Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Stones River National Battlefield

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Stones River National Battlefield National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Stones River National Battlefield Natural Resource Report NPS/STRI/NRR—2016/1141 ON THIS PAGE Native warm season grass, located south of Stones River National Battlefield visitor center Photograph by: Jeremy Aber, MTSU Geospatial Research Center ON THE COVER Karst topography in the cedar forest at the “Slaughter Pen,” Stones River National Battlefield Photograph by: Jeremy Aber, MTSU Geospatial Research Center Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Stones River National Battlefield Natural Resource Report NPS/STRI/NRR—2016/1141 Henrique Momm Zada Law Siti Nur Hidayati Jeffrey Walck Kim Sadler Mark Abolins Lydia Simpson Jeremy Aber Geospatial Research Center Department of Geosciences Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132 February 2016 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in digital format from http://www.nature.nps.gov/water/nrca/reports.cfm and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Momm, H.G., Z. Law, S. N. Hidayati, J. Walck, K. Sadler, M. Abolins, L. Simpson, J. Aber. 2016. National Resource Condition Assessment for Stones River National Battlefield. Natural Resource Report NPS/STRI/NRR—2016/1141. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 327/131743, February 2016 ii Contents Page Figures.................................................................................................................................................. vii Tables .................................................................................................................................................... ix Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................. xi Acknowledgments ...............................................................................................................................xiii Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................. xv 1. NRCA Background Information ........................................................................................................ 1 2. Chapter 2 Introduction and Resource Setting .................................................................................... 5 2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 5 2.1.1. Enabling Legislation ........................................................................................................ 5 2.1.2. Geographic Setting .......................................................................................................... 5 2.1.3. Visitation Statistics .......................................................................................................... 9 2.2. Natural Resources .................................................................................................................. 11 2.2.1. Ecological Units and Watershed ................................................................................... 11 2.2.2. Resource Descriptions ................................................................................................... 13 2.2.3. Resource Issues Overview ............................................................................................. 14 2.3. Resource Stewardship ........................................................................................................... 16 2.3.1. Management Directives and Planning Guidance........................................................... 16 2.3.2. Status of Supporting Science ......................................................................................... 17 3. Study Scoping and Design ............................................................................................................... 21 3.1. Preliminary Scoping .............................................................................................................. 21 3.2. Study Design ......................................................................................................................... 22 3.2.1. Indicator Framework, Focal Study Resources, and Indicators ...................................... 22 3.2.2. Reporting Areas ............................................................................................................. 30 3.2.3. General Approach and Methods .................................................................................... 30 4. Natural Resource Conditions ........................................................................................................... 33 4.1. Air Quality ............................................................................................................................. 33 4.1.1. Ozone and Foliar Injury ................................................................................................. 33 4.1.2. Deposition of Nitrogen and Sulfur ................................................................................ 39 iii Contents (continued) Page 4.1.3. Particulate Matter and Visibility ................................................................................... 40 4.2. Weather and Climate ............................................................................................................. 43 4.2.1. Precipitation ................................................................................................................... 43 4.2.2. Temperature ................................................................................................................... 45 4.3. Geology and Soil ................................................................................................................... 48 4.4. Water Quality ........................................................................................................................ 50 4.4.1. Description .................................................................................................................... 50 4.4.2. Data and Methods .......................................................................................................... 50 4.4.3. Conditions and Trends ................................................................................................... 54 4.5. Biological Integrity ................................................................................................................ 57 4.5.1. Invasive/Exotic Plants ................................................................................................... 57 4.5.2. Wetland Communities ................................................................................................... 66 4.5.3. Freshwater Aquatic Insects ............................................................................................ 71 4.5.4. Bird Assemblages .......................................................................................................... 73 4.5.5. Cedar Glades ................................................................................................................. 76 4.5.6. Fish Assemblages .......................................................................................................... 78 4.5.7. Amphibian and Reptile Assemblages ............................................................................ 80 4.5.8. Mammal Assemblages..................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Legumes of the North-Central States: C
    LEGUMES OF THE NORTH-CENTRAL STATES: C-ALEGEAE by Stanley Larson Welsh A Dissertation Submitted, to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Subject: Systematic Botany Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. artment Signature was redacted for privacy. Dean of Graduat College Iowa State University Of Science and Technology Ames, Iowa I960 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii INTRODUCTION 1 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS 8 TAXONOMIC AND NOMENCLATURE TREATMENT 13 REFERENCES 158 APPENDIX A 176 APPENDIX B 202 iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to express his deep gratitude to Professor Duane Isely for assistance in the selection of the problem and for the con­ structive criticisms and words of encouragement offered throughout the course of this investigation. Support through the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station and through the Industrial Science Research Institute made possible the field work required in this problem. Thanks are due to the curators of the many herbaria consulted during this investigation. Special thanks are due the curators of the Missouri Botanical Garden, U. S. National Museum, University of Minnesota, North Dakota Agricultural College, University of South Dakota, University of Nebraska, and University of Michigan. The cooperation of the librarians at Iowa State University is deeply appreciated. Special thanks are due Dr. G. B. Van Schaack of the Missouri Botanical Garden library. His enthusiastic assistance in finding rare botanical volumes has proved invaluable in the preparation of this paper. To the writer's wife, Stella, deepest appreciation is expressed. Her untiring devotion, work, and cooperation have made this work possible.
    [Show full text]
  • How Illinois Kicked the Exotic Habit
    HOW ILLINOIS KICKED THE EXOTIC HABIT Francis M. Harty Illinois Department of Conservation 2005 Round Bam Road Champagne, IL 61821 Introduction For the purpose of this paper, an exotic species is defined as "a plant or animal not native to North America." The history of folly surrounding the premeditated and accidental introduction of exotic animals has been well-documented (DeVos et al. 1956, Elton 1958, Hall 1963, Laycock 1966, Ehrenfeld 1970, Bratton 1974/1975, Howe and Bratton 1976, Moyle 1976, Courtenay 1978, Coblentz 1978, Iverson 1978, Weller 1981, Bratton 1982, Vale 1982, and Savidge 1987). In 1963, Dr. E. Raymond Hall wrote, "Introducing exotic species of vertebrates is unscientific, economically wasteful, politically shortsighted, and biologically wrong." Naturalizing exotic species are living time bombs, but no one knows for sure how much time we have. For example, the ring­ necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), touted as the Midwestern example of a good exotic introduction, has recently developed a nefarious relationship with the greater prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) in Illinois. Parasitism of prairie chicken nests by hen pheasants and harassment of displaying male chickens by cock pheasants are contributing to the decline of prairie chickens in Illinois (Vance and Westemeier 1979). The interspecific competition between the exotic pheasant (which is expanding its range in Illinois) and the native prairie chicken (which is an endangered species in Illinois) may be the final factor causing the extirpation of the prairie chicken from Illinois; it has already been extirpated from neighboring Indiana. In 1953, Klimstra and Hankla wrote, "In connection with the development of a pheasant adapted to southern conditions, the compatibility of pheasants and quail (Colinus virginianus) needs to be evaluated.
    [Show full text]
  • These De Doctorat De L'universite Paris-Saclay
    NNT : 2016SACLS250 THESE DE DOCTORAT DE L’UNIVERSITE PARIS-SACLAY, préparée à l’Université Paris-Sud ÉCOLE DOCTORALE N° 567 Sciences du Végétal : du Gène à l’Ecosystème Spécialité de doctorat (Biologie) Par Mlle Nour Abdel Samad Titre de la thèse (CARACTERISATION GENETIQUE DU GENRE IRIS EVOLUANT DANS LA MEDITERRANEE ORIENTALE) Thèse présentée et soutenue à « Beyrouth », le « 21/09/2016 » : Composition du Jury : M., Tohmé, Georges CNRS (Liban) Président Mme, Garnatje, Teresa Institut Botànic de Barcelona (Espagne) Rapporteur M., Bacchetta, Gianluigi Università degli Studi di Cagliari (Italie) Rapporteur Mme, Nadot, Sophie Université Paris-Sud (France) Examinateur Mlle, El Chamy, Laure Université Saint-Joseph (Liban) Examinateur Mme, Siljak-Yakovlev, Sonja Université Paris-Sud (France) Directeur de thèse Mme, Bou Dagher-Kharrat, Magda Université Saint-Joseph (Liban) Co-directeur de thèse UNIVERSITE SAINT-JOSEPH FACULTE DES SCIENCES THESE DE DOCTORAT DISCIPLINE : Sciences de la vie SPÉCIALITÉ : Biologie de la conservation Sujet de la thèse : Caractérisation génétique du genre Iris évoluant dans la Méditerranée Orientale. Présentée par : Nour ABDEL SAMAD Pour obtenir le grade de DOCTEUR ÈS SCIENCES Soutenue le 21/09/2016 Devant le jury composé de : Dr. Georges TOHME Président Dr. Teresa GARNATJE Rapporteur Dr. Gianluigi BACCHETTA Rapporteur Dr. Sophie NADOT Examinateur Dr. Laure EL CHAMY Examinateur Dr. Sonja SILJAK-YAKOVLEV Directeur de thèse Dr. Magda BOU DAGHER KHARRAT Directeur de thèse Titre : Caractérisation Génétique du Genre Iris évoluant dans la Méditerranée Orientale. Mots clés : Iris, Oncocyclus, région Est-Méditerranéenne, relations phylogénétiques, status taxonomique. Résumé : Le genre Iris appartient à la famille des L’approche scientifique est basée sur de nombreux Iridacées, il comprend plus de 280 espèces distribuées outils moléculaires et génétiques tels que : l’analyse de à travers l’hémisphère Nord.
    [Show full text]
  • Cooperative Interactions in Niche Communities
    fmicb-08-02099 October 23, 2017 Time: 15:56 # 1 ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 25 October 2017 doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02099 Cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria May Facilitate Cooperative Interactions in Niche Communities Marc W. Van Goethem, Thulani P. Makhalanyane*, Don A. Cowan and Angel Valverde*† Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa Hypoliths, microbial assemblages found below translucent rocks, provide important ecosystem services in deserts. While several studies have assessed microbial diversity Edited by: Jesse G. Dillon, of hot desert hypoliths and whether these communities are metabolically active, the California State University, interactions among taxa remain unclear. Here, we assessed the structure, diversity, and Long Beach, United States co-occurrence patterns of hypolithic communities from the hyperarid Namib Desert Reviewed by: by comparing total (DNA) and potentially active (RNA) communities. The potentially Jamie S. Foster, University of Florida, United States active and total hypolithic communities differed in their composition and diversity, with Daniela Billi, significantly higher levels of Cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria in potentially active Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy hypoliths. Several phyla known to be abundant in total hypolithic communities were *Correspondence: metabolically inactive, indicating that some hypolithic taxa may be dormant or dead. Thulani P. Makhalanyane The potentially active hypolith network
    [Show full text]
  • Algal Toxic Compounds and Their Aeroterrestrial, Airborne and Other Extremophilic Producers with Attention to Soil and Plant Contamination: a Review
    toxins Review Algal Toxic Compounds and Their Aeroterrestrial, Airborne and other Extremophilic Producers with Attention to Soil and Plant Contamination: A Review Georg G¨аrtner 1, Maya Stoyneva-G¨аrtner 2 and Blagoy Uzunov 2,* 1 Institut für Botanik der Universität Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; [email protected] 2 Department of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 8 blvd. Dragan Tsankov, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; mstoyneva@uni-sofia.bg * Correspondence: buzunov@uni-sofia.bg Abstract: The review summarizes the available knowledge on toxins and their producers from rather disparate algal assemblages of aeroterrestrial, airborne and other versatile extreme environments (hot springs, deserts, ice, snow, caves, etc.) and on phycotoxins as contaminants of emergent concern in soil and plants. There is a growing body of evidence that algal toxins and their producers occur in all general types of extreme habitats, and cyanobacteria/cyanoprokaryotes dominate in most of them. Altogether, 55 toxigenic algal genera (47 cyanoprokaryotes) were enlisted, and our analysis showed that besides the “standard” toxins, routinely known from different waterbodies (microcystins, nodularins, anatoxins, saxitoxins, cylindrospermopsins, BMAA, etc.), they can produce some specific toxic compounds. Whether the toxic biomolecules are related with the harsh conditions on which algae have to thrive and what is their functional role may be answered by future studies. Therefore, we outline the gaps in knowledge and provide ideas for further research, considering, from one side, Citation: G¨аrtner, G.; the health risk from phycotoxins on the background of the global warming and eutrophication and, ¨а Stoyneva-G rtner, M.; Uzunov, B.
    [Show full text]
  • Adaptations of Cyanobacterium Nostoc Commune to Environ- Mental Stress: Comparison of Morphological and Physiological Markers
    CZECH POLAR REPORTS 8 (1): 84-93, 2018 Adaptations of cyanobacterium Nostoc commune to environ- mental stress: Comparison of morphological and physiological markers between European and Antarctic populations after re- hydration Dajana Ručová1, Michal Goga1, Marek Matik2, Martin Bačkor1* 1Department of Botany, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik, Mánesova 23, 041 67 Košice, Slovakia 2Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 45, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia Abstract Availability of water may influence activities of all living organisms, including cyano- bacterial communities. Filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc commune is well adapted to wide spectrum of ecosystems. For this reason, N. commune had to develop diverse pro- tection strategies due to exposition to regular rewetting and drying processes. Few studies have been conducted on activities, by which cyanobacteria are trying to avoid water deficit. Therefore, the present study using physiological and morphological param- eters is focused on comparison between European and Antarctic ecotypes of N. commune during rewetting. Gradual increase of FV/FM ratios, as the markers of active PS II, demonstrated the recovery processes of N. commune colonies from Europe as well as from Antarctica after time dependent rehydration. During the initial hours of rewetting, there was lower content of soluble proteins in colonies from Antarctica in comparison to those from Europe. Total content of nitrogen was higher in European ecotypes of N. commune. Significantly higher frequency of occurrence of heterocysts in Antarctic ecotypes was observed. The heterocyst cells were significantly longer in Antarctic ecotypes rather than European ecotypes of N. commune. Key words: Antarctica, soluble proteins, cyanobacteria, chlorophyll fluorescence, heterocysts, nitrogen, James Ross Island DOI: 10.5817/CPR2018-1-6 ——— Received December 19, 2017, accepted April 4, 2018.
    [Show full text]
  • The Genus Astragalus (Fabacaeae) in Illinois
    Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science received 7/14/03 (2003), Volume 97, #1, pp. 11-18 accepted 11/9/03 The Genus Astragalus (Fabacaeae) in Illinois William E. McClain, Adjunct Research Associate in Botany Illinois State Museum, Springfield, Illinois 62706 and John E. Ebinger, Professor Emeritus of Botany Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois 61920 ABSTRACT Herbarium and field searches were made to determine the former and current distribution of the five Astragalus species (milk vetch) known from Illinois. Of these, the adventive A. agrestis Doug. has been reported once from the state. The native species A. crassicar- pus Nutt., A. distortus Torrey & Gray, A. tennesseensis Gray, and A. canadensis L. have experienced population declines due to habitat destruction. Astragalus canadensis is a widely distributed species of high quality prairie remnants, A. crassicarpus is known primarily from glacial drift prairies in Macoupin County, A. tennesseensis is known from a single site in Tazewell County, while only six small colonies of A. distortus survive, all from wind blown sand and loess deposits in Cass, Mason and Scott counties. Astragalus crassicarpus and A. tennesseensis are presently listed as endangered in Illinois, and endangered status is recommended for A. distortus. INTRODUCTION The genus Astragalus L., (milk vetch) is represented by more than 2,000 species in the Northern Hemisphere including 375 that occur in the United States (Isely 1998). Many are prairie and plains species of the western United States and Canada, but some occur in woodlands, barrens, and glades in the eastern United States (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). As members of the Fabaceae (Legume or Pulse Family), the genus belongs to the tribe Galegeae.
    [Show full text]
  • Seed of the Threatened Annual Legume, Astragalus Contortuplicatus, Can Survive Over 130 Years of Dry Storage
    Preslia 87: 319–328, 2015 319 Seed of the threatened annual legume, Astragalus contortuplicatus, can survive over 130 years of dry storage Semena ohroženého jednoletého druhu Astragalus contortuplicatus přežijí přes 130 let skladování v suchu Attila M o l n á r V.1,JuditSonkoly2,ÁdámLovas-Kiss1,RékaFekete1, Attila T a k á c s1,LajosSomlyay3 & Péter T ö r ö k4 1Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences & Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1., Hungary, e-mail: [email protected]; 2Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences & Technology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1., Hungary; 3Hungarian Natural History Museum, H-1087 Budapest, Könyves K. krt. 40., Hungary; 4MTA-DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1. Molnár V. A., Sonkoly J., Lovas-Kiss Á., Fekete R., Takács A., Somlyay L. & Török P. (2015): Seed of the threatened annual legume, Astragalus contortuplicatus, can survive over 130 years of dry storage. – Preslia 87: 319–328. Long-term seed viability is of crucial importance for short-lived species, since persistent seed banks can buffer the fluctuations in the establishment of plants from year to year. Temporarily flooded habitats are an unpredictable environment for plants, and for some species the only chance they have of surviving is the formation of persistent seed banks. Astragalus contortuplicatus is an annual species of periodically flooded habitats and is considered an endangered species in Hungary. Alto- gether 1993 seeds of this species were tested in a germination experiment: 1200 were freshly har- vested and 793 were collected from herbarium specimens of various ages.
    [Show full text]
  • Polyphasic Approach and Adaptative Strategies of Nostoc Cf. Commune (Nostocales, Nostocaceae) Growing on Mayan Monuments
    Fottea 11(1): 73–86, 2011 73 Polyphasic approach and adaptative strategies of Nostoc cf. commune (Nostocales, Nostocaceae) growing on Mayan monuments M. RAMÍ R EZ a,b, M. HE R NÁNDEZ –MA R INÉ a, P. MATEO c, E. BE rr ENDE R O c & M. ROLDÁN d aFacultat de Farmàcia, Unitat de Botànica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain bPosgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México cDepartamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain dServei de Microscòpia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici C, Facultat de Ciències, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain Abstract: An aerophytic Nostoc, from a Mayan monument, has been characterized by phenotypic and molecular approaches, and identified as a morphospecies ofNostoc commune. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that it belongs to a Nostoc sensu stricto clade, which contains strains identified asN. commune. Nostoc cf. commune is found in two close areas: Site I (protected from direct sunlight by a wall), where it forms biofilms on mortar with Trentepohlia aurea; and Site II, where it grows on exposed stucco with the accompanying organism Scytonema guyanense. Over the year, in a habitat dictated by alternating wet and dry seasons, the organisms vary in appearance. Its life cycle comprises two seasonally–determined developmental stages (growth during the wet season and dormancy during the dry season) and two transitional stages (preparation for the dry season, and rehydration and recovery). At the beginning of the wet season the resistant stages from the previous dry season are rehydrated and form propagula, that adopt a colonial shape surrounded by a gelatinous sheath.
    [Show full text]
  • Abstract Phylogenetic Analysis of the Symbiotic
    ABSTRACT PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE SYMBIOTIC NOSTOC CYANOBACTERIA AS ASSESSED BY THE NITROGEN FIXATION (NIFD) GENE by Hassan S. Salem Members of the genus Nostoc are the most commonly encountered cyanobacterial partners in terrestrial symbiotic systems. The objective of this study was to determine the taxonomic position of the various symbionts within the genus Nostoc, in addition to examining the evolutionary relationships between symbiont and free-living strains within the genus by analyzing the complete sequences of the nitrogen fixation (nif) genes. NifD was sequenced from thirty-two representative strains, and phylogenetically analyzed using the Maximum likelihood and Bayesian criteria. Such analyses indicate at least three well-supported clusters exist within the genus, with moderate bootstrap support for the differentiation between symbiont and free-living strains. Our analysis suggests 2 major patterns for the evolution of symbiosis within the genus Nostoc. The first resulting in the symbiosis with a broad range of plant groups, while the second exclusively leads to a symbiotic relationship with the aquatic water fern, Azolla. PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE SYMBIOTIC NOSTOC CYANOBACTERIA AS ASSESSED BY THE NITROGEN FIXATION (NIFD) GENE A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Botany by Hassan S. Salem Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2010 Advisor________________________ (Susan Barnum) Reader_________________________ (Nancy Smith-Huerta)
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 1: Ecoregional Planning in the Interior Low Plateau
    1 CHAPTER 1: ECOREGIONAL PLANNING IN THE INTERIOR LOW PLATEAU 1.1. INTRODUCTION 1.2. OVERVIEW OF PLANNING 1.2.1. Developing a Plan to Plan 1.2.2. Budget and Workplan 1.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERIOR LOW PLATEAU 1.3.1. Ecological Overview 1.3.2. Ecological Systems 1.3.3. Present Land Use CHAPTER 2: PLANNING TEAMS 2.1. INTRODUCTION 2.2. THE STEERING COMMITTEE 2.3. THE CORE TEAM 2.4. TECHNICAL TEAMS 2.5. DESIGN TEAM CHAPTER 3: GATHERING THE PIECES 3.1. INTRODUCTION 3.2. DATA SOURCES AND DATA MANAGEMENT 3.2.1. Conservation Target Data 3.2.2. Geographic Information Systems 3.3. IDENTIFICATION OF CONSERVATION TARGETS, SETTING CONSERVATION GOALS, AND SELECTING TARGET ELEMENT OCCURRENCES 3.3.1. General Guidelines 3.3.2. Terrestrial Natural Communities 3.3.3. Plant Species 3.3.4. Terrestrial Invertebrates 3.3.5. Terrestrial Vertebrates (other than birds) Birds 3.3.6. Aquatic Species 3.3.7. Aquatic Communities 3.3.8. The Conservation Targets CHAPTER 4: ASSEMBLING THE PORTFOLIO 4.1. INTRODUCTION 4.2. DEVELOPING A PRELIMINARY PORTFOLIO 4.3. DESIGNING AND REFINING THE PORTFOLIO 4.3.1. Assessing Preliminary Sites 4.3.2. Representing Matrix Communities CHAPTER 5: ASSESSING THE PORTFOLIO AND SETTING PRIORITES 5.1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTFOLIO 5.2. IDENTIFYING ACTION SITES 5.2.1. Action Sites 5.2.2. Landscape-Scale Action Sites 5.3. MEETING CONSERVATION GOALS 5.4. PATTERNS OF THREATS AND STRATEGIES IN THE PORTFOLIO 5.4.1. Stresses and Sources of Stress 5.4.2. Strategies CHAPTER 6: IMPLEMENTING THE CONSERVATION PLAN 6.1.
    [Show full text]
  • Plant Conservation Rare
    CENTER FOR CONSERVAT ION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVEOPMENT PLANT CONSERVATION RARE 2014 2014 : A YEAR IN REV IEW The Center for Conservation and CONTENT OVERVIEW: Sustainable Development (CCSD) at the Missouri Botanical Garden SEED - BANKING 1 - 2 (MBG) works to conserve global biodiversity. Within the US, we take SEED SCIENCE 2 an integrated approach to rare plant conservation, combining both ex-situ (seed-banking, germination experi- RESTORATION 3 ments) and in-situ (monitoring, habi- tat restoration) methods. The arrival RARE PLANT 3 of the new year presents an oppor- POPULATIONS tune time to share the highlights of The ruggedly scenic Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma host many our work from 2014. This past year endemic plant taxa, including Ouachita mountain goldenrod (Solidago ouachitensis). CONSERVATION 3 GENETICS was marked by both a continuation of established projects and the development of new research projects and collaborations. 2014 was very CLIMATE CHANGE 4 productive for seed-banking, including species not previously secured in any seed bank. We also have new developments from our germination research, demographic monitoring, and reintroduction of Pyne’s PRESENTATIONS 4 Ground Plum (Astragalus bibullatus). It’s been a successful year for sharing the results of our work via AND OUTREACH conferences, publications, and public outreach. Thank you to all of our many partners, without whom none of this would be possible. We hope that this annual newsletter will provide an informative synopsis of US PUBLICATIONS 5 plant conservation work at MBG for a broad audience and facilitate collaborations with new partners in this important conservation effort. HIGHLIGHTS SEED - BANKING IMPERIL ED PLANTS OF THE SOUTHEAST Eleven rare plants of the The Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) is a consortium of botanical institutions working to safeguard SE US secured in MBG imperiled species from extinction.
    [Show full text]