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Outdoor recreation management on public lands is at a crossroads both at home and abroad. The number of visitors is increasing in the United States, and visitor expenditures are creating economic benefits exceeding those of any other resource production contributions for the national economy and for many rural communities near public lands (Rosenberger 2018, Rosenberger et al. 2017, White et al. 2016). Open space and recreation access provided by federal lands are key population and development drivers in rural communities (Headwaters Economics 2019, White et al. 2016). A deepening...

Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia Arn.) is an endangered conifer with a very limited range in the USA: two counties in Florida and one in Georgia, along the Apalachicola River. The species was once abundant in its small native range but suffered a major decline, ~99% loss, in the late 1950s to early 1960s that is thought to have been caused by a disease. Recently, a canker disease caused by Fusarium torreyae was identified as the primary cause of Florida torreya decline. Efforts to restore and preserve the species in situ and ex situ are hampered by lack of pathogen-free planting stock,...

This chapter explores concepts in agency capacity and discusses how changes in an organization’s capacity to plan and manage outdoor recreation can shape or limit its ability to provide quality outdoor recreation experiences. We use a case study from the U.S. Forest Service to convey how shifts in financial, human, information, and material resources can challenge an agency’s ability to achieve its mission. We present recent models of agency capacity and its effect on organizational performance and explore notions of adaptive capacity and capacity-building to present ideas about how...

Although nitrogen deposition and tropospheric ozone have impacted California forests for decades, broad scale studies of these impacts on forest growth and mortality are lacking. Because of the summer-dry climate over most of the state, forest responses to air pollution are expected to differ from more mesic climates. In this study, data from US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) permanent (remeasured) plots were combined with modelled atmospheric N and S deposition and an ozone exposure index to evaluate tree growth and mortality responses in California. Seven of 18...

Mangroves sequester large quantities of carbon (C) that become significant sources of greenhouse gases when disturbed through land‐use change. Thus, they are of great value to incorporate into climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. In response, a global network of mangrove plots was established to provide policy‐relevant ecological data relating to interactions of mangrove C stocks with climatic, tidal, plant community, and geomorphic factors. Mangroves from 190 sites were sampled across five continents encompassing large biological, physical, and climatic gradients using...

Biological invasions are most practical to manage when invasive species population densities are low. Despite a potentially narrow window of opportunity for efficient management, managers tend to delay intervention because the cost of prompt action is often high and resources are limited. The Barred Owl (Strix varia) invaded and colonized the entire range of the Northern Spotted Owl (S. occidentalis caurina), but insufficient population data contributed to delays in action until the Barred Owl posed an existential threat to the Spotted Owl. The leading edge of the Barred Owl expansion has...

This chapter will investigate who are the visitors and nonusers of outdoor recreation opportunities, and what factors influence or inhibit forest visitation. Additionally, it will focus on identifying a research agenda that links the cultural ecosystem services of outdoor recreation with issues of diversity and cultural and social constructs in the actual delivery and use of this public service, and develop management strategies to better increase visitation rates on nonusers.

Climate change is altering the suitable habitat and phenology of plant species around the world, with cascading effects on people and animals reliant upon those plant species as food sources. Huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum) is one of these important food-producing plant species that grows in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Here, we modelled how the range and phenology of huckleberry may change as the climate changes. To address this question, we first utilized citizen scientist observations, long-term plot data, and gridded climate data to identify climate variables that best...

The Yazoo Darter (Etheostoma raneyi) is a small imperilled snubnose darter endemic to Upper Gulf Coastal Plain streams in north-central Mississippi. Installation of riprap and wood is being considered in an effort to increase suitable habitat and spawning substrate for the species. In common with other snubnose darters, Yazoo Darters attach their eggs to appropriate spawning substrate. However, it is not known if Yazoo Darters, or other imperiled Coastal Plain snubnose darters, will use rock substrate for spawning given it is almost entirely absent from streams of occurrence. If Yazoo...