A simple classification of soil types as habitats of biological soil crusts on the Colorado Plateau, USA

Question: Can a simple soil classification method, accessible to non-experts, be used to infer properties of the biological soil crust (BSC) communities such as species richness, evenness, and structure? Location: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, an arid region of the Colorado Plateau, USA. Methods: Biological soil crusts are highly functional soil surface communities of mosses, lichens and cyanobacteria that are vulnerable to soil surface disturbances such as grazing. We sampled BSC communities at 114 relatively undisturbed sites. We developed an eight-tier BSC habitat classification based upon soil properties including texture, carbonate and gypsum content, and presence of shrinking-swelling clays....

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Biodiversity conservation, Cryptogam, Ecological indicator, Ecosystem engineer, Journal of Vegetation Science, All tags... Land management, Microbiotic crust, Soil chemistry, Fewer tags

An Ecosystem Conservation Assessment for the lower San Pedro Watershed in Arizona

University of Arizona will conduct an ecosystem conservation assessment for the lower San Pedro (LSP) watershed. The assessment will provide a science-based strategic design for prioritizing where conservation efforts are most needed for high-value biodiversity conservation at the landscape-level and offer insights on conservation actions practical for implementation. The assessment will include an evaluation of high-value biodiversity, hydro-ecological processes, protected areas, landscape connectivity, and climate change adaptation. The study will suggest approaches for developing a new conservation framework for watershed conservation planning.

Categories: Data, Project; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, AZ-01, AZ-02, Arizona, Arizona, All tags... Conservation Design, Conservation NGOs, Conservation Plan/Design/Framework, Conservation Planning, Datasets/Database, Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative, EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > CONSERVATION, Federal resource managers, Informing Conservation Delivery, LCC, LCC Network Science Catalog, Lower San Pedro River, Lower San Pedro Watershed, Map, Project, Report, State agencies, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, completed, ecology, environment, hydrology, landscape connectivity, landscape scale, water, watershed conservation planning, watershed management, Fewer tags

Final Report FWS F13AS00164 FY13: An Ecosystem Conservation Assessment for the lower San Pedro Watershed in Arizona

University of Arizona will conduct an ecosystem conservation assessment for the lower San Pedro (LSP) watershed. The assessment will provide a science-based strategic design for prioritizing where conservation efforts are most needed for high-value biodiversity conservation at the landscape-level and offer insights on conservation actions practical for implementation. The assessment will include an evaluation of high-value biodiversity, hydro-ecological processes, protected areas, landscape connectivity, and climate change adaptation. The study will suggest approaches for developing a new conservation framework for watershed conservation planning.

Categories: Data; Types: Map Service, OGC WFS Layer, OGC WMS Layer, OGC WMS Service; Tags: 2013, AZ-01, AZ-02, Arizona, Arizona, All tags... Conservation Design, Conservation NGOs, Conservation Plan/Design/Framework, Conservation Planning, Datasets/Database, EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS > CONSERVATION, Federal resource managers, Informing Conservation Delivery, LCC Network Science Catalog, Lower San Pedro River, Lower San Pedro Watershed, Map, Report, Report, State agencies, Transboundary Madrean Watersheds Pilot Area, United States, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, completed, ecology, environment, hydrology, landscape connectivity, landscape scale, product, water, watershed conservation planning, watershed management, Fewer tags