Keyword: impacts

Bioenergy-related water quality issues

Water quality is a measurement of the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water against certain standards that can be ecological or specifically related to human needs. The production of bioenergy feedstocks and their conversion to solid, liquid and gaseous biofuels for heating, power and transport can drastically affect water quality in aquatic ecosystems, with impacts on biodiversity and human health.

Forests: the potential consequences of climate variability and change

This pamphlet reports the recent scientific assessment that analyzed how future climate variablity and change may affect forests in the United States. The assessment, sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, and supported, in part, by the U.S Department of Energy, and the National Atmospheric and Space Administration, describes the suite of potential impacts on forests.

Weak vs. strong invaders of natural plant communities: Assessing invasibility and impact

In response to the profound threat of exotic species to natural systems, much attention has been focused on the biotic resistance hypothesis, which predicts that diverse communities should better resist invasions. While studies of natural communities generally refute this hypothesis, reporting positive relationships between native species diversity and invasibility, some local-scale studies have instead obtained negative relationships.

Non-native plants and adaptive collaborative approaches to ecosystem restoration [Chapter 8]

Non-native invasive plant species (NNIPS) pose a serious socio-ecological challenge due to their potential to replace and damage critical human-sustaining ecosystems (OTA 1993; Mack et al. 2000; Pimentel 2002). The impacts of non-native species are widespread and significant - altering ecosystem structure and function, threatening other species, and imposing human economic and cultural costs (Mack et al. 2000; Pfeiffer and Voeks 2008).

Proceedings IV: Issues and technology in the management of impacted wildlife; February 6-8, 1989; Glenwood Springs, CO

The Fourth Biennial Wildlife Symposium was held at the historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, from February 6-8, 1989. In spite of some very cold wcather, the attendees came from many parts of the United States and Canada. As in previous years, they represented government, industry, academic and professional organizations, including nonprofits.

Developing a framework for evaluating proposals for research in wilderness: Science to protect and learn from parks

In designated park wilderness, the requirements for scientific research often conflict with requirements designed to protect wilderness resources and values. Managers who wish to realize the benefits of scientific research must have a process by which to evaluate those benefits as well as their associated wilderness impacts.

The wilderness threats matrix: A framework for assessing impacts

A comprehensive framework for assessing threats to wilderness is described. The framework is represented as a matrix of potential threats and attributes of wilderness character. Cells in the matrix represent the impacts of threats on each attribute. Potential applications of the matrix are described.

Resource impacts caused by recreation

The pursuit of recreational activities inevitably has an effect on the resource--vegetation, soil, wildlife, and water. Whether these impacts are considered to be positive or negative depends on the management objectives of the area affected. The severity of the positive or negative response, which dictates the acuteness of the need for mitigation measures, is also influenced by management objectives.

Why is it important to monitor social conditions in wilderness?

“Social conditions in wilderness” refers to all aspects of human use of the wilderness that pose the possibility of impact to the resource and visitor experiences. The reasons for monitoring (1) use levels and use trends (including characteristics of use and users) and (2) the quality of the recreation experiences provided (ability to provide naturalness, privacy, and solitude, with a lack of conflict) are discussed.