Robert Beschta

Beschta, Robert

Position Type:
Faculty
Job Title:
Professor Emeritus
Department:
Forest Ecosystems & Society
Email:
robert.beschta@oregonstate.edu
Education
B.S., 1965, Colorado State University
M.S., 1967, Utah State University
Ph.D., 1974, University of Arizona
Research Interests
  • Hydrology
  • Restoration Ecology
  • Wildlife Ecology
riparian ecosystems, channel morphology, trophic cascades, historical plant communities
Selected Publications:
  1. Beschta R.L., Ripple W.J., Kauffman J.B., Painter L.E. 2020. Bison limit ecosystem recovery in northern Yellowstone. Food Webs 23:e00142
  2. Beschta R.L., Ripple W.J. 2020. Large carnivore extirpation linked to loss of overstory aspen in Yellowstone. Food Webs 22:e00140
  3. Beschta R.L., Ripple W.J. 2019. Can large carnivores change streams via a trophic cascade? Ecohydrology 12(1):e2048.
  4. Beschta R.L., Ripple W.J. 2019. Yellowstone’s Prehistoric Bison: A Comment on Keigley (2019). Rangelands 41(3):149-151
  5. Painter L.E., Beschta R.L., Larsen E.J., Ripple W.J. 2018. Aspen recruitment in the Yellowstone region linked to reduced herbivory after large carnivore restoration. Ecosphere 9(8): e02376.
  6. Beschta R.L., Painter L.E., Ripple W.J. 2018. Trophic cascades at multiple spatial scales shape recovery of young aspen in Yellowstone. Forest Ecology and Management 413:62-69.
  7. Beschta, R.L., L.E. Painter, T. Levi, and W.J. Ripple. 2016. Long-term aspen dynamics, trophic cascades, and climate in northern Yellowstone National Park. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 46: 548-556.
  8. Beschta, R.L., and W.J. Ripple. 2016. Riparian vegetation recovery in Yellowstone: The first two decades after wolf reintroduction. Biological Conservation 198: 93-103.
  9. Ripple, W.J, R.L. Beschta, and L.E. Painter. 2015. Trophic cascades from wolves to alders in Yellowstone. Forest Ecology and Management 354: 254-260.
  10. Beschta, R.L., J.B. Kauffman, D.S. Dobkin,and L.M. Ellsworth. 2014. Long-term livestock grazing alters aspen age structure in the northwestern Great Basin. Forest Ecology and Management 329: 30-36.
  11. Beschta, R., and W.J. Ripple. 2014. Divergent patterns of riparian cottonwood recovery after the return of wolves in Yellowstone, USA. Ecohydrology DOI: 10.1002/eco.1487
  12. Painter, L.E, R.L. Beschta, E.J. Larsen, and W.J. Ripple. 2014. After long-term decline, are aspen recovering in northern Yellowstone? Forest Ecology and Management 329: 108-117.
  13. Painter, L.E, R.L. Beschta, E.J. Larsen, and W.J. Ripple. 2014. Recovering aspen follow changing elk dynamics in Yellowstone: evidence of a trophic cascade? Ecology dx.doi.org/10.1890/14-0712.1.
  14. Ripple, W.J., J.A. Estes, R.L. Beschta, and others. 2014. Status and Ecological Effects of the World's Largest Carnivores Science 343(6167).
  15. Ripple, W.J., Beschta, R.L., Fortin, J.K. and C.T. Robbins. 2013. Trophic cascades from wolves to grizzly bears in Yellowstone. Journal of Animal Ecology doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12123.
  16. Beschta, R.L., D.L. Donahue, D.A. DellaSala, J.J. Rhodes, J.R. Karr, M.H. O’Brien, T.L. Fleischner, C. Deacon Williams. 2012. Adapting to climate change on western public lands: addressing the ecological effects of domestic, wild, and feral ungulates. Environmental Management DOI 10.1007/s00267-012-9964-9.
  17. Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2012 The role of large predators in maintaining riparian plant communities and river morphology. Geomorphology 157-158: 88-98.
  18. Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2012. Berry-producing shrub characteristics following wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park. Forest Ecology and Management 276: 132-138.
  19. Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2012. Large predators limit herbivore densities in northern forest ecosystems Eur J Wildl Res DOI 10.1007/s10344-012-0623-5.
  20. Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2011. Trophic cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15 years after wolf reintroduction. Biological Conservation 145: 205-213.
  21. Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2011. Are wolves saving Yellowstone's aspen? A landscape-level test of a behaviorally mediated trophic cascade. Comment Ecology. doi:10.1890/11-0063.1. PDF
  22. Ripple, W.J., A.J. Wirsing, R.L. Beschta, and S.W. Buskirk. 2011. Can Restoring Wolves Aid in Lynx Recovery? Wildlife Society Bulletin 35: 514-518.
  23. Ripple, W.J, L.E. Painter, R.L. Beschta, and C.C. Gates. 2010. Wolves, Elk, Bison, and Secondary Trophic Cascades in Yellowstone National Park. The Open Ecology Journal 3: 31-37.
  24. Beschta, R.L., and W.J. Ripple. 2010. Mexican wolves, elk, and aspen in Arizona: Is there a trophic cascade? Forest Ecology and Management 260: 915-922. PDF
  25. Swanson, M.E., J.F. Franklin, R.L. Beschta, C.M. Crisafulli, D.A. DellaSalla, R.L. Hutto, D.B. Lindenmayer, and F.J. Swanson. 2010. The forgotten stage of forest succession: early-successional ecosystems on forest sites. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
  26. Beschta, R.L., and W.J. Ripple. 2010. Recovering riparian plant communities with wolves, in northern Yellowstone USA. Restoration Ecology 18(3):380-389.
  27. Ripple, W.J., T.P. Rooney, and R.L. Beschta. 2010. Large predators, deer, and trophic cascades in boreal and temperate ecosystems. Pp. 141-161 in J. Terborgh and J. Estes. Trophic Cascades: predators, prey, and the changing dynamics of nature. Island Press, Washington, D.C.
  28. Beschta, R.L., and W.J. Ripple. 2009. Large predators and trophic cascades in terrestrial ecosystems of the western United States. Biological Conservation 142:2401-2414.
  29. Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2008. Wolves, trophic cascades, and rivers in the Olympic National Park, USA. Ecohydrology 1:118-130.
  30. Halofsky, J.S., Ripple, W.J., and R.L. Beschta. 2008. Recoupling fire and aspen recruitment after wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 256:1004-1008.
  31. Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2008. Trophic cascades involving cougar, mule deer, and black oaks in Yosemite National Park. Biological Conservation 141:1249-1256.
  32. Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2007. Increased willow heights along northern Yellowstone's Blacktail Deer Creek following wolf reintroduction. Western North American Naturalist 67(4):613-617.
  33. Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2007. Wolves, elk, and aspen in the winter range of Jasper National Park, Canada. Can. J. For. Res. 37:1873-1885.
  34. Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2007. Hardwood tree decline following large carnivore loss in the Great Plains, USA. Front. Ecol. Environ. 5(5):241-246.
  35. Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2007. Restoring Yellowstone's aspen with wolves. Biological Conservation. 138:514-519.
  36. Beschta, R.L. and W.J. Ripple. 2006. River channel dynamics following extirpation of wolves in northwestern Yellowstone National Park, USA. Earth. Surf. Process. Landforms 31:1525-1539.
  37. Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2006. Linking a cougar decline, trophic cascade, and catastrophic regime shift in Zion National Park. Biological Conservation 133:397-408.
  38. Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2006. Linking wolves to willows via risk-sensitive foraging by ungulates in the northern yellowstone ecosystem. Forest Ecology and Management 230:96-106.
  39. Ripple, W.J. and R.L. Beschta. 2005. Linking wolves and plants: Aldo Leopold on trophic cascades. Bioscience 55(7):613-621.
  40. Beschta, R.L. 2005. Reduced cottonwood recruitment following extirpation of wolves in Yellowstone's northern range. Ecology 86(2) pp. 391-403.
  41. Beschta, R.L., et. al. 2004. Postfire Management on Forested Public Lands of the Western United States. Conservation Biology 18:957-967.
  42. Karr, J.R., Rhodes, J.J., Minshall, G.W., Hauer, F.R., Beschta, R.L., Frissell, C.A., and D.A. Perry. 2004. The effects of post fire salvage logging on aquatic ecosystems in the American west. Bioscience 54(11) pp.1029-1033.
  43. Ripple, W.J., and R.L. Beschta. 2004. Wolves and the Ecology of Fear: Can Predation Risk Structure Ecosystems? BioScience 54:755-766.
  44. Ripple, W.J., and R.L. Beschta. 2004. Wolves, elk, willows, and trophic cascades in the upper Gallatin Range of Southwestern Montana, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 200:161-181.
For a full list of publications, visit:
http://trophiccascades.forestry.oregonstate.edu/publications