEachern and J. Anderton. 1994. Response of vegetation to climate-driven cycles of coastal disturbance along Lake Superior, USA. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 75:136.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, A.K. 1994. Disturbance dynamics of Pitcher's thistle populations in Great Lakes dune systems. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 75:147.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. 1994. Natural disturbance and Pitcher's thistle populations in Great Lakes dune landscapes. National Park Service brochure, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California.[Popular Publication]

  • McEachern, K. 1994. Using a metapopulation model for conservation research on Castelleja mollis. Proc. Fourth California Islands Symposium, Santa Barbara, California.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K., M. Bowles and N. Pavlovic. 1994. A metapopulation approach to Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) recovery in southern Lake Michigan dunes. pp 194-218 in Restoration of Endangered Species, M. Bowles and C. Whelen, eds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Mass.[Book Chapter]

  • Bowles, M., R. Flackne, K. McEachern, and N. Pavlovic. 1992. Status and restoration planning for the federally threatened Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) in Illinois. Proc. 19th Annual Natural Areas Conference, Oct. 27-30, Bloomington, Indiana. p.5.[Proceedings]

  • Loope, W., K. McEachern and J. Schultz. 1992. Plant habitat dynamics in a perched dune system adjacent to Lake Superior, Alger County, Michigan. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 73:254.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. 1992. Cirsium pitcheri monitoring handbook. National Park Service Midwest Region Office Technical Report, Omaha, Nebraska.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1992. Disturbance dynamics of Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) populations in Great Lakes sand dune landscapes. Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.[Thesis/Dissertation]

  • McEachern, K. 1991. The physiographic ecology of Long Island, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: vegetation map and study design. Great Lakes CPSU Technical Report, University of Wisconsin-Madison.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. and N.B. Pavlovic. 1991. Metapopulation dynamics in species recovery planning: Cirsium pitcheri as a case study. 53rd U.S. Fish and Wildlife Conference, Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Des Moines, Iowa. p. 223.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. 1990. Landscape considerations for management of the threatened dunes thistle, Cirsium pitcheri. Clear Lake Conference on Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology Abstracts, August 21-23, 1990. Hiawatha National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, Marquette, Michigan.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. 1990. Landscape ecology of the threatened dunes thistle, Cirsium pitcheri. in Proc. Society for Ecological Restoration Annual Conference: Restoration and Recovery of Endangered Species, April 29-May 3, 1990. Chicago, Illinois. p.17. (Invited)[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. 1990. Task directive for restoration of razed home sites at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Technical Report, Porter, Indiana.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1989. The ecology of a Great Lakes dunes endemic, Cirsium pitcheri. Proc. Second Indiana Dunes Research Conference: Restoration and Preservation of Great Lakes Coastal Ecosystems, May 18-20, 1989. Indiana University Northwest, Gary, Indiana.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K., J. Magnuson and N. Pavlovic. 1989. Preliminary results of a study to monitor Cirsium pitcheri in Great Lakes National Lakeshores. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Technical Report, Porter, Indiana.[Technical Report]

  • Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Annual Research Conference Abstracts, October 26-27, Bayfield, Wisconsin.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. 1988. A simulation model of coal mining effects on cottonwood tree Growth in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Technical report to Antelope Coal Company, Douglas, Wyoming; University of Wisconsin - Madison.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1988. The role of natural disturbance in structuring dune communities.[Proceedings]

  • McEachern, K. 1985. Antelope Coal Company vegetation monitoring program: control area studies. Reclamation Department Technical Report, Antelope Coal Company, Douglas, Wyoming.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1985. Topsoil stockpile fertility and plant growth study. Reclamation Department Technical Report, Antelope Coal Company, Douglas, Wyoming.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1984. Antelope Coal Company vegetation monitoring program: control area studies. Reclamation Department Technical Report, Antelope Coal Company, Douglas, Wyoming.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1984. Antelope Coal Company vegetation monitoring program: reclaimed area studies. Reclamation Department Technical Report, Antelope Coal Company, Douglas, Wyoming.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1983. Antelope Mine annual report: vegetation monitoring. Reclamation Department Technical Report, Antelope Coal Company, Douglas, Wyoming.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1982. Antelope Mine carbonaceous overburden and plant growth study. NERCO, Inc., Technical Services Division Technical Report, Portland, Oregon.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1982. Jim Bridger Mine annual report: vegetation monitoring. NERCO, Inc., Technical Services Division Technical Report, Portland, Oregon.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1981. Antelope Creek alluvial valley floor assessment. NERCO, Inc., Technical Services Division Technical Report, Portland, Oregon.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1981. Dave Johnston Mine reclamation report. NERCO, Inc., Technical Services Division Technical Report, Portland, Oregon.[Technical Report]

  • McEachern, K. 1979. Population biology of plains cottonwood (Populus sargentii) in northeast Colorado. Undergraduate honor's thesis, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado.[Thesis/Dissertation]

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