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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
USGS2009

A burning story: The role of fire in the history of life

Ecologists, biogeographers, and paleobotanists have long thought that climate and soils controlled the distribution of ecosystems, with the role of fire getting only limited appreciation. Here we review evidence from different disciplines demonstrating that wildfire appeared concomitant with the origin of terrestrial plants and played an important role throughout the history of life. The importance of fire has waxed and waned in association with changes in climate and paleoatmospheric conditions. Well before the emergence of humans on Earth, fire played a key role in the origins of plant adaptations as well as in the distribution of ecosystems. Humans initiated a new stage in ecosystem fire, using it to make the Earth more suited to their lifestyle. However, as human populations have expanded their use of fire, their actions have come to dominate some ecosystems and change natural processes in ways that threaten the sustainability of some landscapes. ?? 2009 by American Institute of Biological Sciences.

BioScience↗
USGS1970

Temperature tolerance of young-of-the-year cisco, Coregonus artedii

Young-of-the-year ciscoes (Coregonus artedii) acclimated to 2, 5, 10, 20 and 25 C and tested for tolerance to high and low temperatures provide the first detailed description of the thermal tolerance of coregonids in North America. The upper ultimate lethal temperature of the young ciscoes was 26 C (6 C higher than the maximum sustained temperature tolerated by adult ciscoes in nature) and the ultimate lower lethal temperature approached 0 C (near that commonly tolerated in nature by adult ciscoes). The temperature of 26 C is slightly higher than the lowest ultimate upper lethal temperature recorded for North American freshwater fishes; however, published information on the depth distributions of fishes in the Great Lakes suggests that some of the other coregonids may be less tolerant of high temperatures than the cisco.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS2023

Northwest Forest Plan — The first 25 years (1994–2018): Watershed condition status and trends

This report describes status and trends in watershed condition across the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area over the first 25 years since its inception in 1994. The program charged with this task is the Aquatic and Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program (AREMP), which has assembled information from field data collection, spatial datasets, and a host of landscape models to evaluate the status and trends in aquatic resources in streams and watersheds. Field data included hydrologic measurements (stream wetted widths and temperatures), geomorphic responses (instream wood and sediment), and biological responses (macroinvertebrates and aquatic organism passage). Novel statistical models were used to estimate trends in these measured responses. A suite of complementary modeled results was also employed to describe hydrometeorological drivers (e.g., drought indices and stream discharge), forest cover (upslope and riparian vegetation), and geomorphic conditions (e.g., road-related estimates of chronic and shallow landslide sediment delivery risk). Collectively, information on these responses allowed us to rigorously evaluate instream responses and hypothesize watershed drivers of those responses across the NWFP area and over time. The majority of responses we observed indicated widespread and incremental improvements from active management of forests, forest roads, and road-stream crossings as envisioned by the aquatic conservation strategy of the NWFP. Additionally, many of the responses we observed were consistent with those expected under the influences of changing climates in the Pacific Northwest. Ultimately, the long-term, broad-scale information provided by AREMP is a critical foundation for evaluating the effectiveness of federal land management and the effects of changing climates on water resources that sustain the Pacific Northwest’s human and natural landscapes.

California, Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2010

Extended abstracts from the Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) 2006 Workshop

Puget Sound is the second largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters produce and sustain biologically productive coastal habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to a significant growth in human population and associated development. This population growth, and the accompanying rural and urban development, has played a role in degrading Puget Sound ecosystems, including declines in fish and wildlife populations, water-quality issues, and loss and degradation of coastal habitats. In response to these ecosystem declines and the potential for strategic large-scale preservation and restoration, a coalition of local, State, and Federal agencies, including the private sector, Tribes, and local universities, initiated the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP). The Nearshore Science Team (NST) of PSNERP, along with the U.S. Geological Survey, developed a Science Strategy and Research Plan (Gelfenbaum and others, 2006) to help guide science activities associated with nearshore ecosystem restoration. Implementation of the Research Plan includes a call for State and Federal agencies to direct scientific studies to support PSNERP information needs. In addition, the overall Science Strategy promotes greater communication with decision makers and dissemination of scientific results to the broader scientific community. On November 14–16, 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored an interdisciplinary Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) Research Workshop at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, Washington. The main goals of the workshop were to coordinate, integrate, and link research on the nearshore of Puget Sound. Presented research focused on three themes: (1) restoration of large river deltas; (2) recovery of the nearshore ecosystem of the Elwha River; and (3) effects of urbanization on nearshore ecosystems. The more than 35 presentations covered a wide range of ongoing inter-disciplinary research, including studies of sediment geochemistry of aquatic environments, sediment budgets, tracking fish pathways, expansion of invasive forams, beach and nearshore sedimentary environments, using influence diagrams as a decision support tool, forage fish, submarine groundwater, and much, much more. The primary focus within these themes was on developing information on the physical, chemical, and biological processes, as well as the human dimensions, associated with the restoration or rehabilitation of the nearshore environment. The workshop was an excellent opportunity for USGS scientists and collaborators who are working on Puget Sound coastal habitats to present their preliminary findings, discuss upcoming research, and to identify opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. A compilation of extended abstracts from workshop participants, this proceedings volume serves as a useful reference for attendees of the workshop and for those unable to attend. Taken together, the abstracts in this report provide a view of the current status of USGS multidisciplinary research on Puget Sound coastal habitats.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1987

Antibody response of sandhill and whooping cranes to an eastern equine encephalitis virus vaccine

As a possible strategy to protect whooping cranes (Grus americana) from fatal eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) viral infection, studies were conducted to determine the immune response of this species and sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) to a formalin-inactivated EEE viral vaccine. Viral-specific neutralizing antibody was elicited in both species after intramuscular (IM) vaccination. Subcutaneous and intravenous routes of vaccination failed to elicit detectable antibody in sandhill cranes. Among the IM vaccinated cranes, the immune response was characterized by nondetectable or low antibody titers that waned rapidly following primary exposure to the vaccine. However, one or more booster doses consistently elicited detectable antibody and/or increased antibody titers in the whooping cranes. In contrast, cranes with pre-existing EEE viral antibody, apparently induced by natural infection, exhibited a rapid increase and sustained high-antibody titers. Even though EEE virus vaccine induced neutralizing antibody and produced no adverse side effects, further studies will be required to determine the protective efficacy of the antibody.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗
USGS2009

The ecology, restoration, and management of southeastern floodplain ecosystems: A synthesis

Floodplain ecosystems of the southeastern United States provide numerous services to society, but hydrologic and geomorphic alterations, agricultural practices, water quality and availability, and urban development continue to challenge restorationists and managers at multiple spatial and temporal scales. These challenges are further exacerbated by tremendous uncertainty regarding climate and land use patterns and natural variability in these systems. The symposium from which the papers in 2009 ensued was organized to provide a critical evaluation of current natural resource restoration and management practices to support the sustainability of floodplain ecosystem functions in the southeastern United States. In this paper we synthesize these concepts and evaluate restoration and conservation techniques in light of our understanding of these ecosystems. We also discuss current and future challenges and attempt to identify new approaches that may facilitate the long-term sustainability of southeastern floodplain systems. We conclude that integration of disciplines and approaches is necessary to meet the floodplain conservation challenges of the coming century. Integration will not only include purposeful dialogue between interdisciplinary natural resource professionals, but it also is necessary to sincerely engage the public about goals, objectives, and desirable outcomes of floodplain ecosystem restoration.

Southeastern Floodplain systems↗
USGS2022

Long-term assessments are critical to determining persistence and shoreline protection from oyster reef nature-based coastal defenses

Nature-based coastal defense using bivalve reefs provides a potentially self-sustaining approach for regions facing high coastal land loss, relative sea level rise and increasing frequency and intensity of storms. Success of such nature-based coastal defense depends on the reef-building species' life history, habitat requirements, and ability to thrive through short-term and longer-term environmental variation, yet few projects have reported on outcomes beyond the first few years. In coastal Louisiana, USA, Crassostrea virginica (oyster) is an ecosystem engineer, creating self-sustaining, vertically accreting reefs that also provide ecosystem services. Here, we examine the short (< 3 years) and medium (> 10 years) term outcomes of experimental reefs constructed in 2009 for nature-based coastal defense in a Louisiana, USA estuarine lake. Oyster reef density, demography, along with adjacent salt marsh, and shoreline movement were compared at six fringing shoreline reefs and paired reference sites over the first three years post-construction (2009–2011), and a decade later (2019–2020). Oyster density measured in 2019–2020 (< 60 ind m −2 ) was less than 10% of density measured during 2009–2011 (> 1000 ind m −2 ). This density difference largely reflected a lack of new recruits and small oysters (< 75 mm shell height) in later samples, with adult oyster densities similar between 2011, 2019 and 2020. Lack of smaller oysters in recent sampling likely reflected the impact of multiple extended low salinity events in this region in recent years, including the record-breaking low salinity in 2019. No differences in shoreline characteristics were detected in marsh vegetation, soil properties or nutrient concentrations between reef and reference sites during early and later years. Similarly, shoreline erosion at both reef and reference sites immediately post-construction, and 10 years later, was high (~1 m y −1 ) indicating a lack of shoreline protection from these reefs. These findings highlight the need to consider both current and future conditions, including the effect of extreme years, when implementing nature-based coastal defense. On the other hand, the persistence of reproductive-sized oysters on the reef 10 years post creation, indicate reef resilience and potential for reef development and shoreline benefits, should better site conditions return in future years. Determining restoration success within variable and dynamic environments requires frequent monitoring which is required to understand responses to short and longer-term environmental variation.

Louisiana↗
USGS2014

Landscape consequences of natural gas extraction in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Huntingdon, and Luzerne counties, Pennsylvania, 2004-2010

Increased demands for cleaner burning energy, coupled with the relatively recent technological advances in accessing unconventional hydrocarbon-rich geologic formations, have led to an intense effort to find and extract natural gas from various underground sources around the country. One of these sources, the Marcellus Shale, located in the Allegheny Plateau, is currently undergoing extensive drilling and production. The technology used to extract gas in the Marcellus Shale is known as hydraulic fracturing and has garnered much attention because of its use of large amounts of fresh water, its use of proprietary fluids for the hydraulic-fracturing process, its potential to release contaminants into the environment, and its potential effect on water resources. Nonetheless, development of natural gas extraction wells in the Marcellus Shale is only part of the overall natural gas story in this area of Pennsylvania. Conventional natural gas wells, which sometimes use the same technique, are commonly located in the same general area as the Marcellus Shale and are frequently developed in clusters across the landscape. The combined effects of these two natural gas extraction methods create potentially serious patterns of disturbance on the landscape. This document quantifies the landscape changes and consequences of natural gas extraction for Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Huntingdon, and Luzerne Counties in Pennsylvania between 2004 and 2010. Patterns of landscape disturbance related to natural gas extraction activities were collected and digitized using National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery for 2004, 2005/2006, 2008, and 2010. The disturbance patterns were then used to measure changes in land cover and land use using the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) of 2001. A series of landscape metrics is also used to quantify these changes and is included in this publication. In this region, natural gas development disturbed approximately 943 hectares of land in which forest sustained three times the amount of disturbance as agricultural land. One-quarter of that total disturbance was from Marcellus natural gas development.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS2018

Applying recreation ecology science to sustainably manage camping impacts: A classification of camping management strategies

Wilderness and other protected natural areas such as national forests, parks, and refuges are managed to provide high-quality recreational opportunities while preserving natural resource conditions. In managing recreation visitation, land managers could allow visitors to create their own infrastructure of trails and campsites, or they could choose to apply an impact management strategy to provide an infrastructure that includes sustainably designed trails and campsites. Recreation ecology studies have repeatedly demonstrated that informal “visitor-created” trails and campsites are generally not sustainably designed or located (Cole 1981, 1982a, 2013; Marion 2016; Wimpey and Marion 2011). For example, informal trails frequently occur in flat terrain where trail widening and muddiness can be chronic problems, or are fall-aligned (perpendicular to contour lines) in sloping terrain, where they are considerably more vulnerable to soil loss and widening (Marion et al. 2016; Marion and Wimpey 2017). Similarly, visitors are highly attracted to flat terrain near water for camping, where they frequently create substantial numbers of large and unnecessary campsites at densities that threaten visitor solitude, experiential qualities, and natural resources.

International Journal of Wilderness↗
USGS2002

Meeting ecological and societal needs for freshwater

Human society has used freshwater from rivers, lakes, groundwater, and wetlands for many different urban, agricultural, and industrial activities, but in doing so has overlooked its value in supporting ecosystems. Freshwater is vital to human life and societal well-being, and thus its utilization for consumption, irrigation, and transport has long taken precedence over other commodities and services provided by freshwater ecosystems. However, there is growing recognition that functionally intact and biologically complex aquatic ecosystems provide many economically valuable services and long-term benefits to society. The short-term benefits include ecosystem goods and services, such as food supply, flood control, purification of human and industrial wastes, and habitat for plant and animal life—and these are costly, if not impossible, to replace. Long-term benefits include the sustained provision of those goods and services, as well as the adaptive capacity of aquatic ecosystems to respond to future environmental alterations, such as climate change. Thus, maintenance of the processes and properties that support freshwater ecosystem integrity should be included in debates over sustainable water resource allocation. The purpose of this report is to explain how the integrity of freshwater ecosystems depends upon adequate quantity, quality, timing, and temporal variability of water flow. Defining these requirements in a comprehensive but general manner provides a better foundation for their inclusion in current and future debates about allocation of water resources. In this way the needs of freshwater ecosystems can be legitimately recognized and addressed. We also recommend ways in which freshwater ecosystems can be protected, maintained, and restored. Freshwater ecosystem structure and function are tightly linked to the watershed or catchment of which they are a part. Because riverine networks, lakes, wetlands, and their connecting groundwaters, are literally the “sinks” into which landscapes drain, they are greatly influenced by terrestrial processes, including many human uses or modifications of land and water. Freshwater ecosystems, whether lakes, wetlands, or rivers, have specific requirements in terms of quantity, quality, and seasonality of their water supplies. Sustainability normally requires these systems to fluctuate within a natural range of variation. Flow regime, sediment and organic matter inputs, thermal and light characteristics, chemical and nutrient characteristics, and biotic assemblages are fundamental defining attributes of freshwater ecosystems. These attributes impart relatively unique characteristics of productivity and biodiversity to each ecosystem. The natural range of variation in each of these attributes is critical to maintaining the integrity and dynamic potential of aquatic ecosystems; therefore, management should allow for dynamic change. Piecemeal approaches cannot solve the problems confronting freshwater ecosystems. Scientific definitions of the requirements to protect and maintain aquatic ecosystems are necessary but insufficient for establishing the appropriate distribution between societal and ecosystem water needs. For scientific knowledge to be implemented science must be connected to a political agenda for sustainable development. We offer these recommendations as a beginning to redress how water is viewed and managed in the United States: (1) Frame national and regional water management policies to explicitly incorporate freshwater ecosystem needs, particularly those related to naturally variable flow regimes and to the linking of water quality with water quantity; (2) Define water resources to include watersheds, so that freshwaters are viewed within a landscape, or systems context; (3) Increase communication and education across disciplines, especially among engineers, hydrologists, economists, and ecologists to facilitate an integrated view of freshwater resources; (4) Increase restoration efforts, using well-grounded ecological principles as guidelines; (5) Maintain and protect the remaining freshwater ecosystems that have high integrity; and (6) Recognize the dependence of human society on naturally functioning ecosystems.

Ecological Applications↗
USGS1999

Volcanogenic Sulfur on Earth and Io: Composition and Spectroscopy

The causes of Io's variegated surface, especially the roles of sulfur, and the geochemical history of sulfur compounds on Io are not well understood. Suspecting that minor impurities in sulfur might be important, we have investigated the major and trace element chemistry and spectroscopic reflectance of natural sulfur from a variety of terrestrial volcanic-hydrothermal environments. Evidence suggests that Io may be substantially coated with impure sulfur. On Earth, a few tenths of a percent to a few percent of chalcophile trace elements (e.g., As and Se) comonly occur in sulfur and appear to stabilize material of yellow, brown, orange, and red hues, which may persist even at low temperatures. Percentage levels of chalcophile impurities are reasonably expected to occur on Io in vapor sublimate deposits and flows derived from such deposits. Such impurities join a host of other mechanisms that might explain Io's reds and yellows. Two-tenths to two percent opaque crystalline impurities, particularly pyrite (FeS2), commonly produces green, gray, and black volcanic sulfur on Earth and might explain areas of Io having deposits of these colors. Pyrite produces a broad absorption near 1 ??m that gradually diminishes out to 1.6 ??m - similar but not identical to the spectrum of Io seen in Galileo NIMS data. Percentage amounts of carbonaceous impurities and tens of percent SiO2 (as silicates) also strongly affect the spectral properties of Earth's sulfur. Io's broad absorption between 0.52 and 0.64 ??m remains unexplained by these data but could be due to sodium sulfides, as suggested previously by others, or to As, Se, or other impurities. These impurities and others, such as P and Cl (which could exist on Io's surface in amounts over 1% that of sulfur), greatly alter the molecular structure of molten and solid sulfur. Minor impurities could impact Io's geology, such as the morphology of sulfur lava flows and the ability of sulfur to sustain high relief. We have not found any natural sulfur containing significant Na beyond that attributable to silicate inclusions. In sum, the unique physical-chemical properties of S-rich systems and the strong affinity of certain elements for S may have broad implications for the appearance, spectroscopic interpretation, and geologic processes of Io. Identification of impurities in sulfur may be helpful in tracing the geochemical evolution of surface deposits on Io. Perhaps foretelling of new areas of investigation, Cl has recently been reported in the Io torus (M. Kueppers and N. M. Schneider 1999, Eos Trans.80, 5207), suggesting the presence on Io of either salts, such as halite, or sulfur chlorides. Further evidence of minor iogenic impurities should be sought in Io's neutral cloud and plasma torus as well as in further scrutiny of Io's reflectance spectra. ?? 1999 Academic Press.

Icarus↗
USGS2025

Muskellunge spawning habitat characteristics and availability in Green Bay, Lake Michigan

Objective Habitat degradation has been associated with the loss of many self-sustaining Muskellunge Esox masquinongy populations, including those in Green Bay, where stocking has provided an exceptional trophy fishery but restoration goals include establishing self-sustaining populations and there is little evidence of natural recruitment. Our objectives were to determine whether (1) Muskellunge spawning locations and occurrence of successful hatching were related to a suite of habitat characteristics, (2) proportions of Muskellunge spawning in or outside of tributaries to lower Green Bay were different, and (3) Muskellunge showed spawning site fidelity. Methods From 2017 to 2019, adult Muskellunge ( N = 60) were surgically implanted with radio and acoustic transmitters to identify spawning locations, where we measured a suite of habitat variables and attempted to collect eggs and larvae. Side-scan sonar was used to quantify the amount of habitat available to Muskellunge for egg deposition in the Fox and Menominee rivers, which are tributaries to Green Bay. Results Muskellunge eggs were collected at 58 locations, but only two larvae were collected from a single location. Bottom slope, depth, distance to shore, gravel substrate, organic matter, and dissolved oxygen best predicted the presence of Muskellunge eggs. We determined that little habitat associated with Muskellunge egg deposition was available in the Fox and Menominee rivers. However, approximately half of tagged Muskellunge appeared to spawn outside of tributaries. Muskellunge in Green Bay displayed moderate spawning site fidelity. Conclusions Our results suggest that successful hatching occurs at very low levels and the lack of suitable Muskellunge spawning habitat in Green Bay tributaries may be limiting natural reproduction. Changes in spatial allocation of stocked fish and enhancement of known spawning locations may increase egg deposition and subsequent natural reproduction.

Michigan, Wisconsin↗
USGS2018

Acoustic telemetry as a potential tool for mixed-stock analysis of fishery harvest: A feasibility study using Lake Erie walleye

Understanding stock composition is critical for sustainable management of mixed-stock fisheries. When natural markers routinely used for stock discrimination fail, alternative techniques are required. We investigated the feasibility of using acoustic telemetry to estimate spawning population contributions to a mixed-stock fishery using Lake Erie’s summer walleye (Sander vitreus) recreational fishery as a case study. Postrelease survival was estimated after tagging and used to inform simulations to evaluate how contribution estimates could be affected by survival, sample size, and expected population contributions. Walleye experienced low short-term survival after tagging, but showed higher survival after 100 days, likely allowing fish to return to spawning areas the following spring. Based on simulations, accuracy and precision of population composition increased with an increase in the number of tagged fish released, and both appeared to stabilize when ≥200 tagged fish were released. Results supported the feasibility of using acoustic telemetry to estimate spawning population contributions to mixed-stock fisheries in Lake Erie.

Michigan, Ohio↗
USGS2017

Delta-Flux: An eddy covariance network for a climate-smart Lower Mississippi Basin

Networks of remotely monitored research sites are increasingly the tool used to study regional agricultural impacts on carbon and water fluxes. However, key national networks such as the National Ecological Observatory Network and AmeriFlux lack contributions from the Lower Mississippi River Basin (LMRB), a highly productive agricultural area with opportunities for soil carbon sequestration through conservation practices. The authors describe the rationale to create the new Delta-Flux network, which will coordinate efforts to quantify carbon and water budgets at seventeen eddy covariance flux tower sites in the LMRB. The network structure will facilitate climate-smart management strategies based on production-scale and continuous measurements of carbon and water fluxes from the landscape to the atmosphere under different soil and water management conditions. The seventeen instrumented field sites are expected to monitor fluxes within the most characteristic landscapes of the target area: row-crop fields, pasture, grasslands, forests, and marshes. The network participants are committed to open collaboration and efficient regionalization of site-level findings to support sustainable agricultural and forestry management and conservation of natural resources.

Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi↗
USGS2000

Do wolves affect white-tailed buck harvest in northeastern Minnesota?

We used simple linear regression to analyze 8-23 years of data on a wolf (Canis lupus) population and human harvest of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) bucks in northeastern Minnesota to determine any effects of wolves on buck harvesting. Over the long term, wolves accounted for at least 14-22% of the inter-year variation in buck harvest in the region, but an unknown amount of variation in hunter effort may have obscured any more precise estimate. For part of the area with poorest habitat, we found strong inverse relationships (r2 = 0.66-0.84) between annual wolf numbers and buck harvests from 1988 to 1995 when hunting pressure was considered relatively constant. However, in better habitat, where our buck harvest sample was larger, we found no evidence of wolves influencing buck harvest. Our findings tend to confirm the suitability of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's deer harvest regulations for a sustainable yield.

Journal of Wildlife Management↗
USGS2023

Assessment of lunar resource exploration in 2022

The idea of mining the Moon, once purely science-fiction, is now on the verge of becoming reality. Taking advantage of the resources on the Moon is part of the plans of many nations and some enterprising commercial entities; demonstrating in-situ (in place) resource utilization near the lunar south pole is an explicit goal of the United States’ Artemis program. Economic extraction and sustainable management of these resources require understanding the nature, quantity, and quality of each resource. This publication aims to provide a relatively simple, but technically rigorous, assessment of the status of lunar resource exploration in 2022. Building on the experience of the U.S. Geological Survey in conducting resource assessments for Earth, we propose a general methodology for quantitative lunar resources assessments. Lunar resources can be categorized as energy, mineral, and water and classified with respect to their certainty and their recoverability. The portion of the technically recoverable resource that can be converted to a commodity within budgetary and other mission constraints can be classified as a “reserve.” For energy resources, solar energy is known to be especially abundant along some high ridges near the lunar poles and the technology to exploit it is mature. Mineral resources, largely in the form of loose rock powder that covers the surface of the Moon, are also widely accessible in large quantities. Many different technologies to convert this material into useful commodities (such as landing pads and oxygen) are currently being developed and are likely to be available for industrial-scale application within 30 years. Water ice almost certainly exists in the polar regions of the Moon but there are fundamental unanswered questions about when and how the ice formed—leaving us without knowledge of the form, quantity, quality, and distribution of lunar ice. Until rover missions bring new ground truth data, lunar ice will remain a highly speculative resource that may be both limited and non-renewable.

Circular↗
USGS2020

Envisioning a multi-agency and multi-academic institution geomorphology data exchange portal

Access to bathymetry and geomorphology data for rivers and reservoirs is a critical need in multiple agencies and academia. These data are needed to make water-resource-management decisions regarding river restoration, resource protection, infrastructure design and sustainability, and flood-risk reduction, and during natural disasters. Sharing of data increases decision-making capacity by incorporating information from entire watersheds, provides knowledge from similar settings being managed or studied by other entities, and helps meet the goals of the Federal Open Water Data Initiative. Addressing these needs across broad spatial and temporal scales would be made more efficient if these data were available in consistent formats with standardized metadata and were either stored in a centralized database or integrated with existing geospatial datasets. Because of renewed interest and technological advances, representatives from multiple Federal agencies and academic institutions have created a new working group to scope the development of a Geomorphology Data Exchange Portal to increase access to needed data. The working group has developed a vision for the Portal and outlined possible approaches to achieve the vision. Short-term approaches may include leveraging existing data-access portals and data-processing tools and integrating geomorphology data with existing national geospatial datasets.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2002

Scaling roads and wildlife: The Cinderella principle

It is clear that a reduction in both direct and indirect effects of roads and road networks must be the goal of management agencies. However, increased permeability of roaded landscapes can only be achieved by up-front planning and subsequent mitigative actions. The key is to understand that roads must be made permeable to the movement of animals. More profoundly, ecosystem services, i.e., clean water, clean air, uncontaminated soil, natural landscapes, recreation opportunities, abundant wildlife, and life sustaining ecological processes must not be seriously impacted. In other words, quality of life as measured by ecosystem services should be a major component of the planning process when roads are constructed or improved. Mitigative structures exist to increase permeability of roads. Wildlife overpasses and underpasses, often referred to as ecoducts or green bridges, with associated structures to enable larger animals to exit the road right of way, e.g., earthen escape ramps (BISSONETTE and HAMMER, 2001), various culvert designs for smaller animals including badger pipes and amphibian and reptile tunnels, and fish ladders are but a small sampling of the structures already in place around the world. What is needed is attention to the big picture. Landscapes need to be reconnected and made more permeable. Responsible agencies and organizations need to be aggressive about promoting mitigations and a conservation ethic into road planning. Only with a broad based effort between a concerned public, a database to work from, and a willingness of responsible agencies, will the now very large virtual footprint of roads and road networks be reduced to more closely approximate the physical footprint. By embracing the Cinderella Principle of making the virtual shoe fit more closely the actual physical footprint of roads, we will be able to achieve a closer connection with ecological harmony with its resultant effect of abundant wildlife.

Conference Paper↗