Selecting a focal species under the 2012 Planning Rule? A new focal species toolkit streamlines the process

Erika Reiter; Jamie S. Sanderlin; Jennifer Helm; Diane Probasco; Sarah Sawyer; Donna Shorrock; Valerie Stein Foster

Treesearch

Selecting a focal species under the 2012 Planning Rule? A new focal species toolkit streamlines the process

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Erika Reiter, Jamie S. Sanderlin, Jennifer Helm, Diane Probasco, Sarah Sawyer, Donna Shorrock, Valerie Stein Foster

Year:

2026

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Science You Can Use Tool. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.

Download (PDF 911 KB)

Download (PDF 911 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/69990.pdf

Abstract

The USDA Forest Service is required to develop “land management plans,” which serve as roadmaps for maintaining the health and productivity of national forests and grasslands. These plans are designed to support ecological integrity, or an ecosystem’s ability to withstand environmental disturbance. One way that national forests and grasslands, or “planning units”, measure ecological integrity is by looking at the way that focal species respond to the effects of management activities and environmental changes.

Keywords

Focal Species Toolkit, ecological integrity, environmental disturbance, monitoring, distribution, planning

Citation

Reiter, Erika; Sanderlin, Jamie; Helm, Jenny; Probasco, Diane; Sawyer, Sarah; Shorrock, Donna; Foster, Valerie Stein. 2026. Selecting a focal species under the 2012 Planning Rule? A new focal species toolkit streamlines the process. Science You Can Use Tool. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.