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Using a structured decision making process for strategic conservation of imperiled aquatic species in the Upper Tennessee River Basin
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Development of strategic conservation of imperiled species faces several large challenges, including uncertainty in species response to management actions, budgetary constraints that limit options, and issues with scaling expected conservation benefits from local to landscape levels and from single to multiple species. We used a structured decision making process and a multi-scale approach to identify a cost-effective conservation strategy for the imperiled aquatic species in the Upper Tennessee River Basin (UTRB), which face a variety of threats. The UTRB, which encompasses a landscape of 22,360 square miles primarily in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, harbors one of the most globally diverse assemblages of freshwater fishes and mussels occurring at temperate latitudes. In developing the strategy, we sought to identify which management actions to emphasize to best achieve recovery of imperiled aquatic species, given costs and uncertainty in management effectiveness. The strategy was developed for conservation implementation over a 20-year period, with periodic review and revision. In this presentation, we describe the ecological significance of the UTRB, the planning process, and the resulting strategy. A strategic emphasis on population management emerged as the optimal approach for achieving conservation of imperiled aquatic species in the UTRB, which aligns well with the goals of existing plans for conserving and recovering imperiled fishes and mussels in the UTRB. The structured planning process and resulting conservation strategy dovetail with the landscape approach to conservation embodied in the USFWS’s strategic habitat conservation approach and network of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.
The recorded webinar is also available for viewing at the following link: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/science/seminars/July2015.html.
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News & Information
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Webinars and Presentations
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Technical User Support
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This folder contain resources and How-To guides to utilize technical resources provided on the Appalachian LCC portal. This includes information for using published GIS web based tools and applications, accessing data, data policy, and FTP resources.
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Help
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General User Support
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This folder contains information and resources for general user support.
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Help
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How-To Guides and Handouts
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This folder contains instructional guides and handouts for using the Appalachian LCC portal and tools.
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Resources
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How-To Guide for Using Appalachian LCC Expertise Database
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This guide describes the Appalachian LCC database and contains instruction to explain how users can utilize this resource. There is also a brief explanation on how users can edit their profile to include their own expertise information into the database.
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Resources
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How-To Guides and Handouts
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Basic User Support Guide
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This guide covers how to request an account with the Appalachian LCC portal, logging in to the portal, and posting content.
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Resources
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How-To Guides and Handouts
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Riparian Restoration Decision Support Tool Fact Sheet
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An innovative web-based tool - funded by the Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) and developed by researchers from the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Massachusetts - is allowing managers to rapidly identify high-priority riparian targets for restoration to make more resilient in preparation for changes in future climate. The Riparian Restoration Prioritization to Promote Climate Change Resilience (RPCCR) tool identifies vulnerable stream and riverbanks that lack tree cover and shade in coldwater stream habitats. By locating the best spots to plant trees in riparian zones, resource managers can provide shade that limits the amount of solar radiation heating the water and reduces the impacts from climate change. This well-established management strategy will benefit high-elevation, cold-water aquatic communities.
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Resources
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How-To Guides and Handouts
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Assessing Future Energy Development Fact Sheet
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Provides a general overview of the need for the Energy Assessment research, the major products and findings that came out of the project, and the relevance of the study, models, and tools to the resource management community.
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Resources
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How-To Guides and Handouts
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Training
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Tennessee River Basin Network Training Resources
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Training
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Tennessee River Basin Partnership Training resources
