The NPS I&M program grouped national parks across the United States into 32 networks and, in 2000, initiated the inventory phase of the I&M program. The first task was to create a biological inventory plan to cover this five-year phase aimed at determining the status of vertebrates and vascular plants in U.S. national parks. Following I&M guidelines, Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and USGS staff produced the plan in 2001, defining goals, policy, and specific projects for implementation (NPS 2001). They followed a prescribed process to, first, determine the level of knowledge regarding vertebrate and vascular plant occurrence in parks and then to address the status of species of special management concern. They interpreted the latter as special-status taxa and non-native plants and animals. Among the projects identified for Yosemite was determining the status of special-status vascular plant species. This report details the results of that two-year project implemented by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under an inter-agency agreement with the National Park Service.

This report summarizes provisional data collected by the Sonoran Desert Network during the first two seasons of terrestrial vegetation and soils monitoring in upland areas of the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park, in southern Arizona. Twenty-five permanent monitoring sites were sampled. This report summarizes effort to date, evaluates the sampling design in the context of our monitoring objectives, and suggests modifications to the design.

This coloring and activity book for children explores the historic Nez Perce National Historic Trail which winds through Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The Nez Perce, or Nimiipoo, are the native people who lived in an area of the interior Northwest stretching from the Bitterroot Mountains in the east, to the Blue Mountains in the west. Using matching games, puzzles, and other activities, Along the Nez Perce Trail introduces young people to the natural world through the language and concepts of the Nimiipoo.

This report summarizes results of the Sonoran Desert Network's first season of terrestrial vegetation and soils monitoring in upland areas of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (NM), in southwestern New Mexico. Ten permanent field-monitoring sites were established and sampled in 2009. Our objectives were to determine the status of and detect trends, over five-year intervals, in vegetation cover, vegetation frequency, soil cover, and surface soil stability.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (SAAN) encompasses approximately 844 acres in the city of San Antonio and rural Wilson County, Texas. The park preserves and celebrates the largest collection of Spanish colonial resources in the U.S., including four missions, two acequias (irrigation ditches), and one ranch remnant. The four missions are located in the southern portion of San Antonio along the San Antonio River and the ranch site is located approximately 5 miles southwest of Floresville, Texas and 35 miles southeast of San Antonio. SAAN was created to protect and commemorate these historical structures and in addition it also contains rich and varied natural resources including native flora common to the Tamaulipan thornscrub and southern tallgrass prairie ecoregions. To better understand the distribution of these plant assemblages the National Park Service's (NPS) Southern Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network (SOPN) in conjunction with the NPS's Gulf Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (GULN) begun a vegetation mapping and classification effort at SAAN.

This document details the objectives of current monitoring program including 1) determine the status and trends of invertebrate species diversity, abundance, and community metrics, and 2) relate the invertebrate community to overall water quality through quantification of metrics related to species richness, abundance, diversity, and region-specific multi-metric indices as indicators of water quality and habitat condition.

This book looks at the twists and turns in the making of the scenic highway. The most visited site in the National Park system, the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway winds along the ridges of the Appalachian mountains in Virginia and North Carolina. According to most accounts, the Parkway was a New Deal 'Godsend for the needy', built without conflict or opposition by landscape architects and planners who traced their vision along a scenic, isolated southern landscape. The historical archives relating to this massive public project, however, tell a different and much more complicated story, which Anne Mitchell Whisnant relates in this revealing history of the beloved roadway.

The goal of the study was to accurately map and classify at least to the alliance level of the USNVC, the vegetation in Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Booker T. Washington National Monument, Colonial National Historical Park, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Petersburg National Battlefield, and Richmond National Battlefield Park. The classification used to map these parks was developed regionally, using quantitative data that was collected from all seven park units and combined with existing data from throughout the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

Vegetation classification and mapping of U.S. National Vegetation Classification associations were conducted at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, creating current digital geospatial databases for the park. This study of the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site identified and characterized 10 U.S. National Vegetation Classification associations in detail. The diversity and distribution of vegetation associations is primarily a result of the following four factors: 1) the geologic history of the region, especially the effect of glaciation; 2) the park's position on the northeastern U.S. coastal plain within a temperate climate; 3) proximity to Long Island Sound and maritime ecological processes, such as diurnal tides, storm overwash, salt spray, and high winds; and 4) the park's setting within a suburban landscape with a moderately intensive human land use history, along with its associated problems, such as invasive species, fragmentation, habitat loss, and pollution.

Invasion by non-indigenous plants is widely considered to be a primary threat to species diversity and ecosystem function. Ecosystem changes resulting from these invasions may negatively impact native plant communities as a whole, as well as rare and endangered species. This report explores existing reports on rare plant locations in Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS), and Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN). No rare plant surveys were performed for this study. In addition, we performed invasive plant surveys on several species considered "target" species of concern at each park. Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) was the most commonly found invasive species. Of the 68 plots sampled in MISS, 53 had at least one invasive species present, and of the 136 plots sampled in SACN, 128 had at least one invasive species present. While this was not an exhaustive attempt to survey all invasive infestations, this study can serve as a template for future surveys and to emphasize the importance of continuity to allow compilation and comparison of data across parks.

Two broad objectives are addressed by this protocol: 1) Determine the annual status and trends of invertebrate species diversity, abundance and community metrics, and 2) Relate the invertebrate community to overall water quality through quantification of metrics related to species richness, abundance and diversity and region specific multi-metric indices as indicators of water quality and habitat condition

Calling on the image of the Midwest s vanished inland sea, Susan Neville has written a compelling collection of essays that ponder writing and the "landlocked imagination." The essays range from interviews with Indiana writers Kurt Vonnegut, Scott Sanders, Marguerite Young, and others, to discussions on techniques grounded in a Midwestern sensibility. As director of Butler University s Visiting Writers Series, Neville has had the rare opportunity to converse with such literary giants as Salman Rushdie, Ray Bradbury, and Toni Morrison, and some of those exchanges have been incorporated into this exciting new collection."

1897. With 35 illustrations drawn and engraved under the direction of the author. Part of the International Scientific Series of popular science. Tyndall studies rivers and glaciers not only by their actual appearances but also their causes and effects. He also shares the knowledge he gained firsthand during his visits to Mer de Glace. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

From the mysterious depths of Lake Vostok, Antarctica, to tropical floodplain lakes, inland seas, hydro-reservoirs and the variety of waterbodies in our local environment, lakes encompass a huge diversity of shapes, sizes, depths, colours, and even salinities. Often very large and very deep, they sustain important and unique ecosystems which can be hotspots of biodiversity, and are used by humans as sources of drinking water and food, in particular, fish. What is the origin of differences among lakes, and how does that affect the life within them? What are the seasons of a lake, and how do human actions alter lake ecosystems locally, and at a global scale? In this Very Short Introductions, Warwick Vincent outlines the essential features of lake environments and their biology, offering an up-to-date view of lake ecosystems. Vincent traces the origins of lake science (limnology) from the seminal work of Francois Forel on Lake Geneva at the edge of the Swiss Alps, to modern approaches such as environmental sensors, satellite observations, stable isotope analysis, and DNA-based technologies which are used to probe the microbial life support systems that lead from sunlight to fish. Drawing on varied case studies he considers the intimate relationship between humans and lakes, the value of lakes as indicators of environmental change, the impact of pollution,and our urgent need to improve the protection and management of these vitally important living resources via an integrated understanding of their ecology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This research represents the first year of a multi-year, baseline study to provide data on the population dynamics and habitat use of lamprey in Cedar Creek, a stream located with the CRB. The objectives of this research are to: 1- estimate the abundance of larval and adult lamprey and measure biological characteristics; 2- determine larval distribution and habitat use; 3- determine outmigrant timing of larvae and macropthalmia; 4- evaluate spawning habitat requirements; and 5- evaluate homing fidelity, survival rates, and ocean residence.

Ian Newton, author of Farming and Birds and Bird Migration returns to the New Naturalist series with a long awaited look at the uplands and its birds. The uplands of Britain are unique landscapes created by grazing animals, primarily livestock. The soils and blanket bogs of the uplands are also the largest stores of carbon in the UK, and 70% of the country's drinking water comes from the uplands. It's a significant region, not least to the multitudes of bird species that hunt, forage and nest there. Once again, Ian Newton demonstrates his mastery of the subject matter at hand, in this beautifully illustrated, authoritative addition to the New Naturalist series.

How did El Nino change weather patterns and affect crops around the world? What are humans doing to help or hinder the health of the world's oceans? And what hurricane event happended for the first time since 1893? Whether you're a student writing a report, or a professional in need of some quick answers, you'll find what you're looking for in the "Earth Almanc." Covering the state of the four major geophysical topics associated with the Earth: the atmosphere, oceans, fresh water, and land, this new edition presents an incredible amount of usable information about the changes in our planet during 1999. Details of whole earth events and human-made and natural disasters are chronicled along with the necessary background information and statistics for understanding the science involved. Hot topics such as global warming, ozone depletion, and El Nino.

Goldstein explores specific major geophysical events and then continues with information on the latest scientific developments in fields such as geology, oceanography, and meteorology. Readers will also discover hot topics entries that are unique to this almanac--namely information on human-made events (pollution, carbon dioxide, oil spills urbanization, and water conflicts). Current and complete with more than 300 photos, charts, and statistical graphs, no other reference book compares to this one-stop resource. Topics covered include

Air Pollution

Cryosphere: The Ice

El Nino

Fresh Water

Geological Processes

Global Warming

Land Use

Ocean Fundamentals

Structure of the Atmosphere

Whole-Earth Events

Collaboration between prehistorians and palaeoecologists is radically changing our understanding of the relationship between landscape, land use and human settlement in Greece. The chapters in this volume include case studies and broader syntheses, developments of both on-site and off-site field methodology, explorations of palaeoecological and archaeological evidence, and discussions of how the palaeoecological and archaeological records are formed. Contributions range geographically over the contrasting natural and cultural landscapes of northern and southern Greece and the lowlands and highlands, and chronologically over the whole postglacial period, including studies of plant and animal ecology and of palaeoecological formation processes in the present. The difficulty of disentangling climatic and anthropogenic causes of palaeoecological change is a recurrent theme.

Twenty-eight essays by a very distinguished collection of contributors who were invited to speak at a conference in Newcastle in 1993 on a number of themes in terms of evidence for cave and rockshelter use in their areas of the world. The contributors include: Lawrence Straus ( Some human uses of caves and rockshelters ); Pavel Dolukhanov ( Cave vs open-air settlement in the European Upper Palaeolithic ); Marcel Otte ( The Belgian Palaeolithic ); Ann Sieveking ( Cave as context in Palaeolithic art ); Paul Bahn ( Pleistocene cave art ); Erwin Cziesla ( The Weidental cave ); Manuel Gonzalez Morales ( Cantabrian Spain ); Keith Branigan ( Caves as workshops ); Vassily Lubin ( The Caucasus ); Andrea Stone ( Pre-Columbian cave utilization in the Maya area ); Josephine Flood ( Aboriginal use of caves ); Penny Dransart ( Northern Chile ).

Merde is an unusual (very unusual) and witty investigation into a subject you may always have wondered about--but didn't know quite what to ask.
        
History, biology, anthropology, culture, animal behavior--all of these are the real subjects of Merde. Why can some animals do it on the run, and others can't? Why does camel dung make good fires? What are the fascinating stories of the dung beetles?
        
Myths and legends, physical features, health and disease, uses for construction and as fertilizers--even nutritional values!--Ralph Lewin writes about them all in the most ingratiating and sophisticated and yet scientific way. Merde is also full of personal adventures and observations, as well as anecdotes and examples.
        
The scattered literature on this subject is voluminous, but until now no one has perused and compiled it all and given it a personal touch, so to speak. It will be hard not to talk about this treasure trove of a book after you've finished it--or perhaps even when you're in the middle of it.


From the Hardcover edition.

This book covers many topics that are crucial to military planning but often receive only passing mention in histories or briefings. Collins, a former Army officer, stresses land geography, but he does not stint oceans, the atmosphere, or interplanetary space. His discussions of urban areas are too brief, given the increasing amount of large-scale violence in cities since the end of World War II.

Part I of the FEIS/MP is the Executive Summary. Part II describes the study area used for determining a final preferred boundary alternative, including human uses, natural resources, and the existing resource protection regime. Part III examines the alternatives considered in developing the proposal to designate a national marine sanctuary off the Olympic Peninsula. Part IV describes environmental and socioeconomic consequences associated with each alternative and part V describes the management plan for the Sanctuary.

This book describes the 1873 voyage of the British explorer Benjamin Leigh Smith, based on the diaries and photographs of Lieutenant Herbert C. Chermside, who joined the expedition of the seas around Svalbard. Chermside's photographs, long believed lost, have recently been uncovered in Sweden and are being curated there by the Grenna Museum. The three unpublished diaries of Herbert Chermside were lent to the Scott Polar Research Institute in 1939 by Mrs. Benjamin Leigh Smith. For the first time, Chermside's diaries are published in their entirety, with the original photographs shown alongside modern images of the same locations. This includes the first photographic record of the north coast of Svalbard, images that are today being used as comparative data for the study of climate change in the archipelago. The diaries have been fully transcribed and edited. Introductory chapters are included, written by specialists in the history of exploration, history of science, and the history of photography from Penn State University, the University of Gothenburg, and UiT, the Arctic University of Norway, as well as contributors from the UK and Germany. This volume is published in association with Grenna Museum, which will present Chermside's photographs in a 2022 exhibit on Leigh Smith and A.E. Nordenskiold.