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At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources
USGS2025

A crosswalk of the 2015 World Terrestrial Ecosystems to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology Framework

To support ecosystem mapping and accounting applications, we aligned the 2015 U.S. Geological Survey/Esri/The Nature Conservancy-World Terrestrial Ecosystems (WTEs) with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Global Ecosystem Typology (GET) framework. This process, known as “crosswalking,” enabled the development of a global map of GET level 3 Ecosystem Functional Groups (EFGs) at a 250-meter spatial resolution. Crosswalking involved manually assigning 1,781 biogeographically stratified WTEs to their most probable EFG based on similarities in climate, terrain, vegetation, and geographic distribution. We compared attributes of the WTE dataset with summary characteristics of the EFGs. The resulting crosswalked global map of International Union for Conservation of Nature GET ecosystems is intended to be useful for standardizing ecosystem classification and reporting under frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting. We discuss key challenges in reconciling non-identical classifications, such as many-to-one relationships and variation in data quality.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2008

Analysis of Conservative Tracer Tests in the Bullfrog, Tram, and Prow Pass Tuffs, 1996 to 1998, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

To evaluate the potential for transport of radionuclides in ground water from the proposed high-level nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, conservative (nonsorbing) tracer tests were conducted among three boreholes, known as the C-hole Complex, and values for transport (or flow) porosity, storage (or matrix) porosity, longitudinal dispersivity, and the extent of matrix diffusion were obtained. The C-holes are completed in a sequence of Miocene tuffaceous rock, consisting of nonwelded to densely welded ash-flow tuff with intervals of ash-fall tuff and volcaniclastic rocks, covered by Quaternary alluvium. The lower part of the tuffaceous-rock sequence includes the Prow Pass, Bullfrog, and Tram Tuffs of the Crater Flat Group. The rocks are pervaded by tectonic and cooling fractures. Paleozoic limestone and dolomite underlie the tuffaceous rocks. Four radially convergent and one partially recirculating conservative (nonsorbing) tracer tests were conducted at the C-hole Complex from 1996 to 1998 to establish values for flow porosity, storage porosity, longitudinal dispersivity, and extent of matrix diffusion in the Bullfrog and Tram Tuffs and the Prow Pass Tuff. Tracer tests included (1) injection of iodide into the combined Bullfrog-Tram interval; (2) injection of 2,6 difluorobenzoic acid into the Lower Bullfrog interval; (3) injection of 3-carbamoyl-2-pyridone into the Lower Bullfrog interval; and (4) injection of iodide and 2,4,5 trifluorobenzoic acid, followed by 2,3,4,5 tetrafluorobenzoic acid, into the Prow Pass Tuff. All tracer tests were analyzed by the Moench single- and dual-porosity analytical solutions to the advection-dispersion equation or by superposition of these solutions. Nonlinear regression techniques were used to corroborate tracer solution results, to obtain optimal parameter values from the solutions, and to quantify parameter uncertainty resulting from analyzing two of the three radially convergent conservative tracer tests conducted in the Bullfrog and Tram intervals. Longitudinal dispersivity values in the Bullfrog and Tram Tuffs ranged from 1.83 to 2.6 meters, flow-porosity values from 0.072 to 0.099, and matrix-porosity values from 0.088 to 0.19. The flow-porosity values indicate that the pathways between boreholes UE-25 c#2 and UE-25 c#3 in the Bullfrog and Tram intervals are not connected well. Tracer testing in the Prow Pass interval indicates different transport characteristics than those obtained in the Bullfrog and Tram intervals. In the Prow Pass Tuff, longitudinal dispersivity was 0.27 meter, flow porosity was 4.5 ? 10?4, and matrix porosity was 0.01. This indicates that the flow network in the Prow Pass is dominated by interconnected fractures, whereas in the Bullfrog and Tram, the flow network is dominated by discontinuous fractures with connecting segments of matrix.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2010

Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science and Management Workshop Proceedings, May 12-14, 2009, Laramie, Wyoming

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hosted the second Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) Science and Management Workshop at the University of Wyoming Conference Center and Hilton Garden Inn on May 12, 13, and 14, 2009, in Laramie, Wyo. The workshop focused on six topics seen as relevant to ongoing WLCI science and management activities: mapping and modeling resources for decisionmaking; data information and management; fish and wildlife research; changing landscapes; monitoring; and reclamation and offsite mitigation. Panelists gave presentations on ongoing research in these six areas during plenary sessions followed by audience discussions. Three breakout groups focused on discussing wildlife, reclamation, and monitoring. Throughout the plenary sessions, audience discussions, and breakout groups, several needs were repeatedly emphasized by panelists and workshop participants: developing a conservation plan and identifying priority areas and species for conservation actions; gaining a deeper understanding of sagebrush ecology; identifying thresholds for wildlife that can be used to create an 'early warning system' for managers; continuing to collect basic data across the landscape; facilitating even greater communication and partnership across agencies and between scientists and land managers; and engaging proactively in understanding new changes on the landscape such as wind energy development and climate change. Detailed proceedings from the workshop are captured and summarized in this report.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2014

Assessment of conservation easements, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids in West Fork Beaver Creek, Minnesota, 1999-2012

This study examined conservation easements and their effectiveness at reducing phosphorus and solids transport to streams. The U.S. Geological Survey cooperated with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and worked collaboratively with the Hawk Creek Watershed Project to examine the West Fork Beaver Creek Basin in Renville County, which has the largest number of Reinvest In Minnesota land retirement contracts in the State (as of 2013). Among all conservation easement programs, a total of 24,218 acres of agricultural land were retired throughout Renville County, and 2,718 acres were retired in the West Fork Beaver Creek Basin from 1987 through 2012. Total land retirement increased steadily from 1987 until 2000. In 2000, land retirement increased sharply because of the Minnesota River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, then leveled off when the program ended in 2002. Streamflow data were collected during 1999 through 2011, and total phosphorus and total suspended solids data were collected during 1999 through 2012. During this period, the highest peak streamflow of 1,320 cubic feet per second was in March 2010. Total phosphorus and total suspended solids are constituents that tend to increase with increases in streamflow. Annual flow-weighted mean total-phosphorus concentrations ranged from 0.140 to 0.759 milligrams per liter, and annual flow-weighted mean total suspended solids concentrations ranged from 21.3 to 217 milligrams per liter. Annual flow-weighted mean total phosphorus and total suspended solids concentrations decreased steadily during the first 4 years of water-quality sample collection. A downward trend in flow-weighted mean total-phosphorus concentrations was significant from 1999 through 2008; however, flow-weighted total-phosphorus concentrations increased substantially in 2009, and the total phosphorus trend was no longer significant. The high annual flow-weighted mean concentrations for total phosphorus and total suspended solids in 2009 were affected by outlier concentrations documented in March 2009. Agricultural land-retirement data only were available through 2008; therefore, it was not possible to compare total phosphorus and total suspended solids concentrations to agricultural land-retirement data for 2009–11. A downward trend in annual flow-weighted mean total-phosphorus concentrations was related significantly to annual land retirement for 1999–2008. The relation between annual flow-weighted mean total suspended solids concentration and annual land retirement was not statistically significant for 1999–2008. If land-retirement data had been available for 2009–11, it is possible that the relation between total phosphorus and land retirement would no longer be evident because of the marked increase in flow-weighted concentrations during 2009. Alternatively, the increase in annual flow-weighted mean total-phosphorus concentrations during 2009–11 may be because of other factors, including industrial discharges, increases in drain tile installation, changes in land use including decreases in agricultural land retirement after 2008, increases in erosion, increases in phosphorus applications to fields, or unknown causes. Inclusion of land-retirement effects in agency planning along with other factors adds perspective with regard to the broader picture of interdependent systems and allows agencies to make informed decisions on the benefits of perpetual easements compared to limited duration easements.

Minnesota↗
USGS2017

Temporal changes in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations with comparisons to conservation practices and agricultural activities in the Lower Grand River, Missouri and Iowa, and selected watersheds, 1969–2015

This report presents the results of a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Missouri Department of Natural Resources to estimate total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations at monitoring sites within and near the Lower Grand River hydrological unit. The primary objectives of the study were to quantify temporal changes in TN and TP concentrations and compare those concentrations to conservation practices and agricultural activities. Despite increases in funding during 2011–15 for conservation practices in the Lower Grand River from the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, decreases in flow-normalized TN and TP concentrations during this time at the long-term Grand River site were less than at other long-term sites, which did not receive funding from the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative. The relative differences in the magnitude of flow-normalized TN and TP concentrations among long-term sites are directly related to the amount of agricultural land use within the watershed. Significant relations were determined between nitrogen from cattle manure and flow-normalized TN concentrations at selected long-term sites, indicating livestock manure may be a substantial source of nitrogen within the selected long-term site watersheds. Relations between flow-normalized TN and TP concentrations with Conservation Reserve Program acres and with nitrogen and phosphorus from commercial fertilizer indicate that changes in these factors alone did not have a substantial effect on stream TN and TP concentrations; other landscape activities, runoff, within-bank nutrients that are suspended during higher streamflows, or a combination of these have had a greater effect on stream TN and TP concentrations; or there is a lag time that is obscuring relations. Temporal changes in flow-adjusted TN and TP concentrations were not substantial at Lower Grand River Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative sites, indicating factors besides stream variability did not have substantial effects on TN and TP concentrations. Flow-weighted TN and TP concentrations at Lower Grand River Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative sites increase with increasing streamflow, which indicates runoff, within-bank nutrients that are suspended during higher streamflows, or both, have more effect on stream TN and TP concentrations than consistent point sources or groundwater sources. Timing of TN and TP concentration increases compared to streamflow increases indicate that nitrogen and phosphorus loads are more strongly related to streamflow than to a particular period of the year, indicating that runoff, within-bank nutrients that are suspended during higher streamflows, or both are a substantial source of nutrients regardless of timing.

Iowa, Missouri↗
USGS2018

Monitoring the water-quality response of agricultural conservation practices in the Bucks Branch watershed, Sussex County, Delaware, 2014–16

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation and cover crops as conservation practices on water quality in groundwater and streams. Bucks Branch, a stream in the Nanticoke River watershed in southwestern Delaware, was identified as having one of the highest concentrations of nitrate in all surface-water sites sampled by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). The study site is on two adjacent fields bordering Bucks Branch, one that has used irrigation since 2000 and one with dryland farming; both under conservation tillage and long-term rotation of corn, soybean, and small grain crops. A streamgage was installed near the study site fields to measure streamflow and water quality. The study area is typical of farming practices and environmental conditions throughout much of the intensively farmed agricultural land of the Coastal Plain of Delaware and surrounding parts of Maryland. Monitoring was conducted from January 2014 through June 2016. Corn was grown on both fields during the two growing seasons of the study period, and cover crops were planted before or shortly after harvest on both fields. During the second year of data collection, the effects of radish and rye grass cover crops on nutrient transport were studied. The combined results from data collected for this study show that water and nitrate moved below the root zone year round when soil moisture was high, especially after significant rainfall and frequently after irrigation. Soil water sampled 2 to 3 weeks after nutrients were applied had nitrate concentrations greater than 50 milligrams per liter as nitrogen (mg/L as N) and may be a significant source of nitrate to groundwater. Whereas recharge containing elevated nitrate concentrations also occurred under the dryland field, it was less frequent and of lower concentration than recharge under the irrigated field. Nitrate was present in all groundwater samples from these sites. Groundwater estimated to have recharged within 10 years or less had higher median concentrations of nitrate than in older water samples. The oldest groundwater encountered was over 30 years old, and had traveled along the longest, deep flowpaths from upland fields to the stream. The median nitrate concentration was 18 mg/L as N in younger water (less than 10 years old) beneath the irrigated field, compared to about 10 mg/L as N in younger water beneath the dryland field. Samples from the shallow upland wells in both study fields showed little, if any, evidence of denitrification. Several samples from deeper wells and from wells near forested riparian zone wetlands that border both fields did show partial denitrification. A mixing model estimated that between 12 and 22 percent of the nitrate discharging to the stream was lost through uptake and denitrification upstream of the streamgage on Bucks Branch. Continuous data collected at this site and evidence of denitrification in the surface-water samples showed a greater potential for loss of nitrate during the warmer months than the colder months. This pattern was similar to that seen below the streamgage at the most downstream site in the watershed. A mixed cover crop of radishes and rye was planted prior to removal (radishes) and just after harvest (rye) of the corn crop on the irrigated field. Rye grass was planted shortly after crop harvest on the dryland field. Cover crop biomass samples collected while radishes were growing and after they were killed by freezing temperatures indicates that the early planted radish crop effectively scavenged available nitrogen from the soil. Whereas radish biomass initially held more nitrogen than rye, at 55 to 8 pounds per acre, respectively, leaching of inorganic nitrate following radish die-off was minimal. Soil-water nitrate concentrations during the cover-crop growing period were lower than during the growing season prior to planting of the cover crop. There also was an increase in soil fertility and dissolved organic nitrate in samples of soil water that was likely related to increased soil microbial metabolism. Results indicate that cover crops stored plant nutrients over the winter and did not increase shallow groundwater concentrations of nitrate. Although conservation practices such as cover crops and nutrient management have been applied to these fields, there was still significant leaching of nitrate to groundwater, especially under the irrigated field. This will likely continue to be a challenge in this area and other parts of the Coastal Plain where soil moisture capacity is relatively low and managing irrigation around rainfall is difficult. Cover crops, when planted in standing corn, are one practice that can effectively pull nitrate from below the root zone to the top layer of soil, thus limiting the amount of potential nitrate leaching to groundwater. Irrigation management that would lower average soil moisture conditions during the growing season also could potentially limit nitrogen transport.

Delaware↗
USGS2022

Perceptions of conservation introduction to inform decision support among U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees

Executive Summary Around the globe, fish and wildlife managers are facing increasingly complex management issues because of multiscale ecological effects like climate change, species invasion, and land-use change. Managers seeking to prevent extinctions or preserve ecosystems are increasingly considering more interventionist techniques to overcome the resulting changes. Among those techniques, translocation methods that intentionally move species into new, less impacted habitats are being considered. These types of translocations are known by a range of terms, including “managed relocation” and “assisted migration,” but the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC, 2013) has proposed “conservation introduction” (CI) as a standard term. As defined by the IUCN SSC, CI is the intentional movement of a species or population outside its indigenous range for conservation purposes. CI can be divided into two forms: assisted colonization and ecological replacement. Assisted colonization is moving species outside its indigenous range to prevent extinction or extirpation of a population. Ecological replacement is moving species to fulfill an important niche that is necessary within an ecosystem. Proponents suggest these methods are necessary to address the ecological challenges managers are trying to overcome. Opponents point out the potential for species to become invasive, introduce disease or parasites, and cause other cascading impacts throughout the ecosystem. The result is controversy and disagreement. As such, it will be imperative to develop clear guidelines and best practices to be followed within wildlife management agencies to prevent potential To this end, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop the current project. The intent was to describe the perceptions of USFWS personnel across many aspects of CI so that the USFWS could use this information in the planning and development of their own internal decision-support framework for CI. This report is presented in five sections. Section 1 introduces the project and provides an in-depth overview of background literature related to CI. Section 2 describes the study design, methods, and study participant characteristics. Section 3 describes key results and recommendations related to the development of a USFWS decision framework. Section 4 investigates a range of perceptions held by participants and establishes baseline information for how USFWS personnel may view CI and its application. Types of viewpoints surveyed include preferred terms and definitions, perceived barriers, perceived risks and tradeoffs, and aspects of success. Perceived barriers refers to factors that may prevent successful implementation of CI and perceived risks refers to potential negative outcomes that may occur as a result of implementing CI. Section 5 provides an overview of our conclusions for this project. Overall, we found that CI is likely to be viewed positively within the USFWS, but employees offered cautions and caveats. Most participants we interviewed feel that it is a necessary tool that will be indispensable in certain situations but also feel that there is more risk associated than with more traditional methods. For this reason, many participants are concerned about the assessment and planning that should be conducted prior to any CI effort. Our results indicate that many USFWS personnel will be open to CI being adopted more regularly but will be looking for clear guidance on how it should be implemented.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1976

Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake in the Everglades Conservation Areas, Florida, with special reference to the effects of backpumping runoff

In much of the water pumped into the northern Everglades, Florida, concentrations of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus are relatively high. These nutrients are transported in the canals or into the peripheral marshes. Concentrations decrease sharply within 330 feet or less of the canals, whereas specific conductance remains essentially unchanged within this distance. The sharp decrease in inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus near the canal edge indicates net uptake in these shallow waters. Concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus also decrease as water moves through the conservation areas in canals. This decrease is due partly to dilution by rainfall and runoff, and partly to net uptake in the canals and their peripheral marsh. The large canals of the northern and eastern parts of the conservation areas often have relatively low concentrations of dissolved oxygen which show little fluctuation within 24 hours. Backpumping 50 percent of the total annual canal runoff in southeast Florida would add from 990 to 6,160 tons of nitrogen and from 10 to 62 tons of phosphorus to the conservation areas. The bottom sediments of the Everglades are a sink for nitrogen and phosphorus. They can, however, be a source of these nutrients when anaerobic conditions exist at the water-sediment interface or when bottom material becomes resuspended. (Woodard-USGS)

Florida↗
USGS1984

Low-flow transport models for conservative and sorbed solutes — Uvas Creek, near Morgan Hill, California

Models describing low-flow transport of conservative (nonreactive) and reactive solutes, which adsorb on the streambed, are developed and tested. Temporary storage within the bed plays an important role in solute movement. Three different models of bed-storage processes are developed for conservative solutes. One model assumes the bed is a well-mixed, nondiffusing, nonreacting zone. Solute flux into the bed is then proportional to the difference between stream and bed-solute concentrations. A second model assumes that solute is transported within the bed by a vertical diffusion process. The bed-solute concentration, which matches the stream concentration at the interface, varies with depth in the bed according to Fick 's law. A third model assumes convection in the downstream direction occurs in certain parts of the bed, while the mechanism of the first model functions elsewhere. Storage of absorbing species is assumed to occur by equilibrium adsorption within streambed particles. Uptake rate is described by an intraparticle diffusion process. Model equations were solved using finite element numerical methods. Models were calibrated using data from a 24-hour injection of conservative chloride and adsorptive Sr ions at Uvas Creek near Morgan Hill, California. All models predict well except for some overestimation by the adsorption model during dieaway.

California↗
USGS2025

Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) abundance in a National Conservation Area in Idaho has increased since the 1970s–1990s

The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA), in southwestern Idaho, USA supports a large population of breeding Prairie Falcons ( Falco mexicanus ). Abundance of Prairie Falcons in the NCA was previously monitored in 1976–1978 and 1990–1994. That research indicated maximum counts for each period in 1976 and 1992 and a possible population decline across that time span. We assessed the abundance and nesting success of Prairie Falcons in the NCA in 2002–2003 and 2019–2021, and we compared results to data from before 2000 to assess possible population change. Number of nesting pairs increased over 45 years from peak counts of 206, 193, and 217 in the 1970s, 1990s, and early 2000s, respectively, to 257 in 2021. Increases were not concentrated in one region, but widely distributed across the study area. Rates of nesting success in 2002–2003 and 2019–2021 averaged 57 ± 11.8% (SD) at 49.8 ± 3.3 nests observed each year and did not differ from pre-2000 rates. Finally, our analysis showed that in all 10 years in which a full census was conducted, a sampling approach to surveys would have been effective at estimating the number of falcons nesting within the NCA. Prairie Falcons are of conservation concern because of possible population declines in parts of their range. These results illustrate an area with apparently increasing numbers of this important species and highlight the importance of long-term surveys for tracking population fluctuations and the value of a national conservation area for providing raptor breeding habitat.

Idaho↗
USGS2015

A call for conservation scientists to evaluate opportunities and risks from operation of vertical axis wind turbines

A new conservation paradigm ( Kareiva and Marvier, 2012 ) emphasizes the need for scientists to embrace a holistic approach taking into account the social and natural dimensions of conservation in human-dominated landscapes. While there is heavy debate over the new approach ( Tallis and Lubchenco, 2014 ), most conservation scientists seem to agree on to the need to cooperate with corporations when such interaction can benefit people and the environment ( Miller et al., 2014 ; Tallis and Lubchenco, 2014 ). Cooperation can be most productive when established in the early phases of development, but this requires a high capacity for forward looking pre-emptive action (i.e., anticipating potential forthcoming issues before they arise; Sutherland and Woodroof, 2009 ). This framework is particularly salient for rapidly developing and expanding technologies such as those for harvesting renewable energy sources. Here the stakes are very high, as they concern mitigating negative consequences to global climate while generating energy without impacting wildlife. In this vein, past experience is instructional. The environmental impacts of biofuels and wind, among others, have been identified and evaluated rather late ( Sutherland and Woodroof, 2009 ), so that implementation of best management practices on existing facilities is now often prohibitively expensive.

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution↗
USGS2022

The role of satellite telemetry data in 21st century conservation of polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

Satellite telemetry (ST) has played a critical role in the management and conservation of polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) over the last 50 years. ST data provide biological information relevant to subpopulation delineation, movements, habitat use, maternal denning, health, human-bear interactions, and accurate estimates of vital rates and abundance. Given that polar bears are distributed at low densities over vast and remote habitats, much of the information provided by ST data cannot be collected by other means. Obtaining ST data for polar bears requires chemical immobilization and application of a tracking device. Although immobilization has not been found to have negative effects beyond a several-day reduction in activity, over the last few decades opposition to immobilization and deployment of satellite-linked radio collars has resulted in a lack of current ST data in many of the 19 recognized polar bear subpopulations. Here, we review the uses of ST data for polar bears and evaluate its role in addressing 21 st century conservation and management challenges, which include estimation of sustainable harvest rates, understanding the impacts of climate warming, delineating critical habitat, and assessing potential anthropogenic impacts from tourism, resource development and extraction. We found that in subpopulations where ST data have been consistently collected, information was available to estimate vital rates and subpopulation density, document the effects of sea-ice loss, and inform management related to subsistence harvest and regulatory requirements. In contrast, a lack of ST data in some subpopulations resulted in increased bias and uncertainty in ecological and demographic parameters, which has a range of negative consequences. As sea-ice loss due to climate warming continues, there is a greater need to monitor polar bear distribution, habitat use, abundance, and subpopulation connectivity. We conclude that continued collection of ST data will be critically important for polar bear management and conservation in the 21 st century and that the benefits of immobilizing small numbers of individual polar bears in order to deploy ST devices significantly outweigh the risks.

Frontiers in Marine Science↗
USGS2021

Using the Landsat Burned Area products to derive fire history relevant for fire management and conservation in the state of Florida, southeastern USA

Development of comprehensive spatially explicit fire occurrence data remains one of the most critical needs for fire managers globally, and especially for conservation across the southeastern United States. Not only are many endangered species and ecosystems in that region reliant on frequent fire, but fire risk analysis, prescribed fire planning, and fire behavior modeling are sensitive to fire history due to the long growing season and high vegetation productivity. Spatial data that map burned areas over time provide critical information for evaluating management successes. However, existing fire data have undocumented shortcomings that limit their use when detailing the effectiveness of fire management at state and regional scales. Here, we assessed information in existing fire datasets for Florida and the Landsat Burned Area products based on input from the fire management community. We considered the potential of different datasets to track the spatial extents of fires and derive fire history metrics (e.g., time since last burn, fire frequency, and seasonality). We found that burned areas generated by applying a 90% threshold to the Landsat burn probability product matched patterns recorded and observed by fire managers at three pilot areas. We then created fire history metrics for the entire state from the modified Landsat Burned Area product. Finally, to show their potential application for conservation management, we compared fire history metrics across ownerships for natural pinelands, where prescribed fire is frequently applied. Implications of this effort include increased awareness around conservation and fire management planning efforts and an extension of derivative products regionally or globally.

Florida↗
USGS1997

Management of Sequoiadendron giganteum and Sequoia sempervirens forests in the reserves of California - Considerations of ecology and conservation

Giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ), also known as “Bigtree” and “Sierra Redwood,” is entirely restricted to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the State of California, while coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ) is restricted to coastal northern California, extending northward slightly into the State of Oregon. Both charismatic species, members of the family Taxodiaceae, have served as important cultural icons in America, and both have played important roles in the history of nature conservation. The two species share important ecological similarities as well as significant differences; these ecological factors have become increasingly important in effecting their conservation, and in developing successful strategies for the long-term sustainable management of the forest communities in which they occur. The bulk of giant sequoia groves occur in reserves protected from logging, while only a small proportion of coast redwoods are similarly protected. For most of its history in the 20th century, conservation has been concerned with protecting uncut “old-growth” forest stands of giant trees. While this remains of great concern to the public, scientists and reserve managers have, in recent decades, extended their interest to what is known as “ecosystem management,” which includes all aspects of the natural ecosystems in which coast redwoods and giant sequoias occur. For the first time, attempts are presently beginning--in those areas outside the national parks, state parks, and other reserves, to reconcile some levels of timber harvest with the long-term sustainable preservation of the character and biodiversity of giant sequoia and redwood forests.

California↗
USGS2021

Conservation of northwestern and southwestern pond turtles: Threats, population size estimates, and population viability analysis

Accurate status assessments of long-lived, widely distributed taxa depend on the availability of long-term monitoring data from multiple populations. However, monitoring populations across large temporal and spatial scales is often beyond the scope of any one researcher or research group. Consequently, wildlife managers may be tasked with utilizing limited information from different sources to detect range-wide evidence of population declines and their causes. When assessments need to be made under such constraints, the research and management communities must determine how to extrapolate from variable population data to species-level inferences. Here, using three different approaches, we integrate and analyze data from the peer-reviewed literature and government agency reports to inform conservation for northwestern pond turtles (NPT) Actinemys marmorata and southwestern pond turtles (SPT) Actinemys pallida . Both NPT and SPT are long-lived freshwater turtles distributed along the west coast of the United States and Mexico. Conservation concerns exist for both species; however, SPT may face more severe threats and are thought to exist at lower densities throughout their range than NPT. For each species, we ranked the impacts of 13 potential threats, estimated population sizes, and modeled population viability with and without long-term droughts. Our results suggest that predation of hatchlings by invasive predators, such as American bullfrogs Lithobates catesbeianus and Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides, is a high-ranking threat for NPT and SPT. Southwestern pond turtles may also face more severe impacts associated with natural disasters (droughts, wildfires, and floods) than do NPT. Population size estimates from trapping surveys indicate that SPT have smaller population sizes on average than do NPT ( P = 0.0003), suggesting they may be at greater risk of local extirpation. Population viability analysis models revealed that long-term droughts are a key environmental parameter; as the frequency of severe droughts increases with climate change, the likelihood of population recovery decreases, especially when census sizes are low. Given current population trends and vulnerability to natural disasters throughout their range, we suggest that conservation and recovery actions first focus on SPT to prevent further population declines.

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management↗
USGS2022

Structured decision making to rank North American Wetland Conservation Act proposals within joint venture regions

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401-4412) provided funding and administration for wetland management and conservation projects. The North American Wetland Conservation Fund, enabled in 1989 with the Act, provides financial resources. Resource allocation decisions are based, in part, on regional experts, particularly migratory bird Joint Ventures (JVs) (i.e., partnerships for cooperative planning and coordinated management of the continent’s waterfowl populations and habitats). The JVs evaluate funding proposals submitted with their respective regions each year and make funding recommendations to decision makers. Proposal evaluation procedures differ among JVs, however, it could be helpful to consider a transparent, repeatable, and data-driven framework for prioritization within regions. We used structured decision making and linear additive value models for ranking proposals within JV regions. We used two JVs as case studies and constructed two different value models using JV-specific objectives and weights. The framework was developed through a collaborative process with JV staff and stakeholders. Models were written in Microsoft Excel. To test these models, we used six NAWCA proposals submitted to the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture in 2016 and seven proposals submitted to the Gulf Coast Joint Venture in 2017. We compared proposal ranks assigned by the value model to ranks assigned by each JV’s management board. Ranks assigned by the value model differed from ranks assigned by the board for the Upper Mississippi / Great Lakes Joint Venture, but not for the Gulf Coast Joint Venture. However, ranks from the value model could change markedly with different objective weights and value functions. The weighted linear value model was beneficial for ranking NAWCA proposals because it allows JVs to treat the ranking as a multiple objective problem and tailor the ranking to their specific regional concerns. We believe a structured decision making approach could be adapted by JV staff to facilitate a systematic and transparent process for proposal ranking by their management boards.

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management↗
USGS2025

Effectiveness of stewardship and management strategies to conserve coastal bird populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico: A literature review

Shorebirds, seabirds, and wading birds (hereafter coastal birds) have experienced considerable losses over the last century and require proactive conservation management to stabilize or grow populations. Habitat loss and/or degradation and human disturbance are among the most urgent threats faced by coastal bird populations. Identifying effective conservation management techniques to mitigate these threats is of great interest in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM), a region that provides important habitat during the entire life cycle of resident birds and an essential breeding, wintering, and stopover site for migratory birds. A suite of 35 coastal birds have been identified as priority species for multi-scale conservation monitoring in this region by the Gulf of Mexico Avian Monitoring Network (GoMAMN). This review focuses on impacts of human disturbance and anthropogenic habitat loss and/or degradation on coastal birds and effectiveness of the management strategies implemented to mitigate them, with the goal of informing nGoM management. Our review found that human disturbance was best alleviated by simultaneously deploying complementary stewardship techniques (e.g., signs, fencing, steward patrols, education and community involvement, and beach closures to humans, dogs, and vehicles). However, the relative efficacy of each individual technique is unclear given that only 13% of human disturbance management studies and 38% of habitat management studies have been conducted in the nGoM region. Given the nature of coastal bird habitat and associated risks from sea level rise and human development, most habitat management studies encouraged strategic applications of beach renourishment, limitations on beach raking, as well as site- and species-specific restoration strategies. Studies demonstrated that successful management of coastal birds in the nGoM combined these approaches, employing complementary and adaptive strategies over extended periods.

Journal of Field Ornithology↗
USGS2021

Epigean crayfish of the Potomac River Basin in West Virginia: Zoogeography, natural history and conservation

Crayfish are an aquatic fauna of conservation concern, yet regional studies are lacking on zoogeography and life history. We compared recent and historical species distribution data and assessed conservation standings of native and nonindigenous crayfish of the Potomac River Basin in West Virginia. From 2007–2011, a total of 1764 crayfish were collected from 159 sites. Data collection included species abundance, morphometrics, and life history parameters. Percentages of the number of individuals of each species of the total catch were 36.3% ( Cambarus bartonii ), 34.6% ( Faxonius obscurus ), 23.4% ( Faxonius virilis ), 3.6% ( Procambarus cf. zonangulus ) and 2.0% ( Cambarus carinirostris ). Cambarus bartonii was present throughout the drainage, F. obscurus was collected primarily from the North Branch, South Branch, and Cacapon river watersheds, and C. carinirostris was only collected in the South Branch watershed. Two nonnative species, F. virilis and P. cf. zonangulus , were only present in tributaries downstream of the Cacapon River watershed. Spinycheek crayfish ( Faxonius limosus ) were not collected during our survey, which suggests its possible extirpation from the West Virginia portion of its range. Our zoogeographic and life history data could serve as a baseline for future conservation-oriented monitoring efforts of the Potomac River watershed.

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