Prioritizing road restoration for aquatic ecosystems using inventories and models

Abstract

People have built roads and trails over the millennia to connect communities, facilitate commerce, enhance defense, and access resources. In the western United States, the United States Forest Service (USFS) has constructed and maintained a system of forest trails and roads since it’s inception in 1905, at first to provide access to remote locations to manage fires and later to provide access for timber harvest and other uses. Road construction over the last century has resulted in a network of over 380,000 miles on USFS lands. While these roads provide valuable access to remote areas, the extensive road system also creates a diversity of negative impacts on the natural environment.

Citation

Black, Tom; Luce, Charlie; Nelson, Nathan. 2021. Prioritizing road restoration for aquatic ecosystems using inventories and models. Society for Ecological Research: SERNews. 35(1): 15-23.