Determining the best strategy for managing natural resources often requires a synthetic analysis describing the interactions among a multiplicity of ecosystem components and driving factors. However, comprehensive data sets are rarely collected to include all factors relevant to a given management decision. When data are obtained from multiple sources, they are often difficult to synthesize...
Plant communities are the foundation for terrestrial trophic webs and animal habitat, and their structure and species composition are a result of biological and physical drivers. Additionally, they have a major role in geologic, geomorphic and soil development processes. Several global and regional stressors (for example, climate change, atmospheric and precipitation chemistry, introduced...
Natural resource managers are faced with the prospect of dramatic climate change, the commencement of ecosystem- and landscape-scale restoration and management initiatives, as well as an interest in learning from and being accountable for restoration projects. The consequent needs for information have motivated many agencies to institute ecological monitoring programs and interdisciplinary...
Resource managers contend with achieving goals and mandates in an ever-changing world of exotic species invasions, emerging diseases, extinction risks, and shifting public expectations among others. These challenges must be faced in the context of a changing climate, which potentially alters ecosystem structure and function and undermines the predictability of ecosystem response to management...
Executive SummaryClimate change vulnerability assessments and associated adaptation strategies and actions connect existing climate science with possible effects on natural resources and highlight potential responses. However, these assessments, which are commonly generated for large regional areas, suggest management options in general terms...
Kershner, Jessi; Woodward, Andrea; Torregrosa, Alicia
Salmon populations spawning in the Lake Ozette watershed of northwestern Washington were once sufficiently abundant to support traditional Tribal fisheries, and were later harvested by settlers. However, in 1974 and 1975, the sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) harvest decreased to 0 from a high of more than 17,500 in 1949, thus stimulating...
Woodward, Andrea; Haggerty, Mike; Crain, Patrick
Natural resource management is conducted in the context of multiple anthropogenic stressors and is further challenged owing to changing climate. Experiments to determine the effects of climate change on complex ecological systems are nearly impossible. However, using a simulation model to synthesize current understanding of key ecological...
Woodward, Andrea; Kirby, Grant; Morris, Scott
The rugged landscapes of northern Idaho and western Montana support biodiverse ecosystems, and provide a variety of natural resources and services for human communities. However, the benefits provided by these ecosystems may be at risk as changing climate magnifies existing stressors and allows new stressors to emerge. Preparation for and response...
Kershner, Jessi; Woodward, Andrea; Torregrosa, Alicia A major challenge in the biological monitoring of stream ecosystems in protected wilderness areas is discerning whether temporal changes in community structure are significantly outside of a reference condition that represents natural or acceptable annual variation in population cycles. Otherwise sites could erroneously be classified as impaired....
Milner, Alexander M.; Woodward, Andrea; Freilich, Jerome E.; Black, Robert W.; Resh, Vincent H. No abstract available.
Kershner, Jessi; Torregrosa, Alicia; Woodward, Andrea Natural Resource Condition Assessments (NRCAs) evaluate current conditions for a subset of natural resources and resource indicators in national parks. NRCAs also report on trends in resource condition (when possible), identify critical data gaps, and characterize a general level of confidence for study findings. The resources and indicators...
Hoffman, Robert; Woodward, Andrea; Haggerty, Patricia K.; Jenkins, Kurt J.; Griffin, Paul C.; Adams, M.J.; Hagar, Joan; Cummings, Tonnie; Duriscoe, Dan; Kopper, Karen; Riedel, Jon; Marin, Lelaina; Mauger, Guillaume S; Bumbaco, Karen; Littell, Jeremy S. Few systematic studies of valley-scale geomorphic drivers of streamflow regimes in complex alpine headwaters have compared response between catchments. As a result, little guidance is available for regional-scale hydrological research and monitoring efforts that include assessments of ecosystem function. Physical parameters such as slope,...
Weekes, Anne A.; Torgersen, Christian E.; Montgomery, David R.; Woodward, Andrea; Bolton, Susan M. Large quantities of free protein in the environment and other bioaerosols are ubiquitous throughout terrestrial ground level environments and may be integrative indicators of ecosystem status. Samples of ground level bioaerosols were collected from various ecosystems throughout Ecuador, including pristine humid tropical forest (pristine), highly...
Staton, Sarah J.R.; Woodward, Andrea; Castillo, Josemar A.; Swing, Kelly; Hayes, Mark A.
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) are a network of 22 public-private partnerships, defined by ecoregion, that share and provide science to ensure the sustainability of land, water, wildlife, and cultural resources in North America. LCCs were established by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) in recognition of the fact that response...
Woodward, Andrea; Jenni, Karen
The system dynamics model described in this report is the result of a collaboration between U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and National Park Service (NPS) San Francisco Bay Area Network (SFAN) staff, whose goal was to develop a methodology to integrate inventory and monitoring data to better understand ecosystem dynamics and trends using...
Woodward, Andrea; Torregrosa, Alicia; Madej, Mary Ann; Reichmuth, Michael; Fong, Darren
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) are a network of 22 public-private partnerships, defined by ecoregion, that share and provide science to ensure the sustainability of land, water, wildlife and cultural resources in North America. LLCs were established by the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) in recognition that response to climate change...
Woodward, Andrea; Liedtke, Theresa; Jenni, Karen
The sockeye salmon population of the Lake Ozette watershed in northwestern Washington has been federally listed as threatened since 1999. Although the population has grown, numbers remain insufficient to allow harvest.