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USGS2025

Second Integrated Hydro-Terrestrial Modeling (IHTM 2.0) workshop: USGCRP federal agency perspectives

U.S. federal leadership, mobilizing close interagency coordination across sectors, is key to tackling compound climate and human impacts on our nation’s water resources. Recognizing this need, federal agencies and academic collaborators conducted a series of workshops to advance Integrated Hydro-Terrestrial Modeling (IHTM). IHTM is focused on supporting a multiscale framework to accelerate research insights, better integrate operational and planning perspectives, and bridge national-to-regional capabilities to address major interdependent societal water challenges. This framework leverages the capabilities of different agencies and institutional partners across sectors to advance a shared vision for use-inspired modeling and open science. The IHTM conceptual framework has developed over several community workshops in recent years: ● In September 2019, a community coordinating group on IHTM hosted an interagency workshop (“IHTM 1.0”) with support from NSF, DOE, and USGS. The resulting report identified the need for agencies to invest resources in designing pilot use cases, setting the stage for an integrated national IHTM capability. ● In November 2020, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) held a virtual Coastal-IHTM (C-IHTM) workshop in collaboration with the MultiSector Dynamics Community of Practice, which engages researchers across universities and national labs. Building on IHTM 1.0, this workshop aimed to identify coastal modeling capabilities and appropriate coastal applications of the IHTM framework. The workshop report detailed needs for open science, geographical or topical use cases, integrated modeling frameworks, and linking communities of practice. ● From October 31 to November 2, 2023, USGCRP hosted a hybrid IHTM 2.0 community workshop that brought together 160 scientists and managers from nine federal departments/agencies (DHS-FEMA, DOC-NOAA, DoD-USACE, DOE, DOI [U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), USGS], EPA, NASA, NSF, USDA [ARS, FS, NRCS]) and 32 non-federal academic, non-profit, and private institutions and consortiums. The workshop was organized by a federal Interagency Steering Committee with representatives from DOE, USGS, NSF, NASA, and NOAA, as well as a Scientific Organizing Committee comprising experts from academia and additional federal agency technical experts. The IHTM 2.0 workshop focused on moving the IHTM 1.0 concepts to action by making advances in designing national and regional integrated modeling experiments in five geographic testbeds. These modeling testbeds seek to facilitate collaborative water resources research and assessment that responds to societal needs, extending from basic research to resource management operations, including the assessment of water quantity, quality, and use at national and regional scales. Ultimately, we envision that the IHTM testbeds will improve our ability to provide water resources assessment scenarios to decision-makers and the public. This document summarizes USGCRP and member agencies’ perspectives of the IHTM 2.0 workshop. Sections 2 and 3 build on the work of the IHTM 2.0 workshop Scientific Organizing Committee to outline the importance of IHTM, summarize the workshop, and propose near- and medium-term IHTM priorities. Section 4 presents select ongoing and potential interagency activities that could help realize the IHTM 2.0 vision and align with three of USGCRP’s strategic goals for this decade: Advancing Science, Informing Decisions, and Engaging the Nation. Finally, Section 5 summarizes this report and offers information about how to connect with USGCRP’s IHTM activities. USGCRP and its member agencies are well-positioned to coordinate federal efforts to enhance IHTM capabilities in the coming years.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1988

Conservation of North American rallids

The Rallidae are a diverse group in their habitat selection, yet most North American species occur in or near wetlands As a consequence, most species are subject to habitat enhancement or perturbation from waterfowl management programs. The overall effects of these management programs relative to rallid conservation have been assessed for few species, and there is a need for synthesis of such information. In the cases of some species or raves, population status is not known, and suggested directions for conservation and management are needed. Rare, endangered, or status undetermined species or races often occur in areas where related species are classified as game birds, and the effects of such hunting on rarer forms are not known. Their generally secretive nature, the endangered status of several races and populations, and continued loss of habitat and threats to present habitat, warrant an examination of the conservation status of the North American taxa in this group. In 1977, a committee of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies summarized available information on management and biology of American Coots ( Fulica americana ), rails, and gallinules in North America (Holliman 1977). That summary was intended to provide relatively complete information on conservation of these species, and also to provide guidance for research within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) Accelerated Research Program for Webless Migratory Shore and Upland Game Birds (ARP). Subsequently, a number of rallid studies were funded under this program. The program was eliminated in 1982, following substantial research activities on North American rallids. Since the demise of the ARP, additional research on rallids in North America has focused on an area the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies report failed to cover in detail--that of endangered rallids in the U.S. and their possessions. Most of these studies have been of threatened and endangered taxa in western coastal marshes. This report updates and summarizes information on North American rallids since the ARP report and identifies the major conservation problems of this group with the intent of focusing future efforts on these priority issues. Consideration of island forms occurring within U.S. possessions is beyond the scope of this report, mainly because of the special conservation problems associated with their insular distribution. The major topics include habitat requirements, effects of habitat and hunting management techniques currently practiced on wetland areas, and conservation of endangered and threatened populations. Research needs are identified. Habitats of the American Coot are similar to those of several waterfowl species, and the biology of coots is considered only as it is typical of rails in general.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS2004

Using Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) imagery to detect polar bear maternal dens: Operations manual

Recent research has shown that Forward Looking Infia-Red (FLIR) imagery can detect polar bear dens despite total snow cover over their deming habitat. FLIR imagers detect a AT or difference in temperature between objects in the imager's field of view. During the Arctic winter, the groundlsnow surface is typically cold, providing a dark background in the FLIR imager. Sources of heat appear as lighter or white areas. Dens, in particular, appear as small bright "hotspots", usually with kzy boundaries (Appendix 1). Most commonly, since bears chose deep snow drifts for deming, dens can be distinguished from the normally dark (cold) band of drifted snow surrounding them. This innovation has the potential to prevent human activities fiom disturbing deming polar bears by allowing managers to discover dens before potentially disruptive activities begin. This is important because expanding resource extraction in Alaska's Arctic regions may threaten the welfare of polar bears and their habitat. In recent years, exploration and development activities have expanded east and west of the original oil fields of Prudhoe Bay. Hydrocarbon extraction is now occurring or planned along much of the central Beaufort Sea coast. As development continues into the National Petroleum Reserve, the scope of expansion could include 213 of the northern coastal region of Alaska. Industrial activities are a potential threat to polar bears, especially as they might disturb bears in maternal dens (Lentfer and Hensel 1980, Stirling 1990, Stirling and Andriashek 1992, Amstrup 1993, Amstrup and Gardner 1994). As the number of humans and their activities have increased in recent years, there has been a concurrent increase in the number of female polar bears deming on land (Amstrup and Gardner 1994). Therefore, the probability of disrupting maternal deming can be expected to increase in the future. Using FLIR surveys to detect bears in dens could reduce or eliminate that probability. The purpose of this manual is to provide agency and private sector land managers with the information necessary to perform effective FLIR surveys to detect maternal dens. A list of personnel who can provide additional information is provided in Appendix 2.

BOEM↗
USGS1994

National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, Long Island-New Jersey (LINJ) Coastal Drainages Study Unit

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began its National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA ) program to (1) document the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's water resources; (2) define water-quality trends; and (3) identify major factors that affect water quality. In addressing these goals, the program will produce information that will be useful to water policy makers and managers at National, State, and local levels. Studies of 60 hydrologic systems that include parts of most major river and aquifer systems form the building blocks of the NAWQA program. Study units range in size from about 1,000 mi ² (square miles) to more than 60,000 mi² and represent 60 to 70 percent of the Nation's water use and population served by public water supply. The first 20 studies were begun in 1991; 20 more were begun in 1994, and the remaining 20 are to begin in 1997.

New Jersey↗
USGS1985

Feasibility of artificial recharge to the 800-foot sand of the Kirkwood Formation in the coastal plain near Atlantic City, New Jersey

Renewed development of the Atlantic City area since the mid-1970 's has increased the demand for water. Increased pumpage from the 800-foot sand of the Kirkwood Formation has reversed an antecedent water-level recovery in this aquifer, thus reducing water in storage and increasing the potential for saltwater intrusion. Practicable approaches to providing a dependable water supply while properly managing withdrawals from the 800-foot sand include development of surface- and ground-water supplies but artificial recharging the 800-foot sand is the principal alternative discussed. Investigation of its feasibility locally included a review of methods of artificial recharge and attendant operational problems, investigation of local hydrogeologic conditions, and collection and interpretation of water-quality data. System design and quality of injected water are important for successful artificial recharge. Mixtures of water from the 800-foot sand and from a representative local public-supply system may become supersaturated with oxygen. Significant temperature differences between two such waters would likely exacerbate that condition. Limited chemical analyses suggest that suspended solids concentration of water from local public supplies may at times be high enough to cause clogging of recharge-well screens. These problems are soluable by appropriate conditioning of recharge water. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2018

Tools for managing hydrologic alteration on a regional scale II: Setting targets to protect stream health

Widespread hydrologic alteration creates a need for tools to assess ecological impacts to streams that can be applied across large geographic scales. A regional framework for biologically based flow management can help catchment managers prioritise streams for protection, evaluate impacts of disturbance or interventions and provide a starting point for causal assessment in degraded streams. However, lack of flow data limit the ability to assess hydrologic conditions across a region. Hydrologic models can address this problem. Regionally calibrated hydrologic models were used to estimate current and reference flows at 572 bioassessment sites in southern and central coastal California. Flow alteration was characterised as the difference in 39 flow metrics calculated from simulations of present‐day and reference flow time‐series, calculated under up to four precipitation conditions. Biological condition was assessed with the California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) and its components. Logistic regressions were used to predict the likelihood of high scores (i.e. ≥10th percentile of the CSCI reference calibration data). Statistically significant relationships between increasing severity of hydrologic alteration and decreasing biological condition were used to set thresholds that reflected tolerance for risk of a stakeholder advisory group. An index of hydrologic alteration was created by selecting flow metrics based on their importance for predicting biological response variables in boosted regression tree models. Metrics were selected in the order of decreasing importance, and no more than two metrics per metric class were selected (i.e. duration, frequency, magnitude, timing and variability). Seven metrics were selected: HighDur (duration of high‐flow events), HighNum (# of high‐flow events), NoDisturb (duration between high‐ or low‐flow events), MaxMonthQ (maximum monthly discharge), Q99 (99th percentile of daily streamflow), QmaxIDR (interdecile range of annual maxima) and RBI (Richards–Baker Index). Applying the index to data from a probabilistic survey, 34% of stream‐miles in southern California were estimated to be hydrologically altered. One of four management priorities were assigned to each site based on biological condition and hydrologic status: protection (healthy and unaltered, 52% of stream‐miles), monitoring (healthy but altered 4%), evaluation of flow management (unhealthy and altered, 30%) and evaluation of other management (unhealthy but unaltered, 14%). Regionally derived biologically based targets for flow alteration allow catchment managers to prioritise activities and conduct screenings for causal assessments across large spatial scales. Furthermore, regional tools pave the way for incorporation of hydrologic management in policies and catchment planning designed to support biological integrity in streams. Development of regional tools should be a priority where hydrologic alteration is pervasive or expected to increase in response to climate change or urbanisation.

Freshwater Biology↗
USGS2022

An assessment of future tidal marsh resilience in the San Francisco Estuary through modeling and quantifiable metrics of sustainability

Quantitative, broadly applicable metrics of resilience are needed to effectively manage tidal marshes into the future. Here we quantified three metrics of temporal marsh resilience: time to marsh drowning, time to marsh tipping point, and the probability of a regime shift, defined as the conditional probability of a transition to an alternative super-optimal, suboptimal, or drowned state. We used organic matter content (loss on ignition, LOI) and peat age combined with the Coastal Wetland Equilibrium Model (CWEM) to track wetland development and resilience under different sea-level rise scenarios in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) of California. A 100-year hindcast of the model showed excellent agreement ( R 2 = 0.96) between observed (2.86 mm/year) and predicted vertical accretion rates (2.98 mm/year) and correctly predicted a recovery in LOI ( R 2 = 0.76) after the California Gold Rush. Vertical accretion in the tidal freshwater marshes of the Delta is dominated by organic production. The large elevation range of the vegetation combined with high relative marsh elevation provides Delta marshes with resilience and elevation capital sufficiently great to tolerate centenary sea-level rise (CLSR) as high as 200 cm. The initial relative elevation of a marsh was a strong determinant of marsh survival time and tipping point. For a Delta marsh of average elevation, the tipping point at which vertical accretion no longer keeps up with the rate of sea-level rise is 50 years or more. Simulated, triennial additions of 6 mm of sediment via episodic atmospheric rivers increased the proportion of marshes surviving from 51% to 72% and decreased the proportion drowning from 49% to 28%. Our temporal metrics provide critical time frames for adaptively managing marshes, restoring marshes with the best chance of survival, and seizing opportunities for establishing migration corridors, which are all essential for safeguarding future habitats for sensitive species.

California↗
USGS2010

Stakeholder perspectives on land-use strategies for adapting to climate-change-enhanced coastal hazards: Sarasota, Florida

Sustainable land-use planning requires decision makers to balance community growth with resilience to natural hazards. This balance is especially difficult in many coastal communities where planners must grapple with significant growth projections, the persistent threat of extreme events (e.g., hurricanes), and climate-change-driven sea level rise that not only presents a chronic hazard but also alters the spatial extent of sudden-onset hazards such as hurricanes. We examine these stressors on coastal, long-term land-use planning by reporting the results of a one-day community workshop held in Sarasota County, Florida that included focus groups and participatory mapping exercises. Workshop participants reflected various political agendas and socioeconomic interests of five local knowledge domains: business, environment, emergency management and infrastructure, government, and planning. Through a series of alternating domain-specific focus groups and interactive plenary sessions, participants compared the county 2050 comprehensive land-use plan to maps of contemporary hurricane storm-surge hazard zones and projected storm-surge hazard zones enlarged by sea level rise scenarios. This interactive, collaborative approach provided each group of domain experts the opportunity to combine geographically-specific, scientific knowledge on natural hazards and climate change with local viewpoints and concerns. Despite different agendas, interests, and proposed adaptation strategies, there was common agreement among participants for the need to increase community resilience to contemporary hurricane storm-surge hazards and to explore adaptation strategies to combat the projected, enlarged storm-surge hazard zones.

Florida↗
USGS2013

Accounting for non-photosynthetic vegetation in remote-sensing-based estimates of carbon flux in wetlands

Monitoring productivity in coastal wetlands is important due to their high carbon sequestration rates and potential role in climate change mitigation. We tested agricultural- and forest-based methods for estimating the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (f APAR), a key parameter for modelling gross primary productivity (GPP), in a restored, managed wetland with a dense litter layer of non-photosynthetic vegetation, and we compared the difference in canopy light transmission between a tidally influenced wetland and the managed wetland. The presence of litter reduced correlations between spectral vegetation indices and f APAR. In the managed wetland, a two-band vegetation index incorporating simulated World View-2 or Hyperion green and near-infrared bands, collected with a field spectroradiometer, significantly correlated with f APAR only when measured above the litter layer, not at the ground where measurements typically occur. Measures of GPP in these systems are difficult to capture via remote sensing, and require an investment of sampling effort, practical methods for measuring green leaf area and accounting for background effects of litter and water.

Remote Sensing Letters↗
USGS1988

Simulated effects of ground-water management alternatives for the Salinas Valley, California

A two-dimensional digital groundwater flow model was developed to analyze the geohydrology of the groundwater basin in the Salinas Valley. The model was calibrated for steady-state and transient simulations by comparing simulated with measured or estimated inflows, outflows, and water levels for 1970-81. Preliminary estimates of hydraulic properties and some inflows and outflows were adjusted during model calibration. The simulated mean annual water budget for the basin was 559,500 acre-ft/yr each of outflow and inflow. Inflow components consisted of Salinas River recharge (38.3%), percolation of irrigation water (34.0%), small stream and Arroyo Seco recharge (20.9%), seawater intrusion (3.4%), and other sources (3.4%). Outflow components consisted of agricultural pumpage (91.5%), municipal pumpage (4.0%), and riparian phreatophyte evapotranspiration (4.5%). For the steady-state calibration, 70% of the simulated water levels were within 9 ft of measured water levels for 1970-81. A sensitivity analysis determined the overall stability of the model results. The model input variable that probably contributes most to the uncertainty of the results is the quantity of groundwater recharge contributed by irrigation-return flow to the unconfined aquifer. A 15% change in the estimate of this variable causes an 11% change in the simulated river-seepage rate and a 6% change in the simulated seawater intrusion rate. The calibrated model was used to investigate several water resources management alternatives. Projected pumpage increase at a rate of 1%/yr for 20 yr caused declines in mean annual water levels of 10 to 20 ft in some areas and an increase in seawater intrusion from 18,900 to 23 ,600 acre-ft/yr. Pumpage decreases in the coastal area decreased seawater intrusion more effectively than pumpage decreases farther inland. When pumpage was decreased uniformly throughout the valley, the decrease in seawater intrusion was only one-fourteenth the decrease in pumpage. Simulations indicated that replacement of groundwater pumpage with imported surface water in a 9,000 acre service area near the coast would result in a decrease in seawater intrusion equaling nearly one-half the quantity of imported water. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2020

Winter carry-over effects on spring body condition driven by agricultural subsidies to Lesser Snow Geese (Anser caersulscens caerulescens)

Anthropogenic changes to landscapes associated with intensive agriculture often have deleterious effects on avian abundance. However, some species like the Lesser Snow Goose ( Anser caerulescens caerulescens ), can benefit from increases in agricultural crops on both wintering and migratory stopover sites. We investigated the influence of winter habitat use on spring body condition in Lesser Snow Goose, a species that has increased in population following expansion into agriculturally based winter habitats. We used stable isotope measurements of four elements (δ 2 H, δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ 34 S) to determine likely prior winter habitat use of snow geese collected during spring migration across Arkansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in 2016. We evaluated differences in body size, lipid, and protein reserves from individuals with isotope values that suggested winter habitat use in traditional coastal marsh and non-coastal /agriculture habitat. Inferred winter habitat influenced total body lipid levels in snow geese collected during spring migration. Adult and juvenile individuals inferred to have overwintered in coastal marsh (n = 60) had, on average, 33.4 g (95% Confidence Interval: 0.4 g, 66.4 g) less lipid than counterparts wintering in non-coastal / agricultural habitat (n = 77). Waterfowl foods found in marshes typically have low true metabolizable energy values as a consequence of their high fiber content, which likely increases daily consumption rates. Increased energy expenditure related to greater time spent foraging, paired with lower energetic rewards, may result in lower lipid reserves among geese using coastal marsh habitats compared to birds using agricultural landscapes. Consequently, carry-over effects based on winter habitat use could explain variation in lipid reserves among individuals during spring migration and may ultimately explain differential fitness rates or susceptibility to harvest. Our results have implications for the conservation and management of this species as historic wetland landscapes become more intensively converted and used for agricultural purposes.

Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska↗
USGS2018

Executive summary. In Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2): A Sustained Assessment Report

Central to life on Earth, carbon is essential to the molecular makeup of all living things and plays a key role in regulating global climate. To understand carbon’s role in these processes, researchers measure and evaluate carbon stocks and fluxes. A stock is the quantity of carbon contained in a pool or reservoir in the Earth system (e.g., carbon in forest trees), and a flux is the direction and rate of carbon’s transfer between pools (e.g., the movement of carbon from the atmosphere into forest trees during photosynthesis). This document, the Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2), examines the patterns of carbon stocks and fluxes—collectively called the “carbon cycle.” Emphasis is given to these patterns in specific sectors (e.g., agriculture and energy) and ecosystems (e.g., forests and coastal waters) and to the response of the carbon cycle to human activity. The purpose of SOCCR2 is to assess the current state of the North American carbon cycle and to present recent advances in understanding the factors that influence it. Concentrating on North America—Canada, the United States, and Mexico—the report describes carbon cycling for air, land, inland waters (streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs), and coastal waters (see Figure ES.1, p. 23). The questions framing the publication A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan (Michalak et al., 2011) inspired development of three slightly modified questions that guide SOCCR2’s content and focus on North America in a global context: How have natural processes and human actions affected the global carbon cycle on land, in the atmosphere, in the ocean and other aquatic systems, and at ecosystem interfaces (e.g., coastal, wetland, and urban-rural)? How have socioeconomic trends affected atmospheric levels of the primary carbon-containing gases, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)? How have species, ecosystems, natural resources, and human systems been impacted by increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, associated changes in climate, and carbon management decisions and practices? SOCCR2 synthesizes the most recent understanding of carbon cycling in North America, assessing new carbon cycle findings and information, the state of knowledge regarding core methods used to study the carbon cycle, and future research needed to best inform carbon management and policy options. Focusing on scientific developments in the decade since the First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR1; CCSP 2007), SOCCR2 summarizes the past, current, and projected state of carbon sources, sinks, and natural processes, as well as contributions by human activities. In addition to CO2 and CH4, the report sometimes discusses nitrous oxide (N2O), a GHG associated with activities and processes that affect fluxes of carbon gases.1 SOCCR2 also describes improvements in analysis tools; developments in decision support; and new insights into ecosystem carbon cycling, human causes of changes in the carbon cycle, and social science perspectives on carbon. Since publication of SOCCR1, coordinated research from agencies in the three North American countries has enabled innovative observational, analytical, and modeling capabilities to further advance understanding of the North American carbon cycle (see Appendix D: Carbon Measurement Approaches and Accounting Frameworks, p. 834). Some of the report’s main conclusions, based on the Key Findings of each chapter, are highlighted in Box ES.1, Main Findings of SOCCR2, p. 24.

Report↗
USGS2004

Terrestrial movements of juvenile and adult tailed frogs in relation to timber harvest in coastal British Columbia

Tailed frog (Ascaphus truei Stejneger) populations are at risk in much of the Pacific Northwest, and recolonization of sites may be slow postlogging. To examine the terrestrial movements of Ascaphus in clearcuts and old growth, we employed pitfall traps and drift-fence arrays installed along streams and 100 m into upland habitat. In the fall, we captured frogs farther from streams in old growth than in clearcuts, and more frogs were captured a??25 m from streams in clearcuts. Stronger stream affinity in clearcuts was most evident with juvenile frogs, which exhibited more upstream movements than adults. Compared with inland sites where frogs remained close to streams (e.g., 12 m), frogs at our coastal sites were captured at greater distances from streams (a?Y100 m), having lower stream affinity than frogs at inland sites. Long-distance overland movements appear more likely where forested stands are present. Aggregations of Ascaphus at individual streams may not represent distinct populations and should not be managed as distinct units. Preserving groups of interconnected streams within watersheds instead of individual streams will improve the conservation status of Ascaphus. Population monitoring can ensure conservation measures promote long-term persistence.

Canadian Journal of Forest Research↗
USGS2024

How much trapping effort is needed for early detection of European green crab?

We present a case study using trapping data and species accumulation theory to assess the sampling effort needed to detect species that are rare in habitats sampled as part of the management of invasive European green crab Carcinus maenas on the coast of Washington State and Salish Sea shorelines, such as is desired for early detection of invasive species. In response to detections of green crab on the west coast of North America monitoring efforts, including early detection monitoring, have increased. The goal of invasive species early detection monitoring programs is to detect new infestations soon after introduction so that eradication and quarantine measures can be used to control their spread. However, detection of newly introduced invasive species often occurs after populations are large and well established. The ability to detect newly introduced invasive species is affected by sampling procedures, including how much effort is expended. To assess the level of trapping effort needed to detect green crab and other taxa when they are rare, we calculate sample-based rarefaction curves, total species richness, and estimates of sample completeness. We then use these estimates to describe the relationship between sampling effort and detection at two different spatial scales. Our results suggest that high probability early detection of green crabs or other rare taxa in many coastal waterbodies will require significantly more trapping effort than was expended in 2020. Our analyses further suggest that the effort required to provide for early detection was less at the site-specific spatial scale than at the waterbody scale. However, sample completeness at the site-specific spatial scale was negatively correlated with species richness. Current efforts to look for new green crab populations and to manage existing populations provide an opportunity to look for other invasive organisms that may establish in similar habitats.

Washington↗
USGS2026

Stream macroinvertebrate responses vary with region, land use and management practice type

Intensive land use alters hydrology and water quality, threatening freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates. Over 200,000 management practices (MPs) have been implemented across the Chesapeake Bay watershed since the 1980s, yet biological responses remain inconsistent. We synthesized 29 studies from 4 physiographic provinces covering 8 MP categories and evaluated macroinvertebrate responses along MP gradients using structural (richness), functional (biomass), tolerance, and biotic metrics. We hypothesized that MPs enhancing habitat complexity or restoring flow regimes would benefit taxa sensitive to sediment, hydrologic instability and organic pollution, with outcomes shaped by regional context, land use, and chosen metrics. Four themes emerged. (i) Agricultural Riparian Forest Buffers (RFBs) consistently improved sensitive metrics related to abundance, biomass and richness. (ii) Urban streams with Stream Habitat Improvement and Management (SHIM) showed improved richness and diversity, but biomass and tolerance metrics declined or remained neutral, indicating unresolved hydrologic and pollutant stress. (iii) Structural and functional responses diverged: effect sizes for total and feeding-group biomasses (functional metrics) were negative, whereas genus-level Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT) richness (structural metric) was positive, indicating that structural shifts may not track underlying production changes. (iv) Physiographic comparisons showed counterintuitive patterns, as RFBs improved EPT richness in Piedmont streams but had negative effects in the Coastal Plain. Evaluating MP effectiveness requires distinguishing a no-MP pathway (stressors → instream conditions → assemblages → responses) from an MP-mediated pathway (practice regime → modified stressors → instream conditions → assemblages → responses), underscoring the need for region-specific, multi-metric monitoring and improved understanding of MP density thresholds and recovery lags.

eastern contiguous United States↗
USGS2004

Factors affecting the evolution of coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes: An overview

Coastal wetlands play a pivotal role in the Great Lakes ecosystem. As buffer zones between the land and open waters of the Great Lakes, they perform a variety of essential functions providing both direct and indirect anthropogenic benefits. Geology, morphology and climate are the dominant variables that influence Laurentian Great Lakes wetland development. However, anthropogenic factors are the major contributors to alteration of natural wetland processes. This paper provides an overview of natural and anthropogenic factors important in Great Lakes coastal wetland development and provides statistical information describing the Great Lakes Basin. A brief description of wetlands classification and research issues is also presented.

Great Lakes↗
USGS2020

Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large‐scale ecosystem restoration

International efforts to restore degraded ecosystems will continue to expand over the coming decades, yet the factors contributing to the effectiveness of long‐term restoration across large areas remain largely unexplored. At large scales, outcomes are more complex and synergistic than the additive impacts of individual restoration projects. Here, we propose a cumulative‐effects conceptual framework to inform restoration design and implementation and to comprehensively measure ecological outcomes. To evaluate and illustrate this approach, we reviewed long‐term restoration in several large coastal and riverine areas across the US: the greater Florida Everglades; Gulf of Mexico coast; lower Columbia River and estuary; Puget Sound; San Francisco Bay and Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta; Missouri River; and northeastern coastal states. Evidence supported eight modes of cumulative effects of interacting restoration projects, which improved outcomes for species and ecosystems at landscape and regional scales. We conclude that cumulative effects, usually measured for ecosystem degradation, are also measurable for ecosystem restoration. The consideration of evidence‐based cumulative effects will help managers of large‐scale restoration capitalize on positive feedback and reduce countervailing effects.

Gulf of Mexico, San Francisco Bay/Sacramento Delta↗
USGS2014

Fish assemblages, connectivity, and habitat rehabilitation in a diked Great Lakes coastal wetland complex

Fish and plant assemblages in the highly modified Crane Creek coastal wetland complex of Lake Erie were sampled to characterize their spatial and seasonal patterns and to examine the implications of the hydrologic connection of diked wetland units to Lake Erie. Fyke netting captured 52 species and an abundance of fish in the Lake Erie–connected wetlands, but fewer than half of those species and much lower numbers and total masses of fish were captured in diked wetland units. Although all wetland units were immediately adjacent to Lake Erie, there were also pronounced differences in water quality and wetland vegetation between the hydrologically isolated and lake-connected wetlands. Large seasonal variations in fish assemblage composition and biomass were observed in connected wetland units but not in disconnected units. Reestablishment of hydrologic connectivity in diked wetland units would allow coastal Lake Erie fish to use these vegetated habitats seasonally, although connectivity does appear to pose some risks, such as the expansion of invasive plants and localized reductions in water quality. Periodic isolation and drawdown of the diked units could still be used to mimic intermediate levels of disturbance and manage invasive wetland vegetation.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗