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Results for “Ecological Restoration”

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At least 973 records · Page 54Linked to original sources
USGS2019

Estimating connectivity of hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) and eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larvae in Barnegat Bay

Many marine organisms have a well-known adult sessile stage. Unfortunately, our lack of knowledge regarding their larval transient stage hinders our understanding of their basic ecology and connectivity. Larvae can have swimming behavior that influences their transport within the marine environment. Understanding the larval stage provides insight into population connectivity that can help strategically identify areas for restoration. Current techniques for understanding the larval stage include modeling that combines particle attributes (e.g., larval behavior) with physical processes of water movement to contribute to our understanding of connectivity trends. This study builds on those methods by using a previously developed retention clock matrix (RCM) to illustrate time dependent connectivity of two species of shellfish between areas and over a range of larval durations. The RCM was previously used on physical parameters but we expand the concept by applying it to biology. A new metric, difference RCM (DRCM), is introduced to quantify changes in connectivity under different scenarios. Broad spatial trends were similar for all behavior types with a general south to north progression of particles. The DRCMs illustrate differences between neutral particles and those with behavior in northern regions where stratification was higher, indicating that larval behavior influenced transport. Based on these findings, particle behavior led to small differences (north to south movement) in transport patterns in areas with higher salinity gradients (the northern part of the system) compared to neutral particles. Overall, the dominant direction for particle movement was from south to north, which at times was enhanced by winds from the south. Clam and oyster restoration in the southern portion of Barnegat Bay could serve as a larval supply for populations in the north. These model results show that coupled hydrodynamic and particle tracking models have implications for fisheries management and restoration activities.

New Jersey↗
USGS2018

Reestablishing a host–affiliate relationship: Migratory fish reintroduction increases native mussel recruitment

Co‐extirpation among host–affiliate species is thought to be a leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide. Freshwater mussels (Unionida) are at risk globally and face many threats to survival, including limited access to viable host fish required to complete their life history. We examine the relationship between the common eastern elliptio mussel ( Elliptio complanata ) and its migratory host fish the American eel ( Anguilla rostrata ), whose distribution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is limited, in part, by dams. We examined population demographics of E. complanata across locations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, primarily in the Susquehanna River in the absence of American eels, and conducted experimental restocking of eels to assess potential impacts on mussel recruitment. Compared to surveys completed ~20 yr prior, E. complanata could be experiencing declines at several historically abundant sites. These sites also had extremely limited evidence of recruitment. Restoration of host fish improved recruitment, but results were not equivalent between stocking sites, indicating that host reintroduction alone may not be fully effective in reestablishing mussel populations. One site where eels were introduced (Pine Creek, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, USA) experienced an increase from 0 juveniles found during quantitative surveys prior to eel stocking to 151 (21% of individuals collected during quantitative surveys) E. complanata juveniles found four years after stocking. A second site (Buffalo Creek, Union County, Pennsylvania) experienced a more moderate increase from 2 to 7 juveniles found during 2010 and 2014 quantitative surveys, respectively. Continued examination of other potential interacting factors affecting recruitment, including water quality or habitat conditions, is necessary to target favorable sites for successful restoration.

Maryland, Pennsylvania↗
USGS2025

Does tidal marsh restoration lead to the recovery of trophic pathways that support estuarine fishes?

Evaluation of tidal marsh restoration success is typically based on the recovery of habitat size and target species. However, food-web structure may provide valuable insight into ecosystem functioning trajectories. Here, we studied restored tidal marshes of different ages ( new , young , old ; spanning 1–150 years) in comparison with nearby reference sites along the San Francisco Estuary. We asked: (1) How does restoration help recover energy pathways that support fishes? (2) Do fishes rely more on algal versus detrital pathways in restored sites?; and (3) How does food-web structure vary as a function of species origin and life history? To answer these questions, we sampled fish ( n = 806) and basal resources (emergent vegetation and phytoplankton; n = 109) seasonally over two hydrologically contrasting years. Using stable isotopes (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ 34 S), we calculated fish isotopic niche volumes, food chain lengths, and the relative importance of algal versus detrital energy pathways. We found that food chains in restored sites were 8% shorter than in their paired reference sites. Additionally, the young and old restored sites had 37% smaller niche volumes than their references, but the opposite was true for the new restored site (11% larger), illustrating the characteristic trophic surge of early succession. Fishes found in restored sites relied significantly less on detrital energy (7% less) than fishes found in reference sites, and resident fishes showed 12% higher reliance on the detrital pathway than transient species. Finally, most of the native niche volume overlapped with that of introduced fish, which was in turn 38% larger, and a similar pattern was observed when comparing resident to transient fish. Our findings demonstrate that food-web structure does not immediately recover with tidal marsh restoration, even if fish assemblages are species-rich; and show that transient trophic surges may complicate restoration success assessments of newly restored marshes. We contend that incorporating recovery of energy pathways as an indicator of performance may help strengthen monitoring and design of wetland ecosystem restoration projects.

California↗
USGS1988

Cooperative federal-state liming research on surface waters impacted by acidic deposition

In the eastern and north-central United States, lakes and streams with low acid neutralizing capacity are at risk from acidity. Resource management agencies are interested in developing mitigation strategies that protect or restore fisheries in these waters. Addition of limestone (calcium carbonate) to improve water quality and prevent episodic depressions of pH during precipitation events and spring runoff is one mitigation technique being used. The ecological changes that accompany such treatment of streams and lakes are being investigated in a cooperative program between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and individual states. Streams in Massachusetts, West Virginia and Tennessee, and a lake in Minnesota are included in this 5-yr research program. Intensive monitoring during pre- and post-liming tracks a suite of physical, chemical and biological parameters that influence the re-establishment or maintenance of healthy fisheries. Supporting studies on liming being conducted at Adirondack lakes in New York focus on fisheries management. A model on the influence of liming on light attenuation and thermal stratification is also being developed. Management guidelines are to be generated from the program results.

Massachusetts, Minnesota, Tennessee, West Virginia↗
USGS2016

Differences in impacts of Hurricane Sandy on freshwater swamps on the Delmarva Peninsula, Mid−Atlantic Coast, USA

Hurricane wind and surge may have different influences on the subsequent composition of forests. During Hurricane Sandy, while damaging winds were highest near landfall in New Jersey, inundation occurred along the entire eastern seaboard from Georgia to Maine. In this study, a comparison of damage from salinity intrusion vs. wind/surge was recorded in swamps of the Delmarva Peninsula along the Pocomoke (MD) and Nanticoke (DE) Rivers, south of the most intense wind damage. Hickory Point Cypress Swamp (Hickory) was closest to the Chesapeake Bay and may have been subjected to a salinity surge as evidenced by elevated salinity levels at a gage upstream of this swamp (storm salinity = 13.1 ppt at Nassawango Creek, Snow Hill, Maryland). After Hurricane Sandy, 8% of the standing trees died at Hickory including Acer rubrum, Amelanchier laevis, Ilex spp., and Taxodium distichum. In Plot 2 of Hickory, 25% of the standing trees were dead, and soil salinity levels were the highest recorded in the study. The most important variables related to structural tree damage were soil salinity and proximity to the Atlantic coast as based on Stepwise Regression and NMDS procedures. Wind damage was mostly restricted to broken branches although tipped−up trees were found at Hickory, Whiton and Porter (species: Liquidamabar styraciflua, Pinus taeda, Populus deltoides, Quercus pagoda and Ilex spp.). These trees fell mostly in an east or east−southeast direction (88o−107o) in keeping with the wind direction of Hurricane Sandy on the Delmarva Peninsula. Coastal restoration and management can be informed by the specific differences in hurricane damage to vegetation by salt versus wind.

Maryland↗
USGS2020

Investigation of bed and den site selection by American black bears (Ursus americanus) in a landscape impacted by forest restoration treatments and wildfires

The combined effects of long-term fire suppression, logging, and overgrazing have negatively impacted many southwestern U.S. forests, resulting in decreased habitat quality for wildlife, and more frequent and severe wildfires. In response, land management agencies are implementing large-scale forest restoration treatments, but data on how wildlife respond to restoration treatments and wildfires are often limited. We investigated bed and den site selection of American black bears ( Ursus americanus ) using GPS location data and a use/available study design to assess the influence of habitat characteristics, including wildfires, prescribed burns, and thinning treatments on bed and den site selection in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico. The most supported models suggested that black bears were more likely to select bed sites with a combination of low horizontal visibility ( β = −0.007, SE = 0.002; P = 0.002) and high stand basal area ( β = 0.013, SE = 0.005; P = 0.004). The highest-ranking model for den site selection indicated that black bears were more likely to select den sites with low horizontal visibility ( β = −0.0102, SE = 0.004; P = 0.006). Black bears used all disturbed sites to varying degrees (45% of study area), although 48% of bed sites were located in undisturbed habitat (55% of study area) while only 11% and 2% of bed sites were located in thinned and prescribed burn sites, respectively. Thirty-nine percent of bed sites were located in previous wildfire locations; however, 67% of these sites were in areas with low burn severity. Thirty-eight percent of den sites were located in previously disturbed habitat, 8 of these sites were burned by wildfires. In order to develop effective management plans for black bears, it is essential to understand responses to landscape-scale habitat disturbances due to wildfires and restoration activities, all of which are becoming more prevalent and widespread across southwestern forests. Accounting for the timing, size, and proximity of future restoration efforts would aid in mitigating potential short-term negative effects on black bears.

New Mexico↗
USGS2025

Visioning and conceptual framework for coordinating Great Lakes connecting waters research and monitoring

The Laurentian Great Lakes are connected via naturally occurring straits and rivers: St. Marys River, Straits of Mackinac, St. Clair-Detroit River System, Niagara River, and the St. Lawrence River. Despite the historical ecological and economic importance of these waters, international agreements (e.g., Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement) only recently explicitly named the Great Lakes Connecting Waters (GLCWs), requiring governments to address the challenges of adequate restoration and protection from historical use and degradation. Standardized research and monitoring activities are needed; however, there is no established mechanism for coordination across the GLCWs. A three-day summit in 2023 convened experts to form the initial framework for a GLCWs Collaborative to increase standardizations and knowledge transfer. Participants drafted a governance structure and priorities following the principles of collective impact but allowed for place-based specificity for local connecting water organizations. Priorities and suggestions for success included: 1) co-development of the collaborative with all rights holders, stakeholders, and surrounding communities; 2) investment in research and technology specific to GLCWs; 3) investment in information transfer and training; 4) increased communication; and 5) better integration into existing Great Lakes research, monitoring, and funding programs. Expanding participation in all local GLCWs organizations with principles of inclusivity was identified as a larger collaborative goal. Next steps in the development of a GLCWs Collaborative include increased communication and formation of working groups and obtaining funding for a dedicated organization to begin supporting activities (communication, facilitation, logistics). By using a deliberate process for establishment, the potentially slower time frame for establishment may result in increased participation and success.

Laurentian Great Lakes↗
USGS2012

Carbon stocks across a chronosequence of thinned and unmanaged red pine ( Pinus resinosa ) stands

Forests function as a major global C sink, and forest management strategies that maximize C stocks offer one possible means of mitigating the impacts of increasing anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. We studied the effects of thinning, a common management technique in many forest types, on age-related trends in C stocks using a chronosequence of thinned and unmanaged red pine ( Pinus resinosa ) stands ranging from 9 to 306 years old. Live tree C stocks increased with age to a maximum near the middle of the chronosequence in unmanaged stands, and increased across the entire chronosequence in thinned stands. C in live understory vegetation and C in the mineral soil each declined rapidly with age in young stands but changed relatively little in middle-aged to older stands regardless of management. Forest floor C stocks increased with age in unmanaged stands, but forest floor C decreased with age after the onset of thinning around age 40 in thinned stands. Deadwood C was highly variable, but decreased with age in thinned stands. Total ecosystem C increased with stand age until approaching an asymptote around age 150. The increase in total ecosystem C was paralleled by an age-related increase in total aboveground C, but relatively little change in total belowground C. Thinning had surprisingly little impact on total ecosystem C stocks, but it did modestly alter age-related trends in total ecosystem C allocation between aboveground and belowground pools. In addition to characterizing the subtle differences in C dynamics between thinned and unmanaged stands, these results suggest that C accrual in red pine stands continues well beyond the 60–100 year management rotations typical for this system. Management plans that incorporate longer rotations and thinning in some stands could play an important role in maximizing C stocks in red pine forests while meeting other objectives including timber extraction, biodiversity conservation, restoration, and fuel reduction goals.

Ecological Applications↗
USGS2013

Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment: Work Plan

The overall goal of the Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REAs) being conducted for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is to provide information that supports regional planning and analysis for the management of ecological resources. The REA provides an assessment of baseline ecological conditions, an evaluation of current risks from drivers of ecosystem change, and a predictive capacity for evaluating future risks. The REA also may be used for identifying priority areas for conservation or restoration and for assessing the cumulative effects of a variety of land uses. There are several components of the REAs. Management Questions, developed by the BLM and partners for the ecoregion, identify the information needed for addressing land-management responsibilities. Conservation Elements represent regionally significant aquatic and terrestrial species and communities that are to be conserved and (or) restored. The REA also will evaluate major drivers of ecosystem change (Change Agents) currently affecting or likely to affect the status of Conservation Elements. We selected 8 major biomes and 19 species or species assemblages to be included as Conservation Elements. We will address the four primary Change Agents—development, fire, invasive species, and climate change—required for the REA. The purpose of the work plan for the Wyoming Basin REA is to document the selection process for, and final list of, Management Questions, Conservation Elements, and Change Agents. The work plan also presents the overall assessment framework that will be used to assess the status of Conservation Elements and answer Management Questions.

Wyoming↗
USGS2009

Ecological assessment of wadeable streams on O`ahu, Hawai'i, 2006-2007: A pilot study

In 2006–07, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Pacific Islands Water Science Center (PIWSC), in cooperation with the Hawai‘i Department of Health (HDOH), conducted a pilot study as a participant in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Wadeable Streams Assessment (WSA) program. Forty randomly selected sites on perennial streams on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, were surveyed for habitat characteristics, water chemistry, and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Of the original sampling frame of approximately 505.2 miles of perennial stream, roughly 96.7±30.7 miles were found to be nonperennial or estuarine and another 200.5±64.7 miles were judged to be inaccessible. The scope of this report presents an assessment of the remaining 208±57.6 miles of accessible, wadeable, perennial stream length on O‘ahu. Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages were used to determine the ecological condition at each site. Components of the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages were assessed using the multimetric Preliminary–Hawaiian Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (P–HBIBI) developed by Wolff (2005). Based on the P–HBIBI scores, an estimated 5.8±5.8 percent of the island’s total stream length is in most disturbed condition, 56±13.5 percent is in intermediately disturbed condition, and 38.2±13.2 percent is in least disturbed condition. Windward O‘ahu had the highest percentage of stream length in least disturbed biological condition at 56.7±20.8 percent. Using the relative abundance of insects, one of the core metrics that make up the P–HBIBI, 43.4±14.2 percent of the islandwide stream length was classified in the most disturbed condition—52±31.2 percent of the Honolulu region stream length and 51.4±23.3 percent of the windward O‘ahu stream length. An analysis of total nitrogen (N) estimated approximately 41.1±13.7 percent of the stream length on O‘ahu was in most disturbed condition. Regionally, the Honolulu region had the largest proportion, 61.3±28.6 percent, of most disturbed stream length in terms of total N. An analysis of total phosphorus (P) classified approximately 43.2±14 percent of the stream length on O‘ahu as most disturbed. Regionally, windward O‘ahu had the largest proportion, 78.4±19.5 percent, of stream length classified as most disturbed. An analysis of embeddedness classified 30.3±14.7 percent of O‘ahu’s stream length as most. Regionally, windward O‘ahu had the largest proportion, 43.3±17.1 percent, of stream length classified as most disturbed as compared to the reference condition. An analysis of riparian disturbance, an index of the in-channel, riparian, and near-stream human activities, classified 43±13 percent of stream length on O‘ahu as most disturbed. The Honolulu region had the largest proportion of stream length, 86.3±13.7 percent, classified as most disturbed. The information in this report is the first attempt in Hawai‘i to assess the islandwide ecological condition of wadeable, perennial streams on O‘ahu using the USEPA WSA probabilistic design. This study has demonstrated that such an assessment is practical and that it can provide information that may help the USEPA and HDOH in determining the status of aquatic ecosystems on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. This study provides a baseline assessment of the current islandwide ecological condition and identifies potential environmental stressors. It can be used, with future WSA studies in Hawai‘i, to measure the changes in those conditions and the effectiveness of management efforts to protect, restore, and maintain Hawai‘i’s aquatic environment.

Hawaii↗
USGS2024

Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and bloater (Coregonus hoyi) culture manual

The primary objective of the Coregonine Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore native coregonines, specifically Coregonus artedi (Lesueur, 1818; ciscoes) and Coregonus hoyi (Milner, 1874; bloaters) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on providing an alternative food source for top predators and improving the ecological function of Lake Ontario as it relates to native versus invasive species control. To complete this goal, hatchery techniques were developed to grow ciscoes and bloaters; these techniques are described in this standard operating manual.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS2022

Estimating the effect of tidal marsh restoration on housing prices: A hedonic analysis in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, USA

This study employs the hedonic pricing method and a rich spatial and temporal dataset from two counties in Washington, USA to determine the effect of the 2009 Nisqually Restoration project (NRP) on housing prices in adjacent communities. The NRP restored 308 hectares of wetlands via dike removal in the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (NNWR), leading to improvements in salmon and bird abundance and recreational opportunities. We find that the ecological improvements made by the NRP increased the value of homes within 0.5 mile of the refuge by $ 37,631; homes 0.5 to 1 mile by $ 10,489; and homes 1 to 1.5 miles by $ 31,186. Our findings are consistent with previous wetland hedonic price analyses and may be useful inputs in natural resource management and policy decision-making.

Washington↗
USGS2019

The Life of P: A biogeochemical and sociopolitical challenge in the Everglades

• Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for all life forms, yet to understand its life cycle and impact we need to grasp not only the biogeochemical life of P, but also how P intersects with human activities and values. • Phosphorus is the limiting nutrient in the oligotrophic Everglades ecosystem. Thus, the anthropogenic addition of P to the landscape and its subsequent transport, transformation, and persistence throughout the Everglades are critical to both the visual appearance and the ecological integrity of the Everglades ecosystem. • Legal and political attention to P in the Everglades have created a powerful social-cultural legacy. This legacy includes the continuing influence of P in Everglades restoration, the dissemination of knowledge about P cycling and mitigation among rural and urban Everglades residents, and social and political realignment of management priorities. • Management decisions based on legal mandates require not only robust scientific data about P-related processes, but also information on the behavior, well-being, and political decisions of tribal nations, agricultural enterprises, anglers, and others who use the South Florida landscape.

Florida↗
USGS2002

Pulsey, patchy water quality in the delta: Implications for meaningful monitoring

Valuable water quality and biological datasets have been gathered in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for decades, most notably by the Interagency Ecological Program’s Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP). These extensive data have provided a means of analyzing and detecting long-term trends in water quality and ecosystem function (Jassby and others 2002; Kimmerer and Orsi 1996; Orsi and Mecum 1996) and may shape future restoration actions in the region. EMP water quality data—as well as data generated by the San Francisco Estuary Institute’s (SFEI) Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) and research groups like our own—have often focused on single, monthly or seasonal samples taken at several discrete points in space. Although such discrete data often push the practical limits of our equipment and human resources, higher resolution monitoring approaches can reveal limitations (in some cases severe) of these more coarse sampling schemes.

Interagency Ecological Program Newsletter↗
USGS2010

Estuaries of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem: Laboratories of Long-term Change

Restoring the greater Everglades ecosystem of south Florida is arguably the largest ecosystem restoration effort to date. A critical goal is to return more natural patterns of flow through south Florida wetlands and into the estuaries, but development of realistic targets requires acknowledgement that ecosystems are constantly evolving and changing in response to a variety of natural and human-driven stressors. Examination of ecosystems over long periods of time requires analysis of sedimentary records, such as those deposited in the wetlands and estuaries of south Florida. As sediment accumulates, it preserves information about the animals and plants that lived in the environment and the physical, chemical, and climatic conditions present. One of the methods used to interpret this information is paleoecology-the study of the ecology of previously living organisms. Paleoecologic investigations of south Florida estuaries provide quantitative data on historical variability of salinity and trends that may be applied to statistical models to estimate historical freshwater flow. These data provide a unique context to estimate future ecosystem response to changes related to restoration activities and predicted changes in sea level and temperature, thus increasing the likelihood of successful and sustainable ecosystem restoration.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2016

Restoring sand shinnery oak prairies with herbicide and grazing in New Mexico

Sand shinnery oak ( Quercus havardii ) prairies are increasingly disappearing and increasingly degraded in the Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico. Restoring and managing sand shinnery oak prairie can support biodiversity, specific species of conservation concern, and livestock production. We measured vegetation response to four treatment combinations of herbicide (tebuthiuron applied at 0.60 kg/ha) and moderate-intensity grazing (50% removal of annual herbaceous production) over a 10-year period in a sand shinnery oak prairie of eastern New Mexico. We compared the annual vegetation response to the historical climax plant community (HCPC) as outlined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Ecological Site Description. From 2 to 10 years postapplication, tebuthiuron-treated plots had reduced shrub cover with twice as much forb and grass cover as untreated plots. Tebuthiuron-treated plots, regardless of the presence of grazing, most frequently met HCPC. Tebuthiuron and moderate-intensity grazing increased vegetation heterogeneity and, based on comparison of the HCPC, successfully restored sand shinnery oak prairie to a vegetation composition similar to presettlement.

New Mexico↗
USGS2008

Primary production and carrying capacity of former salt ponds after reconnection to San Francisco Bay

Over 6,110 ha of the commercial production salt ponds surrounding South San Francisco Bay, CA, have been decommissioned and reconnected to the bay, most as part of the largest wetlands restoration program in the western United States. These open water ponds are critical habitat for millions of birds annually and restoration program managers must determine the appropriate balance between retention of ponds versus re-conversion to tidal salt marsh, knowing that both are essential ecosystems for endangered bird species. Our study describes the ecological value of the new open water pond ecosystems as feeding habitats for birds. We used the oxygen rate of change method to determine ecosystem metabolic parameters from high resolution time-series of dissolved oxygen concentration. Areal gross primary production (8.17 g O 2 m −2 d −1 ) was roughly double the world’s most productive estuaries. High rates of phytoplankton photosynthesis were balanced by equally high rates of community respiration (8.25 g O 2 m −2 d −1 ). Metabolic equilibrium was delicately poised: sharp irradiance and temperature shifts triggered short term photosynthesis reduction resulting in oxygen depletion. We converted net primary production (NPP) into potential carrying capacity of the forage biota that support targeted pond waterbirds. NPP was processed through both a pelagic food web, resulting in forage biota for piscivorous birds and a benthic food web, resulting in forage biota for shorebirds and diving benthivores. Both food webs included efficient algal-based and inefficient detrital trophic pathways. The result of all primary production being routed through simple food webs was high potential forage production and energy supply to waterbirds, equivalent to 11–163 million planktivorous fish or 19–78 billion small estuarine clams within the 330-ha pond between May and October. Food quantity does not necessarily equal quality and these systems have the potential to produce toxic or inedible algae. Our study provides the first measurement of primary production in the open water ponds of San Francisco Bay and presents a novel approach for transforming primary production into forage production as a metric of an ecosystem’s energetic carrying capacity.

California↗
USGS2023

A brave new world: Managing for biodiversity conservation under ecosystem transformation

Traditional conservation practices have primarily relied on maintaining biodiversity by preserving species and habitats in place. Many regions are experiencing unprecedented environmental conditions, shifts in species distribution and habitats, and high turnover in species composition, resulting in ecological transformation. Natural resource managers have lacked tools for identifying and selecting strategies to manage ecosystem transformation. A recently formalized decision support framework provides a way for managers to resist, accept, or direct (RAD) the trajectory of change. We begin by identifying how historical conservation practices are built into the RAD framework. Next, we describe how RAD can be used to implement climate change adaptation actions, using examples from the Mojave Desert to provide ecological context. Third, we discuss how the RAD framework can assist with the creation of conservation portfolios, facilitating the maintenance of overall biodiversity across a landscape. Preserving species assemblages in their current state, or restoring them to historical conditions, will not always be possible, and RAD allows for explicit deliberation about when and where to prioritize scarce resources. We conclude with a set of guidelines for conservation practitioners or managers moving forward. Although operating under an increasingly uncertain future is daunting, managers can utilize RAD to conserve biodiversity and effectively handle ecosystem transformation.

Land↗