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At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

USGS2016

Species traits and catchment-scale habitat factors influence the occurrence of freshwater mussel populations and assemblages

Conservation of freshwater unionid mussels presents unique challenges due to their distinctive life cycle, cryptic occurrence and imperilled status. Relevant ecological information is urgently needed to guide their management and conservation. We adopted a modelling approach, which is a novel application to freshwater mussels to enhance inference on rare species, by borrowing data among species in a hierarchical framework to conduct the most comprehensive occurrence analysis for freshwater mussels to date. We incorporated imperfect detection to more accurately examine effects of biotic and abiotic factors at multiple scales on the occurrence of 14 mussel species and the entire assemblage of the Tar River Basin of North Carolina, U.S.A. The single assemblage estimate of detection probability for all species was 0.42 (95% CI, 0.36–0.47) with no species- or site-specific detection effects identified. We empirically observed 15 mussel species in the basin but estimated total species richness at 21 (95% CI, 16–24) when accounting for imperfect detection. Mean occurrence probability among species ranged from 0.04 (95% CI, 0.01–0.16) for Alasmidonta undulata, an undescribed Lampsilis sp. , and Strophitus undulatus to 0.67 (95% CI, 0.42–0.86) for Elliptio icterina . Median occurrence probability among sites was <0.30 for all species with the exception of E. icterina . Site occurrence probability generally related to mussel conservation status, with reduced occurrence for endangered and threatened species. Catchment-scale abiotic variables (stream power, agricultural land use) and species traits (brood time, host specificity, tribe) influenced the occurrence of mussel assemblages more than reach- or microhabitat-scale features. Our findings reflect the complexity of mussel ecology and indicate that habitat restoration alone may not be adequate for mussel conservation. Catchment-scale management can benefit an entire assemblage, but species-specific strategies may be necessary for successful conservation. The hierarchical multispecies modelling approach revealed findings that could not be elucidated by other means, and the approach may be applied more broadly to other river basins and regions. Accurate measures of assemblage dynamics, such as occurrence and species richness, are required to create management plans for effective conservation.

Freshwater Biology↗

USGS2008

Using demography and movement behavior to predict range expansion of the southern sea otter.

In addition to forecasting population growth, basic demographic data combined with movement data provide a means for predicting rates of range expansion. Quantitative models of range expansion have rarely been applied to large vertebrates, although such tools could be useful for restoration and management of many threatened but recovering populations. Using the southern sea otter ( Enhydra lutris nereis ) as a case study, we utilized integro-difference equations in combination with a stage-structured projection matrix that incorporated spatial variation in dispersal and demography to make forecasts of population recovery and range recolonization. In addition to these basic predictions, we emphasize how to make these modeling predictions useful in a management context through the inclusion of parameter uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. Our models resulted in hind-cast (1989–2003) predictions of net population growth and range expansion that closely matched observed patterns. We next made projections of future range expansion and population growth, incorporating uncertainty in all model parameters, and explored the sensitivity of model predictions to variation in spatially explicit survival and dispersal rates. The predicted rate of southward range expansion (median = 5.2 km/yr) was sensitive to both dispersal and survival rates; elasticity analysis indicated that changes in adult survival would have the greatest potential effect on the rate of range expansion, while perturbation analysis showed that variation in subadult dispersal contributed most to variance in model predictions. Variation in survival and dispersal of females at the south end of the range contributed most of the variance in predicted southward range expansion. Our approach provides guidance for the acquisition of further data and a means of forecasting the consequence of specific management actions. Similar methods could aid in the management of other recovering populations.

Ecological Applications↗

USGS2001

Interactions between fire and invasive plants in temperate grasslands of North America

A substantial number of invasive grasses, forbs and woody plants have invaded temperate grasslands in North America. Among the invading species are winter annuals, biennials, cool-season perennials, warm-season perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees. Many of these species have been deliberately introduced and widely planted; some are still used for range improvement, pastures, lawns, and as ornamentals, though many are listed as state or federal noxious weeds. Others have been greatly facilitated by widespread land disturbance. Historically, fire has been a major selective force in the evolution of temperate grasslands. Further, prescribed fire is commonly used as a method of ecological management for native grassland communities as well as in conjunction with restoration efforts. Within this context, it is important to understand how invasive species will interact with natural and prescribed fire regimes. In this paper, we consider what is known about how exotic species that invade temperate grasslands relate to fire. The primary issues addressed for each species are (1) Does fire appear to enhance colonization? (2) To what degree does fire affect the survival of plants? (3) Are plants that are burned able to regrow following fire and, if so, how rapidly can they recover? (4) How important is competition with native species to the response to fire? and (5) What effect does an invasive species have on the characteristics of the fire regime? For many species, results are preliminary, incomplete, or inconsistent among studies. For this reason, many of the conclusions drawn for individual species must be considered preliminary. Based on analyses of individual species, a conceptual framework is presented for considering how invasive plants may interact with fire when they invade an ecosystem. The major categories of influences are the native community, the fire regime, growth conditions for both invasive and native species, and influences that disturbances, human impacts, and landscape characteristics have had in the past and will have in the future. The examples considered in this paper provide support for a few, tentative generalizations. First, among our current worst invaders of temperate grasslands, adaptation to fire is quite variable. Some species are not well adapted to burning and can be easily eliminated; other species are better adapted but can still be eliminated if fire occurs during periods of particular vulnerability and/or at high frequency. There is a set of species that is extremely well adapted to fire and will not be eliminated through burning alone. Second, competitive interactions with native species play a crucial role in the success of nonnative invaders. In cases where differential burn responses between invasive and native species can be exploited, and adequate populations of native dominant species are present, fire can sometimes tip the competitive balance away from invasives. Third, there are a few invasive species that have exceptional attributes and for which there are no easy solutions. The ability of cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum ) to enhance fire, the ability of Chinese tallow ( Triadica sebifera ) to suppress fire, and the ability of leafy spurge ( Euphorbia esula ) to resprout from repeated injury make these species exceptional threats to native diversity. Finally, the available information for many invasive species is very incomplete, partic- ularly with regard to how fire affects competitive interactions with the native community. There is much more we need to know if we are to consistently predict how invasive species will respond to fire and how burning can best be used to manage for natural diversity.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2017

Managing the livestock– Wildlife interface on rangelands

On rangelands the livestock–wildlife interface is mostly characterized by management actions aimed at controlling problems associated with competition, disease, and depredation. Wildlife communities (especially the large vertebrate species) are typically incompatible with agricultural development because the opportunity costs of wildlife conservation are unaffordable except in arid and semi-arid regions. Ecological factors including the provision of supplementary food and water for livestock, together with the persecution of large predators, result in livestock replacing wildlife at biomass densities far exceeding those of indigenous ungulates. Diseases are difficult to eradicate from free-ranging wildlife populations and so veterinary controls usually focus on separating commercial livestock herds from wildlife. Persecution of large carnivores due to their depredation of livestock has caused the virtual eradication of apex predators from most rangelands. However, recent research points to a broad range of solutions to reduce conflict at the livestock–wildlife interface. Conserving wildlife bolsters the adaptive capacity of a rangeland by providing stakeholders with options for dealing with environmental change. This is contingent upon local communities being empowered to benefit directly from their wildlife resources within a management framework that integrates land-use sectors at the landscape scale. As rangelands undergo irreversible changes caused by species invasions and climate forcings, the future perspective favors a proactive shift in attitude towards the livestock–wildlife interface, from problem control to asset management.

Book chapter↗

USGS2010

Sharing the floodplain: Mediated modeling for environmental management

Complex ecosystems, such as the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), present major management challenges. Such systems often provide a range of ecosystem services that are differentially valued by stakeholders representing distinct interests (e.g., agriculture, conservation, navigation) or institutions (e.g., federal and state agencies). When no single entity has the knowledge or authority to resolve conflicts over shared resource use, stakeholders may struggle to jointly understand the scope of the problem and to reach reasonable compromises. This paper explores mediated modeling as a group consensus building process for understanding relationships between ecological, economic and cultural well-being in the UMR floodplain. We describe a workshop structure used to engage UMR stakeholders that may be extended to resource use conflicts in other complex ecosystems. We provide recommendations for improving on these participatory methods in structuring future efforts. In conclusion, we suggest that tools which facilitate collaborative learning, such as mediated modeling, need to be incorporated at an institutional level as a vital element of integrated ecosystem management. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Environmental Modelling and Software↗

USGS1972

Population ecology of the mallard: I. A review of previous studies and the distribution and migration from breeding areas

This report, the first of a series of reports on a comprehensive analysis of population data on the? millIard at? the continental level, provides background information including a review of the history of waterfowl management and a resume of previous studies of the mallard. The breeding range of the mallard was subdivided into 16 major and 44 minor reference areas. Each area is discussed in terms of habitat type, quantity of data available, importance to the continental mallard population, and previous waterfowl studies conducted within it.? Two of the 16 major areas have insufficient .bandings prior to the hunting season. These areas represent breeding sites for 18 to 30 percent of the continental mallard population and constitute a serious deficiency in the data base. Locations and femporal distributions of band recoveries from mallards banded in each breeding area are presented on maps and in tables. Possible biases in using band recovery distributions for harvest distributions are outllned; the major problem is variable band reporting rates. Limited evidence suggests that band reporting rates during the 1960's were substantially higher in Canada than in the United States. Detailed tabulations of the locations of recoveries from bandings in each minor reference area are presented in an appendix. Topics of future reports in the series inciude the analysis of harvest and wing survey statistics, breeding population data, relative importance of breeding ground reference areas to the various harvest areas, band recovery rates, the infiuence of harvest and harvest regulations on survival, and factors affecting production inclnding density-dependent relationships.

Resource Publication↗

USGS2026

Co-producing coastal bird research on the Gulf Coast through structured decision making (SDM) and constructed value of information (CVoI)

Conservation practitioners face the complex challenge of addressing global biodiversity threats within social-ecological systems with multiple jurisdictions, numerous interest groups, and changing environmental conditions. Bridging the research-to-implementation gap between scientists and managers, which integrates diverse perspectives that represent the variety of considerations impacting management outcomes can help to inform efficient and effective conservation. Avian conservation programs along the U.S. Gulf Coast exemplify these challenges, as management decisions must address diverse threats to declining coastal bird populations across large breeding, wintering, and migratory ranges while facing uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of large-scale strategies. This provides opportunities for improving management through co-produced research with structured decision making (SDM). We present a case study that demonstrates the application of co-production principles and SDM to collaboratively develop high-priority research questions informing effective avian conservation and management. Additionally, we applied a constructed value of information (CVoI) framework to identify and prioritize which uncertainties to reduce and better understand how research questions impact management actions. The integration of SDM’s five-step decision making framework ensured key principles of co-production were met, while co-production enhanced SDM outcomes by incorporating diverse perspectives and knowledge bases. CVoI further allowed participants to collectively determine final high-priority research questions in the face of complexity and uncertainty. Together, these approaches supported co-produced knowledge-generation, strategic hypothesis prioritization, and identification of research questions most likely to improve conservation decisions. This case study from the U.S. Gulf Coast demonstrates how co-produced research through SDM offers a broadly applicable approach for navigating ecological complexity and bridging the research-to-implementation gap in avian conservation.

Gulf Coast↗

USGS2017

Modeling nonbreeding distributions of shorebirds and waterfowl in response to climate change

To identify areas on the landscape that may contribute to a robust network of conservation areas, we modeled the probabilities of occurrence of several en route migratory shorebirds and wintering waterfowl in the southern Great Plains of North America, including responses to changing climate. We predominantly used data from the eBird citizen-science project to model probabilities of occurrence relative to land-use patterns, spatial distribution of wetlands, and climate. We projected models to potential future climate conditions using five representative general circulation models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5). We used Random Forests to model probabilities of occurrence and compared the time periods 1981–2010 (hindcast) and 2041–2070 (forecast) in “model space.” Projected changes in shorebird probabilities of occurrence varied with species-specific general distribution pattern, migration distance, and spatial extent. Species using the western and northern portion of the study area exhibited the greatest likelihoods of decline, whereas species with more easterly occurrences, mostly long-distance migrants, had the greatest projected increases in probability of occurrence. At an ecoregional extent, differences in probabilities of shorebird occurrence ranged from −0.015 to 0.045 when averaged across climate models, with the largest increases occurring early in migration. Spatial shifts are predicted for several shorebird species. Probabilities of occurrence of wintering Mallards and Northern Pintail are predicted to increase by 0.046 and 0.061, respectively, with northward shifts projected for both species. When incorporated into partner land management decision tools, results at ecoregional extents can be used to identify wetland complexes with the greatest potential to support birds in the nonbreeding season under a wide range of future climate scenarios.

Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative↗

USGS2025

Estimating polar bear (Ursus maritimus) age based on an epigenetic DNA methylation clock

Knowledge of animal age is essential to wildlife managers for obtaining meaningful and accurate insights into demographic parameters. A common approach to aging wildlife, including bears ( Ursus spp.), has been extracting a tooth during physical capture and counting the cementum annuli. Limitations to tooth-based aging include questionable accuracy and differing results based on the observer and laboratory. DNA methylation-based epigenetic aging clocks have been developed for many species but not yet for polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ). We generated DNA methylation data from whole blood samples ( n = 109) obtained during live capture operations from polar bears of known age in the Chukchi Sea and southern Beaufort Sea subpopulations. We used these samples to calibrate a species-specific epigenetic clock to estimate polar bear chronological age from DNA methylation (DNAm) age. The final polar bear clock was highly accurate ( r = 0.97) with a median absolute error of approximately 9 months. We applied the polar bear clock to 74 blood samples from live-captured polar bears with a cementum annuli-estimated age. Predicted age estimates for these bears ranged from 1.43 to 18.63 years compared to the estimated tooth age range of 3.23–25.27. These epigenetic clocks can be used for polar bear research and management where accurate estimates of age are needed for estimating demographic parameters.

Ecology and Evolution↗

USGS2026

Evidence of ringtail expansion into Idaho, USA

Ringtails ( Bassariscus astutus ) are widely distributed in the western United States and across much of Mexico, yet due to their relatively low densities and cryptic nature, little is known about their basic ecology even where they are common. Recent public sightings suggest ringtails may have expanded their distribution north into southern Idaho, USA. Currently, ringtails remain unclassified in Idaho thus limiting resources and time available for population monitoring. We attempted to detect these small carnivores in southern Idaho during winter 2023. We deployed 49 camera traps with a combination of lures (i.e., trapping lure, fruit, and orange drink mix) in canyon habitats in southern Idaho near recent ringtail sightings. We detected ringtails nine times on six different camera traps. Although incidental ringtail observations increased in southern Idaho since the early 2000s, our detections were the first to result from a targeted survey effort. Given more than 20 years of incidental sightings and multiple detections during our survey, it appears that ringtails have expanded their range northward into southern Idaho and could be considered a resident species in the state. Further efforts to document reproduction, annual persistence, and an assessment of threats could be next steps if the state wildlife management agency deems it a priority and an appropriate use of resources.

Idaho↗

USGS2024

Mechanisms, detections, and impacts of species redistributions under climate change

Shifts in species distributions are a common ecological response to climate change, and global temperature rise is often hypothesized as the primary driver. However, the directions and rates of distribution shifts are highly variable across species, systems, and studies, complicating efforts to manage and anticipate biodiversity responses to anthropogenic change. In this Review, we summarize approaches to documenting species range shifts, discuss why observed range shifts often do not match our expectations, and explore the impacts of species range shifts on nature and society. The majority (59%) of documented range shifts are directionally consistent with climate change, based on the BioShifts database of range shift observations. However, many observed species have not shifted or have shifted in directions opposite to temperature-based expectations. These lagging or expectation-contrary shifts might be explained by additional biotic or abiotic factors driving range shifts, including additional non-temperature climatic drivers, habitat characteristics, and species interactions, which are not normally considered in range shift documentations. Understanding and managing range shifts will require increasing and connecting observational biological data, generalizing range shift patterns across systems, and predicting shifts at management-relevant timescales.

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment↗

USGS2013

Influence of estuarine processes on spatiotemporal variation in bioavailable selenium

Dynamic processes (physical, chemical and biological) challenge our ability to quantify and manage the ecological risk of chemical contaminants in estuarine environments. Selenium (Se) bioavailability (defined by bioaccumulation), stable isotopes and molar carbon-tonitrogen ratios in the benthic clam Potamocorbula amurensis, an important food source for predators, were determined monthly for 17 yr in northern San Francisco Bay. Se concentrations in the clams ranged from a low of 2 to a high of 22 μg g -1 over space and time. Little of that variability was stochastic, however. Statistical analyses and preliminary hydrodynamic modeling showed that a constant mid-estuarine input of Se, which was dispersed up- and down-estuary by tidal currents, explained the general spatial patterns in accumulated Se among stations. Regression of Se bioavailability against river inflows suggested that processes driven by inflows were the primary driver of seasonal variability. River inflow also appeared to explain interannual variability but within the range of Se enrichment established at each station by source inputs. Evaluation of risks from Se contamination in estuaries requires the consideration of spatial and temporal variability on multiple scales and of the processes that drive that variability.

Marine Ecology Progress Series↗

USGS2020

Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) seasonal movements, diving, and haul-out behavior in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas (2011–2017)

Continued Arctic warming and sea-ice loss will have important implications for the conservation of ringed seals, a highly ice-dependent species. A better understanding of their spatial ecology will help characterize emerging ecological trends and inform management decisions. We deployed satellite transmitters on ringed seals in the summers of 2011, 2014, and 2016 near Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska to monitor their movements, diving, and haul-out behavior. We present analyses of tracking and dive data provided by 17 seals that were tracked until at least January of the following year. Seals mostly ranged north of Utqiaġvik in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas during summer before moving into the southern Chukchi and Bering Seas during winter. In all seasons, ringed seals occupied a diversity of habitats and spatial distributions; from near shore and localized, to far offshore and wide-ranging in drifting sea-ice. Continental shelf waters were occupied for >96% of tracking-days, during which repetitive-diving (suggestive of foraging) primarily to the seafloor was the most frequent activity. From mid-summer to early-fall, 12 seals made ~ one-week forays off-shelf to the deep Arctic Basin, most reaching the retreating pack-ice, where they spent most of their time hauled out. Diel activity patterns suggested greater allocation of foraging efforts to midday hours. Haul-out patterns were complementary, occurring mostly at night until April-May when midday hours were preferred. Ringed seals captured in 2011—concurrent with an unusual mortality event (UME) that affected all ice seal species—differed morphologically and behaviorally from seals captured in other years. Speculations about the physiology of molting and its role in energetics, habitat use, and behavior are discussed; along with possible evidence of purported ringed seal ecotypes.

Alaska↗

USGS2017

Examining the occupancy–density relationship for a low-density carnivore

The challenges associated with monitoring low-density carnivores across large landscapes have limited the ability to implement and evaluate conservation and management strategies for such species. Non-invasive sampling techniques and advanced statistical approaches have alleviated some of these challenges and can even allow for spatially explicit estimates of density, one of the most valuable wildlife monitoring tools. For some species, individual identification comes at no cost when unique attributes (e.g. pelage patterns) can be discerned with remote cameras, while other species require viable genetic material and expensive laboratory processing for individual assignment. Prohibitive costs may still force monitoring efforts to use species distribution or occupancy as a surrogate for density, which may not be appropriate under many conditions. Here, we used a large-scale monitoring study of fisher Pekania pennanti to evaluate the effectiveness of occupancy as an approximation to density, particularly for informing harvest management decisions. We combined remote cameras with baited hair snares during 2013–2015 to sample across a 70 096-km 2 region of western New York, USA. We fit occupancy and Royle–Nichols models to species detection–non-detection data collected by cameras, and spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models to individual encounter data obtained by genotyped hair samples. Variation in the state variables within 15-km 2 grid cells was modelled as a function of landscape attributes known to influence fisher distribution. We found a close relationship between grid cell estimates of fisher state variables from the models using detection–non-detection data and those from the SCR model, likely due to informative spatial covariates across a large landscape extent and a grid cell resolution that worked well with the movement ecology of the species. Fisher occupancy and density were both positively associated with the proportion of coniferous-mixed forest and negatively associated with road density. As a result, spatially explicit management recommendations for fisher were similar across models, though relative variation was dampened for the detection–non-detection data. Synthesis and applications . Our work provides empirical evidence that models using detection–non-detection data can make similar inferences regarding relative spatial variation of the focal population to models using more expensive individual encounters when the selected spatial grain approximates or is marginally smaller than home range size. When occupancy alone is chosen as a cost-effective state variable for monitoring, simulation and sensitivity analyses should be used to understand how inferences from detection–non-detection data will be affected by aspects of study design and species ecology.

Journal of Applied Ecology↗

USGS2004

Linking surface- and ground-water levels to riparian grassland species along the Platte River in central Nebraska

Nearly all the techniques used to quantify how plants are linked to environmental gradients produce results in general terms, such as low to high elevation, xeric to mesic, and low to high concentration. While ecologists comprehend these imprecise scales, managers responsible for making decisions affecting these gradients need more precise information. For our study, we preserved the measurement scale and units of a dominant environmental gradient by using non-linear models to fit plant frequency to a water-level gradient ranging from shallow ground water to standing water along the Platte River in central Nebraska, USA. Non-linear models, unlike polynomials, have coefficients that can be interpreted with a biological meaning such as population peak, optimum gradient position, and ecological amplitude. Sixty-three riparian grassland species had sufficient information to link their plant frequency to the water-level gradient. From among 10 water-level summary statistics evaluated for a subset of 22 species, the best plant-frequency response curves were obtained by using the growing season 10% cumulative frequency water level, followed closely by the growing season 7-day moving average high water level and two other high water-level statistics. This suggests that for Platte River riparian grasslands, high water levels are more influential than mean, median, or low water levels. Land-management practices (i.e., grazing, haying, and extended rest) affected six species by a change in frequency or a shift in position along the water-level gradient. Four general plant communities composed of species responding individually to the water-level gradient and other factors were identified for Platte River riparian grasslands: emergent, sedge meadow, mesic prairie, and dry ridge. Plant response curves are the first step toward predicting how plants responding to riparian-grassland water levels might also respond to river management.

Nebraska↗

USGS2022

Population viability analysis for a pond-breeding amphibian under future drought scenarios in the southeastern United States

Climate change effects are contributing to widespread declines of amphibians, and pond-breeding species may be particularly sensitive to future drought conditions that restrict wetland hydroperiods and decrease opportunities for successful breeding and recruitment. Pond-breeding amphibian populations can compensate for periodic droughts via episodic booms in recruitment, but studies predict that increased future drought conditions will negatively impact long-term persistence for several species. The southeastern United States is a global hotspot of amphibian biodiversity where future trends in drought conditions are uncertain. This study applied a population viability analysis (PVA) framework for an at-risk amphibian, the gopher frog ( Lithobates [ Rana ] capito ), to (i) explore population sensitivity to the frequency of droughts that restrict reproductive events, relative to changes in other demographic rates, and (ii) forecast future population viability over 30 years, given plausible scenarios varying in the frequency and duration of droughts adapted from recent historical patterns in the southeastern United States. Population persistence was highly sensitive to frequency of reproductive success. Persistence was fairly insensitive to all demographic parameters when reproductive success was ≥ 0.7 (i.e., ≤ 3 drought years per decade, on average), but sensitivity to survival of terrestrial stages (juvenile, adults) and initial abundance increased as reproductive success decreased. Persistence probabilities were relatively high (0.63–0.99) across a range of plausible future drought scenarios, with higher persistence probabilities (> 0.89) for all scenarios where drought years did not increase from recent historical conditions. Our results indicate gopher frog populations are likely resilient to periodic droughts that occur in 4 or fewer years per decade, but extirpation of some populations is possible if recent drought patterns repeat or increase during the next 30 years. Estimates of future risk to gopher frog populations can inform forthcoming status assessments and designation decisions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More broadly, PVAs incorporating drought dynamics can identify climate thresholds that at-risk, pond-breeding amphibian populations can tolerate, which can inform management actions (e.g., maintaining a range of hydroperiods across proximate wetlands) that provide sufficient frequent breeding opportunities for long-term persistence even under drought conditions.

Global Ecology and Conservation↗

USGS2019

Adapting to climate change: Guidance for the management of inland glacial lake fisheries

Climate change is altering glacial lake fisheries in the United States, presenting a complex challenge for fisheries managers. Here we provide a regional perspective to guide management of heterogeneous and yet interdependent fishery resources in glacial lakes of the upper Midwest. Our main objective was to promote the adaptation of inland glacial lakes fisheries management to climate change by outlining processes that support regional plans. Using examples from the glacial lakes region, we outline an approach for regional prioritization, specify strategies for moving from regional prioritization to on-the-ground action, and provide guidance on the implementation of management plans given resource limitations and potential stakeholder conflict. We find that integrating ecological, social, and economic data with climate change vulnerability assessments can be useful in generating “lake-priority levels” to help identify where to focus actions to support system resilience. Managers can use lake-priority levels and ecosystem-specific strategies to make decisions about where and when to apply fisheries management action ranging from traditional (i.e., stocking, harvest regulations) to nontraditional approaches (i.e., catchment land management). Although the implementation of several approaches may be beyond an agency’s financial and logistical capacity, funds can be secured through other sources ranging from grant programs to nontraditional partnerships identified by “thinking outside the lake.” Regional plans may be an important step toward successful climate adaptation for inland glacial lakes fisheries management, and the proactive efforts of managers may help facilitate their development and implementation.

Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin↗

USGS1997

Gradients, vegetation and climate: spatial and temporal dynamics in the Olympic Mountains, USA

The steep environmental gradients of mountains result in the juxtaposition of diverse vegetation associations with narrow ecotones because life zones are compressed. Variation in geologic substrate, landforms, and soils, in combination with steep environmental gradients, create habitat diversity across spatial scales from 10 6 ha to <10 m 2 . This leads to higher biodiversity in a smaller space than in landscapes with less topographic variation. Mountains are often considered to be refuges for biological diversity at the regional scale, although variation in landscape features creates refuges at a fine scale as well. Mountains should also be considered a source of biological diversity, because they provide the germplasm for migration into lowland areas following glacial recession. Many taxa are distributed over a broad range of elevations and habitats, which maximizes the potential to respond to environmental perturbations. Reorganization of species distribution and abundance as a result of climatic change may be impacted considerably by human-caused fragmentation of landscape features, especially at lower elevations. This paper uses palaeoecological and biogeographical data to investigate the spatial and temporal vegetation dynamics of a steep maritime range, the Olympic Mountains (USA). The role of resource management in protecting vegetation in a fragmented landscape is discussed, with emphasis on how to address uncertainties such as climatic change.

Washington↗