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Structural and Functional Loss in Restored Wetland Ecosystems
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Wetlands, which include tropical mangroves and boreal
peatlands, are among the most valuable ecosystems in the
world because they provide critical ecosystem goods and
services, such as carbon storage, biodiversity conservation,
fish production, water purification, and erosion control. As
global change accelerates the loss of wetlands, attempts
are increasing to restore this fragile habitat and its
associated functioning. There has been no global evaluation,
however, of how effective such restoration efforts
have been. Here, we present a meta-analysis of the
biological structure (driven mostly by plant communities)
and biogeochemical functioning (driven primarily by the
storage of carbon in wetland soils) of 621 wetland sites.
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General Resources Holdings
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National Report on Sustainable Forests
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This is a report on the state of forests in the United States of America and the indicators of national progress toward the goal of sustainable forest management. The report is designed to provide information that will improve public dialog and decision making on desired outcomes and needed actions to move the Nation toward this goal. The 64 indicators of forest sustainability used in the report reflect many of the environmental, social, and economic concerns of the American public regarding forests, and they help us establish a quantitative baseline for measuring progress toward sustainability. While the report presents data primarily at a national or regional level, it also provides a valuable context for related efforts to ensure sustainability at other geographic and political scales. Action at all levels is vital to achieving sustainable forest management in the United States.
The current edition includes 130 pages of detailed information organized by indicator, as well as summary analyses and policy recommendations. Over 30 Forest Service scientists, senior staff and outside collaborators contributed to this edition of the report. A previous edition of the report was released in 2003, and an update is anticipated for 2015. Questions or comments about the report or the project as a whole are greatly appreciated and can be directed to Guy Robertson (see box on left).
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Science Publications
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Golden-winged Warbler Habitat: Best Management Practices
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The goal of this BMP is to present management prescriptions to forest managers interested in providing breeding habitat for Golden-winged Warblers through management actions associated with timber harvesting. We provide a science-based approach in an adaptive management framework to understanding breeding habitat use of Golden-winged Warblers across a range of timber harvest prescriptions in Pennsylvania and Maryland. This document is intended for use by state and private foresters, biologists, and other land managers. We anticipate that this BMP is the first document in a series that will address management of other early successional habitat used by Golden-winged Warblers including old fields, reclaimed strip mines, scrub oak barrens, and aspen cuts.
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CASRI Annual Report 2012
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The Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative Annual Report for 2012
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Education and Outreach
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National Fish, Wildlife, & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
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The purpose of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is to inspire and enable natural resource administrators, elected officials, and other decision makers to take action to adapt to a changing climate. Adaptation actions are vital to sustaining the nation’s ecosystems and natural resources — as well as the human uses and values that the natural world provides.
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Climate Change: Future Federal Adaptation Efforts Could Better Support Local Infrastructure Decision Makers
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The federal government invests billions of dollars annually in infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, facing increasing risks from climate change. Adaptation—defined as adjustments to natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate change— can help manage these risks by making infrastructure more resilient. GAO was asked to examine issues related to infrastructure decision making and climate change. This report examines (1) the impacts of climate change on roads and bridges, wastewater systems, and NASA centers; (2) the extent to which climate change is incorporated into infrastructure planning; (3) factors that enabled some decision makers to implement adaptive measures; and (4) federal efforts to address local adaptation needs, as well as potential opportunities for improvement. GAO reviewed climate change assessments; analyzed relevant reports; interviewed stakeholders from professional associations and federal agencies; and visited infrastructure projects and interviewed local decision makers at seven sites where adaptive measures have been implemented.
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Abandoned Mineland Acid Mine Drainage (AML AMD) Inventory
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An inventory of land and water impacted by past mining (primarily coal mining) is maintained by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to provide information needed to implement the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. The inventory contains information on the location, type, and extent of abandoned mined lands, as well as information on the cost associated with the reclamation of those problems.
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GIS & Planning
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Other Conservation & Planning Tools
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Putting the Nation on a Path for Climate Resilience and Preparedness: NOAA's Information and Expertise
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Information seekers can turn to NOAA personnel on the ground to access and apply available information to specific questions and needs. NOAA provides a wide range of climate information through monthly, seasonal and decade forecasts and data tailored to the specific needs of different sectors. NOAA uses this same information to take direct action to increase the resilience and facilitate adaptation of the nation’s valuable marine and coastal resources and the people that depend on them.
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Enhancing the Climate Resilience of America’s Natural Resources
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The President's Climate and Natural Resources Priority Agenda is the result of an interagency process to inventory and assess current policies, programs, and regulations related to climate change adaptation. The Agenda builds upon the robust climate change adaptation work already accomplished by Federal agencies and identifies significant actions moving forward. It specifically mentions how Federal agencies working to address ecosystem management issues through LCCs and other multi-stakeholder bodies will work with partners to select flagship geographic regions for which they will identify priority areas for conservation, restoration, or other investments to build resilience in vulnerable regions, enhance carbon storage capacity, and support management needs. Within 24 months, these agencies and their partners will have identified and mapped the initial list of priority areas within each of the selected geographic landscapes or regions.
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The State of Greenhouse Gases in the Atmosphere Based on Global Observations through 2013
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The WMO Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) coordinates observations of the most important contributors to climate change: long-lived greenhouse gases(LLGHG). In the figure, their radiative forcing (RF) is plotted along with a simple illustration of the impacts on future RF of different emission reduction scenarios. Analysis of GAW observations shows that a reduction in RF from its current level (2.92 W·m–2 in
2013)[1] requires significant reductions in anthropogenic emissions of all major greenhouse gases (GHGs).
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Climate Science Documents
